Ch 33: Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

Feiyang Auction House is the largest auction company in Jiang City. Every time a major auction is held, it attracts all the wealthy individuals from the city, and if there are good items, even wealthy people from other places come, making each event very lively.

Today, Fang Ziyang didn’t come alone. Accompanying him were Fang Qianhao, who was ostensibly there to “supervise,” and Zhou Jun and Zhao Jingyu. To successfully purchase the piece of land in the western suburbs under Fang Yandong’s watchful eye, Fang Ziyang needed the Zhou and Zhao families as cover. Otherwise, he couldn’t explain why he had so much money. The three of them were notorious in their circle for being “brainless” rich kids, so it wouldn’t seem unusual for them to impulsively buy a piece of worthless land.

To give Fang Yandong a “surprise,” Fang Ziyang had specially dressed up today. He wore the latest branded clothes and shoes, with every accessory, like cufflinks, collar buttons, and tie clips, adorned with diamonds. A flashy red diamond earring was a must-have to complete the look. The flashier, the better; the goal was to embarrass Fang Yandong as much as possible.

At the auction house entrance, seeing a row of waiting reporters, Fang Ziyang immediately shook off Fang Qianhao, who tried to stop him, and eagerly posed for photos with an excited expression. He was confident he’d be on the front page of every entertainment news outlet the next day!

Fang Qianhao was nearly driven mad with frustration. He finally understood why their father insisted he accompany his younger brother. This foolish sibling of his never missed a chance to act out and cause trouble!

“Fang Ziyang, what nonsense are you up to now? Are you out of your mind? We’re not public figures or celebrities; there’s no need to be in the spotlight, let alone striking poses for the cameras. Do you realize how embarrassing this is?” Fang Qianhao could already imagine the next day’s entertainment headlines about their family.

His foolish brother, however, seemed completely oblivious to his concern. “Embarrassing? Why would it be embarrassing? It’s rare for the young master of the Fang family to be in the spotlight. Didn’t our company’s image take a hit because of my live-streaming incident? I’m just making up for it, and you’re saying I’m embarrassing?”

Fang Ziyang looked at Fang Qianhao with disdain. “Fang Qianhao, if you don’t know how to help Dad with your studies, don’t cause trouble. You’re like a flower in an ivory tower, unaware of the hardships of the world.”

Fang Qianhao felt like he might pass out from anger. How could his ignorant brother accuse him of being unaware of hardships?

“Fang Ziyang, you’re hopeless! Do you have any idea how flashy you look right now? Your watch and accessories are blindingly shiny. Tomorrow, our family will definitely be the headline of entertainment gossip, and I can already think of the title: ‘Shocking! The world is never short of nouveau riche young masters!'”

Though the Fang family was wealthy, they had only been established for a few decades, and most of their connections were maintained through money. They were the epitome of nouveau riche. Fang Yandong loved face and despised such labels, so he had strict etiquette and public image standards for the family. Even though he wasn’t fond of his younger son, he still hired the best etiquette and public relations teachers to avoid public embarrassment. Fang Ziyang’s outfit today was somewhat flashy, but there wasn’t time for a makeover, so they had to deal with it. However, no one had anticipated that Fang Ziyang would accessorize with those diamond cufflinks, collar buttons, and tie clips after leaving the house.

“Fang Ziyang, take off those diamond cufflinks and tie clips right now, especially that red diamond earring. It doesn’t suit you!” Fang Qianhao demanded sternly.

But Fang Ziyang wasn’t about to listen to him. “Why doesn’t it suit me? It looks great. Are you jealous because you can’t afford these things and are picking a fight?”

“If I take off these accessories and walk in, people might think our family is going bankrupt, unable to afford even a few accessories. Then Dad would surely scold me for being inconsiderate… Wait!” Realizing something, Fang Ziyang became furious. “Fang Qianhao, I get it now. You’re trying to make me mess up so Dad will hate me more. You’re despicable! How could I have such a wicked brother? You’re really terrible.”

Fang Qianhao was stunned. When had he ever had such a “clever” thought?

By now, people had noticed their commotion and were looking over. Fang Qianhao wanted to argue back, but at that moment, Zhou Jun and Zhao Jingyu arrived, equally flashy and covered in shiny diamond accessories, excitedly running over.

