As a Magnate, I Started Checking in at a Convenience Store

Chapter 293: Meeting an Old Friend at the Auction!

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

The day of the auction arrived in a blink of an eye. Zhou Chao spent the past two days mostly confined to his hotel room. He hadn’t ventured out much, either watching livestreams or scrolling through short videos, becoming something of a homebody.

During this time, Li Hao’s bodyguard, Yang Bo, delivered a golden invitation letter and the keys to a Mercedes-Benz S6oo to Zhou Chao. He mentioned that it was to make it more convenient for Zhou Chao on the day of the auction, and Zhou Chao graciously accepted both.

Since the auction was scheduled for the afternoon, Zhou Chao had no intention of getting up early. He lounged in bed, engrossed in his smartphone, until around noon.

It was only then that he leisurely climbed out of bed and placed an order for a meal from the hotel. He then stepped into the shower, got dressed, and as soon as he had changed, there was a knock at his door.

Upon opening the door, Zhou Chao found a hotel attendant pushing a small trolley, waiting respectfully at his doorstep.

“Sir, your meal has arrived!”

“Please, come in!” Zhou Chao opened the door wider, allowing the attendant to wheel the trolley in.

The attendant positioned the meal on the table and said, “Sir, enjoy your meal. When you’re done, please notify the front desk, and we will take care of it.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

Once the attendant left the room, Zhou Chao sat down and began eating. He had been famished, and he devoured the two dishes and soup he had ordered in less than ten minutes.

“As expected, everything tastes delicious when you’re hungry!” Zhou Chao slouched on the sofa, a satisfied expression on his face.

After resting for about twenty minutes, it was already 1 o’clock in the afternoon, and the auction was not far from starting at 2 o’clock. Zhou Chao called the front desk, requested room service, and then left his room with the car key and room card.

In the hotel’s parking lot, he located the Mercedes-Benz S6oo that Li Hao had sent over and began driving towards Jaffe Road in Wan Chai, where the Poly Auction was being held.

When Zhou Chao arrived outside the auction venue, many cars had already been parked. After parking his car, he proceeded towards the entrance.

As he was about to enter, a security guard stopped him.

“Hello, sir. Please show your invitation.”

Zhou Chao had momentarily forgotten about the need for an invitation, so he retraced his steps to his parked car and retrieved the golden invitation.

“Here’s the invitation.” The security guard, upon seeing the golden invitation letter handed over by Zhou Chao, briefly contracted his pupils but quickly regained his composure.

“Mr. Zhou, hello! Please go inside. There are staff members there specifically designated to assist you. Please keep your invitation safe.”

Zhou Chao noticed the subtle change in the security guard’s demeanor but wasn’t surprised. He had realized that his invitation was something extraordinary when he received it, but he hadn’t expected it to be of the highest level.

Zhou Chao, holding the golden invitation letter, walked inside. As he entered the auction hall, a young woman with striking looks and poise greeted him.

“Good day, sir. Please follow me,” the young lady said with a keen eye on Zhou Chao’s golden invitation letter.

Zhou Chao followed the attractive lady inside, occasionally surveying the interior of the venue. The overall ambiance appeared quite impressive.

Before long, Zhou Chao reached the interior of the venue. Many of the seats were already occupied by middle-aged men who looked quite prosperous. He hadn’t spotted any young people yet.

The beautiful woman led Zhou Chao to the front row, and to his surprise, there was not a single person seated there.

“Sir, please check the number on your invitation, and you should sit in the corresponding seat.”

Zhou Chao opened his invitation and noticed the number “2” written in the bottom right corner. He examined the seating chart and realized that seat 1.2 was right in the center, offering the best view.

He handed the invitation to the young woman, giving her a nod of acknowledgment, and took his place at seat number 2. Those who had already occupied their seats in advance couldn’t help but engage in hushed conversations when they saw Zhou Chao take the central position.

“Who is that young man? He’s sitting in the first row, seat number 2. He must be someone remarkable.”

“Who knows? Anyone who can sit in the first row can’t be ordinary!”

“Alright, let’s stop speculating. Let’s focus on the catalog and see if there’s a chance to bid on some collectibles.”

The discussions of the people behind Zhou Chao didn’t concern him. He was engrossed in studying the promotional catalog on the table, which predominantly featured the items up for auction that afternoon, including calligraphy, paintings, ceramics, and antiques.

As time passed and 2 o’clock approached, more people entered the venue. Even some occupants of the first row made their way in, and they all expressed surprise when they noticed the young man occupying seat number 2. They hadn’t expected to see such a young person in the front row.

As the clock ticked closer to 2 o’clock, even the occupant of seat number 1, Xiao Yang, entered the room.

“Brother Yang, is that you?” Zhou Chao was surprised to see Xiao Yang sitting in the first seat.

“You little rascal, what are you doing here? And you’re in seat number 2!” Xiao Yang was equally astonished by Zhou Chao’s presence.

“Li Hao invited me. I didn’t have much going on recently, so 1 came here for a change of pace. By the way, Brother Yang, why are you on Hong Kong Island? Do you have a mission?”

“Well… 1 happened to be here for some business and asked for a favor from the Li family. They extended an invitation to this auction, and 1 couldn’t refuse.”

As Zhou Chao listened, he understood the situation. It was essentially an indirect exchange of favors, and there wasn’t much you could say. After all, the invitation had been extended with good intentions, and there was no way to decline it—a clever maneuver indeed.

“Can I help you with something?”

“You?” Xiao Yang gave Zhou Chao a serious look.

“I remember you’re a computer specialist, right? Can you trace someone online? Never mind, you’re not a hacker. It’s pointless to discuss it,” Xiao Yang said, realizing that Zhou Chao had a background in computer science. He initially thought about asking for help but changed his mind.

“Hacker? Brother Yang, I can help with that. Not to brag, but my skills are among the best in the world. But speaking of that, Brother Yang, doesn’t your department have top-notch hackers? Why not have them give it a try?”

“I would prefer to assign a more experienced hacker, but they’ve been tied up with other tasks lately and can’t be spared. They sent me two newcomers instead.”

Zhou Chao understood that there must be other important matters at hand, which was why they couldn’t allocate a top-tier hacker.

“After the auction is over, Brother Yang, I’ll go with you and give it a shot. Who knows, maybe I can handle it!”

Xiao Yang contemplated for a moment and then said, “Alright, once the auction is over, you can come with me.”

“Great!” Zhou Chao’s face lit up with a smile. Getting Xiao Yang involved in something meant it was no small matter.

Their conversation lasted for less than two minutes, and soon it was 2 o’clock, marking the official start of the auction.

The surrounding lights dimmed, leaving only the auction stage brightly illuminated.

A graceful woman in a cheongsam walked out, instantly captivating everyone’s attention.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to this auction. I am your auctioneer for today, Aya!”

*Clap!* Aya’s demeanor transformed into that of a seasoned professional.

“The auction is now commencing.. Please allow us to introduce our first auction item!”