America: I came here to study, not to show mercy.

Chapter 247 Theft
A mysterious sketch from Picasso's blues period, with a starting bid of $1.5 million, was eventually sold for $2.2 million to a middle-aged Black man in a sharp suit.

Two private underwater diving passes, with a starting bid of $600,000, were eventually sold for $1.7 million to a young white couple.

A private luxury villa in the suburbs of New York, complete with a doomsday fortress, for $8.5 million...

Ownership of five shops in the heart of Manhattan, New York, for $1.5 million...

To Li Xiaoen's surprise, the auction items were diverse and varied, ranging from practical assets such as house deeds to exclusive limited-edition memorabilia belonging to celebrities, with prices ranging from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of US dollars.

For Sean Lee, whose entire net worth is just over one million US dollars, there is no need to participate in the competition. Mr. Henry is right; he is just here to see the collection in this kind of auction.

Several small sandwiches and fruits that were easy to eat were already laid out on the table. Occasionally, he would chat and laugh with Christine and a few other girls at the same table. While eating, Li Xiaoen would look at the various reactions on and off the stage, and he would have a new understanding of the extravagance of wealthy American families.

"Next up is the grand finale of our collection, the Tears of Mogu."

At a certain moment, a voice suddenly came from the stage. Christine's previously amused and smiling face quickly turned away. She turned around and looked at the stage. Her abrupt movement startled everyone at the table, who followed her gaze in surprise.

At this moment, the model on the stage, dressed in a bodycon skirt, was holding up and displaying a blood-red gemstone necklace. The ruby ​​hanging from the center was stained with a blood-red hue, and the clasp was exquisitely carved, shining brightly under the lights. It was clearly made of valuable diamonds.

Li Xiaoen raised an eyebrow, activated his [Eye of Insight], and swept his gaze across the woman on the stage, whose eyes were fixed on everyone present. He couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

Sure enough, even in America, women are very fond of these sparkly things.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the auctioneer on stage had already given a brief account of the necklace's origins and history.

The Tears of Mogok were a ruby ​​from the royal collection that the governor of the region looted after the British occupation of Burma in 1886. It was then combined with diamonds from South Africa and crafted by the world’s most famous jewelers at the time. It was presented as a gift to Queen Victoria, who later gave it to her daughter. It is known that it changed hands several times before its final whereabouts became unknown.

After being lost for so many years, the fact that it has resurfaced at this moment is not surprising to most people—it is not uncommon for private collectors to possess treasures and antiques from all over the world that have never been made public for decades or even centuries.

Perhaps this was a tactic employed by Serafina's family to generate buzz for the charity auction.

Li Xiaoen couldn't help but think to himself, and subconsciously exchanged a glance with Su Feier beside him, both of them seeing the meaning in each other's eyes.

Compared to the previous amicable atmosphere, this auction was noticeably more intense, with the bidding reaching twenty million US dollars in just a few women raising their hands.

Every time the price was snatched away, Christine immediately raised her hand and spoke up. Her serious and even stubborn expression made Sean Lee pause for a moment.

Unsurprisingly, each time Christine raised the price, her determination to win was obvious. After the two women tried to compete a few times, they gave up, and neither dared to make any false demands to raise the price.

Ultimately, Christine received the Mogok Tear necklace for $26 million.

Immediately, a model presented the necklace to the table. Christine signed her name, picked it up with both hands, and admired it for a few moments before bowing her head to put it on her fair swan neck.

"How's it going? Does it look good?"

Christine looked expectantly at the people at the table, her eyes sparkling.

"It looks great and suits you perfectly."

As everyone nodded in approval, Sean Lee immediately looked up, forcibly shifting his gaze away from the ruby ​​erected on Christine's cleavage.

After the climax, and following the auction of two Constellations Group products—one-year protection certification and a ten-year online protection service with ongoing updates—the banquet moved to its final dining segment.

Constellations Group is the security company for Serafina's family. Following closely behind the most valuable and talked-about item, the Tears of Mogu, everyone present tacitly understood their intentions.

