The sudden voice startled the entire auction hall.
An item with no reserve price is getting a bid of one hundred million? And by a woman, no less! Has she lost her mind? Is she treating money like it's just a ga of numbers? The entire auction floor was stunned by the price. If not for the prestige of the Heavenly Auction, they would have assud the bid was from a shill. One hundred million for this thing? Whoever buys it is an idiot!
But just as that thought crossed their minds, the next bid ca. "Two hundred million!"
Stunned that a woman had preempted him with such a stunning opening bid of one hundred million, Qin Fan paused for only a mont before raising his paddle and calling out the two-hundred-million bid. He had no ti to wonder if the other party truly knew how rare the Pill Furnace was. For him, this Dan Furnace could only be his, and it would be his! The one hundred billion that Li Yicheng had transferred was still sitting comfortably in his bank account. In an auction of wealth, who could possibly outbid him?
"Three hundred million!" No sooner had Qin Fan lowered his paddle than the woman raised hers again, continuing to increase the bid.
"Five hundred million!"
"Six hundred million!"
"One billion!"
"One billion, one hundred million!"
No matter what Qin Fan bid, his opponent consistently countered by adding another hundred million. Aside from them, no one else was rich enough to wade into these troubled waters. The entire auction hall beca the stage for their two-person show. Throughout this process, Qin Fan and the woman never looked at each other, simply raising their bids in response to the other's voice. The scene was bizarre.
"Two billion!" Tired of wasting ti, Qin Fan called out a doubled bid.
To his surprise, and to the surprise of the entire auction hall, the woman didn't back down. Instead, she broke from her previous rhythm of hundred-million incrents and shouted, "Three billion!" Her bid had jaws dropping all over the auction hall.
Who on earth was this wealthy lady? And which family's Young Master was he? Spending billions just to fight over a furnace used to concoct the Elixir of Immortality for Emperor Qin Shi Huang—who only lived to forty-nine? What a classic case of a prodigal son burning through his family's fortune!
"Ten billion!" Qin Fan raised his paddle, a playful smile on his face as he licked his lips.
"Twelve billion!"
As this price was called out, the woman finally looked over at Qin Fan. A flicker of indignation shone in her clear, limpid eyes.
That bastard! I thought coming here with over ten billion would be more than enough to secure this Dan Furnace. I never expected a monster like this to show up out of nowhere—an insane monster at that! Look at his youthful face; he can't be more than twenty, yet he's pushed the bidding up to an astronomical sum of over ten billion! Damn it! If this guy is just ssing with or is a shill, I'll make sure he pays for it! This Longevity Furnace—a treasure whose secrets are known only to our dicine Valley—I swore on my life I would bring it back. But now the bidding has reached my absolute limit. Am I supposed to just stand by and watch that scoundrel take it? That's unacceptable—not for , and especially not for dicine Valley! To think, dicine Valley has been searching for the Longevity Furnace for a hundred years, only for it to be unearthed by a few tomb raiders! And now I have to deal with this crazed little bastard! It's infuriating! Absolutely infuriating!
"Hey, that's about enough!" Turning to face him, the woman couldn't help but frown as she shouted at Qin Fan.
But Qin Fan acted as if he hadn't heard a thing, not even sparing her a glance. A mocking smile played on his lips.
He raised his paddle. "Twenty billion. Let's end this."
The woman froze as if struck by lightning.
A wave of unbelievable shock swept through the auction hall. Twenty billion for a thing like that?
When Qin Fan called out his bid of twenty billion, the woman's face, already pale from the shock, beca frosty. She glared at him, her teeth clenched in hatred. She couldn't go any higher. A fierce struggle was visible in her eyes.
Finally, she glanced toward a corner in the back rows of the auction. Two n sitting there gave her an imperceptible nod.
Qin Fan, who perceived all of this with his Divine Sense, sneered inwardly. Thinking of a double-cross? We'll see if you have what it takes.
After a ten-second pause with no further bids, the middle-aged man waited no longer. With the sa unchanging, deadpan expression, he raised his wooden gavel and brought it down on the auction table.
"Twenty billion, going once!"
"Twenty billion, going twice!"
"Twenty billion, going three tis! The unnad furnace is sold to paddle number 131 for twenty billion. Congratulations!"
Congratulations. It was the first ti the middle-aged man had uttered the word all night. But to the elites in the audience, it sounded like mockery directed at Qin Fan for being a rich fool.
"The 32nd Heavenly Auction is now concluded! Will the winning bidders please remain for paynt and collection. All other guests, please exit imdiately!" the middle-aged man announced, his voice cold and emotionless as he struck the gavel one last ti.
With a great stir, people rose from their seats in droves, quickly filing out of the hall amidst hushed conversations.
The woman who had bid against Qin Fan shot him a resentful look and huffed before leaving the auction hall under the discreet protection of her two companions.
In the end, only Qin Fan, Ye Jizu, the auctioneer, and a man in charge of handling the electronic transfers remained in the vast auction hall.
"Please." The staff mber opened the transfer page on his computer and gestured for Ye Jizu to proceed. Without hesitation, Ye Jizu nodded and deftly entered the numbers to complete the transaction.
"Thank you. You may take your painting and go," the man said with a polite smile.
"He's with ," Qin Fan stated calmly from the side.
Hearing this, the staff mber instinctively glanced at the auctioneer, who gave a slight nod. The staff mber then looked at Qin Fan and said, "Sir, if you please."
Qin Fan pulled a bank card from his pocket and tossed it onto the table. "The PIN is the last six digits. There's exactly twenty billion on it. Go ahead and make the transfer yourselves."
"Of course," the man replied. He picked up the bank card and began typing furiously on the keyboard. Due to the enormous sum, the twenty-billion-dollar transaction took a full half-hour to complete.
"It is done," the man said, handing the card back to Qin Fan before looking at the auctioneer. With a wave from the auctioneer, the staff mber quickly departed.
Under the dim lights, only three people remained, along with The Admonitions of the Court Lady in its glass case and the dusty, ordinary-looking Pill Furnace.
"Be careful." The auctioneer looked at Qin Fan, the words accompanied by a faint smile—the first real expression he had shown all day.
"They aren't worthy," Qin Fan replied, naturally understanding the man's warning. He chuckled dismissively and shook his head.
"I believe you." The auctioneer clapped Qin Fan on the shoulder, his expression reverting to its usual deadpan mask before he turned and walked away.
PS: Apologies for the late fifth update.
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