At this moment, Li Zhonglou felt a surge of excitement within his heart. Fortunately, his mental fortitude was strong enough to keep it in check. Otherwise, his hands might have been trembling. Even so, his fists were clenched tightly, his knuckles turning pale.
"You... you must hold on. Haste makes waste," Xiao Da whispered, pressing down on Li Zhonglou's hand. Despite the cold exterior, the sheer intensity of Li Zhonglou's killing intent, thick and tangible, could not be missed at such close proximity.
"Let go, I know," Li Zhonglou retorted coldly. The instant he saw Tian Shan, all the memories with Xu Lie flooded his mind. In both past and present lives, Xu Lie had saved him from peril multiple times. Twice in car accidents, once during an assassination attempt, and finally, being shot and run over while saving his mother and Jiang Yuxin. Yet, fate had been so cruel. He hadn't managed to change it… No, that wasn't right. He *had* changed Xu Lie's fate. According to the progression of his past life, Xu Lie would have gone far away to seek revenge on the scumbag who harmed Xu Qianqian, and he might not have died. In this life, Xu Qianqian was alive, but Xu Lie was dead. Wasn't this a change? It seemed his reincarnation had brought about all these changes, an undeniable fact. Was this destiny? Everything changed because of him, yet this world would, through various means, correct and compensate. The Way of Heaven, it diminishes the excess and supplements the insufficient. Suddenly, this phrase, which he had always considered an objective truth of heaven and earth, was imbued with intense emotion. Damn heavens, I won't yield so easily. Li Zhonglou's heart was defiant, but he quickly cast the thought aside. After killing Tian Shan and avenging Xu Lie, he would plan for the future!
Li Zhonglou lowered his head, scanning the second-floor conference room with his peripheral vision. Guan Jian and his men, dressed in plain clothes, had already set up a perimeter, but these plainclothes officers would not escape Tian Shan's notice. He had deliberately found an excuse to have He Yin stay at the Municipal Bureau beforehand, fearing any unforeseen incidents. The true trump card was the Xiong Ying team members disguised as security guards alongside him. Li Zhonglou took out his phone and sent a message: "Target sighted, white-haired old man in sunglasses, don't act rashly yet, wait for my signal."
Soon, as Tian Shan, supported by a beautiful woman, walked onto the second floor, Zhou Jiao appeared in his line of sight. He exchanged a look and, with his men, proceeded upstairs as planned to maintain order. There was a deliberate reason for disguising themselves as security guards. Zhou Jiao and his colleagues were all elite Xiong Ying operatives. Although Xiong Ying had disguise training, it was only for ordinary missions. Tian Shan's vision was exceptionally sharp; no matter what, the inherent spirit and killing intent of a soldier could not be concealed. Disguised as anyone else would have exposed them, but as security guards, it was slightly better, as many security companies employed retired soldiers. Human effort has its limits. Li Zhonglou dared not guarantee what could be achieved. However, at least by thinking from Tian Shan's perspective, there was a chance to capture him.
"They've gone up, let's follow them. He won't be able to fly away today!" Xiao Da was already getting impatient, his eyes gleaming with excitement. It was his lifelong dream to participate in a mission with Xiong Ying operatives and apprehend this international fugitive.
"Once we go up, you say nothing, and listen to me for everything," Li Zhonglou cautioned him. Xiao Da, like a calf unafraid of a tiger, had no idea how dangerous Tian Shan was. Describing it in words could never make him truly understand. Even with firearms, the soldiers and police present today might not be able to subdue that old viper. It was too early to celebrate.
"Alright, Captain Guan said I should listen to you completely," Xiao Da agreed readily. The two of them followed Zhou Jiao and a few others up to the second-floor conference hall. In just one afternoon yesterday, the room had been set up like a stage for an auction. An auctioneer, specifically invited by Xiao Yun from an auction house, dressed in a tuxedo, stood on the stage, delivering opening remarks and introducing each item. The pre-arranged seats were already eighty percent occupied. Tian Shan was helped to a seat at the back. He hadn't removed his sunglasses, his eyes darting around the venue restlessly. Li Zhonglou, fearing he might alert the target, avoided direct eye contact. When Tian Shan looked his way, he deliberately pretended to be discussing something with Zhou Jiao, turning his back so Tian Shan couldn't see his face, minimizing any suspicion. Zhou Jiao subtly made an "OK" gesture, indicating that everything was ready and they could launch the surprise attack at any moment. However, Li Zhonglou shook his head in negation.
The layout of the Han Palace was themed around luxury and grandeur. This conference room was spacious and bright, with at least four glass windows. If Tian Shan were alerted, he could smash a window and escape at any time. Without sniper rifles, this would be troublesome. Zhou Jiao had only brought three subordinates, and including himself and Xiao Da, there were only six people in total. With the strength of Xiong Ying operatives, holding pistols could pose a threat to Tian Shan, but what about the numerous guests present? What if he, in a moment of desperation, grabbed a few as hostages? How would that be handled? Hosting an auction had its pros and cons, and the con was precisely this. The current plan was to wait until the auction ended, disperse the guests, and then act as the situation dictated. Patience was crucial. Without Li Zhonglou's signal, no one dared to make a move.
Soon, the auction began. The first dozen items were Ren He's collection, genuinely auctioned as she was in need of money. The latter half were Ning Lang's items, put up as a decoy. The first item to be auctioned was a painting measuring four square feet. "Ladies and gentlemen, this opening item today is a genuine masterpiece by Luo Pin of the Qing Dynasty, the 'Straw Raincoat Painting,' an absolute treasure from our President Ren's collection," the auctioneer introduced with great passion. "The starting bid is five million, with each subsequent bid increasing by one hundred thousand. Please appreciate it!" Two禮儀小姐 (etiquette ladies) carried the scroll onto the stage and displayed it around. Immediately, many discerning bosses began to bid. In the realm of calligraphy and painting, it had always been the most sought-after category within antiques, even more so than porcelain. After all, genuine pieces like these were limited, and the quantity was fixed. They were rare and could not be sought after. In an auction house, the starting bid would likely double, and while some of the antique enthusiasts invited by Zeng Wang might not be knowledgeable, they had money.
Swish, swish, swish... In less than five minutes, the price had already reached eight million. It had to be said that Ren He's collection was indeed valuable. Although the portion that had been defrauded earlier was substantial in quantity, its quality was inferior to what remained. No one wanted to part with the good items first.
Seeing this scene, Tian Shan's single eye was filled with greed. The reason he came to this auction, knowing full well that it was prepared for him by Li Zhonglou, was first out of arrogance. Secondly, it was for the treasures. Of course, he wouldn't participate in the auction. If he had this money, why would he need to scheme? Instead, he intended to wait until the auction ended and rob it directly. He had been looking for Li Zhonglou but hadn't seen the young man's trace. Instead, there were quite a few plainclothes police officers on the scene. There were also a few security guards whose expressions and demeanor were distinctly different from ordinary people, likely also related to the police. But with just these few people, they thought they could capture him, Tian Shan? He doubted they could even identify him. "Kid, I want to see what tricks you're up to," Tian Shan thought with hidden pride, his eyes beneath the sunglasses flashing with malice.