"That's right, everyone! This is a truly rare Cat Girl! During her Martial Soul awakening, her body underwent a mutation, granting her feline characteristics. Look at her heterochromatic eyes—one blue, one green—and that long, elegant tail!"
The auctioneer pressed a rod against the girl's waist, causing her tail to twitch and reveal itself fully as she trembled in fear.
Greed flickered in the eyes of the nobles. Every man in the room seemed to envision her as a new "trophy" for their private collections.
The refined middle-aged man sitting next to Fu Ye was the first to lose his composure, decisively pressing the bidding button. With the leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan setting the pace, the other wealthy guests quickly joined the fray.
110,000. 120,000. 150,000.
The bidding only slowed down when it reached 180,000. The current high bidder was the scholarly man beside Fu Ye. To the world, he was the dignified Ning Fengzhi, but to Fu Ye, he was just an "old fox." In fact, Fu Ye felt he could smell the fox-like cunning on the man from a mile away.
"180,000! A bid from a guest in the white section! Do we have 190,000?"
Immediately, a new number flashed on the big screen.
"190,000! Another guest in the white section has raised the stakes!"
Fu Ye was wearing a full-face mask, and since they hadn't seen each other in a long time, Ning Fengzhi didn't recognize him. When the sect leader saw that it was the "young man" right next to him bidding, a flash of silent ridicule crossed his eyes. Trying to compete with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan in wealth? Amusing.
Ning Fengzhi pressed the button again.
"200,000! Our guest bids 200,000!"
Fu Ye didn't hesitate. He had scammed so much gold from Emperor Xue Ye that spending a bit extra on a maid didn't bother him in the slightest. However, he was tired of the small increments.
"300,000! A jump of 100,000! It seems our guest is truly captivated by this little cat girl!"
Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched. Even for his clan, money didn't grow on trees. Jumping by 100,000 at a time was aggressive, even by his standards.
"310,000! Another bid..."
Two and a half minutes later.
"Kid, are you doing this on purpose?! Three million?! Are you just here to cause trouble?!"
Ning Fengzhi finally snapped, his refined mask slipping as he cursed under his breath. He had promised the cat girl's mother he would buy her, under the condition that the girl would then "join" the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Of course, once she was in his sect, she would be his to do with as he pleased.
(Author's Note: Original source material by Tang Jia San Shao often has these 'shady' undertones. In the original novel, the cat girl was described as being covered by only three shells. I've modified the clothing slightly here to keep things manageable.)
Fu Ye didn't say a word. He simply reached out and hit the "+100,000" button again.
Silence is the loudest insult. Ning Fengzhi felt as if his face had been slapped, rubbed into the dirt, and stepped on. Before he could even process his anger, the numbers on the screen changed again.
"3.5 million! It's at 3.5 million Gold Spirit Coins!"
The auctioneer looked like he was about to have a heart attack. No one in the history of the auction house had ever spent this much on a single slave. For that price, one could buy thirty of the most beautiful, highly-trained female slaves in the capital!
Ning Fengzhi's face turned ashen. As a sect leader, he had never lost when it came to money. But... was a cat girl really worth this?
He was a businessman at heart. He valued profit above all else. While she was unique and he had made a promise, her intrinsic value couldn't hold a candle to 3.5 million gold coins. Only a fool would pay that much.
"Hmph. Fine, kid. You win. But I want to see if you actually have the funds to cover such a ridiculous price." Ning Fengzhi narrowed his eyes. If the boy couldn't pay, the girl would default back to him anyway.
"Tsk, Ning Fengzhi. It's been years and you've got children of your own now... I wonder, if I told Rongrong that her father was here frantically bidding millions for a cat girl, would she disown you on the spot?"
Finally, Fu Ye stopped playing. He lifted a corner of his red mask, revealing a glimpse of his strikingly handsome, almost demonic features.
"What the—! Why didn't you just say it was... never mind. Carry on."
Ning Fengzhi choked on his words, swallowing his anger instantly. The memory of being dominated by Fu Ye in the past flashed through his mind, and his survival instincts kicked in.
"Hehe, as expected of the old fox I know. You catch on fast."
Fu Ye felt quite satisfied seeing Ning Fengzhi's immediate shift into "submission" mode. It proved his past reputation still held significant weight.
"The cat girl is mine now. As for you trying to outbid me with three million... I think I'll still have a nice long chat with Rongrong about her father's 'hobbies'."
Fu Ye gave him a wicked grin. Knowing Ning Rongrong's "little witch" personality, Ning Fengzhi would be spending months trying to coax her back into a good mood.
"I..." Ning Fengzhi opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was trapped.
"The competition is about to start," Fu Ye added, standing up. "Rongrong said she has a surprise for you. Make sure you don't miss it."
With the "Evil Capitalist" Ning Fengzhi defeated, Fu Ye successfully secured the cat girl for 3.5 million gold.
Everyone in the room, from the auctioneer to the stunned nobles, was speechless. Even the girl in the cage was numb with shock. 3.5 million! Her father's gambling debts, even with the predatory interest, only amounted to two million. This man had paid more than enough to clear her family's shame twice over.
"Let us congratulate our guest for purchasing this unique Cat Girl for the record-breaking price of 3.5 million Gold Spirit Coins!"
Fu Ye didn't bother with anything else. He didn't need the other items; compared to his "Cheat System" shop, where every legendary item was stocked in quantities of 99,999+, the auction's treasures were like pebbles on the road.
He was simply too rich. He didn't need anything they had. From full sets of Dragon God Spirit Bones to divine artifacts, his system had it all. There was truly nothing money could buy that he didn't already possess in surplus.