Chapter 10: CHAPTER 9 - A usual bet between hero and villain.
Ye Feng couldn't help but curse Fang Haoran in his mind at this moment.
Of all the times, he had to show up right when Ye Feng had finally made up his mind!
If Fang Haoran hadn't interfered, Ye Feng would've easily gotten through to He Cheng and could've given those condescending security guards a piece of his mind.
Although Ye Feng didn't have much of a relationship with He Cheng, a few polite words would have been enough to get him inside. But with Fang Haoran's meddling, he had gone from being "a friend of the big boss" to "a poor student sneaking in to meet the big shot."
Ye Feng couldn't hold it in and blurted out, "I really do know He Cheng!"
Hearing this, Fang Haoran smirked to himself and turned to leave, but before he left, he casually sighed, "Young people these days really care about their image. Let's get He Cheng's friend in."
The two security guards, seemingly having understood something, quickly responded, "Got it, you really are the big boss's friend." They respectfully bowed their heads, "Please, come in! Please, come in!"
Ye Feng could sense the underlying mockery in their overly polite tone.
It was as if they were saying, "You're really obsessed with your pride. Aren't you embarrassed?"
But they dared not show it, considering Fang Haoran's presence. So, Fuming with anger, Ye Feng had no choice other than just to let this go.
If he called He Cheng now, it would make him seem petty, like he couldn't take a joke. For now, he could only give Fang Haoran's retreating back a resentful glare, then stomp off into the jade market.
'Hmph, just wait until I shine here and catch He Cheng's attention. Then you'll see how I deal with you two lousy guards!' He was determined to teach Haoran a lesson, as he stepped into the market with a stomp of his foot.
......
[Ding! Ye Feng's attempt to show off and slap faces failed. Ye Feng's protagonist aura -30! Luck points +30! Ability points +3!]
Inside the jade market, staring at the system notification, Fang Haoran quietly watched as Ye Feng used his "golden finger," turning a few thousand yuan into over a hundred thousand.
'System, show me Ye Feng's profile.' He called out to his system, wanting to see what kind of improvements Ye Feng had gone through.
[Okay.]
And the system, listening to his command, pulled up Ye Feng's status window.
[Ye Feng: 'Mighty and Romantic' Protagonist
→ Protagonist Aura (Luck): 770
→ Strength: 130
→ Physique: 105
→ Mental Power: 80
→ Trust: -20
→ Charm: 50 (doubles for women, halves for various villains)
→ Skills: Low-level X-ray Vision, Inheritance of the King of Assassins (Progress: 31%)]
"His strength has increased to 130... but not quite reaching the peak yet…" Haoran muttered as he went through Ye Feng's stats, but looking at the two bodyguards behind him and several market security guards with batons, Fang Haoran judged that taking care of Ye Feng wouldn't be a problem.
So, Fang Haoran, along with his entourage, intentionally made his way to a stall near Ye Feng's.
With a confident air, he started evaluating the raw stones in front of him.
"This one looks delicate on the surface, with clear patterns, but when struck, it makes a dull sound. A typical case of looking good but being useless inside—there's nothing of value in it." He hummed, shifting from one stone to another with a serene expression, "This one may not look impressive, but it's solid and well-proportioned. It might not bring huge profits, but it's a safe buy."
His expression made it seem like he was deeply studying the stone as he continued, "And then there's this one, now this is something…"
Fang Haoran went on to evaluate a total of six raw stones, attracting quite a crowd.
The onlookers, who didn't know how to distinguish the stones, were intimidated by Fang Haoran's confident demeanor and steady tone. They couldn't help but wonder, "Could this young man be a master of raw stone identification?"
Those with more experience, however, couldn't help but scoff. But they didn't voice their thoughts—despite not recognizing Fang Haoran, they knew the man standing beside him, the jade market manager, who treated Fang Haoran like a subordinate.
The commotion quickly drew Ye Feng's attention. He couldn't help but scoff when he saw Fang Haoran confidently giving his spiel. His eyes could clearly see that other than one of those stones, none had anything inside them.
