Chapter 33: Compensation for the Bargain
Denar hadn’t expected such a chain reaction. He had been counting on today’s auction at the museum to cover losses from other failing businesses.
Now, with more and more people demanding explanations—claiming they had been scammed and demanding refunds and compensation—Denar found himself surrounded.
Xu Youyou widened her eyes in amusement, watching the chaos unfold. She couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Denar, thinking he was about to suffer a massive financial loss.
However, just as things seemed to be escalating, Denar, who had been acting like a gentleman, suddenly revealed a fierce expression. “If you want a refund, you’ll have to step over my dead body!”
The crowd, which had been making a commotion, instantly fell silent.
Xu Youyou was eager to keep watching the drama unfold, but Lu Jingyao, who had already secured his refund and compensation, pulled her away.
Even after being shoved into the car, Xu Youyou grumbled, “Just a little longer, and they would’ve started fighting! How can you not be interested in such a good show?”
Lu Jingyao’s lips twitched, and he casually pointed at a store near the street corner.
Xu Youyou followed his gaze and saw that it was a gun shop.
Lu Jingyao reminded her, “Just so you know, guns are legal here. Not every commotion is worth watching up close.”
Xu Youyou immediately felt guilty. Then, as if something occurred to her, she asked, “Is Denar really that intimidating? Why did everyone back off the moment he refused to refund them?”
“In China, disputes like this could drag on for days,” she added.
Lu Jingyao replied calmly, “The Denar family used to be involved in organized crime.”
Xu Youyou suddenly understood. Then, in a hushed voice, she asked, “But if they were gangsters, how did they end up going bankrupt?”
Lu Jingyao said, “There’s no such thing as a business that never loses money.”
Just then, he took out his checkbook and started writing.
Xu Youyou curiously leaned over to peek and was shocked to see the amount. “One hundred million?! Are you serious? Who are you giving that to?”
The next second, Lu Jingyao smoothly tore off the check and handed it to her.
Xu Youyou: ???
Bro, why are you throwing money at me all of a sudden?!
Lu Jingyao explained, “This is part of the compensation from the Denar family. I need to keep some of it for taxes, so I can only give you this much.”
Xu Youyou quickly did the math—compensation was 20% of the total price, and a significant chunk went to taxes. For a moment, she didn’t know whether to be amazed that even compensation money was taxed so heavily or to admire Lu Jingyao. Despite his cold demeanor, he was incredibly generous!
“I mean… I didn’t even do that much… You really don’t have to give this to me…” Xu Youyou tried to sound polite.
Lu Jingyao didn’t expose her fake modesty and simply said, “This is what you earned. If I hadn’t brought you along, I would’ve lost all that money. Take it. I never shortchange those who help me.”
Xu Youyou’s hand had already been inching toward the check, but with his encouragement, she immediately accepted it.
This was one hundred million! And she had earned it by herself—without any help from the system!
After arriving at the Anman Hotel, Xu Youyou shamelessly asked Lu Jingyao for another favor. “Can you have your people help deliver the stone sculpture to my room?”
As the driver opened the trunk, Lu Jingyao’s expression turned speechless.
“The museum staff said it’s an antique,” Xu Youyou said defensively.
Lu Jingyao pointed at a section of the sculpture’s hat, where a distinct, straight cut was visible. “That’s a mark from an electric cutting tool. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice this.”
Xu Youyou followed his finger and finally spotted the obvious cut. In her excitement to grab a bargain, she hadn’t examined it carefully. Now, she could only laugh awkwardly.
“How much did you pay for it?”
“Not much—just ten thousand dollars. Consider it a sunk cost.”
Lu Jingyao reminded her, “This thing is heavy. If you want to bring it back to China, transportation will cost you. Are you planning to ship it by sea or air?”
“By air, of course!” Xu Youyou blurted without hesitation.
Lu Jingyao frowned. Air freight was expensive. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, “Do you really like stone sculptures that much?”
Xu Youyou couldn’t tell him the truth—that the system had instructed her to buy it. Even if it wasn’t an antique, she couldn’t risk losing it in sea freight. She wanted it to stay with her all the way back to China.
“Yes! I love it!” she declared firmly.
Lu Jingyao didn’t say anything else. He had his men move the sculpture to her room, and then, for the next two days, he completely disappeared.
Even the gaming project Xu Youyou wanted to invest in was handled by Lu Jingyao’s investment team, who reached out to her and took her to meet Peter.
Xu Youyou invested ten million dollars and agreed not to interfere with the game’s content, securing 70% of the shares in the newly established gaming company.
The investment team leader advised her, “Miss Xu, we understand you’re optimistic about this project, but sometimes holding too many shares isn’t the best strategy. Since their team is the core of this project, leaving them with a fair share of equity will motivate them to complete their work more effectively.”
After hearing about Lu Jingyao’s past successful investments, Xu Youyou put her doubts to rest. Although she felt a bit regretful about not securing a larger stake, she understood she couldn’t take all the profits for herself.
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed two consecutive bargain-hunting tasks in a short period. Reward: Beginner-Level Martial Arts Proficiency.]
Xu Youyou’s eyes lit up at the system notification. Though it said “beginner-level,” she knew from experience that the system’s “beginner” skills usually corresponded to real-world “advanced” skills.
After all, when she had received the system’s “beginner” porcelain authentication skill, it had immediately put her on par with professional appraisers.
A surge of warmth spread through her body. She casually waved her hand, and her movements suddenly felt much sharper and more agile.
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but marvel at her newfound strength.
With two consecutive bargain-hunting tasks completed, the system stopped giving her new missions for now. Finally, she had some free time to properly explore New York.
After two days of intense shopping, Xu Youyou had spent a significant amount of money. Yet, the more she satisfied her material desires, the emptier she felt.
She used to envy Gu Xueying, who spent money like water. But now that she had experienced it herself, she realized that once her shopping cravings were fully met, the thrill of it wasn’t as exciting as she had imagined.
As she stared at the system, which had been silent for the past two days, she felt restless and asked the hotel concierge, “Are there any upcoming auctions in New York?”
The concierge was professionally trained to accommodate guests’ requests, but he hesitated. “Miss Xu, there is an upcoming auction, but the invitations are extremely exclusive.”
Seeing that even the concierge couldn’t get her an invitation, Xu Youyou asked, “Are they all high-end auctions? What about something lower-tier? Private auctions, maybe?”
The truth was, bargain hunting was just too addictive.
A day without it felt like ants crawling all over her body—she was desperate to find her next deal.
The concierge pondered for a moment before replying, “If you’re interested, you might consider attending a storage auction.”
