I lent my brother 500 yuan, and he offered his wife as collateral.

……

Thirty-five million.

"Second Uncle, you are truly vigorous for your age."

Su Linglong gritted her teeth and squeezed out a sarcastic remark, "Spending thirty-five million on a cup to drink tea, aren't you afraid of burning your mouth?"

Su Tianxiao ignored her.

He was completely tense, his eyes fixed on the one-way glass on the second floor like a hawk.

He is waiting.

Waiting for Qin Feng's reaction.

If Qin Feng continues to raise the price, even by just one yuan, it will prove that the secret in this cup is absolutely worth the price!

When the time comes, even if it means selling everything he owns, even if it means using that shady reserve fund, Su Tianxiao will get his hands on it!

Second floor, inside a private room.

Qin Feng swirled the wine glass, and streaks of tears appeared on the glass's surface from the crimson liquid.

"Brother Feng..." Su Qingxue gripped Qin Feng's sleeve tightly, so nervous she barely dared to breathe. "Should we...should we add more?"

That's thirty-five million!

What if Qin Feng actually bids for something, but the other party doesn't want it?

I couldn't afford to lose that much even if I sold myself!

Qin Feng looked down at Su Tianxiao's stiff back and smiled slightly, his eyes full of mockery.

It's not quite done yet.

Although this old fox is greedy, he hasn't lost his mind yet.

We need to add fuel to the fire and make him completely lose his mind.

"Let's play one more time."

Qin Feng put down his wine glass and gently placed his finger on the red bidding button.

"Ding!"

The numbers on the big screen started jumping again.

"Thirty-eight million!"

This leap is not just a change in numbers, but the final straw that broke the camel's back.

boom!

The lobby on the first floor was in complete chaos.

"This is insane! Absolutely insane!"

"This isn't buying antiques, it's printing money!"

"Is this a battle of gods? Thirty-eight million for a 'hand-pressing cup'? That premium is practically on Mars!"

Su Tianxiao's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints at that moment.

add!

He really added it!

And that's three million!

If it were an ordinary cup, who would do that?

Qin Feng is a sharp-eyed fellow; he would never do a losing business.

This cup must contain a shocking secret; it might even be a fragment of the treasure map passed down from the Su family ancestors!

"We can't let them! We absolutely can't let them!"

Greed, like wild grass, instantly devoured all of Su Tianxiao's reason.

Only one thought remained in his mind:

By intercepting Qin Feng and obtaining the treasure, the collateral branch of the Su family rose to power and trampled the main branch underfoot!

"Huff... huff..."

Su Tianxiao's breathing became heavy. He suddenly raised the number plate in his hand, his voice becoming sharp and shrill due to extreme excitement, completely losing his usual demeanor.

"Forty million!!!"

That shout cracked his voice.

It carried a kind of desperate madness.

Tang Ziyun stood on the stage, her smile breathtakingly beautiful.

This moment was the highlight of her career as an auctioneer.

"Forty million! Mr. Su Tianxiao has offered forty million!"

Her voice was high-pitched and passionate, with tremendous power: "Is there anything even better? This is the pinnacle of Ming Dynasty imperial porcelain. Missing this opportunity might mean missing out on a piece of history!"

All eyes turned to the second floor once again.

We await the return of that mysterious big shot.

Su Tianxiao was also staring intently at that spot, his palms covered in sticky, cold sweat, his heart pounding like a drum.

Add more!

Add more!

If you just add one more bite, I'll...

I'll stick with it to the end!

Second-floor private rooms.

Qin Feng looked at the bright red "40000000" on the big screen and smiled with satisfaction.

"That's about it."

Qin Feng leaned back, sinking into the soft sofa.

He reached out and gently pressed the red indicator light that represented the bidding right.

Snapped.

The lights went out.

The glass wall, which was originally lit up with red light, suddenly went dark.

This means—giving up.

downstairs.

Su Tianxiao was stunned.

Su Linglong was stunned.

Everyone in the room was stunned.

Is that... all there is to it?

They were fighting tooth and nail just now, so how come the other side withdrew as soon as Su Tianxiao went all in?

