As soon as Evan Chu entered the Savory Loft, a waiter rushed over with a bright greeting: "Honored guest, what would you like to eat? This is one of Bastion City's top restaurants—if you want it, we can make it happen!"
Gavin Wei followed him in, and Evan laughed, "Gavin, what do you want to eat? Order whatever you like—no need to worry about the bill."
Gavin was still anxious. After all, Evan had actually extorted Starstones from Harold Yule, Bastion City's little overlord. Even if the food was rare and delicious, he couldn't taste a thing.
Noticing Gavin's worried look, Evan grinned, "Just bring out a few of your signature dishes and a pot of wine. Make it quick—we've got business to handle soon."
After finding an empty table and sitting down, Evan said, "Don't worry. If I'm daring enough to pull this off, I've definitely got a plan. Just relax and eat."
"Are you sure about this? That kid's from the Yule family, do you even know who they are? They're imperial relatives—the current Emperor's surname is Yule." Gavin whispered, glancing nervously at the other diners.
"Oh, got it. We'll head to the auction house later—didn't you say you have something to sell? So do I!" Evan replied.
Soon the waiter brought out the food and wine. Evan dug in ravenously, while Gavin just picked at his meal, distracted by worry.
"Waiter, the bill!" Evan called out after eating his fill. He'd noticed that two people at the next table had been watching his every move.
"Honored guest, that'll be twenty Starstones," the waiter said.
Evan Chu handed the waiter thirty Starstones and said, "Here's thirty. The extra ten are a tip for you—but I need you to do me a favor. It's a simple job."
The waiter's eyes lit up at Evan's generosity—ten Starstones was half a year's wages for him! He quickly asked, "What can I do for you, honored guest?"
"Get me two premium rooms. I want to rest for a while, and I don't want anyone disturbing me. I'll pay for the rooms when I leave," Evan said.
Gavin was completely confused. Why go to all this trouble—he could've just asked for a room. Why tip the waiter ten Starstones?
"Please, follow me. I'll take you to our finest VIP rooms—they've got everything you could want, guaranteed to satisfy," the waiter said, leading the way upstairs.
Evan followed the waiter upstairs, and as he went, he shot a meaningful smile at the two people who'd been watching him.
After Evan left, the two watchers hurriedly paid their bill and left too, moving with obvious haste.
"Young master, that guy's really splashing out at the Savory Loft—he tipped the waiter ten Starstones and is staying in the best VIP room!" one of them reported to the youth Evan had just swindled out of two hundred Starstones.
"Really? So extravagant—interesting, very interesting," the youth laughed. "Keep watching him. Report any updates immediately."
The two watchers left, and the youth turned to the middle-aged man beside him and asked, "What do you make of this?"
"There are two possibilities," the middle-aged man said. "Either this kid has a serious background—anyone with a Windfiend Colt must come from a powerful family. Or he's just putting on a show, making us suspicious so we think he's a fraud, then plans to change his appearance and slip away."
"Slip away? In Harold Yule's territory? Go tell the city gate guards: every young person leaving the city must be thoroughly checked. Arrest anyone suspicious immediately," the youth said with a laugh.
"Yes, sir! I'll see to it right away!" The middle-aged man hurried off.
"Hand over the Windfiend Colt in two days? I want to see what tricks you've got. Two days from now, we'll see how you die. If you want to play games, I'll play along," the youth said, a wicked grin on his face.
After Evan entered the room, he inspected the furnishings—definitely impressive. The giant fragrant bed stood out, along with a screen painted with lifelike flowers and an en suite bath. Several potted plants on the windowsill made the place feel especially vibrant.
Gavin finally couldn't hold back. "Evan, what are you up to? The room here costs fifty Starstones a night—your two hundred Starstones will only last you two days! You're running out of time, you'd better think of something!"
Evan chuckled, "Isn't that exactly what I'm doing? Go check outside—see if anyone's eavesdropping or watching us. There's a reason I booked a high-end room. You think I'm stupid? Harold Yule definitely has us under surveillance. If we want to get anything done, we need to avoid his spies. That's why I picked this place."
Gavin quickly opened the door and checked around—no one was spying. He shut the door and said, "So what's your plan? Maybe I can help."
"Just stay here and wait for me. Tomorrow, we'll go to the auction. For now, I need you to tell me where the auction houses are in Bastion City," Evan said.
"There are two auction houses in Bastion City. Lyric Hall Auctions is the biggest and oldest. The other is Valorcrest Auctions, which has risen fast these last few years—the power behind it must be huge, or it couldn't have survived here," Gavin explained.
"Do you know the name of the owner of Lyric Hall Auctions? And its exact location? Bastion City is huge—if you don't give me directions, I could be searching forever," Evan said.
"Lyric Hall Auctions is a Yule family business—Harold Yule's grandfather founded it, but now his father, Yule Chenggong, is in charge. It's not far from here; just walk about five hundred meters straight out the restaurant door," Gavin replied.
"What about Valorcrest Auctions?" Evan asked, now that he'd made up his mind.
"Valorcrest Auctions is pretty mysterious—they've auctioned off the rarest items these past years. Most people go to auctions just for their treasures. It's easy to find, too—just about a hundred meters from Lyric Hall," Gavin said, still unsure why Evan was asking.
Evan carefully stepped behind the screen, took off his mask, and pulled out a clean set of clothes from his storage ring before emerging in his new outfit.
Gavin stared in confusion. "Are you... Evan?"
Evan laughed, "That's right, Gavin—can't recognize me, can you?"
"Your disguise technique is flawless, brother—you're a real talent," Gavin said.
Evan smiled wryly to himself—this was his real face, so of course the disguise was perfect. Out loud, he said, "I'm heading out. You stay here. If anyone comes in, just say I'm asleep. Don't reveal anything about me. Meet me at the auction tomorrow."
Evan opened the door, checked the surroundings, and left when he saw no one was watching. Gavin sat there, stunned, watching Evan's figure disappear...