“Ziyang, you got here so early! Your outfit looks great today. I didn’t manage to get this limited edition!” “Your watch and earring look fantastic. I spotted you as soon as I got out of the car!”

The Fang family, despite its wealth, had only risen to prominence in the past few decades. Most of their connections were maintained through money, making them the epitome of nouveau riche. Fang Yandong was extremely concerned about face and detested such labels. Thus, he imposed strict etiquette standards on the family, hiring the best etiquette teachers and public relations advisors for his younger son, even though he wasn’t particularly fond of him, to avoid embarrassment.

When leaving home today, Fang Ziyang wore well-known branded clothes instead of custom-made ones, which displeased Fang Yandong, but there wasn’t time for a makeover, so they had to make do. Fang Qianhao hadn’t noticed anything wrong either. However, Fang Ziyang had secretly adorned himself with diamond cufflinks, collar buttons, tie clips, and other flashy accessories while on the way.

As a result, Fang Qianhao couldn’t stop his brother from appearing in public like a gaudy peacock, reinforcing the nouveau riche image.

“Fang Ziyang, take off those diamond cufflinks and tie clips right now, especially that red diamond earring. It’s too flashy and doesn’t suit you!” Fang Qianhao demanded sternly.

But Fang Ziyang was unlikely to listen.

“Why doesn’t it suit me? It looks great. Are you jealous that I can afford these things while you’re too stingy and just finding fault?”

“If I take these off and walk in, people might think our family is going bankrupt, unable to afford even a few accessories. Then Dad will scold me for being inconsiderate… Wait!” Realizing something, Fang Ziyang became furious.

“Fang Qianhao, I get it now. You’re trying to make me mess up so Dad will hate me more. You’re despicable! How could I have such a wicked brother? You’re really terrible.”

Fang Qianhao was stunned. When had he ever had such a “clever” thought?

By now, people had noticed their commotion and were looking over. Fang Qianhao wanted to argue back, but at that moment, Zhou Jun and Zhao Jingyu arrived, equally flashy and covered in shiny diamond accessories, excitedly running over.

“Ziyang, you got here so early! Your outfit looks great today. I didn’t manage to get this limited edition!”

“Your watch and earring look fantastic. I spotted you as soon as I got out of the car!”

The two friends looked at each other’s outfits with happy, envious expressions on their faces, while those around them could barely suppress their reactions. Fang Qianhao felt the scorching gazes of onlookers and couldn’t bear the embarrassment of being associated with Fang Ziyang. He didn’t want to appear in the same tabloid photos as his foolish brother the next day!

Without saying another word of caution, Fang Qianhao turned and left in frustration, completely disregarding Fang Yandong’s instructions to keep an eye on Fang Ziyang. This was simply too humiliating and incomprehensible!

Once he was gone, Fang Ziyang and his friends Zhou Jun and Zhao Jingyu exchanged knowing glances and burst into laughter that only they understood. They then strutted into the auction hall with an air of unmatched arrogance, completely ignoring the varied reactions they provoked. Some were shocked, some amused, and some covered their mouths in disbelief. But the three of them acted as if they didn’t notice the mockery around them, even carrying themselves as if everyone was admiring their flamboyant display.

People who recognized them pulled Fang Qianhao aside for some gossip. Unable to brush them off, and already embarrassed, Fang Qianhao decided to play along and spoke candidly,

“You all know what my brother’s been like since he was young. My dad dotes on him the most. He lets him do as he pleases. What’s today’s little stunt compared to that? He’s got over two billion yuan to blow today, just to make him happy…”

“Oh, we heard he sold off some antique jade pieces for 2.3 billion yuan. Is your dad really letting him spend all that? Is he here to bid for the Hong family’s agency rights too?”

“No, even if he bids, the Hong family won’t sell. He’s after those jade rough stones. He wants to open a jewelry store. Just a heads up, don’t bid against him, or he’ll definitely hound you…”

With just a few sentences, Fang Qianhao deflected all the blame for Fang Ziyang’s embarrassing behavior, portraying him as a willful brat loved excessively by their father, and simultaneously gave a heads-up to those interested in the jade rough stones, ensuring no unexpected bidding wars.

Everyone took note of this. They couldn’t help but shake their heads at Fang Ziyang, seeing him as a foolish, spoiled rich kid. Fang Yandong’s indulgence of his youngest son seemed over the top.

