"Eight hundred and thirty million for the first time, are there any further bids? This set of peerless exquisite jewelry is the only one of its kind in the world. Miss it and it's gone forever. Are there any further bids…"
After tapping the gavel for the first time, the old man smiled at the assembled tycoons and slowly drew out the time, letting them continue to consider. As expected, someone else raised their paddle.
"Number 68, eight hundred and forty million…"
As soon as the old man finished announcing, the casually nonchalant young man raised his paddle again, "Nine hundred million!"
The crowd erupted in discussion at the young man's bid, and bidder number 68 reluctantly withdrew. Nine hundred million had exceeded his budget; he'd save it for later items.
The young man surveyed the room, a smirk playing on his lips. He urged the old man on stage, "Old Luo, don't waste time, knock it down quickly."
Unperturbed by the young man's impatience, the old man smiled at him, "Mr. Hongyan, we still have to go through the procedures, don't we? Number 1 bids nine hundred million. Are there any other bidders?"
The old man scanned the crowd. Seeing no interest, he sighed with a hint of regret. However, a price of nine hundred million was already an excellent result. He promptly picked up the gavel and began to tap rhythmically, "First time, second time, third time…"
"One billion!"
Just as the third hammer blow fell, Li Haochen raised his paddle and shouted. His action instantly silenced the noisy hall.
Hongyan, who thought victory was assured, turned ashen at Li Haochen's intervention. He glared at Li Haochen and coldly declared, "One billion and fifty million."
"One point one billion."
The old man on stage was delighted. He wished for sparks to fly between them, perhaps this set of jewelry would become the highest-selling item of the day.
"One point one five billion," Hongyan gritted out, then said with a sinister expression, "Are you trying to cross me, Shen Yanhong?"
As soon as Shen Yanhong spoke, he regretted it. He had forgotten they were in an auction house and he had broken the rules. Cold sweat broke out instantly.
As expected, the old man's demeanor shifted. He looked at Shen Yanhong and calmly stated, "For your grandfather's sake, we'll let this slide this time. If there are any similar incidents, you know the consequences, don't you!"
"Yes, yes, yes, it's my fault. It won't happen again, Old Luo."
While sighing with relief, Shen Yanhong's resentment towards Li Haochen deepened.
"Young friend, we will address the disruption caused to you. We hope it won't affect your auction experience. Next, item number thirty-three."
"One point two billion…"
Li Haochen appeared remarkably calm, as if these billions meant nothing to him. This piqued the intense interest of the old man on stage and the other magnates. When had such a talented young man appeared in the country? They all began to speculate about his identity.
"Ten… Twelve billion and fifty thousand."
Shen Yanhong cautiously bid fifty thousand more. He merely wanted to annoy Li Haochen, unable to swallow his pride. However, after placing the bid, he was met with numerous jeers. "Tch, he's from the Shen family, and he only adds fifty thousand? Shameful!"
"Exactly, he's completely disgraced Grandpa Shen's reputation."
Although the whispers were not loud, Shen Yanhong heard them all. His face turned ashen again. He knew that after today, the upper circles of Modu would surely mock him. Even when he returned home later…
The thought of his strict grandfather sent a shiver down his spine.
"One point three billion…"
"Hiss—"
Li Haochen bid again, unlike Shen Yanhong, directly adding a hundred million. Such extravagance caused the magnates present to gasp. Such a young man was rarely seen. Even the auctioneer on stage couldn't help but cast more glances at him.
"Number 66 bids one point three billion. Are there any friends who wish to bid higher?" The old man addressed Shen Yanhong. The only ones interested in this set of jewelry were him and Li Haochen. Seeing Shen Yanhong looking away, the old man knew he wouldn't bid anymore. The old man realized there was no need to delay further; many items remained.
"Knock, knock, knock… Congratulations to friend number 66 for acquiring this astonishing masterpiece."
Li Haochen clenched his fist. He had finally secured it. He had no interest in the subsequent items; he wanted to get his prize quickly and head home to prepare for his proposal.
Thinking of proposing to his beloved, Li Haochen couldn't contain his excitement.
Led by an auction house employee, Li Haochen entered the interior via a private passage. The items he had bid on were already prepared for handover.
After reconfirming the jewelry and completing the payment, Li Haochen picked up the jewelry and prepared to leave.
"Mr. Li, please wait!"
Li Haochen blinked in surprise and turned to see the auctioneer.
"Oh, hello, is something the matter?"
"We did not handle the earlier situation adequately. To show our sincerity, our auction house will provide the most stringent security escort to your desired destination."
"No need…"
"Mr. Li, don't be so quick to refuse. This is also for your safety. Shen Yanhong wouldn't dare make a move here, but once you leave the auction house, I fear it might be detrimental to you. It's best to be cautious, wouldn't you agree?"
"Then… I'll trouble you. Please take me to the airport." After a moment's thought, Li Haochen agreed. After all, he was on their territory. As the saying goes, a strong dragon doesn't suppress a local snake. Just as the old man said, caution was best.
"A Ye, this task is yours. You must ensure Mr. Li is safely escorted to the airport. Also, arrange for our company's private jet to take Mr. Li to his destination. Keep the itinerary strictly confidential."
"Thank you for your trouble, Elder."
After expressing his gratitude, Li Haochen followed the man named A Ye down to the first basement level. Three identical cars were already waiting there.
"Mr. Li, let's get into this one."
"Alright, thank you!"
As soon as they got into the car, a wall nearby slowly parted. Outside was a vast, open space, devoid of any people.
The car drove out slowly, revealing that the outside was a warehouse. After passing through another hidden door, the vehicle entered an ordinary road.
This made Li Haochen exclaim in admiration, feeling like a protagonist in a European or American blockbuster. He never expected such a scene to exist in reality.
After Li Haochen left the auction house, a man beside the old man respectfully asked, "Old Luo, why are you paying so much attention to this young man?"
"Why?" The old man chuckled. "Perhaps it's fate. Hahaha!"
Shen Yanhong, still participating in the auction, received a message from his subordinate, causing him to clench his fists and curse inwardly, "Damn it, Luo Rongsheng, you old bastard."