Upon not being hired Lucas,Frustratdly wandered around and enocuntered a stall there he saw something interesting a worn scroll.
Just as Lucas Reed's fingers were about to touch the worn scroll, a calm voice sounded from behind him, telling him to wait. The moment the voice reached his ears, Lucas's body stiffened, and a chill ran down his spine as if he had stepped into ice. He didn't need to turn around to recognize it.
Victor Hale.
Lucas slowly straightened, tightening his grip on the edge of the painting before turning around. Victor stood there in a perfectly tailored black suit, his posture relaxed and his expression indifferent. Behind him, Mr. Foster and several bodyguards stood silently, their presence alone enough to make the bustling antique street grow quieter.
The stall owner froze for a moment, then immediately forced a flattering smile and greeted him enthusiastically. "Sir, welcome! Please take a look. Everything hereby is authentic, all genuine antiques."
Victor didn't even glance at him. His gaze rested on the scroll in Lucas's hand, but more than that, it lingered on Lucas himself. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips as he said calmly, "What a coincidence. Running into you here."
Lucas's expression darkened as he stared back. "What do you want?"
Victor didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a slow step forward and glanced at the painting before asking casually, "You're buying this?"
His tone sounded light, but there was something sharp hidden beneath it. Lucas felt his heart tighten, and for a brief moment, doubt flickered through his mind. He wondered if Victor had noticed something unusual, but he quickly dismissed the thought. There was no way anyone else could sense the qi within the scroll.
This was his chance to rise.
He couldn't let it slip away.
"So what if I am?" Lucas replied coldly. "Does the great Victor Hale have nothing better to do than interfere in a street deal?"
Victor let out a soft chuckle and shook his head slightly. "Interfere? No. I'm just curious."
Lucas didn't respond, but the tension between them thickened. Around them, people began whispering quietly, recognizing Victor and sensing that something unusual was happening.
"Isn't that Victor Hale?"
"The richest man in Skyhaven…"
"And that guy… wasn't he blacklisted?"
"Looks like trouble…"
The stall owner swallowed nervously, clearly caught in the middle of something far beyond his control.
Victor casually extended his hand, his tone calm but firm. "Let me take a look."
It wasn't a request.
Lucas hesitated for a brief second, feeling the invisible pressure bearing down on him, before reluctantly handing over the scroll. Victor took it as if it were nothing special, unrolling it halfway and glancing at it for only a few seconds before rolling it back up again.
"Trash," he said flatly.
Lucas's eyes narrowed immediately. "Then give it back."
He reached out to take it, but Victor didn't move. Instead, he turned toward the stall owner and asked, "How much?"
The stall owner blinked, then quickly put on a confident expression. "Sir, this is an antique from the Haven Dynasty. Very rare and valuable. I can let it go for five thousand."
Lucas almost laughed out loud when he heard that price. Just moments ago, the same man had sold it to him for one hundred.
Victor showed no reaction. "Ten thousand," he said calmly.
"Sold!" the stall owner replied instantly, afraid the opportunity might slip away.
Lucas's face turned cold as he stared at Victor. "Victor Hale, I saw it first," he said through clenched teeth.
Victor finally looked at him, his gaze calm and detached, with a faint hint of mockery. "And?" he asked.
Lucas clenched his fists. "There are rules in this market."
Victor raised an eyebrow slightly, then let out a soft chuckle. He handed the scroll to Mr. Foster without another glance. "Rules?" he repeated. "In my world, money is the only rule."
Lucas felt a surge of anger rise in his chest. This wasn't just coincidence. Victor was doing this deliberately.
"Do you even know what you just bought?" Lucas asked, his voice low and tense.
Victor met his gaze without the slightest change in expression. "No," he replied calmly.
He then stepped closer, lowering his voice so only Lucas could hear him. "But I know one thing."
Lucas's heartbeat quickened.
"If you want it," Victor continued softly, "then it must be worth something."
Lucas froze for a moment, caught off guard by those words.
Victor's lips curved slightly into a faint smile. "And anything you want…" he added in a calm but absolute tone, "…I'll take."
The words were simple, but they carried overwhelming pressure.
Lucas's breathing grew heavier. This wasn't about money anymore. This was suppression—deliberate and complete.
Victor straightened and glanced at his watch, as if this entire encounter had been nothing more than a minor interruption. "Enjoy the market," he said casually.
Then he turned and walked away, his entourage following behind him like a moving wall. The crowd instinctively parted to make way, and within moments, he was gone.
Lucas remained where he stood, his fists clenched tightly as his knuckles turned pale. The opportunity that had been right in front of him had been taken away once again.
"Victor… Hale…" he muttered slowly, his voice filled with restrained fury.
But then, his expression suddenly changed.
Because just now, for a brief moment, he had felt it.
The qi within the scroll…
It was still there.
Which meant Victor hadn't discovered its secret.
A slow smile spread across Lucas's face, cold and dangerous.
"Good," he murmured. "Take it."
His eyes darkened as he looked in the direction Victor had left. "Take it back with you and uncover it yourself."
His voice dropped even lower.
"Then I'll take it back."
This time—
He wouldn't lose.