"Of course, there's no problem," Ye Bai nodded.
The beautiful young lady before him clearly came from wealth, and he believed the Lightning Cat would be well cared for in her hands.
Sophia gently stroked the Lightning Cat's head. While it was soft and pleasant, it didn't spark any special emotion. However, when her fingers accidentally brushed against Dahui's fur, the soft, cloud-like sensation sent a jolt of electricity down her spine. Her whole body tingled as if her heart had been touched.
Dahui grinned, and his warm expression made Sophia blush and look down, her ears turning red.
"The young miss is very happy," the butler said with misty eyes, clearly moved.
Sophia gave the butler a discreet wink, and he promptly handed Ye Bai an anonymous black card.
"This card holds one million alliance coins, in exchange for the Lightning Cat."
Ye Bai was about to decline, but the butler, anticipating his reaction, said, "Manager, our young miss hasn't smiled this happily in a long time. While this money may not be much to us, consider it a small token of appreciation. Please accept it."
"Buy something delicious for the pet beasts in your breeding house."
Hearing this, Ye Bai realized that declining might seem impolite, so he accepted the card.
Sophia turned to leave, hugging the Lightning Cat, followed by the butler and their entourage as they departed in grand fashion.
"We haven't even put up a sign yet and already landed a major customer," Ye Bai remarked, just before being interrupted by the barking of a dog.
"Woof woof woof!"
"Why do I hear a puppy inside?" Ye Bai said, puzzled.
The sound was coming from Dahui's direction. Dahui lowered his head and avoided eye contact, using his large body to block Ye Bai's view.
Ye Bai instantly had a bad feeling.
"Dahui! What kind of pet beast have you brought back this time?!"
From inside the breeding house came Ye Bai's exasperated voice.
---
Meanwhile, at the old location of the Fangyuan Breeding House, Butler Wang sat alone, growing increasingly irritated. He Qingyuan, tired of waiting, had already left earlier in the day.
Before leaving, He Qingyuan had told Butler Wang to capture Ye Bai's embarrassed expression as proof of failure.
Whether or not Ye Bai was truly upset, Butler Wang certainly was. The place was shabby, lacked air conditioning, and was poorly ventilated. He was sweating and increasingly uncomfortable.
Everything was up to him, from big decisions to minor tasks, and his phone rang incessantly.
Butler Wang sighed for what felt like the 10,086th time, convinced the family would fall apart without him.
He was on the verge of walking out but decided to wait a bit longer. If he failed to complete the task, that brat would blame him and even joke about dragging him to the grave.
---
Back in Jiaying City, Ye Bai stood outside the Longteng Auction House, holding a flyer advertising a job for a temporary cleaner.
His system had mentioned Longteng Auction House several times and hinted at how to gain entry.
Ye Bai trusted the system's guidance.
Thanks to years of cleaning under Dahui's strict standards, Ye Bai was more than qualified and quickly secured the cleaner position.
The job paid 500 alliance coins per day and included food and lodging. Responsibilities included keeping the place tidy during the auction and cleaning up any debris from on-site gemstone cutting.
Ye Bai's true goal, however, was to collect sun crystals hidden inside uncut rough stones.
Once hired, he began his shift the same evening, just as Longteng Auction House hosted its grand auction.
---
The venue was magnificently decorated. A giant golden dragon statue with fangs and claws guarded the entrance, showcasing the auction house's wealth and prestige.
At 8:00 p.m., the auction officially began.
A host in a red suit and a smiling mask took the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, good evening! I am your host for tonight's event."
"Let's skip the formalities and get right to it!"
He clapped his hands, and a slender young woman in a high-slit cheongsam stepped onto the stage with a tray.
"Our first item tonight is a One-Horned Demon Wolf cub."
"Discovered by our hunters before its eyes even opened, this is a valuable pet beast obtained under great risk."
"Starting bid: 100,000 alliance coins."
"Minimum bid increment: 10,000 alliance coins."
The crowd's eyes lit up.
The One-Horned Demon Wolf is a Level 4 pet beast. Its offspring typically also reach Level 4. With proper training, this cub could become a powerful asset.
"I'll bid 110,000 alliance coins!" someone shouted.
"Only 110,000? I bid 120,000," another sneered.
Bidding soared, and the price quickly reached 500,000 alliance coins before slowing down.
Despite the beast's potential, buyers began to hesitate—raising a One-Horned Demon Wolf requires significant resources, and beyond a certain price, it might not be worth the investment.
Eventually, an elderly man won the bid with a final offer of 550,000 alliance coins.
"A great start! Thank you for your enthusiasm," the host praised.
"Now, onto the next item."
---
Time passed swiftly, and before long, the most anticipated item of the night arrived: the rough stones.
"Good evening, everyone," the host resumed.
"These rough stones were sourced through great effort by Longteng Auction."
"From appearance alone, they seem to contain rare treasures."
"But only by cutting them open yourself can you experience the thrill of discovery."
"Starting bid: 10 million alliance coins."
"Minimum increment: 1 million."
A hush fell over the crowd.
He Guangda's eyes shone with excitement as he looked at the massive five-ton stone, its rugged surface covered in green moss.
"Brother, if we win this stone and extract something valuable, our He family can expand beyond Jiaying City and into the entire Yandong Province," He Guangda said.
His older brother, He Guangwei, sat calmly in a wheelchair, sipping tea. He raised an eyebrow at their appraiser, who immediately understood.
"Mr. He, we've conducted a thorough inspection of this rough stone. It is indeed a treasure."