Chapter 104 - Jackpot

Cassius came closer.

The black-haired young man stumbled two steps back, looking slightly nervous. "Are you with that woman?"

One of the bodyguards stepped in front of the young man.

"Her? I guess you could say that," Cassius deadpanned, cracking his thick neck.

"What's going on here?!" Not far away, three or four security guards in blue uniforms holding black rubber batons ran in.

"Beat both of them up before security gets here!" Emboldened by the numbers, the young man yelled, fury surging through him. Getting slapped in public was something he could not tolerate!

"That's funny. I was thinking the same thing." Cassius sneered. He had barely finished speaking when he vanished.

The last thing the bodyguard in front of the young man saw was a blur before a large shadow overwhelmed his field of vision. A sharp pain shot through his abdomen, causing him to double over in agony. On the other side, the two bodyguards facing off against Violet froze. Two large hands shot out from behind, lifting them like chickens. They didn't even get a chance to struggle before they were knocked out.

Cassius lowered his arms, letting the two bodies drop to the floor. He then backhanded the young man, knocking him down.

"Y-you!" the young man stammered, cheek red. He wanted to say something tough but was afraid of getting hit again. He settled on stuttering.

Cassius stood coldly, the murmurs around him helping him piece together what had happened. It was the classic case of a rich kid trying to flirt with someone he found attractive, not realizing that the girl was a killer with a bad temper. She had retaliated with a slap, leading to the scene Cassius had witnessed.

It made sense. The White Rose Antiques Exhibition was more of a social gathering for the rich, with many wealthy businessmen and heirs mingling. Where there were rich people, there would be those so-called socialites. It was common for rich kids to chat up socialites, as both parties had their motives; one was hungry for the body and the other hungry for money.

This black-haired youth probably mistook Violet for one of those socialites and tried to do just that. Violet, being naturally aloof, ignored him. Mistaking her aloofness for playing hard to get, he kept pestering her, only to be slapped.

The young man, unable to contain his anger, called for his bodyguards to act on the spot. He didn't seem to have learned social etiquette.

If Matthew had been in this situation, he wouldn't have acted out so brazenly. He would have restrained himself and dealt with it in private later. He also would have never called his bodyguards to hit someone in public, especially in such a high-profile setting like the White Rose Antiques Exhibition, where many influential people were present. Such actions would lead to social ostracism and a loss of connections.

There were rules and regulations when it came to these things. After acting rashly and arrogantly despite being in the wrong, the black-haired youth deserved to be hit by Cassius.

Three blue-uniformed security guards finally arrived. "What's going on here?!"

The young man pointed at Cassius. "He hit me in front of everyone!"

"Hit you?!" The lead security guard raised an eyebrow, looking at Cassius and Violet. "What's this about hitting? You just accused him without any evidence to back up your claims. Does that mean that if I accuse you of murder, does that make you a murderer? Ridiculous!"

The security guard wasn't playing by the book.

"What?!" The young man lay stunned on the ground. "Look at my bodyguards! And my face!" The young man gestured at the bodies strewn on the floor and then jabbed at his cheek.

"Yeah, I see it. But how does this prove anything? How do I know you didn’t get beaten because you were the ones who started it?"

The security guard captain and his two subordinates walked over.

"You! Y-you..." The young man was so angry his nostrils flared.

"Stop stalling and get up." The captain ordered, "Take the unconscious ones to the security office!"

A few more security guards arrived, swiftly taking the young man and his three bodyguards away.

Two minutes later, the security captain nodded after hearing the witnesses' testimonies, and headed to the security office.

He wasn't any ordinary guard; he had sharp instincts. With three bodyguards taken down in an instant, what could they possibly do with their batons? How could they fight against the tall and muscular Cassius?

More importantly, Cassius and Violet had entered the hall with their young master Avril. Avril's father owned a rubber company, with a secondary business in security, making it the second-largest security company in Baichuan City.

The guards for the exhibition were the same as the ones for the museum's security which Avril's family business handled. If a clueless rich kid clashed with the young master's friends, needless to say, security would be on the master’s side.

Not to mention that the young man was in the wrong. Even if he had been right, between helping a rich kid and getting fired by the young master, or supporting the young master's friend and thus securing a bright future... The choice was a no-brainer.

The security captain smiled, touching the shield-shaped badge on his chest. This company's black emblem had never seemed so fitting.

Pushing through the crowd, the security captain made his way to Matthew and Avril, who had just arrived. "Manager, your friend was in a bit of trouble, but not to worry, it's been taken care of now." He puffed out his chest, showing off the company emblem.

"Friend? Oh..." Avril looked puzzled at first, then glanced at Matthew. He patted the captain's shoulder. "I see, thank you."

"It was no problem. None at all. Just so you know, Manager, the ones who started the fight have been taken to the security office. I'll be off now."

The security captain had been around long enough to know not to hang around too long if he wanted to avoid annoying Avril. After a brief introduction, he quickly made his exit.

Five minutes later, the four regrouped.

"So, let me get this straight. This happened because Miss Violet is just too beautiful," Matthew said with a mix of helplessness and amusement.

"Violet is indeed beautiful," Avril complimented.

In the sunlight, Violet's tall and curvy figure was pleasing to look at. Her legs and hips formed an eye-catching curve, her silky black hair was tied in a ponytail, and her delicate, beautiful face had a seductive mole near her eye. The cold demeanor of a killer only added to her appeal.

Even Avril, who has had his fair share of women, found himself tempted. No wonder the young man couldn't hold back.

While Matthew and Avril admired Violet, the latter had her eyes trained on Cassius, not for any romantic reason but because of his displayed power.

As one of Ace of Spades' killers, Violet was skilled in fighting with a gun and decent in close combat, and was roughly at the level of a third-stage Federal Combat Arts practitioner.

