Zhang Qian said, "He’s kind of cute, I guess, but it’s a shame he’s broke!!"

Qian Sisi adopted a worldly-wise tone. "Then it’s a lost cause. Looks don’t put food on the table these days. Just look at Sister Liu for a cautionary tale. That pretty boy she was with put her through the wringer, taking every last cent she had and spending it all. She even came to me to borrow money a few days ago. And to think, she used to be my idol."

"Ah Xue, aren’t there a lot of rich, handsome guys at Shuijing High School? You should introduce us to some!"

Zhang Qian called out to a stunningly beautiful girl in a white dress. She was tall and slender, with skin as flawless as jade. Though her bust was slightly smaller than Qian Sisi’s, it was more perfectly shaped. She had shoulder-length hair and an ethereal air about her, her face a picture of absolute beauty.

A flicker of jealousy crossed Qian Sisi’s eyes. "Ah Xue is busy preparing her album and touring all over the country. Where would she find the time to meet rich, handsome guys!"

The stunning girl with the shoulder-length hair was none other than Chen Xue, a young pop diva in the Qianyuan Republic’s entertainment industry. At only seventeen years old, she was already famous throughout the nation, hailed as the Qianyuan Republic’s "once-in-a-millennium beauty," a future queen of music, and a national idol.

Chen Xue glanced at the two best friends she’d grown up with and smiled slightly. "Alright, you two. Didn’t you want to experience a top-level auction? It’s almost time. Let’s go!"

Zhang Qian’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Great! Let’s go!"

Yinglin Mansion was a landmark skyscraper built by the Yinglin Group in Lei Jiang City, soaring 77 stories high. The seventy-third floor was currently filled with political and business elites from all over Lei Jiang City, gathered for a top-level auction that was about to begin.

The moment the trio of Chen Xue, Zhang Qian, and Qian Sisi entered the hall, they drew the gazes of many.

Several prominent young men of Lei Jiang City approached to strike up a conversation with the three. While their main target was clearly Chen Xue, Zhang Qian and Qian Sisi were attractive in their own right, making conversation with them a pleasant diversion as well.

Zhang Qian turned her head, and her expression suddenly shifted. She blurted out, "Hey, what’s he doing here? How did he even get in?"

Qian Sisi followed Zhang Qian’s line of sight and immediately spotted Shu Feng walking in, dressed in casual attire. She chuckled. "Him? Is that your blind date from earlier today?"

As Chen Xue watched Shu Feng enter the hall, her beautiful eyes lit up.

A handsome young man with an impressive bearing, Zhong Lin, glanced at Shu Feng and asked with a light laugh, "Zhang Qian, is that man a friend of yours?"

Zhang Qian hurriedly replied, "No! I’ve only met him once."

Qian Sisi glanced at Shu Feng’s clothes, a look of pity flashing in her eyes. "That guy is definitely handsome and has a certain charisma; he’s just my type. It’s a shame he’s all show and no substance."

"Chairman Chen!!"

"Chairman Chen!!"

"..."

A chorus of respectful greetings rose from the crowd as Chen Daojue strode forward, flanked by the top executives of the Yinglin Group. Walking ahead of him was an old man—the patriarch of the Chen Family, Chen Tie.

Zhang Qian said in a delicate voice, "So that’s the chairman of the Yinglin Group, Chen Daojue! Zhong Lin, who’s that old gentleman walking in front of him?"

Zhong Lin replied, "I don’t know either. But he must be a major figure within the Yinglin Group; otherwise, he wouldn’t be walking ahead of Chairman Chen."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Chen Tie walked directly up to Shu Feng and said slowly, "I am Chen Tie, patriarch of the Chen Family. Lord Shu Feng, please come with me."

Shu Feng nodded slightly and followed Chen Tie toward a private suite.

To show his respect, Chen Tie intentionally fell back half a step to walk beside Shu Feng.

’Who on earth is that young man? To have the head of the Chen Family personally welcome him?’

’That young man... even Chairman Chen isn’t qualified to walk beside him. Just who is he?’

"..."

Witnessing this, a look of pure shock flashed through the eyes of every political and business dignitary from Lei Jiang City in the hall.

The Yinglin Group was a titan in Lei Jiang City, and the Chen Family was a powerful Noble Family, protected by an old master of the Spirit Sect Realm. Their influence was vast and deeply entrenched. Even the mayor of Lei Jiang City had to tread carefully around them.

For a family of such stature to bow their heads to Shu Feng was simply unbelievable.

A look of shock also flashed through Zhong Lin’s eyes. He asked curiously, "Zhang Qian, who on earth is that young man? How could he warrant a personal welcome from Chairman Chen?"

Zhang Qian’s face was a mask of disbelief. "His family background is completely ordinary. And... he’s a student at Shuijing High School!"

Chen Xue stated calmly, "To be precise, he’s the top-ranked freshman at Shuijing High School. And the founder and chairman of Phantom God Winery."

"The chairman of Phantom God Winery! That kid is incredible! Phantom God Winery is the top winery in all of Lei Jiang City. The rumors say its annual profits are over 20 billion yuan. And their Seven-Colored Honey Wine... you can’t buy it for any price."

"Distributors crowd the gates of Phantom God Winery every single day, waving cash, just trying to get some product, but they all leave empty-handed. I heard their orders are already backed up for the next two years."

A look of relief flashed in Zhong Lin’s eyes as he spoke slowly. "I was actually thinking of showing off a little in front of Chen Xue, maybe give Shu Feng a hard time. It’s a good thing I didn’t. Otherwise, it would have ended very, very badly for me."

A flash of regret crossed Zhang Qian’s eyes. ’The chairman of Phantom God Winery... an annual profit of 20 billion!!’

「Inside a luxurious suite on the seventy-third floor.」

Chen Tie bowed low to Shu Feng and said respectfully, "Lord Shu Feng, I am Chen Tie, patriarch of the Chen Family. I am aware of the wager between you and Chen Daojue. As for that battle, I concede defeat. The Chen Family is willing to become a vassal of the Yuanhai Shu Family. We look to you for your guidance in the future."

Over the past few days, the Chen Family had expended countless resources and called in numerous favors to investigate Shu Feng, and the more they learned, the more horrified they became. The speed of Shu Feng’s evolution was simply unheard-of. As long as he wasn’t killed prematurely, he was almost certain to become a Spirit Saint in the future. Becoming a vassal to such a future Clan was no disgrace for the Chen Family.

Shu Feng said nonchalantly, "I will send people to take over the Chen Family’s intelligence network and to supervise your finances."

Chen Tie said, "Yes!"

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way."

’Since Chen Tie was so perceptive and had proactively surrendered, Shu Feng had lost his pretext to make a move. He had actually been looking forward to a good fight.’

Chen Tie said respectfully, "My Lord, please stay. The Chen Family is about to host an auction. There will be several beautiful pieces of jewelry, as well as some Extraordinary items from the Outland ruins in the North Mist Ocean. If anything catches your eye, please feel free to bid on it. The Chen Family will cover all expenses."