Chapter 397
As Luther took the stage, the entire venue fell silent.
All eyes were focused on him, waiting for the appearance of the superior Spirit Stone.
Ling Feng sneered inwardly, always feeling that there was nothing worth making such a fuss over, truly making a mountain out of a molehill.
Luther stood at the podium, his gaze sweeping over the audience before he began to speak.
Thanks to simultaneous translation, Ling Feng could understand what he was saying.
Unexpectedly, the guy’s opening remarks were full of arrogance!
"I didn’t want to attend this conference, but your countries have invited me multiple times and put pressure on my superiors, forcing me to stand here!"
"Don’t be too pleased with yourselves, this supreme Spirit Stone is a rarity in the world, and even if you see it, don’t expect to find it in any corner of Earth, because according to my deduction, it is an extraterrestrial object from outer space!"
"So, cherish this opportunity, as you may never see it again in your lifetime!"
As Luther spoke, boasting and brimming with arrogance, a disdainful smile hung on the corner of his mouth, completely ignoring everyone in the audience!
It seemed that they knew his nature, so despite his harsh words, no one showed any unusual expression, most of them remained expressionless.
And Ling Feng was already rolling his eyes internally, if he hadn’t been aware of the occasion, he would have really wanted to confront him face-to-face!
After Luther’s pretentious remarks, he continued, "Alright, now let me show you just how perfect this superior Spirit Stone is!"
With his words, everyone’s heart rose in anticipation.
Luther flipped his palm and in what was previously an empty hand appeared a thumb-sized, crystal-clear stone, emanating a soft glow.
"Now I will place it on the table, and the data you want will be measured by a device. Cherish it, for you only have three minutes," Luther said with smug satisfaction.
Ling Feng glanced at the Spirit Stone and immediately scoffed.
"Just this tiny thing, and you dare to bring it out!"
However, he hadn’t forgotten his responsibility, his gaze fixed firmly on the Spirit Stone, all his attention concentrated on the area several meters around it.
At that moment, a staff member rolled in a machine, after which Luther placed the Spirit Stone inside it—apparently some kind of scanning device.
The scene remained very quiet, some people’s eyes blazing with fervent light, as if eager to find out the data quickly.
Ling Feng didn’t know whether the data was of any use, wondering if knowing its composition and magnetic field would allow them to use it as a template to search for more.
Time passed quickly, and the three minutes were up. The machine’s indicator light went off, and Luther smiled slightly, "Alright, time’s up, the item should return to its owner."
After finishing his words, he opened the lid of the device, and his previously smiling face instantly stiffened!
Many people took note of this, simultaneously realizing something was wrong!
Indeed, after a moment of shock, Luther burst into a furious rage, "Who did this!"
Upon hearing this, the security personnel responsible for the area around the stage immediately rushed forward, only to be instantly dumbstruck!
Zhang He sensed something was amiss and immediately leaped forward, taking just one look before shouting, "Lock down the venue!"
Ling Feng suddenly understood; an incident had indeed occurred!
It was just unexpected; the device wasn’t big, just a square box. How could the Spirit Stone have disappeared?
Although curious, he did not act rashly but stayed in his spot, warily scanning the entire room.
"It’s incredible, to steal something without a single shadow seen?" Joanna whispered.
Ling Feng did not look at her, saying instead, "Extraordinary people must have extraordinary methods. I thought it through just now, and I never imagined this outcome!"
"Who could have expected it? I thought Wildcat would cut the power and snatch away the Spirit Stone in the darkness!" Joanna said.
Ling Feng had considered this possibility, but felt it was too mundane. Zhang He would certainly have thought of that, so there had to be backup power supplies here.
The scene was becoming chaotic by now, as everyone knew the Spirit Stone had been placed inside the device and then vanished when opened!
Thus, the expressions on people’s faces were quite something to behold—some shocked, others taking pleasure in the misfortune.
Luther’s face had turned red with anger as he bellowed at Zhang He, "Is this an inside job?!"
The shock had passed for Zhang He, who calmly responded, "Mr. Luther, please be careful with your words. You brought this device, how could we tamper with it?"
At this, Luther was lost for words, his anger unabating as he pointed at Zhang He and shouted, "I don’t care, the item was lost on your turf, and you must take responsibility!"
"Rest assured, we will indeed take care of this matter and we will definitely retrieve the item for you," Zhang He said evenly.
But even with these assurances, Luther still appeared enraged.
It was not hard to understand, considering how precious the Spirit Stone was to him and the many benefits it had brought. He was a respected figure wherever he went, but now it had gone missing—a bitter pill to swallow!
So after hearing Zhang He’s words, he sneered, "What if it can’t be found?"
"We will provide you with a reasonable explanation!" Zhang He said, neither humbly nor arrogantly.
By now, the conference room had been surrounded. Being a sealed environment with only a few exits, no one could leave directly.
Zhang He ignored Luther and turned back to the people below, "Please cooperate with us. Due to the preciousness of the Spirit Stone, we must conduct a thorough search in hopes of recovering it."
All present were elites from various countries and understood the situation well. After all, those with nothing to hide don’t fear the search—so go ahead and search.
But at this time, Luther could not contain his rage, grabbing Zhang He by the collar, "Kid, I’m talking to you! I don’t want your damn explanations, I want my Spirit Stone!"
Zhang He’s expression changed!
Luther’s behavior was overbearing, and here in front of so many people, he was disregarding Zhang He’s status.
Ling Feng noticed a flash of murderous intent in Zhang He’s eyes, though it disappeared in an instant. Afterward, he said, "Please let go of me."
"Return my Spirit Stone!" Luther cried out!
Zhang He’s eyes narrowed, on the verge of erupting, when Ling Feng could not help himself and exclaimed, "Stop!"
The reason he stepped forward was that he felt Zhang He had shown good restraint and had been very patient.
Now, seeing that Zhang He was about to lose his temper, if he were to attack Luther, the scene would surely descend into chaos. If the Spirit Stone were taken away in the confusion, that would be a huge problem!
Since nobody else was reacting, it was necessary for him to step in quickly to prevent the situation from escalating.
Luther turned back, giving Ling Feng a look, "And who are you?"
"Who I am doesn’t matter. What’s so great about your broken Spirit Stone that you’re making such a scene here!" Ling Feng said coldly.