So here's the problem—this auction house was clearly owned by the Hong Clan. Now the question was: which token should he use to flex?
He currently had several impressive tokens in his possession—the Elder Token from Spirit Hall, the Holy Son Token from Spirit Hall, an Honorary Chairman Token from the Li Chamber of commerce, and another from the Hong chamber of commerce. Any one of these would easily secure him a VIP private room with all the luxury that came with it.
Forget it. Better to hold off on flashing any tokens for now. He'd wait until some idiot tried to pick a fight—then he'd show them what was what.
That said, credit where it's due—the girls hired by the Hong Clan were seriously stunning.
As the two of them approached, one of the four young women stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said with a gentle tone, "Is there anything I can help you with, esteemed guests?"
Xiao Wu replied, "This is the auction house, right? We'd like to take a look around."
The girl seemed a little surprised. Though she hadn't underestimated them due to their age, guests like these two were still quite rare. Nonetheless, she maintained a courteous tone. "Apologies, but may I ask if you have bidding qualifications?"
Xiao Wu blinked in confusion. "Bidding qualifications? What's that?"
The girl smiled softly. "Only those with certified bidding qualifications may enter the auction area and place bids. There are several levels of certification, with the minimum threshold being assets worth ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. It's a measure put in place to prevent malicious bidding. I hope you understand."
Without hesitation, Xiao Wu pulled out a black card from her soul tool storage. With Li Chang'an around, money was never an issue—and a black card, second only to the red card, was more than enough to prove her eligibility.
"Will this be sufficient?"
"More than enough. Please, right this way, honored guests." The girl's posture lowered even further, giving a deeper bow. A flash of creamy white crossed Li Chang'an's vision.
Hiss...
No surprise there. While anyone with enough money could technically obtain a black card, the fact that someone so young already had one clearly indicated an extraordinary background.
"Of course, honored guests. Our auction operates 24/7 without pause and takes place in the main auction center. Please follow me, I'll assist you with the registration process."
The procedure was fairly simple—they just needed to link a soul coin deposit card to a personal account at the auction house. Xiao Wu's black card held a balance of 500,000 Gold Soul Coins, giving her full access to bid on anything available.
Just as they were finishing the registration, Li Chang'an suddenly pulled out a red card and handed it over. "Go ahead and register this one too."
He'd just had a strong premonition that something he needed would be appearing at this auction. Playing it safe, he decided to stop holding back.
"Ah..." The girl handling the registration was stunned at the sight of the red card.
This wasn't something just anyone could obtain. To even qualify, the cardholder needed to have over one million Gold Soul Coins deposited, and they had to be backed by a top-tier power. The red card wasn't just a bank card—it was a symbol of status.
"What, am I not allowed to increase my balance?" Li Chang'an asked seriously, eyes fixed on the girl's chest.
"Of course you are, honored guest," she replied, smiling sweetly. She even threw him a flirtatious look—the kind only a seasoned flirt would understand.
But Li Chang'an pretended not to notice. It wasn't that he didn't want to hop on her ride—it was just that he wasn't looking to board that kind of ride. Girls working at auction houses like this might appear pure and innocent, but it was usually just a façade. Most of them? Definitely shady rides.
Seeing that he wasn't taking the bait, the girl stopped flirting and instead calmly explained the rules of the auction house.
This was the largest auction house in the entire Heaven Dou Empire—there was no telling what might show up here.
Rule number one: Do not attempt to investigate the seller's identity or leak any information about auction items outside the venue.
Rule number two: The auction operated nonstop, 24 hours a day.
Each night, there was a two-hour period dedicated to top-tier auctions. Only buyers with a deposit over one million Gold Soul Coins could participate during that time. At all other hours, the auctions were open to everyone with certified credentials.
Li Chang'an, as it happened, was fully eligible to join the top-tier auctions.
The rules were simple enough, but Li Chang'an could clearly see how profitable the whole operation was. Just a 10% commission on high-value items could bring in outrageous revenue. When stacked up, the profit was likely to dwarf that of even a top-ranked Spirit Arena.
The Li Clan did have their own auction house, but the commissions they charged weren't nearly as high. After all, their goal was still to build reputation and grow their foundation.
"Please take us to the auction floor."
Under the young woman's guidance, Li Chang'an and Xiao Wu finally stepped into the true core of the Heaven Dou Auction House.
The auction center was located on the second floor of the building, accessible via eight grand staircases. Before they entered, the girl handed each of them a mask and explained that wearing one was mandatory for all bidders—a security measure to protect clients' identities.
She escorted them to the entrance of the auction center before taking her leave. From there, new attendants took over.
Compared to the previous girl, these attendants had a much more... enticing appearance.
They were all female, around the same height as the first girl, but with far curvier figures. Their white outfits were similar in style—still dresses—but the effect was very different.
Each wore a sleeveless, open-chested white dress with a skirt so short it barely reached mid-thigh, exposing their smooth, glowing legs. Paired with white high heels, the look was undeniably seductive. Their ample bosoms, curvy hips—it was all enough to make a man's imagination run wild.
Even someone as seasoned as Li Chang'an, who had seen plenty of women in his day, couldn't help but sneak a few extra glances.
After all, these were wildflowers.
Smack. A sharp pain hit his lower back.
"Keep your eyes to yourself," Xiao Wu hissed in warning next to his ear.
"Ow, alright! You think I'm that chubby pervert? Let's just go inside already," Li Chang'an muttered under his breath.
The auction center had the feel of a grand auditorium, similar in layout to a major Spirit Arena's main battle dome. At the center was a circular stage, surrounded by ring after ring of seats in a radial pattern.
There were five seating zones in total. The three innermost rows, nearest the stage, were red; followed by rows of black, then purple, yellow, and finally white—the largest and outermost section. Clearly, the seating was divided by the bidders' financial tiers.
The earlier receptionist had explained it: the red section was for elite VIPs with special access, protected by dedicated security. Only those with true status and background were allowed in.
The next tier out, the black section, was for regular million-coin VIPs—people who had the money, but hadn't shown any power or connections. This was where Li Chang'an and Xiao Wu were seated. He'd flashed cash, not credentials.
Next were the purple seats for 500,000-coin VIPs, the yellow for 100,000-coin bidders, and finally the white zone for general guests.
Under escort, Li Chang'an and Xiao Wu were brought to their exclusive private suite in the black-tier zone.
It was a semi-enclosed room with a clear view of the auction stage, offering a degree of privacy. Inside were refreshments, fruits, and a beautiful maid assigned specifically to serve them.
This was just the beginning of their experience at the Heaven Dou Auction House.
___
🎉 Big Shoutout to Rigo Mateo and Mürsel Kenan!🎉
A heartfelt thank you to Rigo Mateo and Mürsel Kenan for joining my Patreon and supporting this journey! 🙏✨
Your generosity truly makes a difference and helps bring chapters out faster for everyone. 🚀
Welcome to the VIP family, Rigo Mateo and Mürsel Kenan—you both are awesome! 💎🙌