The night air outside the Starlight Pavilion was crisp, filled with the scent of expensive gasoline and the hum of high-society chatter. This was the night of the "Golden Heart Gala," the most exclusive charity auction in the province. Only those with a net worth exceeding nine figures were invited.
Outside the entrance, a line of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Maybachs stretched down the block. Paparazzi flashes turned the night into a staccato of artificial lightning.
Among the crowd stood Lin Feng, the arrogant heir to the Lin Real Estate Empire and the man Zhang Yan had left Lu Chen for. He was adjusting his $20,000 tuxedo, looking down at Zhang Yan, who was wearing thick makeup to hide the faint bruise on her cheek from earlier that afternoon.
"Don't worry about the hospital, Yan-yan," Lin Feng said, patting her hand dismissively. "My father knows the board members. We'll get that 'Lu Chen' character blacklisted from every business in the country by morning. He probably just stole some rich man's black card for a few hours. A janitor is a janitor."
Zhang Yan bit her lip, her heart still racing from the coldness she had seen in Lu Chen's eyes. "But Feng, the CEO of the bank bowed to him..."
"Theater! All theater!" Lin Feng laughed. "He probably spent his life savings hiring actors to impress you. Tonight, I'm going to bid on the 'Star of the Orient' sapphire. When he sees the news that I bought a five-million-dollar gem for you, he'll realize he's just a bug under our boots."
The Arrival
Suddenly, the chatter of the crowd died down. A low, guttural roar echoed from the end of the street.
A motorcade of twelve identical black SUVs turned the corner, surrounding a single, unmarked vintage limousine. The vehicle didn't have a brand logo; it didn't need one. Anyone in the know recognized the "Ghost of Wealth" custom plating.
The door was opened by a man in white silk gloves.
Lu Chen stepped out.
He had traded his rags for a suit woven from charcoal-grey vicuña wool—the rarest fabric on Earth. His hair was pushed back, revealing a face that wasn't just handsome, but possessed the terrifying calm of a king returning to a rebellious province.
"Who is that?" a socialite whispered. "He looks like a god, but I don't recognize him."
Lin Feng's face turned a sickly shade of purple. "Lu Chen? How did he get an invitation to the Starlight Pavilion? Security! Hey, Security!"
The head of security, a former Special Forces commander, rushed over. "Is there a problem, Mr. Lin?"
"That man!" Lin Feng pointed a trembling finger at Lu Chen. "He's a janitor! He's a trespasser! Throw him out before he steals the silverware!"
The security commander looked at Lu Chen, then looked at the invitation Lu Chen held out. It wasn't the standard gold-trimmed card. It was a Black Diamond Tablet.
The commander's face went pale. He snapped into a rigid salute. "My apologies, Sir! Please, enter. The owner's box has been prepared for you."
Lu Chen walked past Lin Feng and Zhang Yan as if they were invisible. He didn't even glance at them, which stung Zhang Yan more than another slap would have. To be hated is one thing; to be irrelevant is far worse.
The Auction Begins
Inside the ballroom, the air was thick with the smell of lilies and greed. Lu Chen sat in the elevated VIP balcony, hidden behind a translucent silk curtain. He could see everyone, but they could only see his silhouette.
The auctioneer, an elderly man with a silver mustache, pounded his gavel. "Ladies and gentlemen, we come to the final item of the evening. The Star of the Orient. A 50-carat blue sapphire, recovered from the crown of a lost dynasty. We will start the bidding at $2 million."
Lin Feng stood up immediately, puffing out his chest. "Three million!"
The room murmured. A one-million-dollar jump was a power move. Lin Feng looked up at the balcony, trying to provoke the mysterious figure behind the curtain.
"Four million," a voice called out from the back.
"Five million!" Lin Feng shouted, his face reddening. He wanted this win. He needed it to prove to Zhang Yan—and himself—that money was still the ultimate power.
The auctioneer looked around. "Five million going once... five million going twice..."
A calm, deep voice drifted down from the VIP balcony. It wasn't shouted. It was a simple statement of fact.
"Fifty million."
The entire ballroom went silent. The auctioneer dropped his gavel. Lin Feng's jaw hung open so wide it looked unhinged.
"Fifty... fifty million?" the auctioneer stammered. "Sir, that is ten times the market value."
"I don't care about the value," Lu Chen's voice echoed through the speakers. "I care about the silence. Fifty million to end the bidding now. And an additional ten million to the charity if Lin Feng is escorted out for being too loud in a place of business."
The Total Collapse
Lin Feng's face went from red to white to blue. "You can't do this! Do you know who my father is? We own the land this pavilion is built on!"
At that moment, Lin Feng's phone rang. It was his father. He answered it, his voice shaking. "Dad? I'm at the auction, and this lunatic—"
"SHUT UP!" his father's voice screamed so loudly that people nearby could hear it. "What did you do? I just got a call from the Global Creditors! Our lines of credit have been cut! The construction projects have been seized! They said we offended someone named 'The Master of Jade.' Lin Feng, you idiot, we're bankrupt! The bailiffs are at the front door!"
Lin Feng dropped his phone. It shattered on the marble floor.
He looked up at the balcony. The silk curtain was pulled back just an inch. Lu Chen leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Lin Feng's.
"You told me earlier today that a janitor is a janitor," Lu Chen said, his voice amplified by the silence of the room. "You were right. A janitor cleans up filth. And tonight... I've finished cleaning this city."
Security guards grabbed Lin Feng by the arms.
"Wait! Lu Chen! Brother Lu!" Zhang Yan cried out, rushing toward the balcony. "I made a mistake! I was confused! Please, save my family! I'll do anything!"
Lu Chen looked at her—the woman he had once intended to marry, the woman he had slaved away for while he was in exile.
"Chen Bo," Lu Chen said to his steward.
"Yes, Young Master?"
"Donate the sapphire to the national museum. I don't want anything in my sight that reminds me of these people."
Lu Chen stood up and walked toward the private exit. Behind him, the sounds of Zhang Yan's pleading and Lin Feng's screaming were drowned out by the thunderous applause of the elite, who were all desperate to catch a glimpse of the man who could destroy an empire with a single bid.
The night was far from over.