Volume Two: Anbei Corporation Chapter Eight: Something Is About to Happen

Chen Chengde carefully recalled—how many times had he actually met Li Yu? Counting them one by one, this was only the fourth meeting, and yet it involved an investment of over a billion. Was Li Yu really someone he could trust? This was a gamble of extraordinary stakes.

“Nine hundred million, deal—” Le Lin’s words were cut short.

“One point five billion!” Chen Chengde shouted loudly, fearing that if he hesitated for even a second, the hammer would fall and the deal would be sealed.

Le Lin’s beautiful eyes sparkled with delight; she hadn’t expected such a rare seed to fetch such an astonishing price.

“Grandpa!” Chen Jingfu exclaimed in surprise.

“Heh, young friend, even if I can produce this sum, I’ll probably have to sell some assets,” Chen Chengde replied, ignoring his granddaughter and smiling at Li Yu.

Li Yu said, “Even if you have to sell more, it’s worth it.”

Truthfully, he was stunned by the old man’s faith in him; after all, they had only met a handful of times, and most encounters had been mere transactions.

“Your words put my mind at ease. If he raises the bid again, though, I may not be able to keep up,” Chen Chengde, seasoned with age and wisdom, sensed the subtle shift in Li Yu’s attitude. For him, this closeness was worth more than gold.

“Damn it, damn it!” The man in black seated behind them muttered with a crazed intensity. One point five billion—where was he supposed to scrape together the excess?

“One point five billion, once,” Le Lin announced.

“One point five billion, twice.”

“One point five billion, three times—sold!” With those words, the auction was settled.

“Let’s go claim our item, settle the payment, and head home!” Chen Chengde joked. “You’re lucky, young friend; I still have to sell some family property!”

Li Yu quickly settled the payment. Compared to the tens of millions in his bank account, this sum—just over a million—was trifling.

Because Huang Xiu still had to prepare for her exams, Li Yu didn’t linger. After a brief farewell, he left.

...

...

“Grandpa...” Chen Jingfu hesitated.

Their family could cover one point five billion, but they would have to include some real estate and non-liquid assets. To pay the full amount, they might need to borrow or sell some holdings.

“I understand what you mean, but if you only seek stability, you’ll never break new ground,” Chen Chengde shook his head. “I’ve never seen a cautious ship make history. Let’s wait a moment, and see whether we’ve hit a reef.”

Photography was forbidden at the auction, but as soon as they went backstage to handle the transfer, Chen Chengde took a photo of the seed and sent it off.

Just as he’d predicted, his phone rang almost immediately.

The man on the other end, usually calm, was now anxious. “Old Chen, did you win the seed?”

“Yes, I did. Same as before—should I keep it here and wait for someone to collect it?” Chen Chengde felt that his one point five billion had been well spent.

“No, I’ve already sent someone. Wait there,” the man said, then hung up.

“Looks like we haven’t struck a reef,” Chen Chengde said with a smile, pointing at his phone for Chen Jingfu. “Have you ever seen a reaction like this?”

She shook her head. Since childhood, she’d never seen the man on the other end behave in such a manner.

“You should learn to observe,” Chen Chengde seized every opportunity to educate his granddaughter. “Handing over ginseng might not mean much, but paired with Li Yu’s vision and capabilities, you’ll realize he’s truly extraordinary.”

“His capabilities?” Chen Jingfu was curious.

“Yes, his strength surpasses mine!” Chen Chengde replied. Although Li Yu had only subconsciously slipped free of his grasp once, Chen’s seasoned instincts left little doubt.

He thought for a moment and added, “Even if he’s not stronger now, he’ll surpass me within five years.”

Chen Jingfu’s mouth fell open. She knew her grandfather would never lie, but the implication was terrifying.

Her grandfather had practiced martial arts since childhood, accumulating decades of inner strength, now at its peak. Yet he claimed a boy barely in his teens might be even more formidable.

What did that mean? Li Yu was not only a prodigy but had a powerful family supporting him. Otherwise, the decades-long gap in inner strength would be impossible to bridge.

As they handled the transfer of assets, the man in black entered, staring at his phone with gritted teeth.

“It’s received. What should I do?”

“Take care of those two for me!” came the reply.

“Understood…”

At the top of the chat window was a photo—of a young man and woman. Opening it, their faces were clearly visible: Li Yu and Huang Xiu, who had left early.

Guided by the staff, the man in black passed by Chen Chengde’s room, glancing inside and muttering, “You two as well—once my men arrive, you won’t escape!”

...

...

Huang Xiu glanced at the package in her arms. Inside were Guangxu silver coins worth over a million. She felt as if she were floating.

Her family owned antiques more valuable than these, but this was the first time she’d bought something herself. Not long ago, she’d heard her grandmother mention these Guangxu coins.

“Watch your step. I’ll go home with you first,” Li Yu said, hailing a taxi. “By the way, are you going to evening study tonight?”

“Will you be home tonight?” Huang Xiu asked.

“Tonight…” Li Yu nodded. “I’ll be home.”

He had originally planned to leave immediately. The time flow between Blue Star and the other world was different: a single day here meant seven or eight days there. He actually preferred staying there, where his progress was tangible.

But seeing Huang Xiu like this, he couldn’t bring himself to say he had other matters.

“I’m not going to evening study—I’ll be home too!” Huang Xiu squinted happily, flashing eight teeth in her smile.

...

...

In the other world, the puppet followed Li Yu’s instructions, spending several days in seclusion.

“Li Yu, won’t you come out and play with me?” Qing Anqi called from the doorway.

The puppet didn’t even look up. “No!” He had just finished absorbing the energy from the thunder-struck wood. To maintain the appearance of a typical eighth-level cultivator, he had to refrain from further absorbing thunder-attribute spiritual energy, instead focusing on refining his meridians with the Lady Buddha Sword.

“Hmph!” Qing Anqi stormed off in a huff.

The puppet made no move to stop her. He knew that too much interaction with others might expose his master’s secrets when he returned.

A proper puppet must never endanger its master!

...

...

Inside the taxi, Li Yu suddenly felt a headache and rubbed his brow.

Huang Xiu asked with concern, “Yu, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Li Yu replied, shaking his head. “I just have this feeling—something bad is about to happen.”