After awakening her X-ray vision, the beautiful CEO couldn't sit still any longer.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the call center, then the calm female voice seemed to let out a barely audible snort:

"Six million one hundred thousand."

Her voice was a little hoarse, with a kind of desperate hoarseness, just enough for the auctioneer to hear clearly.

All eyes in the room were once again focused on Ye Tian.

"Eight million."

Ye Tian didn't even glance at her before quoting an exorbitant price.

"Eight million the first time, eight million the second time, eight million the third time!"

Sold! Congratulations to Mr. 77!

The crisp sound of the auction gavel falling was exceptionally clear in the silent hall.

"This gentleman is indeed wealthy and imposing," the woman representing the commissioner said to Ye Tian in an unfriendly tone.

"I am indeed wealthy, but how could you tell if I'm well-endowed or not without having tried it?"

Ye Tian said with a mischievous grin.

"You... Hmph." She glared at Ye Tian fiercely, then turned and left.

As the auction drew to a close, the atmosphere grew even more oppressive.

Ye Tian knew that the real danger might have only just begun.

Sure enough, as soon as the auction ended, Lynx signaled to Hyena and another team member to escort Ye Tian and Wang Yuyan through the dispersing crowd to the designated delivery room.

The room was luxuriously decorated, and the well-dressed auction house staff had already prepared the relevant documents and the bulletproof glass briefcase containing the star track mapping instrument.

The process is efficient and professional, verifying identity, providing electronic signatures, and transferring funds instantly through an encrypted channel.

Eight million US dollars seems to be just a number to the Southeast Asian Collectors Association.

"Mr. Ye, would you like us to explain the known information or care instructions for this item in detail?"

The supervisor in charge of the transaction was a middle-aged man with impeccable smiles and gold-rimmed glasses.

"Boss Ye is an expert, no need. Pack it up and take it with you." Lynx answered for Ye Tian impatiently.

The supervisor nodded knowingly and began the operation.

Just then, Wang Yuyan suddenly stepped forward, her face full of curiosity:

"Wait a minute, would it be convenient for me to take a closer look?" She had a charming smile on her face.

Lynx knew that Wang Yuyan had been very cooperative throughout the journey and hadn't caused them any trouble.

Moreover, he had no reason to refuse this request, so he let Wang Yuyan step forward.

Wang Yuyan walked to the suitcase, and the staff member opened the lid in cooperation.

That rusty star track mapping instrument came into view again.

She bent down, as if carefully examining the intricate scale rings, her fingers seemingly casually brushing across the instrument's cold, rough surface.

Her movements were natural; her fingertips glided across the bottom, where a dark blue-gray gemstone, the size of a pigeon's egg, was inlaid.

Just as my fingertip was about to touch the spot in the center of the gemstone that had flashed with unusual light.

Her little finger was bent almost imperceptibly, and she used the most sensitive part of her fingertip to gently stroke that spot.

The feel is still wrong.

This is not the smoothness that natural gemstones should have.

Rather, it's a layering effect that's almost imperceptible.

It's like two layers of material stuck together, with a thin, smooth outer layer.

However, the smoothness is somewhat deliberate, while the surface underneath is rougher and has extremely regular uneven textures.

It's a coating! A near-perfect camouflage coating!

Wang Yuyan's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained unchanged; she even let out a soft exclamation at the opportune moment.

"This craftsmanship is truly exquisite, extremely rare and special..."

She straightened up, her gaze meeting Ye Tian's in mid-air.

She didn't speak, but the message conveyed in her eyes was clear:

At least the outermost layer is fake.

What's below might be real, or it might be something else, or it might be an elaborate trap in itself.

Ye Tian nodded slightly without saying a word.

He took the final settlement document from the staff and signed his name.

"Let's go." The lynx's voice broke the brief silence.

Since Ye Tian didn't say it was fake, they decided to take it as real.

Anyway, Ye Tian will take care of anything that happens.

The black van was still waiting nearby, just as it had been when it arrived.

The group quickly got into the car, and the engine roared as it drove away from this dark place hidden beneath its luxurious facade.

The car had just left the auction area and entered the coastal highway connecting to the main road.

Lynx then whispered the order through the encrypted communicator: "Change the plan, don't go to the dock."

Let's go straight to the airport and take the next flight back.

The hyena responded from the front passenger seat and began operating the navigation system.

Ye Tian leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

Wang Yuyan sat opposite him, holding the alloy instrument box containing the eight million dollar star orbit mapping instrument in her arms.

Her fingertips gently caressed the inside of the handbag, as if savoring the sensation from just now.

Ye Tian clearly knew that the outer layer was fake, so why didn't he say so? What secret was hidden inside?

Wang Yuyan was lost in her own curious thoughts.

The vehicles merged into the traffic jam that began to form in the evening.

The setting sun dyed the sea a golden-red hue before gradually sinking into the deep blue horizon.

About twenty minutes later, the team member responsible for observing the rear, who had been keeping an eye on the rear through the rearview mirror and side window, suddenly fixed his gaze on the spot.

"There were two black SUVs following behind, maintaining a fixed distance, very professional."

They followed us for at least five minutes; that's not the style of ordinary police officers.

His voice was low, his pace steady but his tone wary.

The air inside the carriage instantly tensed up.

The lynx suddenly turned its head and looked out the rear window.

As dusk fell, two dark-colored SUVs followed behind like two silent sharks, moving at a leisurely pace.

We kept a distance of two or three cars from them, but we kept following them.

"Damn it! There's something fishy going on at the auction house!" Lynx cursed under his breath, his face terribly grim.

His sharp gaze suddenly fell on Wang Yuyan. "Miss Wang, is this your doing? I know your Wang family has influence here."

Wang Yuyan showed no sign of panic and spoke calmly:

"Don't wrong me. Besides, this style doesn't seem like that of the Wang family. How could you have discovered our pursuit and tracking us so closely?"

This kind of mindless approach to things is more like a competitor eyeing us at an auction.

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the rapidly receding scenery outside the window:

"Or perhaps your master has other ideas."

After all, we photographed something so precious, and they might think we know something we shouldn't know, and want to kill us to silence us.

Wang Yuyan's tone was teasing.

"Don't look at me. If you were my people, you would all be dead by now."

Who has time for your chasing games?

Ye Tian smiled faintly.

"Change course immediately and head to the old town!"

The lynx gave the order decisively, its eyes fierce.

"Hyenas, see if there's a better route to shake them off."

The driver immediately turned the steering wheel, and the van abruptly veered off the main road and onto a narrow side road lined with low warehouses and abandoned factories.

The car suddenly accelerated, and the two SUVs behind reacted almost the instant they changed lanes.

One vehicle accelerated to catch up, while the other seemed to be trying to bypass it and outflank it.