Cassius had effortlessly taken down the young man's bodyguards, at least one of whom was also at the third-stage level. Violet hadn't seen how Cassius moved even as she stood on the sidelines as an observer. Simple deduction suggested he was at least a fourth or fifth-degree Combat Arts practitioner, making him an expert. Plus, his physique and muscles hinted at an even greater strength.

Cassius noticed Violet's gaze but didn't acknowledge it. His mind was on the two legendary antiques he wanted. He had only helped earlier because he needed Matthew to negotiate later.

The rest of the time passed uneventfully. Matthew mingled with various people while Cassius wandered around, killing time.

As it approached noon, the first half of the antique exhibition came to a close.

Matthew and his companions went up to the organizer of the White Rose Antiques Exhibition through another contact. This was the advantage of having a wide network—connections are a valuable resource.

The two men negotiated in a spacious side hall of the museum.

"Manager Tom, my friend is interested in the antique coin in Cabinet Thirty-Two of Side Hall Three and the bronze ring in Cabinet Twenty-One of Side Hall Nine. Is there any way to purchase them in advance?"

"I’m sorry, Mr. Matthew. The rules of the White Rose Antiques Exhibition stipulate that no antiques can be sold before the exhibition ends. Only auction items are available for purchase."

"Is there any way to make an exception? My friend is very keen on those two pieces and is quite anxious to acquire them."

"I understand, but we'd have empty displays if we sell those items. It'd be rather unsightly."

"I know you have your own constraints, but I'm sure there's room for negotiations." Matthew was not angry and instead spoke in a calm and refined manner with Manager Tom. He smiled pleasantly all the while.

Tom initially thought to rebuke Matthew loudly with, "How dare you insult me by trying to bribe me?!" However, the money was just too tempting.

Under the sunlight, he shook Matthew’s hand with a broad smile. "Pleasure doing business with you!"

"Thank you for your generous help, Manager Tom."

Half an hour later, both Cassius and Tom got what they wanted.

As for the White Rose Antiques Exhibition's rules... Well, rules were rigid, but not people.

An empty display? Just move some pieces from another one that had more items. Rearrange it a little here and a little there, and it'll look the same.

These were minor issues. What mattered was the money in hand. How could one be successful if they couldn't adapt and be flexible?

Manager Tom personally saw them off at the museum entrance. "Have a nice day."

"Goodbye." Matthew waved.

The three of them got into the car, and it soon merged smoothly into traffic.

In the comfortable backseat, Cassius unwrapped the tightly bundled up black bag to reveal the two antiques he had secured. Fortunately, the coins and rings were small. If they had been fragile items like porcelain vases or sculptures, they would have had to wait a day or two.

Cassius looked up at him and said gratefully, "Thank you, Matthew,"

"No problem. It didn’t cost much. And you’ve already thanked me several times. No need to make a fuss over such small matters between friends," Matthew replied with a smile.

"I'll drop you off at your new place. I already informed the renovation and furniture people this morning so they should already be there. You can discuss your preferences with them."

"Okay." Cassius didn’t make a fuss. Matthew was truly a valuable friend. Who wouldn’t like a wealthy and influential friend who can do things under the table like Matthew?

As the car moved forward, Cassius began examining his antiques. First, he looked at the Crown Star Coins, which were kept in a plastic bottle so he wouldn't lose them. He unscrewed the bottle and a bitter taste spread in his mouth.

There seems to be a lot—at least three!

Cassius estimated, based on his what he knew of authentic pieces.

As he checked each coin, it was indeed true. There were four coins in total, each with 0.2 units of lingering attachment energy, which added up to 0.8 units of energy.

His right hand felt a bit numb. Cassius exhaled a breath of murky air and glanced at the top right corner of his interface, his face lighting up with joy.

[Lingering Attachment Energy: 3.8 + 0.8 = 4.6]

It had surpassed four units. And he still had one more item to absorb.

He quickly retrieved the ugly bronze ring from the bag. As soon as he held it, his body froze.

Jackpot!

It wasn’t a lingering attachment antique; it was a legendary antique!!!

Cassius’s eyes widened in surprise. Compared to ordinary antiques, lingering attachment antiques were rare, and legendary antiques even rarer. He had seen thousands of antiques, encountered fewer than ten lingering attachment antiques, and only two legendary antiques. He had really hit the jackpot this time!

Cassius tamped down on his excitement and looked at the top right corner, where a ring symbol had appeared next to the Wind Elephant pendant.

The two symbols were parallel to each other, but the ring symbol was slightly faint, possibly because he hadn’t yet performed the time-travel.

[Lingering Attachment Energy: 4.6 + 0.6 = 5.2]

He had surpassed five units!

With so much lingering attachment energy, he could perform at least two time-travels. Plus, with the newly acquired bronze ring, he might not have to wait until the Shadow Demons manifested to perform a time-travel. He could use it to enhance his strength in advance. The more he thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed.

I’ll think about what to do next once I’m home...

Suddenly, the car jolted violently as if something had crashed into them. The three of them were startled, and Cassius’s gaze immediately snapped to the right.

A black car had collided with them. At the same time, a handgun barrel extended from the gap in the window.

Bang!

A bullet shot out instantly. A massive black shadow lunged at them from the back seat!

Matthew started, all the color draining from his face as if his soul had left him. He peeked to his right and saw a muscular hand, veins bulging, extending from the back seat. The hand pressed firmly against Matthew’s temple, solid as a rock.

Thud!

The hand opened slightly. A slightly bloodstained bullet clattered to the floor.

Violet gaped in disbelief from where she was sitting in the front passenger seat.

What the hell?! He blocked the bullet with his hand! That’s insane!