But instead of causing a scene, Gu Shengsheng spoke with a look of great anticipation, “Even back in Huaxia, we only have facsimiles of the *Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection*. I’ve never seen the original myself. I must say, I’m quite looking forward to it now.”

“I just hope Jack won’t let us down.”

Jack cracked a joke in return. “If it’s the real deal, would Miss Gu be willing to buy it?”

“Of course. I’d be the first one to bid on it.”

She sounded completely sincere.

Jack then had someone intentionally record this exchange to post on YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms. He wanted to show it to all the people who had mocked them before.

See? Even the streamer who had been working against Eagle Country was captivated by the museum’s crown jewel.

It wasn’t just the crowd of blind followers; even Jack, who had been collecting for the museum for years, couldn’t stop praising the *Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection*.

“The real thing is the real thing! It’s nothing like the other items here. I can’t even imagine what it would take to acquire an artifact worth six billion.”

“Everyone, please, come have a closer look. Study its history, its culture. After being in its presence for so many years, I feel I’ve been elevated to a higher plane of existence.”

And so, during the pre-exhibition, all anyone could hear was Jack going on and on.

Gu Shengsheng remained silent. Then Lu Shijing said, “Brilliant, Madam Lu.”

He raised his glass, clinking it against hers.

“Not as brilliant as Mr. Lu. I certainly don’t have your ability to expand their influence and rally people to come here.”

Lu Shijing chuckled. “Still, my wife is the cleverest.”

“Don’t call me that. It’s a little cringey,” Gu Shengsheng said frankly. “We’re just in the trial phase right now. If you keep pushing your luck, I’m going to lose my temper.”

At that moment, Lu Shijing thought, ‘What would she look like if she lost her temper? I’m actually a little curious.’

Then he said, “Oh, is that so.”

“In that case, I’ll just have to see you lose your temper next time.”

Gu Shengsheng stomped on his foot, then turned away and pointedly ignored him.

A moment later, Lu Shijing placed a bottle of brewed tea beside her. “This will help you sleep tonight.”

“You’re always looking at artifacts, so your eyes must be tired. I brought an eye massager for you. Don’t worry about Jack for now. Just rest.”

Then, as if they were the only two people there, he started fussing over her.

Several people nearby, who had seen Lu Shijing and were preparing to approach him for business, froze in place, suddenly unsure of how to strike up a conversation.

After all, it was impossible to read Lu Shijing’s mood. Seeing the couple occupied, they felt it would be rude to interrupt.

So the surrounding crowd could only watch…

Just as Lu Shijing finished his ministrations, oblivious to everyone else, Jack’s rambling speech concluded. The blind box auction was about to begin.

The format was simple: only the crown jewel artifact was revealed, while the other nine boxes also contained artifacts.

But no one knew what was inside those other boxes. It was a complete guessing game.

It was elegantly branded as a charity auction.

This meant the proceeds from the auction would supposedly be donated to a foundation.

At least, that’s what they all said. Who knew whose pockets the money would actually end up in. These were the kinds of things you just knew; it was an open secret in the industry.

Gu Shengsheng asked, “Blind boxes. Will we be able to walk around them for a closer look?”

‘Then I can touch them and use the System without any restraint.’

‘Using the System on these people feels so completely justified,’ Gu Shengsheng thought.

‘In fact, I feel like I won’t be taking nearly enough money from them.’

“You can,” Lu Shijing replied.

“Then I’ll go pick out a few of the most cost-effective ones,” Gu Shengsheng said.

With that, she stood up to view the pre-exhibition items, but Lu Shijing didn’t plan on joining her.

He said with conviction, “Given the Da Ying Museum’s stingy nature, and since they’ve already put up that so-called ‘crown jewel,’ do you really think there’ll be anything good in the other nine boxes?”

“I bet there’s a lot of stuff that’s all smoke and mirrors.”

Gu Shengsheng understood. There would be very few practical items that could be resold for a profit. Most would be things one could only buy to put in their own collection, but would be impossible to sell again.

Because Jack only had one main goal this time: make money for himself.

Gu Shengsheng nodded, and as they walked through the exhibit together…

After she touched all nine items, it was just as he’d said—they were all for show. Each piece had a starting bid of over ten million.

But each one was problematic, to say the least.

For example, there was a crown worn by the royal family during the reign of Louis X. Could you really take something like that and just sell it anywhere?

The people here were all prominent figures, and with the event under the guise of charity, the winner would probably just have to find another museum to donate it to in the end.

To make matters worse, there was even a mummy’s burial shroud. While it was from the era of the Pharaohs and was indeed a valuable, one-of-a-kind artifact…

…it was a sacred object, something of immense importance to a people’s faith. Anyone who bought it would be roundly condemned and tarnish their reputation.

The museum had it easy, using this auction as an opportunity to dispose of all its controversial items.

A real bargain for the museum, for sure. But you couldn’t just take a sacred part of a mummy and display it in your personal antique room!

How creepy would that be?

In any case, Gu Shengsheng wasn’t interested in a single item. After a quick look around, she was ready to return to her seat, but Jack had already zeroed in on her.

“Has Miss Gu found anything to her liking?” he asked.

Gu Shengsheng yawned. “Not really. I can’t see what’s inside any of these boxes, so I’m just wandering around. I am, however, interested in the *Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Collection*. After all, it belongs to us.”

“Your original?” he said with a smile. “Whatever may have been the case in the past, from this day forward, it belongs here. I believe that after today, everyone will remember that.”

“Miss Gu, I should actually thank you. If it weren’t for you, many of these people wouldn’t be here. Your livestream has opened up the market in Asia for us considerably. So many people, and so much money.”

In response, Gu Shengsheng said, “Well, you’d better make good use of this opportunity, then. Just be careful you don’t end up reaping what you sow.”

With that, she returned to her seat. The interpreter heard what she said and paused, unsure how to translate it.

Even after it was explained to Jack, he was utterly lost.

‘That’s the thing about talking to foreigners,’ she thought. ‘You can be cursing them out, and they might never realize it.’

‘But I’ve heard a lot of people say that even speaking Mandarin isn’t safe anymore. Next time I’m abroad and have to discuss something important, I’ll have to use a regional dialect. That’s true encryption.’

Gu Shengsheng returned to her seat.

She looked at Lu Shijing, her expression saying it all.

“Mr. Lu is certainly experienced in these matters.”

“Mm.” ‘After all, if I weren’t experienced, how could I ever be worthy of Gu Shengsheng?’

The blind box auction began. The hype around the final item was immense, and the blind box format was a novelty that hadn’t been seen in a long time. As a result, many high-stakes gamblers stepped up to the plate.

They were willing to pay a high price for the blind boxes. Meanwhile, those who were determined to win the final crown jewel held back, making no move at all.

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