Chapter Five: Tears of the Azure Sea

“Boss, I’ve been watching for a long time now, and those three old dogs haven’t shown up at all,” Wes said quietly, setting down his binoculars. “Damn it, I bet those old dogs are just hiding somewhere!”

At this moment, Xue Tian’ai snapped out of memories from ten years ago. Hearing Wes’s words, he sighed with a hint of regret, letting his whole body relax as he reclined on the sofa. “It seems that incident left too deep a mark on them. They must be conserving their strength. But that’s fine by me—I can retire in peace for a while.”

“Boss, are you sure about this? The brothers can’t bear to let you go. Especially Yan Yue, that little girl is beside herself—crying, fussing, threatening to hang herself!” Wes said with regret.

“Enough, enough. I’m just taking some time off, not dying. She’s mourning me already?”

Xue Tian’ai adjusted the mask on his face, fell into thought for a moment, then continued, “Wes, I’ve been away from China for ten years. It’s time to go back. Honestly, I’m tired after all these years. I need some rest. If those three Mafia bosses don’t show themselves, Butterfly will be safe in Europe, and the tragedy of Butterfly’s Fall shouldn’t repeat.”

“If those three old dogs do show up, I’ll tear them to pieces!” Wes’s face twisted in fury behind his mask as he recalled Butterfly’s devastating blow.

“Enough. We still have so many brothers who survived. If not for Bamboo Butterfly’s information back then, the whole Butterfly organization would’ve been wiped out. We need to cherish what we have, not drown in past pain.”

Xue Tian’ai reached out and gently patted Wes’s shoulder, trembling with anger, then promised, “If Butterfly really faces danger again, I won’t sit by and do nothing. Trust me!”

“Don’t worry, Boss. As long as those three families keep out of it, Butterfly is unbeatable in Europe! After all, it’s the organization you founded!” Wes said with worshipful reverence, like a devoted follower.

Feeling the depth of Wes’s admiration, Xue Tian’ai smiled helplessly and teased, “Alright, alright, stop flattering me, superstar. If there’s nothing else, go prepare for your concert. If your fans found out how much you worship another man, wouldn’t your female fans be heartbroken?”

Wes, an elder of the Butterfly organization known as the Monarch Butterfly, was a handsome blond-haired, blue-eyed man from Y country, with beautiful hands and slender fingers—skilled in theft and assassination. His weapon of choice was a set of steel playing cards, but that was only his killer persona.

His public identity was that of a world-renowned pianist from Y country, Wes Riley! At the age of ten, he competed in the Chopin International Piano Competition, standing out among over seventy veteran pianists with a dazzling performance and winning the crown, becoming the youngest champion in the competition’s history.

It was said that during the finals, ten-year-old Wes’s rendition of Chopin’s concerto moved the judges to tears, evoking cries to God and claims that Chopin had returned.

To conceal his glittering identity as a piano prodigy, he wore a mask during Butterfly missions, just like Xue Tian’ai, becoming another mysterious assassin after Phantom Butterfly.

But Wes cared little for his brilliant public image; after meeting Xue Tian’ai, it was nothing more than a shield.

Suddenly, Wes put on a “righteous” face and said shamelessly, “Let my female fans be heartbroken, who cares? I only acknowledge you, Boss. Not just worship—if you asked me to share your bed, I’d gladly do it. I’d go through fire and water, not even bother with protection.”

He twisted his mature physique, pretending to snuggle up to Xue Tian’ai.

Listening to Wes’s shameless words, Xue Tian’ai shuddered, his stomach churning, and he shouted, “Get out! I don’t play Brokeback Mountain! If you’re feeling frisky, find someone else—stop disgusting me!”

“Just joking, Boss. You’re about to leave, and I want you to live on in my heart. You always say, ‘To conquer a woman’s heart, attack her! Enter her body, make yourself her king! When she has you in her, you’ve won,’ right?” Wes feigned pitiful innocence.

“Wes, get out! As far as you can! I’m not dead—I don’t need to live in your heart. Stop cursing me!” Xue Tian’ai was utterly speechless at Wes’s shamelessness. Suddenly remembering something, he quickly added, “Besides, that line is for women, not for you men with a stick!”

“Heh, I just wanted to cheer you up, Boss. Ancient China had Wang Lun send off Li Bai, and today Wes sends off Boss. Aren’t you moved?”

“If you’re sending me off, do it properly—don’t disgust me. I’m about to get married!”

“Got it, got it. But your marriage will cause an uproar if it’s made public. The legendary killer god finally succumbs to worldly conventions.”

“Who knows? But we can’t let our enemies find out. Otherwise, they’ll see it as my weakness, maybe even threaten my fiancée to blackmail me!” Xue Tian’ai composed himself, emphasizing solemnly.

“Don’t worry, Boss. To outsiders, the organization announced you’re off on a long-term mission. There won’t be any problems.”

“That’s good. Be careful, and contact me if anything comes up!”

“Mm, mm. But I’m curious—what kind of woman could possibly be worthy of you, Boss?”

“I don’t know. Apparently, it’s an arranged marriage set up by my family.”

“Wow! Does China really have arranged marriages? Honestly, Boss, it’s so unreasonable. What if the bride’s a dinosaur?”

“Scram, scram, stop cursing me. I’m finally getting married, could you not jinx it?”

“Heh, no more jokes. Boss’s fiancée must be a beauty! Shouldn’t you send her something as a token of love?”