After a lively dinner with beautifully presented dishes and a few performances, the charity gala came to an end.

Just as Li Xiaoen was about to tell Su Feier and the other girls to leave early to avoid traffic jams, Christine, who had been showing off her wine glass to other friends, came running over in a panic.

“Sophie, Sean…”

Christine's originally fair and slightly chubby face was filled with anxiety. "Have you seen my Mogu's Tear necklace?"

"No……"

They exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled. Li Xiaoen shook his head in reply, then looked down at Christine's chest. The necklace had disappeared, revealing her original snow-white cleavage. He quickly asked, "What happened? Is the necklace gone?"

"Yeah, I don't know when it disappeared."

The expectant gaze quickly turned to disappointment. Christine forced a smile that held no emotion. She had already signed the contract and received the collection. Now that it was gone, even if she were still in this clubhouse, she would have to bear the loss herself.

Twenty-six million was a painful sum for her.

"I'll look in other places."

Taking a deep breath, Christine recalled the places she had been before and was about to set off when Sean Lee quickly reached out to stop her.

"Hey, can I ask you another question?"

Seeing the woman stop, Li Xiaoen gave her a reassuring smile and said, "You just bought this necklace, shouldn't you cherish it and keep your attention on it? How could you lose it without realizing it?"

"You're right, but I can't keep my attention focused on the necklace the whole time. There are always times when my mind wanders and my gaze shifts away, aren't there?"

Christine shook her head helplessly and explained, "Perhaps that's when I lost my necklace."

This statement is indeed human nature. Li Xiaoen's expression turned strange. Just as he was about to ask something else, Christine hurriedly went to the next place.

If it were a normal item, one might be able to find it by following the original path, but this is such a precious and dazzling necklace, so it would probably be a waste of effort.

Watching the woman hurry away, asking everyone she met, Li Xiaoen took a deep breath, feeling a mix of emotions.

Just then, he saw a number of security guards in uniforms arrive at their previous table and begin a thorough search.

"Perhaps this is not a theft targeting Christine."

Li Xiaoen glanced sideways at Su Feier beside him, and the two exchanged a knowing look.

"What was the purpose of the party? They want to sabotage it."

Sophie took a deep breath and murmured.

The party held at Serafina's house was a result of a scandal involving her colleagues and a virus intrusion into her cybersecurity department. She wanted to take this opportunity to expand her influence and business scope. Now, her valuable collection has been lost under their security. Even though the items have been signed for, if they cannot be found, it will undoubtedly be a heavy blow to their security business.

Although this is just speculation, it is undoubtedly the most likely scenario.

"Where is Serafina?"

Li Xiaoen turned around and looked around, but unfortunately he couldn't find the other person. Instead, he saw Mr. Henry walking towards him. "Mr. Henry..."

Li Xiaoen nodded in acknowledgment, "How's the situation? Have you checked the surveillance footage and found any clues?"

"The surveillance footage is still being checked by individuals, and we haven't found any useful clues yet."

Taking a deep breath, Henry shook his head, forcing a smile with a somber expression, "I'm a little embarrassed to have you witness this."

"This was a long-planned move by the other side. No one but God can take care of all aspects."

Li Xiaoen offered a reassuring reassurance, "Is the clubhouse under lockdown, restricting everyone's entry and exit?"

"That's how it is for now, but the attendees are all wealthy and influential, and many of them have important business to attend to immediately, so we can't restrict them for too long."

Henry nodded and then shook his head. Seeing the relief in Sean Lee's eyes, his serious expression froze for a moment, then a hint of surprise appeared. "Sean, do you have a plan?"

"It's just an idea; I'm not sure if it will work."

Li Xiaoen nodded, then activated his [Eye of Insight], displaying the entire 500-meter radius in his mind.

"Sean..."

Seeing the young man suddenly fall into deep thought, Henry, whose hopes had just been raised, quickly called out to him.

