Twenty-eight, prodigal son

  The lights in the hall dimmed slightly.

  The guests who were chatting and laughing originally consciously gathered towards the center of the hall, facing a temporarily set up stage.

  The Governor of California gave a speech first, followed by Yang Jie giving a speech on stage.

  Then, the auction began formally. The whole process was arranged very tightly.

  It turned out to be a charity auction. The main event was the auction of a batch of precious cultural relics that had been lost from China many years ago. Through the efforts of Consul Yang, the main bidders for this auction were concentrated in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. Western and American counterparts in the cultural relic industry just came to make an appearance and did not participate in the bidding.

  The implication is obvious. The Chinese government wants to use private individuals to bring back the cultural relics that have been lost overseas for many years.

  At this time, one by one auction treasures appeared in turn. Looking at these valuable and rare treasures, the guests below showed excitement, with a look of eagerness to try. Whether they could get these treasures through bidding was not important; what mattered most was to show off.

  Soon, the first item was pushed onto the auction stage: a white jade incense burner from China.

  The origin of White Jade is the high-quality Hetian Jade from Xinjiang, China. The jade is warm and smooth to the touch, without any impurities, and with fine craftsmanship, carved into a masterpiece that seems to defy the sky, it is indeed a rare treasure.

  Alright, now that you've all seen this rare treasure, before the auction officially begins, at the request of the organizers, I'd like to announce that all proceeds from this auction will be donated to charity. As soon as the auctioneer's words fell, he won a round of thunderous applause.

  Now, giving back to society has become fashionable among American rich men. Take Bill Gates as an example, according to incomplete statistics, he has donated tens of billions of dollars to charitable organizations.

  It looks like another billion dollars is about to be donated today.

  As the thunderous applause gradually subsided, the auctioneer struck the wooden hammer, and the hall returned to silence. The auctioneer loudly declared: Now, the auction officially begins. First item, a Chinese Qing dynasty palace imperial white jade incense burner, starting price $1 million US dollars, each bid increment is $100,000 US dollars. Please place your bids, ladies and gentlemen.

  Good, that gentleman over there bid $1.5 million, an unbelievable price, the first call broke through $500,000, is there a higher bid?

  Fang Jixin took a look and saw that it was a middle-aged Chinese man. He had seen him on TV before, seemingly a Hong Kong tycoon.

  A numbness on his waist, and a man in blue was standing beside him, gesturing to Fang Jixin to raise the sign. Without thinking much, Fang Jixin did as he was told.

  1.6 million, okay, that gentleman bid 1.6 million, is there a higher price? The auctioneer pointed at Fang Jixin and shouted.

  After Fang Ji bid the final price, the middle-aged rich man gave him a white eye and raised the auction paddle again.

  "Alright, 2 million! That gentleman is truly generous. Are there any higher bids? The auctioneer's tone was very dramatic."

  Waist eye again numbness, Fang Ji Xin once again raised the sign.

  Going once... The gentleman has bid 2.1 million again. Is there a higher bid than 2.1 million?

  At this time, the auctioneer's voice sounded again: Oh, got it, haha, our super baby, Miss Hilton bid, she bid 23 million. The auctioneer became excited, and the first piece of auction treasure presented a white heat.

  With this party treasure hunter bidding, this collectible will definitely have someone follow suit.

  As expected, with the addition of this 'daring' woman from a wealthy family, some famous men began to join in the excitement, calling out prices and holding up their bidding paddles. Since these gentlemen wouldn't want to miss out on an opportunity to gain fame by joining in the commotion, they frequently raised their paddles, and soon the price of the white jade incense burner skyrocketed to $5 million.

  When the price broke through 6 million, Fang Jixin stopped bidding. Without someone's instruction, he wouldn't make a move lightly.

  In the end, the white jade incense burner was sold for $6.6 million to that Hong Kong tycoon. Fang Jixin didn't know that the Hong Kong tycoon had cold sweats on his back.

  He vaguely felt that today's auction would be disrupted by someone.

  What's with that young man, go back and investigate thoroughly.

  Something that is rotten inside but appears good on the outside. Hong Kong's wealthy are secretly cursing Fang Ji Xin.

  When the second ancient landscape painting appeared on the auction stage, Fang Jixin felt that his arm was poked again.

  He turned his head and saw the man in blue looking at him.

  Well, the gentleman added 1 million, 3.5 million, is there anyone else who wants to increase the price?

  The auctioneer's eyes lit up, the landscape painting started at 30 million, and 34 million had already been called twice. Fang Jixin made a bid, and the price of this painting still needs to be raised.

  Is anyone going to add more? 35 million for the first time...

  The auctioneer's voice rose again: 3.5 million for the second time... Is there anyone else who wants to add?

  The auctioneer picked up the small wooden hammer: 35 million... Okay, that gentleman bid to 36 million, ladies and gentlemen, that gentleman bid to 36 million.

  Fang Jixin looked at the other person and felt familiar. It wasn't until he raised his sign that he remembered, the other person was the boss of Sichuan Wanxiang Group, surnamed Liu.

  Fang Jixin retrieved his number plate and didn't want to hold it up again. He felt something was off, but he couldn't figure out what the problem was for a while.

  The man in blue poked him again. Fang Jixin had no choice but to reluctantly raise the sign again.

  3.7 million, the gentleman bids again, 3.7 million. The auctioneer's tone was full of excitement.

