Chapter 191: As Timid as a Mouse

Shen Tu’s face flushed red with anger.

So what if he was poor? Even though he didn’t have much, the people of Honglian Stronghold were united, harmonious, and cared for each other. In contrast, Bloodbite was rotten to the core, full of infighting and backstabbing—even killing their own. How could they possibly compare to the goodness of Honglian Stronghold?

Anyway, Shen Tu was happy to stay in Honglian, no matter how poor they were.

“Hmph, even a pauper is better than a Bloodbite dog like you,” Shen Tu couldn’t help but retort, nostrils flaring as he looked down on Kui Hu with open disdain.

Kui Hu snorted coldly, the two of them glaring at each other like a pair of enraged bulls, eyes bulging and faces red with fury.

The people around them carefully edged away, quietly distancing themselves from the brewing storm.

Haozi pulled Weiwei behind the big, burly Da Liu—Amei’s man—his heart pounding wildly.

What a thrilling scene!

He peeked out nervously, trying to keep an eye on the situation.

Seeing how timid and fearful Haozi looked, Weiwei felt a pang of disappointment. Why was Haozi-ge so timid, like a little mouse? Even if he couldn’t compare to someone like Shen Tu from Honglian, couldn’t he at least measure up to Da Liu?

Just look at Da Liu—standing there, steady and imposing, exuding manly confidence. Then look at her beloved Haozi-ge…

Aside from his handsome, delicate face, he really couldn’t compare to the other men.

Weiwei lowered her eyes, a hint of confusion flickering in them. For the first time, she felt a wave of disappointment toward her Haozi-ge.

“Weiwei, I just thought of a brilliant idea!” Amei, who’d been watching the commotion, suddenly pulled Weiwei aside and whispered excitedly.

Weiwei perked up and forced a smile. “What’s the idea? Need my help?”

“No need, I’ll talk to Tu-ge myself.”

No sooner had she said this than the crowd erupted again.

“Wow, this one’s strawberry-flavored! Smells so sweet!”

“I want this one! It’s as thick as my arm—I could eat it all day!”

“Miss Yun is so lucky—three draws in a row, and all sweet flavors! She hasn’t missed once!”

“Hurry, start the bidding!”

“Three thousand energy coins!”

“I’ll pay four thousand!”

“I’ll pay five thousand!”

The crowd was whipped into a frenzy, and even the tension between Shen Tu and Kui Hu was momentarily forgotten.

Seizing the opportunity, Amei slipped over to Shen Tu and tugged at his sleeve.

Shen Tu frowned in annoyance, but when he saw it was Amei, his expression softened a little.

She was his brother’s woman, and by extension, one of Honglian’s own. Naturally, Shen Tu couldn’t take his anger out on her.

So, in his gruff voice, he tried to sound as friendly as possible. “What is it?”

Seeing his attitude, Amei immediately lost the last trace of her fear. She tiptoed up to whisper her price-hiking scam in his ear.

The more Shen Tu listened, the brighter his eyes grew. He was in!

He shot Amei a reassuring look, then turned to Kui Hu, chin raised, nostrils flaring, and boasted, “Didn’t you say I’m poor? Well, I brought plenty of energy coins today. I’m buying this strawberry-flavored green jelly stone!”

Kui Hu’s face fell. No way was he letting that happen. He snorted, “My Meier likes strawberry too. I’m buying this for her. Don’t even think about it.”

Hei Meier’s pretty face lit up with gratitude. “Tiger-ge, you’re the best! Thank you! But this piece is so big, I couldn’t finish it alone. Let’s share it together.”

Her words were full of trust, as if the strawberry jelly stone was already theirs, with no fear at all that Kui Hu might lose the bid.

Kui Hu was clearly pleased, patting her arm. When Shen Tu called out, “Ten thousand!” Kui Hu immediately raised the stakes: “Twenty thousand!”

Shen Tu refused to back down, taunting, “Thirty thousand!”

Kui Hu snorted, “Forty thousand!”

Shen Tu gritted his teeth. “Sixty thousand!”

Kui Hu, smug, “Seventy thousand!”

He even raised his eyebrows at Shen Tu, humming with satisfaction—go on, pauper, keep bidding!

Shen Tu’s face looked sour, but inside he was laughing. What an idiot Kui Hu was.

Just a few days ago, he’d bought a piece bigger than a person for only a hundred thousand, and now Kui Hu was paying seventy thousand for one the size of an arm. What a sucker!

Da Liu’s wife was a genius—this idea was brilliant.

He wondered how much of a cut he’d get from this…

Shen Tu was feeling great, and was tempted to keep bidding, to really bleed Kui Hu dry. But Kui Hu wasn’t that stupid, so he held back.

Da Liu’s wife was right—he had to play the long game and not scare off this fat sheep by being too greedy.

With that in mind, he forced himself to look angry and shouted at Kui Hu, “You—you—fine, I don’t want it anymore! I’ve already had strawberry, I want to try a new flavor.”

Just then, a new platform rose up next to Yun Qimu. On it stood Kui Hai, smiling warmly, holding a green jelly stone the size of a head.

“I’ve got a watermelon-flavored one here. Who wants to bid? Like Miss Yun, I’ll auction it off to the highest bidder.”

His words set off another frenzy, and many in the crowd began shouting bids.

Shen Tu’s eyes lit up. “Watermelon sounds good! Three thousand!”

Kui Hu immediately followed, “Four thousand!”

“Five thousand!”

“Six thousand!”

The two of them went back and forth, turning the whole scene into their personal bidding war.

At first, the onlookers joined in, trying to get a piece for themselves, but soon they were stunned by the duo’s reckless spending.

No way could they compete!

They gave up and settled in to watch the show.

Without exception, every auction ended with Kui Hu winning. At first, Kui Hu was overjoyed, his rough face beaming with pride at finally getting the better of Shen Tu in terms of wealth.

But as time went on and his wallet grew thinner and thinner, Kui Hu’s face darkened.

Especially when he noticed that Shen Tu wasn’t angry at all—in fact, he couldn’t hide his glee. Kui Hu’s heart sank.

His eyes widened, and his face turned fierce: Damn, I’ve been played.

He roared at Shen Tu, “Shen Tu, you dare scheme against me?!”

Shen Tu froze, then muttered in regret, “Crap, he figured it out.”

All because he couldn’t keep a straight face. If he’d been more careful, he could’ve squeezed Kui Hu for a few more rounds."