With three superpowers at his fingertips, he could dominate the 1970s.

Sure enough, the next morning, the entire British high society was in an uproar.

News of the complete looting of the Henry family's collection spread overnight throughout estates, clubs, and afternoon tea parties. Even the secret auctions that were previously only known by word of mouth among elite circles were now known to a small number of ordinary people. Newspapers carried a full page with headlines such as "Centennial Family Stolen Overnight" and "Even the Most Prestigious Family on the British Isles Could Not Escape This Famine," accompanied by that same exterior photograph of the Victorian estate.

Seventeen was making Jiang Zhiyu laugh.

"Host, there will definitely be a lot of items in the collection tonight."

"Those veteran collectors, who were just hesitant yesterday, are probably packing up their things overnight and selling everything they can."

"No one dared to stay home for another night."

Jiang Zhiyu sat in her hotel suite, watching the patrolling cavalrymen coming and going on the street outside the window, without saying a word.

She was thinking about her identity tonight.

"Today, everyone's probably minding their own business; nobody's going to pay attention to us."

"But what identity should we use to photograph Chinese antiques?"

"Mixed-race?"

Seventeen questions.

"Do not."

Jiang Zhiyu shook her head.

"Being mixed-race is too conspicuous. I already used that identity once last night; I can't use it again."

"Let's try a different approach tonight."

"Go in directly as a Chinese citizen."

"Chinese?"

Seventeen was taken aback.

"A dignified and elegant Chinese lady from a wealthy family, older, in her early forties, with a composed demeanor and extensive knowledge."

As Jiang Zhiyu spoke, she was already sketching out the image in her mind.

"This kind of status isn't uncommon in European high society circles; every year there are several wealthy wives from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Penang."

"Being accustomed to things and not being surprised is actually the safest approach."

"That makes sense."

The seventeen blue crystals lit up.

"What about tonight's money?"

"You bid on the Fanghu pot yesterday, how much cash do you have left?"

"Not many left."

Jiang Zhiyu had the final say.

"I have a lot of collectibles tonight; it would be too conspicuous to hand over cash."

"Go to HSBC."

"When Shen Muyan set up the company for me in Hong Kong, he also opened an account at HSBC. I deposited a lot of money into it last time I went there."

"HSBC is a major bank in Hong Kong and the British Isles, making it very convenient to obtain bail and pay checks."

"Alright, host."

Jiang Zhiyu got up to change her clothes, gradually changing her appearance in front of the mirror.

The mixed-race features gradually faded, the contours softened, and the face began to converge towards an Eastern aesthetic. A few fine lines appeared at the corners of the eyes, the brows flattened, and the jawline became slightly rounded. The skin changed from fair to a slightly honey-colored hue, and the lips thinned.

Her hair was styled in a low bun, adorned with a plain silver hairpin, and she wore a pair of tiny jade earrings on her earlobes.

The cheongsam was dark green, made of thick fabric, and neatly tailored. She wore a fine old mine jade bracelet on her wrist, but no jewelry around her neck.

When she stands in the mirror, she exudes grace, composure, and understated elegance.

She was the spitting image of a wealthy Chinese woman from Hong Kong or Southeast Asia.

"pretty."

Seventeen sincerely praised in his mind.

"That aura...you've definitely seen the world."

"Let's go, you bootlicker."

Jiang Zhiyu picked up her handbag, turned around and went out.

First, I went to HSBC and got two certified checks, both with substantial amounts.

After leaving the bank, I headed straight for the suburban manor I had visited the previous night.

The auction proceeded as scheduled.

The scale tonight is completely different from last night's.

A long line formed at the registration desk. Instead of the thin list from the previous night, the waiter handed over an elegantly bound booklet.

Jiang Zhiyu opened it and glanced at it.

Sure enough, there were almost twice as many items up for auction as last night.

There were several bronze artifacts alone, not to mention countless jade pieces, porcelain, ancient books, and oil paintings. As she turned to the middle, Seventeen suddenly screamed in her mind.

