135: Chapter 135 Fear
Everyone present could see clearly that this was a head-on commercial clash between two powerful capital entities.
There were no malicious disruptive tactics, nor was it a battle of egos; it was purely a hard-hitting confrontation over asset acquisition.
The middle-aged man in the front row looked certain, clearly determined to win these office floors.
His gaze crossed the crowd to meet Jiang Chen's, his eyes hinting at the strategic game being played.
He had originally planned to press forward step by step, using a steady pace to secure the target.
However, Jiang Chen's expression remained unchanged, his features calm and indifferent.
With sufficient funds in hand, he didn't hesitate for a second, slowly opening his mouth to announce a price.
"Eighty-four million."
His voice wasn't loud, but it spread clearly to every corner of the auction hall, like a heavy stone dropped into calm water, instantly suppressing all the small noises in the room.
There was no back-and-forth tug-of-war, no gradual testing; he directly increased the bid by four million in one go, a clean and decisive move that left no room for negotiation.
The middle-aged man's face changed abruptly, and his hand holding the bidding paddle tightened unconsciously.
He had planned to increase the bid steadily to gradually erode his opponent's bidding room, but he hadn't expected Jiang Chen to act so decisively, raising the price beyond his expected psychological limit right from the start.
His expression shifted several times as his fingertips repeatedly rubbed the edge of the paddle, rapidly weighing profit margins against investment risks in his mind.
After several moments of hesitation, he eventually lowered his paddle slowly.
This price had already exceeded the company's budget limit for this asset; continuing to bid would only result in more loss than gain.
The scene instantly fell into silence; no one else followed with a bid.
The Auctioneer snapped back to his senses and began to call out the price in a loud, excited voice.
"Eighty-four million going once!"
"Eighty-four million going twice!"
"Eighty-four million going three times!"
The gavel fell, sealing the deal.
"Sold! The fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of Wantai Fortune Center are successfully purchased by bidder number 68—Chenxing Capital—for the price of eighty-four million yuan!"
Scattered applause broke out, but most of the business people present turned their gazes toward Jiang Chen.
In those gazes were mixtures of scrutiny, shock, and deep apprehension.
The middle-aged man who had competed fiercely with Jiang Chen looked toward him with a complex expression, eventually sighing helplessly and giving up on the struggle entirely.
Jiang Chen stood up slowly, casually straightening the hem of his suit, his expression calm and composed.
It was as if he hadn't just purchased core commercial assets worth tens of millions, but rather a most ordinary item; there wasn't a ripple of emotion in his eyes.
Shen Xi immediately stepped forward to coordinate the follow-up matters with the auction center staff.
Signing the contract, transferring funds, filing property rights—a series of procedures progressed methodically in her hands, handled capably and efficiently without a single error.
Lu Zheng remained by Jiang Chen's side, his posture upright and his aura steady.
He said nothing, yet he quietly blocked the overly direct stares and probes from the surroundings, carrying a self-evident deterrent force.
The three walked out of the auction center as warm sunlight fell upon their shoulders, bringing a sense of warmth.
Shen Xi walked quickly beside Jiang Chen, softly reporting the subsequent process: "Mr. Jiang, all title transfer and filing procedures will be completed within three working days. The property will be registered directly under Chenxing Capital and recorded as a fixed asset of the company."
Jiang Chen nodded slightly, his gaze turning toward the Wantai Fortune Center standing nearby in the core business district.
The glass curtain wall of the entire building reflected dazzling light under the sun, its outline clear and distinct.
His tone was calm, yet it carried a sharp certainty of someone in total control.
"Wantai Real Estate's capital chain was already strained. Having this batch of core assets auctioned off will be a further blow to them."
"Taking these three office floors is only the first step of our layout."
"Next, from commercial assets and equity to projects under construction, we will slowly erode Wantai's core territory step by step."
Lu Zheng stepped forward quickly and opened the rear door of the lexus lm.
Jiang Chen bent down and sat inside. The car body sank slightly, and the door closed slowly, instantly cutting off all outside gazes and discussions as silence returned to the cabin.
...
Meanwhile.
On the top floor of Wantai Real Estate, inside the Chairman's office, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.
The heavy blackout curtains were half-drawn, leaving the room in dim light.
