Instantly, the buyers participating in the auction downstairs burst into a stream of curses.
Had this guy ever even been to an auction before? Being this aggressive, was that seriously okay?
He raised the bid by a million each time? No, dammit, he straight-up doubled it from 600 million to 1.2 billion!
Ye Xiangsi covered her delicate lips in shock, almost crying out.
Good heavens, a 1.2 billion bid—was there some kind of mistake? How could Lin Ce possibly afford that? Was he just throwing out random numbers?
If he did that, he'd have to pay a penalty. Once it was confirmed that he caused a failed auction, the penalty alone would be over 100 million.
After all, since Lin Ce had been a soldier in the Northern Territory, he surely wouldn't understand the finer rules of an auction. There was a very real possibility he was just shouting out random prices.
Even the auctioneer nearly dropped her gavel on the floor.
She had hosted auctions for so many years, but she had never seen anyone bid like this.
Most people played it safe, and here you were dropping an atomic bomb right out of the gate?
Huang Xiaotian's gaze flicked as he glared viciously at Lin Ce.
At that moment, he had already cursed Lin Ce a thousand times over in his heart.
You had to understand, his Huang family was determined to win this commercial center plot in North City.
As long as they secured this land, his family's commercial territory in North City could be completely linked together.
When that day came, the Huang family would even be able to go toe-to-toe with the Chu Family.
The only reason he hadn't bid immediately was because he wanted to see Chu Xinyi's stance. He never expected Lin Ce to jump out and disrupt things.
And starting right off the bat with 1.2 billion—it almost made him vomit blood from anger!
"You... you're just making trouble, dammit!"
Huang Xiaotian couldn't help roaring.
Lin Ce calmly replied, "It's only 1.2 billion, how is that making trouble? Could it be that this was right around your psychological price point?"
Huang Xiaotian froze abruptly, looking over at Lin Ce in astonishment. *Damn it, how did this bastard know?*
That's right, his Huang family had indeed prepared to shell out 1.2 billion to buy the first plot.
Because once it exceeded that price, even if they got the land, their profits would shrink drastically.
Chu Xinyi possessed keen insight into human nature. Although Lin Ce looked as calm as still water, making it hard to read anything from him, Ye Xiangsi's body was already stiff, her eyes flickering.
A smile immediately touched the corner of Chu Xinyi's lips—she had managed to spot the flaw after all.
Could this Beiyu Group actually be all bluff and bluster?
Although she and the Huang family were competitors in this auction, compared to the Huang family, she wanted even less to see the Beiyu Group rise from the ashes.
Otherwise, if they offended that big figure, none of their Great Families would have a good end.
At this thought, Chu Xinyi let out a faint, enigmatic smile. "Old classmate, how much money did the Beiyu Group bring this time? You aren't engaging in malicious bidding, are you?"
Ye Xiangsi's expression trembled. *Oh no, we've been seen through.*
Huang Xiaotian also snapped back to reality. "Right! I also suspect this person's qualifications are questionable. I demand a capital verification!"
"If such a good plot fails to sell just because of this, even if he has the money to pay the penalty, I'm not in the mood to play games with him."
Since someone had raised an objection, the auction house had an obligation to follow the guest's request.
"Sir, the Beiyu Group under your name is valued at 500 million. If you have proof of other assets, please present them."
Lin Ce didn't make a move. Instead, Qili, standing off to the side, left along with the auctioneer.
The two of them arrived in a secluded room. Under the joint witness of a bank staff member and the auction house manager, Qili took out a bank card.
The card was a deep cyan color, embedded with twelve purple diamonds that emitted a faint, mysterious purple glow under the lights.
When the bank employee standing beside the auction house manager saw this, he reached out and took the card.
The moment he saw the twelve purple diamonds embedded on the back of the cyan card, he froze completely.
Nothing was left in his eyes except sheer shock.
This card turned out to be...
"What are you standing there frozen for? Why aren't you verifying the funds yet?"
From the auction manager's perspective, the Beiyu Group was only worth a few hundred million; they definitely couldn't afford a real bid and must have come here just to cause trouble.
"Manager Wang, th-this card is..."
Without even glancing at the bank card in the employee's hand, the auction manager said impatiently, "What about the bank card? What's the limit? Don't tell me it's a Golden Dragon Card?"
He knew the best card in Huaxia was the Golden Dragon Card issued by the Central Bank, which had a spending limit of 800 million and a nationwide limit of only two hundred eighty cards.
That Golden Dragon Card was something every wealthy family dreamed of having; it was rumored that even the Chu Family owned one.