"Host! Host! Mask! Mask!"

"A bronze mask with snake patterns! On page seven!"

Jiang Zhiyu looked down.

Sure enough, right in the middle of page seven, there was a small black and white photograph, accompanied by a brief description.

"A bronze snake-patterned mask, originating from the Far East, China. Its age is yet to be determined. It is rare in form, well-preserved, and exquisitely decorated."

She lightly tapped the photo on the mask with her finger.

"Don't get agitated when you see this."

"I'll definitely take the picture for you tonight."

How could I not be excited!

The blue crystals of the Seventeenth Brilliance were flashing, almost as if they were about to jump out.

"We've got them all! All three are complete!"

"Don't shout."

Jiang Zhiyu closed the booklet and walked into the venue at a leisurely pace.

The venue was much livelier tonight than last night.

The seats were almost full, and many faces I'd seen last night were still there, along with many new ones. Everyone looked a little flustered, and the whispers among them were much louder than last night.

Jiang Zhiyu thought that the incident involving the Henry family last night had probably frightened everyone.

She found an inconspicuous spot in the corner and sat down.

As soon as she sat down, an elderly white man next to her glanced at her sideways.

The old man was dressed in a well-tailored tailcoat with a family crest pinned to his chest, clearly of local aristocratic descent. He sized Jiang Zhiyu up and down a few times, a slight smirk playing on his lips, and muttered something under his breath in English.

"A Chinese woman, daring to come to a place like this to join in the fun."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for Jiang Zhiyu to hear.

Seventeen snorted coldly in his mind.

"Host, this old bastard needs to be taught a lesson."

Jiang Zhiyu ignored him.

The auction began soon.

The pace was much faster than last night.

The auctioneer announced each item one after another almost without pausing, while the paddlers below were listless. Many items went unbidden as soon as the starting price was announced, failing to sell immediately. Occasionally, one or two items would pique some interest, but the bidding would only last three to five rounds before the hammer fell.

Jiang Zhiyu was in no hurry to make a move.

She is waiting.

Whenever a Chinese artifact appeared, she would raise her paddle, just enough to outbid everyone else without driving the price too high.

The old white man kept staring at her, and the more he looked at her, the more displeased he became.

After the fifth piece of Chinese porcelain was hammered down, the old man finally couldn't help but lean over and ask in a low voice.

"Madam, if I may be so bold, you've already bid on several items tonight. May I ask where you're from? Hong Kong?"

Jiang Zhiyu turned her head and glanced at him.

"Yes."

"Port City."

The old man gave a cold laugh.

"I've met quite a few wealthy wives from Hong Kong, but I've never seen anyone spend money as lavishly as you. May I ask which family your husband belongs to? The Shen family? Or the Li family?"

Jiang Zhiyu smiled slightly.

"No, that's not it. I'm just a woman who runs a small business."

The old man's expression changed; he clearly hadn't expected her to be so direct.

"Doing business?"

He looked her up and down, his tone clearly questioning.

"Madam, if I may be so bold, this is not an occasion for just anyone to enter."

"You're a single Chinese woman, without even a male companion. What proof do you have of your identity? What proof do you have of that you can afford this money?"

Several wealthy women nearby also gathered around to watch the spectacle, their eyes filled with a sense of anticipation.

Jiang Zhiyu calmly took out a gold-embossed business card from her handbag and handed it over.

The old man took it and his expression changed immediately. He hadn't looked at the first few lines, only the last one.

"Bank of Account: HSBC Hong Kong Branch"

The old man stared at the four characters "HSBC" and his Adam's apple bobbed.

He knew better than anyone what HSBC's status was in the world. Those who could open an account at HSBC were either extremely wealthy or powerful; it wasn't a relationship that just anyone could cultivate.

He looked up, the doubt in his eyes had mostly faded, replaced by a hint of embarrassment.

"this……"

Jiang Zhiyu smiled slightly.

"Sir, is there anything else I need to prove?"