As the murmurs of disapproval reached Fang Ziyang’s ears, he remained unconcerned, feeling rather pleased instead. Fang Qianhao was proving to be a perfect foolish teammate, unaware that his actions were setting the stage for the eventual downfall of Fang Yandong. When the truth about Fang Yandong’s manipulative indulgence was revealed, all of Fang Ziyang’s foolish behaviors would serve as undeniable evidence.

Although Fang Yandong wanted him to be useless, he didn’t want him to be too conspicuous. However, Fang Qianhao failed to grasp his father’s intentions completely.

The auction wouldn’t officially start until 8 PM.

Before the auction, everyone waited in the specially prepared buffet rest area, greeting acquaintances and checking the auction items list to ensure smoother bidding later.

By 7:40 PM, people began entering the auction hall. Although Fang Qianhao didn’t want to embarrass himself by staying with Fang Ziyang, the seating arrangements were predetermined and couldn’t be changed. Moreover, remembering his father’s instructions, he reluctantly returned to sit with them.

“Hmph!”

Having just had a quarrel, Fang Ziyang wasn’t in a good mood and only snorted at Fang Qianhao without saying much. Zhou Jun and Zhao Jingyu also showed their disdain, firmly standing by Fang Ziyang.

Fang Qianhao, feeling further provoked by Fang Ziyang’s attitude, fumed. Despite their poor relationship, as Fang Ziyang’s older brother, he felt it was disrespectful for Fang Ziyang to disregard him publicly. It was infuriating.

“Fang Ziyang, just wait. I’ll be telling Dad about your antics today!”

Before Fang Ziyang could retort, someone from the row behind them spoke up first.

“Sir, please be quiet. This isn’t your home.”

The sudden voice carried a strong authority, startling everyone.

Turning around, they saw that the speaker was a very handsome young man who appeared to be only around twenty years old. Despite his age, his demeanor and presence were far more impressive than Fang Qianhao’s, resembling a seasoned professional. A mere indifferent glance from him could unsettle those who lacked maturity and strong psychological resilience.

Fang Qianhao’s anger at being interrupted quickly dissipated under the young man’s cold gaze, leaving him with a dry throat and unable to respond.

However, when the young man looked at Fang Ziyang, there seemed to be a slight warmth in his otherwise cold eyes. He nodded at Fang Ziyang, a gesture of goodwill.

Fang Ziyang was momentarily taken aback but then smiled back courteously. “I apologize, sir. My brother isn’t very bright and has disturbed you…”

The not-so-bright Fang Qianhao nearly choked in anger.

The handsome young man, on the other hand, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and smiled, as if he had heard something amusing.

The young man nodded with a good temper and a warm voice, “No problem. Given the circumstances, do you need my help? I happen to have a private doctor with me who has experience in neurology.”

“Pfft.”

Zhou Jun and Zhao Jingyu couldn’t hold back their laughter. Who was this guy, and how could his words be even more biting than Ziyang’s?

Fang Ziyang also couldn’t help but laugh. The young man in front of him was indeed quite interesting.

However, Fang Qianhao was completely furious. He stood up, glaring at the young man angrily, “Who are you? What business is it of yours when I’m talking to my brother? Mind your own business!”

As the eldest son of one of Jiang City’s top wealthy families, Fang Qianhao had never encountered someone who dared to speak to him so disrespectfully, especially in public. He had already endured a lot of frustration, and now an outsider was provoking him. His temper was bound to explode.

Despite Fang Qianhao’s good reputation in the circle as a model child often praised by elders, his temper was actually quite bad, even worse than some other rich second-generation heirs.

In the story, Fang Qianhao’s character was portrayed as a domineering prince, always cool and arrogant, effortlessly humiliating any minor characters. However, today he had met his match.

No matter how the story described the power of the Fang family’s eldest son, the reality was that this status only mattered within Jiang City. Outside of it, who knew or cared about the Fang family?

The handsome young man had no intention of arguing with Fang Qianhao. He calmly pressed the call button on the chair.

The security personnel responsible for maintaining order in the venue immediately came over, glaring at Fang Qianhao, “Sir, if you need anything, please let us know. Do not make a scene in the venue.”

Feiyang Auction House wasn’t just any auction house; it had a strong background. The Fang family’s influence alone wasn’t enough to disrupt the order here.

Fang Qianhao had no choice but to sit back down, glaring hatefully at the young man.

