Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

The exhibition hall was vast. To ensure the success of the event, the Gu Family had invested significant effort, including a complete renovation and refurbishment. The entire hall was now resplendent, with an air of opulence and luxury. Polished marble floor tiles shone like mirrors, the walls were adorned with famous paintings, and many of the delicate exhibits were protected under glass covers. After all, many of the items on display were extremely precious collectibles. The Gu Family's business was in jade, jewelry, and antiques, so it was only natural that their collection consisted of extraordinary pieces.

By now, many guests had arrived, and the exhibition hall was beginning to buzz with excitement.

Zhao Dong spotted Gu Moning. She was wearing a white, strapless, waist-cinching gown and a pair of white high heels that accentuated her delicate feet. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, making her a truly captivating beauty. A crystal and diamond crescent-moon necklace graced her snow-white skin, and her eyes, as dark as black gemstones, glittered under the lights. She possessed the kind of dangerous beauty that could topple nations.

Holding a champagne flute, she wore a gentle smile as she greeted the numerous guests. However, the person she most wanted to see was Zhao Dong. She glanced around, searching for his figure.

I don't know what's gotten into me lately. Ever since I returned from the countryside with Zhao Dong, he just inexplicably pops into my mind. Sometimes, my thoughts feel completely uncontrollable… but I don't even like Zhao Dong. Why do I keep thinking of him?

She had been looking forward to the exhibition for the past two days, precisely because Zhao Dong would be attending. At the thought, her heart began to beat a little faster, like a fawn leaping in her chest.

Finally, she spotted Zhao Dong in the crowd. Her eyes instantly lit up, a smile bloomed on her face, and she quickly walked toward him.

Zhao Dong saw her too and gave her a slight smile and a nod.

Gu Moning approached him, champagne in hand. She clearly had things she wanted to say, but now that she was standing before him, she was suddenly at a loss for words. She could only gaze at him, her face blushing.

Zhao Dong smiled. "Miss Gu, we meet again. You've gotten even more beautiful."

Gu Moning bit her lip, a shy smile touching her blushing face. "When did you become so sweet-tongued?"

"My mouth has always been sweet. Would you like a taste, Miss Gu?" Zhao Dong teased her deliberately.

Having never heard such flirtatious lines before, Gu Moning's face flushed a shade of red so deep it looked like it could draw blood. She shot Zhao Dong an annoyed glance. "You… you're always joking."

Seeing her shy demeanor, Zhao Dong laughed heartily. "Alright, you should go entertain your other guests. I'll just look around on my own."

Gu Moning pursed her lips. "It's fine. Today, you're the special guest I need to take care of. The others can look around by themselves."

Zhao Dong's interest was piqued. "Oh? And why am I a special guest?"

She pursed her lips, her beautiful eyes filled with shyness. "Because… because you saved me last time. You saved the Gu Family."

Zhao Dong smiled. "Alright, then. I couldn't be happier to be accompanied by such a great beauty, as long as I'm not keeping you from your duties."

"You're not."

The two chatted and laughed as they strolled through the exhibition hall.

Gazing at the grand hall filled with a dazzling array of collectibles, Zhao Dong clicked his tongue. "Your Gu Family is truly wealthy. The combined value of these exhibits must be over a billion, right?"

Gu Moning smiled. "The Gu Family has always been in the business of jewelry, jade, and antiques, so we naturally deal with many collectibles. There are indeed a lot of fine items here. You can see if there's anything you like. You can pick a few pieces, free of charge."

Zhao Dong smiled slightly. He remembered his agreement with the Gu Family that he could have his pick of a few items from the exhibition for free. With so many treasures around, he was naturally going to take a good look.

As they walked around, Gu Moning provided introductions for the various items. Indeed, Zhao Dong spotted several treasures.

One was a set of silver needles forged from an extremely cold meteorite. The material was not only hard enough to be used as a weapon, but it also contained an intense cold energy that could instantly freeze a person to death. It could also be used for acupuncture. If wielded correctly, it could make one's medical skills twice as effective with half the effort!

Zhao Dong immediately reserved the set of silver needles. Next, he saw a top-grade Phoenix Blood Grass. Out in the market, a single stalk of this grass was worth seven to eight million. Its medicinal effects were unique but also very specific. It was mostly effective only for blood-related diseases, so although it was rare and precious, not many people needed it.

But Zhao Dong did. This Phoenix Blood Grass could be used to suppress Xu Yafei's symptoms!

