"Alright, stop deliberating. The price is final: 250,000 Diamond Coins," Zhong Shenxiu stated calmly.

Two hundred and fifty thousand? Diamond Coins?

Cecil felt a dizzying rush overwhelm him! His inner monologue screamed: Do you even grasp the concept of 250,000 Diamond Coins? That’s enough to purchase five or six villas!

Just as Cecil was about to explode, Brandon quietly whispered to him, "That is a 'Z War' relic. Its value absolutely exceeds 250,000 Diamond Coins. If it were put up for auction, the price would certainly soar past 400,000 Diamond Coins."

A 'Z War' relic?

Cecil felt his mind grow hazy, a distinct sense of lightheadedness washing over him.

Heavens above! Did I hear that correctly? A 'Z War' relic! That is a treasure that one might wait an eternity to encounter! Even my own father doesn't possess a collection of 'Z War' relics! Am I dreaming right now?

Excitement aside, a very real problem immediately presented itself to Cecil: 250,000 Diamond Coins was no trivial sum. Even though his family was wealthy, that was his father's purview; his own funds were severely restricted, and his allowance was always tightly controlled. Asking him to produce such a sum instantly was impossible—where was he supposed to get it?

"Isn't 250,000 Diamond Coins a little steep?" Cecil stammered, trying to subtly coax Zhong Shenxiu into lowering the price to alleviate his financial pressure.

"Is 250,000 Diamond Coins a lot?" To his surprise, Zhong Shenxiu countered with a question of his own.

Seeing Cecil falter and stammer, Zhong Shenxiu turned back to Brandon, "Old man, tell me, is 250,000 Diamond Coins a lot for me to ask?"

Zhong Shenxiu felt he had Brandon exactly where he wanted him, knowing the old man understood the true worth of the artifact and observing that this elder did not seem the type to engage in deception.

What else could Brandon say? He could only shake his head dumbly, signaling that it was not expensive. Today, he truly understood what it meant to be cornered, to be led around by the nose by someone else!

Zhong Shenxiu was thoroughly pleased with Brandon's compliance. He gave a faint smile and continued, "If you truly feel it’s too much, that’s fine. I can return your deposit to you. I’m sure there will be plenty of others lining up to buy these two items I have here."

Zhong Shenxiu adopted an expression that clearly said, 'Little fellow, I'm not worried you won't buy them.'

At this moment, Brandon grew anxious. If he hadn't encountered this, so be it, but now that the 'Z War' relic was right in front of him, letting it slip away would result in a lifetime of regret, and he would chastise himself for his incompetence.

"Young brother, don't rush. The money isn't a problem, not a problem at all... hehe~" Brandon frantically winked and signaled Cecil.

To be honest, he didn't possess that much cash either, but he knew it was crucial to keep Zhong Shenxiu settled here right now; they absolutely could not let him leave with the 'Z War' relic. Otherwise, the moment he stepped out the door, a horde of people would come seeking him to buy it.

"Cecil, I think we should call the Master over for this matter," Brandon said to Cecil.

Cecil naturally knew that involving his father meant the money would certainly not be an issue. But the problem was, if his father handled it, Cecil would have nothing to show for his efforts—wasn't all this running around for nothing?

"The money isn't the issue, I can get it for you right now. Wait here, just wait for me. I'll be right back!" Cecil said with a trace of panic.

"My time is limited; I hope you won't keep me waiting too long," Zhong Shenxiu cautioned.

"No, no, I'll be back in a flash!" Cecil then turned to Brandon, "Uncle Brandon, please keep a good eye on these two for me. I'll be right back."

"Yes, no problem at all," Brandon agreed quickly, understanding the gravity of the situation.

Brandon assumed Cecil was heading to find his father, but little did he know that Cecil had no such intention; instead, he was rushing off to borrow money from some of his well-connected friends.

Fortunately, he knew quite a few loyal friends who, if they pooled their resources, might just scrape the amount together.

But fate intervened cruelly: his friends also happened to be short on funds. After all their efforts to collect, they were still 50,000 Diamond Coins short.

What should I do now?

Just as Cecil hovered outside his own front door, unsure of his next move, the angry roar of his older sister reached him.

"Cecil, get out here this instant!"

Oh, right! He had completely forgotten about his older sister, the one who was a teacher—she must have money.

Thinking of this, Cecil felt as if he had found hope in despair, a guiding light in the darkness. He sprinted toward the direction of his beautiful elder sister.

"Sister, were you calling for me?" Cecil's eyes shone with a glint of calculated "fawning."

Markel Xin was momentarily stunned! Her inner thought was, What is wrong with my brother today? Has he developed a fever? Usually, when I call him, he runs as far away as possible. What's happening today that he dares to approach me willingly?

"Tell me, why did you lie to me?" Markel Xin demanded, her face flushed with indignation.

"I didn't!" Cecil put on an expression of absolute denial.

"You dare to deny it? Didn't you say Dad was looking for me?"

"Did I? Maybe I misheard at the time. Perhaps someone else was looking for you."

"Then what did you mean by saying you were looking for a partner? Are you implying that your sister here won't be able to get married?"

"That’s a complete misunderstanding! How could my stunning older sister ever fail to find a match? Even I, her little brother, am moved by your beauty, let alone anyone else!" Cecil said those words while internally offering a silent prayer:

Oh Lord! Forgive this well-intentioned lie!

In truth, Markel Xin was undeniably beautiful, but having been constantly supervised by her since childhood, Cecil had long since become desensitized to it.

"Stop your clever talk! Tell me, why did you lie to me?"

"This little brother was wrong. I apologize to my dear elder sister," Cecil declared, executing a surprisingly formal and well-practiced bow.

"Little brother, are you feeling alright today?" Markel Xin asked, curiosity momentarily overriding her anger.

If she hadn't witnessed it firsthand, Markel Xin would never have believed her brother would bow and admit fault to her. Unless... there was only one possibility—

"Go on. You need me to help you with something again, don't you?"

"Only my sister truly understands me! You truly are my blood relative; you always sense these critical moments," Cecil began, laying on the flattery thick and fast.

"Spit it out! What kind of trouble have you stirred up this time?"

"Look at how you talk; is your brother the type to constantly cause trouble?" Cecil asked with feigned sincerity.

Markel Xin didn't speak, but she gave Cecil a pointed look—her look conveyed a message clearer than words: Yes, you absolutely are that type of person!

"It's really nothing major. It’s just that my hands are a bit tight lately, and I was hoping you could bail me out, Sis." Cecil, unusually, managed to strike a pose of pitiable need.

"Out of money again? I told you, stop running around aimlessly. You're not a child anymore; with your ability, finding a stable job shouldn't be hard. Why must you always come to me whenever you're broke? Think how bad this looks if it gets around! You really should..." Remarkably, Cecil managed to stand still and listen patiently through Markel Xin's lengthy lecture.

Truly, a great man knows when to bend and when to yield! (Come on, let's give him a round of applause for his restraint! Heh heh~)

"Alright, tell me. How much this time?" After lecturing Cecil, Markel Xin felt much better.

"Not much? Just..." Cecil started, faltering, unsure how to state the figure.

"How much, exactly?" Markel Xin asked, already pulling out her delicate purse.

"Not much! Just... 50,000 Diamond Coins should be enough!" Cecil finished with a distinct lack of conviction.

"How much—???" Markel Xin nearly dropped her purse, her pair of bright, watery eyes wide with shock.