Zhao Wuheng had a faint smile on his lips, waiting for the final moment. For a moment, the entire auction hall felt as if it was frozen.
Just then, Qin Hao smirked with disdain, having finally seen enough of the show.
"Hehe, hold on a moment."
His voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet auction hall, it was remarkably clear.
The auction hammer in Xue Liu’s hand was about to fall, but upon hearing the sudden voice, she stopped it mid-air.
"Sir, do you have any questions about the auction process?"
She looked toward Qin Hao, only to find he was just a guest in a regular seat and quite unfamiliar. Among the elite circles of Jianghai City, there was no one she didn’t recognize. Since he did not leave an impression, he was likely an obscure nobody.
Thus, Xue Liu thought he had doubts about the auction process, so she asked.
But when Qin Hao heard this, he lightly shook the number plate in his hand and said, "I have no problem with the auction process."
Xue Liu was slightly taken aback but continued to ask, "Then what do you intend, sir?"
"Hehe, you’re really not professional enough. Since I raised the number plate, naturally I intend to bid more. This item hasn’t been hammered down yet, so I should be able to continue bidding, right?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire auction hall loudly erupted.
"Damn! Who is this kid? What a big mouth! 1.5 billion USD, and he dares to bid more?"
"In the entire Jianghai City, there aren’t a few with such wealth, but willing to spend this much on a mere manual, besides Heaven-reaching Group’s President Zhao, I don’t think there’s anyone else!"
"This kid’s probably here to cause trouble, right? Does he even know how terrifying a price 1.5 billion is?"
"Exactly, but since he dares to continue bidding, he’ll surely face the consequences. I’m curious how he’ll wrap up today’s events!"
Zhao Wuheng’s face darkened as he looked toward Qin Hao, yet he was sure he had never seen this person after recollecting for a while. Immediately, he sneered and said, "Hehe, this young brother wants to bid more? Alright, then I want to see who else in Jianghai City can compete with me financially?"
Qin Hao glanced disdainfully at Zhao Wuheng, then mockingly said, "Truly a frog at the bottom of a well, thinking you’re the world’s richest just because of 1.5 billion?"
He didn’t purposely lower his voice when he said this, letting everyone in the auction hall hear it. Instantly, there was another wave of intense discussion. But before they could finish saying that Qin Hao was arrogant and overestimating himself, they heard Qin Hao looking at Xue Liu and then say, "My time is precious, I’ll double the price right now."
Qin Hao’s calm voice spread throughout the auction hall. In an instant, those calling him arrogant were left speechless with words stuck in their throats.
Zhao Wuheng almost choked on his own saliva; he nearly thought he misheard. On the other side, Xue Liu also opened her mouth wide and quickly said, "Sir, please confirm, did you just bid... 3 billion USD?"
Qin Hao nodded and then said, "That’s right. It’s 3 billion USD. Just hammer it down, no one else can afford this price but me."
"I’m not targeting anyone, I’m saying everyone here is broke."
Qin Hao’s tone was arrogant yet calm, and immediately Zhao Wuheng exploded in rage: "Nonsense! Someone, quickly throw this kid out! Do you think this auction is child’s play? You bid whatever amount you want?"
Qin Hao indifferently said, "That’s right. I can bid whatever I want. If you’re unconvinced, why don’t you bid too?"
Zhao Wuheng pointed at Qin Hao, his face turning livid. If he truly had to put up 3 billion, he couldn’t actually afford it. After all, while Heaven-reaching Group was huge, it also required a vast cash flow to maintain normal operations and manage risks.
At this point, Xue Liu also quickly tried to mediate. She looked at Qin Hao, her tone still polite, but her attitude had already turned slightly firm, saying, "Sir, if you can’t pay this amount during the final settlement, you’ll have to pay a hefty penalty. Have you really thought this through? Are you sure you want to bid 3 billion USD?"
Zhao Wuheng smirked disdainfully and then said, "Kid, I’m telling you, not only the penalty, if you can’t pay up, I will cripple you and throw you into the stinking ditch on the outskirts of Jianghai City!"
With this threat, Qin Hao became even more disdainful. He didn’t even glance at Zhao Wuheng but kept his eyes on Xue Liu and coldly said, "Miss Xue Liu, since I’m participating in this auction, I naturally understand the rules. Just go ahead and hammer it down. Whether I have the money will be clear at settlement, won’t it?"
After he finished speaking, a person named Butterfly beside him also rushed over to tug at Qin Hao’s sleeve, anxiously saying, "Hey, senior, why are you causing trouble now? We came here today to kill Wang Hu, and with your scene, we’ve been targeted by Zhao Wuheng again. How do we get out of this later?"
Seeing her anxious appearance, Qin Hao couldn’t help but smile and then said, "Hehe, why are you worried? We will definitely go after Wang Hu. But since I see something I like, buying it on the side won’t delay the main task."
"I... ugh!! Just buy it on the side, 3 billion! Boss! That’s 3 billion USD, and you say buy it casually? How do you casually buy it? Teach me, okay?"
Qin Hao gruffly tousled her hair and pushed her aside. Meanwhile, on stage, Xue Liu watched Qin Hao with a complicated expression for a long time, then said, "Alright, Mr. 73 bids 3 billion USD."
"3 billion once, 3 billion twice."
The entire hall was silent, Zhao Wuheng coldly staring at Qin Hao, but Qin Hao seemed oblivious, still focused on Xue Liu’s hand with the auction hammer raised high.
"3 billion for the third time, no further bids, then I announce, sold!"
The auction hammer came down, and Qin Hao’s lips curled into a faint smile. Then he sat back in his seat, quietly waiting for someone to invite him to the back for the settlement.
And with this, the auction finally came to an end.