Chapter Twenty-Three: Desperation

The auction was still not over; the officials needed to complete the handover process. Xia Yan kept his composure and waited, having no other choice. The passing minutes felt unbearably long. After ten minutes, the personnel responsible for the handover arrived—a woman dressed in a qipao, strikingly beautiful but with an unsettling aura that caused a faint sense of unease.

There was no doubt that she was a powerful ability user.

The qipao-clad woman approached Yi Ling and Xia Yan, smiling as she explained the handover procedures. In brief, they needed to sign a related certificate, then exchange money and goods simultaneously.

“Are you both certain there are no issues?” the woman asked with a smile.

“No problem,” Xia Yan nodded.

“Then, one of you will come with me to carry out the handover,” she said, still smiling.

Xia Yan nodded, preparing to stand up.

“Could this young lady handle the handover instead? Sir, you just need to sign,” the qipao woman added.

“Xia Yan, hand me the suitcase. I’ll do the handover,” Qi Hao quickly interjected, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Clearly, their plan was already underway. This qipao woman was an agent planted by Wen Zhe.

Xia Yan was surely doomed, but his mission was not yet complete, so he had to see it through.

For Qi Hao, loyalty was more important than life itself.

Even if she had defied Amelia’s orders, she would still deliver the Clean Chain to her and then take her own life.

There was no future for a traitor. For Qi Hao, the last “way out” was to protect the Clean Chain at all costs.

She looked at Xia Yan with urgency and impatience in her eyes. She could no longer tolerate letting this scoundrel live, and she longed to get her hands on the diamond currency.

Once all this was done, she would sit in the best seat, quietly watching Xia Yan’s desperate struggles—surely a most entertaining drama.

But Xia Yan’s answer made her arrogant heart burn with anger.

“Absolutely not,” Xia Yan smiled faintly. “Whether signing or handing over, I will do it all myself. The Clean Chain must be held in my own hands.”

“Xia Yan,” Qi Hao growled, “give me the suitcase. I’ll handle the handover.”

“Why?” Xia Yan ignored her fury. “With your level of strength, do you really think you can break through heavy encirclement and escape?”

Qi Hao’s anger flared. She glared coldly, teeth clenched so tightly that a little blood trickled down.

“Sir, no one would make a move against this lady inside the Free Zone,” the qipao woman said seriously.

“Sorry, I mean outside the Free Zone!” Xia Yan sneered dismissively.

“Are you sure this lady cannot handle the handover?” the qipao woman’s gaze darkened as she looked at Xia Yan.

“If I say no?” Xia Yan laughed coldly. “Do you want to back out? Simply refuse the handover? Or say ‘I’m not selling’?”

“That’s not what I mean,” the qipao woman’s face grew sour. She hadn’t expected Xia Yan to be so unyielding. “Sir, I just hope this lady can handle the handover because signing is more important.”

“But I think the handover is more important,” Xia Yan snorted. “Both tasks will be done by me. Or you can just back out and announce it to the world—your Free Zone’s reputation will be nothing but a joke.”

“Sir, please mind your words.”

As Xia Yan’s tone grew increasingly aggressive, the qipao woman realized delaying any further was impossible. If suspicion arose, things would become even more complicated.

She had no choice but to concede. “Understood. Sir, please come with me to complete the handover.”

The handover proceeded swiftly. Xia Yan signed the necessary documents and then received the Clean Chain—a type of necklace. Its appearance was rather rough, not shining like a gemstone but more like steel or some metallic material.

Xia Yan wasn’t sure how to evaluate it; in terms of looks alone, it barely deserved one point out of a hundred. Yet, the first thing he did was wear it around his neck.

This made the qipao woman’s face darken considerably.

Their initial plan had already failed, and now they had to consider the consequences of making a move against Xia Yan here. If rumors spread that the Free Zone had violated treaties by attacking the auction’s successful bidder, the Free Zone’s reputation would suffer severe damage.

But Xia Yan was a wanted man who had entered the Free Zone openly. Letting him go so easily was unthinkable.

It must be understood that the Free Zone was a major power—not quite on par with the other six great forces, but far from weak.

No matter who the wanted criminal was—even an eight-star or nine-star ability user—daring to swagger into the Free Zone would mean certain death.

The auction was still ongoing, and the bidders present had not left. They too sensed something amiss.

For example, the handover process after the successful bid was far too slow. Moreover, the entire situation was shrouded in mystery.

Who were Xia Yan and Qi Hao really? Which faction did they belong to? What were their true intentions?

Tao Lu wore a fearless expression as she watched Xia Yan and Qi Hao with interest, her eyes gleaming with some unknown thought.

“Xia Yan, hand me the Clean Chain around your neck,” Qi Hao said coldly, stepping beside him and enunciating each word with deadly intent. From this moment, she no longer concealed her murderous intentions.

It was as if Xia Yan so much as uttering a refusal would cause her to strike.

Their collaboration, which had barely held until now, was utterly shattered at this instant.

Madness and slaughter flickered in Qi Hao’s eyes.

“If I say no?” Xia Yan was utterly indifferent to her anger.

“Xia Yan, I’m not afraid to tell you—your identity has been exposed. You’re dead meat,” Qi Hao raged. “Now, to complete the final mission, hand over the Clean Chain around your neck!”

“Exposed, huh?” Xia Yan sneered. He had already known. The drawn-out handover at the auction and the strange behavior of the qipao woman all made it clear his identity was blown.

But there was nothing he could do. Acting rashly would be a death sentence. He could only take it one step at a time, hoping to find a way out from the dead end.

The Clean Chain was his last glimmer of hope.

To hand over his last hope to someone else—how foolish would that be?

Xia Yan was no fool. He would never allow that to happen...