Chapter 50: Red Alert

Facing their employer’s renewed fury, the two bodyguards knew that if they didn’t act now, losing their jobs would be the least of their worries—their lives might be forfeit as well. Without hesitation, the pair began to move toward Lu Ming.

Yan Feihua’s face was suddenly filled with panic. These two men were robust and sharp-eyed, clearly formidable. To serve as Feng Xifan’s bodyguards, they must have been meticulously selected experts. No matter how extraordinary Mr. Lu was, he could never be a match for these two.

“Mr. Feng, this has nothing to do with Mr. Lu. Please, let him go,” Yan Feihua pleaded with Feng Xifan for the first time, desperate to shield her benefactor from harm.

Feng Xifan laughed heartily at her words. “Now you’re scared? Where was all that bravado a moment ago?” His expression turned cold. “Go back to the room with me quietly, and I promise to only break his legs.”

His icy gaze fell on Yan Feihua, and she began to shudder. Returning to his room—the outcome was obvious. But if she didn’t comply, she couldn’t bear to imagine what would happen to Mr. Lu.

Weighing her options, Yan Feihua steeled herself. If Feng Xifan would spare Mr. Lu, she would submit, accept her fate, and leave this world quietly afterward. She had already died once—what else could she lose?

“Mr. Feng, I hope you’ll promise not to hurt this gentleman,” Yan Feihua said calmly, having resolved herself to the consequences.

Feng Xifan burst out laughing again; he relished the sensation of manipulating others, the thrill of watching his adversaries succumb to him.

“I told you, follow me to my room. If you please me well enough, maybe I’ll let him go,” Feng Xifan said, reclining in his chair and swaying lazily.

Hearing his ambiguous reply, Yan Feihua’s face twisted with sorrow and indignation. Unable to endure it, she shouted, “Shameless! Does having money allow you to do whatever you please? To trample on others’ dignity?”

Feng Xifan, amused by her helpless fury, tapped the table with his fingers. “Sorry, but money really does let you do whatever you want.”

Yan Feihua collapsed into her seat, covering her face as tears streamed down. “Mr. Feng, I beg you, let Mr. Lu go. I’ll agree to your terms.”

Watching Yan Feihua weeping into her hands, Feng Xifan laughed. “I thought you two were tougher than this. Take her to the room.”

Originally set on dealing with Lu Ming, the two bodyguards shifted their attention to Yan Feihua, preparing to escort her away.

At that moment, Lu Ming spoke up, “Young Master Feng, why do you keep targeting a woman? Are you some kind of pervert?”

Feng Xifan’s face darkened instantly. “Damn you! If I don’t kill you tonight, I won’t deserve my family name!”

Lu Ming replied sternly, “If you fail to kill me, will you take my surname instead? If my father knew I had a grandson like you, he’d beat me to death.”

“Fine, break his legs first, then take him to the room. I’ll torture him slowly to death,” Feng Xifan snarled, now utterly disregarding all restraint. Not even John Rockefeller’s steward could halt his determination to destroy Lu Ming.

The bodyguards had no choice—they knew this young man had thoroughly enraged Feng Xifan. They approached Lu Ming, already envisioning the brutal fate awaiting him tonight.

Yan Feihua, seeing this, leapt up and shielded Lu Ming, tears streaming as she pleaded, “Mr. Feng, this has nothing to do with him. Please, let him go.”

Just then, a bell sounded in the hall, followed by a refined English voice. “Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, I am the initiator of tonight’s auction, John D. Rockefeller. Welcome.”

In the center of the hall, a circular stage rose slowly. An elderly man in his sixties, holding a glass of champagne, began his speech. At his first words, everyone stopped what they were doing and applause echoed through the hall.

The Rockefeller family, with its ancient lineage, was a mysterious and powerful clan—one of the world’s ten great families, holding unimaginable wealth and influence. Their true power was unknown to outsiders; people only knew they were rich. But those truly in the know understood that every presidential election featured these families’ shadows. Some even speculated the president was merely their puppet, that each election was just a contest between these families.

Such was their formidable might.

Most attendees of this auction were top-tier businessmen from around the world, hidden powers and influential figures, all of impeccable status. Even someone like Feng Xifan barely qualified to attend. Accustomed to arrogance at home, he took his invitation for granted, never realizing that every person here could crush him easily—he was simply overestimating himself.

With the auction about to begin, the bodyguards hesitated. One whispered to Feng Xifan, “Young master, the auction’s starting. Why not wait until it’s over? It’s a cruise ship, they can’t escape anyway.”

Feng Xifan considered briefly and nodded. The Rockefeller name carried weight—he had to show some respect. He wanted to make a splash at the auction, and now wasn’t the time to cause trouble. After the auction, he could deal with them; the bodyguard was right—they wouldn’t be able to run.

Feng Xifan turned to Lu Ming and Yan Feihua. “I’ll settle this with you later.”

With a wave, he escorted Chen Xijun to a nearby table, the bodyguards standing behind.

Lu Ming shook his head and pulled Yan Feihua into a seat. “Don’t lose hope. Life is unpredictable—who knows, someone might be begging you for mercy soon.”

Yan Feihua forced a bitter smile, saying nothing.

After a brief welcome, John said, “I know everyone finds this old man’s chatter tiresome, so I won’t take up precious time. Now, please welcome our auctioneer, Mr. Mark Davidson.”

John stepped down, replaced by a Western man in his fifties—Mark Davidson, a world-class auctioneer. Mark bowed to the audience, and a server brought forth a tray covered with a gold silk cloth. Setting the tray beside Mark, the server stepped back.

Mark began, “Ladies and gentlemen, our first item tonight is the Euphronios Vase. Euphronios was a great artist in ancient Greece, two thousand five hundred years ago. This work is hailed as his crowning masterpiece.”

Lifting the silk, Mark revealed a beautiful ceramic jar. At once, the bare-eye 3D images on the walls displayed the jar, and the crowd murmured in admiration.

Mark continued, “This vase depicts the death of Sarpedon in the Trojan War—not through myth, but in a realistic style, presenting the scene vividly. That is its greatest rarity.”

As the audience praised the vase, Mark smiled. “The starting price is fifty million, with each bid increasing by one million. Interested guests may begin bidding now.”

No sooner had Mark finished than hands shot up.

“Fifty-one million.”

“Fifty-two million.”

“Fifty-three million.”

The price rose steadily.

At the neighboring table, Feng Xifan glanced at Lu Ming and Yan Feihua and raised his hand.

“This gentleman bids fifty-four million.”

Then, holding up a finger, he said, “Oh no, my mistake—he increases the bid by ten million. The price is now sixty-three million for this precious artwork!”

Mark called out excitedly, and Feng Xifan grinned smugly at Lu Ming and Yan Feihua.

His sudden jump in bidding drew everyone’s attention. Feng Xifan’s face radiated satisfaction. He wasn’t bidding out of appreciation—he knew nothing about art. He simply wanted to flaunt his wealth and bask in the awe of others.

Lu Ming shook his head, silent. No wonder foreigners said people from his homeland were foolish and rich—with fools like this, what could one do?

Just as Feng Xifan was enjoying his spotlight, the hall’s alarm suddenly blared.

“Alert! Alert! A high-speed object is approaching—collision predicted in five minutes and thirty seconds.”

“Alert! Alert! A high-speed object is approaching—collision predicted in five minutes and thirty seconds.”