That remark struck Xue Tian’ai. Though he had little affection for the so-called Qin Mengxue yet, she was his fiancée in name and soon to be their first meeting. It would be proper to bring a gift.

“You’re right. Give me the binoculars, let me see if there are any good items up for auction!” Xue Tian’ai rubbed his hands excitedly, feeling a touch of anticipation. Normally, he only cared about the final assassin’s bounty at auctions, rarely paying attention to the earlier items.

Now, with those three old thieves absent and his own “retirement” imminent, he could leisurely enjoy the auction’s proceedings.

The Night Auction was still bustling, with treasures of the rarest kind on display. At that moment, a genuine Van Gogh painting was being auctioned.

Several wealthy patrons were fiercely bidding. Though they claimed to be bidding for coveted items, it was often just a battle of status among the rich.

When two or more people coveted the same item, competition erupted. The simplest way to compete was through wealth—wealth equated to face for these bosses.

After several rounds of aggressive bidding, the Van Gogh painting was finally won by a Black man for a staggering one hundred million dollars.

Watching the man’s ecstatic celebration, Xue Tian’ai wondered aloud, “Does this guy even understand the painting?”

But questions aside, he wouldn’t actually ask.

“Next, we’ll auction a gemstone ring, named ‘Tears of the Azure Sea.’ According to ancient Greek legend, it is a tear shed by the goddess Athena when leaving her mortal lover, left behind in the Greek sea—a divine relic. Its beauty is said to surpass all gems known to man, beyond imagination. I believe all the gentlemen and lovely ladies present will be interested,” said Hostess Hong Jie, her gaze sweeping softly across the room. “Let us witness the reappearance of the Tears of the Azure Sea!”

A man in white suit carried a sandalwood tray to the auction stage. On the tray rested a delicate box, broadcast onto the club’s large screen. The box appeared to be made of high-grade jade, with blackwood hinges, simple, exquisite, and elegant. The craftsmanship alone was awe-inspiring.

Upon hearing it was a gemstone ring, Xue Tian’ai became interested. Even Wes nudged him, “Boss, give your fiancée a ring. If it’s truly beautiful, she’ll love it!”

Xue Tian’ai nodded, “Mm, if it’s beautiful, I’ll spare no expense to get it!”

All the cameras in the hall focused on the ring’s box. Hong Jie smiled and said, “I can’t wait to see its beauty myself. Let’s count to three and open the box together!”

“Three!” “Two!” “One!” As the countdown finished, the box slowly opened. When it was fully revealed, the hall fell silent.

Xue Tian’ai stared at the ring, drew a sharp breath, unable to take his eyes off it.

Beautiful—too beautiful! That was the first, most visceral shock. A pale blue gem was set in a platinum ring adorned with tiny diamonds. Looking into the translucent blue stone, it glittered like fireworks.

The gem reflected the hall’s lights, dazzling as the night sky—one stone outshining all others, its pale blue radiance continuing in splendor, noble and radiant, full of enchanting elegance.

After a brief silence, the hall erupted in applause and praise. Nearly every woman’s eyes were shining, as if they could devour the ring with their gaze.

Even Hong Jie forgot her commentary, eyes fixed on the ring.

“It’s so beautiful, Boss! This ring is incredible!” Wes cried excitedly.

Xue Tian’ai recovered from his shock, took a deep breath, and ordered, “Be ready—I want this ring!”

“Ahem, even I don’t know what to say, it’s too stunning,” Hong Jie coughed lightly, then continued, “Let’s get to the point—the auction. Because the Tears of the Azure Sea is so beautiful, valuable, and has a tragic story, being the only treasure of its kind, we are starting the auction at thirty million dollars, with minimum increments of one hundred thousand dollars. The auction begins now!”

The starting price of thirty million dollars made everyone gasp. The Van Gogh painting had started at nine million; this ring was three times that!

Despite the high price, the big shots eagerly joined in, many raising their paddles and ringing the bidding bell—“Thirty-five million!” “Thirty-six and a half million!” “Forty million!” The price soared, some even shouting themselves hoarse.

As the price rose, voices from the ordinary seats grew quieter; this was no longer a contest for them.

Gradually, the battlefield shifted to the VIP rooms.

Xue Tian’ai hadn’t bid yet, just observing. When he saw the bidding heating up in the VIP area, his eyes flashed with resolve.

He raised his paddle, rang the bell, and began, “I bid...”

But before he could finish, another voice interrupted.

“I bid five hundred million dollars!”

The hall exploded in astonishment.

Everyone searched for the source of the voice—five hundred million dollars, not five bucks; the previous highest bid had just hit one hundred million! This was five times that. Who could be bidding so high?

The cameras quickly found the source: a young man with yellow-brown skin, dressed in white robes and a white scarf, rising from his suite sofa and waving through the glass.

Basking in the crowd’s envious gazes, the robed man’s vanity was fully satisfied, his lips curling upward.

Xue Tian’ai, annoyed at being interrupted, grumbled, “Who’s that white-robed clown?”

Wes, hearing the irritation in Xue Tian’ai’s voice, quickly explained, “Just a nouveau riche from Dubai who’s suddenly appeared in the last two years—Barat. Nothing to worry about, Boss, you can keep bidding.”

Xue Tian’ai nodded, raised his paddle again, rang the bell, and declared, “I bid one billion!”

His words were soft, but thunderous.

Wes, beside him, nearly stumbled in shock.