The woman disguised as a man, Zhao Linglong, spoke with considerable generosity from the outset.
She made a startling opening bid of fifty million.
Considering that was fifty million per person, if all five courtesans were bought, it would amount to two hundred million!
This sum was already terrifying enough.
All the bidders in the auction hall had fascinating expressions on their faces, exclaiming in awe.
"My heavens, who exactly are these two people? I've never seen them in the capital."
"I don't know. These two are complete strangers; they shouldn't be from any of the capital's families."
"Could it be that they heard of Peach Blossom Water Town's reputation and specifically came from other cities?"
"..."
Clearly.
The price Zhao Linglong had driven the five courtesans up to had completely extinguished any lingering desires they might have had.
However, rather than a night of pleasure, they preferred to watch the current scene of people outbidding each other.
Such displays of throwing money around were rarely seen.
Hong Xiu, on stage, finally showed a flicker of unease.
"What are the identities of these two? Have you found out?" Hong Xiu asked.
"Sister Hong Xiu, these two are new guests who arrived tonight. They paid the entrance fee out of curiosity," a staff member replied.
New guests?
If it were just one, it might be a coincidence.
But two in a row? Wasn't that a bit too coincidental?
Immediately, Hong Xiu felt a sense of foreboding.
If she had known there would be trouble.
Hong Xiu regretted putting these five girls from the Western Regions up for auction just to create a spectacle of vying for courtesans.
At this moment.
Zhao Linglong, who had made the high bid, saw Hong Xiu remain silent and sneered.
"Host, why aren't you speaking? Are you intimidated by my price? It's alright, feel free to check if my funds are sufficient."
"Or is it that because we are first-time visitors, we don't have the right to bid this high?"
Hong Xiu forced a smile and said earnestly.
"Heh heh, it seems these five girls from the Western Regions have greatly pleased you, sir."
"Rest assured, sir, as long as you can afford it, the final ownership of these five courtesans will naturally be yours."
"That's excellent. I've waited long enough, you can start the countdown." Zhao Linglong urged.
Upon hearing this, Hong Xiu's expression became somewhat unnatural, but she could only feign professionalism, pick up the wooden hammer, and prepare to announce.
Just then, someone sitting in the front row suddenly spoke.
"Hmph, who is this outsider who dares to compete with us in wealth in the capital? Truly overestimating themselves."
The middle-aged man who had threatened Luo Yiren earlier stepped forward again.
His angry gaze fixed on Zhao Linglong, and he imperiously held up a finger.
"One hundred million, one hundred million for each girl!"
Whoosh~
This bid was even more ferocious.
Clearly.
This middle-aged man's bid represented the other four as well.
This was an attempt to completely intimidate Zhao Linglong and Luo Yiren.
The bidders in the auction hall immediately turned their attention.
Zhao Linglong sneered, just about to speak, when Luo Yiren stepped forward first.
"Five against two? Then bring it on, who's afraid of whom."
"One hundred million, is it? A bit low. I bid two hundred million!" Luo Yiren shouted.
When it came to a battle of wealth, Luo Yiren had never backed down.
Anyway...
"Interesting." Zhao Linglong showed surprise.
She turned her gaze to Luo Yiren, very curious.
Who was this man who felt so familiar?
His bid inexplicably made Zhao Linglong feel a good impression of him.
At the same time, she secretly wondered if his objective was the same as hers.
"Three hundred million!" The middle-aged man trembled with rage and roared.
"Four hundred million." Luo Yiren said lazily, not even bothering to stand.
This!
In less than a minute.
The price for the five courtesans on stage had soared to an astonishing, sky-high figure.
Four hundred million for one courtesan.
That made it a full two billion for the five, a price unheard of.
For a moment, the middle-aged man and his four companions hesitated.
However, they had just declared that this was the capital and warned the other party not to be overconfident.
If they backed down so quickly, wouldn't they lose face completely?
"Five hundred million."
After thinking it over and getting nods from the others, the middle-aged man bid again.
"Six hundred million."
Zhao Linglong, mimicking Luo Yiren's casual gesture, raised her hand to bid.
Bang!
The middle-aged man was furious.
He smashed a teacup on the nearby table, turned, and berated the two.
"Who exactly are you? How dare you ruin our good deed? Do you know this is the capital? Aren't you afraid of dying far from home?"
