Chapter 386: Bidding Wars in the Auction

“One million dollars?”

Upon hearing the auctioneer’s bid, many attendees at the auction, along with Sun Xin, were taken aback, their expressions filled with disbelief.

Unlike Sun Xin, who was surprised by someone’s interest in the Landscape Scroll, these people were bemused by the auctioneer’s price.

If memory serves, Sun Xin’s previous bid was one million.

According to auction rules, any subsequent bid must exceed one million dollars.

“Did the bidder for Lot 187 not up the bid? That can’t be right!”

Snapping back to reality, someone muttered under their breath.

“Exactly! What’s going on?”

Nearby bidders chimed in, glancing at the auctioneer while also stealing a look at the Lot 187 bidder.

The Lot 187 bidder turned out to be a young foreigner in his twenties, dressed in a crisp suit.

At that moment,

he too furrowed his brows in confusion.

Perhaps due to the noise in the room, the astute auctioneer quickly sensed something was off. After glancing back at the Lot 187 bidder, he hurriedly apologized.

“My sincere apologies! Due to the bid card being partially obscured, the bidder for Lot 187 had initially quoted two million dollars.”

A murmur of awe spread as the auctioneer corrected the mistake, causing a flurry of hushed chatter.

“Now that’s interesting!”

It wasn’t the auctioneer’s error that caught their attention, but the staggering jump in bid made by Lot 187.

Compared to the previous bid, it was a straight one million dollar increase.

To some experts, two million dollars far exceeded the true value of this Silk Road Landscape Scroll.

Such a doubling in the bid at an auction indicates one of two possibilities.

One is that the bidder harbors a grudge against the first bidder and is deliberately driving up the price; the other is that he is determined to secure the item. The former, however, seems more likely.

If it were the latter, a mere $50,000 increase over the previous bid would have sufficed.

“Is this guy targeting Wenmo Group?”

With that thought,

many bidders turned their gaze toward Sun Xin’s location.

With many attendees hailing from the Long Kingdom, Sun Xin’s reputation was well known. Moreover, he had earned renown in the international art scene and was recognized by numerous foreign collectors.

Given the turn of events, they had no interest in bidding further; they were content to sit back and watch the drama unfold.

“Who is this bidder, and why is he causing a stir at a time like this?”

While others relished the spectacle, Sun Xin’s expression darkened beyond measure.

The image of the Lot 187 bidder replayed in his mind repeatedly. He was certain that he didn’t know this young foreigner, nor could he have any past grievance with him.

“What now?”

After a brief moment of thought,

Sun Xin gritted his teeth; time waits for no one, so he raised his paddle once more!

No matter what, his plan and timing could not be disrupted; he was determined to secure the Silk Road Landscape Scroll.

“2.05 million dollars!”

And that wasn’t all.

After announcing his bid, Sun Xin pulled out his phone, quickly typed a few messages, and sent them off.

“Alright! Lot 38 in the first row has bid 2.05 million dollars!”

On stage, the auctioneer promptly echoed the bid.

“Three million dollars!”

However, almost as soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, the Lot 187 bidder raised his paddle once again; perhaps to make up for his earlier slip, the young man announced a new bid in a foreign language.

“Three million? Very well! The bidder for Lot 187 bids three million dollars. Is there any higher offer?”

There’s no need for a deathly silence in any setting, least of all at an auction.

Eager to heat things up before the final masterpiece appeared, the auctioneer continued to hype up the crowd.

“You,”

Sun Xin turned to look in the direction of Lot 187, his eyes narrowing to slits.

If his gaze could kill, the Lot 187 bidder would have been done in seven or eight times over.

“3.05 million!”

After a brief pause, he shouted,

“4 million!”

Just like before, Lot 187 increased the bid by one million dollars once again.

“4.05 million!”

Sun Xin was furious!

The young foreigner’s bid had pushed him to the verge of losing his composure. Though the price far exceeded the true value of the Silk Road Landscape Scroll, he simply couldn’t back down now.

“5 million!”

Before Sun Xin could even curse out loud, Lot 187 raised his paddle again, pushing the bid straight to 5 million dollars.

“Damn it—5.05 million!”

“6 million!”

Meanwhile, in a high-end office building in downtown Haishi, Fu Qiong, President of Qiansheng Investment, sat quietly in front of an electronic display monitoring the auction. To everyone’s surprise, Xu Hao was occupying the main seat.

“President Fu, where did you find this young man? He exudes quite an air of authority.”

Glancing at the electronic display, Xu Hao turned to Fu Qiong.

“Boss, since the three companies we registered this time are based abroad, we brought in a few foreigners. Before the auction, we merely told them that the Silk Road Landscape Scroll and the Yongle Encyclopedia were must-haves. That’s why his bids escalated. If you think there’s an issue, I’ll call him right away to calm things down. After all, if things go this way, the final price could rise significantly.”

Upon hearing this,

Fu Qiong quickly explained.

“That’s right.”

The frantic bidder for Lot 187 was none other than a newly registered employee of Qiansheng Investment. In Fu Qiong’s eyes, whether it was Sun Xin or Wenmo Group, whoever snatched the Silk Road Landscape Scroll would be a rival.

And he wouldn’t give any damn ‘face’ either.

Not even Fu Qiong held the so-called ‘Long Kingdom’s Top Collector’ in high regard; as the puppet master behind Mingsha City, he wouldn’t.

“No, it’s fine!”

Xu Hao waved his hand dismissively.

That’s how auction bids work. If you want to save money, don’t attend the auction; incremental bidding doesn’t necessarily mean a lower final price.

“Boss, shall we continue?”

Fu Qiong heaved a slight sigh of relief and quickly replied.

Strangely, when facing her own boss, the pressure seemed to be mounting more than ever—even in meetings in Haishi with top executives, she never felt this intensity.

“Continue! Especially with the Yongle Encyclopedia; we need this kind of momentum.”

Xu Hao nodded.

“Boss, I see several major financiers seated in the front row, including representatives from the Ross Consortium, the Child Family, and the Buffett Family. They’re likely all after the Yongle Encyclopedia, so the bidding shouldn’t stay low. Should we play it a bit safe?”

After a brief pause, Fu Qiong added,

In her view, the bidding at the auction had turned into little more than a sideshow in Mingsha City.

Tourists visiting Mingsha City were there for its ancient architecture and atmosphere, not its artifacts.

If they were really after the artifacts,

then the Protectorate of West Liang would undoubtedly be the top attraction in Mingsha City. However, with the rise of the No.3 Entertainment City and Mingsha Fudi, the allure of both the Protectorate and the Qingming Scroll had considerably diminished.

“President Fu, do you know what Mingsha City is lacking right now?”

Upon hearing this,

Xu Hao gave Fu Qiong a meaningful look.

“This—”

Fu Qiong paused.

Before Fu Qiong could speak, Xu Hao, eyeing the large screen, added,

“Mingsha City is lacking cultural depth. That’s why some online call it a trendy hotspot—a must-see for social media. But think about it: if Mingsha City had a museum housing treasures like the Yongle Encyclopedia…”