Another round of smacks landed.
"You fools! You've been following me for years and can't even recognize my face?!"
"Boss, the guy… the real guy… he's already gone," one of them whispered.
The blond thug froze, realizing Ye Chen had disappeared without a trace. The surrounding crowd, once silent, erupted in gossip and muffled laughter.
"Damn it!" he cursed loudly, grinding his teeth.
Unable to salvage their pride, the Red Wolf thugs fled the scene in embarrassment.
After leaving the chaos behind, Ye Chen returned to the antiques exhibition and resumed browsing through the stalls. Although most of the items were clearly trash, he wasn't here for ordinary goods he was looking for hidden treasure, the kind others would overlook.
As he passed one particular stall, an item caught his attention. It looked like a small iron gate, engraved with the delicate image of a fairy. The moment he laid eyes on it, Ye Chen felt an inexplicable pull, as though the object was calling out to him.
He picked it up, examining its weight and detail. It fit perfectly in his hand.
Seeing Ye Chen's interest, the seller quickly approached with a smile. "Dear customer, may I help you?"
"How much for this item?" Ye Chen asked.
"Ah, you have good eyes! That piece was found in a cave by an adventurer. It's very rare. I'll let it go for just five thousand dollars."
Ye Chen raised a brow at the price it was steep for a mystery item. But something about it still intrigued him. He injected a trace of his mental energy into the object, hoping to analyze it.
Suddenly, a powerful force pushed back, blocking his probe.
What? Ye Chen was shocked. Even my mental energy can't penetrate it?
He tried again, but the same resistance stopped him cold.
Still, his curiosity grew stronger. Ye Chen looked around the stall and noticed another item a black token that had partially broken crust. Beneath the blackened surface, he spotted a faint gleam of gold.
"How about this," Ye Chen said, holding up both the iron gate and the black token. "Five thousand dollars for both?"
The seller glanced at the black token and scoffed. "That piece? It's just scrap. Sure, take both."
Ye Chen smiled slightly and handed over the money. The seller seemed satisfied, unaware that he had just sold something far more valuable than he realized.
In China, many made a living selling antiques. It could be highly profitable, but also risky. Deception was common tricking naive buyers was easy money. But one mistake, and they could land in jail.
Every job carried risk. Even the easiest ones.
---....
After completing the transaction, Ye Chen stepped away to a quiet corner. He examined his two new items more closely. He focused first on the black token.
Using his strength, he crushed away the outer crust, revealing a golden token underneath with a complex, beautiful design.
"This alone could sell for a fortune," he murmured. "I'll keep it for now and use it when money gets tight."
Ye Chen placed the token into his storage ring, then turned his attention to the iron gate-shaped object.
But when he tried to store it, the item resisted refusing to enter the spatial ring.
"…Strange," Ye Chen muttered. He sighed and tucked it into his shirt for now.
With that, he left the exhibition and went to find a hotel for the night.
Liu Yue, the elegant woman who had recently purchased the Zillao Bracelet from Ye Chen, was currently driving her sleek car toward Hua Hospital the city's most prestigious medical facility.
It was renowned for its cutting-edge equipment and expert staff. Her heart pounded with anxiety and hope as she gripped the steering wheel tightly.
Her grandmother, her only remaining family, lay hospitalized in critical condition.
Despite the bleak prognosis, Liu Yue desperately clung to the hope that this strange bracelet would somehow work a miracle.
The moment she arrived at the hospital's parking lot, Liu Yue didn't waste a second.
She locked her car and rushed toward the elevator, then quickly made her way to the ward where her grandmother was admitted.
Inside the private room, an elderly woman lay motionless on the bed, an oxygen tube gently delivering air into her nostrils.
Her frail chest rose and fell steadily, but she remained unconscious.
The once-spirited woman now seemed like a mere shadow of her former self.
Liu Yue's throat tightened at the sight. Tears welled up in her eyes. She slowly walked over, gently holding her grandmother's wrinkled hand.
"Grandma… please get better soon.
I still want to spend time with you," she whispered, her voice trembling.
With trembling fingers, she took out the Zillao Bracelet and slipped it onto her grandmother's thin wrist.
She had no idea how the bracelet worked or if it would work at all but at this point, she was willing to try anything.
Time passed slowly. Liu Yue sat by her grandmother's side, her eyes glued to the old woman's peaceful face.
Minutes turned into hours, and despite her best efforts to stay awake, Liu Yue's exhaustion took over. She leaned against the side of the bed and drifted off to sleep.
---
It was still dark outside when Liu Yue stirred. She felt something soft brushing against her hair fingers, gentle and familiar. Her eyes fluttered open.
To her astonishment, her grandmother, who had been in a coma for days, was now awake and smiling gently at her.
"Yue'er? Why are you sleeping here like this?" her grandmother's voice, though soft, was steady.
Liu Yue blinked several times in disbelief. This had to be a dream… She pinched her cheek, and pain shot through her skin.
This is real!
"Grandma! You're awake!" Liu Yue gasped, immediately straightening up.
She reached out and gently touched her grandmother's arm. "How do you feel? Is there any pain? Do you feel weak?"
Her grandmother smiled softly. "I actually feel quite refreshed… better than I've felt in a long time."
Liu Yue nearly burst into tears again, but this time from relief.
She quickly reached for the nurse call button, and within moments, a doctor arrived to perform an initial examination.
"How is her condition, Doctor?" Liu Yue asked, barely containing her anxious energy.
The doctor checked her grandmother's vitals and examined her carefully. "Her heart rate and temperature are within normal range.
It's quite remarkable, honestly. However, we'll need to conduct a full checkup tomorrow morning for more accurate results. For now, she should rest."
The doctor nodded and left, still glancing curiously at the patient's chart.
Liu Yue tucked the blanket carefully around her grandmother and smiled. "You heard the doctor, Grandma. You need to rest. No more scaring me like that."
She glanced down at the Zillao Bracelet on her grandmother's wrist. Her heart swelled with gratitude. So, it really works… Ye Chen didn't deceive me after all.
She stayed by her grandmother's side for the rest of the night, watching over her with tear-filled but hopeful eyes.