The middle-aged man was extremely angry, his veiled threats now becoming overt.
However, the more he acted like this, the more excited Luo Yiren became.
"You just said this was the capital and warned us not to compete with you in wealth. Now that you're out of money, you're resorting to personal threats? How ridiculous."
"I'm telling you, if you don't have money, don't speak so loudly. Come, let me show you again. Seven hundred million!"
After speaking.
Luo Yiren winked meaningfully at Zhao Linglong.
It was as if she had found a kindred spirit.
It's her?
Does she also have a penchant for cross-dressing?
With two glances, Zhao Linglong had figured out Luo Yiren's true identity.
She couldn't help but glance at the figure sitting next to Luo Yiren.
It was somewhat familiar.
If nothing unexpected happened, it should be Zhang Yang.
"Tonight is getting interesting." Zhao Linglong suddenly smiled.
However.
She didn't bid further, but instead spoke in support of Luo Yiren.
"People from the capital aren't made of flesh and blood. If they don't have as much money as us, they resort to personal threats?"
"Doesn't Peach Blossom Water Town do anything about this? Or do they tacitly approve? Are they looking down on and squeezing out guests like us?"
Zhao Linglong, true to her name, was eloquent and her words were sharp and incisive.
Hong Xiu, upon hearing this.
Her face was now devoid of any charm, replaced by a grim expression.
"Peach Blossom Water Town welcomes guests from all directions and does not discriminate. However, since the prices have been driven so high, we need to verify the financial situation of a few parties."
After Hong Xiu spoke.
Two staff members immediately walked towards Luo Yiren and Zhao Linglong.
Hong Xiu herself walked towards the five people in the front row.
A delaying tactic!
A thought arose in Zhang Yang and Zhao Linglong's minds.
Luo Yiren's funds had already been verified by the staff.
If Hong Xiu were to only check Zhao Linglong, it might be understandable.
But now, checking both of them.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they were stalling for time.
Fortunately.
Luo Yiren had enough money in her card this time, so she wasn't worried at all.
And Zhao Linglong, as the beloved daughter of the Zhao family, naturally had no shortage of wealth.
On the other side.
Hong Xiu approached the five guests in the front row.
Before she could speak, she was immediately reprimanded by the five.
"Hong Xiu, what are you doing? Are you putting us in a difficult position now?"
"I even suspect that these two are decoys arranged by your Peach Blossom Water Town!"
"Let me tell you honestly, we can afford the money, but we won't be the sucker!"
"..."
All five wore angry expressions.
The events of tonight could have been much simpler.
Peach Blossom Water Town could have handed over these five courtesans to them discreetly.
But Hong Xiu insisted on extracting the full value from these five girls from the Western Regions.
To create a better spectacle for Peach Blossom Water Town's courtesan acquisition.
As a result, they had ended up shooting themselves in the foot!
"Gentlemen, I apologize. This was my oversight." Hong Xiu bowed slightly and apologized.
"Please rest assured, these five courtesans will definitely be yours tonight, and the prices will remain as we previously set."
"You can bid boldly and confidently later, as the wool comes from the sheep, and the final transaction is still with us."
Hong Xiu gave a subtle reminder, which surprised the five.
However, they understood in an instant.
"Are you sure? You're not setting a trap for us, are you?" the five asked.
"No, this was my lack of foresight. Why would I set a trap for you? Hong Xiu doesn't have the guts." Hong Xiu shook her head and assured them.
Hearing this.
The anger on the five men's faces finally disappeared.
The middle-aged man who had been bidding earlier was full of confidence.
They all understood what Hong Xiu meant.
That is, they could bid whatever they wanted later, without worrying about whether they could afford it.
As for the final transaction price, it would be according to what they had originally agreed upon.
This way, there would be no pressure.
"Then it's settled." Hong Xiu smiled slightly and then turned to walk onto the auction stage.
Her peripheral vision swept over Luo Yiren and Zhao Linglong, her heart filled with displeasure.
Because these two outsiders had almost caused her to mess up the Young Master's plan.
Fortunately, her side had reacted quickly enough, otherwise, this stone wouldn't have just hit her foot, but her head.
Once the Young Master's plan was affected, she, Hong Xiu, would be a sinner for eternity.
"My apologies for delaying everyone for a few minutes."
