At the start, I had to choose one of four options, and I immediately picked the Brahmin from the cou

Li Xiao didn't speak, but instead gave Zheng Hao a smile that Zheng Hao couldn't decipher at all. Then, ignoring him, he continued dressing himself.

"Yanhuai, get dressed and get ready to go. Since Haozi doesn't want to go, it seems it will be just the two of us."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hao sprang up from the rattan chair in a flash, instantly forgetting his previous arrogant demeanor.

"Holy crap! Brother Xiao, is there really another show tonight?"

"Nonsense, when have I ever joked about something like this? But didn't some people just say that they want to stay in their chairs forever, not even moving if the King of Heaven himself came? In that case, you should just stay here and enjoy the mountain breeze to digest your food. Old Zhou and I won't bother you."

"Hey, hey, hey! Brother Xiao, don't be like that! I was just being petty! As the old saying goes, 'Walk a hundred steps after a meal, and you'll live to ninety-nine!' I suddenly realize that Lao Zhou was absolutely right—life is about movement! Now that we've eaten and drunk our fill, we need to experience some refined art to make room for our stomachs!"

Seeing Zheng Hao's ability to change his attitude faster than flipping through a book and his utterly shameless behavior, Zhou Yanhuai looked at him with disdain. "That's not what you just said. Where's your integrity?"

"Can integrity feed you? Can integrity be as exciting as the shows arranged by Brother Xiao?"

Zheng Hao replied confidently, then approached Li Xiao with a fawning expression, rubbing his hands together and chuckling.

"Brother Xiao, shall we set off now? Should we change into something more formal? How about a pure and elegant style or an exotic and wild one for today?"

You'll see when you get there.

Li Xiao kept everyone in suspense, ignoring Zheng Hao's rambling, and turned to walk straight out of the courtyard.

"Hey, Xiao-ge, wait for me!"

Zheng Hao was afraid of falling behind even a step and causing a good show to be lost, so he hurriedly threw on a jacket and followed along.

Seeing Zheng Hao's appearance, Zhou Yanhuai sighed, shook his head, and followed behind the two.

The night breeze was cool. The three of them boarded the shuttle bus that the butler had prepared in advance. They meandered along the winding forest paths of the villa. Even Zheng Hao, who had a good sense of direction, was confused and had no idea where they were going.

Along the way, Zheng Hao was as excited as a fully charged teddy bear, wagging its tail wildly.

Zhou Yanhuai ignored him and peered out the car window. Apart from the small section of stone road illuminated by the car headlights, all around him was an impenetrable darkness.

Occasionally, a few warm yellow lights would flicker faintly from the mountainside in the far distance, those of the residents like them.

"Brother Xiao, where are we going? Why is it getting darker and darker? And there aren't even any streetlights along the way. Could it be that the Spider Cave is hidden deep in the mountains?"

Although Zheng Hao muttered to himself, the excitement in his eyes grew even more intense, as if he could practically have the words "I can't wait" etched onto his forehead.

Li Xiao didn't say anything. The best way to deal with this kind of chatterbox is to ignore him.

Sure enough, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Zheng Hao, who had been chattering away in Li Xiao's ear, wisely shut up.

The shuttle bus traveled for about ten more minutes on this unlit mountain road.

Just as Zheng Hao was about to speak again, the shuttle bus suddenly stopped at a bend in the mountainside.

Ahead was a sheer cliff covered in moss, and to the naked eye, it was impossible to tell that this place was anything special.

But just as the driver pressed a button, accompanied by the sound of some kind of mechanical operation, the disguised stone wall slid open to both sides, revealing a wide and brightly lit underground tunnel.

"Holy crap, there's a hidden gem here!"

Zheng Hao's eyes widened, his mouth gaped open wide enough to fit a chicken egg, and he instantly forgot all the pickup lines he had rehearsed in his mind.

Even Zhou Yanhuai didn't expect that there was a hidden secret here.

The shuttle bus smoothly entered the tunnel, and only then did Li Xiao begin to explain to the two of them.

"This is not some kind of Spider Cave. There was originally a huge natural underground cave inside this mountain. The owner behind Mingyue Bay accidentally discovered this place after buying the land. He then hired a top-notch engineering team to hollow out and reinforce the entire cave, eventually transforming it into the auction house we see today."

"Auction house?"

Zheng Hao was stunned; all those rosy and romantic fantasies in his mind shattered instantly.

"Brother Xiao, the 'exciting' show you're talking about, is it the one where they come to a cave in the middle of the night holding up signs to sell antiques?"

"What's the rush? You can't buy the stuff filmed here with money in the market."

Li Xiao chuckled. Although he didn't specify what he was bidding on, Zheng Hao and Zhou Yanhuai immediately realized from Li Xiao's tone that the items up for auction were definitely not simple.

As the shuttle bus continued deeper into the underground space, a vast and open underground space finally unfolded before the three of them.

This is a massive building resembling the ancient Roman Colosseum, with countless large lamps hanging upside down from the dome, illuminating this dark underground world as if it were daytime.

Here, you won't find the usual crowded halls of a typical auction house.

The rule of Mingyue Bay is absolute secrecy.

All the big shots who were qualified to attend did not need to show their faces throughout the entire event.

The massive building features a maze-like network of dedicated driveways. Shuttle buses, guided by codes on invitations, take guests directly to pre-prepared private rooms, completely eliminating the possibility of buyers prying into each other's backgrounds.

The shuttle bus turned into a private lift platform, and with a slight push, the platform, along with the bus, rose directly to the third floor, where the view was excellent.

After the car came to a stop, the three of them walked through a short corridor covered with a cashmere carpet.

Two waiters dressed in dark-patterned cheongsams had been waiting for a long time and respectfully pushed open the double doors of black walnut wood for them.

The private room was extremely luxurious, complete with a genuine leather head seat and a temperature-controlled cigar cabinet.

Directly in front of the room is a huge one-way mirror, from which one can look down at the circular central auction stage below. From the outside, the private room appears to be nothing more than a dark mirror.

Zhou Yanhuai walked to the glass, adjusted his glasses, looked down at the deep, circular exhibition stand, and sincerely admired it.

"What a grand gesture. To make so many figures willingly cower in the shadows and compete from the shadows, tonight's auction items must be extraordinary."

Zheng Hao also rushed to the glass, his disappointment replaced by a new kind of fervent curiosity.

He rubbed his hands together, staring intently at the white jade display stand below, where the spotlight slowly illuminated.

"Brother Xiao, I had no idea there was such a big place hidden under our Jiangyang County. This has really broadened my horizons."

Li Xiao walked to the sofa and sat down, picking up the whiskey that the waiter had just poured. The amber liquid swayed gently in the glass.

He looked towards the center of the arena through the one-way glass.

"There are many things you don't know. Even my dad doesn't know who the boss behind this place is. The reason I was able to bring you in this time is entirely because of my grandfather's influence."