Chapter 259: Chapter 260

Casper made a rough calculation and realized that the items put up for auction were worth almost over a hundred million. Adding it to the amount earned from the trading of trinkets at the main venue, the transaction value of the fair could easily reach a few hundred million.

Antique dealing is such a lucrative business.

Casper was getting greedy. I could well be halfway to hitting my minor target of earning a billion if I joined Antique Fair. Antique dealing is highly profitable.

“Thank you for your support, Mr. Lane.”

Darian nodded at Tony. Even after paying Victoria’s Chamber the commission for the forty million he earned, he could still have more than thirty million for himself.

“This doesn’t cost a lot, Darian. By the way, why don’t you reserve the stained glass lamp for me too? I can pay you fifteen million. What do you think?” whispered Tony, but Darian didn’t agree to that immediately.

“Old Mrs. Yaeger has yet to check out this stained glass lamp. Isn’t it a bit too soon to sell it to you?”

Tony got anxious. “Old Mrs. Yaeger stays as far away from you as possible whenever she sees you.

She wouldn’t want your things. You should just sell it to me instead.”

Winston was aware that his father wanted the stained glass lamp very badly, so he stood up to pour Darian some wine. “Mr. Hunter, please just sell this lamp to my father. He likes it a lot. You get to have a say in matters in the future if there’s a dispute.”

Darian ran his fingers through his tousled hair before turning to face his son. “Did you see that, Jake?

People only ever treat the Hunter family nicely at times like this. Whenever you get a chance, make sure you make them work to earn your approval. Do you hear me?”

The young man with white hair nodded, his expression as impassive as ever.

“Come on. Since you want it so badly, I will have to show you just how exquisite this stained glass lamp is.”

Darian took the crate with him and left the place. Tony quickly followed suit, and so did half of the other spectators around the main table. All of them wished to witness the marvel of that stained glass lamp now that the auction was over.

Casper and Victoria stood up as well. While staring at the dispersing crowd, Casper was startled all of a sudden.

“What is it?” asked Victoria.

“Why did the association not send anyone to ambush us during the event?” Casper frowned.

“You silly boy. Won’t they only be marching to their graves by assaulting us during the event, given how many members of prestigious families are outside? While the Stallings can bribe them, they can’t make those people sacrifice their lives for them.” Victoria scratched the tip of Casper’s nose lightly. She didn’t show much of her intimidating side to him that day but was behaving more like a friendly neighbor.

“Um, have the Hunter family and the Yaeger family always been antagonistic toward each other?”

asked Casper without even noticing the change in Victoria’s attitude.

“Yeah. While Tony is still rather adaptable, he couldn’t do much because of the feud of the previous generations. However, the Yaeger family indeed despises the Hunter family, thinking that the Hunters are working in a lowly business.”

Casper nodded upon listening to Victoria’s answer and left the room like the rest.

Darian led the crowd away from the main hall of Victoria’s Chamber to the venue’s courtyard. It was an extra plot of land in between the two shop lots that Victoria acquired and was used to store miscellaneous items.

It was getting dark by that point, so it was brightly lit outside. Darian arched his brow and requested, “Ms. Stalling, please turn off the lights around the courtyard so that I can show you all the miracles this stained glass lamp is capable of.”

After Victoria turned the lights off, the courtyard immediately fell into darkness. The crowd could only identify their surroundings using the lights shining afar.

Darian took out the stained glass lamp and placed it on the floor. Then, he retrieved some pine oil from his pocket before pouring it into the lamp and lighting it with a lighter. Instantly, the lamp shone brightly, projecting a few images on the three walls around them like a cinema projection.

“Such incredible wisdom of the people during ancient times!” praised Tony as he studied the projections on the walls. The motifs of flora and fauna on it could be seen clearly as if there were entire worlds hidden within that tiny lamp.

“Name your price, Darian! I must have the lamp!” As soon as Tony said that, Stephen collapsed onto the floor with a loud thud.

Following a few other blunt noises, those who came along from the main table collapsed without a word as well.

“The oil is a kind of drug that makes people fall unconscious!” cried Casper. The moment he was about to launch himself at Darian, he collapsed onto the floor as if falling unconscious as well.

Then, Victoria, Tony, Winston, and Gunther also fainted. The Hunter father and son were the only ones left standing.

Darian stared at Casper with a solemn look. “Luckily, this is a secluded place. We’ll be in big trouble if this brat yells one more time.”

Meanwhile, the young man with white hair wore a puzzled expression on his face. “Dad, were you the one who drugged them?”

Darian nodded. “The lamp oil was mixed with a substance that the Stalling family gave me. They said that the drug within these people would kick in as soon as I lit the lamp. However, they also told me that the victim shouldn’t be able to say a word after the drug takes effect. Why does this brat still have the stamina to speak at all?”

Just when he was about to go check on Casper, the young man with white hair held him back. “Dad, what’s going on? No wonder you told me to not eat the food they prepared. Are you committing crimes for money? Have you forgotten about our family rules?”

Darian heaved a sigh. “Of course, I haven’t forgotten about it, kid. However, don’t you know what age we’re at now? It’s about time we discard those. Do you know how people have been looking down on the Hunter family? I don’t want you to have to lead a life like mine that requires me to fight with the dead underground all my life!”

The young man with white hair was stunned. “What are you going to do, Dad?”

Darian looked toward the entrance of the courtyard. “It doesn’t matter what I wish to do. That is up to them.”

At that moment, in came another group of people from the courtyard entrance. They were all subordinates of the Yaeger family. Old Mrs. Yaeger, who was supposed to have left, also showed up as well. Supporting herself with her cane, she said to Darian, “You did well. I didn’t hear a sound outside.”

Still lying on the floor, Casper continued to feign unconsciousness. All of a sudden, he realized what they were up to, and all of his previous doubts finally cleared up.

This person from the Stalling family had deliberately made it known that he would be gathering all of the associations to attack Victoria during Antique Fair. Not only was it so that Victoria would direct her attention to fortifying securities, but so that those from the prestigious families would have a reason to bring a huge number of bodyguards with them.

By bribing Victoria’s close associates, they managed to poison the meal. Then, they had Darian lead the people at the main table away by using the stained glass lamp as bait. Although Catherine left halfway through the event due to being humiliated, nobody would suspect her if she wished to return to the venue, for she could always claim to have something that she wanted to buy.

Darian had Victoria turn the lights off and light the stained glass lamp in order to signal the Yaeger family to come over. As a prestigious family, they had no trouble moving around in the venue. Thus, all they had to do after that was to tuck those who had fainted into crates. With that, they would be able to leave Pine Street secretly.

This person from the Stalling family sure is cunning! Sawyer is nothing compared to him in terms of schemes and trickeries. Casper figured everything out while lying on the floor and was wary of the Stalling family.

But he had been to the Firewolf Chamber of Commerce once. Jeremy described the person from the Stalling family as arrogant and full of himself, so why wouldn’t someone like him come to admire his own handiwork?