The handsome young man, however, remained unfazed by Fang Qianhao’s threats and anger, maintaining a calm demeanor that was infuriatingly indifferent.

Fang Ziyang withdrew his gaze, feeling a bit puzzled.

He didn’t know this person, so why was he helping him? Moreover, this person gave him a strange feeling—not bad, but rather particularly close and familiar.

Strange.

But seeing Fang Qianhao being put in his place, he was quite pleased.

…

Setting aside the earlier incident, the auction began promptly at eight.

Today’s auction items were numerous, including jewelry, antiques, artworks, land plots, and more. The quality and variety of the items attracted many wealthy attendees.

With the auctioneer skillfully driving up the atmosphere, one item after another was sold, each fetching impressive prices.

Soon, the auction reached the highlight of the event: several large jadeite rough stones. These stones were of considerable size and highly eye-catching. The auctioneer introduced them with great excitement:

“…What you see here are a few of the main highlights of today’s auction. These massive stones are not ordinary jadeite raw materials but have been excavated from a newly developed, two-year-old imperial jadeite mine in the southwest.”

“According to several professional evaluations, there is a 90% chance that these stones contain large imperial jadeite. Of course, there’s also a 10% chance they could be worthless, but as the saying goes, ‘one cut makes you poor, one cut makes you rich.’ That’s the nature of the jadeite game…”

“So, the owner of these rough stones has set a starting price of 1 billion. Interested buyers can start bidding now.”

The starting price wasn’t particularly high, given that no matter how skilled the experts were, there’s always a risk that the rough stones might turn out to be worthless once cut open.

While the attendees were wealthy and could afford to spend billions, they weren’t fools. They knew how to spend their money wisely.

Given what Fang Qianhao had said earlier, there weren’t many bidders.

“Just a few people, Zhou Jun, Jingyu. Looks like I’m going to get a bargain today…” Fang Ziyang couldn’t help but show a delighted smile, looking naive and excited about making a great deal.

Zhou Jun and Zhao Jingyu played along, “Yeah, quickly, Ziyang, bid 10 billion directly. Don’t let them waste time. I believe these rough stones will definitely have green inside, and we’ll hit it big.”

“Okay!”

Without thinking, Fang Ziyang raised his paddle, looking every bit the typical rich fool.

Seeing this, Fang Qianhao felt somewhat relieved. No matter how sharp Fang Ziyang’s tongue was, he was fundamentally a fool. Once he helped his father recover the money, he would ensure he received a proper reward from him.

Crossing his arms, Fang Qianhao watched with a leisurely expression.

The bidding for the rough stones continued.

After Fang Ziyang’s bid of 10 billion, the number of bids gradually decreased. When the price reached 12 billion, only Fang Ziyang and a middle-aged man were still bidding.

Fang Ziyang’s cheerful expression faded, replaced by one of annoyance and anger.

He grumbled, “Who is that old man? Is he deliberately trying to outbid me? He keeps increasing the bid by the minimum increment!”

Zhou Jun and Zhao Jingyu also looked angry, nodding, “He must be doing it on purpose, Ziyang. Maybe we should give up. Good rough stones aren’t only available here. We could always spend a bit more and buy already cut and high-quality jadeite directly.”

Although the rough stones were large and of excellent quality, the price had already reached 12 billion. Going any higher wouldn’t be worth it.

Fang Ziyang nodded, agreeing that it made sense to stop.

However, Fang Qianhao was shocked. These rough stones were specifically prepared for his foolish brother, and the middle-aged man bidding against him was a planted bidder. The plan was to drive up the price and reclaim the money from his foolish brother all at once.

There was no way they could just give up now, not when the price was only at 12 billion!

Fang Qianhao hurriedly intervened, even changing his tone of address, “No, we can’t stop now, little brother. If we give up now, others will definitely laugh at us. Our family has already been embarrassed enough today…”

“Why can’t we stop? If the price keeps going up and the stones turn out to be worthless, I’ll lose a lot of money.”

Fang Ziyang pouted angrily, “Fang Qianhao, are you just waiting to see me fail? Hoping I’ll buy worthless stones!”

“Little brother!”

Fang Qianhao was exasperated but had to coax him, “Little brother, even though we argue all the time and don’t get along, you’re still my brother. How could I stand by and watch you lose money? I’ve already checked; these stones are guaranteed to increase in value.”

