228: Intentionally inflating prices!

The entire auction hall was like a heavy bomb had been dropped into it, falling into a dead silence for a moment before erupting into a mountain-shaking, tsunami-like roar of exclamation!

Everyone was stunned!

Crazy!

Completely insane!

Jumping directly from sixty million to one billion?

What kind of concept is this?

This isn't an auction anymore; this is throwing money at people for fun!

"My god! One billion to buy a buddha head?"

"Who is the person inside box no. 3? Besides heaven character number one, which has been booked long-term by Chu Niubi, boxes number two and three are basically not fixed!"

"What's wrong today? Each one is more ruthless than the last!"

...

Inside Sky Box Number One.

The expression on Chu Niubi's face froze.

"I'll be damned!"

"Which blind son of a bitch is in box no. 3?"

This way,

their plans were all disrupted!

After all,

they no longer knew who the people from the Soul Hall were!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He rushed straight to the box door, pulled it open, and roared outside.

"Manager! Get your ass over here!"

Within ten seconds, that Middle-aged Man manager came rolling and crawling to the door: "Young Master... Young Master Chu, what are your orders?"

Chu Niubi grabbed him by the collar and asked,

"Speak!"

"Who is sitting in box no. 3?"

The manager's face turned pale, and he stammered: "Young Master Chu, this... this is against the rules. We can't reveal guest information at will..."

"Rules?"

Chu Niubi gave a sinister laugh and directly picked up a blue and white porcelain vase with his other hand.

"Believe it or not, I'll let you know right now what my rules are?"

"If you don't speak, I'll smash this Tianque Pavilion of yours to pieces from the inside out tonight!"

"I'll make this crappy auction of yours close down for good!"

The manager was scared out of his wits, his legs turning soft.

"Young Master Chu, calm down! Young Master Chu, calm down! I'll speak! I'll speak, alright?"

"But please don't tell anyone..."

Chu Niubi slapped him on the back of the head: "You're still bargaining with me?"

"I wouldn't dare!"

With a mournful face, the manager hurriedly revealed the other party's origin, "box no. 3... is... is someone from the Yan Family of the Capital."

"Yan Family?"

Chu Niubi was taken aback.

Ye Chen and Bai Wanqing on the sofa looked at each other, their eyes full of amusement.

This guy's way of solving problems was always so simple and crude.

However...

Sometimes being able to solve problems crudely was also a good thing.

Wasn't it?

They found out the other party's identity directly?

Ye Chen coughed and started playing the good cop: "Chu Niubi, let him go first. Look at you."

Only then did Chu Niubi release the manager's collar.

The manager felt as if he had been granted a grand amnesty.

Bai Wanqing took the opportunity to ask: "What about box number two then?"

"This..."

The manager began to hesitate again, but as soon as he saw Chu Niubi glaring at him, he confessed, "It's a couple of merchants who came from Nanyang."

At these words, Ye Chen's eyes flashed.

It seemed he was right...

Earth Box Number Two was the target they wanted to pit!

Bai Wanqing then waved her hand at the manager: "You can go down now, everything's fine here."

"Yes! Yes! Thank you, President Bai! Thank you, Young Master Chu!"

The manager retreated as if escaping, gently closing the door.

The box became quiet again.

Chu Niubi walked back to the sofa and sat down, his face still filled with indignation.

"Damn it, it's actually someone from the Yan Family!"

"Why aren't they staying in the Capital? Why did they come to Yanjing to join the fun? And offering one billion as soon as they act—are they showing off their wealth?"

He took a large gulp of red wine, wiped his mouth, and looked at Ye Chen and Bai Wanqing.

"Master, Madam Bai, now that the Yan Family has intervened, has our plan been disrupted?"

Ye Chen didn't answer; he leaned back on the sofa, looking thoughtful.

Instead, Bai Wanqing took a deep breath and said.

"The Yan Family is one of the Five Great Families of the Capital, with a foundation no less deep than the three great families of Yanjing."

"They have always acted low-key, but every time they make a move, they must have a goal."

"This time, suddenly bidding a high price for a Tang Dynasty jade buddha head..."

She looked at the buddha head on the screen, which was glowing softly under the lights, "I'm afraid they also saw the extraordinariness of this buddha head, or perhaps they also know that something is hidden inside it."

Chu Niubi was stunned: "Ah? The Yan Family also knows there's a key inside? Then... then how do we intercept it? Fight the Yan Family for it?"

He feared nothing, but facing the Yan Family, one of the Five Great Families of the Capital, he still felt a bit apprehensive.

Especially that old fellow Yan Nantian.

Back then, his words were the harshest, directly shutting him out without even giving him a chance!

Ye Chen, however, smiled.

"The plan remains the same."

"Let them fight like the snipe and the clam, and we'll be the fisherman."

A strange expression appeared on Bai Wanqing's small face.

She understood.

One party was bound to be unlucky.

Chu Niubi gave a wretched smile: "May the Jade Emperor bless us, the people from the Soul Hall must be the ones to pay the bill!"

...

On the auction stage, Lin Wei had regained her composure after a brief moment of shock.

