Chapter 104: A Second Glance Amid the Crowd

Was he there to play along with them in a game-like spirit, feigning weakness only to reveal hidden strength and become the hero who saves the beauty? Or was he going to tremble with a fierce aura and, with a casual smile, obliterate his enemies in an instant?

No. Neither.

Jiang An simply glanced back lightly at the robber behind him who was threatening him with a gun.

Then—

Bang bang! Bang bang!

Suddenly, the robber behind Jiang An went mad, raising his gun and shooting—yet his targets were his own three accomplices! Each was hit twice, the speed and precision of the shots astonishing beyond belief. Before anyone could react, the three accomplices collapsed, especially the gang leader standing beside Jasmine. His dying eyes were filled with disbelief as he muttered, “How could you be an undercover agent? Such... such remarkable marksmanship.”

Then he breathed his last.

Screams erupted everywhere. More people stared at the robber who had fired the shots, first in shock, then excitement. So he was an undercover agent after all! No wonder he suddenly opened fire. Despite the crowded scene, he wasn’t afraid of hitting innocents—his aim was flawless. Our Xiangcheng police are truly formidable!

A troop of fully armed police officers rushed in through the main entrance, greeted by a cacophony of cheers: “It’s over! The robbers are all dead!”

“Well done, undercover agent!”

“Impressive! But my clothes are splattered with blood—can the police compensate me?”

“The hero is here!”

“No need for anyone else to die!”

...

The police were baffled. They surged forward to secure the scene, especially around the “undercover” robber who had fired the shots. He tossed his weapon to the ground, two officers immediately closing in. The crowd instinctively focused their gaze, eagerly awaiting the hero’s salute to the police and the revelation of his true identity, completing the narrative perfectly.

But to everyone’s disappointment, the “hero” suddenly went limp and collapsed straight down, causing an uproar.

“Quick, take him to the hospital! Secure the evidence! The rest, come with us to the station for questioning!” a police officer shouted, though his voice was quickly drowned out by the chaos.

Jiang An emerged calmly from the crowd. Standing beside him, Fan Jun whispered to Huang Dashu, “Handle the statement at the station with two people.”

“All right, got it,” Huang Dashu replied, snapping out of his daze. A flicker of suspicion crossed his eyes. Something about this was off. How could a single glance from Mr. Jiang at that robber escalate into such a scene? Definitely strange—could it be some kind of sorcery? No, magic?

Suddenly Huang Dashu remembered rumors about the Lord of Yumen and grew excited. He quickly ordered his subordinates to take action, feeling no fear whatsoever. In Xiangcheng, the belief in feng shui and mysticism was widespread—from commoners to high officials and wealthy elites, countless people revered and feared these esoteric arts.

As Huang Dashu suspected, Jiang An had no interest in getting entangled in trivial matters. He subtly used the “Nightlight Technique” to manipulate the robber’s mind, causing him to shoot his own men. Once the spell lifted, the robber’s mind was damaged, rendering him a fool, unaware of anything. Explaining or cleaning up the aftermath was the police’s problem.

“Mr. Jiang, that young lady keeps staring at you. Won’t you leave her your contact information?” Huang Dashu whispered eagerly, nodding toward the scene.

Such a beautiful girl—don’t waste the chance.

Without turning, Jiang An knew the stunning woman named Jasmine was glancing at him with strange eyes from time to time. He said simply, “No need. I have a feeling we will meet again.”

His cryptic words left Huang Dashu utterly confused, while Fan Jun frowned.

...

“The nightmare is finally over, Jasmine. After we finish the statement, you have to go to the hospital with me for a check-up. That despicable robber claimed he has AIDS. If that’s true, I’m doomed. Do you think it can be transmitted from just a lick? So disgusting. I’ll have to wash my face a hundred times when I get home. Jasmine, I’m talking to you—Jasmine!”

The blonde woman, now awake, chattered nonstop beside Jasmine. Seeing Jasmine seemed lost in thought and unresponsive, she tugged at her sleeve, only to be frozen by Jasmine’s icy, indifferent gaze—one she had never seen before.

“You interrupted my train of thought,” Jasmine said coolly, then walked off with the police.

...

“Hey, Old Huang! Didn’t misread you, right? Running into you here? You illiterate buffoon trying to play with antiques now? Interesting.”

“Hmph, you got the wrong person.”

