Chapter 7 The Seventh Level
The seventh level had only one viewing platform, the seat of the Star Palace Master, which was always vacant.
Today, someone was actually sitting there!
This meant the mysterious Palace Master of Star Palace had appeared!
The auction hall buzzed with excitement.
"The Black Spirit Pearl, the finale of tonight's auction, is such a treasure that even the elusive Star Palace Master has shown up!"
Ruan Tianxin stood up and gazed towards the seventh level, but could only see that someone was there, not who it was. Disappointed, she sat back down.
"Little Sweetpea, your goal tonight might be out of reach. You don't like your uncle anyway, so why not give up?"
With the Palace Master's appearance, it meant he could double the highest bid for any item in the auction at any time, if he pleased.
Ruan Tianxin was agonizing over this, while Yu He casually leaned back in her chair, playing on her phone, exuding an aura of confidence regardless of who showed up.
"Little Sweetpea, I must ask, how much money have you prepared?" Ruan Tianxin couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
With the Palace Master present, only she could sit there so calmly, playing on her phone!
"We'll see what the final bidding price is," Yu He said calmly.
Ruan Tianxin: !!
Ruan Tianxin: "Are you planning to raise money on the spot?!"
"Want to know?" Yu He looked up at her, deliberately creating suspense.
Ruan Tianxin nodded vigorously.
"Bid freely later, someone will foot the bill," Yu He said, gesturing with her phone.
Seeing the mischievous smile on her lips, Ruan Tianxin had a sudden premonition: Had another foolish rich person been taken advantage of by Little Sweetpea?
Meanwhile, in the adjacent Room 509 viewing platform.
The woman entered the room and poured herself a glass of cold water, drinking it down. The mask she wore was a pale, oval-shaped one; it was Qi Yuanyuan.
She had heard that the grand finale of the Star Palace auction was the Black Spirit Pearl, but she wasn't particularly interested. Her expertise was in Western medicine, while the Black Spirit Pearl was rumored to be a traditional Chinese medicine.
However, Qin Beiting would be there, so she had come.
She hadn't expected the Unnamed Divine Doctor to also attend the Star Palace auction!
Wasn't the Unnamed Divine Doctor abroad?
She vividly remembered meeting the Unnamed Divine Doctor once last year at a national medical symposium, introduced by the president.
At that time, the Unnamed Divine Doctor, wearing a bright red shawl and a mask, sat on the conference presidium and shared her experience of navigating both Eastern and Western medicine with fluent American English, earning her deep admiration...
"Welcome, everyone, to Star Palace. The Star Palace auction will begin shortly. First, congratulations to everyone present for the honor of sharing this evening's auction feast with the Star Palace Master..."
The host's voice brought Qi Yuanyuan back to reality. She put down her water glass, stepped out of the viewing area, and sat down with poise.
As soon as she sat down, she caught the attention of the Star Palace female manager who was guarding the seventh level.
"Palace Master, the Unnamed Divine Doctor is between those two women in red. Shall I invite them up?" the female manager asked for instructions from the man in the Palace Master's seat.
The man wore a ghost mask and leaned back languidly on a sandalwood chair, his feet clad in black boots casually resting on the table. His right hand rested on the armrest, revealing a dragon-patterned thumb ring on his index finger, the symbol of the Star Palace Master.
"No need," a deep, magnetic voice came from beneath the mask.
The female manager's heart fluttered at the magnetic voice, and she couldn't help but glance at the man again.
She had worked here for eight years and this was her first time seeing the Palace Master in person. She had expected an old man, but he was so young.
Although wearing a mask, judging by the sharp phoenix eyes beneath it, the chiseled jawline, the sexy Adam's apple, the robust physique, and the pleasant voice, she could conclude that the Palace Master must be an unparalleled heartthrob.
Wanting to make a good impression since the Palace Master had made a rare appearance, she stepped forward again and said:
"The Unnamed Divine Doctor's whereabouts have always been mysterious. It's a fortunate coincidence to meet here, you could get acquainted, which might be convenient for future contact."
"Are you teaching me how to do my job?" The man's phoenix eyes flickered, his icy gaze like a drawn sword piercing her heart.
The female manager trembled, and the next moment, she was grabbed by the scruff of her neck by a burly bodyguard wearing sunglasses and thrown out of the room.
"Don't let the Palace Master see this woman again!" the bodyguard said to those guarding the door.
Then he clapped his hands, returned to the room, and said respectfully to the man, "Brother Ting, it's handled."
"Mmm," Qin Beiting responded with a hum.
The auction had already commenced. He adjusted his posture, picked up his phone, and opened the chat window with Yu He.
Their chat history was still from the afternoon, where he had sent: [Beg me, and I'll send it again.]
The little girl hadn't replied to him!
He tapped his finger and sent her a message.
Fifth Level.
Yu He had no interest in the items being auctioned earlier. Her only target was the Black Spirit Pearl, so she put on her earphones and got lost in a match-three game.
At that moment, a notification for a WeChat message popped up on her screen.
She tapped it open.
Qin Beiting: [Where are you?]
These four words made Yu He's heart skip a beat. Her first thought was: Did Qin Beiting know she was at the auction?
She calmly looked up and scanned her surroundings.
She couldn't see Qin Beiting in the areas below her level, and she couldn't see anything on the sixth level or above.
She had mentioned the Black Spirit Pearl to Qin Beiting before, so he would likely receive news of the auction and might be present.
Yu He: [Where are you?]
She replied with a question instead of an answer.
Although Qin Beiting wouldn't recognize her in her current appearance, it was better to know his location just in case.
Qin Beiting: [Tianyu, aren't you coming home to stay? /Pity.]
Yu He: "..."
This reply didn't reassure Yu He; it only made her angry.
He wasn't at the auction?
Had she not explained clearly enough before how much the Black Spirit Pearl could help his condition?
Or did he not want to be cured at all?
Qin Beiting: [Where are you now?]
Yu He, feeling somewhat annoyed, replied with two casual words, [Ye Family.]
As soon as she sent it, she received a video call invitation from him.
Her heart skipped a beat in panic, and she guiltily hung up immediately.
Yu He: [Taking a bath.]
Seventh Level.
Qin Beiting looked at her reply, and a slight smile curved his lips beneath the mask.
The displeasure he had felt in the past few days due to Yu He's words finally dissipated.
The little girl hadn't come to the auction, and if she couldn't get the Black Spirit Pearl, she wouldn't be able to leave him...
Time flew by, and the auction reached its finale.
"Next, we will auction the grand finale of our evening – the Black Spirit Pearl!"
As soon as the host finished speaking, a server in a Hanfu costume brought out a brocade box and placed it on the display stand.
The display stand had a camera, which, through close-up 360-degree rotation, transmitted images of the treasure to the tablets in each viewing area for bidders to see.
The brocade box was opened, revealing a crystal-clear, egg-sized white sac containing a black pearl floating in the center.
The crystal was transparent, and the color was lustrous. This was the fabled Black Spirit Pearl, a naturally formed wonder.