Soon, the car arrived at the Exhibition Center.


The venue was a grand domed building, surrounded by shops selling antiques, paintings, and crafts, while the auction hall was located in the center.


This newly built Exhibition Center was majestic and classically designed, exuding an elegant, antique charm.


Ye Chen followed Song Wanting and took a glass scenic elevator to the sixth floor, the topmost level.


As soon as the elevator doors opened, a sophisticated art gallery appeared before them.


The walls were adorned with traditional paintings and calligraphy, creating a refined and artistic atmosphere.


This was the auction hall.


At the front, the auction stage was covered with a red carpet, and below it, rows of luxurious sofa booths were arranged.


Each table was laden with fine liquor, fresh fruits, and refreshments, exclusively prepared for distinguished guests.


Compared to the previous auction, it was evident that Zhenbao Pavilion (Treasure Pavilion) had invested significantly into this event.


Just renting and decorating the venue must have cost at least a million yuan!


Song Wanting’s private VIP booth was in the very front, at the center.


Just as their group was about to move forward, they suddenly heard a commotion behind them.


Ye Chen barely had time to react before being pushed aside by a crowd of people rushing in from behind.


His brows furrowed slightly as he turned to see a group of distinguished guests entering the hall.


Leading the way were several bodyguards, followed by a middle-aged man in a blue robe with a cold and arrogant demeanor.


Song Wanting’s eyes widened slightly as she whispered in surprise—


“Master Yu is here too?”


The crowd surrounding the man was filled with wealthy tycoons, all showing great reverence toward him.


Ye Chen glanced at the scene and smirked—


“So this is the so-called ‘Master Yu’? Quite the grand entrance…”


The man in question was Yu Jinghai, the renowned Feng Shui master from Xuanji Hall.


As he walked forward, he casually pulled out a light-yellow triangular talisman and handed it to a businessman beside him, who was flattering him excessively.


With an air of indifference, he said—


“Today, fate has brought us together. This peace charm is a gift for you—it will protect you and bring prosperity to your household.”


“Thank you, Master Yu!”


The businessman was overjoyed, accepting the charm with both hands as if he had received a priceless treasure.


He then proudly announced to the crowd—


“Master Yu’s peace charms are incredibly effective! I come to get one every year! Thanks to him, my business has been flourishing!”


Hearing this, the surrounding guests became envious.


Some of them shamelessly asked for a charm, but Master Yu ignored them completely.


His assistant, speaking in a distinct Hong Kong accent, sneered—


“Do you all think Master Yu’s peace charms are handed out for free? At Xuanji Hall, a single charm costs a minimum of 200,000 yuan!”


The crowd quickly recovered from their initial hesitation, and people started shouting bids—


“Master Yu doesn’t visit Jinling often! I’m willing to pay 200,000 yuan for a charm—please grant me one!”


“I’ll buy one too! Please bless me, Master Yu!”


“Master Yu’s charms are priceless! 200,000 yuan is nothing—I’ll buy five!”


The auction hall instantly became lively, with businessmen rushing to pre-order charms.


Yu Jinghai’s assistant hurriedly recorded their names as the atmosphere grew more frenzied.


Seeing this, Ye Chen couldn’t help but comment—


“A simple charm being sold for 200,000 yuan? That’s a ridiculously easy way to make money.”


His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but Yu Jinghai immediately turned to stare at him, his expression darkening.


He pushed through the crowd and strode up to Ye Chen, his sharp gaze scanning him before sneering—


“Young man, from your tone, it sounds like you have an issue with my charms?”


Ye Chen replied calmly—


“I just think they’re not worth that kind of money.”


Before Yu Jinghai could respond, the crowd erupted—


“What do you know?! Master Yu’s charms are worth every cent!”


“Exactly! Some people even pay millions for them!”


“Hah! Look at this guy! I bet he can only afford the 2-yuan peace charms from temple stalls!”


Yu Jinghai snorted disdainfully, shaking his head—


“Food can be eaten carelessly, but words must be spoken carefully. A wise man thinks before he speaks. You should be careful not to make a fool of yourself.”


With that, he curled his lips in scorn and strode confidently into the auction hall.


Ye Chen remained completely unfazed, not giving Yu Jinghai a second glance.


Seeing the awkward situation, Song Wanting smiled apologetically and said—


“Master Yu has a rather strong personality. Please don’t take it to heart, Mr. Ye.”


Ye Chen shrugged nonchalantly—


“Doesn’t bother me. Let’s head inside.”


The Auction Begins—A Special Gift for Xiao Churan?


Once all the guests were seated, the auction officially began.


The host was Treasure Pavilion’s owner, Bao Fugui, who delivered a brief welcome speech before launching into the main event.


Since the previous auction was canceled, the number of auction items had doubled, and the guest list had expanded considerably.


The first item brought onto the stage was a bronze incense burner from the Song Dynasty.


The auctioneer introduced it—


“This is the ‘Pine & Crane Reverse-Flow Incense Burner,’ a royal gift from Emperor Song to the great poet Su Dongpo. It comes with two boxes of dragon musk incense, a formula exclusive to the Song imperial court, now lost to history!”


To demonstrate, a hostess in a traditional qipao carefully lit the dragon musk incense.


Immediately, a thin stream of white smoke cascaded down the burner like a waterfall, forming an elegant mist around the intricately carved pine and crane figures.


A refreshing fragrance filled the room, making everyone feel rejuvenated and relaxed.


Ye Chen nodded slightly—


“This is indeed authentic dragon musk incense, derived from sperm whales. A rare find indeed.”


The bidding started at 800,000 yuan, and after several rounds, it was sold for 1.6 million yuan.


Many more precious antiques followed, but Ye Chen wasn’t particularly interested.


However, when a string of natural purple pearls was brought out, Ye Chen’s eyes lit up.


The auctioneer introduced—


“These are natural East Sea Purple Pearls, harvested at a ratio of one in a thousand. A true rarity.”


The starting bid was 400,000 yuan.


Ye Chen immediately raised his hand—


“500,000 yuan.”


Xiao Changkun panicked, whispering urgently—


“Why are you bidding on this?! This is just a rip-off! Pearl necklaces shouldn’t cost more than a few thousand yuan!”


Ye Chen smiled and replied—


“I think Churan would look great wearing it. Pearls also have calming properties—she’s been stressed and hasn’t been sleeping well.”


Hearing this, Xiao Changkun wanted to object but swallowed his words.


However, just as the auctioneer was about to finalize the bid, a familiar voice interrupted—


“600,000 yuan!”


Ye Chen turned his head sharply.


It was Qin Aodong—the very same troublemaker from the Qin family.


“What the hell is he doing here?! Wasn’t he supposed to be grounded?!”