It feels like two people are in a tug-of-war, one side pulls back with all its might, while the other side suddenly lets go.

The fall was incredibly hard.

"Forty million once." Tang Ziyun reacted quickly, raising the auction gavel high in her hand.

Su Tianxiao's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

An ominous premonition shot up my spine and straight to the top of my head.

Not right.

This script is wrong!

If that is truly a priceless treasure, how could Qin Feng give it up so easily?

Forty million is a lot, but compared to the five hundred million that kid just earned, it's just a drop in the ocean!

unless……

"Forty million twice!" Tang Ziyun's voice sounded like a death knell.

"Wait..." Su Tianxiao instinctively wanted to stand up and back out.

But this is Tianbao Pavilion.

No regrets once the gavel falls.

"Forty million, three times! Sold!"

"Bang!"

The crisp sound of the gavel striking the ground echoed throughout the arena.

The dust has settled.

There was thunderous applause.

Countless people cast envious, jealous, or suspicious glances at Su Tianxiao, looking at him as a sucker.

"Congratulations, Boss Su!"

"Mr. Su is so generous! He spent 40 million to buy his dream item. I admire him greatly!"

"This is the true foundation of a wealthy family; we nouveau riche can't compare."

The compliments from all around came like a tidal wave.

Su Tianxiao sat stiffly in the chair, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, and mechanically returned the greeting with a cupped-hand salute.

Won.

But he felt no joy at all; instead, he felt empty, as if he had swallowed a block of ice.

Just then.

"Ding-dong."

My phone, which was on the table, vibrated.

It was a voice message from an unknown number.

Su Tianxiao's eyelids twitched.

In such situations, his private number is known to only a very few people.

As if possessed, he picked up his phone and opened the voice message.

next second.

Qin Feng's lazy, slightly mocking voice rang out clearly in the not-so-noisy first row of seats.

"Congratulations, Mr. Su, on buying a 'finishing' cup for 40 million."

"Tsk tsk, the Su family's collateral branch is indeed wealthy and powerful. When it comes to charity, you have to look to them. The tuition fee they paid was quite substantial."

Crossing the finish line?

These two words were like a thunderclap, exploding directly in Su Tianxiao's ears.

In the antique trade, "cracks" refers to porcelain that has been impacted, resulting in extremely fine cracks inside, even though the surface is not broken.

For porcelain, this is a fatal flaw!

The saying goes, "A piece of porcelain with a rough edge is worthless," let alone such a hidden defect in its internal structure!

If someone crosses the finish line, the cup's value is questionable, let alone 400 million!

"No...impossible!"

Su Tianxiao suddenly stood up, and because he stood up too quickly, his knees slammed heavily on the table, spilling tea all over himself.

Ignoring his disheveled state, he rushed towards the auction stage like a madman.

"Give me the cup! Let me see it!!"

Su Tianxiao's loss of composure stunned everyone present.

Those who were just congratulating him stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at this once arrogant big shot.

"Mr. Su, what is this...?" Tang Ziyun frowned and stepped aside to block her view.

"Get out of here!"

Su Tianxiao pushed the staff member aside and grabbed the blue and white porcelain cup from the tray with trembling hands.

He pulled a high-powered magnifying glass from his pocket and practically pressed his eye against the glass.

The light shines on the cup, making the glaze as warm and smooth as jade, and the patterns are exquisite.

Everything seemed so perfect.

"He's lying to me... He's lying to me... This is perfect..." Su Tianxiao muttered to himself, as if he were hypnotizing himself.

"Look at the bottom of the cup."

The glass wall of the second-floor private room suddenly lit up, as if in response to his mutterings.

Su Tianxiao's hand trembled, and he turned the cup upside down.

The powerful flashlight was held close to the bottom of the cup, and the light penetrated the body of the cup.

In the field of view of a magnifying glass.

A very thin, faint dark mark, almost invisible unless viewed under strong light, resembles a serpentine snake lying quietly in the embryonic tissue at the bottom of the cup.

That's... an internal fissure.

This is also known as "invisible finish line".

This kind of damage is usually invisible, but over time, or due to thermal expansion and contraction, the cup may crack along this line at any time.

