"Finny!" Suddenly, a young man in a black trench coat with blonde hair entered the room.
"Why are you still here? Still studying your antiques and jewels? Stop playing around, it's time to go back. We need to catch the afternoon train and pack up quickly."
The young man glanced at Galon sitting beside Finestine, noting the close relationship between them.
"Don't just focus on your jewels and antiques all day. Can't you do something more meaningful?!"
"Felix, I can make my own decisions about my affairs. You don't need to dictate what I should do!" Finestine retorted sharply. "Studying antiques and jewels is meaningful. Doing what I love is the most meaningful thing!"
"You!" The young man's face reddened. "You ignore the family business, your own company, and run off to some backwater to study jewels and antiques! Look at you, so ambitious! If you're so capable, then don't come back today!"
"I won't come back if I don't want to!" Finestine huffed, turning away, unwilling to deal with him any further.
"Always hanging out with those antique and jewel enthusiasts, skipping family gatherings. Let's see how you deal with trouble in the future!" The young man seemed to lose his temper, his gaze falling harshly on Galon.
"Meeting one enthusiast after another. Let me tell you, Finestine, people who only study antiques and jewels will at best end up as jewelry appraisers. Always mingling with these types, I wonder what you'll amount to in the future!"
"Watch your tone!" Finestine stood up abruptly, defending Galon. "He's my friend!"
"Hmph!" The young man snorted coldly. "Father already knows you're neglecting your duties, obsessed with antiques and jewels. He's very dissatisfied with you. I'd like to see how you explain yourself to him."
"That's none of your business! Just because you're my brother doesn't mean you can lecture me without restraint. You have no manners!"
Galon frowned, witnessing the exchange. Felix, Finestine's biological brother, clearly disapproved of her interest in antiques and by extension, disapproved of Galon for discussing antiques with her.
"Please keep your voices down!" A middle-aged librarian with glasses entered the room, whispering, "This is a public place, a library. Please keep quiet."
"My apologies!" The young man nodded and quickly left the room.
Finestine also apologized to the librarian with an embarrassed smile.
The librarian nodded sternly and left.
Finestine then returned to the sofa, looking upset.
Galon offered, "If you have something to do, you should go. Our chat isn't that important."
"I apologize for my brother's rudeness," Finestine said helplessly.
"It's okay. It's clear your family doesn't approve of your interest in antiques and jewels."
"Yes, they think I'm being irresponsible. My family has already criticized me many times for it," Finestine explained, "My family situation is complicated. I've been given more resources than others, so many peers are jealous and constantly pick on me."
"It's an unfortunate situation," Galon sympathized, having learned about Finestine's background from Fei En.
Her family wasn't just any business dynasty but a super clan with deep ties to the federation's upper echelons, with industries spanning several provinces. Compared to Galon's uncle or his master Fei Baiyun, they were not even on the same level.
Finestine's family even had its own armed private forces, and her father was a pivotal figure in the family.
After sitting for a while longer, a mature, well-dressed man entered the room. "Miss, it's time to go. Your scheduled time has arrived."
Finestine nodded and got up. "Understood."
"This is Anke, my bodyguard. I'll be leaving now. Take your time," she said to Galon.
"Alright," Galon nodded, eyeing the man named Anke with a keen gaze.
He sensed a similar aura to that of the Gold Ring member 102, perhaps even stronger.
Galon's eyes briefly scanned Anke's waist, noticing a bulge that suggested the presence of a weapon.
"With such skills, and if armed with a gun, I wouldn't stand a chance unless his shooting was terrible. It's true, people from big families and places are different."
His pride in his recent surge in skill was immediately humbled.
After Finestine and her bodyguard left, Galon sat alone on the sofa, the faint fragrance of the young miss still lingering in the air.
"If that Gold Ring member had been proficient with firearms, I might not have been so lucky. Firearms truly are a martial artist's nemesis..."
He sighed, sipping his tea.
"Fortunately, I have the Black Jade Disc now, giving me new attribute points to enhance."
He glanced at his attribute bar, noting his strength had increased by 0.1 due to the Baiyun Secret Method, now at 2.11, with his potential at 164%.
"But the speed of increase is too slow. A week for just one point."
Looking at his skills, he bypassed academic subjects, focusing on the Baiyun Secret Method, which showed no further increase potential.
"Have I reached the peak?"
"Let's add it to intelligence then. Given the current chaotic situation, let's see if increasing intelligence helps sort things out."
He hesitated before deciding, feeling a rush of clarity as his intelligence rose from 1.20 to 1.50.
Galon felt his mind refresh, his thinking and memory seemingly improved, although the effects were subtle and hard to quantify.
"By my standard unit, the average person scores a 1, so now I've surpassed the average intelligence by half. This should remove some academic restrictions."
In the skills section, many subjects required a minimum intelligence level. Falling short meant conventional study, but reaching it ensured rapid mastery.
With his brain feeling sharper, Galon pondered his current situation.
"To obtain cursed antiques without risk, I could step back, letting Gores monitor Tarry Mercury's case and Gold Ring through her former company for cursed antiques. Once they find a new one, I'll try to buy it. The only concern is affording it. This is a viable strategy, albeit costly."
"Alternatively, I could leverage my ability to absorb potential energy to authenticate antiques, establishing myself as an authority in appraising cursed antiques and mysterious jewels. If I brush up on my appraisal knowledge, becoming a professional appraiser for detectives shouldn't be an issue."
"Tarry Mercury likely doesn't know the secret of the antiques' potential energy, or he wouldn't have given me the Black Jade Disc so easily."
Galon understood the key difference: others saw cursed antiques as mere objects of intrigue, while he saw them as sources of potential energy to enhance himself.
"I don't need to own them outright. I can interact with cursed antiques as both an appraiser and collector, ensuring both detectives and Gold Ring recognize only I can infallibly identify real cursed antiques. This way, I can remain detached while indirectly achieving my goal."
The intelligence boost clearly made Galon more strategic, quickly organizing his thoughts and finding his niche.
"Now, I just need to brush up on my appraisal knowledge. The old man from the Dolphin Antique Shop might know."
Galon remembered the mysterious book the old man had shown him, pondering his secrets. As long as it wasn't troublesome, he wasn't concerned.
Deciding to act, he looked for books on antique appraisal in the library but found none. Even the special book room on the right was lacking.
Leaving the library, he hailed a carriage to the Dolphin Antique Shop.
On the ride, Galon felt restless. Despite his enhanced attributes and physical strength, he couldn't counter Felix's condescending tone.
Whether it was Fei Baiyun's dojo or his uncle's company, they seemed minor in comparison to the grandeur of Finestine's family. Even his martial prowess paled against firearms or his seniors in the dojo.
Closing his eyes, he reflected on his journey since crossing over.
"Having a special ability doesn't change that I'm still just a dojo student, a Saint Yinyue College student, and the son of an ordinary company employee. The road ahead is long, and I'm far from truly powerful..." His encounter at Ceylan Castle only emphasized his vulnerability.