Thinking of this, Zhao Dong reserved the Phoenix Blood Grass without hesitation. Both the Phoenix Blood Grass and the set of silver needles were treasures one could only hope to encounter by chance. His tour of the hall was already proving to be quite fruitful.

As noon approached, ninety percent of the guests had arrived. The exhibition hall was now teeming with people and bustling with excitement. Small crowds gathered in front of the several hundred exhibits, but there was one display case that stood empty.

Zhao Dong looked over with surprise and was momentarily stunned. Inside the transparent glass case lay a palm-sized piece of iron. He frowned and walked over, with Gu Moning following behind.

Arriving in front of the "iron piece," Zhao Dong frowned and asked, "What is this?"

Gu Moning replied, "Our family doesn't know either. We acquired it by chance. It was said to be a rare treasure, but our people have examined it, and we've invited numerous experts and masters to inspect it, yet no one can find anything peculiar about it. It just seems to be a piece of iron."

"A piece of iron?"

Zhao Dong gave an odd smile. Gu Moning smiled wryly. "All we can tell is that it's a piece of iron. But it's possible it's a very special treasure that we just can't identify."

"Can I take it out for a closer look?" Zhao Dong asked in a deep voice.

"Certainly." Gu Moning had a staff member open the glass case and handed the iron piece to Zhao Dong.

Zhao Dong narrowed his eyes. Indeed, as he held it in his palm, he couldn't sense anything unusual about it. It just felt like an ordinary, rust-stained piece of iron. But he had an inexplicable intuition that this object was anything but ordinary.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhao Dong said, "How about you let me have this? I'd like to take it back and study it."

Without a second thought, Gu Moning replied, "Of course. It's yours."

Zhao Dong smiled and put the iron piece away, planning to study it carefully when he got back.

Accompanied by Gu Moning, Zhao Dong continued to browse, acquiring another rare medicinal herb and also selecting an ancient painting. The painting gave him a peculiar feeling; from the moment he first saw it, he couldn't look away. Although most people paid it no mind, Zhao Dong had a strange intuition that he had to have it.

Seeing that Zhao Dong was choosing such obscure items, Gu Moning said, "Zhao Dong, the value of these things is uncertain. They might be completely worthless. Perhaps you should choose some more valuable treasures."

Zhao Dong smiled. "I don't care for those obvious treasures. I prefer these mysterious items that nobody can figure out. You never know, I might find something special."

Gu Moning smiled. Since Zhao Dong liked them, she didn't press the issue. She was just worried he was getting the short end of the stick, since he was picking things that even her family couldn't appraise.

Zhao Dong, however, was feeling very satisfied. His haul for the day was quite substantial.

Bidding had now begun in front of many exhibits throughout the venue. The Gu Family's exhibition format was innovative, combining elements of an auction and a showcase to allow for on-the-spot bidding.

The hall was incredibly lively. Zhao Dong chuckled, "With an exhibition like this, your family must be making a fortune, right?"

Gu Moning smiled. "The Gu Family doesn't lack money; what we lack is prestige and reputation. This exhibition is very important. We only hold one every two or three years, and all the guests are people with status and significant backgrounds. On the surface, it might look like the Gu Family is just trying to make money, but our real goal is to enhance our reputation and network with business partners from various regions."

"I see."

"In any case, the benefits are significant," Gu Moning added with a smile. "If it's a success, the Jewelry and Gemstone Association Alliance will grant the Gu Family more resources, which is why we take this exhibition so seriously."

Zhao Dong was slightly surprised. "The Jewelry and Gemstone Association Alliance? What's that?"

"It's an association formed by those in the jewelry and gemstone business within Jiangdong Province. Although it's called an association, it's rife with competition. This time, the right to host the exhibition fell to our family, and many other families are green with envy. I'm just worried some of them might come looking for trouble."

Zhao Dong smiled. "Don't worry. These families should have some sense of decorum; they wouldn't do something like that."

"I hope so."

"Alright," Zhao Dong said with a smile. "You go get busy. It looks like your family is a bit short-staffed. I'll just look around."

"Okay," Gu Moning smiled. "I'll come find you later."

"Sure."

After Gu Moning left to assist other guests, Zhao Dong leisurely made his way to a rest area in the corner and sat down. The exhibition displayed items in several batches, not all at once. Having seen the current batch, he decided to wait and see if the next one had anything worth acquiring.

He had just taken a sip of water when a commotion erupted from outside the hall. Zhao Dong frowned and looked over just in time to see the main doors get kicked open. Several security guards were sent flying inward, crashing heavily to the floor and coughing up blood. The entire crowd gasped, their eyes snapping toward the entrance.