Chapter 118: Trouble Erupts at the Auction

Chapter 118: Trouble at the Auction

Xu Yun’s outfit made him look every inch the wealthy young heir, and the effect was genuinely dazzling.

Qiangzi could not help sighing. “People really do depend on clothes, just as horses depend on saddles.”

“Wasn’t I handsome before?” Xu Yun asked unhappily. He was uncomfortable in these clothes. “I’ve never worn anything like this in my entire life. I feel like I’m going to die of awkwardness.”

Guoguo shook her head helplessly. But today, she absolutely refused to let Xu Yun wear slippers and a skull-print vest. That would be far too embarrassing for herself, her mother, and Sister Qiu Yan.

In the end, Xu Yun and Guoguo reached an agreement. He could wear the outfit, but the bow tie was absolutely forbidden. Guoguo agreed, on the condition that he undo three buttons at the collar so he would look a little more arrogant.

Guoguo ultimately dressed Xu Yun into a spoiled young master who looked carefree, dissolute, and utterly unrestrained. Clearly, that appearance suited him much better beside Ruan Qingshuang and Qiu Yan.

If not for the sake of that hotel, Xu Yun would never have worn such restrictive clothes in public. Damn it, with trousers this tight, he could rip the crotch open just by lifting his leg in a fight.

At three in the afternoon, Qiangzi drove the four of them to the venue right on time.

The auction was being held in the main conference hall of the Hedong Grand Hotel. Thirty densely packed rows of tables and chairs filled the hall, which could accommodate five or six hundred people. The scale was truly impressive.

The moment the four of them got out of the car, they saw Qin Wan'er. She had already reserved seats and bidder numbers for them, a level of treatment that was naturally far beyond ordinary.

As soon as Xu Yun’s trio of beauties entered the hall, an uproar broke out.

A handsome man, two stunning beauties, and a little princess like Guoguo—together, they were guaranteed to seize everyone’s attention. Ruan Qingshuang was peerlessly elegant, while Qiu Yan was breathtakingly cold and beautiful. Naturally, they became the focus of every gaze.

There were not many women at the auction, so Xu Yun did not attract nearly as much attention. That was just as well. After all, he was a low-key young man.

Qiu Yan had long grown accustomed to such scenes during her years with Feng Qiansui. Ruan Qingshuang, however, had rarely experienced anything so nerve-racking. Under the gaze of so many people, she felt distinctly uncomfortable.

Guoguo did not mind having the spotlight stolen from her. She was confident that, ten years from now, she would be even more peerlessly beautiful.

“There are so many people,” Ruan Qingshuang murmured uneasily as she moved closer to Xu Yun. She only felt truly secure when she was beside him.

Xu Yun nodded. “It looks like today’s turnout is even bigger than I expected.”

He had originally thought that, after the South City Three Tigers spread the word, a considerable number of people would give up on attending. What he had not anticipated was that Liu Sheng’s villa was itself a highly coveted property. Moreover, the geomantic location in the eastern suburbs was unquestionably one of the finest in Hedong. Since ancient times, the east had held the highest standing in China.

There was another reason as well. Although nearly everyone who had taken an interest in the hotel had withdrawn, many people who had never met Ruan Qingshuang or Xu Yun still wanted a glimpse of them in person. That was another reason the auction was so lively.

Some local big shots in Hedong had already begun whispering among themselves about how exceptional the two women were. As for Xu Yun, they naturally had no favorable impression of him. Whether they said it aloud or merely thought it, their meaning was the same: such fine cabbages had been ruined by a pig.

Xu Yun was not blind to what these bastards were thinking. He simply could not be bothered to argue with them. They could think whatever they liked.

At last, the South City Three Tigers spotted Xu Yun and Ruan Qingshuang from a corner of the hall and hurried over.

“Sister Shuang, Brother Yun, you’re here.”

The voice was not loud, but it was loud enough for people nearby to hear. And rumors spread no more slowly than posts being forwarded online. In an instant, the entire hall erupted.

Ruan Qingshuang became even more uncomfortable. She had only just begun adjusting to being the focus of everyone’s attention, and now she had suddenly become the subject of everyone’s conversation as well. She was completely unable to adapt.

“Mom, you’re so famous,” Guoguo whispered with a mischievous giggle, then sighed. “Alas, it seems Sister Guoguo’s reputation hasn’t spread far enough yet.”

By now, Ruan Qingshuang’s standing in Hedong was known to everyone. The South City Three Tigers had reclaimed all their territory under the banner of Sister Shuang.

Led by the South City Three Tigers, the four of them—who had already caused such a stir—made their way to the seats Qin Wan'er had reserved. Once they sat down, the entire hall gradually fell silent.

Several people sitting near Ruan Qingshuang did not even dare breathe too loudly. After all, the woman before them was now the undisputed leader of Hedong’s underworld.

The silence lasted less than half a minute. Soon, murmurs rose throughout the hall. Everyone spoke in whispers, and Ruan Qingshuang could not make out what they were saying. None of them dared raise their voices, afraid of disturbing her.

“Achoo! Achoo!”

Xu Yun’s nose suddenly itched, and he sneezed twice in succession.

The entire hall fell silent again. It became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, revealing just how awe-inspiring Xu Yun appeared in everyone’s eyes.

“Damn.” Xu Yun rubbed his nose. “They say one sneeze means someone is thinking of you, two means someone is cursing you, and three means someone misses you. I sneezed twice. Who’s cursing me?”

Although Xu Yun had merely muttered the words to himself, everyone immediately held their breath nervously.