Six raw stones, and he got lucky with one? With that kind of skill, he dared to show off?
You're asking for trouble, coming into my area of expertise.
A plan formed in Ye Feng's mind, as he grinned. 'You're done for,' he muttered inwardly.
On the other side, just as Fang Haoran was about to continue speaking, a voice rang out from behind the crowd.
"Mr. Fang, having money doesn't mean you have real skill!" Of course, it was Ye Feng, and that guy wasn't done as he added, "Crossing industries is like crossing mountains. You should just go back to selling houses!"
The crowd erupted into chatter upon hearing his sharp, sarcastic tone.
Others could tell that Fang Haoran had money and power, so even if you didn't want to respect him, there was no need to offend him like that, right?
Ye Feng, seeing the crowd turn their attention to him and automatically part to let him through, was even more pleased with himself.
He strode confidently toward Fang Haoran.
Fang Haoran, on the other hand, had his face darkened. "What do you mean?"
Seeing Fang Haoran's expression, Ye Feng was confident and spoke slowly, each word carefully chosen.
"What I mean is, everything you just said is wrong!"
"You—" Fang Haoran started to snap, but Ye Feng raised his hand to stop him.
"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush." He smiled, pointing at his eyes as he continued, "My eyesight is much better than yours!"
Ye Feng's eyes gleamed with conviction the more he spoke. "If you don't believe me," he paused deliberately, looking around before speaking loud enough for everyone to hear, "How about we make a bet on the raw stones?"
But as soon as he said that, Fang Haoran hesitated, making Ye Feng push further, "What's the matter? Are you scared?"
The manager of the jade market, standing right next to Fang Haoran, was fuming.
What status does Mr. Fang have, and what status do you have? Who do you think you are, a nobody, challenging Mr. Fang to a bet?
The manager was about to step in and have Ye Feng removed, but Fang Haoran stopped him.
"Fine! A bet it is! What's a poor kid like you going to do, huh?" He agreed to the bet, cursing the manager for almost destroying his effort, and with a controlled and calm expression, he titled his head, "Tell me, how do you want to bet?"
Hearing this, Ye Feng's heart leaped with joy. If Fang Haoran had just ignored him, he wouldn't have had a chance, but fortunately, Fang Haoran was still the same—easily provoked.
"We each pick three raw stones and see who picks the one with the highest value." He began, making a three with his fingers before he added with an amiable smile, "The winner gets all the stones, and the loser has to pay for all the expenses. What do you say?"
But Fang Haoran, who heard that, just sneered. "That's it? I'm dealing with millions on the daily, and you think I'll stoop to your level with something so low stakes?"
Saying that Fang Haoran casually tossed a check onto the table.
"If we're betting, let's make it a real challenge." Haoran declared with a confident look. The atmosphere seemed to be turning in his favor now. But he knew better than anyone else that things hadn't even started for real.
It was a check with 100 million written over it, and the crowd looking at that was stunned for a while before murmurs of disbelief broke out.
"What? One hundred million?! Is he serious?"
"Do you know who that is? He's our city's richest man!"
"Wait, that guy? The only leader of Fang Group, the one who got lucky with a legendary birth?"
"Wow, one hundred million like it's pocket change. Doesn't even bat an eye. This is like a small knife slicing through butter—unbelievable!"
Seeing Fang Haoran casually pull out a check for one hundred million made Ye Feng a little envious, but he couldn't help but snort coldly. "How do I know this isn't a worthless piece of paper? You just say it's one hundred million, and I'm supposed to believe you?"
Fang Haoran, listening to his words, was left speechless for a second before laughing mockingly.
"Fang Group's name alone is worth more than a hundred million." He scoffed at Ye Feng, "A hundred million may be out of your league, but to me, it's just pocket change. I'm not some swindler!"
Fang Haoran looked at Ye Feng with disdain. "Don't worry. I know you can't come up with that kind of money, so how about this—if you lose..."
He paused, a dark light flashing past his blue eyes which was seen by no one as he added, "I'll just take your eyes. How does that sound?"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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