NOVEL WEB chapter 155
80. The Yellow Sparrow
Once the auction completely concluded and everyone began to disperse, Mu En leisurely walked out of the private room.
At that moment, the waiter was already respectfully waiting outside.
“Esteemed guest, this is the item you won at the auction.”
On the silver tray, a gem box inlaid with gold radiated a layer of luxurious light. Mu En casually opened the box, and the pink teardrop gem, symbolizing true love, lay quietly on the red lining; even without light shining on it, it still sparkled brilliantly.
“Very good.”
Without checking its authenticity, Mu En believed that the auction house wouldn’t be foolish enough to pull tricks in such a place, and he casually put the gem away.
But just as he was about to take out money, the waiter respectfully said:
“Guest, as an apology for the previous rude behavior, this gem is a gift for you.”
“Oh? Wasn’t it already discounted by twenty percent?”
“But guest, aside from this gem, you haven’t bought anything else, have you?”
The waiter wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered:
“This is our boss’s intention; he really wants to be friends with you.”
“Boss?”
Mu En raised an eyebrow.
He wasn’t too surprised by the actions of the boss behind the auction.
Earlier, he had warned the waiter to keep it a secret, not to let a fourth person know that he had landed such a big fish at the auction. The so-called three who knew referred to him, the waiter, and the boss behind the waiter.
After all, it was the boss’s territory; this matter couldn’t be hidden for long.
He just hadn’t expected the reaction to be so swift.
“Do you all in the underworld really enjoy making friends this much?”
“The more friends you have, the broader your connections, right? For people like us who spend all day in the dark, not having enough connections can lead to a nasty fall.”
“True.”
Mu En patted the waiter’s shoulder:
“Then as the son of Duke Raymond, I’ll consider you my friend. Remember to give me a discount next time I come.”
“Of course, of course.”
The waiter nodded eagerly, his head bobbing like a chick pecking at grains, but his face, which he dared not lift, couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.
The son of Duke Raymond?
What a joke!
We just checked through our own intelligence channels, and that so-called paragon of nobility, the duke’s son, had long returned to his fief with Duke Raymond.
If you’re going to lie, at least make it somewhat believable!
Saying you’re the son of Duke Campbell would be more credible!
……
……
At the entrance of the auction.
A glamorous woman stood at the door, her smile radiant as she bowed to every guest coming and going, as if she would never tire.
As Mu En passed by her, she lowered her head and spoke in a hushed tone:
“Most of those people just now headed west.”
“Thank you.”
Mu En nodded, not pausing, and quickly moved on.
But just as he took a step, he suddenly felt something tugging at him.
Turning back, the heavily made-up glamorous woman clutched his clothing, her eyes filled with a fawn-like unease, yet she mustered the courage to say:
“I will leave from here, and with the money the guests gave me, I plan to apply to the Glein Women’s Academy. I want to become a teacher.”
“Is that so?”
Mu En smiled, “That’s wonderful, good luck.”
“Hmm.”
Like the rising sun, flowers blooming, all unease and fear fading away, the woman released her grip, her eyes shimmering with light, nodding vigorously:
“I will, guest.”
……
……
Mu En walked leisurely along the streets of the black market, as if taking a stroll, casually purchasing a telescope from a roadside stall, said to be capable of clearly seeing a beauty bathing from a thousand meters away.
The black market, whether naturally formed or artificially developed, spanned a considerable area, but it was merely a few blocks in extent.
Even with its complex terrain, shaking off someone’s pursuit here was nearly impossible.
So, after Lorenzo obtained the ancient dragon’s treasure, his first plan was undoubtedly to leave the black market; the lower district of Berland was his true territory.
And the other greedy wild dogs, eager to engage in a black market scheme, likely thought the same.
After all, fighting was prohibited in the black market. Once a battle erupted here, it would undoubtedly be a slap in the face to the powerful figures behind the black market. Anyone with a shred of sense wouldn’t choose to do so.
Thus, all Mu En needed to do was determine which passage they would take to leave the black market, and then follow along at a leisurely pace.
The chance of losing them was low, as there were only a few passages in the black market, and…
Mu En’s gaze swept ahead, spotting several sneaky figures, just like him, trailing the people in front from a distance, advancing stealthily.
Wanting to catch the cicada while the oriole waits behind?
A wicked smile involuntarily crept across Mu En’s lips.
The true oriole still had no idea who it was.
……
……
In the lower district, a group of fully armed individuals hurried through the intricate, sewage-laden alleys. A homeless man, startled by the commotion, opened his murky eyes and glanced at the group, his drowsiness abruptly vanishing as he quickly dug into a nearby garbage pile to hide himself.
“Damn! Damn! Damn!”
Lorenzo felt the eyes behind him, clinging like gum that had been stepped on countless times, a terrifying darkness clouding his expression.
He had underestimated the greed of these wild dogs!
He had thought that even if someone truly had designs on the ancient dragon’s treasure, the reputation of the Red Fire Gang would deter most from daring to follow.
But since just now, he had sensed at least twenty pairs of eyes peering from different directions!
And these were just the most brainless of the bunch; the truly cunning and troublesome ones were still lurking further away, all wanting to be the oriole reaping the benefits!
“It’s fine, boss. No matter how disgusting those wild dogs are, they’re just a bunch of scattered soldiers. As long as they don’t unite, they pose no threat to us.”
Beside him, a trusted aide scanned the surroundings, offering reassurance:
“But the likelihood of those greedy guys teaming up is lower than Miss Sers’ chance of reforming!”
“Who is Miss Sers?”
“Lorenzo Street’s top performer can take on more than twenty dock workers in a single night, known as the lake monster by the banks of the Rhine.”
His confidant smacked his lips, savoring the memory: “Her waist twists around you, more entangling than a giant python.”
“Damn it, I told you to stay away from those shady places. I gave you so much money just so you could come back with a contagious disease to screw me over?”
Lorenzo slapped his confidant on the head, irritated.
“Heh heh, I need to save money for my sister’s treatment,” the confidant scratched his head, unconcerned.
“You’ll end up getting dragged down by that sickly sister of yours!”
Lorenzo shot a fierce glare at his confidant, but with that distraction, the weight on his heart indeed lightened considerably.
That’s right, wild dogs are just wild dogs; as long as they don’t form packs, they will never become wolves that can threaten him.
As long as he returned to the territory of the Red Fire Gang, no one would dare snatch anything from him again!
Lorenzo couldn’t help but quicken his pace once more.
At that moment, a sudden cold wind blew up, as if an invisible hand was waving, disturbing the thickening fog of the night.
He heard a sharp whistle, like a ghost, drifting through the dark alley.