Chapter 121: This Stage is Mine to Command

Samuel Tang shook his head as he walked off the stage.

One by one, the appraisers of Xijing descended with expressions of disappointment. Every appraiser had offered their guesses, and the common conclusion was a single sentence: "This is not a human creation!"

Clearly, this answer was too mystical.

"Dad, even you can't figure it out?" Sienna asked.

"It's a strange crystal, like it's been squeezed out from the inside and solidified in an instant. That solidified feeling is quite magical..." Samuel Tang frowned, struggling to describe the sensation.

"Like time has been frozen?" a voice added.

"Yes, that's it. Time and space seem to be crystallized within, it's very strange," Samuel Tang's eyes lit up in agreement, and they turned to see the speaker was Leon Chen.

Samuel Tang's gaze softened slightly, his stone-cold face showing a hint of warmth. "In any case, this seems more like some undiscovered mineral."

"I'll take a look," Sienna said as she walked up to the stage, examining the crystal. It was identical to the ones she had discovered in Egypt.

"What do you see, young lady?" the elder auctioneer asked kindly.

"I guess this was discovered in Egypt, likely a pharaoh's burial artifact or decoration, correct?" Sienna applied her previous excavation experience.

The elder smiled slightly. "You're wrong! This crystal wasn't found in Egypt."

"Impossible!" Sienna couldn't believe it, it was identical.

"The consignor has already provided me with the crystal's information. He simply wants to know if this crystal has any research value. If none of you can guess, the consignor will likely be very interested in studying it himself," the elder said calmly.

"Is that so?" Sienna nearly mentioned her previous discoveries but decided against it.

A few minutes later, Robin's two friends also stepped up. Leon noticed that as they did, Jenkins, who had been indifferent until now, narrowed his eyes and tensed, as if ready to act at any moment.

However, the two foreigners only glanced at the crystal, shrugged, and stepped down.

The elder scanned the room. "Does anyone else want to give it a try?" The top appraisers couldn't identify it, and the others naturally didn't want to embarrass themselves.

"It seems the result is somewhat disappointing," the elder smiled faintly, as if he had anticipated this outcome.

"Wait—I'll give it a shot..."

A casual voice broke the awkward silence, and all eyes turned as if drawn by a magnet.

A young man, still bearing a hint of a student, came into their view. Despite the appraisers' vast experience in discerning artifacts from all eras, they couldn't fathom the intentions of the young man before them.

"Leon?!" Sienna was dumbfounded. He was the one who had raised his hand.

Leon smiled at Sienna. His smile conveyed a nonchalant attitude, which seemed rather out of place among the sly appraisers. They pursed their lips, thinking the kid just wanted attention.

Many present showed expressions of disappointment and mockery, looking at Samuel Tang as if to ridicule him for bringing someone who merely wanted to stand out.

Samuel Tang frowned but said nothing.

"Huh? You?" The elder auctioneer was momentarily stunned. Though he said anyone could come up and evaluate, everyone understood that this stage wasn't meant for young people, especially students.

"What's wrong?" Leon smiled innocently.

The elder found Leon's honest face quite deceptive. Thinking he wasn't seeking attention, he nodded. "Then please, come on up."

Leon stepped onto the stage, examining the "primordial stone" closely, his gaze calm. "Can I touch it?"

"Of course!"

Leon lightly brushed his fingers over the crystal's surface, serene and unhurried. As he touched the crystal, Robin and his companions watched his every move intently.

Ability No. 79 "Time Rewind" activated!

Once this ability was activated, vivid scenes appeared in Leon's mind, replaying everything related to the crystal like a movie.

Skipping the earlier memories of the stone, Leon issued a command to accelerate, and "time" swiftly rewound.

Leon began to capture all useful information.

A few minutes later, a dark scene appeared in his vision.

An elderly man, a familiar face, opened a long-sealed collection box filled with antiques. The old man saw the crystal and was deeply surprised, not understanding how it had ended up in the box. He finally raised it, and the memory regarding the crystal ended there!

Leon blinked, his eyes slowly regaining clarity.

