Chapter 00018: What Lan Xiaobu Wants
# What Lan Xiaobu Wants
Chapter 18
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 18: What Lan Xiaobu Wants
The distance from Wangjiang Road to Jin City University of Technology was not far, and Lan Xiaobu arrived early. He wanted to scout the location first; if it was not right, he still had time to go back.
This was an old street that was neither bustling nor desolate, lined with somewhat aged shops and buildings. As Lan Xiaobu walked along, he found that no matter how he searched, the last door number on Wangjiang Road was 290. Where did 291 come from?
Unwilling to accept this, Lan Xiaobu searched around 290 multiple times, but still did not see any sign of 291. Just as he was about to ask the owner of 290, he noticed a man in a black trench coat walking to the entrance of 290 and lighting a cigarette.
Instinctively, Lan Xiaobu stopped. It was clear that 291 was somewhat special, and if he asked about it, would he be revealing himself as a newcomer who had just obtained a Thousand Sounds Auction card?
Feigning nonchalance, Lan Xiaobu left and walked to a nearby snack shop, ordering several dishes and a bottle of beer.
He reasoned that if the Thousand Sounds card in his hand was not a counterfeit, then the Thousand Sounds Auction must be located here. Since it was here, there was no need to go back and wait for Shang Wei, as Shang Wei would definitely come here.
An hour passed, and when Lan Xiaobu noticed that the man in the black trench coat was still smoking, he knew his caution was justified. That black trench coat was definitely suspicious; who would take over an hour just to smoke a cigarette?
At that moment, Lan Xiaobu was determined to wait for Shang Wei here. Once Shang Wei arrived, he would follow him. No matter where 291 was hidden, to get to 291, one had to pass right in front of him.
Another hour passed, and the man in the black trench coat had not left, which allowed Lan Xiaobu to observe some clues. More than ten people entered a private underground parking lot. What puzzled Lan Xiaobu was that these people did not drive in but walked in. What raised his suspicion even more was that most of these individuals were wearing masks or large sunglasses and hats.
Lan Xiaobu had seen that parking lot before; it was marked as a private parking lot, and there was also a sign indicating it was temporarily out of service. The parking lot was open from the outside, lacking a gate. However, it seemed there was a large door inside.
After drinking a bottle of beer alone for over two hours, it was no longer appropriate to linger. Lan Xiaobu settled his bill, donned a mask and sunglasses, and headed toward the private parking lot.
As he passed 290, he distinctly felt the gaze of the man in the black trench coat upon him. Although he did not turn back to look, the instincts of a martial artist told him he was not mistaken.
Until Lan Xiaobu turned into the private parking lot, the man in the black trench coat did not stop him.
Once inside the open parking lot, Lan Xiaobu let out a sigh of relief. The entrance gate inside the parking lot was unguarded, but the door was closed. Moreover, this door was not a typical garage barrier but an iron gate, which appeared somewhat rusty. Just as Lan Xiaobu was wondering, he spotted a card reader. Without hesitation, he took out the Thousand Sounds Auction card and swiped it.
With a beep, the iron gate opened, and Lan Xiaobu felt a sense of relief, confirming his judgment was correct.
As soon as the gate opened, Lan Xiaobu saw a sign: Wangjiang Road 291. He cursed inwardly, wondering how one could be so foolish as to hide the sign behind an iron gate.
Ahead was a cement path two or three meters wide, sloping downward and extending far. After walking about ten meters, a side door appeared. Although the cement path continued, Lan Xiaobu turned toward the side door without hesitation. It was purely instinct; he felt that if he went further, he would reach a real garage, and this side door was where he needed to go.
Sure enough, upon entering the side door, there was another card swipe door, and Lan Xiaobu used the Thousand Sounds Auction card to open it again.
When the door opened, the scene before him changed dramatically; a red carpet stretched out to a vast hall. Even though Lan Xiaobu had never attended an auction before, he could tell at a glance that this hall was the auction hall.
People stood at both corners of the door, none of whom approached to inquire or stop Lan Xiaobu.
The hall had many seats, arranged in booths, seemingly available for anyone to sit. Some of the people who had entered earlier had not taken their seats, while a few familiar faces were chatting nearby. Lan Xiaobu did not enter a booth; he stood in a corner, waiting for Shang Wei.
Despite the numerous hidden guards around, no one disturbed Lan Xiaobu as he stood there.
People continued to stream in, some taking their seats, and soon the auction hall was filled to nearly half capacity. Lan Xiaobu watched each person who entered, confident that even if Shang Wei had altered his appearance, he would still recognize him.
After more than half an hour, Lan Xiaobu finally spotted Shang Wei. Shang Wei was also wearing sunglasses and a mask, dressed in a set of coffee-colored casual wear. Even without seeing his face, Lan Xiaobu recognized him at first glance.