The old man opened his mouth, but in the end he just gave a dry laugh and handed the business card back.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm sorry."

Jiang Zhiyu put the business card back into her handbag and didn't look at him again.

Upon seeing this, the ladies around her immediately changed their attitude, nodding and greeting her, some even taking the initiative to strike up a conversation.

"Madam, are you also from Hong Kong?"

"My family also has a business in Hong Kong. Let's have afternoon tea together sometime."

Jiang Zhiyu responded with polite smiles to each of them.

Seventeen was laughing uncontrollably in his mind.

"Host, they really need to be taught a lesson. They're doing it so smoothly?"

Jiang Zhiyu didn't respond and continued reading the booklet.

Time passed little by little.

Until the auctioneer announced the seventh item.

"The following is a bronze snake-patterned mask from the Far East, China."

"It is ancient, with rare patterns, and is in excellent condition."

"Starting bid: £30,000."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire venue subtly changed.

Jiang Zhiyu looked up.

The same three people I saw last night were back again tonight, right in front of the stage.

The white-haired patriarch sat in the center, his face ashen, his lips taut. Beside him was his middle-aged eldest son, and next to him was his young wife.

They were also staring at the mask on the stage.

Seventeen was muttering to Jiang Zhiyu.

"Host, how come they still have money to operate? They raided an entire floor last night, and they can still come here to film this kind of good stuff today?"

Jiang Zhiyu's lips twitched slightly, but she didn't speak; she simply raised the sign gently.

Thirty-five thousand.

The old patriarch also raised the issue.

"forty thousand."

Jiang Zhiyu was unhurried.

"Forty-five thousand."

"fifty thousand."

After several rounds, the price had already risen to 80,000.

As Jiang Zhiyu held up the sign, she explained it to Seventeen in her mind.

"You think he's seriously injured just because I took down an entire floor of his building last night?"

"What they took was nothing more than a personal hobby collection for a family like theirs."

"superficial."

"The true essence of these people has never been their collections."

"It's real estate, it's mines, it's the network of relationships built up over generations, it's shares in banks, it's those shady overseas businesses."

"By selling just one or two items, we've come back to life."

"Their cash flow problems are simply because they've seized something and don't want to let go."

"You really think they're short of money?"

"Can we still compete with them?"

"Absolutely, we're determined to win. They're just putting on an act."

"With different starting points, it's obvious who's more willing to go all out."

"ten!"

The auctioneer began the countdown.

The old patriarch's face grew increasingly dark.

"One hundred thousand."

Jiang Zhiyu directly raised the price to this number.

The entire room fell silent.

The old patriarch stared at her for two seconds before slowly putting down the number plate in his hand.

"100,000 pounds per time."

"Ten thousand pounds twice."

"One hundred thousand pounds three times."

"make a deal."

As the hammer fell, Jiang Zhiyu nodded slightly.

Seventeen was overjoyed in his mind.

"Got it! Got it!"

"All three are complete!"

"Shut up."

Jiang Zhiyu remained expressionless and got up to complete the formalities.

While signing the confirmation form, she glanced at the front of the stage out of the corner of her eye.

The old patriarch stared intently at her retreating figure, his teeth grinding together.

Overnight, his collection vanished, making him a laughingstock in high society.

In an effort to save face, he sold off a suburban estate today, intending to demonstrate his power at the auction and show these people that the Henry family is not someone to be trifled with.

This Chinese woman was truly despicable.

He bought every single antique from his country.

That's absolutely despicable.

In the end, the old patriarch had no choice but to take back a few more insignificant items from his collection to avoid arousing suspicion.

When Jiang Zhiyu finished all the formalities and walked out of the manor gate, the night breeze was slightly cool, and the patrolling cavalry on the street had changed shifts.

"Host, we've gotten everything we were supposed to. Are you staying here again tonight?"

"No."

Jiang Zhiyu slung her handbag over her shoulder and didn't turn her head.

"Go straight back to Shanghai, damn it! The food here is awful, we should get out of here!"