390 He is My Man
Almost every character imaginable were attending the auction, though most of them were Jianghu elites.
Present in the hall were rich sponsors and wealthy heirs who were keen on modern martial arts, as well as some who merely wanted to expand their social circle. However, all those influential people and attractive models dulled in comparison to Luo Puti, one of two legendary beauties of Dragon City. She was the center of attention once she stepped into the room.
Everyone knew who she was, but the same thing could not be said of Chen Xiaobei – who immediately became their top gossip topic.
"Who the hell is that kid?"
"Don't know him. Don't think he belongs to our circle either!"
"Is he from abroad? It seems like he's pretty close to Luo Puti. He might be her boyfriend!"
Everyone was shocked, but they did recognize him after a while.
"He's that recent internet sensation! The man behind the First Love Peach that went viral! I think he managed to hook up with Luo Puti during her mission in Green Vine City!"
"No way! How did an orchard owner manage to woo her?"
"Yeah! He has the looks, but he doesn't have money, power, status or fame! Any other Luo Puti suitor can beat him easily!"
"F*ck! How dare a fruit farmer like him dared to pursue Luo!! Prick! I'm insulted!"
...
Women were jealous of Luo Puti's perfect appearance while men grow restless whenever the topic came to Luo Puti's future boyfriend. She was one of Dragon City's greatest sights, a title only shared by Lady Xuan from the Liu Family. Together they were the Legendary Twin Belles of Dragon City!
Millions of men dreamed to have them as their girlfriends, even during the days that they were high-schoolers. However, Chen Xiaobei managed to get Luo Puti before all others, so it was natural that every man in the room was restless.
"Well, lucky for him that Wu Jiechao isn't here. The brat would have been stretchered off otherwise!" One of them said enviously.
Wu Jiechao had become infamous for breaking the legs of a man from Hong Kong who made a move on Luo Puti. He even warned that the man would face a beating as soon as he steps foot in Dragon City again!
"Should I tell him about this guy?" Another man said, clearly intent on making a mess of things.
"Good idea, I'm getting really bored here. I need some drama in my life!"
"Yeah! Call him now!"
...
Everyone was eager for some drama to stave away boredom. Chen Xiaobei and Luo Puti – who were unaware – looked for a place to sit down and examined the list of auctioned items.
Five items that were open for bidding tonight.
The first item was a three-hundred years old wild mountain ginseng, while the second was a five-hundred years old purple glossy Ganoderma. Both were extremely rare medicinal ingredients, and the dream ingredients of alchemists!
The other three items were two martial art manuals (Thunder Splitting Rod Skill and Aeolus Kick) and a Spirit Stone.
"Hahaha… I'm such a lucky man. This is my first auction and I already get to bid on a spirit stone! I must have it!" Chen Xiaobei rubbed his hands excitedly.
"Take a look at the price first." Luo Puti said as she took a small sip from her glass of white wine. Her queenly elegance move was simply mesmerizing.
"Damn. Starting bid is one billion? And every subsequent bid mustn't be lower than one million? This is insane!" The price tag seemed to terrify Chen Xiaobei, who did not seem aware that a Spirit Stone would cost such a fortune.
"How is that surprising? You should know better than anyone that the Spiritual Qi in Spirit Stones could help anyone gain one hundred combat power within three months when it normally takes a few years to do so. Exchanging billions for a few years' worth of training is perfectly logical!"
"Fine. So, it's not expensive." Chen Xiaobei nodded. "I guess the fortune of a real Jianghu elite could afford them to buy a few."
Luo Puti shook her head. "Talent do not necessary conjure riches," she explained. "Resources and connections are more important, and every respectable family and faction are more than willing to spend all their riches to invest in their progeny and empower them. They want their fraternity to last forever!"
"Sigh… I guess it's impossible for me to buy the Spirit Stone tonight then!" Chen Xiaobei said, shaking his head.
He had two billion in his account right now, and he would be completely broke if he spent all his money today. If he did, he would never be able to surpass the Lan Family – the memory of Lan Mengchen keeping herself away from him due to family issues still fresh in his mind.
In short, Chen Xiaobei's influence and financial power were still rather weak. If he was strong enough Lan Mengchen could be her own person while Xiangyu would not need to join Thunder Kirin.
I want to become more powerful!
I must become more powerful!
Sooner or later, the Chen Family will stand at the top of Dragon City! People around me won't need to suffer from injustice anymore!
I promise!
Such thoughts promptly occupied Chen Xiaobei's mind. Now, he was more determined than ever to let nothing stop him in his path to power.
"Are you alright? Did I hurt your pride?" Luo Puti had put down her glass of wine to console him. "You 're still young! I didn't bring you here to buy the items; I just wanted to show you that the world is bigger than Green Vine City. You are simply much more than that!"
Chen Xiaobei was pleasantly surprised. "My fiancée, you are so kind to me! I'll definitely fly higher with your encouragement!" He smiled.
"How many times have I told you not to call me your fiancée?" Luo Puti rolled her eyes at him. All the brat needed was a fraction of a second to ruin the serious atmosphere.
"Puti! You're here!" Said a brawny man who appeared out of nowhere. He was walking towards her while pointing at Chen Xiaobei. "Who the hell is this guy?"
"Didn't you just hear him call me his fiancée?" Luo Puti said as she suddenly grabbed onto Chen Xiaobei's arm. "He's my man!"