“Really?”

Fang Ziyang was skeptical.

Fang Qianhao nodded repeatedly, thinking quickly, “Of course. Why else would I come with you today? Do you think I really came just because Dad told me to? You irritate me! If you’re worried about the cost, we can buy the stones together. You bid now, and I’ll reimburse you from my savings. But if we make a profit, you have to share half with me…”

It sounded like a reasonable plan.

Fang Ziyang gave him a disdainful look, “Ha, Fang Qianhao, you always call me a miser, but you’re no better. Fine, since you’re so insistent, I’ll buy the stones. But remember, you have to reimburse me later—this is a joint investment.”

“Absolutely, definitely.”

Fang Qianhao agreed quickly.

Fang Ziyang didn’t say any more and resumed bidding, now confidently and aggressively determined to win the stones.

The guests in the room watched in surprise.

The auctioneer was thrilled, “18 billion, 18 billion! This young gentleman has bid 18 billion. It seems he has great faith in these rough stones, and rightly so. These have been assessed by multiple experts with a 90% chance of yielding imperial jadeite. How could one not take a gamble on such a high chance of success!”

“Sir, would you like to bid higher? If not, you might miss out on these super emperor jade stones!” The auctioneer, whose job is to push the prices higher, encouraged them provocatively.

The middle-aged man who had been bidding against Fang Ziyang couldn’t stand such provocation, especially if he had the means and cared about his face.

Unsurprisingly, the middle-aged man seemed provoked and raised his paddle again, “19 billion!”

Boom.

The atmosphere in the auction hall reached a new climax with this number, and everyone watched the money duel with excitement.

“How infuriating, this guy is really determined to outbid me!” Fang Ziyang was furious, his breath unstable, his competitive spirit seemingly fully ignited.

Fang Qianhao was happy inside but pretended to be worried on the surface, “This… the price is so high. Little brother, should we give up? Even if these stones do have valuable jade inside, they might only be worth twenty billion or so. It’s not worth it.”

But would the young master of the Fang family listen to this?

Fang Ziyang glared angrily, “Fang Qianhao, you coward! You said we shouldn’t lose face, and now you’re telling me to stop. Are you playing games with me? You don’t care because it’s not your face, right? I must win these stones today, and no one is allowed to outbid me!”

With that, he raised his paddle again, “21 billion!”

“Oh my god, 21 billion! This young gentleman has bid 21 billion! Sir, what about you? Will you bid higher? If not, these stones will go to this young gentleman…” The auctioneer shouted excitedly.

Everyone looked at the middle-aged man, thousands of eyes burning into him.

The bidding had reached this point, and it was no longer just about the items but also about saving face.

Under the pressure of everyone’s gaze, the middle-aged man looked very displeased, glaring at Fang Ziyang with a provocative sneer, “22 billion!”

The auctioneer turned to Fang Ziyang again, repeating his provocation, “22 billion, young sir, will you bid higher? If you give up, these stones will belong to this gentleman…”

The air was thick with tension.

Fang Qianhao clenched his fists in excitement, breathing heavily.

Just a little more, just a bit more…

Everyone’s eyes were on Fang Ziyang, waiting for his response.

But then, Fang Ziyang made no move.

Hearts raced, and the middle-aged man gripped his chair nervously.

But Fang Ziyang remained silent.

Feeling something was wrong, Fang Qianhao nudged his brother’s arm, breathing heavily as he urged, “Little brother, say something. Everyone’s waiting for you…”

However, Fang Ziyang did not raise his paddle as Qianhao hoped.

Instead, he angrily shouted at the auctioneer on stage, “Why wait for me? I’m not bidding anymore! If he wants them, let him have them! They’re just a few jade stones. I’ll go to the old mine and pick a bunch!”

With those words, the middle-aged man turned pale, sweating profusely.

Fang Qianhao’s voice changed pitch, “Little brother, how can you stop bidding? We had an agreement!”

“What agreement? Just because we have money doesn’t mean we should waste it,” Fang Ziyang said with disdain. “Fang Qianhao, I think you’re getting stupider. Spending tens of billions for face? I’m not that foolish.”

Fang Qianhao: …

You didn’t say that earlier, brother!

xxx

Sandy: redid the whole chapter due to the feedback from readers that some paragraphs were missing. Hopefully everything’s good now. If not, please let me know 🥰

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