The South City Three Tigers swept their gazes around the hall. Those who had just envied Xu Yun, whether aloud or in their hearts, turned pale with fear, as though their thoughts might be exposed. They no longer even had the courage to meet the Tigers’ eyes.

“Brother Yun, no one here would dare curse you,” Shan Hongning said with a bitter smile.

“That may not be true.” Xu Yun’s sixth sense told him that an unfriendly gaze was fixed on him. However, because of his status, he did not investigate who might be secretly glaring at him.

As they spoke, the auction officials appeared. The person leading them was a mid-level official from the government department responsible for state-owned assets.

He did not need to waste time with the usual request for everyone to quiet down. The hall was already silent.

“Good afternoon, everyone. You have all come here today for the same purpose, so I will dispense with the unnecessary formalities. From here on, the auctioneer will take over. All you need to do is prepare your bidding paddles.”

After the official finished speaking, the auctioneer stepped onto the stage and smiled politely.

“Today’s auction is a rather special one, and I believe everyone already knows why. There is no need for me to explain further. Let us begin with the first item. This is a two-story villa of more than six hundred square meters, located in the villa district in the eastern suburbs of Hedong. I imagine everyone knows the area. Some of you may even own homes there.”

The hall remained extremely quiet. Xu Yun glanced around. Almost everyone present was involved in society’s rougher circles. It was impossible that any corrupt government official would dare attend. This further strengthened his confidence that he could secure the hotel for 8.01 million.

“Without further ado, everyone knows the value of this villa. The starting price is one million, with minimum increments of ten thousand.” The auctioneer smiled faintly. “The bidding now begins!”

As soon as his voice fell, a deathly silence filled the hall. It seemed that everyone’s eyes had turned toward Ruan Qingshuang, waiting for her to make the first bid.

If he had not been short on cash, Xu Yun would have called out a bid immediately. But for the sake of the hotel, he endured it. Once they bought the hotel, everyone could live in the top-floor suites anyway. There was no need to purchase a villa as well.

Finally, someone determined that Ruan Qingshuang had no intention of bidding and called out the first offer.

“One million two hundred thousand!”

The auctioneer pointed in his direction. “Bidder Number Thirty-Seven offers one million two hundred thousand! Does anyone else want it?”

With the first bid setting things in motion, the entire hall instantly erupted.

“One million five hundred thousand!”

“Two million!”

“Two million one hundred thousand!”

“Two million six hundred thousand!”

Although the minimum increment was ten thousand, the villa’s starting price had been set extremely low. Most people raised their bids by one or two hundred thousand, sometimes even five hundred thousand. The villa soon climbed from one million to five million.

That was when the real contest began. The bidders who called out prices from that point onward were determined to win.

“Six million!”

That bid raised the price by a full million. It was a ruthless move.

“Eight million!”

Hedong truly had no shortage of wealthy people.

“Ten million!”

Good heavens—what kind of boldness was that? The price had leaped straight into the eight-figure range!

The ten-million bid left everyone stunned for a moment.

The auctioneer smiled calmly. “Ten million! Bidder Number Fifty-Six has offered ten million! Does anyone else want to bid?”

The man who had offered ten million was no stranger. He was Lu Feng, one of the South City Three Tigers. Of the three, he was the wealthiest, and after working in the construction industry for many years, he knew that villas in that location were currently worth at least fifteen million. Even if he resold it immediately, he could make five million.

Since Lu Feng was certain that Sister Shuang and Brother Yun had no interest in the villa, he had boldly placed his bid.

When everyone saw that Lu Feng was sitting right beside Ruan Qingshuang and Xu Yun, they began weighing their options. No one knew whether they should continue bidding.

“Ten million, going once!” The auctioneer did his best to stir up the atmosphere. “This is a villa district in a prime location with superb geomantic advantages! At this price, you are getting a bargain and peace of mind. Buying it is the same as making money!”

Guoguo rolled her eyes. “Good grief! Did this guy switch careers from television infomercials?”

Lu Feng was completely confident. No one would spend more than ten million just to offend a trusted subordinate of Sister Shuang.

Just as everyone fell silent and prepared to watch Lu Feng take advantage of the deal, a girl’s clear voice rang out, as sweet as an oriole emerging from the forest.

“Twenty million.”

Shock!

Even Xu Yun and Qiu Yan, whose composure was extraordinarily steady, could not help feeling startled.

Lu Feng nearly choked. He immediately turned toward the source of the voice. There were too many people for him to see clearly, but he could determine that it had come from a young woman in her twenties.

Every gaze in the hall turned toward her. People began whispering among themselves, wondering who the girl was. It seemed that no one had ever seen her before.

“Bidder Number One Hundred Sixty-Five, twenty million, going once!” The auctioneer was delighted. These were precisely the kinds of bidders they loved.

Naturally, no one else made an offer. Raising the price further would bring them no advantage.

“Twenty million, going twice!” The auctioneer had already raised his hammer. “Going three times! Sold! Congratulations to Bidder Number One Hundred Sixty-Five on acquiring the eastern-suburbs villa!”

What an astonishingly bold woman. She had shaken the entire hall with a single bid. In terms of commanding attention, she was no less impressive than Ruan Qingshuang and Xu Yun—in fact, she might even have surpassed them.

Xu Yun looked at Lu Feng with a smile. “Who is that girl? She even dared snatch away the property you wanted? Heh, she’s no ordinary person. It seems Hedong has more formidable figures than we realized.”

Lu Feng shook his head. “Brother Yun, that girl definitely isn’t from Hedong. No local would pay that kind of price. The villa district may no longer have any available properties, but the villa is worth at most eighteen or nineteen million. Twenty million is too much.”