She took a deep breath and said loudly: "box no. 3 bids one billion yuan! Are there any higher bids?"

Her gaze subconsciously swept toward Earth Box Number Two.

The eyes of everyone in the audience also converged there.

...

Inside Earth Box Number Two, there was dead silence.

The lazy smile on that enchanting woman's face had disappeared, replaced by a chill: "Who is the person in box no. 3?"

The Middle-aged Man slowly sat up straight and said coldly.

"It's that girl from the Yan Family."

"Yan Family?"

The enchanting woman was slightly startled, her eyes full of solemnity, "Yan Qingwu? That Yan Qingwu who is legendary for being hailed as the number one genius of the Capital?"

"Correct, the person who came to Yanjing this time is her." The man snorted coldly.

The enchanting woman's brows furrowed slightly: "It's said that at a young age, her cultivation has already reached the initial stage of the Earth Rank, and she has the support of the entire Yan Family behind her. She's not to be trifled with. We..."

"So what if she's not to be trifled with?"

The man interrupted her, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.

"The Hall Master personally gave the order; this key must be obtained!"

"This is of great importance and cannot be lost!"

"No matter how strong the Yan Family is, this is Yanjing, not the Capital!"

"On the auction floor, the highest bidder wins!"

After saying that, he no longer hesitated and directly entered a number.

...

On the auction stage, Lin Wei was about to start the first countdown.

Suddenly!

The electronic screen in front of her seemed to be gripped by an invisible giant hand, refreshing frantically!

Following that.

Another shocking number appeared.

Lin Wei's breath hitched!

"Earth... Earth Box Number Two!"

"The latest bid is—"

"Two! Billion! Yuan!!!"

"Boom—!!!"

Two billion!!!

Like a thunderclap from the nine heavens, it exploded in everyone's minds!

The entire Tianque Pavilion auction hall suddenly boiled over.

Two billion RMB!

Just for a Tang Dynasty! Broken! Unknown origin! buddha head???

Crazy！

This world has gone completely insane!

Even from behind the one-way glass of the second-floor box area, there seemed to be a sound of people sucking in cold air.

But what was astonishing was...

Before people could calm down from this price, Sky Box Number One also joined in the fun!

"Sky Box Number One bids three billion!"

"box no. 3 bids four billion!"

...

The man inside Earth Box Number Two slapped the table.

The tabletop shattered!

He was furious: "Damn it! Why does it feel like everyone is targeting us?"

"Then should we continue to bid?" The woman looked helpless.

The man growled: "Bid! Continue to bid! I want to see... how long they can keep up???"

Then.

Inside Earth Box Number Two, another high price was offered...

Five billion!

As a result...

Sky Box Number One and box no. 3 took turns raising the price.

The price of a broken buddha head skyrocketed all the way.

Six billion!

Seven billion!

Eight billion!

...

Crazy!

The people in these three boxes must be crazy!

Everyone in the audience fell into shock!

When the price reached fifteen billion, it finally began to settle down.

Sky Box Number One and box no. 3 seemed to have a tacit understanding and stopped directly.

Consequently.

Earth Box Number Two secured the buddha head with a high price of fifteen billion.

On the auction stage, Lin Wei's hand holding the gavel trembled slightly, and her face flushed with excitement.

"Fifteen billion! Going once!"

"Fifteen billion! Going twice!"

"Fifteen billion! Going thrice!"

"Sold!!!"

The gavel fell heavily, letting out a crisp, resonant sound, as if setting the final seal on this staggering price.

"Congratulations to the distinguished guest in Earth Box Number Two for successfully bidding for item number 009, the Tang Dynasty white jade buddha head!!!"

"Fifteen billion! It has refreshed the historical record for a single item's closing price at Tianque Pavilion! It has also set a new global auction record for Buddhist artworks!!!"

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall, but more than that, there was a massive uproar.

Fifteen billion to buy a buddha head?

Too crazy!

...

Inside Earth Box Number Two.

There was no joy of a successful bid on the Middle-aged Man's face, only a grim expression.

The enchanting woman in his arms also dropped her coquettish act, her face looking unsightly as she whispered.

"We... were played."

"heaven character number one and box no. 3, they didn't truly want this buddha head at all."

A raspy voice squeezed out from between the man's teeth.

"They were deliberately raising the price!"

"Starting from one billion, every time we bid, they took turns adding to it, forcing us all the way to fifteen billion..."

He suddenly smashed his fist into the remains of the already shattered coffee table, "These two boxes... must be in collusion!"

A cold light flickered in the woman's eyes: "Especially that woman in box no. 3... If I get the chance, I will definitely refine her into a human puppet!"

The man snorted coldly: "Forget it, our mission is complete. Let's leave here first!"

Just then.

A knock came from the door; the staff from Tianque Pavilion were here to handle the handover.

The two suppressed the anger in their hearts.

Then.

The card was swiped quickly, and the handover was completed.

Holding the sealed box containing the buddha head, the man led the enchanting woman and walked quickly out of the box without looking back, hurrying out through the VIP passage.