Walking in front of Shang Wei was a robust middle-aged man whose face was not obscured, sporting a full beard.
After Shang Wei passed by, Lan Xiaobu followed closely behind him. Coming to this auction was a spur-of-the-moment decision; if it weren't for Shang Wei's presence, Lan Xiaobu might not have come at all. He had no money on him; he was merely here to observe. Following Shang Wei was just a means to track him back home after the auction ended.
Lan Xiaobu had previously not grasped how Shang Wei could reach the Innate Realm in just two years, but now that he had begun cultivating, he was certain there was a secret behind it.
It seemed that the bearded man was indeed Uncle Xiong, Shang Wei's relative. After Shang Wei and Uncle Xiong took their seats, Lan Xiaobu settled into a booth behind them.
The auction had not yet begun, and while seated behind the two, Lan Xiaobu listened as the bearded man discussed the Thousand Sounds Auction and mentioned some notable figures who had arrived. He began to gain some understanding of the Thousand Sounds Auction.
The Thousand Sounds Auction was the world's top-tier auction house, featuring treasures that captured global attention each time. The Thousand Sounds Auction was also graded, with S-Class auctions being quite prestigious, so tonight would surely showcase valuable items. Those who attended the Thousand Sounds Auction were all prominent figures; it was not merely about having money to enter.
Treasures like luminous pearls, South African seven-colored diamonds, and longevity elixirs had all appeared at the Thousand Sounds Auction.
As Lan Xiaobu listened with keen interest, the lights in the hall suddenly dimmed, leaving only a soft beam illuminating the auction stage. A tall woman in a qipao appeared on the stage. At that moment, Lan Xiaobu realized that the auction hall had filled to over seventy percent capacity without him noticing, leading him to suspect he had misjudged the entrance; there must have been more than one way in.
The woman in the qipao smiled, "Welcome, old friends of the Thousand Sounds, to this auction. In fact, S-Class auctions are rarely held like today’s; we announced it only a day ago, and here we are. Many old friends might be puzzled, so I represent the auction house to explain. After this auction concludes, there will be no more auctions held for a year..."
Upon hearing this, murmurs of discussion arose among the audience. Lan Xiaobu overheard someone mention that the Thousand Sounds Auction usually held at least six auctions a year, sometimes even twelve. The fact that there would be no auction activities for a year after this one seemed quite unusual.
The woman in the qipao did not elaborate further but continued, "To save everyone time, we will begin the auction now. The first item up for bid is a painting by Zhang Hong titled 'Gradually Approaching.' Perhaps some of you are not familiar with Zhang Hong; let me briefly introduce him. Zhang Hong was a famous painter during the Ming Dynasty, best known for his landscapes. The starting price for this painting is five hundred thousand, with each bid not less than ten thousand. The bidding starts now..."
Lan Xiaobu had never attended an auction but knew some basic auction etiquette. Generally, the auctioneer should promote the value of the items to fetch a high price. However, the woman in the qipao merely introduced the author's era and expertise before concluding.
What surprised Lan Xiaobu even more was that this painting attracted numerous bidders, ultimately being sold for one million seven hundred sixty thousand.
Subsequent auction items were introduced by the woman in a similarly brief manner, yet each item sparked fierce competition. One item, a Buddhist relic, even fetched nearly two hundred million.
It seemed that everything auctioned here was genuine; otherwise, there would not be such a frenzy over them.
Lan Xiaobu had no money; he was merely here to observe, his main goal being to keep an eye on Shang Wei. However, even Uncle Xiong had not made a move, nor had he placed a bid.
"Next up for auction is a set of medicinal formulas, rumored to be passed down from ancient times, capable of helping Inner Strength martial artists refine their bones..."
Before the auctioneer could finish her sentence, Lan Xiaobu's heart jolted. He suddenly regretted not selling the sheep fat white jade first. This was exactly what he wanted—the formula for refining bones for Inner Strength martial artists. He had progressed quickly in the refining stage, but since entering the Bone Tempering Stage, his cultivation had nearly stagnated. He guessed it was due to the lack of a formula for bone refinement. His purpose for coming here to find Shang Wei was to uncover the secret behind Shang Wei's rapid advancement to the Innate Realm in just two years.
Now, he had yet to discover the reason for Shang Wei's breakthrough, yet he encountered a bone-refining formula. This was driving Lan Xiaobu crazy, especially since he had no money.
Wait, he thought, he had seen the formula, and Shang Wei was also here. Could it be that Shang Wei had purchased the formula, allowing him to advance to the Innate Realm so quickly?
Lan Xiaobu immediately composed himself, focusing his gaze on Shang Wei and the bearded Uncle Xiong beside him.
(End of Chapter)