You went on a blind date and presented an A-level wanted criminal as a meeting gift?

The old appraiser slumped to the ground, his hand holding the high-powered magnifying glass trembling like a leaf.

His sudden tremor completely shattered the reputation of the Poseidon's underground auction house.

The wealthy and powerful people in the audience had never been treated like this before. They were usually the ones who fooled others when they were out in the world, but today, they came to the high seas and were almost slaughtered by a 3D-printed resin horse!

"Give me my money back! What kind of bullshit Dragon Seeking Society is this? They tried to fool me with fake goods!"

"This isn't over! We need an explanation today, or your cruise ship won't have any peace!"

"Damn, that coal boss may be a bumpkin, but he's absolutely right about what he called him. He's a piece of junk that even a dog wouldn't use!"

The entire banquet hall was filled with deafening shouts of curses.

The auctioneer on stage was sweating profusely, his hand holding the microphone trembling, and he stammered, trying to smooth things over: "Misunderstanding! Ladies and gentlemen, this is absolutely a misunderstanding! There was a small oversight in the authentication process, we will replace the item immediately!"

In the VIP room on the second floor, the Smiling Buddha stared intently at the arrogant "Southeast Asian tycoon" on the first floor, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

He didn't feel any pain even when the broken walnut pieces pierced his flesh.

"Boss, should I take some men down there and take care of that kid right now?" The bodyguard behind him had a fierce look in his eyes, and his hand was already reaching for the gun handle at his waist.

"Idiot!" The Smiling Buddha slapped the bodyguard hard across the face, sending him spinning halfway around. "Are you trying to kill us by making a move now? Do you think these multinational tycoons aren't running fast enough? Immediately tell your men to skip the junk and go straight for the real deal! We have to dominate the scene and grab the money today!"

A few minutes later, the lights on the auction stage suddenly changed to a somber, cold color.

Two burly men with menacing faces slowly pushed a steel cart onto the stage. The cart was covered with a thick black velvet cloth, and even before it was lifted, a chilling aura emanated from it.

The auctioneer wiped away a cold sweat, took a deep breath, and suddenly ripped off the black cloth!

A bronze sword, about 80 centimeters long and with an ancient and heavy design, lies quietly inside a bulletproof glass enclosure.

The sword was covered in verdigris, but under the light, the blade gleamed with a chilling dark red! It wasn't the color of rust, but the blood-red hue that had seeped into the bronze's texture more than two thousand years ago after it had truly drunk the blood of countless people!

"hiss--"

Several truly knowledgeable antique dealers in the front row simultaneously gasped in shock.

Just as the glass cover was opened to allow air to pass through.

Lin Chen, sitting in the audience, suddenly narrowed his eyes.

[A god-like sense of smell has been activated!]

A faint, peculiar, sweet-smelling fishy smell, imperceptible to most people, drifted into Lin Chen's nostrils.

He knew that taste all too well!

A few days ago at Panjiayuan Antique Street, I smelled this same scent on the animal head hidden inside the fake bronze tripod. It's a modified version of the ancient, deadly poison – "Qianji"!

This sword is definitely a core artifact brought out from that unexcavated ancient tomb shown on the parchment map!

"Distinguished guests, the brief incident just now was merely an appetizer." The auctioneer regained his confidence, his voice rising. "This lot is a sword from the late Warring States period, the personal sword of General Wang Jian! The bloodstains on the blade have not faded after two thousand years! It is not only a perfect bronze artifact, but also a symbol of power and slaughter!"

"Starting price: 500 million! Each bid must be at least 50 million!"

The moment the words were spoken, the anger in the entire room was instantly replaced by the greed ignited by this peerless weapon.

"Five hundred and fifty million!" A representative of a multinational conglomerate wearing gold-rimmed glasses was the first to raise his paddle.

"Six hundred million!" A burly overseas gangster boss followed closely behind.

"Eight hundred million! I'm getting this sword, and nobody can take it from me!"

Prices skyrocketed.

For these true tycoons, money is just a string of numbers. The sheer power this sword wields in their offices, its ability to suppress negative influences, is unmatched by any modern work of art.

In less than five minutes, the price had soared to 1.5 billion!

Moreover, the bidding momentum shows no signs of abating.

Ye Qingcheng sat down next to Lin Chen, turned her head slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Honey, should we make a move? I have plenty of funds."

Lin Chen did not answer immediately, but leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping across the one-way glass of the second-floor private room.

[Mastering the God-Level Actuary skill is now available!]

Countless data points were frantically being processed in Lin Chen's mind. The recent flow of funds for the Dragon Seeking Society, the holes in the overseas smuggling network, the micro-expression reaction of the Smiling Buddha when his fake identity was exposed, the daily operating costs of the cruise ship…

In just three seconds, Lin Chen came to a conclusion.

The Smiling Buddha desperately needs a large sum of money to fill the financial hole, and his bottom line for this sword is three billion. If it falls below that amount, the Dragon Seeking Society's financial chain will completely break.

When the price on the market stopped at 1.8 billion, several buyers began to hesitate and the increments of their bids became smaller.

Lin Chen moved.

He lazily raised the number plate in his hand, without even standing up, and uttered two words in a flat tone: "Thirty billion."

Everyone turned their heads sharply and stared intently at Lin Chen.

A one-time price increase of 1.2 billion?! Is this insane? Even a printing press couldn't move that fast!

"Holy crap, is this Southeast Asian guy really rich or just here to cause trouble?"

"Three billion for a sword? That's absolutely insane!"

In the private room on the second floor, upon hearing the number, the Smiling Buddha's eyes instantly erupted with undisguised ecstasy! Three billion! It was right on his bottom line; as long as this money arrived, all his troubles would be resolved!

"Great! This boss has bid 3 billion! Any higher bids?" The auctioneer's voice cracked with excitement as he raised his gavel to bring it down.

"Wait a minute."

Lin Chen suddenly stood up, put one hand in his pocket, and stared at the private room on the second floor. His voice was not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the room.

"I haven't finished speaking yet." Lin Chen grinned, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. "I do intend to pay the three billion. However, this sword is coated with the deadly 'Tethering' poison. Once this poison comes into contact with the skin, or even if the fumes are inhaled, there's no cure."

Lin Chen pointed at the bronze sword on the stage, his voice suddenly turning cold: "Whoever buys it will have their entire family wiped out. I'm offering this 3 billion to buy this sword and then smash it to pieces in front of everyone!"

The entire venue was deathly silent.

The chaebol representatives and gangster bosses who were just bidding frantically turned pale instantly, retreating in terror as if the object on the stage was not an antique, but a nuclear bomb that could explode at any moment.

In the private room on the second floor, the ecstatic joy on the Smiling Buddha's face froze instantly.