Within twenty-four hours of taking over the Golden Pavilion, Leon officially established the headquarters of The Sovereign Group. Instead of choosing a standard corporate building, he leased the top three floors of the Obsidian Tower—the most exclusive and expensive skyscraper in the city’s financial district.Leon stood in his new office, looking out at the skyline. The room was minimalist but extremely luxurious, furnished with dark walnut wood, black leather, and floor-to-ceiling glass. He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal-grey double-breasted suit, his hair neatly styled, looking every bit like a young billionaire monarch who ruled from the shadows.Buzz.His phone vibrated on the desk. Leon glanced down to see a private bank notification.[Sovereign Group Corporate Account: $20,000,000.00 (Initial Liquidity Line from Murong Group Partnership)]With his gold mine excavation running at full speed and the Murong family backing him, Leon’s financial power was skyrocketing. But he knew that raw cash wasn’t enough to buy absolute immunity in this city. He needed to control the underground networks that controlled the cash.A soft knock came at the door. Cynthia Murong walked inside, looking exceptionally sharp in a deep red blazer and black trousers. Her expression was slightly serious today."Leon, you’ve officially drawn the attention of the High Table," Cynthia said, tossing a heavy, gold-embossed black invitation card onto his desk. "The Grand Dragon Club is hosting their private quarterly auction tonight. Only the top ten richest families and the most powerful underground bosses in the region are invited."Leon picked up the heavy gold card, flipping it casually between his fingers. "And let me guess, the Young family will be there?""Yes," Cynthia nodded, leaning against the desk. "Young Master Young’s father, Lord Thomas Young, is desperate. His real estate empire is dead, but he still holds the family’s secret shipping monopoly. He is going to the auction tonight to sell their oldest ancestral treasure—a legendary ancient jade seal—to raise emergency funds to save his family from absolute ruin. If he sells it, he might get enough cash to fight back."Leon’s lips curled into a cold, dangerous smirk. "Then it looks like I’ll have to buy that seal myself. Let’s go watch a tiger lose its last tooth."At 8:00 PM, a fleet of armored luxury vehicles arrived at the iron gates of the Grand Dragon Estate, a hidden, heavily guarded mansion on the outskirts of the city. The plaza was packed with elite security teams, private bodyguards, and rows of custom-made supercars.Leon stepped out of his car, his presence instantly commanding attention. Cynthia walked gracefully beside him. As they entered the grand, dimly lit auction hall, the atmosphere was thick with power, cigars, and the quiet murmurs of the city’s true rulers.Leon walked straight toward the VIP front row, completely ignoring the whispering crowds.Sitting just three seats away was Lord Thomas Young, the patriarch of the Young family. He looked ten years older than his actual age, his eyes bloodshot, but his face still carried the stubborn, arrogant pride of an old billionaire. Next to him was his son, Young Master Young, whose face twisted into pure, trembling hatred the moment he saw Leon."Father! That’s him! That’s the orphan who stole our land and ruined the skyscraper!" Young Master Young whispered loudly, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.Lord Thomas Young raised his hand, silencing his son. He turned his cold, calculating gaze toward Leon, his voice dripping with forced calm. "Young man, you played a clever trick with that dirt plot. But do not think a stroke of luck makes you a god in this city. Tonight, the grown-ups are doing real business. Don’t get crushed."Leon didn’t even turn his head to look at him. He casually sat back in his plush leather seat, crossing his legs elegantly. "Lord Thomas, the only thing getting crushed tonight is your family’s legacy. Enjoy your seat while you can still afford it."Before the old man could respond, the heavy velvet curtains of the stage drew back. A beautiful auctioneer in a traditional silk dress stepped up to the crystal podium, her voice echoing through the microphone."Welcome, lords and elites, to the final lot of the evening," she announced, waving her hand as two security guards brought out a heavy, bulletproof glass case. Inside sat an ancient, intricately carved green jade seal shaped like a roaring dragon. "The Imperial Dragon Seal of the Southern Dynasty. A legendary relic of absolute power and historical value. The starting bid is ten million dollars."The hall went silent. Ten million was a massive sum, even for the people in this room.Lord