While Ye Chen was stockpiling, in the antique street of Modu.
Dongfang Yue, dressed in an elegant cheongsam, walked through the bustling crowd.
Ever since she activated her [Fortune Observation] ability, she had gained a completely new understanding of this world.
It also stimulated her desire to pursue power, as she hoped to find and mark more 'Great Fortune Holders'.
In her opinion, this kind of antique market, where dragons and snakes mingled, was the most likely place to hide 'fish that slipped through the net' who possessed special abilities or extraordinary encounters.
She quietly activated her ability, and the world before her instantly changed.
The 'Qi' on most people was dull and gray, like a flickering candle in the wind.
Some antiques on the stalls had faint traces of 'Qi' remaining, which were the marks of time's precipitation, nothing special.
Occasionally, she would see a few martial artists whose vital energy was more vigorous than ordinary people, but that was all; they were far from meeting the standard of 'Great Fortune Holders'.
After a round of browsing, Dongfang Yue was somewhat disappointed.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, a nondescript teahouse at the corner of the street suddenly caught her eye.
The teahouse had no signboard, and its facade was simple and rustic, out of place with the lively shops around it.
But in her vision, within that small teahouse, there was actually a 'fortune' as heavy as a mountain, pure and majestic!
That fortune was condensed and unscattered, almost tangible, and it even made her feel a faint palpitation.
As if by a ghost's whim, she took a step and walked inside.
The teahouse was empty, with only a faint aroma of tea lingering.
A middle-aged man, dressed in a green long gown and possessing a refined and gentle demeanor, was sitting behind a wooden table, leisurely brewing tea.
When he saw Dongfang Yue enter, he did not get up, but merely raised his eyelids, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
"Miss, this place doesn't sell tea; it's only given to those with predestined connections."
The middle-aged man's voice was soft, yet it clearly reached Dongfang Yue's ears.
"I see a spiritual light flickering on your glabella, and your aura is extraordinary. I presume... you didn't come just to quench your thirst, did you?"
Dongfang Yue's heart trembled violently!
She prided herself on having concealed all her aura extremely well, yet the other party had seen through her extraordinariness with just one glance!
This person was definitely a true master!
She forcefully suppressed the turmoil in her heart, calmed herself down, walked to the table, and sat down.
"Sir, you jest. I was just passing by, smelled the tea, and wanted to come in for a bowl."
She decided to test him first, playing the role of a casual person who had stumbled upon an extraordinary encounter and was ignorant of everything.
"Heh heh."
The middle-aged man chuckled softly, poured her a cup of tea, and pushed it over.
"The tea is good tea, but it also depends on the one who tastes it."
He looked at Dongfang Yue with deep eyes, "In this world, there are always some people who are born different."
"They might be able to see things ordinary people cannot, or do things ordinary people cannot. These people, favored by Heaven, we call them, Tianming Zhe (Fated Ones)."
"Tianming Zhe (Fated Ones)?" Dongfang Yue's hand, holding the teacup, paused slightly.
"Precisely." The man nodded, like a patient teacher.
"However, fate is like a wild horse; without reins, it easily breaks free, harming both others and oneself."
"The Calamity Star, I presume, Miss, you have also discovered him, have you not?"
Dongfang Yue was startled again!
Calamity Star?
He was talking about... Ye Chen!
He actually knew too!
This guy was indeed not simple; he was definitely not just a simple Great Fortune Holder or Son of Fortune.
He definitely had another identity, and might even be able to see others' fortunes like her, otherwise how would he know Ye Chen.
"The Calamity Star, though destined by Heaven, will bring disaster to our world. He needs to be corrected!"
"And you and I, we, these like-minded individuals, bearing the mandate of Heaven, can make the world a better place, and can also gather together, communicate with each other, and better... control our own destinies."
Their conversation was full of veiled threats and probing... Dongfang Yue tried to ascertain the other party's background and organization through indirect questioning.
But the man remained calm and composed, only revealing that his name was 'Fuzi,' and that there existed a secret circle in this world comprised of 'Tianming Zhe (Fated Ones)'... However, he remained tight-lipped about any specific information regarding it.
After a long while, Fuzi seemed quite satisfied with Dongfang Yue's 'aptitude' and 'disposition'.
He took out an ancient wooden token from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Dongfang Yue.
On the token, a boldly written character was carved.
— 'Chen'.
"Tonight, Tianchen Club will host a tea party for like-minded individuals."
Fuzi said with a smile.
"With this token, you can enter. Whether to come or not is entirely up to your own decision, Miss. There, perhaps you can find... the answers to the doubts in your heart."
...Lu Corporation, President's Office.
Lu Cheng was leaning back in his boss's chair... A report from a subordinate lay on his desk.
It clearly documented all of the Ye family's asset changes, as well as a huge sum of money used to purchase underground fortifications.
The final recipient of this fund was an inconspicuous shell company.
The actual controlling person of this company was Lu Cheng himself.
When Ye Chen began frantically searching for a 'doomsday shelter'.
Lu Cheng's subordinates immediately approached him as'sellers'.
They recommended a 'perfect' asset to Ye Chen: an old civil defense fortification, abandoned decades ago and located in the suburbs.
This fortification was a 'junk asset' that Lu Corporation had acquired years ago when purchasing land. It had been abandoned for years, and they were wondering how to deal with it when Ye Chen came along.
In the words of the'sellers', it was packaged as a "military-grade, solidly built, hidden structure, a top-tier shelter perfectly meeting doomsday survival needs."
This made Ye Chen, who was desperate to find a fortress, feel as if he had found a treasure after a simple on-site inspection!
He was utterly incapable of thoroughly investigating the true background and value of this fortification, and immediately decided to buy the 'junk' at an 'exorbitant price'.
When the transaction was completed, Ye Chen even tightly held the'seller's' hand, shedding tears of gratitude, and promised him a spot in the shelter after the doomsday... The last page of the report was the financial department's calculation.
Through this transaction, the group not only successfully disposed of a non-performing asset but also made a net profit of nine figures.
Lu Cheng looked at the report, the curve of his lips becoming increasingly playful.
"For a non-existent doomsday, he scammed his own parents, went bankrupt, and the money still ended up in my pocket."
"What a filial son."
"But, who told me I was kind-hearted?"
"At that time, half of this money will be returned to your parents, so they can quickly see if they can have a child who isn't foolish..."
A monkey who thought he was fighting against fate, but didn't know that from beginning to end, he was just making a fuss on Lu Cheng's monkey mountain... Immediately, Lu Cheng closed his eyes.
Through the'sub-system' on Dongfang Yue, everything that happened in the teahouse, including her entire conversation with Fuzi, was clearly presented in his mind.
He also'saw' the token engraved with the character 'Chen'.
"A seed I casually planted actually learned to take root on its own and even found a... more fertile soil for me."
He slowly opened his eyes, a calculating, eerie glow flickering within them.
It seemed that Ye Chen, this Son of Fortune who could change the world line, was not the only one keeping an eye on him... Tianchen Club?
A gathering place for Tianming Zhe (Fated Ones)?
Not only did he not stop Dongfang Yue's idea, but he was full of anticipation.
Let her go, let her, this 'undercover agent' with a 'camera' and 'listening device', go and see for him what interesting prey this so-called 'high-end player club' actually hid.
The game seemed to be getting more and more fun.