Li Jiuzhen's demeanor carried a touch of arrogance as he looked at Qin An with a half-smile.

"I must admit, I never expected that the esteemed owner of Tianbao Residence, one of the top appraisal masters in all of Henghai Province, could be so blind as to not recognize a treasure right before his eyes."

At these words, Qin An furrowed his brow and stared at Li Jiuzhen, waiting for him to continue.

Li Jiuzhen looked into his eyes and asked with a smile, "If these were merely two white pearls, do you really think I would bring them to you, Mr. Qin?"

Upon hearing this, Qin An thought it over and realized he was right. Would a man like Li Jiuzhen consider two mere white pearls a treasure? Would he have the gall to bring them to a place like Tianbao Residence? And would he really request that the owner of Tianbao Residence personally examine them? Clearly not.

Qin An's identity and status were well-known throughout Sea City. Even the Dragon Heads of the four major districts had to show him some respect. An old man like Li Jiuzhen wouldn't dare play such a prank on him.

"Elder Li has a point."

Qin An settled back onto the sofa and signaled his secretary to prepare tea.

Li Jiuzhen gestured toward the two elixirs on the coffee table. "Mr. Qin, please lend me your expert eye."

Qin An was the consummate professional. He took a pair of pristine white gloves from his breast pocket, put them on, and then gently picked up the two elixirs to examine them closely.

As the moments passed, the expression on his face began to change.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. He looked up at Li Jiuzhen and exclaimed urgently, "Elder Li, are these two... elixirs?!"

Li Jiuzhen stroked his beard and smiled. "Solid Peiyuan Pills. Mysterious Grade."

Hearing this, Qin An fell silent. His pupils dilated as a colossal wave surged through his heart, and his portly body began to tremble uncontrollably.

In that moment, the soundless stillness was deafening.

It took him a moment to come to his senses. He looked at the secretary who was preparing the tea and said hurriedly, "Xiao Hong, forget that tea! Go to my office immediately. In the top drawer of my tea cabinet, get my eight hundred thousand yuan Pu'er tea cake and brew it for our guest!"

"Yes, Boss."

The secretary, Xiao Hong, didn't dare hesitate, rising quickly to leave the reception room.

Li Jiuzhen and Luo Xiu exchanged a smile.

Qin An looked at Li Jiuzhen with an apologetic grin. "Elder Li, this Lapsang Souchong is fake, just cheap flavoring I bought from a discount website. It tastes terrible and isn't worth a thing. I usually serve it to ordinary guests. Please, have a seat while my secretary fetches the *real* tea."

As he spoke, he took out a magnifying glass and began to scrutinize the two elixirs, momentarily acting as if Li Jiuzhen wasn't even there.

As he was looking, he suddenly set the elixirs down, slammed his palm on the coffee table, and shot Li Jiuzhen a reproachful glare.

He roared, "Elder Li, you are far too reckless!"

Li Jiuzhen was startled and suddenly grew nervous. "Mr. Qin, what is it...?"

Qin An's face was grim. "Elder Li," he said through clenched teeth, "I'm not trying to criticize you. You've reached a venerable age. Even if you aren't an expert in the field, you're still a senior with knowledge and experience!

"How could you..."

Li Jiuzhen was completely baffled. "Mr. Qin, what on earth is the matter?" he asked anxiously.

Qin An pointed a trembling finger at the crumpled tissue on the table. "How could you wrap these two elixirs in a piece of toilet paper?!" he said, his voice thick with resentment. "To package such a priceless, peerless treasure so crudely is an insult to the item itself!

"It doesn't matter if you insult me, but don't you dare desecrate a treasure!

"If it weren't for your age... I swear I'd slap you!"

Li Jiuzhen: "..."

Luo Xiu: "..."

Li Jiuzhen coughed awkwardly twice and glanced at Luo Xiu with a strange expression.

It was no wonder Qin An was so agitated. Earlier, when they were leaving, Luo Xiu had casually grabbed a piece of toilet paper to wrap the two elixirs. Li Jiuzhen had been displeased at the time and had wanted to scold him.

Just then, the secretary, Xiao Hong, entered the reception room with the Pu'er tea cake.

Qin An said hurriedly, "Xiao Hong, quick! Go to my office and bring that rosewood box!"

"Yes, Boss."

Xiao Hong set down the tea cake and turned to leave again.

Afterward, Qin An suppressed his excitement and began to brew the tea himself.

Taking a deep breath, Qin An asked, "May I ask, Elder Li, where did you acquire these two Solid Peiyuan Pills?"

Li Jiuzhen glanced at Luo Xiu beside him and smiled. "To be honest, these two elixirs were refined by Young Friend Luo. I'm merely acting as the middleman."