Because the Golden Dragon Card symbolized status and position, it wasn't something ordinary people could possess.
The bank employee swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "Manager Wang, this isn't a Golden Dragon Card. A Golden Dragon Card cannot even be compared in the same breath as this card."
"Th-this is a Supreme Dragon Card, issued globally."
"There are only fifty of these cards in existence worldwide, jointly guaranteed by the banks of eighteen nations, and in all of Huaxia, there are only about ten."
What?
Manager Wang stared fixedly at the bank card. This card was actually that powerful?
"Then its limit is..."
The bank employee slowly spat out three words: "Unlimited."
*N-no limit?*
Instantly, the room fell into a dead silence. The auction manager was petrified as well.
"Well? Are we qualified?" Qili asked with disdain.
Even the territory lords of the other three war zones might not necessarily possess this Supreme Dragon Card.
This was a reward specially granted by the European royal family to express their gratitude after Lin Ce wiped out an evil faction that had fled from Europe.
"E-enough! More than enough!"
Cold sweat began to roll down Manager Wang's face. *Good heavens, just who were these people to actually possess a Supreme Dragon Card?*
Terror crept into Manager Wang's heart; people like this were not someone he could afford to offend. He hurriedly handed the card back to Qili, his attitude brimming with respect.
Shortly after, Manager Wang returned to the venue, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and solemnly announced, "The Beiyu Group is fully qualified to participate in the bidding. I declare the auction back open!"
A commotion broke out!
Everyone gasped in shock.
Especially Huang Xiaotian and Chu Xinyi—both of them felt a trace of surprise.
Where on earth did Lin Ce get so much money? Could it be that before old man Lin met his end, he transferred his assets and put all the money under Lin Ce's name?
Thinking about it carefully, that possibility was indeed very high, so they weren't quite as astounded anymore.
Nor could they suspect the auction house of colluding with Lin Ce, since this auction was spearheaded by the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Commission; no one dared to pull any shady tricks here.
Gritting his teeth, Huang Xiaotian slammed his paddle up.
"1.3 billion!"
He was determined to win this plot. Even if his profits shrank, he had to link the East City together and forge his own commercial empire!
"1.4 billion," Lin Ce said calmly.
Huang Xiaotian's mouth twitched involuntarily. *Damn it, is this brat deliberately picking a fight with me?!*
"1.5 billion!"
At that moment, the financial officer behind him tapped away frantically on a calculator, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Director Huang, this won't work! At 1.5 billion, we're very likely to take a loss. I suggest giving up on this auction."
Huang Xiaotian snatched the calculator, threw it onto the floor, and smashed it to pieces under his foot.
"I'm taking this plot, no matter what!"
Right as those words left his mouth, Lin Ce raised his paddle once again with utter composure.
"1.6 billion."
1.6 billion!
Oh my god!
You had to know, this commercial center plot in East City was worth 120 million at most, but now the bid had already been pushed to 1.6 billion.
That was a full 400 million over value!
The crowd shook their heads one after another, all giving up on the bidding. As for Chu Xinyi, she hadn't planned on bidding for this plot in the first place.
Because she had long since known how crucial this land was to Huang Xiaotian; even if he had to smash pots and sell iron, he would buy it.
*Bastard! Bastard!*
Huang Xiaotian clenched his fists so hard his back molars bled.
Having dominated the business world for so many years without suffering a single defeat, was he really going to stumble here today?
And the person opposite him was nothing more than an adopted son of the Lin family!
*Damn it, where did he get so much money? I refuse to believe he has more money than the Huang family!*
Even if that old man of his transferred all his assets to his name, it was impossible to contend with the Huang family, one of the Four Great Families!
"1.7 billion!"
Huang Xiaotian let out a final, furious roar.
At the same time, this plot directly set a new historical record.
Valuable as this plot might be, no plot of such exorbitant value had ever appeared across the entire Zhonghai.
Without a doubt, this was the King of Land!
Originally, everyone thought Lin Ce would continue bidding, but Lin Ce merely smiled faintly and set his paddle down on the table.
He spread both hands, indicating he was done bidding.
Seeing this, Ye Xiangsi finally let out a long breath of relief.
She had been on tenterhooks the entire time, scared nearly to death.
Buying such an exorbitantly expensive plot simply wasn't worth it.
Besides, this plot was surrounded on all sides by the Huang family's properties. If the Lin family developed real estate here, they would be surrounded by the Huang family's assets, isolated and without support, and would undoubtedly run at a loss.
Only the Huang family, relying on their surrounding properties to operate in tandem, could squeeze out the maximum commercial value.