The entire audience focused on him. Although it seemed like a lot of time had passed, the Time Rewind had only taken a few minutes, and Leon was now fully aware of the crystal's origins.

He even knew the exact time and minute the crystal was found.

Leon couldn't help but smile.

This ability is really quite interesting.

"What did you discover?" the auctioneer reminded him. The elders here were patient, but Leon's slightly distracted behavior was testing their limits.

"Alright," Leon said after a moment, as if organizing his thoughts. "I just need to guess where this crystal came from, right?"

"Indeed."

"Then I'll speak off the cuff," Leon said. "I think this crystal was used by someone to ward off evil spirits in a collection box. So, I guess it was found in a box storing ancient artifacts."

"What?"

Even the shrewdest appraisers were taken aback by Leon's words.

"Kids these days say the most ridiculous things!"

"Who would be so bored to place a crystal in a box for protection?"

"What a waste of time!"

The previously displeased audience erupted in derisive laughter.

Leon scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, "I was just guessing. My family also has some antique collections, and as a kid, I loved placing crystals in storage areas for protection."

The laughter grew louder. It was indeed a wild guess.

Sienna was speechless, thinking how ridiculous his childhood must have been.

Leon was about to step down.

"Wait!"

The elder on stage called out.

The hall fell silent instantly.

"Haha, a young hero indeed," the elder's tone was full of admiration. "What we old folks couldn't figure out, you nailed it!"

What?

The crowd gasped.

"We were misled by our experience, assuming anything in a dark auction must be a priceless rarity. What a lesson..." The elder's sigh made the appraisers break into a cold sweat. "To be honest, I found this crystal in an old box of artifacts. Afraid of being laughed at, I kept it hidden. This young man guessed it accurately, it indeed seems to be an amulet. Growing old, memories blur, and one tends to overreact, haha."

Leon remained silent. Through the Time Rewind, he already knew the stone's owner was the elder himself and guessed his reasons for the secrecy, hence the half-truthful explanation.

The room fell silent, or rather, awkwardly quiet. No one had guessed the crystal's origin was so simple, making them feel ashamed of their earlier attitudes.

"And what's inside the crystal?" Robin's cold voice demanded.

"Probably something placed during its making," Leon replied casually.

"Alright, regardless, Leon Chen has correctly guessed the crystal's origin. As promised, this crystal is yours as a memento," the elder smiled warmly, then addressed the audience. "Appraisal isn't just about following rules, sometimes it requires out-of-the-box thinking."

"Indeed."

A round of applause erupted, a rare acknowledgment from Xijing's proud appraisers and collectors. Leon was the first to earn their respect.

"It seems our daughter has found a deeply hidden boyfriend!" Sienna's mother laughed.

Samuel Tang's cold face showed a trace of satisfaction.

Sienna looked at Leon, her enchanting gaze filled with confusion. Wasn't it a primordial stone? How did it become a protective crystal?

This guy is really something... Seeing the expressions of the appraisers, who were now embarrassed and admiring, Sienna almost laughed.

Leon's gaze, however, was fixed on Robin and his friends.

They discussed among themselves, then sneered at Leon before quietly leaving the venue.

The auction concluded peacefully. Leon's impressive display made others refrain from bidding against him when he went for a "Fire Pattern Jade Pendant." As an apology for their earlier behavior, they kindly let him win.

The jade pendant, valued at 50 million by Samuel Tang, was bought by Leon for just 50 yuan. Sienna laughed, saying that spending time with Leon was ruining her lady-like image.

Leon was also puzzled, thinking these collectors were really unpredictable.

After sending Sienna back to school, Leon didn't return to his dormitory immediately. He went to the playground, sat on the steps, and examined the primordial stone, as if waiting for someone.

Soon, three figures emerged from the darkness, surrounding Leon.

In the moonlight, it was Robin and his two friends.

"Just as you said, this boy is special," Garcia said.

"Be careful!" Robin sneered. "He has some strange abilities!"

"The so-called Eastern Royal Clan?" Earl scoffed. He looked at Leon coldly, "Since you're here, you should know what's going to happen. It's simple: either give us the crystal or we'll have to take it."

"You commanded the stage just now, but this night is mine to rule!"