Chapter 58: Spending Money Like Dirt

At the start of the auction, the items on display were fairly common antiques, naturally not enough to catch the attention of big names like Wan Tianze. He leaned over and asked Zhenzhen in a low voice, "Daughter, is there anything you want to buy tonight?"

Ever since Zhenzhen learned about her true parentage, the bond within the family had grown rapidly. She hugged Wan Tianze's arm and whispered back, "Dad, I don’t really want anything, but I think Nianxue seems quite interested in that 'Sunlight Jade Pendant.' Could you see if it's possible to get it for her?"

Wan Tianze nodded with a smile. "I've noticed how close you two have become, like real sisters. Honestly, if we just gave her money, she wouldn’t accept it. Since she likes this jade pendant, I’ll buy it in our family’s name and give it to her as a gift."

Zhenzhen nodded excitedly. "Dad, you’re the best!"

In truth, not to mention just a Sunlight Jade Pendant—if Zhenzhen so much as asked, Wan Tianze wouldn’t hesitate to buy out all the antiques in the room for her.

"Next, we present the 'Sunlight Jade Pendant' from the Yuan dynasty. Legend has it that this pendant is a spiritual artifact—let’s skip the detailed description—it is said to gather positive energy and ward off evil. The starting bid is three million! Each raise must be at least one hundred thousand!"

Officer Li smiled and said, "Old Chen, here comes the item you’ve got your eye on!"

Chen Yao, a battle-hardened man, was unexpectedly nervous. "Brother, this is my first time actually raising a paddle at an auction. I’m a little jittery! Ha! Hahaha!"

Officer Li reassured him, "It’s normal to be nervous. I wish you luck in getting what you want tonight!"

The auctioneer, beaming, picked up the gavel. "Let’s begin the bidding!"

"Three million, two hundred thousand."

Someone raised a paddle first!

"Three million, four hundred thousand!"

"Three million, five hundred thousand!"

"Four million!"

Chen Yao gripped his paddle tightly, anxiety written on his face. He licked his lips. "Li, my friend, I didn’t expect so many people to want this pendant! The price is climbing fast!"

"Four million, five hundred thousand!"

Officer Li reminded him, "Old Chen, now’s the time to bid!"

Chen Yao nodded, but before he could lift his paddle, a powerful male voice echoed from the VIP section, "Six million."

"Wow!"

The whole room erupted. "Is that Wan Tianze?!"

"Such wealth and confidence—he just raised the price by 1.6 million!"

"The Wanma Group is truly impressive!"

Officer Li glanced over at Chen Yao, whose paddle was frozen halfway in the air, his face falling. There was nothing more to say. "Well, Old Chen, that’s above our budget."

Chen Yao slowly put his paddle down, a sheepish grin on his face. "Yeah, I can’t keep up with this game, hahaha!"

"Six million, going once! Six million, going twice! Six million, sold! The Sunlight Jade Pendant now belongs to Mr. Wan!"

As soon as the auction concluded, several men in low-key attire quietly left from the side of the room.

Officer Li’s sharp gaze swept over them, and his nerves tingled with suspicion. "The auction hasn’t even reached its highlight—why are those men leaving already?" But the situation didn’t allow him to be distracted; after all, Master Wei and his group were present, and Liang Lingzhi’s undercover plan was still in progress.

Wan Tianze turned and nodded symbolically to the other guests nearby. Zhenzhen laughed, "Dad, you’re amazing!"

Wan Tianze pulled both Zhenzhen and Nianxue close. "Nianxue, let this jade pendant be a gift from our family. It’s a token of our affection—please accept it."

Nianxue could barely contain her joy. "Such a precious pendant... for me?"

Zhenzhen grinned. "Nianxue, I saw you staring so intently at the photo of the Sunlight Jade Pendant this morning—I just knew you liked it! So we decided to get it for you. Please accept it!"

Over the past days, Nianxue had come to realize that the Wan family truly treated her as one of their own. She no longer hesitated. "Thank you, Uncle Wan." She lowered her voice and said to Zhenzhen, "Thank you, Zhenzhen."

Zhenzhen squeezed her hand. "No, thank you!"

The auction continued. One by one, the treasures found new owners. At last, the grand finale arrived: the olive-green vase with tea-dust glaze.