Zhou Wanquan slumped in his large leather executive chair, his hand tightly clutching a fresh due diligence report. His knuckles were white from excessive force, and the edges of the paper were crumpled.
His eyes were fixed on the words in the report, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid as an unbelievable sense of panic and chill surged in his heart.
The report clearly stated:
Bidder: Chenxing Capital; Actual Controller: Jiang Chen; Successfully purchased the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of Wantai Fortune Center today for eighty-four million yuan.
"Jiang Chen... Chenxing Capital..." Zhou Wanquan murmured these two names repeatedly, his voice dry and hoarse, carrying an unmistakable tremor.
He suddenly looked up at the ID photo of Jiang Chen on his desk.
The young man in the photo had handsome features and showed no sharp aura; he looked like a college student who had just stepped out of campus, green and ordinary.
But it was such a seemingly unremarkable young man who had quietly founded Chenxing Capital and precisely targeted the core assets that Wantai Real Estate was desperate to sell.
He had cleanly and decisively auctioned off three floors of the office building.
Every step landed precisely on his lifeblood; the ruthlessness of the methods and the sharpness of the vision far exceeded his imagination.
Zhou Wanquan slowly closed his eyes as a past he hadn't dared to touch for many years surged in his heart.
In his early years, he had started from nothing with no one to rely on, using ruthless methods to make his way through the underworld.
He had stepped over countless shoulders and exploited loopholes before the crackdowns on organized crime to finally, with great difficulty, clean up his identity and build the business empire of Wantai Real Estate.
Over the years, he had been walking on eggshells, fearing most that his past would be unearthed, leading to his total ruin.
He was used to the deception of the business world and was not afraid of open commercial competition, but facing an opponent like Jiang Chen, he felt only a bone-chilling coldness.
This young man had no complex commercial background and no backing from powerful family capital.
Yet, with an incredibly sharp vision, he had quickly accumulated enough primitive capital to leverage hundred-million-level commercial assets through various precise investments and asset operations.
This level of intellect, courage, and vision was definitely not something an ordinary college student could possess.
What made him even more terrified was that Jiang Chen's act of purchasing three floors of Wantai Fortune Center had an all-too-obvious intention.
This wasn't a simple commercial investment; it was aimed directly at Wantai Real Estate.
It was the beginning of the step-by-step erosion of his business empire.
A young college student with no foundation dared to strike directly at Wantai Real Estate, acting decisively with a clear goal, precisely locking onto the weakness of his strained capital chain.
This level of shrewdness and guts made even someone like him, who had struggled for decades in the business world and emerged from the shadows, feel his scalp tingle and his back grow cold.
He had originally thought the other party was just a lucky speculator, but now it seemed Jiang Chen was a hunter who planned every move, while his Wantai Real Estate was the prey being targeted.
"How is it possible... how could a college student have such methods..."
Zhou Wanquan raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, his palm completely wet and icy.
His heart pounded wildly, and an intense fear instantly swept through his body.
He wasn't afraid of old rivals with massive capital, nor was he afraid of overt commercial battles.
But Jiang Chen was too mysterious, too precise.
He seemed to have no established pattern, yet every step hit a vital point, making it impossible to figure out his cards or his origins.
This sense of the unknown was far more terrifying than an enemy in a direct confrontation.
He knew very well that from the moment Chenxing Capital purchased those three office floors, the contest had begun.
There was no turning back once the arrow was fired; since Jiang Chen had already made his move, he would never stop easily.
And facing such a young opponent with sharp vision and ruthless methods, he actually felt a sense of powerless inability to resist.
He even began to feel fear.
Fear that the business empire he had painstakingly built for many years would be eroded bit by bit by this young man.
Zhou Wanquan suddenly clenched his fist, a flash of ruthlessness appearing in his eyes, only to be suppressed by an even deeper apprehension.
He growled hoarsely into the air, more like he was reassuring himself: "No matter how ruthless his methods are, I, Zhou Wanquan, am no pushover... wanting to swallow my Wantai won't be that easy..."
But only he knew that his heart was already filled with fear, and even his voice was trembling uncontrollably as he spoke.
The sunlight from outside shone through the gap in the curtains, falling on his pale face and making him look even more pathetic.