97: Chapter 97 Taking the Pocket is the Best Option

"Jiang Chen, the auction is over. The hammer price was 5.8 million. With a 15% buyer's commission of 870,000, the final transaction price is 6.67 million."

The phone screen lit up as Lin Hao's messages popped up one after another. They were clearly phrased and well-organized, without a single redundant word.

"On the seller's side, the auction house originally wanted a 10% commission, which is 580,000. Plus insurance, catalog fees, and appraisal fees, the miscellaneous costs were roughly 190,000."

"However, the quality of your Chinchilla was so outstanding that the auction house listed it as a 'Key Featured Lot' and placed it in the core session. Because of that, they gave a 5% discount on the seller's commission, charging only 5%, which is 290,000."

"The insurance and appraisal fees in the miscellaneous costs were also waived. They only charged 30,000 for cataloging and shipping. So, starting from the 5.8 million hammer price, minus the 290,000 commission and the 30,000 in miscellaneous fees, you'll initially receive 5.48 million."

Jiang Chen nodded slightly, his fingertips tapping gently on the table as he calculated quickly in his head.

According to his previous agreement with Lin Hao, he had to pay a 5% service fee based on the hammer price. Five percent of 5.8 million was exactly 290,000.

This amount would naturally be deducted from the money he received. Subtracting 290,000 from 5.48 million left 5.19 million.

Just as he finished the math, another message from Lin Hao arrived, adding an update with a hint of chagrin in his tone.

"Almost forgot! To secure this Chinchilla for the auction, the house offered a 'Consignment Bonus.' Calculated at 7% of the hammer price, it comes to 406,000."

"This money is an extra payment to you. It isn't deducted from the hammer price or used to offset fees. So, your actual payout should be 5.48 million plus 406,000, which equals 5,886,000."

"After deducting my 290,000 service fee, the final total is 5,596,000. I've rounded it up for you and will transfer 5.6 million. I've already deducted the excess from the previous calculation error to ensure it's exact down to the cent."

Looking at this series of precise accounting adjustments, a faint smile unconsciously tugged at the corner of Jiang Chen's mouth.

Lin Hao was someone who always worked efficiently and decisively; he had broad connections and strong capabilities.

Even if he made small oversights, he always caught and corrected them immediately, and the final results were always beyond reproach.

This was why Jiang Chen was willing to give Lin Hao full authority to handle the Chinchilla auction.

Tapping the screen, he replied with only two words: "Got it."

Not long after, Lin Hao sent another message, sharing the excitement from the auction floor.

"The competition on-site was incredibly fierce. Two collectors went head-to-head, taking turns raising the price and refusing to back down. The final bid jumped by 800,000 in one go. The whole room erupted in applause when the hammer fell; the atmosphere was electric."

"Seriously, the quality of your Chinchilla was peerless. The auction house's chief appraiser said it's the most perfect one he's seen in his twenty-year career."

"That blue-grey fur looked like top-tier cloud silk satin under the gallery lights—smooth and lustrous. Whether it was the build or the color, there wasn't a single flaw to be found. Otherwise, it wouldn't have drawn so many collectors into a bidding war."

Jiang Chen scanned the message but didn't reply. He set his phone aside and looked out the window.

With the Chinchilla auction funds settled, this significant income was about to give his assets a massive leap forward.

What he cared about more, however, was that mysterious Wealth Intelligence.

The last time his assets broke one million, the Wealth Intelligence had automatically upgraded.

The upgraded intelligence was more valuable and precise, helping him seize several rare opportunities.

Now that this auction money was coming in, his total assets were about to surpass fifteen million.

He wondered if this mysterious Wealth Intelligence would undergo a new change after midnight.

Time flew by, and it was soon Friday afternoon.

The campus was filled with the relaxed atmosphere of the approaching weekend. The bell for the final class had just rung.

Students packed their things and left the classroom in small groups, discussing their weekend plans.

Just as Jiang Chen stood up to head out, someone grabbed his arm.

Wang Hao's face was flushed, and his voice shook uncontrollably, filled with tension and anticipation.

"Chenzi, Tianji Technology has hit its daily limit for five consecutive days. Today is the fifth Limit Up. Do we... do we sell?"

Jiang Chen glanced at him. He could clearly see Wang Hao's clenched fists and slightly trembling fingertips; the boy was obviously nervous to the extreme.

Without saying much, Jiang Chen pulled out his phone, opened his stock trading app, and looked at Tianji Technology's chart.

On the screen, Tianji Technology's stock price was locked at the Limit Up price of 37.70 yuan, with over a million lots still in the buy queue.

However, compared to the massive buy orders of previous days, there were clear signs of loosening. The traces of capital maneuvering were becoming more obvious, and the probability of it continuing to hit the limit was now minimal.

"Sell."

Jiang Chen's tone was calm. Without the slightest hesitation, he spat out the word decisively.

As soon as he spoke, his fingers skillfully operated the trading software, quickly placing sell orders.

He originally held 442,000 shares of Tianji Technology.

Over these five days...

Relying on the scattered gains from the Wealth Intelligence, he had successively bought another 37,900 shares, bringing his total to roughly 480,000 shares.

To avoid causing price fluctuations with a large sell-off, he split his holdings into five batches and placed the sell orders in stages.

The final average execution price was fixed at 37.68 yuan, with a total transaction amount of nearly 18.1 million.

Once this money arrived, he first had to repay the 7.8 million principal to the margin lending company, along with the corresponding interest.

After the settlement was complete, the funds returning to his personal account totaled approximately 10.23 million.

Standing in the classroom corridor and facing the evening breeze, Jiang Chen silently did the math in his head.

The 10.23 million in margin gains, plus the 2.6 million of his original principal that hadn't been used for margin, plus the 5.6 million soon to arrive from the Chinchilla auction...

Adding those amounts together, his total assets had reached 15.83 million.

This play on Tianji Technology had brought him a net profit of a full 7.63 million.

Combined with the 5.6 million net profit from the Chinchilla auction, his assets had increased sixfold in less than a week.

Leaping from his original two-plus million to becoming a multi-millionaire, this rate of wealth growth was enough to leave most people speechless.

Beside him, Wang Hao was also trembling as he operated his phone to sell his shares.

His fingers shook on the screen for a long time. Only after double-checking several times did he finally grit his teeth and press the sell button.

He held a total of 2,500 shares. The selling price was exactly the Limit Up price of 37.70 yuan. After the full transaction, the total amount was 94,250 yuan.

His initial investment of 60,000 yuan had turned into over 90,000 in just a few days—a net profit of 34,250 yuan, representing a return of over 50%.

For a student like Wang Hao, this was undoubtedly an astronomical sum.

Wang Hao stared at the transaction confirmation page on his phone without blinking. He looked at it for a full thirty seconds before suddenly looking up, his voice filled with uncontrollable excitement.

"Chenzi, I... I made money!"

Seeing his excitement, Jiang Chen gave a soft grunt of affirmation.

Wang Hao took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions. His lips were still trembling slightly, and his voice carried a heavy quiver.

"Chenzi, I'll be honest with you. Out of the 60,000 I invested, only about 10,000 was actually mine. The other 50,000... I asked my mom for it."