The auctioneer delivered a rapid-fire introduction, but to Liang Lingzhi, only the words "imperial," "rare," "precious," and "anticipated" registered; the rest was lost on him.

"The starting bid is fifteen million! Each raise must be at least five hundred thousand."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the guests erupted in a buzz, and the music swelled, pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

But, curiously, after the auctioneer called for bids, a minute passed with no one raising a paddle.

Li Zimu began to panic. "What’s going on?! Why isn’t anyone bidding?" He glared at Xu Si beside him. "You bastard! Did you fool me!?"

Xu Si was flustered. "No, boss! He Wentian specifically told Brother Zhi to get this vase at any cost!"

Li Zimu’s face was thunderous as he cast a furtive glance at Master Wei and his two associates in the distance. Their eyes met, and Li Zimu felt Master Wei’s cold, furious gaze stab into his own like a knife, sending a chill down his spine. "Heavens, please, someone bid already!"

"Sixteen million!"

A brazen voice rang out from the VIP section.

"Wow! He raised it by a million in one go!"

"Who is that?!"

"That’s Liang Lingzhi, the notorious spendthrift!"

"Look at that infuriating smirk—makes you want to slap him!"

"What can you do, though? His family’s loaded."

Xu Si shook Li Zimu’s arm vigorously. "See, boss? I wasn’t lying!"

Li Zimu finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Good thing you weren’t—otherwise, we’d be meeting the King of Hell tonight!"

"Sixteen and a half million!"

Mo Dingxi looked over at Wan Tianze. "Uncle Wan, I’ll have to be a little presumptuous this time."

Wan Tianze nodded with a smile. "Let’s see how it goes."

"Seventeen million! Young Master Mo Dingxi of Splendid Rivers and Mountains bids seventeen million!"

Liang Lingzhi let out a cold laugh, removing the cigar from his mouth. "Nineteen million!"

"This wastrel!"

"So envious I could die!"

Liang Lingzhi heard the commotion behind him and felt a surge of pride. "After tonight, I’ll be the most prominent rich kid in the city! I’ve stumbled right onto the peak of life!"

Mo Dingxi lowered his head and smiled, gently raising his paddle. "Twenty million!"

Zhenzhen teased, "Dingxi, be careful! Don’t go home and get scolded by your father!"

Mo Dingxi smiled ruefully. "I know my limits."

Liang Lingzhi, cigar in hand and eyes half-closed, turned to the beauty in his embrace. "You help me raise the paddle."

The woman giggled shyly and lifted the paddle. "Twenty-one million."

Nianxue’s fiery gaze shot at Liang Lingzhi like a missile. "He’s really pushing his luck now!"

"Twenty-two million!" From the VIP section, an elderly gentleman raised his paddle.

Then a woman followed suit. "Twenty-two and a half million!"

The seasoned attendees knew: the real buyers were finally appearing.

"Twenty-three million!" Liang Lingzhi pinched the beauty’s thigh. She nodded with a smile and raised the paddle again.

The bidding was so fierce that Li Zimu and Xu Si were elated. "Xu Si, your intel is gold! From eight million up to twenty-three million—almost tripled!"

In the corner, Master Wei couldn’t help but grin. "Who’d have thought these wealthy folks would go so wild over this vase? Lixing, Lecheng, looks like we’re in for a big haul this time!"

Lixing replied, "It’s all thanks to your wisdom, Master Wei!"

Lecheng snickered. "Turns out even that little squirt Li Zimu was right—someone actually came to fight for the vase."

"Twenty-five million!"

Wan Tianze, unable to hold back any longer, finally raised his paddle.

Seeing this, Mo Dingxi knew better than to keep bidding. "Uncle Wan, your generosity is impressive. I concede."

Wan Tianze smiled. "Thank you for yielding."

Mo Dingxi nodded and cast an affectionate look at Zhenzhen. He certainly wouldn’t risk offending Wan Tianze over a mere antique.

"Twenty-six million!" The woman who had bid earlier raised her paddle once more.

"Twenty-seven million!" Wan Tianze, unfazed, raised his paddle again.

Liang Lingzhi, unwilling to lose, snatched the paddle from the beauty’s hand. "Thirty-two million!"

The room fell instantly silent.

Liang Lingzhi had put on quite a show—one that even the author had to admire.