r18novel Page 23
Page 23
Cao Han took a solid, silver-white cube, about the size of a fist, out of his pocket, placed it on the desk, and gestured for the other party to examine it freely.
Xu Wenguang's status as a first-class appraiser is certainly not undeserved; he's wearing white gloves and using a single-lens miniature magnifying glass—he's incredibly professional.
"Silver ingots?!"
Years of experience allowed Xu Wenguang to make a basic judgment at a glance, even before he had a chance to work with the equipment.
However, he decisively rejected the answer he had arrived at in less than a second.
If it really was a whole piece of silver, then the young man in front of him wouldn't need to come to Yutong; he might as well go directly to a jewelry store and ask about today's silver buyback price.
"The weight is wrong!"
The moment Xu Wenguang held the object in his hands, he became even more certain of his judgment. The object in his hands had a weight far exceeding its size, and it was even necessary to use both hands to lift it properly.
No matter how closely he observed it, he couldn't find any clues about the object. Strangely, the cube looked like a single, seamless piece.
Experience and reason told him that the thing in his hand was probably cast from silver and other alloys.
But my intuition and emotions have a vague feeling that something is wrong, a feeling that something is very, very wrong!
Xu Wenguang shook his head and put the silvery-white cube down, ultimately choosing to trust his years of experience in appraisal:
"I'm sorry, sir! Perhaps I'm just blind, but no matter how you look at it, it's just an ordinary piece of alloy and has no value for auction."
Upon hearing this, the receptionist, who had been all smiles expecting a commission, froze.
Cao Han was not annoyed by the answer at all, but calmly asked, "May I ask if your auction house has any more senior appraisers?"
If not, then we'll have to trouble you to contact your boss and have him come over in person.
Don't worry, I guarantee your boss will understand this!
When it comes to alchemical tools, those who know about them don't need to explain, and those who don't know about them won't understand even if they are told.
To the untrained eye, it is just a meaningless silver cube.
However, Cao Han could clearly sense the alchemical matrix hidden at its core. Only by activating this alchemical matrix could he see the "true form" of this thing!
He believed that Chu Tianjiao wouldn't lie to him, so the owner of Yutong Auction was most likely an "insider"!
"Customer first" is the motto of Yutong Auction.
Since the customer made this request, the receptionist hesitated for a moment before agreeing and relaying the request up the chain of command via internal phone.
Logically, Xu Wenguang could leave if he couldn't identify the problem, but his unwillingness and curiosity drove him to stay and wait for his boss to arrive, wanting to find out the truth.
Cao Han had assumed that the owner of such a large auction center would be very busy, and he was prepared to wait a while.
But less than five minutes had passed.
A rhythmic knocking sounded, and then a middle-aged man with a very refined and easygoing demeanor walked in.
The moment the newcomer stepped into the room, their gaze fixed on the cube that had been sitting there. Their expression changed noticeably, and realizing something, they quickly waved their hand, indicating:
"You two can leave now. I'll take care of this customer personally!"
"Okay, Mr. Chen."
"Mr. Chen, I..."
Xu Wenguang wanted to try to get a chance to observe, but he was silenced by the middle-aged man's unquestionable, sharp gaze as soon as he opened his mouth.
I chose my livelihood over my curiosity!
"Excuse me, Your Excellency..."
"Cao Han".
"Hello Mr. Cao, I am Chen Yu, the boss of Yutong. Would you mind if I first opened my eyes to see your products?"
"Please."
In front of outsiders, Cao Han habitually maintains a cool and aloof persona, while at the same time silently observing the middle-aged man in front of him.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu silently breathed a sigh of relief.
God knows how much pressure he's under right now!
From the moment I stepped into this VIP room, I felt a faint sense of oppression, and as I got closer, the sense of oppression became increasingly terrifying.
If it weren't for the fact that his identity was also extraordinary—Chen Yu's "Chen" being from one of the five major mixed-race families in the country, and he had seen quite a few big scenes—he would have managed to keep his composure and avoid making a fool of himself.
Those who run auction businesses are typically adept at navigating social situations and have extensive networks of connections.
As a member of the Chen family, Chen Yu wouldn't dare say he knew every mixed-race person in the city, but he was confident he knew them all by name.
Cao Han...
The unfamiliar name kept swirling in my mind, but I couldn't recall any useful information. I could only make a silent judgment: This looks like a powerful dragon crossing the river!
Realizing the other party's main purpose for coming here, Chen Yu quickly gathered his thoughts and returned to the important matter at hand.
Upon first contact, he could clearly sense that this silver cube was extraordinary; the complexity of the alchemical matrix inside surpassed that of any alchemical tool he had ever encountered before.
The principle behind activating the alchemical matrix is quite simple, just like how hybrids release incantations.
His dark gold eyes lit up quietly, and from the color alone, one could tell that Chen Yu's dragon bloodline wasn't very strong; at most, it was only a C-rank.
Fortunately, this amount of power is enough to activate the alchemy matrix.
The moment the alchemy matrix was activated, the entire silver-white cube instantly transformed from a solid to a liquid, gradually taking shape as it flowed.