Even so, with Ye Xiangsi's extensive experience, she could conclude that the Huang family would lose their shirts on this deal nine times out of ten.
Huang Xiaotian's heart was bleeding. This single auction had completely exhausted all the liquid funds on hand.
As for the subsequent auctions, he was powerless to participate.
Chu Xinyi had been sitting back and watching the tigers fight from the mountaintop all along. In fact, she was more than happy to watch the Beiyu Group and the Huang family bid against each other so she could reap the profits as the third party.
At this thought, she cast a contemptuous look at Lin Ce.
It seemed she had overestimated Lin Ce after all. She originally thought this guy had some political cunning, but he was just as rash as Huang Xiaotian.
Spending 1.7 billion on a single plot of land—tsk, tsk, what an absolute spectacle in Zhonghai.
"Second plot, South City plot, starting price 400 million."
Soon, the next round of the auction began.
As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, she cast an eager gaze toward Lin Ce.
However, before Lin Ce could even bid, Chu Xinyi took the initiative and directly shouted a price of 800 million!
The crowd gasped once again. It seemed today's auction truly deserved to be called a battle of immortals.
"They're crazy. Everyone's gone mad."
Ye Xiangsi couldn't help falling into a speechless silence.
Qili, however, let out a disdainful smile. "They aren't crazy. They've just been led into the Lord's rhythm. These people have already walked right into the Lord's net."
A puzzled look crossed Ye Xiangsi's face. She didn't understand what Qili meant—could it be that Lin Ce had other plans?
Qili explained, "On the first plot, Huang Xiaotian overspent by 500 million. By now, his money is mostly gone; in fact, Huang Xiaotian already left the venue after the first auction."
"On the second plot, Chu Xinyi thought she had figured out the Lord's patterns, so she directly brought out 800 million to challenge him. That's because this plot is also vital to the Chu family, and they are determined to get it."
As if seeing right through it all, Lin Ce kept matching the price—900 million, 1 billion—and ultimately forced this plot all the way up to a staggering high of 1.2 billion.
As Ye Xiangsi digested Qili's words, it dawned on her: does that mean Huang Xiaotian and Chu Xinyi had been led around by the nose by Lin Ce the entire time?
Lin Ce intentionally drove up the price, making them pay through the nose for empty bragging rights? Was that what she meant?
"If that's the case, Lin Ce could keep bidding!" Ye Xiangsi said with conviction.
Qili shook her head. "Chu Xinyi isn't Huang Xiaotian. 1.2 billion is already her limit. Any higher, and Chu Xinyi won't follow."
The second plot finally sold for 1.2 billion, belonging to the Chu Family.
Next came the third plot. Its location was still in South City, but the spot wasn't particularly good, with a starting price of 300 million.
"I bid 800 million for this plot!"
Chu Xinyi's words stunned everyone. She didn't look at anyone else, fixing her gaze dead on Lin Ce.
"Pass," Lin Ce said indifferently.
Chu Xinyi's flat bid of 800 million, followed by Lin Ce's single word of giving up, made her freeze for a split second before a triumphant smile bloomed across her face.
*Did he not dare to follow? Hmph, all show and no substance.*
As for Ye Xiangsi, it felt as though a basin of cold water had been dumped over her.
All three plots had actually been sold off.
Yet the Beiyu Group had walked away empty-handed.
Ye Xiangsi offered a bitter smile. She really shouldn't have held onto any hope in the first place, but after the auction house verified their funds, the fires of hope had reignited within her.
Since Lin Ce had the money, shouldn't he at least buy a single plot?
The first plot was bought by Huang Xiaotian at a high price, and the second plot was taken in by the Chu family with a 40 percent markup.
Yet for this third plot, Lin Ce clearly had a chance to win it.
Why did he just give up in fright the moment Chu Xinyi called out 800 million?
However, no sooner had Chu Xinyi finished gloating than she suddenly realized something felt off.
Both she and Huang Xiaotian had spent hundreds of millions above market value to buy those plots.
As for the third plot, it was only because she took the initiative to drive up the price that she was able to buy it so easily.
Meanwhile, Lin Ce hadn't spent a single red cent, yet he had managed to trick them into paying such a heavy price!
Looked at this way, from the very beginning, they had fallen right into the whirlpool created by Lin Ce.
To Lin Ce, a single plot might not count for much, but to families like the Chu and Huang families who had deeply cultivated their roots in Zhonghai for many years...
Land plots were of paramount importance, directly tied to the future development of their families.