“Oh come on, now that you’re making money you pretend not to know me? Let me tell you…”

“Go away!”

Huang Dashu shoved away the third person who approached him, nearly boiling with anger. He felt that having tied himself to the Green Sea Group, he was destined to be a top-tier tycoon, perhaps even one of the top ten richest. Naturally, he looked down on the second- and third-rate bumpkins he had known before, especially when those bumpkins tried to expose his past in front of his wealthy patrons. He would never show them a friendly face.

At this moment, there was still some time before the auction officially began. The auction hall’s seats filled and emptied as people of various nationalities conversed. Jiang An and his companions sat quietly in a corner, resting their eyes while awaiting the start. Suddenly, Fan Jun whispered, “Your Highness, the Huo family is here. It should be the eldest son, Huo Xiao.”

Jiang An opened his eyes to see a group entering the entrance. Leading them was a handsome middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, exuding elegance and charisma.

But the next scene made Fan Jun’s heart skip a beat. He blurted out, “That woman! What was her name—Jasmine? What’s her connection to the Guo family?!”

Behind the Huo family came another group—one of Xiangcheng’s top ten richest clans, the Guo family. At their head was an elderly man leaning on a cane: Guo Tianrui, the family patriarch. Crucially, beside him was a breathtaking beauty—the very Jasmine they had seen the day before!

Jiang An smiled slightly. Perfect timing. Jasmine spotted Jiang An in the crowd, paused briefly, then returned his smile with a nod.

Jiang An withdrew his gaze and said, “Looks like my intuition was right. Ignore it—just wait patiently.”

Minutes later, the hall quieted as the auction officially began.

A blonde, blue-eyed middle-aged auctioneer stepped onto the stage, speaking a few words before starting the first lot.

“This is a calligraphy piece by Zhao Mengfu, a renowned master from the late Song to early Yuan dynasty... Starting price: 12 million gold coins, with increments no less than 1 million gold coins. Let the bidding begin!”

“12 million!”

“13 million!”

“15 million!”

Paddles rose rapidly as the auctioneer’s skilled voice stirred fierce competition. The first lot finally sold for 43 million gold coins.

The atmosphere was thoroughly ignited. The second lot followed, sparking another round of bidding, then the next, each antique or artwork fetching astronomical sums beyond ordinary dreams. Of course, some items failed to sell.

Jiang An, from the start, was indifferent, eyes closed, resting.

“The next item is a piece of porcelain—please take a look. A large blue-and-white jar from the Hongwu period of the Ming dynasty, decorated with dragons, phoenixes, and cranes. Starting price: 2.8 million gold coins, with increments no less than 100,000 gold coins. Let the bidding begin!”

This was a relatively ordinary piece among many. Numerous wealthy buyers consulted nearby appraisal experts and learned that similar jars were available on the market. Interest waned instantly.

“3 million gold coins!”

Suddenly, a paddle went up. Looking around, the crowd saw it was Huo Xiao, eldest son of the Huo family. He nodded politely, signaling the item was his. No big deal.

Huo Xiao smiled continuously, thinking to himself how easily he had fulfilled his father’s task. A minor collector’s item—who would dare snub the Huo family?

Then—

“3.1 million gold coins!”

Another paddle rose. Huo Xiao glanced over. A man with a fierce aura returned his gaze with a challenging look.

Hmph! Jin Qianbiao! A gangster boss daring to challenge me? Does he really think he’s been cleansed and can mingle in high society now?

“5 million gold coins!” Huo Xiao raised his paddle.

“5.1 million gold coins!” Jin Qianbiao shot back.

Huo Xiao burned with anger. Jin Qianbiao was clearly trying to annoy him, raising only by ten thousand each time—a true rogue from the underworld, pushing his luck!

“10 million gold coins!” Huo Xiao’s voice grew louder, eyes fixed on Jin Qianbiao. “Come on, if you’ve got guts!”

Sure enough, Jin Qianbiao hesitated before whispering to a bald man beside him.

“Are you sure about this?”

The bald man was none other than Shehui Ge. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I’m very confident. There’s definitely something special about this item. Otherwise, why would the Huo family be so anxious? Besides, Biao, I’ve never been wrong in all this time.”

Jin Qianbiao nodded and raised his paddle again.

“10.1 million!”

Huo Xiao nearly spat blood in fury!