Chapter 478 — The Kang Family Proposes Marriage (Part One)

The reason Feng Xiaoxiao had agreed so readily was that Wei Zhao was away from school on business — and if she left too, one could just imagine how downcast Tang Yun would be! Hmph, hmph. Set yourself against Feng Xiaoxiao, and the end would be very miserable indeed! Feng Xiaoxiao waved her fist, turned, and went downstairs. Out the school gate she saw the Audi A6L parked there, said nothing, opened the door and got in.

"Xiaoxiao, the person seeing you this time is a colleague of mine, an expert in hereditary diseases!" Once Feng Xiaoxiao was in the car, Captain Feng looked at her fondly and said.

Captain Feng's name was Feng Tianlong; he was a special agent.

Because of his work, it was simply impossible for him to be at Feng Xiaoxiao's side every day. Though he felt the regret of it, he did not regret his choice! Having chosen this road, he would walk it to the end.

"Oh, an expert again." Feng Xiaoxiao answered indifferently. From childhood to now she had seen no end of experts, and every time she had set out in hope and come home in disappointment — she was almost numb to it.

Better to squander youth and life to the fullest than to burn the time on treatment; at least then, even if she died, she would have no regrets.

Feng Tianlong shook his head. Her attitude was just as he had expected, so he said no more. In truth he too had lost some of his confidence, but so long as there was a single thread of hope, he wanted his daughter alive — alive and healthy...

The plane slowly touched down in Yanjing City. Wei Zhao, Guan Xuemin and Fatty Lai got off and checked into a hotel Fatty Lai had booked well in advance.

"Boss, is it really all right to auction only three Longevity Detox Pills this time? Isn't that a bit few?" Fatty Lai asked cautiously.

"Rare things are precious. Besides, it isn't entirely for the money — the main thing is to make a name for ourselves," Wei Zhao said with a smile.

"I see..." Fatty Lai knew Wei Zhao was speaking the truth, but he did have a selfish motive of his own. With only three Longevity Detox Pills, his own chances of snatching one were rather slim; with a few more, wouldn't he still have a chance?

Of course, that was something he absolutely could not say to Wei Zhao — Fatty Lai could only swallow it down.

Since Fatty Lai had already made all the arrangements in advance, the auction formalities were easily handled: one need only submit the lot, the reserve price and the like, and it was done smoothly.

The organizers did not even force sellers to have their goods appraised — appraisal was voluntary; one could apply for it or not.

Clearly the organizers knew that some rare treasures of the world could not be appraised on the spot, and everyone able to attend this auction was a celebrity of society; no one wished to bring in fakes and smash their own signboard.

Passing off inferior goods as fine did happen, but such a one-shot deal would also damage the seller's reputation — and the Yu family, who ran the thing, were not to be trifled with. Word had it that a few years ago a seller did exactly that, and afterward the Yu family ruined him, bankrupted him outright...

But for Fatty Lai's unknown pills, never before put on the market, however miraculous his description of them, the organizers still set him a rather low price: one million.

Fatty Lai had no heart for arguing the point. One million it was. When the time came, the thing would certainly not sell cheap.

Never mind a million — even a hundred million, he would have accepted without the slightest hesitation.

In Yanjing City, at the Xiao household. Miracle Doctor Kang brought Kang Guifeng and Kang Zhaolong to visit the two Xiao brothers, Xiao Ji and Xiao Ben.

The Xiao family's old master had departed this world, leaving Xiao Ji and Xiao Ben sons of a fallen house. Though the Xiao family remained a family of the lowest rank, the two brothers were still astonished and delighted beyond measure that Miracle Doctor Kang had come in person.

"Miracle Doctor Kang, you could simply have sent Brother Guifeng — why come yourself as well? You do our Xiao family too much honor!" Xiao Ji was exceedingly stirred by Miracle Doctor Kang's visit. So long as the marriage alliance with the Kang family succeeded, the Xiao family could obtain a bank loan and the backing of business partners; then their situation would turn around a great deal.

"It happens to fall on the day of the Yu family's auction, so I came along with them," Miracle Doctor Kang said with a smile.

"The Yu family's auction..." Xiao Ji was slightly startled. "Isn't the auction held every year in August?"

"It's been moved up this year. You didn't know?" Miracle Doctor Kang was taken aback as well. The Xiao family might be a family of the lowest rank, but they should still be among those invited to the auction — why did he look as though he had never heard of it?

He had known of it even from out of town, and the Xiao family, locals, did not?

"We knew... Ha, Elder Brother, the invitation is right here with me. With the old master's funeral to see to, I set the matter aside for the time being and forgot to mention it," Xiao Ben said with a smile, a shadow flitting across his face before he spoke.

Xiao Ben had told a lie, and nothing more. In fact, the Xiao family had indeed received no invitation, and it was what enraged him most! The moment the old master died, no invitation came — what on earth did the Yu family mean by it?

"I see, so it was with you. I thought they had left us out." Xiao Ji nodded with a smile. "So it really has been moved up! I wonder, Elder Kang, whether there is anything at this auction you are determined to have?"

"Well, the auction catalogue only comes out on the day itself, so I'm afraid I have no way of knowing!" Miracle Doctor Kang shook his head with a smile.

At that Xiao Ben felt a fresh pang of gloom. There had been a time when the Xiao family was in its glory, when days before the auction they would receive most of the catalogue. How grand he and his brother had been then, circling with a pen the lots that would surely be theirs...

But now they could not even be bothered to send an invitation! Poor as the Xiao family was, it was still a family of the lowest rank — how could they be looked down on like this?

"That goes without saying!" Seeing his elder brother about to open his mouth and boast of past glories, Xiao Ben spoke first to stop him. "By then I doubt we'll bid on anything at all. Whether we even attend is uncertain — there's far too much to do at home!"

Xiao Ben thus made his excuse in advance for not being present.

"By the way, Guifeng, where are our gifts?" Miracle Doctor Kang glanced at Kang Guifeng and asked.

"Here!" Kang Guifeng beckoned to Kang Zhaolong at the door, and Kang Zhaolong hurried over.

"Uncle Xiao, Second Uncle Xiao, this is a box of the top-grade wound medicine; a small gift, hardly worthy of respect!" Kang Zhaolong presented the gift box politely and spoke with reverence.

When Xiao Ji and Xiao Ben heard that what the box held was top-grade wound medicine, their eyes lit up at once. In auctions of past years, such a box had fetched a sky-high price of ten million; sold, it would relieve the Xiao family's present urgency.