Chapter 110: The Snipe and the Clam Grapple

The price jumped up a big chunk, and the hall grew a bit quieter.

Some of Kun's men at the door also moved.

One of them, expressionless, raised a placard.

"Two million five hundred thousand."

His voice sounded flat, like chanting sutras.

"Thirty million."

The thin old man raised the bid again, his eyelids drooping, as if this amount meant nothing.

"Thirty-five million."

Kun's people held on tightly.

The price bounced back and forth among several groups, and in the blink of an eye it had passed fifty million.

In between, two groups of unknown origin also jumped in for a few rounds, but the main contest was still between that old man and Kun's people.

Zhang Jun didn't move at all.

He was watching.

Old Man Mo had previously, through Su Muqing's side, prepared a large sum of money for him, enough to throw his weight around.

He always felt that Kun's people getting involved was a bit strange.

When the price reached eighty million, only that old man, Kun's people, and the mute-voiced bidder who had opened the bidding remained.

"Eighty-five million."

The old man announced the new price.

Everyone looked toward the few black-clad men at the door.

Unexpectedly, the leader lightly shook his head and lowered his placard.

They actually didn't follow!

Their withdrawal was clean and decisive, without a hint of hesitation, as if their earlier fierce bidding had all been an act.

Zhang Jun's heart gave a thump.

Kun's people went to all that trouble to drive the price up, only to abandon it at the crucial moment?

That's unscientific.

Unless…… they never intended to buy this thing at all, and were just stirring the pot on purpose?

Or maybe they have another way?

"Ninety million."

The mute-voiced bidder spoke again, sounding somewhat determined to win.

"One hundred million."

The gaunt old man didn't even lift his eyelids, directly calling out a round number.

A chorus of gasps rose in the hall.

Spending a hundred million on a piece of useless scrap copper—this move already exceeds most people's imagination.

The mute-voiced bidder fell silent.

The Li Family Head scanned the hall: "One hundred million, any higher? One hundred million going once……"

"One hundred million one hundred thousand."

Zhang Jun finally raised his placard.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears.

Swish!

Everyone's attention once again focused on him.

The young man beside Mo Tianhe? The Zhang doctor from Zhengyang Technology?

He also wants to grab this thing?

The gaunt old man also, for the first time, gave Zhang Jun a proper look; a hint of something gloomy flickered in his cloudy eyes.

"One hundred ten million."

"One hundred twenty million."

Zhang Jun followed without hesitation.

The price began to climb again.

Zhang Jun and that old man went back and forth, each bid increase causing a small commotion in the hall.

Mo Tianhe's face showed no change, but his fingers lightly tapped his cane.

When the price reached one hundred fifty million, the old man's movements slowed, as if he too was weighing things.

He stared fixedly at Zhang Jun, as if trying to gauge just how deep this kid's resources went.

"One hundred fifty million one hundred thousand."

Zhang Jun added another round.

The old man stayed silent for nearly half a minute, then, with a grim face, shakily raised his placard.

"One hundred sixty million."

After stating the price, he suddenly coughed violently, his face growing even grayer.

Zhang Jun looked at Mo Tianhe.

Old Mo imperceptibly shook his head.

This price, it's over.

Besides, their purpose wasn't here to begin with.

「One hundred sixty million once, one hundred sixty million twice……」

The Li Family Head's voice carried a little excitement.

「Deal! 」

The hammer fell, and the copper piece decided the owner.

The skinny old man couldn't hide his smug, greedy excitement; he carefully put away the box holding the copper piece, and, under everyone's gaze, was the first to stand up and walk away.

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue exchanged a glance.

The bait sank.

The fish also took the hook.

The auction was just an appetizer; the real show is now beginning.

The auction ended, and the crowd had mostly dispersed.

The skinny old man didn't linger, taking his two lackeys and walking quickly toward the outskirts of the mountain villa.

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue followed at a moderate distance.

The people arranged by the Mo Family were already scattered outside the mountain villa, silently spreading a net and watching the old man's movements.

The sky grew darker, and the wind by the lake carried a slight chill.

The old man and his companions got into a dull black carriage that looked quite ordinary; the carriage quickly left the bounds of Listening Waves Mountain Villa and headed out of the city.

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue also boarded a prepared vehicle and silently followed.

The vehicle drove for about twenty minutes, turning onto a more remote side road where streetlights were far apart, leaving it dark and unlit.

The road ran along the lakeside; the surroundings were quiet, with only the rustle of tires on the pavement.

Just as the vehicle turned a corner, a pitch‑black stretch of forest lay ahead.

Just then——

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Several sharp sounds tore through the night sky!

In the darkness, something unknown shot toward them!

The piercing, ear‑splitting whistle ripped open the lakeside's dead silence.

It wasn't a gun.

It was a trigger mechanism, made of metal, emitting a sickly green poisonous gleam, shooting from the dark woods on both sides of the road and pinning the skinny old man's black carriage!

Crash——! The car windows shattered everywhere.

Screech——! The tires screamed on the gravel road, and the vehicle jerked to a halt.

The car doors were nearly kicked off at once.

The skinny old man rolled out of the car, his movement utterly at odds with his frail appearance—unnervingly fast.

His two lackeys were also quick on the draw, pulling out their weapons and guarding him while staring fixedly at the pitch‑black woods.

"Heh..." the old man squeezed out a sound from his throat, like a night‑owl calling souls; his stooped spine slowly straightened, and his cloudy eyes gleamed eerily in the darkness.

"I've been waiting for you a long time."

No sooner had his words fallen than—

Swish swish swish! Seven or eight black shadows lunged out of the woods like ghosts.

All wore identical black combat uniforms, moved swiftly and silently, coordinating as if they were one person.

In their hands, short weapons glowed with an eerie blue light—clearly poisoned—cutting off every escape route for the old man.

Not a word of nonsense.

Attack!

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue's vehicle stopped far away in the shadow behind the bend, its engine off.

A slit opened in the car window; cold wind poured in, mingling with the distant clatter of fighting and someone's stifled grunt.

"They're after that copper piece." Zhang Jun lowered his voice to a whisper, extending all his senses.

Lin Xue remained silent, but her fingers unconsciously twitched, a faint chill seeping from between them.

Her focus was entirely on that skinny old man.

The old man's two lackeys had decent skill; they could usually bluff people, but against these black‑clad fighters they couldn't last ten rounds.

A flash of blade, and blood spurted.

Thud, thud.

The two collapsed almost simultaneously, their bodies twitching; skin on face and hands quickly turned dark‑blue, the poison overwhelmingly potent.

Only the old man remained.

The black‑clad attackers didn't pause; like wolves seeing meat, they closed in again.

"Seek death!" the old man bellowed; his frail frame suddenly bulged, muscles knotting beneath his gray coat, his skin crawling with black, twisting patterns that looked nauseating.

A cold, sticky energy reeking of rot burst from his body!

That force…… Zhang Jun's heart leapt!

Just like that monster from the research institute!