"Oh, really?" Wilbur asked. Faron nodded. "Yup." Wilbur fell silent for a while before saying. "It's illegal. Aren't you going to do anything about it?" "What can I do, man?" Faron shrugged. "It's all organized under a legal front. We wouldn't be able to get anything even if we launched an investigation. Besides, anyone who can hold an auction like this would probably be someone with significant influence in the system. Surely you know that better than me." Wilbur chuckled. Yes, not everything was as easy to control as it seemed. "Well, I don't mind taking a trip if it really is as good as you make it out to be," Wilbur said. Faron smiled. "I'll give you Ted Dominic's contact. Call him in two nights and he'll take you there." "I need to call someone for this?" Wilbur asked. "Of course. An illegal auction like this isn't open to just anyone. Ted's a pretty well-known broker around these parts, specializing in getting people access to events like this. He's got a pretty i
Of course, money was not a problem for Wilbur. All he cared about was comfort. He sat down in the living room of his suite and dialed Ted's number. The call connected and a voice could be heard answering the call, "Hello?" "Mister Dominic?" "Speaking. Who is this?" "Hi, I'm Wilbur Penn. I heard there was an auction happening tomorrow night. Could you help me with that?" "How did you get my number?" "Let's not get into that. We'll do this by the rules." "As long as you know what the rules are. One hundred thousand dollars." "No problem, when can we meet?" "Where are you?" "The Starry Hotel." "Eight o'clock, by the pond in the hotel garden." "Got it." The call ended, and Wilbur chuckled. What a guy, demanding a hundred thousand dollars upfront. That made Wilbur hopeful. He glanced at his watch. It was only a little over five, so Wilbur rested a little before heading downstairs to eat. He arrived at the hotel garden at a little past seven. The garden was no
Wilbur stood in front of Sammy, blocking those men from harming her. Barry instantly sneered upon seeing that. He asked, "Who the f*ck are you? How dare you meddle in my business?" "Haven't you heard of the saying 'If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor'?" Wilbur asked nonchalantly. He did not want to meddle, but Barry had gone too far. Ignorance might be excusable if he did not know, but he would be wrong to stand by and watch it happen in front of him. Moreover, Sammy did a promotional concert for Cape Consortium. If she were to be involved in a scandal, the promotional efforts would turn into a joke. Barry laughed when he heard what Wilbur said. He pointed at him and said, "Alright, you're the first person who has the gall to meddle in my business in Toneville. Beat him up." Barry was extremely arrogant. He wanted to beat Wilbur into a pulp even though they were in public. Wilbur frowned. Suddenly, Ted jogged over and s
The woman sighed and said, "Sammy, you're not the same as five years ago. He spent a lot of money to hire you, but you won't show him any respect. I'm having a hard time as your agent." "Miss Lawson, I don't feel so well today. Can we forget about it tonight?" Sammy asked with a frown. Miss Lawson sighed and walked toward Barry. She smiled apologetically and said, "Mister Lance, Sammy isn't feeling well. We should cancel the dinner party tonight. She has a concert performance tomorrow night. How about having her accompany you after she's rested?" Barry ignored her and looked at Wilbur, warning him, "I'll remember you. We'll meet again very soon." After that, he turned and left. Miss Lawson and her assistants hurriedly followed behind Barry and apologized. Noticing that their boss had left, Barry's subordinates quickly scrambled to their feet and fled the scene. They were the only ones who knew how hard Wilbur had hit them. Wilbur stood in front of Sammy and asked, "Are yo
Sammy left feeling frustrated. She went back to her penthouse suite and lay on the bed. She felt like she was in turmoil. She had been down on her luck for the past few years. Her records flopped, and her popularity kept plummeting. Fees for her appearance were getting lower and lower, to the point where she could barely make ends meet. The situation had left her anxious and depressed. 'Does it really have anything to do with the necklace though?' she wondered. She removed the necklace. It was a platinum necklace with a red ruby pendant. She remembered when she was at the peak of popularity. Her best friend, who was also a singer, spent a lot of money on the necklace during a trip to Ryland. She also hired a monk to bless the necklace for luck and prosperity. 'My best friend is so nice to me. How can my failing career possibly have anything to do with this necklace?' She thought about it, then put on the necklace again. It was a symbol of their friendship, so she could not
They walked to the hotel and took the elevator to the rooftop. The rooftop was a banquet hall. Men in black suits stood at the entrance of the elevator lobby. They filled the entire corridor and gave off a daunting presence. It was clearly closed off to the public. They were stopped by those men as soon as they stepped out of the elevator. Ted stepped forward and said, "He's with me, and he's the boss. I vouch for him." Ted seemed to be a regular there who was very familiar with the place. The leader of the bodyguards glanced at Wilbur, nodded, then allowed him to enter. Wilbur looked at the neverending line of men in black suits as he walked. He said, "You have quite the reputation here." "I've been messing around in Toneville since I was a kid. Everyone here shows me some respect." Wilbur nodded. People like Ted may not be of high status, but he was well-connected. When people needed something, they would seek help from someone like him. He was the kind of person who co
Wilbur chuckled upon hearing that and asked, "Who the hell are you? Do I need to know you?" His words instantly caused an uproar among the crowd. The Lance brothers were well known. Xavier Lance had been in the mafia since he was a kid, and he was famous for being ruthless. He had encountered an expert who taught him how to fight when he was a teenager, and he became exceptionally skilled in combat. He ruled over Toneville from then on, and no one dared to cross him. The older brother, Barry Lance, was clever and used his younger brother's reputation on the streets as a steppingstone to enter the business world. He went through it all, and he eventually built the Lance financial empire. The Lance brothers had been running Toneville ever since Saul Mendes announced his retirement and lived in seclusion. Any businessmen in Toneville had to bow down to the brothers, no matter how successful they were. They could not believe this young man standing in front of them disrespect
Xavier was enraged by Wilbur's reply and ordered his goons, "Kill him!" Hundreds of men in black suits surrounded Wilbur with their swords drawn. It looked like they were going to cut Wilbur into pieces. Sammy instantly turned pale, and her legs turned weak. The crowd did not dare to watch any further and turned to look away. Suddenly, someone yelled at the door, "Saul Mendes has arrived." Everyone was shocked to hear that. They all stood up to watch. Xavier also hurriedly stopped his subordinates and rushed toward the door. A slim, elderly man in a white outfit slowly walked in with a young man. Xavier bowed and smiled along. He asked, "Mister Mendes, why did you come without informing me? I would've picked you up." The elderly man known as Mister Mendes waved it off and said, "There's no need for that. I heard something incredible came up in this auction, so I came to have a look." "What are you interested in? I'll just send it to your house." Xavier walked toward t