The middle-aged man with a monocle held the jade pendant again, unsure of what to say for a moment. After a pause, he announced, "Everyone is familiar with this item. It starts at four hundred thousand, and the highest bidder wins."
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Xi immediately raised her paddle: "Four hundred and ten thousand."
Her voice cut through the silence, and the entire auction hall became as quiet as a library, devoid of any sound.
It was laughable. This woman in front of them was likely the woman of a top commander from the Shadow Department. They truly lacked the courage to compete for something she desired.
The auctioneer, a man with a monocle who had been in the business for many years, possessed keen insight. He recognized Bai Xi's extraordinary status. Moreover, no one was willing to make an enemy of her over a flawed jade pendant, except for the foolish Chu Meng.
"Four hundred and ten thousand for the first time, four hundred and ten thousand for the second time, four hundred and ten thousand for the third time! Sold!"
He called out faster than before, and the small gavel in his hand struck with decisive efficiency, as if eager to conclude the matter and put it to rest. He feared any unforeseen complications that might cause his heart to race.
With the fall of the gavel, everything was settled.
The beautiful assistant from before walked down from the stage and approached Bai Xi, ready to escort her backstage to sign the contract.
Four hundred and ten thousand for the dragon and phoenix facing sheep-fat jade pendant. Although there was a flaw in one corner, it was undoubtedly excellent value for money.
In contrast, Chu Meng gained nothing and had a deficit of twelve million, becoming the subject of mockery.
As Bai Xi rose and headed towards the backstage, Chu Meng, with a flushed face, was preparing to flee.
Just then, an alarm bell suddenly blared throughout the entire banquet hall.
Everyone stood up, looking up at the ceiling in panic.
In the next second, the sprinkler system installed overhead activated, and torrents of water rained down. Screams erupted from the venue.
At this moment, a man calmly pulled up his hood, preparing to leave the banquet hall. Beneath the black hood, a sinister smile played on his lips.
Unfortunately for him, his escape route was blocked the very next second.
The person blocking him was none other than Bai Xi.
Bai Xi looked at the man before her calmly and asked, "Do you think you can still leave?"
The man in the hood flinched slightly.
He remembered this woman very clearly.
He had come to execute a mission today and had been preparing to act when this woman was bidding against the eldest miss of the Chu family. However, upon hearing people in the crowd discussing the Shadow Department, he had instinctively retracted his hand.
Later, he learned from their conversation that this woman was the woman of a top commander from the Shadow Department.
Honestly, because of that matter, he had paid attention to this woman. But when she triggered the smoke alarm system, this woman was clearly in the crowd. Yet, in just a few seconds, how had she suddenly appeared before him, and… seemingly without any sign of being splashed by the water from the automatic fire suppression system?
Could this woman be a ghost?
The thought sent shivers down his spine. However, upon seeing Bai Xi's shadow illuminated by the lights, he regained some composure.
Ghosts did not have shadows. Moreover, everyone had seen her bidding earlier, and he wasn't the only one.
Even if she were the woman of a top commander from the Shadow Department, she was still just a woman, wasn't she?
"Since you've seen my face, you won't be leaving here alive today."
In any case, this place would soon become a living hell. What was one more or one less corpse to anyone?
With that thought, the man drew a dagger from his waist and lunged fiercely towards Bai Xi's neck.
Bai Xi frowned, looking at the man with an expression akin to that of a fool. As he got very close, she swiftly sidestepped, evading the attack. Then, with her stiletto heel, she kicked him hard in the back of the knee.
The man had never imagined that a woman's kick could possess such immense force.
The kick sent him crashing to the ground and he heard the sound of his own bones cracking.
As he fell in shock, two men who had rushed forward pinned him to the ground, rendering him immobile.
At this moment, Chu Xiao, drenched in water, approached and looked at the scene with surprise: "Eldest Miss, what's going on?"
Bai Xi replied calmly, "It's nothing. He was the one who triggered the automatic fire suppression system, and I took the opportunity to apprehend him."
Not far away, someone let out a piercing scream, a voice that was quite familiar.
Everyone turned to look and saw Chu Meng, who was already soaked like a drowned rat.
Her hair was plastered to her face, her makeup had smudged slightly, and her beautiful dress clung to her body, accentuating her voluptuous figure.
Upon seeing her, Chu Xiao immediately took off his coat and draped it over his sister: "Mengmeng, quickly go backstage and change."
Chu Meng, already feeling stifled, was even more enraged by this turn of events, especially seeing Bai Xi completely dry. "Ahhhhhh… Bai Xi, did you do this on purpose!"
Bai Xi raised an eyebrow slightly: "I'm not that bored."
Chu Meng gritted her teeth: "You are that bored. You deliberately made this man trigger the automatic fire suppression system just to embarrass us young ladies from the noble families! Otherwise, why aren't you wet at all?"
Bai Xi raised her eyebrows: "I was just quick enough to dodge, and you're putting yourself on a pedestal."
Chu Meng looked unconvinced: "Hmph, in just a few seconds, you managed to get here? Aren't you the one putting yourself on a pedestal? Or perhaps you simply take all of us here for fools?"
Bai Xi stated flatly, "Believe it or not, I'm not interested in explaining myself to you."
Chu Xiao knew perfectly well that he had watched Bai Xi go backstage with the beautiful emcee to sign the contract just moments ago.
But the instant the alarm sounded, he looked up at the ceiling and then at Bai Xi; she was already gone.
Therefore, she had indeed moved after the alarm was triggered, so this matter had nothing to do with her.
Furthermore, he had already witnessed Bai Xi's speed at the Chu family banquet before.
"Chu Meng, I'm warning you one last time. Do not cause any more trouble. If you continue to act out, I will tell Grandpa everything that happened today and have him confine you to the study to copy the Diamond Sutra."
Chu Meng looked disgruntled but could say nothing.
Just then, the man pinned to the ground finally chuckled: "Hahaha, Miss Chu Meng, there's no need to worry too much. You can get your revenge later."
He truly hadn't expected the woman of a top commander from the Shadow Department to be so formidable.
But so what?
His objectives had all been achieved.
He looked at the person drenched in water before him, his eyes filled with smugness.
Once the poison took effect later, this woman would transform into a bloodthirsty, ferocious monster, madly attacking others, including the woman who had subdued him.
As long as she was infected, her exceptional fighting skills would become an asset to the Kui Hall in dispatching Shang Yang!