Chapter 458: Going Home

"Special Envoy, the items you requested are ready."

At the entrance of the auction venue, Gu Kaixian stood before a cart piled with black boxes and spoke respectfully:

"The final five treasures sold for a total of 25 million. Including your previous banknotes, that makes 220 million in total. Everything has been packed and secured for you."

25 million... Although this price wasn't high, it was within Chen Ling’s expectations.

The cash reserves of the five major consortia had long been drained by him, and the Beidou Consortium still had a "coupon" he had given them. Getting this price from the secondary consortia was already quite good.

"Which consortia bought them?"

"The ones with the highest bids were the Beidou Consortium and the Huang Consortium. However, the Beidou Consortium had a discount, so the highest final transaction price came from the Huang Consortium." Gu Kaixian seemed to recall something.

"Yesterday, the daughter of the Huang Consortium came looking for you, saying she wanted to buy the small gold items you had... However, those were already sold out. After I told her that, she ultimately bid 7.5 million for the last consigned treasure, saying she had an agreement with you."

Hearing this, Chen Ling remembered. When he first entered the city, that girl from the Huang family had said she wanted to buy small gold items from him, but after entering the city and starting the auction, he had forgotten about it... Although he still had a few pieces of gold left over from the secret auction, those couldn't be sold. Chen Ling hadn't expected her to pay over 7 million to fulfill the agreement by bidding on the last major treasure...

Over 7 million was not a small number for a non-top-tier consortium. The fact that she knew he was leaving and had no chance of gaining any benefits, yet still spent such a large amount to fulfill a promise made when entering the city, surprised Chen Ling.

Thinking about how he had scammed her out of a few hundred thousand when he entered the city, Chen Ling felt a bit guilty... He pondered for a moment, took a note from his pocket, quickly wrote something down, folded it, and handed it to Gu Kaixian.

"Help me pass this on to the Huang Consortium... consider it a gift."

Gu Kaixian was slightly stunned, but he took the note and nodded: "Don't worry, Special Envoy, I will deliver it."

Chen Ling checked the number of boxes to ensure nothing was missing. Just as he was about to turn and leave, a short figure drifted down from the distance, stood on tiptoes, raised his hands, and struck a "perfect landing" pose.

Seeing the Jester had just caught up, Chen Ling was a bit puzzled:

"Where did you go just now?"

Chen Ling wasn't worried about the Jester’s strength; no one in the entire Red Dust Main City could threaten him. However, when Red Heart 9 and Jian Changsheng were in action earlier, he didn't seem to see the Jester participating. But looking at the direction he flew in from, it was the manor side... So, what happened during that missing time?

"Yi-ya, yi-ya yi-ah!" The Jester gestured wildly for a long time, but Chen Ling didn't understand what he meant.

"...Forget it. In any case, the mission is complete."

Chen Ling dragged the cart full of banknotes with one hand and patted the Jester’s shoulder with the other. His eyes, beneath the golden mask, gazed toward the city gate of Red Dust Main City...

"Fifth Senior Brother, it's time to go home."

With a total sales amount of 220 million, plus the incidental work of helping the Twilight Society establish a foothold in Red Dust Main City, Chen Ling’s training trip down the mountain was now complete. It was time to end the performance as the Golden Society Special Envoy.

The Jester blinked and excitedly raised his hands: "Yi-ya!!"

……

Huadu Consortium.

The sun was setting, the light visibly dimming. Under a deep blue sky that looked like the bottom of the ocean, the devastated manor was devoid of life.

"Chairman... our people have completely lost track of them." A bodyguard stepped forward and said cautiously, "The last time they appeared, it seemed to be near the Beidou Consortium."

In the corridor, Zong Wen, who was overlooking the unrecognizable garden below, clenched his hands tightly, a cold glint flashing wildly in his eyes.

"Mu Chunsheng... do you really think our Huadu Consortium is made of mud?!"

"There is one more thing regarding the Beidou Consortium..."

"Speak."

"Today's events have already been published in the evening paper by the Beidou Consortium. The public opinion outside is very unfavorable to us now. Plus, with the Beidou Consortium’s blockade on us in various aspects, many of our artists have started making small moves..."

The bodyguard paused before continuing, "They all privately feel... feel that the Huadu Consortium won't last much longer."

"Bullshit!!!"

This sentence completely ignited Zong Wen’s fury. The gray-haired old man was absolutely livid!

"It’s all goddamn bullshit! I won't lose!! Those artists are just trying to use this opportunity to escape my control... Don't forget! Without me, Zong Wen, where would they be today?!"

Zong Wen’s eyes were bloodshot. He smashed the ceramic teacup in his hand onto the floor. After a crisp sound, fine shards scattered in all directions, and the entire corridor fell into a deathly silence.

Zong Wen looked angrily at the shards on the ground, then shifted his gaze to see Liu Qingyan standing behind him in a black dress. His eyes narrowed slightly...

He stepped over the debris, grabbed Liu Qingyan by her fair neck, and pressed her hard against the wall!

"You! You useless thing, why couldn't you keep the Special Envoy?!"

Liu Qingyan’s hair was shaken loose onto her shoulders, hazily obscuring her face. She didn't resist, her eyes calmly looking into Zong Wen’s furious, bloodshot eyes, saying nothing.

"You also want to escape my control, don't you!? You wanted to please the Special Envoy, but he didn't even appreciate your efforts..."

"Do you also think I’m going to lose?! Do you also want to take this chance to run away?!"

Zong Wen wantonly vented his anger on the young girl. He stared at that beautiful face and those eyes as calm as autumn water. After cursing a few more times, he finally relaxed slightly.

He took a deep breath and released Liu Qingyan’s neck, leaving a red palm print on her fair skin.

Zong Wen squinted at Liu Qingyan, and after a moment, slowly asked the bodyguard beside him:

"Where is the Special Envoy?"

"He has already left the city."

Zong Wen nodded slightly. He pinched Liu Qingyan’s chin with one hand and spoke coldly and unquestioningly: "...Go to my room."

After saying this, he turned and walked toward the private room at the end of the corridor, as if there were a fire in his heart that he wanted to find a place to vent wildly.

Liu Qingyan stood amidst the debris, slowly turning to look at Zong Wen’s retreating back, a cold glint flashing through her eyes.

She took a deep look at the direction Chen Ling had left, as if having made a decision, lifted her black skirt slightly, and walked toward the room as quietly as a ghost...