224: Auction 3

"700 yuan."

At the auction site, as Bai Xue’s clear bid rang out, before the auctioneer could even repeat the price, seven or eight paddles shot up.

Within a minute or two, bids came in rapid succession, quickly rising from 700 yuan to 1,200 yuan.

And the price continued to climb, with no decrease in the number of people raising paddles to bid; in fact, there were more and more.

It was clear that 1,200 yuan was definitely not the final transaction price, and it hadn't yet reached their psychological expectations.

As time passed, the bidding reached 2,800 yuan. At this point, through Zhang Jun's introduction, combined with his own observation and speculation, he realized there were four remaining bidders.

Three of them were likely the japanese, and the other was the person who had bought the first Yellowfin Tuna earlier.

"3,300 yuan."

As soon as one of the japanese made a bid, the other two japanese stopped bidding.

"Damn it, these japanese are clearly teaming up to snipe! Screw them!" Yang Qi said angrily to Zhang Jun.

"3,400 yuan."

The middle-aged man remained unfazed, raising his paddle and calling out a price, looking calm and composed.

The corners of the japanese' eyes twitched with anger.

Actually, according to their estimate, the normal market price for an A2-grade Pacific Bluefin Tuna here was around 3,000 yuan per kilogram.

"We've already overbid by 10%, and this damned Chinese person is still raising the price."

"What should we do? It looks like this guy also isn't short on money."

"There are still eight more. How about we let him have this one? That way, he'll have one Yellowfin and one Bluefin Tuna."

"For the next eight, this guy probably won't cause trouble! Then we'll dictate the prices later."

These japanese put their heads together and discussed for a while, seemingly making a decision.

They exchanged glances with the other groups of japanese. All the japanese sat motionless, no longer making bids.

Finally, with the auctioneer's passionate countdown, the hammer fell.

The auction hall erupted in warm applause. Everyone could see that these japanese had clearly formed an alliance.

That had been a war without gunpowder, and the ultimate victory was China's victory. Everyone felt honored!

Many people secretly resolved to snipe the japanese later, not letting them succeed easily.

Even if it ended up in their own hands, it didn't matter. At worst, they'd take it back and give it to their employees as a benefit. It wasn't like they didn't have the money to buy it.

The auctioneer also had Chen Tianming, the owner of the nine Bluefin Tuna, come on stage to say a few words. He was not at all intimidated, going up to introduce his Tian Ming Trading Company.

How could he miss such a good advertising opportunity?

This was also a great opportunity for him to gain recognition!

Next, the auction for the second Bluefin Tuna was indeed much livelier than the previous one.

It was also an A2-grade Bluefin Tuna, and the bidding quickly reached 2,800 yuan.

Unlike the previous auction, where only four parties were bidding, now there were more than ten people still making offers.

"Damn Chinese!"

Facing the chaotic scene, the japanese were also caught off guard. They had originally discussed forming an alliance to bid for the lowest price.

Anyway, Chinese people wouldn't make Tuna sashimi, so all the Bluefin Tuna would surely fall into their hands at the lowest price.

The price was estimated to be controlled below 3,000 yuan per kilogram. At that time, one of them would bid for it, and after the auction, they would equally divide the nine Bluefin Tuna.

Unexpectedly, the first one had an unforeseen outcome, being bought by a Chinese person at an inflated price.

They thought to themselves, surely these next eight would be easily secured, right? It couldn't be that everyone planned to buy them to braise at home, could it? After all, that was hundreds of thousands of yuan.

But these japanese would never understand the deep patriotic feelings in the hearts of Chinese people, and even more so, the endless hatred and animosity towards the japanese in the depths of their souls.

Even if these Bluefin Tuna couldn't create much value for themselves, as long as they could cause some trouble for the japanese, it was worth it.

The atmosphere was hyped up, and even Bai Xue raised her paddle once.

Of course, if the japanese eventually bought them at a high price, they would definitely sell them at an increased price in their Japanese restaurants. They would never lose money.

The wool comes from the sheep, and ultimately, it's the Chinese people who consume at Japanese restaurants who pay the bill.

Some might think that Yang Qi and his group were fleecing these Chinese consumers.

What Yang Qi wanted to say was:

"Screw you! Can't our country's Eight Great Cuisines (Lu, Chuan, Yue, Su, Zhe, Min, Xiang, Hui) satisfy you? Do you really have to spend a high price on these cold, raw foods to show off?"

"You're willing to be the sucker, and you're blaming me for it?"

"3,500 yuan."

With one bid, the price directly broke through the final transaction price of the first one.

None of these business people were unintelligent. When they saw that the bidder was Chinese, everyone simultaneously stopped, as if waiting for the japanese' bid.

These japanese were now sweating profusely. They had originally agreed to stop bidding around 3,000 yuan and let one of them secure it.

But now it was already 3,500 yuan! Judging by the situation, these Chinese people didn't seem to have any intention of stopping!

They looked at each other, instantly losing their composure, unsure of what to do.

There were nine Bluefin Tuna at the auction. If they didn't get even one, and the president found out, would he make them commit seppuku to atone for their failure?

"To hell with the alliance, my own life is more important."

Some of the more quick-witted japanese, no longer caring about anything else, began to raise their paddles and bid.

"3,600 yuan."

Following suit, seeing that someone from their alliance had made an offer, the other japanese also realized the stakes. To save their lives and positions, they all started bidding.

"3,650 yuan." "3,700 yuan."

The alliance instantly crumbled!

Seeing the japanese squabbling among themselves, these bosses also stopped bidding and watched the spectacle with great interest.

"4,200 yuan."

With the final bid from one of the japanese, the auctioneer, after counting down, brought down his hammer, making the final decision.

Yang Qi clearly felt that these Japanese people who had successfully bid for it let out a long sigh of relief.

In fact, Tuna auctions are frequently held in Japan, as it is the center for Tuna consumption and trade.

Approximately 90% of the world's finest Bluefin Tuna are transported to Japan for trade.

It can be said that the price of Tuna worldwide is determined by fluctuations in the Japanese market.

These Japanese businessmen who run Japanese restaurants in China air-freight these high-end Bluefin Tuna from Japan every month.

This results in very high shipping costs and limited quotas, leading to a perennial shortage of these premium Bluefin Tuna in Japanese restaurants here.

The Tuna usually sold in their restaurants are mostly Albacore, Bigeye, or Yellowfin Tuna.