Chapter 32: The Ghost Market Opens

Yang Tingting’s resentful gaze was enough to pierce right through Xu Yi, and he was, of course, well aware of it.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Xu Yi apologized, “I’m sorry, Ms. Tingting, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to give you this deal today.”

Although Yang Tingting was resentful, she knew better than anyone that wealthy men detested petty women. She quickly adjusted her demeanor and said politely, “Mr. Xu, you’re joking! It is your freedom to choose your own real estate consultant. Perhaps I just didn’t do enough in certain areas.”

As she spoke, she let her gaze sweep intentionally—or perhaps unintentionally—over Zeng Lili’s figure. *Hmph! So what if her chest is a little bigger than mine, her waist-to-hip ratio is slightly better, and her face is a bit prettier?*

The more she compared, the more her heart sank; the competition was stunning, but perhaps a bit too reserved. She would have to switch tactics. Without waiting for Xu Yi to respond, she flashed a charming, seductive smile. “However! I do hope that if you have any thoughts of buying property in the future, you’ll remember to look for me!”

With that, Yang Tingting actually pulled a business card from her cleavage, handed it to Xu Yi, gave him a sweet, lingering smile, and sashayed away, swaying her hips. The movement caused a brief, accidental flash of her charms.

*Holy crap! So fair! So provocative!*

Xu Yi squinted as he took the card. Was this woman literally throwing herself at him?

“Hmph! Are you still reminiscing even after she’s gone?” Zeng Lili’s voice, laced with jealousy, sounded from the side.

“Huh?” Xu Yi turned to look at Zeng Lili, whose face was cold, feeling utterly bewildered. His confusion only fueled Zeng Lili’s irritation.

“Mr. Xu! Weren’t you here to look at the property? Please hurry up; I don’t have much time left on my shift,” she said coldly, then shot him a glare and stepped past him.

“What’s gotten into her?” Xu Yi was completely lost.

Chen Ronghai stepped forward, patted Xu Yi on the shoulder, and said, “Mr. Xu! Take a word of advice from an old pro: never try to juggle two women at once, or life won't be easy! Trust me, brother—I’ve been there.”

Chen Ronghai’s “I-get-it” expression only left Xu Yi feeling even more baffled.

Fortunately, Zeng Lili quickly regained her composure. Ten minutes later, she led Xu Yi to the property gifted by "Crazy Zhang," carrying a folder of documents. After taking a tour, Xu Yi couldn't help but admire the place. It was a river-view apartment, a dream home for the version of himself from just a short time ago. With floor-to-ceiling windows, a spacious and bright living room, and cozy bedrooms, it was perfect.

The balcony was his favorite, offering the best view of the Dongjiang River. Watching the water flow slowly, Xu Yi felt a sense of profound serenity. Beyond that, the apartment was exquisitely furnished; every detail exuded quality, and the materials were clearly top-tier.

Zeng Lili read from the documents, “The other party has already signed the transaction contract. Once you sign, you can move in immediately. Also, all the decorations in this house belong to you now!”

As she read this, Zeng Lili suddenly grew excited and rushed over to a vase in the living room, examining it closely. “Xu Yi! You’ve found a treasure!”

Xu Yi blinked. “What do you mean?”

Zeng Lili pointed at the vase. “If I’m not mistaken, this is an authentic piece of Ming Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain. Conservatively estimated,” she paused, “it’s worth at least five million!”

Xu Yi immediately activated his [Perspective] vision on the vase. A faint ripple of spiritual energy emanated from it! His face lit up; he walked over, and as he touched it, the energy was instantly absorbed by him. His spiritual energy limit rose by another 1%. This unexpected windfall filled him with joy.

“Hahaha! Lili, you really are my lucky star!” Overjoyed, Xu Yi instinctively pulled Zeng Lili into a hug.

Zeng Lili was stunned. After a moment, she snapped out of it and let out a shriek. “Ah!”

Xu Yi quickly released her, realizing what he had done. Looking at her now, he saw that her face was beet red. “Sorry! I got a little carried away,” he said awkwardly. But her figure was truly top-notch! Even that brief embrace left him feeling quite distracted.

“It’s fine! Xu Yi, if there are no other issues, please sign the papers,” Zeng Lili said, her face still flushed as she handed over the contract.

Xu Yi signed the papers awkwardly. Just as Zeng Lili was about to leave, he asked, “Lili, are you really in need of money?”

“What do you want?” She crossed her arms over her chest defensively. “I’ll have you know, I... I don’t do the mistress thing, and I won’t be a homewrecker!”

Xu Yi was speechless. “Who said anything about that?”

“Ah! Then... what...” Zeng Lili stammered, tongue-tied.

Xu Yi chuckled. “It’s like this. I’m planning to open a company specializing in antique acquisition. Since I just saw that you have some expertise in antiques, I wanted to ask if you’d be interested.” He mused for a moment before adding, “Of course, since it’s a startup, the salary won’t be too high. Let’s say a base of 10,000 a month. Aside from the acquisition work, you’d need to handle some miscellaneous tasks. Also, for every successful antique acquisition, you’ll get a 10% commission on the profit. What do you think? Interested?”

This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea. After his conversation with Old Gu, the thought of starting a company had taken root. Only with a company as a front could he interact with antiques on a large scale—absorbing their spiritual energy while earning money to strengthen himself, all without drawing unwanted attention. He had originally planned to hand this to Huang Dahu, but the power "Crazy Zhang" had displayed made him reconsider. This was a sensitive area, and he couldn't afford to let someone like Zhang get a foothold.

Zeng Lili’s professional capability was excellent; not only could she identify antiques at a glance, but she was diligent, disciplined, and a great beauty to boot! Offering only 10,000 was actually a bargain for him.

Zeng Lili thought it over carefully for a long while before gritting her teeth and saying, “Deal! I’ll take the job. But I need three days to wrap up my current commitments. I can start in two days.”

Xu Yi smiled. “Naturally.”

Three days later would be the opening of the Ghost Market—Zeng Lili would be just in time. She was highly efficient; after finishing the property paperwork for Xu Yi, she drew up an employment contract for both of them. Both were satisfied after signing.

For the next three days, Xu Yi moved from his rental into the Blue Sky Waterfront apartment. He spent his mornings practicing basics, his afternoons visiting his mentor in the hospital, and his evenings studying Lu Huaibin’s martial arts insights.

The three days passed in a flash.

Early in the morning, he received a phone call from an unknown number.

“Mr. Xu, greetings. The Ghost Market opens tonight at eight o’clock. Location: The banquet hall on the second floor of 38 Antique Street. You may bring one companion. We do not wait for latecomers; please do not be late.”