Until finally it became a crossbow bolt made entirely of silver, radiating a divine light.
Just at this time.
Cao Han then introduced it at the right time: "The legendary magnificent Divine Light Crossbow is made entirely of pure silver and shines with sacred light."
It contains divine power, capable of tearing through space and shattering evil darkness.
The wielder can fire holy arrows that pierce through space, striking their targets with precision and inflicting immense damage on evil. They can also unleash a shield of light, providing divine protection…
"Holy Silver Crossbow!!!" Chen Yu blurted out almost immediately.
Cao Han's description was so legendary that it perfectly matched the description of this legendary artifact—the Holy Silver Crossbow—as recorded in historical documents.
Its origins are impossible to verify, but judging from the change in its material form, it should have originated from the lineage of bronze and fire dragon king.
Norton, the Bronze and Fire Dragon King, is undoubtedly the king of alchemy. Pure-blooded dragons of the same lineage will inherit some alchemical knowledge to some extent.
From the few historical records available, we only know that it helped heroes break down the gate to another world in ancient times.
However, the legend of the Holy Silver Crossbow is recorded in more detail in the historical records of the Dragon Clan.
For example, there is not just one hero, but a group of mixed-race individuals;
Another gate to another world is the Nibelungen of the Dragon King;
The target of their attack, or rather, their subjugation, was not some demon from another world, but a newly awakened... Dragon King!
All indications suggest that this Holy Silver Crossbow is at least powerful enough to harm the four monarch-level Dragon Kings.
Facing lower-level offspring or less, it would likely not just cause harm, but pose a deadly threat.
For this reason alone, this alchemical weapon will become a target of fanatical pursuit by hybrid organizations that are determined to slay dragons.
When Chen Yu thought about how valuable this weapon was, his first reaction was to do everything he could to keep this divine weapon in the Chen family.
"Mr. Cao, your Holy Silver Crossbow can be described as a rare treasure, an absolute top-tier alchemical weapon that is rare in the world..." He used every word of praise he could think of on the Holy Silver Crossbow, while scrutinizing Cao Han with different expressions.
Seeing that the other party remained unmoved and unconcerned, because the main event was about to begin:
"The Chen family is behind our Yutong Auction. We hope you can do us a favor and sell the weapons to us."
The price is negotiable; we won't haggle over a price once you name it!
That's like a toad yawning—what a boastful tone!
Chen Yu's move to flaunt his powerful family background was completely futile against Cao Han's attempt to deceive the blind.
Putting aside the fact that Cao Han had no idea about the so-called five great mixed-race families in China, even if he did know, he would still be fearless!
Of course, to put it another way, he chose this Holy Silver Crossbow from among many spoils of war precisely to sell it for money.
Since we're going to sell anyway, it doesn't matter who we sell to!
Cao Han was somewhat annoyed by the other party's boastful manner, so he casually offered a price: "Then let's make it 10 billion!"
One...ten billion?!
The astronomical figure demanded by Cao Han almost made Chen Yu choke on his saliva, and his gaze towards Cao Han became uncertain.
He wasn't quite sure what the other party's true intention was in quoting that price. Was it the youthful arrogance of a young person, or perhaps their naiveté and genuine belief that the crossbow was worth an astronomical sum of 10 billion?
Chen Yu decided to test the waters a little, chuckling as he explained, "This weapon could never sell for 10 billion anywhere. How about I name a price, Mr. Cao, and you consider it?"
"Alright, if you're not that big, don't buy that big helmet! You just said you'd let me name my price and you wouldn't haggle, so it's pointless to go back on your word now."
Cao Hancai wasn't going to tolerate the other party's hypocrisy and didn't hesitate to expose it.
He might be a little more polite to ordinary people, but when it comes to mixed-race individuals...
With his abilities, he is fully qualified to be a rule-maker, not a rule-follower.
Just as Chen Yu was about to lash out, a terrifying killing intent suddenly emanated from Cao Han, instantly chilling him to the bone like a bucket of ice water.
That was the killing intent that Cao Han had gathered from the Nibelungen, the entire land of Odin, a massacre of so many pure-blooded dragons and elite hybrids.
If it weren't for the lack of deliberate control over the killing intent, someone like Chen Yu, with his shallow mental fortitude, would probably have been crushed in an instant. At best, he would have been unconscious and weak for a few days; at worst, he might have died on the spot.
After this scare, Chen Yu was completely terrified!
Following Cao Han's instructions, Guai Guai will hold a private auction with a starting price of 1 million, and will invite all the mixed-race people she knows to participate.
However, after confirming that Cao Han had left, he immediately informed the Chen family.
This was so that the Chen family could react quickly enough to raise sufficient funds and successfully acquire the Holy Silver Crossbow in the subsequent auction.
However, secrets can be kept forever.
Competing companies send spies to each other, not to mention the five great families planting "pawns" in each other's homes.
Not long after Chen Jiagang learned the news, the other four great families also secretly received the message.
Then, from some unknown point in the chain, something went wrong. The news spread like wildfire, until it gradually reached the entire world of hybrids.
The rumors became increasingly outrageous, claiming that divine weapons that had once killed the Dragon King would appear at auctions.