2.1 billion should be a crushing bid, enough to buy ten times the weight in agarwood. But in a sealed bid auction, no one knows who will win unless all the bids are revealed.
He leaned back in his chair and went quiet.
On stage, Xue Xue hesitated and looked at the host, asking silently if the auction should continue. All the previous items had reasonable prices, but this one… 2.1 billion was too excessive.
The old man thought for a bit and gestured to proceed. If they wanted to break the bank, so be it. He’d just collect the penalty fees later if needed.
Turning back with a sweet smile, Xue Xue announced, “Mr. Zhao Dongyun has placed a bid of 2.1 billion, currently higher than Mr. Zhou Wenlong. Next, we reveal Mr. Bai Ze’s bid…”
She paused, clearly stunned.
“Mr. Bai Ze has bid… 2.5 billion!”
This piece of agarwood was worth 50 million tops! Yet, here they were, bidding 40 times the amount all to please their daughters…
Sure, sealed auctions were designed to drive prices up—but this? This wasn’t a life-saving relic. Just… plain agarwood! With the 2.1 billion already shocking, now it seemed that was just the beginning.
“Mr. Bai Ze: 2.5 billion!”
The crowd exploded. Among the noise, Bai Ze’s booming laugh stood out.
“Hahaha! Old Zhao, stunned now, aren’t you?”
Zhao Dongyun’s face soured. Seconds ago, he’d been gloating like a fool… Bai Ze had faked disappointment, pretending his bid was too low. And then BAM, he had dropped a bomb.
As the saying goes, the higher you fly, the harder you fall. Now, Bai Ze mocked him loudly.
“Who would’ve thought? Your two daughters are only worth 2.1 billion… My baby girl alone is worth 2.5! This agarwood is mine, old Zhao. Hahahaha!”
Zhao Dongyun closed his eyes in frustration.
Out of sight, out of mind…
Watching all this from behind, Lin Tian found it amusing at first, watching two elders bickering like kids. But when he saw that eye-watering number on the screen, it didn’t feel funny anymore.
These were people who could throw around tens of billions like jokes. And that was a kind of joke he’d never afford.
[Sigh… Bai Ze really loves Bai Bing’er. Tossing out 2.5 billion just like that… Old Zhao’s out this round, huh.]
Lin Tian thought it was like he was judging a competition. He wasn’t paying. He wasn’t winning the wood. Just enjoying the drama.
But Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng weren’t having it. These two—one a frosty, dominant CEO, the other a naïve, sheltered girl—suddenly felt a strange sense of rivalry.
We may have lost this round, but the next one, we won’t lose!
Even if it wasn’t a big deal to lose, they couldn’t let Bai Bing’er win, and definitely not Jiang Yifeng!
With that burning desire, Shang Chan whispered to her father, “Dad, I want to bid on the next item… Let me place the bid.”
Still frustrated by his earlier loss, Zhao Dongyun agreed without hesitation.
“Alright. Bid whatever you want. Dad’s got your back! The Zhao Corporation’s got your back!”
Elsewhere, Bai Bing’er heard Lin Tian’s thoughts and lit up with joy.
Normally aloof, she didn’t even realize her tone and demeanor had changed under the influence of Lin Tian’s thoughts. She could easily tell what Shang Chan and Zhao Mengmeng were planning.
Want to win the next item? I won’t let you!
She turned to Bai Ze.
“Daddy, I think I’ll want something in the next round too. Let me handle it.”
Bai Ze beamed. He loved seeing his daughter show genuine interest in something.
“Of course, baby. Buy whatever you want! We’re not short on money!”
Meanwhile, Meng Youqian turned to his daughter.
“Lingling, guess how much Daddy bid?”
Meng Xiaoling thought for a second and guessed shyly, “Two billion?”
Meng Youqian shook his head and sighed, patting her head.
“Lingling, if there’s one thing our family isn’t lacking, it’s money. You’ve gotta think bigger… Just watch Bai Bing’er and Bai Ze’s reactions. It’ll be a great show.”
His words made Meng Xiaoling’s eyes light up as she stared fixedly at Bai Bing’er.
On stage, Xue Xue moved on to reveal the fourth bidder.
“The fourth bidder is Mr. Meng Youqian. His bid is…”
She froze. Even she couldn’t believe what she saw. After a pause, she finally announced it.
At that moment, the smiles on Bai Ze and Bai Bing’er’s faces froze.