Chapter 11: The Five-Hundred-Million Plot of Land

A shout of “Imperial Green” instantly sent the entire auction into a fever pitch.

“Ah! It’s Imperial Green!”

Even Chen Ruoxi was stunned upon hearing this, rising to her feet and clutching the railing in front of her as she stared intently at the scene below.

Master Jie, the stone expert, had never encountered anything like this in his lifetime. He stood up and explained to Chen Ruoxi, “Miss Chen, this stone, when lit from within, is transparent and flawless. It’s a premium Imperial Green jadeite rough stone, with enough material for a bracelet. If you were to craft a bracelet from this piece, its value would not be less than three hundred million yuan. Moreover, the center of the bracelet could be carved—whether you want a jade pendant or a necklace, it would be an excellent choice, holding tremendous collectible value. Congratulations, Miss Chen!”

Chen Ruoxi gripped the railing tightly, utterly unprepared for such an occurrence to happen to her.

Only Chen Ping wore a delighted expression as he looked at Su Tian. “As expected of you, Brother Su! Truly impressive!”

Su Tian could only modestly reply, “It’s just good luck.”

Chen Ruoxi glanced back at Su Tian, puzzled. Was it really just luck?

Seizing the moment, others hurriedly began bidding on the remaining two stones. A stone initially valued at three million yuan was swiftly snatched up for over ten million.

After all, who wouldn’t want to turn a profit of three hundred million just by flipping it?

Some even wanted to outright buy the stone in Chen Ruoxi’s hands.

But Chen Ruoxi had no intention of selling.

“Grandma’s birthday is coming soon. Making a bracelet for her would be perfect,” she said, casting a subtle glance at Su Tian.

But Su Tian paid no mind. This was merely a small favor he had done on a whim. What mattered was the Qin family.

After all, his real purpose for coming was to learn more about the Qin family, and even to prevent them from acquiring anything at this auction.

In fact, Su Tian had cast a fortune for Qin Haitian, the head of the Qin family. Truly befitting the family patriarch.

“The Qin family’s fortune is extraordinarily strong,” he remarked.

Chen Ping didn’t quite understand. “Brother Su, are you talking about the Qin family? Their development has been good in recent years, but compared to our Chen family, it’s nothing.”

Su Tian remained silent.

Meanwhile, those who won bids on other stones weren’t so lucky. Although there was jade inside, the quality paled in comparison to Chen Ruoxi’s piece. Those stones, once valued at millions, were now worth only a few thousand yuan at best—objects no one wanted.

Regret filled them instantly.

The auction then proceeded more conventionally, with several collectibles being sold, each fetching prices in the tens of millions. Yet the Qin family and several other heads of households behind them remained silent.

It was clear they were not here for these items.

“Next up, a plot of land in the East District of Jiang City, starting bid at one hundred million yuan.”

The main event had arrived.

The Qin family was the first to bid, “One hundred and ten million.”

The Bai and Su families followed suit, “One hundred and thirty million.”

“One hundred and fifty million.”

But the Qin family looked determined to claim the land.

“Two hundred million.”

When the bid reached two hundred million, the Bai and Su families stopped bidding, evidently shocked by the price.

Just as the Qin family assumed the land was theirs, the Tang family suddenly intervened.

“Two hundred and ten million.”

Qin Haitian looked at Tang Yichen behind him, bewildered.

Tang Yichen, with an air of suave confidence, said, “Uncle Qin, anyone can compete for this land, can’t they?”

Qin Haitian’s expression was less sour. “The Tang family can really afford to bid so much on a plot of land.”

“Not too bad. We do have some capital. Two hundred million isn’t much for us Tang,” Tang Yichen replied.

Qin Haitian said nothing more but raised his bidding card: “Two hundred and twenty million.” He didn’t want to push the price too high.

As soon as he put down his card, Tang Yichen called out, “Two hundred and forty million.”

Qin Haitian felt as though Tang Yichen was doing this on purpose.