"After verification by our staff, all parties bidding have sufficient funds. The courtesan acquisition auction will continue." Hong Xiu said with a smile.
"So slow. Are you going to bid or not? If not, just announce it." Luo Yiren said impatiently.
Hong Xiu smiled coldly and remained silent.
The middle-aged man from the front row stood up, his head held high, and shouted.
"Heh heh, seven hundred million? Is that a lot? I bid ten hundred million."
What?
Ten hundred million!
Were these five people crazy?
Luo Yiren and Zhao Linglong were stunned.
Zhao Linglong wanted to bid for these five women to uncover some truths.
Luo Yiren, on the other hand, was different.
The reason she kept bidding was because...
She had no intention of paying later.
Otherwise, even if these five courtesans were made of gold, they wouldn't be worth this much, right!
"What? No money to bid anymore?" the middle-aged man said smugly.
Seeing Luo Yiren and Zhao Linglong fall silent, he felt a sense of vindication.
"Eleven hundred million." Zhao Linglong said in a deep voice.
"Two billion!" Before Zhao Linglong's voice could even fall, the middle-aged man raised the price to an astronomical figure again!
This price was almost double.
In an instant.
Zhao Linglong also fell silent, pondering.
The guests all turned their gazes towards Luo Yiren.
Zhao Linglong had already bid once. According to the pattern of their bidding just now.
The person to bid now should be Luo Yiren.
"Zhang Yang, what do we do now? The money in my card can only cover one more bid." Luo Yiren said.
If there were no verification of funds.
Luo Yiren would have wanted to bid a sky-high price of ten billion, as she wouldn't be paying anyway.
"There's a problem." Zhang Yang frowned, also falling into brief thought.
At this moment!
Seeing that both Luo Yiren and Zhao Linglong were silent.
Hong Xiu raised her wooden hammer and struck it once.
"These five gentlemen have bid two billion. Is there anyone offering a higher price?"
"Two billion, first time! Bang!"
"Two billion, second time! Bang!"
...
Hong Xiu's hammer strikes were fast.
However, just as she was about to strike the third time, Luo Yiren called out.
"Twenty-five hundred million."
This was all the money Luo Yiren had in her card.
After stating the price.
She shrugged at Zhao Linglong, indicating that after this, she truly couldn't bid anymore.
"Fifty hundred million!" The middle-aged man, without hesitation, shouted another exorbitant price!
This price was again doubled.
Hong Xiu frowned, slightly displeased with the middle-aged man's bid.
He...
Seemed to be overacting.
Even if it was an act, it shouldn't be done like this; it felt a bit fake.
But it didn't matter.
She would consider it as letting them vent their anger, as it would all benefit the Young Master in the end.
"Zhao Jian, can these five families afford so much money?" Zhao Linglong asked the person beside her.
The bids from these five were too outrageous.
Zhao Linglong was highly suspicious.
Initially, they were hesitant, slowly raising the price.
But after the fund verification, their bids were directly doubling.
There was definitely something wrong.
"Second Miss, these five families are neither very large nor very small in the capital."
"They can afford this money, but they certainly can't produce it; only their patriarchs can. "
"And this price would be the limit for the five of them. It's basically impossible for them to bid any higher."
Zhao Jian, sitting beside Zhao Linglong, said.
"The limit, is it?" Zhao Linglong muttered to herself.
She suddenly raised her hand and shouted, "Seventy hundred million. If you can bid higher than this, I will give up."
"Heh heh, what's seventy hundred million? I bid ten billion!" the middle-aged man shouted again.
His arrogant and extravagant demeanor shocked the onlookers who were enjoying the show.
Hong Xiu also intended to bring the auction to a swift conclusion after his bid.
But!
The next moment, Zhao Linglong stood up and shouted.
"Wait."
"There's something I've always been curious about, and I hope the host of Peach Blossom Water Town can answer it for me."
Hong Xiu frowned, a bad premonition arising in her heart, and replied.
"Whatever questions you have, it's not too late to ask after the auction. For now..."
"No, it must be answered now!" Zhao Linglong interrupted again.
"Host, you verified our funds just now. I'd like to know their funds as well. Can you let us know?"
"Of course, to show our sincerity, you can also tell them about our funds."
This!
Upon hearing this.
The faces of Hong Xiu and the middle-aged man who had been bidding so cheerfully all changed drastically.
This is bad!
It's about to be exposed!