51: Eleven digits
When the auctioneer called out one hundred and twenty million, no one in the room spoke; instead, they looked around.
They wanted to see who could continue bidding.
“It seems Easterners are nothing special after all. No money, just a lot of talk, yet they still want to bid for the item. It’s a fool’s dream.”
“NO NO NO, they are quite rich; otherwise, how could we have made so much money over there?”
Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) listened to the discussions of the foreigners around him, his face devoid of much expression.
Seeing this, the auctioneer on stage said with some regret, “Number 38 has bid one hundred and twenty million. Is there any higher bid?”
“One hundred and twenty million, going once.”
“One hundred and twenty million, going twice.”
Just as she was about to strike the hammer, and President Wei and the others thought the dragon head would continue to be lost abroad, making them dejected.
A clear voice suddenly rang out.
“One hundred and fifty million!”
The voice wasn’t loud, but in the quiet hall, it sounded particularly sharp.
Everyone heard it and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) holding up his bidding paddle.
What surprised everyone was that the bidder was a young man in his early twenties.
This made them all feel unexpected, and more importantly, he was an Eastern face.
The auctioneer, on the other hand, seeing someone bid, again showed a genuine smile on her face.
“Oh! This is a handsome man, so Number 18 has bid one hundred and fifty million. Is there any higher bid?”
For a moment, there was dead silence. One hundred and twenty million was raised to one hundred and fifty million.
It was a direct increase of thirty million, and in US dollars at that.
This was more than the assets of some people present, which made them curious about the young man’s background.
It wasn’t just those people; even President Wei and his companions were curious.
“Who is this young man? He looks unfamiliar.”
“Indeed, I haven’t heard of him in the country. Someone who can easily produce one hundred and fifty million US dollars and is as young as he is, there aren’t many in the country. How come I’ve never heard of him? President Wei, do you know this person?”
The middle-aged man referred to as President Wei heard this, scrutinized Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) for a few moments, and shook his head, saying, “No, but no matter who he is, as long as the dragon head doesn’t continue to be lost abroad, that’s good.”
“President Wei is right, but unfortunately, our financial resources are limited.”
Everyone exchanged words, while the auctioneer on stage had already started speaking again, “One hundred and fifty million, going once.”
“One hundred and fifty million, going twice!”
Just as she was about to strike the hammer again, Stidson suddenly raised his hand to interrupt.
He stood up and said, “Wait a moment, I request verification that he genuinely has the ability to purchase this item.”
As soon as he said this, his implied meaning was very clear.
He was suspecting that Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) either had no money or not that much money.
The few white men sitting next to him heard this and quickly chimed in, “That’s right, we demand a financial verification.”
Seeing this, the auctioneer was also helpless. She looked at Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) and smiled politely, “Sir, would it be convenient for you to undergo a financial verification?”
Although there would be a financial verification process before entering, it was very casual. Generally, those who arrived in luxury cars worth tens of millions were exempt from this process.
Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) heard this, shrugged, and indicated it was no problem.
Seeing his agreement, two staff members quickly stepped forward and took the black card that Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) handed over.
In just a moment, the staff member quickly bowed forty-five degrees and returned the black card with both hands.
Then he looked up at Stidson and the others and said, “This gentleman’s funds are fully capable of covering the amount for this auctioned item.”
What a joke! He didn’t even know how many one hundred and fifty million US dollars were in that black card.
He didn’t even need to count carefully; that string of numbers simply blew his mind.
If the owner of that card were a middle-aged man, he wouldn't be so surprised, as there are many rich people in this world.
But quite the opposite, a young lord in his early twenties, carrying an eleven-digit sum in his pocket.
There were probably only a handful of such people in the entire world.
Stidson heard this and looked at Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) with an expression full of disbelief.
He thought to himself: “It seems the other party has a very powerful background.”
Thinking of this, he sat down with a dark expression.
The auctioneer saw that they had no objections and picked up her small hammer again, thinking, “This time I can finally strike the hammer, right?”
“Since Number 18’s funds are not an issue, then one hundred and fifty million, is there any higher bid?”
Everyone heard this and looked at Stidson, even the auctioneer was no exception.
However, Stidson was sitting in his seat expressionlessly at this moment, saying nothing, clearly having no intention of bidding again.
“OK, since no one else is bidding, then congratulations to Number 18 for acquiring this item for one hundred and fifty million US dollars.”
With that, *bang*, the small hammer in her hand fell heavily.
President Wei and the others saw this, and their hanging hearts finally settled. They couldn’t help but stand up and walk towards Wang Shaojun (Young Lord).
The other people saw this and followed suit.
Butler Wei was about to stand up to stop them from approaching but was halted by Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) raising his hand.
“Hahaha, I am Wei Jinhua. Thank you, young friend, for bidding on the dragon head; otherwise, it might have continued to be lost abroad.”
Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) heard this and had no intention of being arrogant. After all, one doesn't hit a smiling person, right? Moreover, the other party was a compatriot.
He said with a smile, “Wang Shaojun (Young Lord)! President Wei, you’re too kind. Under circumstances where funds permit, I believe every compatriot who encounters the dragon head being auctioned would step forward and bid for it. To be honest, it was good luck, otherwise, I really would have missed it.”
Wei Jinhua heard the name Wang Shaojun (Young Lord), and memories surged in his mind, but he had no related recollections.
Without thinking much, he had only come to greet Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) anyway.
“The younger generation is formidable! I came today specifically for the dragon head. Since you’ve acquired it, we won’t stay long. Here is my business card; if you ever need anything in the country, you can always come to me.”
Saying this, he took out a gold-edged business card and handed it over.
Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) took it and glanced at it. Seven characters were written on it.
Yuanyang Group, Wei Jinhua!
Below it was a string of numbers, which should be a phone number.
Wei Jinhua saw him take the business card but did not leave, seemingly waiting for something.
However, Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) showed no indication, which made him a little awkward. He had thought Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) would also give him a business card.
But then, considering the other party’s current age, he felt relieved.
He thought, perhaps he is a young lord from a prominent family, and it’s quite normal for him not to have a business card.
The few people behind him, seeing this, quickly smiled and handed their business cards to Wang Shaojun (Young Lord). After a few exchanges, they then walked out of the venue.
At the same time, the auction did not stop because of their conversation.
However, Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) wasn’t worried about missing anything. After all, Butler Wei, by his side, would always pay attention without needing a reminder from him.
Wang Shaojun (Young Lord) had no desire to learn about the next few auctioned items; they were all jewelry and accessories.
Things like the “Heart of the Ocean” — this stuff isn’t as good as giving me a globally limited-edition supercar; perhaps then he might even take an interest.