Sonia let out a sigh of relief and shook hands with him, "It seems you can finally trust us now, and I don’t need to volunteer as a hostage."

"Hmm, then we’ll just wait for the show to begin. The time should be about right, shouldn’t it?"

Sonia glanced at the clock on the wall. It was indeed about time, and more guests had gathered in this multifunctional conference hall for the auction. Almost everyone expected was present, with only a few exceptions.

"I need to inform Victoria..." Sonia also took out her phone to send a message.

Li Yan couldn’t be bothered to guess if she was informing Victoria that everyone had almost arrived and they could proceed, or if she was confirming that King had received the money.

At this moment, there was some commotion at the back. Li Yan turned his head to see a few people entering while chatting and laughing. Many people stood up, waving and greeting them. Clearly, they were prominent figures, and they waved back as they walked to the front. Seats had been prepared for them in the central front row.

"What’s happening?" Sonia finished sending her message and looked over.

Li Yan whispered, "Did you see? These are the most distinguished guests tonight. They arrived last, but no one would complain. Everyone takes pride in greeting them."

"Super rich?"

"I don’t know them, but maybe not. In Yun Country, officials hold the most prestige... With their arrival, the auction is likely about to start." Li Yan smiled, no longer needing to wait.

Sonia also smiled mysteriously. What did all this fanfare and the guest of honor have to do with her? Her target was simply the antiques and artifacts next door. Once they arrived, she could act!

"We can wait now."

"Yes."

Li Yan glanced toward where Zheng Yixuan was among the guests. He saw him chatting quietly with those around him, looking excited for the auction with no sign of anything unusual.

Just after those ’big shots’ took their seats and the host was about to take the stage, a violent tremor suddenly shook the venue, followed by a loud bang that shattered many glass windows!

This sudden change stunned everyone. Though most were seasoned individuals with notable backgrounds, some female companions screamed in shock.

"What’s happening? Who’s in charge of security?"

"What went wrong?"

"Was that an earthquake?"

"Could it be an explosion?"

While everyone was discussing, Li Yan and Sonia pretended to look around nervously, but both began to slowly inhale deeply, preparing for the smoke grenades and tear gas that would come next.

At this point, some were opening doors to run outside, and alarm and chaos could be heard from outside too.

Before anyone could clarify the situation, another violent shock and explosion shook the venue. This time, it wasn’t far away but directly shattered all the glass, causing many who had stood to stagger unsteadily!

"It’s next door!" Li Yan and Sonia exchanged glances.

Sonia quickly understood: "This isn’t our plan; it must be those people!"

Li Yan knew that this was likely Lao Shi realizing or deducing ’Rose’ and their plan, using them to draw attention and engage security, while his team attacked from outside using explosives!

This was only the third floor, still manageable from outside. Lao Shi’s team probably included experienced demolition experts capable of breaching walls with minimal damage to facing antiquities. The adjacent lounge temporarily used as storage likely wouldn’t have antiquities placed against walls. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Hope they act quickly!" Sonia became anxious, realizing those people had indeed beaten them to it. If they followed their original chance, by the time her team attacked and entered next door, the valuables might already be looted.

She, too, rushed outside after speaking. Li Yan checked the direction of Yurong and Yue Yao, ensuring they were safe, then followed.

By now, the successive explosions had rattled even the calmest people, causing many to run outside. The two weren’t particularly conspicuous.

...

The second explosion disrupted Rose’s plan, but Victoria, operating behind the scenes, responded swiftly. She knew that if they didn’t attack immediately, they’d get nothing from the spoil and would instead be scapegoated!

So, as Li Yan and Sonia stepped into the hallway, multiple smoke grenades were fired, mixed with tear gas, quickly blurring the surroundings, making it hard to see, and causing many to cough and choke.

"Tear gas! Go back into the hall!" a hotel security guard shouted, trying to prevent accidents among important guests. But with many people trying to exit and those outside trying to return, the doorway quickly clogged, with smoke and gas spreading inside.

Having exited, Li Yan and Sonia quickly made their way next door.

They had planned to deal with the guards first but unexpectedly caught a break. The explosions made the security guards realize someone was creating chaos upfront to draw attention, so they quickly pushed in before the doors were locked tight!