There were quite a few people in the hall. Li Xiaoen slowly scanned everyone and everything in his mind and soon spotted several figures moving around suspiciously with a strong sense of purpose.

Concentrating my attention on them, I saw that they had disassembled the entire necklace. The clasp had been broken down into small diamond strands, which they hooked onto their bags as decorations. The base and the ruby ​​on it had also been separated and hidden under someone's red lining.

They exchanged objects with lightning speed, making gestures intentionally or unintentionally, such as stretching or hooking their arms around each other's shoulders as if to strike up a conversation, handing over the objects they were holding, working together seamlessly.

That was brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

Coming to his senses, Li Xiaoen, who had been watching the group's movements closely, couldn't help but raise his hand and clap, exclaiming with amusement.

"Sean, have you come up with a great idea?"

Seeing this, Henry's face lit up with ecstasy, and he raised his hand to grab Lee Shawn's shoulder tightly.

"Mr. Henry, how many security personnel do you have here?"

Li Xiaoen turned his head and asked.

"About a hundred people just arrived and are maintaining order at the scene. Do you want to search everyone one by one?"

Henry replied, then couldn't help but ask, "Searching people one by one is too troublesome; it's best to avoid it unless absolutely necessary."

Searching each person individually would take a considerable amount of time, even if the many dignitaries present agreed, and in some cases, it might even backfire on their plans for the night.

"Don't worry, we only need about twenty sharp-eyed team members."

Li Xiaoen reassured him, "Of course, the more the merrier."

"Then I'll leave only the fewest teammates to guard the entrance, and you'll be in charge of the other hundred-plus teammates!"

Henry nodded solemnly. "This time, it really depends on you, Sean."

"Do not worry."

Li Xiaoen gave him an approving look.

……

"Good evening, everyone. I am Sean Lee, a friend of Mr. Henry."

After the security team, who were conducting an urgent and careful search, withdrew, a flurry of gossip began to circulate throughout the lobby. Just as some people were impatiently shouting that they wanted to leave, a cheerful yet magnetic voice came from the stage.

Everyone in the hall looked up at the tall figure on the stage. The young man was handsome and remained unmoved despite the many different kinds of gazes he received, with a faint smile on his lips.

"I believe everyone has heard some signs of what's going on. The party is coming to an end, and it's understandable if you want to leave."

Hearing a few irritated shouts, Li Xiaoen glanced around at the crowd below, strolled casually, and nodded reassuringly with a smile, "After all, I was originally worried about traffic jams and wanted to leave early, haha..."

The revelation caused a stir among the audience, but they all took a deep breath and waited for Li Xiaoen to continue.

"At a time like this, you're still saying things like that?"

Down in the audience, Sophie had already gathered with two girls, Serafina and Christine. Serafina stomped her foot impatiently and uttered a resentful groan.

Christine took a deep breath, suppressing her eagerness. She glanced at Sophie and met her gaze, giving her an approving look. Sophie was taken aback for a moment before turning her head back to the stage.

As always, the young man stood alone on the stage, whether facing the students below or the dignitaries below, his demeanor remained calm and composed, as if he were in his own living room.

A bright smile graced his handsome face, and his fearless gaze swept across the audience, infecting them and gradually calming their agitated mood.

"Please be patient, everyone. We will quickly screen the information and, once we confirm there are no abnormalities, we can rule out any suspicion."

Li Xiaoen continued, "Please rest assured, whether or not any suspects are found later, everyone is free to leave."

"Without further ado, let's begin, or rather, you can consider this the final surprise game of the evening."

Li Xiaoen chuckled casually, "Next, please stand still and do not move. Follow my instructions to complete some simple actions immediately."

"First, please remove your hats if you are already wearing them, thank you."

These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd.

"I'll take my clothes off, you guys hurry up and finish so I can go back to the company and work overtime."

A helpless murmur of agreement rang out from the middle area, and then slowly spread throughout the entire lobby.

Sure enough, we still need to hire shills.

Li Xiaoen found it amusing.

(End of this chapter)