“Uncle Qin, if you don’t want to continue, that’s fine. We Tang family can afford this,” Tang Yichen said with a smile.

Unexpectedly, Qin Haitian retorted sarcastically, “It was a mistake for your Tang family’s assets to fall into your hands. It’s a pity your family head passed away young, or he wouldn’t have allowed you to recklessly gamble away everything.”

Tang Yichen wasn’t angered, maintaining a smile. “Uncle Qin, how do you know I’m just fooling around? Why can’t I be here to give you a hard time? This land isn’t something the Qin family must have. Everyone in our circle knows how fiercely you want it, practically fighting tooth and nail, only for the Chen family to step in and put it up for auction. Frankly, I’m not overly eager, but I want to raise the price for you, so you feel you’re getting a good deal.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Haitian nearly spat blood in frustration.

That guy!

“Uncle Qin, will you raise your bid? If not, this land is ours,” Tang Yichen pressed.

With no choice, Qin Haitian gritted his teeth and increased the bid.

“Two hundred and sixty million!”

Just when everyone thought Tang Yichen would relent, he raised the stakes again.

“Three hundred million.”

Qin Haitian lost his composure, standing and pointing his finger at Tang Yichen, ready to scold him.

Tang Yichen smiled calmly. “Uncle Qin, don’t be angry. At your age, don’t let it affect your health. How would you explain it to me, your brother?”

Qin Haitian waved his hand dismissively. “Tang Yichen, I’m giving you face because you’re the head of the Tang family. Don’t take advantage of that!”

Tang Yichen, sensing it was time to back down, shrugged. He had already pushed the price up by one hundred million unnecessarily and was satisfied, having made the Qin family pay up.

“Uncle Qin, it’s your call now.”

Qin Haitian made his final bid: “Three hundred and ten million.”

The room fell silent; no one, not even the Tang family, dared to bid further.

Qin Haitian sighed with relief but was inwardly furious.

What could have been won for two hundred million now cost over one hundred million more.

The auctioneer quickly called out, “Any more bids? Three hundred and ten million once! Three hundred and ten million twice! Three hundred and ten million…”

“Five hundred million.”

The sudden declaration stunned everyone, all eyes turning toward the source.

On the second-floor VIP balcony, a young man in a gray-white T-shirt held up a card and calmly said, “I bid five hundred million.”

Everyone there knew each participant’s credentials had been verified before the auction. Only qualified bidders could compete, yet he boldly declared five hundred million.

Su Tian sat with Chen Ruoxi and Chen Ping. Qin Haitian assumed Su Tian was allied with them.

“Miss Chen, this land was put up by your Chen family. What does it mean to bid on it yourselves?” Qin Haitian asked.

Chen Ruoxi glanced at Su Tian, confused by his intentions. With his appearance, he hardly looked like someone who could afford five hundred million.

She said nothing. Chen Ping stood and leaned casually on the railing beside Su Tian. “My boss wants to buy it. What’s it to you?”

Seeing the prize slipping away, Qin Haitian could only swallow his frustration. Yet he dared not confront the Chen family.

Though the Qin family had some standing in Jiang City, compared to the Chen family, they were insignificant.

Yet Su Tian’s demeanor hardly suggested any connection to the Chen family.

Once seated, Qin Haitian whispered to his secretary, “Investigate him. Find out who he really is.”

The secretary glanced at Su Tian and nodded promptly. “Understood.”

Qin Haitian was on the verge of tears for missing the land he wanted.

Chen Ruoxi, seated nearby, looked at Su Tian. “Do you have a grudge against the Qin family? Are you targeting them?”

Su Tian candidly admitted, “Yes. I came to this auction because of the Qin family.”

Chen Ruoxi shook her head regretfully. “Do you really have five hundred million? Even if you can pay for the land, have you thought about what comes after? That land is in the development zone. If you don’t develop it quickly, it will end up in someone else’s hands.”

Su Tian was unconcerned. “That’s not your problem.”

He had connections with many powerful figures from his time in the Black Prison. Handling a piece of land was nothing to him.