Chapter 37: If You Can't Afford It, Don't Play

"Young Master Chen will always be Young Master Chen—no one else can compare!"
A subtle smile played at the corners of Chen Lishi’s mouth. The feeling of being admired and looked up to was simply exhilarating, beyond compare.
In the midst of his delight, he lifted the tea brought by one of the businessmen earlier, leisurely blew on it, and took a sip.
But before he could swallow, that voice which had so infuriated him rang out again.
"Forty million!"
"Phfft—!"
"Cough, cough..."
Chen Lishi sprayed the tea everywhere, coughing so hard his eyes watered.
"Young Master Chen, are you alright?"
The little starlet at his side quickly patted his back, only to be pushed away with ruthless force.
"Get lost!"
After shoving her aside, Chen Lishi turned his head sharply, fixing his gaze on Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao smiled serenely, his indefinable elegance and aristocratic bearing almost made Chen Lishi choke with rage.
He clenched his teeth and fists tightly, his gaze sharp as a blade, wishing he could devour Ling Xiao alive.
But Ling Xiao remained utterly unafraid, calm and steady, which only made Chen Lishi’s chest burn with suppressed fury, nearly suffocating him.
"Boy, don’t laugh too soon—it’s not over yet! Fifty million!"
Yu Ji hurriedly called out,
"Fifty million! Young Master Chen bids fifty million. Is there anyone willing to go higher?"
Chen Lishi gave a cold smile.
To pay fifty million for this silk was already far beyond its true value. Who else, aside from his powerful Chen family, could afford to spend even more for it?
Yet before he could enjoy his triumph for even two seconds, Ling Xiao’s voice came from behind again.
"Eighty million!"
"Hiss~!"
The sound of gasps filled the air; even Chen Lishi couldn’t help but feel a jolt in his heart.
Was this young man mad?
Spending eighty million on a piece of silk—even if it had some value, it certainly wasn’t worth such a massive investment.
The little starlet swallowed nervously,
"Young Master Chen, maybe... let’s just give up?"
"Nonsense!"
Chen Lishi snapped coldly, his gaze icy enough to freeze.
"The Chen family is never afraid! I bid one hundred million!"
Chen Lishi’s eyes had turned red with anger.

He, Chen Lishi, was one of the Eight Talents of Jiangzhou.
The Chen family was one of the few top clans in Jiangzhou.
How could he lose today to Ling Xiao, a boy of unknown origin?
If word got out, wouldn’t people laugh themselves sick?
Everyone knew Chen Lishi had lost his temper, but they still had to marvel at the Chen family’s extraordinary strength.
The auctioneer, Old Yu Ji, was flushed with excitement.
He’d been in the auction business his whole life, and rarely seen such a scene.
Though he had auctioned more valuable items, to drive the price up to dozens of times its original value—at the billion-level, no less—was truly rare.
He thought, for the rest of his life, he could boast about this incident with the Chen family!
But just then, Ling Xiao’s voice rang out again.
"Two hundred million!"
"Phfft—! Cough, cough!"
This time, Chen Lishi really felt sweetness in his throat and coughed up a few drops of blood.
Ling Xiao was practically a devil sent from above to torment him!
"You brat, you’re going too far!"
Ling Xiao leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, smiling calmly,
"Too far? This is an auction—the highest bidder wins. If you can’t afford it, why play at all?"
"Phht—!"
Chen Lishi couldn’t hold back any longer, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Being mocked for his wealth—this was a first in his life!
Such naked humiliation!
And he, Chen Lishi, was powerless to resist!
No, wait!
Suddenly, Chen Lishi narrowed his eyes, as if recalling something.
He pointed at Ling Xiao and shouted,
"You brat! Are you playing tricks on me? There’s no way you have two hundred million!"
"Oh? How do you know?"
Ling Xiao’s face was cold. Chen Lishi sneered,
"That’s two hundred million, plus the thirty million you spent before, a total of two hundred and thirty million! Even someone like me, a young master of a prominent Jiangzhou family, wouldn’t have that much cash. How could you possibly have it?"
He immediately called out to Yu Ji on the stage,
"Old Yu, check his background. I strongly suspect this kid is here to cause trouble!"
"Oh?"

Yu Ji narrowed his eyes.
Though he’d been excited just now, he hadn’t let it cloud his judgment.
Chen Lishi’s words made sense.
Ling Xiao wasn’t from a Jiangzhou family, his identity unknown. He wore a suit that looked nice but the brand was unclear—who knew if it was a knockoff from some online shop?
How could he possibly have enough money to buy such an outfit?
Thinking this, Yu Ji nodded,
"Rest assured, Young Master Chen. If there’s anything amiss, I’ll make sure you get justice."
As he spoke, he led his attendant down from the stage to approach Ling Xiao.
"Sir, may I see your card, so I can confirm your eligibility to bid on the silk?"
Ling Xiao ignored him and merely signaled to Xiu’er.
Without a word, Xiu’er took out two black cards and showed them to Yu Ji.
Before the cards even reached him, Yu Ji was already standing rigidly, his eyes wide and unblinking.
"B-Black card? You actually have black cards? How is that possible?"
Chen Lishi couldn’t help but shout from behind,
"Hey! Yu Ji, what’s going on? You’ve been silent for ages! Are you out of your mind?"
The old Yu Ji shot him a bitter smile,
"Young Master Chen, he...he truly is qualified to bid."
"What? Impossible! You didn’t even check his bank cards! Do you take me for a fool?"
Yu Ji sighed.
At this moment, he felt that ten—no, a hundred Chen Lishis couldn’t compare to one Ling Xiao!
Not to mention money; just in terms of bearing, Chen Lishi was utterly defeated.
"I don’t believe I need to check further. This gentleman possesses the auction house’s black card! That means his account holds at least one and a half billion yuan! Not only that, he’s entitled to sit in your seat, and you should yield to him!"
"What did you say? Impossible! I don’t believe it! You’re lying to me!"
Yu Ji sighed again,
"Believe it or not, he really does have the money."
Now, not only was Chen Lishi dumbfounded, but everyone else was as well.
All eyes turned to Ling Xiao.
One and a half billion yuan!
This young man actually possessed one and a half billion?
Heavens above, just how wealthy was this man?