Liu Chen was unaware that she had already been targeted. She had originally intended to stay and keep vigil with her aunt, but was repeatedly urged to leave by everyone present. After all, Liu Chen had business worth hundreds of millions to attend to the next day, so her aunt would keep vigil with her aunt.
With the commotion, night had fallen, and Chen Long drove the entire family back to "Phoenix City." They wouldn't be returning to the old house tonight. When Liu Fang had slept earlier, Grandma had helped clean the house, and the bedding and washcloths had all been changed.
Liu Chen thought that the thought of spending a huge sum of money tomorrow would keep her awake tonight, but to her surprise, she lay down, pulled up the covers, closed her eyes, and immediately fell asleep. Fortunately, she had set an alarm before going to bed, otherwise, she would have woken up the next day only to find that the land auction had already concluded, a tragic turn of events.
For this land auction, Liu Chen once again arranged for Miao Shi, whom she had met yesterday, to bid on her behalf. The reason was simple: she worried that her presence would drive up the prices, after all, she was something of a minor celebrity on Weibo.
First, she went to a teahouse near the auction site to sign a power of attorney for bidding. The agreement stipulated that Liu Chen would pay a commission of ten thousand yuan for each plot of land successfully acquired. Below this were the codes of the auctioned plots and the maximum bid amounts. A supplementary agreement indicated that if a plot was acquired below the intended price, one-tenth of the difference would be paid to the bidder as a bonus.
Miao Shi had received a call from Guo Da yesterday, informing him that he would be asked to bid today. Although he was somewhat surprised by their interest in today's land auction, as a professional, he knew what to ask and what not to ask. However...
Looking at the plots marked by the client, Miao Shi was stunned. The list was long, with a total of six plots. Typically, employers would bid for one plot, perhaps two at most, but never six. This was not like going to a wholesale market to buy goods where the more you buy, the cheaper it gets.
Perhaps Ms. Liu was participating in a land auction for the first time and hadn't grasped the process yet? Thinking this, Miao Shi couldn't help but ask, "Miss Liu, you are... are you suggesting that if you can't get the earlier plots, you'll bid for the later ones?"
Liu Chen replied without looking up as she signed, "No, you bid on these six plots as you see fit. If the price exceeds the amount I've given, call me, and I'll confirm over the headset whether to continue bidding."
"Ah?"
"The price you've been given already includes a thirty percent markup on the starting price. If there are no unexpected circumstances, I don't think we'll even need that much."
Liu Chen finished signing, handed one copy of the power of attorney to Miao Shi, and said, "I'm just worried about the unexpected. Alright, Brother Miao Shi, take another look. If there are no issues, I'll be here waiting for your triumphant return."
Liu Chen's words made Miao Shi forget his confusion. He immediately grinned and said, "Okay, then I'll wait for your good news!"
Miao Shi walked out of the teahouse. Guo Da, who had been sitting silently in the private room, finally spoke, "Aren't you going to see the scene in person? If you're worried about being recognized, you can wear a hat and mask. After all, looking at the plots you've been entrusted with, their combined starting price has already exceeded thirty million."
Liu Chen shook her head. "No need, I'll just stay here. Until the land is secured, everything must be approached with caution."
Yu Li nodded in agreement. "Liu Chen's approach is correct. When I bought my house many years ago, I also experienced the mistake of showing my excitement, which led others to recognize it and arbitrarily increase the price."
While Liu Chen was chatting, Miao Shi had already gone to the auction site with the documents. Land auctions typically began by selling less desirable plots, with the prices and locations improving as the auction progressed. Normally, Miao Shi would be in a resting state for the first half of the auction. Today, on the surface, it appeared to be the same.
Soon, the second plot that Liu Chen was interested in began to be auctioned. Miao Shi casually raised his paddle. This plot was almost at the edge of the entire science and technology industrial park that Liu Chen was purchasing. The psychological price Liu Chen had set was a thirty percent premium over the starting price. However, Miao Shi acquired it at almost the starting price.
After successfully acquiring this plot, Miao Shi felt a surge of enthusiasm for his work today. After all, ten percent of the thirty percent premium saved would be his bonus. However, for the next few smaller plots, Miao Shi clearly felt that someone was competing with him. And it wasn't just one bidder, but several bidders simultaneously. Fortunately, the thirty percent premium Liu Chen had allowed gave Miao Shi ample room. The final transaction prices for these four plots were kept by Miao Shi at around a twenty-five percent premium.
After the competition for these four small plots, Miao Shi felt a bit uncertain about the last plot, numbered 18, with a starting price of ten million yuan. Perhaps it was his intuition as a professional bidder, but Miao Shi felt that the previous bidders who had competed with him were actually targeting plot number 18. Thinking this, Miao Shi became even more relaxed. Most bidders were given a maximum price by their clients, and if it exceeded that, they had to call their clients. He, however, was different. Firstly, Ms. Liu had already increased the psychological price to a thirty percent premium. Secondly, Ms. Liu had instructed him to call her directly if the price exceeded thirty percent, and he had her Bluetooth headset in his ear.
As expected, when plot number 18 came up, the bidders who had previously competed with Miao Shi all raised their paddles. However, when they saw that Miao Shi was still bidding on this plot, they hesitated, some even calling their clients. Miao Shi, with a calm and composed expression, continued to bid.
Soon, the starting price of ten million yuan reached the critical point of thirteen million yuan. Unlike the previous five plots, this time, only a few bidders, three or four in total, withdrew. The remaining two bidders continued to closely match Miao Shi's bids.
Sitting in the teahouse, Liu Chen was eating a walnut crisp. It had been nearly an hour since Miao Shi had left the private room. She picked up her teacup, took a sip of warm tea, and was about to reach for another walnut crisp when her phone, which had been placed on the coffee table, rang. The caller ID showed Miao Shi. Although Liu Chen had anticipated this, seeing Miao Shi's call now confirmed her suspicions. As she had suspected, the planned development of the science and technology industrial park in later years was already known, and some people were preparing to profit from it. And selling land was always the quickest way to make money with the lowest cost.
However, this plot was the one Liu Chen valued most. After all, who knew when the next land auction in this area would be? This plot was currently the largest in the area and Liu Chen's first choice for building her "Meimei Factory." She answered the call and put it on speakerphone, tilting her head slightly towards the phone's microphone and saying, "Within twenty million, don't hesitate, just bid. I won't hang up. If it exceeds twenty million, I'll tell you what to do next."