  Like a thorn on his back, Fang Ji suddenly felt that the Asians present, to be exact, the Chinese people were all staring at him with anger.

  Did I do something wrong? The doubt grew stronger.

  4 million. A voice came from upstairs. It seemed to be Yang Jie's voice. No one held up a sign again. The consul's face, anyone would give it.

  The man in blue didn't urge Fang Jixin either.

  Fang Jixin raised his head and looked up at the building, only to see a warning in Yang Jie's eyes.

  Perhaps it was the initial intense bidding that set the tone, but in the end all lots were sold at prices nearly twice their reserve. The total turnover for the entire auction reached $370 million, setting a record for Asian art auctions.

  When the auction ended, Yang Jie consciously walked to Fang Ji's front, patted his shoulder and said meaningfully: Young man, walk your own way...

  What's wrong with me? Did I do something wrong?!

  Two days later, Fang Jixin had an epiphany after seeing a message on a local Chinese newspaper.

  "The highly anticipated Asian (Chinese) artifact auction recently concluded at the Osan Gardens in California. The purchasing consortium, composed of representatives from Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China, failed to achieve its expected goal due to technical errors. Prior estimates suggested that the joint effort could have resulted in the acquisition of over two-thirds of the lost artifacts, but despite paying an additional $200 million, they only managed to recover one-third of the treasures. Representatives from the three regions expressed their intention to collaborate again, strengthen communication and coordination, and make a strong push to bring back the lost national treasures as soon as possible."

  What technical reason is it if not just a mess you've stirred up yourself?

  I am a sinner. How did I become a sinner without realizing it? Although I was deceived by others and fell into their trap, being used as a tool for their sinister plot, it was an unintentional mistake. But can I forgive myself? It's because of me that the country lost two hundred million, two hundred million!

  Fang Jixin felt his blood churning and wanted to vomit. He opened his mouth and a stream of blood splattered onto the wall...

  Fang Jixin stayed at home and rested for two days without eating or drinking.

  He didn't use Dragon Absorption Technique to heal himself.

  Some wounds hurt the body but not the heart; some wounds hurt both the body and the heart. Fang Jixin is suffering from both at this moment.

  The beautiful woman bid farewell to Fang Jixin that night and gave him a bank card. After that, she disappeared without a trace. With a sense of injustice, he must demand an explanation from her, no matter who she is, even if she's the king of heaven, he'll pull out a few of her hairs! Having made up his mind, Fang Jixin struggled to sit up.

  He hastily prepared some food, ready to take action at night. Ao Xin Villa, he wanted to sneak into Ao Xin Villa. This was his second time taking action after the operation in Pakistan a year ago, and it could be considered as resuming his old career.

  The seal on Long Xikong's technique was also lifted by himself. Perhaps it was a period of closure, and the flow of breath was not smooth. Fang Jixin adjusted his breathing during this time waiting for nightfall, and the refreshing feeling in his limbs made him feel very comfortable. It had been more than a year since he last did this job. He didn't know if the experience he had accumulated in the past would still be useful.

  At nightfall, Fang Jixin "borrowed" a car on the main street and drove to the outskirts of Aoxin Villa in half an hour. He circled around the villa, observed the terrain, and parked the car in a secluded spot. Before getting out of the car, he didn't forget to wipe away fingerprints and other suspicious marks.

  The manor's wall is an open fence, seemingly loose but actually a compact protective system. At the bottom of the flower bed, in the gaps between tree branches and where the turf rises, Fang Jiexin discovered several infrared cameras set up crisscross, with no blind spots due to the lack of any obstructions!

  During the day, there's no way to escape the net that has been cast. At night, maybe there's a chance. But how much of a chance, Fang Jixin didn't dare to think.

  In a muddy ditch outside the manor, Fang Jixin buried himself in it, rolled around several times, and only got up after covering his body with mud. He pulled out a handful of grass and sat on it, slowly inserting it into his body, as if planting grass. Mud can reduce human infrared characteristics, and grass skin can make oneself blend in with the surrounding environment. Using half his hands and half his Dragon Absorption Technique, he quickly covered himself from head to toe, including his hair, with a layer of grass skin.

  In a depression, through a gap in the railing similar to a dog hole, Fang Jixin crouched down and crawled in. Along the fence, he moved slowly to the flower path on both sides of the entrance road.

  The flower tree is only half a meter high, but for Fang Ji Xin, it's already enough.

  Fang Jixin let out a long sigh. He was so tired, circling back to this place, maintaining a slow speed like a turtle, and constantly using his internal energy to absorb the mud, water, and grass on his body to reduce his infrared signature, which had taken him nearly two hours.

  The reason for choosing this path is that the birch trees on both sides of the road can provide cover, unlike other places where there is no shelter. Crawling from the grassland at the previous speed, it would not reach the main building group even if dawn breaks. This is the only shortcut to maintain a fast and undetected passage.

  Moreover, judging from the normal person's psychological deduction, this is a must-pass route for the guards' patrol. Every hour, two people come out to take a stroll around the circle, making it easy to be seen, which seems more dangerous. In fact, it's not.

  The surface temperature of the road, due to exposure to sunlight during the day, is higher than in other places, with infrared properties closer to those of the human body and more complex. Hiding here can save some power consumption for controlling body temperature.

  The guards patrolling the road would have a hard time distinguishing between his camouflage and the surrounding environment as long as he remained still, and this was something he was confident about.

  The more dangerous the place is, the safer it is. That's the principle.