This is a defective product.

A completely defective product.

"Clang!"

The magnifying glass in Su Tianxiao's hand fell to the ground.

Forty million...

As a result, I bought this piece of junk that could break at any moment?

But his face had turned a deep liver color, and the veins on his forehead were bulging, making him look ferocious and terrifying.

"Qin... Feng..."

Su Tianxiao raised his head, his resentful gaze fixed fiercely on the dark glass window on the second floor.

If looks could kill, Qin Feng would already be torn to pieces.

Although the surrounding guests didn't know what had happened, seeing Su Tianxiao's expression of utter grief and recalling the voice message from earlier, they were all as shrewd as ghosts and immediately understood what was going on.

I was fooled!

I've been hunting geese all day, and today a goose pecked my eye!

This lord of the Su family has been slaughtered like a pig!

"Hiss... Qin Feng is too ruthless!"

"This is like killing someone by attacking their spirit! First they raise the price, then they expose their weaknesses. This isn't just about money, it's about taking their lives!"

"Stay away from this kid from now on, he's a living devil."

The direction of the discussion shifted.

Sitting not far away, Su Linglong felt a chill run through her body.

She looked at her second uncle, who was sprawled on the ground, and then at the private room on the second floor that seemed to be high up in the clouds.

An unprecedented sense of fear rushed from the soles of my feet to my head.

If just now...

If it weren't for her second uncle interfering, the person lying on the ground coughing up blood right now would be Su Linglong!

That man was terrifying.

He has a thorough understanding of human greed, and every step he takes feels like dancing on your nerves.

Inside a private room on the second floor.

Qin Feng watched the farce unfolding below with an expression as calm as if he were watching a poorly made skit.

"Brother Feng... is that cup really broken?" Su Qingxue asked cautiously.

"Hmm." Qin Feng nodded. "It's a three-hundred-year-old hidden injury. It's not visible under normal circumstances, but if hot water is poured in, the cup will shatter."

"How did you know?" Su Qingxue blinked her big eyes curiously.

Qin Feng pointed to his eyes and smiled mysteriously:

"Because I am a god."

Su Qingxue blushed, lowered her head, and muttered softly, "Liar."

On the stage.

Tang Ziyun didn't give Su Tianxiao much time to grieve.

Business is business.

"Next up is the second special item for tonight."

Tang Ziyun's voice softened, carrying a hint of mystery.

The hostess brought out a new tray.

There was no red cloth covering it.

There was only a transparent file folder containing a yellowed old piece of paper with some burn marks on the edges.

A high-definition image of the paper was immediately projected onto the large screen.

That was a land deed.

Traditional Chinese characters, formatted during the Republic of China era, with several red official seals stamped on it.

"Property deed for Red Leaf Villa in the western suburbs of Chengdu".

Tang Ziyun explained simply, "This is not just a property, but a historical site that has witnessed the vicissitudes of Sichuan over the past century. Of course, for some people, it may have an even more special meaning."

The voice just fell.

Su Tianxiao, who was returning to his seat, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He was struck dumb, turned around abruptly, and stared intently at the piece of paper on the big screen.

The old house in Xishan!

That's where the Su family made their fortune!

It's also where he hides his biggest secret!

Thirty years ago, a fire destroyed the place, and the land deeds were lost.

Because that piece of land later became wasteland and no one developed it, he never took it seriously.

But now... this land deed has actually appeared at Tianbao Pavilion's auction?!

It wasn't just Su Tianxiao.

In the private room on the second floor, Qin Feng's lazy sitting posture vanished the moment he saw the land deed.

He sat up straight, his eyes gleaming with golden light.

[Item: Original land deed for the old house in Xishan]

[Hidden Information: This land deed corresponds to the third basement level of the mansion, where top-secret notes left by the previous head of the Su family are hidden, as well as... a secret room filled with the smell of nitroglycerin.]

[Value of this bargain: Extremely high (Controlling this place is tantamount to holding Su Tianxiao by the throat).]

Qin Feng took a deep breath, his eyes becoming sharp as knives.

That cup was just an appetizer.

just now.

The main course is served.