Thomas Young stood up slightly, raising his paddle with absolute determination. "Twelve million!" He needed to buy his own item back through a secret proxy or push the price so high that a foreign buyer would pay a premium, giving his company an immediate cash injection."Fifteen million," a wealthy shipping tycoon from the back bid."Eighteen million!" Thomas Young countered immediately, sweat dripping down his temple.The bidding slowed down as the price climbed. Thomas Young looked around the room, a smug, desperate sense of victory filling his chest. At this rate, the seal would hit twenty-five million, enough to clear his immediate bank debts.Leon quietly activated the Eye of Truth, locking his gaze onto the glowing jade seal inside the glass case. Instantly, a bright translucent screen hovered in his vision:[Object: Imperial Dragon Seal of the Southern Dynasty][Real Value: $0 (Complete Fake)][Hidden Flaw: The item is a flawless chemical composite replica created in a black-market laboratory three months ago. The real ancestral seal was secretly sold by Lord Thomas Young’s brother years ago to cover gambling debts. The Young family is committing massive international fraud tonight to scam the High Table.]A brilliant, dark amusement flashed deep within Leon’s eyes. He closed the system screen and looked over at Thomas Young, who was practically grinning with desperation.Leon slowly raised his hand, his voice cutting through the quiet hall like a sharp blade."Thirty million dollars," Leon stated flatly.A collective gasp echoed through the auction hall. A thirty-million-dollar bid was absolute madness. Young Master Young smirked, whispering to his father, "The idiot fell for it! He’s trying to outbid us out of pride! Let him pay thirty million for it!"Thomas Young’s heart pounded with pure ecstasy. He was about to escape the gutter. He raised his paddle one last time to secure the absolute maximum profit. "Thirty-five million!"The auctioneer’s voice trembled with excitement. "Thirty-five million dollars from Lord Thomas Young! Going once... going twice..." She looked at Leon. "Sir, would you like to counter?"Leon slowly stood up from his seat, adjusting the button of his suit jacket. He didn’t look at the stage; instead, he turned around to face the entire audience of underground bosses and billionaires."I don’t counter fraud," Leon said, his voice deadly calm and ringing with an undeniable authority. He pointed a single finger toward the crystal stage. "Miss Auctioneer, before you strike that gavel, I suggest your security team runs a thermal and chemical structural scan on the base of that seal. The Young family is trying to scam the Grand Dragon Club with a cheap, three-month-old chemical replica."The entire hall erupted into absolute chaos.Several powerful underground bosses stood up, their faces turning incredibly dangerous. Scamming the High Table auction meant instant death in the city’s underworld."What?! You’re lying! This is a family heirloom!" Lord Thomas Young screamed, his face turning completely white as his knees shook. "Security! Throw this liar out!"But Cynthia Murong immediately raised her phone, signaling the club’s independent appraisal committee, who had already been alerted by her team. Three master appraisers rushed onto the stage with high-tech scanning equipment. They forced open the case and applied the chemical sensors to the jade.Within sixty seconds, the main digital screen above the stage flashed a bright, flashing red warning:[Scan Result: 98% Synthetic Polymer Composite. Age: 90 Days. Status: Counterfeit.]The silence that followed was suffocating.The head of the Grand Dragon Club, a notoriously ruthless old mafia boss sitting in the center box, slowly stood up, his eyes locking onto the trembling Thomas Young with a deathly cold expression. "Thomas... you dared to bring trash to my table?""No! Lord Dragon, please! I didn’t know!" Thomas Young cried out, collapsing onto the floor as his son froze in pure, paralyzed terror. The heavy security teams of the club immediately surrounded the pair, dragging them out of the back doors into the dark night to face the brutal laws of the underworld. Their fate was sealed.Leon stood at the center of the room, his hands casually resting in his pockets, his aura radiating the supreme power of a true king. The entire High Table of billionaires looked at the young man with a profound, terrifying respect. With a single glance, he had completely dismantled a century-old empire without spending a single cent.He turned to Cynthia, a dark, victorious smile on his face. "The old gods have fallen, Cynthia. Let’s go build the new world."
Chapter 6: The High Table of Wealth
The God-Level Appraiser: I Can See The Price of Everything!