Everything had been thrown into disarray by that single phrase Lin Ce blurted out at the start—"1.2 billion"—and from then on, they had simply danced to Lin Ce's tune.
A faint sense of unease began to well up in Chu Xinyi's heart.
Could this fellow have spoken a single sentence to suppress the entire audience purely to make wedding clothes for someone else?
What he did merely exhausted the cash reserves of the Chu and Huang families, while he himself gained absolutely nothing.
Was this brat's vision really so small that he just wanted to give the two families a petty grievance?
The Huang family had prepared 1.6 billion in cash, while the Chu family had prepared 2 billion.
Although both families had successfully bought the plots they had their eyes on, they had cleared out every last cent of the cash they had on hand in the exact process.
Was this a coincidence, or a meticulous calculation?
Chu Xinyi gave Lin Ce a deep look. Within those calm, unrippled pupils of his, a trace of fluctuation flashed.
*No, something is definitely wrong!*
*Wait a minute!*
All three plots had fallen into the hands of their two families, and by now, the funds of both the Huang and Chu families were completely tapped out...
And coming up next was the fourth plot!
That meant in the upcoming bidding, the Huang and Chu families would inevitably lack the qualifications to participate.
Could it be that this guy wasn't here to make trouble at all?
Was his real target actually the fourth plot?
***
The host on stage continued, "Next, we begin the auction for the North City district plot in Zhonghai. Starting price... fifty million."
Just as the host finished speaking, sparse chuckles rang out from below.
"Although theguhua District has mountains and waters, North City has always been an abandoned child of Zhonghai these past few years. The center of development isn't in North City at all."
"I heard that boss who bought the land in Guhua District is already close to bankruptcy. The buildings are mostly done, but not a single unit can be sold."
"Duh! Who would dare buy a house in Guhua District? That district is the lair of underground forces. That boss thought he had struck gold, but it turned out to be a hot potato."
"I heard that ever since this real estate developer took over, construction crews keep dying—rumor has it they get stabbed in the middle of the night."
"First, there's no development; second, the management in Guhua District is chaotic. Based on those two points alone, nobody is going to bid on that land!"
"Heh, it's definitely going to fail to sell."
Right at that moment, however, Lin Ce's voice slowly sounded out: "Seventy million."
Ignoring the commotion, Chu Xinyi immediately pulled out her phone and sent a text message: *Investigate the Guhua District plot immediately!*
That plot had a residential complex already built on it, but it was essentially an unfinished ghost project that no one dared to touch.
Yet Lin Ce had schemed and plotted, and his goal actually turned out to be this piece of land.
It completely defied common sense.
Meanwhile, Ye Xiangsi also understood now why Lin Ce hadn't contested the previous three plots: he was aiming entirely for the fourth one.
Lin Ce actually wanted to buy a piece of wasteland!
What on earth was going on in his head?
"Junior Brother, why are you bidding on that place? This concerns the development of the Beiyu Group! You need to stay calm."
Lin Ce, however, said nothing, remaining utterly composed.
Chu Xinyi lowered her voice to whisper two sentences to a real estate boss not far away. That boss wore an ugly expression, but ultimately nodded.
"Eighty million!"
The boss raised his paddle as well.
"Boss Qian, are you out of your mind? You want to take over that unfinished eyesore in Guhua District? Do you really want to be the sucker holding the bag?"
"Aren't you afraid of offending that person in Zhonghai's underworld? You know what happened to the last real estate developer."
Just then, Lin Ce raised his paddle again.
"One hundred million!"
Chu Xinyi frowned. "Boss Qian, keep raising the bid."
This time, however, the boss surnamed Qian shook his head like a rattle-drum.
"President Chu, if you want to buy it, you buy it yourself. Even if your Chu family wants to partner with me, I don't want to touch this hot potato. I have matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving first."
*Are you kidding me? Whoever wants that land loses money. I'm not that stupid.*
The rest of the crowd looked at Lin Ce with curiosity.
This guy really had the guts to want it. Anyone with even a slight understanding of Zhonghai's land market knew that plot was a death warrant.
Soon, seeing no one else join the bidding, the host counted down from three, and the North City Guhua District plot fell into Lin Ce's hands.
Chu Xinyi's eyes flickered uncertainly, a vague sensation of having lost something washing over her.
Buying such a massive plot for just 100 million, complete with an almost-finished matching residential complex, was already an absolute steal.
You had to know, the original developer had spent 200 million just to acquire the land, and then another 200 million developing the housing estate on it.
In other words, land worth 400 million had been secured by Lin Ce for a mere 100 million.