At this, Qin An's expression brightened with surprise, and he finally took a serious look at Luo Xiu.

Before, he had assumed Luo Xiu was just an assistant or apprentice Li Jiuzhen had brought along and had paid him no mind. Looking at him now, he really was a man of exceptional bearing!

"Elder Li, are you serious?"

Qin An was still somewhat incredulous. Luo Xiu was simply too young. Could such a young man really refine a Mysterious Grade elixir?

Li Jiuzhen stated solemnly, "Mr. Qin, surely you know my reputation. Would I joke with you about something like this?"

"Yes, of course, Elder Li. My apologies, I was being presumptuous!"

He then hurriedly stood up and extended his hand to Luo Xiu. "Mister Luo," he said with a laugh, "a pleasure, a real pleasure. I'm the owner of Tianbao Residence, Qin An. Just call me Fatty Qin."

...

A long while later, Qin An personally escorted Luo Xiu and Li Jiuzhen out of Tianbao Residence.

"Mister Luo, shall I have my secretary drive you back?"

Towards Luo Xiu, Qin An now felt nothing but respect. To him, someone who could refine Mysterious Grade elixirs was a figure to be revered like an ancestor.

Luo Xiu waved his hand. "No need to trouble yourself."

Qin An smiled. "Alright then, Mister Luo. I look forward to seeing you the day after tomorrow. I will be here to welcome you personally."

...

「In the taxi.」

Luo Xiu stared at the contract in his hand, lost in thought.

Beside him, Li Jiuzhen stroked his beard and smiled cheerfully. "Two Solid Peiyuan Pills, with a starting bid of nine million each. I estimate the final sale price could exceed one hundred million."

Luo Xiu asked, "This stuff can really sell for that much?"

Even now, he found it hard to believe. The things he and his senior martial sisters used to eat like snacks as children... were worth this much?

Li Jiuzhen shook his head with a smile, an odd expression on his face. He wasn't sure if he should say Luo Xiu was worldly or simply naive.

"Young Friend Luo, it seems you truly don't understand how precious and useful these two elixirs are. Let me put it this way: this auction at Tianbao Residence is going to be busier than ever before! I imagine that Qin An is already preparing a massive promotional campaign."

Luo Xiu smiled. "In that case, I'll have the money to buy the other medicinal herbs I need."

Li Jiuzhen said, "With your skills, if you ever set your mind to making money, it would be nothing more than a string of numbers to you."

...

Time flew by, and the day of the auction arrived in the blink of an eye.

Early in the morning, Luo Xiu left the house with several of the women. After meeting up with Li Jiuzhen and his granddaughter, Li Zihan, at Wan Yao Hall, they all headed to Tianbao Residence together.

By the time they arrived, the entrance to Tianbao Residence was already swarming with people. With the exception of the staff, every guest in attendance today was a titan of their industry—all of them either fabulously wealthy or of noble standing.

"Xiao Li? What are you doing here?"

Just as they reached the entrance, a handsome young man in a sharp suit approached Sun Li.

Sun Li looked up, her eyes lighting up in surprise. "Feibai... is that you?"

The newcomer was none other than the eldest young master of the Provincial Capital Duan Family—Duan Feibai.

Beside Duan Feibai was an acquaintance of both Luo Xiu and Lin Xiyue—Du Gang.

Du Gang nodded a greeting at Lin Xiyue before his gaze fell on Luo Xiu, his face turning grim. For some reason, the mere sight of Luo Xiu made him deeply uncomfortable.

Sun Li was delighted to see Duan Feibai, a friend she had known since childhood. "Feibai, it's been so long! I can't believe I'm running into you here."

Duan Feibai smiled. "If you'd told me you were coming, I would have brought you with me."

Sun Li gestured to Luo Xiu beside her. "It's alright. You guys go on in. I'll head inside with my friend in a moment."

"Oh, Feibai, let me introduce you. This is my good friend, Luo Xiu."

Hearing this, Duan Feibai's heart sank, but he didn't let it show. His gaze fell upon Luo Xiu's face, his expression gradually turning cold.

This was the first time he had ever met Luo Xiu.

Likewise, it was the first time Luo Xiu had ever met him.

As the two men locked eyes, a hostess walked up to Luo Xiu, offering a professional smile. "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll need to present an invitation to enter."

"If you are not entering, please step aside so as not to block the other guests."

Luo Xiu tore his gaze away from Duan Feibai and said to the hostess, "My apologies, I don't have an invitation."

Hearing this, Duan Feibai let out a contemptuous laugh. "Mister Luo, you must have an invitation to participate in today's auction."

Du Gang also looked on with disdain. "Why bother showing up to an event like this without an invitation?" he sneered softly. "And with such a big group in tow. You're just humiliating yourself."

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