38: Chapter 38 The Billionaire

He secretly counted on his fingers. Brother Ran had over a hundred thousand coins... He felt like his brain couldn't keep up, his CPU was about to burn out.

President Chen Ran just watched quietly, his lips twitching slightly only when an item sold for a good price and the gavel fell.

He knew these were just appetizers to warm up the crowd.

As the auction progressed, the true heavyweights began to appear.

The atmosphere in the room noticeably heated up.

"Next, lot number 025," the auctioneer's voice rose, clearly trying to build anticipation. "A set of six mid-17th-century bronze naval cannons, carried by the san antonio for self-defense.

Relatively well-preserved, the barrels are engraved with workshop marks and the royal coat of arms of Spain, making them precious artifacts for studying naval equipment and casting techniques of that era.

Starting price, four million dollars.

Increments of two hundred thousand dollars."

High-definition photos and videos of the bronze cannons appeared on the large screen.

They were carefully placed on special racks, their barrels gleaming with a dark bronze luster. The mottled marks and marine residue told the story of centuries spent on the seabed.

As weapons, they carried a completely different history.

The bidding immediately became intense.

A representative from a European Military History Museum was the first to raise their paddle.

Immediately after, a private collector from the Middle East joined in.

A billionaire from the United States, said to be obsessed with collecting weapons from all eras, also joined the fray.

The price quickly broke five million and headed toward six million.

"Six point two million!" the Middle Eastern collector raised the bid again.

"Six point four million." The European museum representative held on tight.

The American billionaire hesitated, shook his head, and withdrew from the competition.

When the price reached six point eight million dollars, the Spanish Government delegation, which had remained silent until now, finally raised their paddle.

"Seven million." The representative's voice came through the microphone—not loud, but clear, carrying a sense of resolve.

The European museum representative frowned, whispered a few words to the person next to him, and finally sighed, not raising his paddle again.

For them, this exceeded their budget.

Ultimately, the six bronze cannons were purchased back by the Spanish Government for seven million dollars.

When the gavel fell, everyone in the Spanish delegation seemed to breathe a small sigh of relief, though their expressions remained complex.

This wasn't just about buying back a few cannons; it was a symbolic recovery of a piece of national heritage on the open market, albeit at a high price.

In the private box, Wang Xiaopang clicked his tongue. "Good grief, seven million for a few old cannons! Can these things even fire if you take them back?"

Chen Yan was also surprised. "Brother, are these cannons really worth that much?"

"Historical value," President Chen Ran explained simply, his eyes already on the next item.

It was a pair of blue-and-white porcelain General Jars, miraculously well-preserved in the deep-sea environment. The glaze was clear and the paintings were exquisite; they were clearly high-quality export porcelain intended for Europe.

"Lot number 033, a pair of blue-and-white 'intertwining lotus' General Jars from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Clear provenance, extremely rare condition.

Starting price, two point eight million dollars."

This pair of porcelain triggered the first real peak of bidding tonight.

More than one Asian collector showed intense interest, and several European antique dealers also joined the scramble.

The price shot up like a rocket, from two point eight million straight to four million, five million...

"Five point five million!" a telephone bidder offered.

"Five point eight million!" a Chinese collector on-site immediately followed.

"Six million." The telephone bidder showed no sign of backing down.

Ultimately, after a dozen rounds of fierce competition, the pair of General Jars was acquired by the mysterious telephone bidder for the astronomical price of six point nine million dollars.

This price even surpassed that of the bronze cannons.

Halfway through the auction, the total sales had easily surpassed fifty million dollars.

The atmosphere grew hotter and hotter. Every major item sparked a minor commotion and even more intense bidding.

The young people in the box had gone from initial shock and excitement to a gradual numbness. They just stared blankly, listening to the astronomical figures rolling in their ears, feeling more and more detached from reality.

Wang Xiaopang had stopped counting. He slumped in his chair, eyes glazed over, muttering unconsciously, "Crazy, they're all crazy... This isn't spending money, this is burning money for fun..."

Chen Yan sat close to her brother, her palms sweaty and damp.

She looked up at her brother's profile, the lights outlining his sharp features.

She suddenly remembered how her brother used to work overtime late into the night, coming home so exhausted he'd collapse on the sofa, too tired to speak. She remembered him using an old phone just to save money to buy her the latest gadgets.

Back then, a few hundred thousand RMB was a huge sum that their family needed a long time to save.

But now, the people below were bidding millions, even tens of millions of dollars for things her brother had hauled up from the sea, without even blinking.

This extreme contrast made her feel a whirlwind of emotions—pride, daze, excitement, and a faint, inexplicable fear, all mixed together.

Xiao Lin, Wen Wen, and Xiao Yu had initially been using their phones to secretly take photos through the gap in the glass, wanting to preserve this historic moment.

But eventually, they forgot to even hold up their phones. They just stared blankly at the scene below, feeling as if they were floating ten thousand meters in the air with nothing beneath their feet. None of it felt real.

The myths of wealth that only appeared on financial news channels and in online legends were now playing out right before their eyes, and they were actually sitting in the protagonist's private box.

Finally, the auction neared its end.

The auctioneer's voice was slightly hoarse from the sustained high intensity, but his passion was even more overwhelming. "Ladies and gentlemen, please be ready.

Next is tonight's grand finale, the undisputed core of the san antonio treasure: Lot number 099, the entire remaining asset package of the san antonio!"

A stunning image appeared on the screen: under the specific lighting of a top-tier vault, mountains of gold and silver coins shimmered with a cold, alluring luster. Beside them, various raw gemstones were displayed individually, refracting dreamlike colors under the lights. There were also numerous gold and silver vessels, religious items, and trade goods that hadn't been auctioned separately...

"This package includes the vast majority of the most valuable items from this salvage operation. Its scale, variety, and integrity are rare in the world! Starting price, three hundred million dollars!"

"Whoosh!" An uncontrollable wave of gasps and sharp intakes of breath erupted from below.

Although they were mentally prepared, the starting price itself was like a Heavy Hammer striking everyone's heart.

The battle of the true titans had begun.

Bids were no longer frequent; every time a paddle was raised, it felt incredibly heavy.

The first to break the silence was the representative of a Middle Eastern prince, calmly raising his paddle. "Three hundred and five million."

Immediately after, an anonymous telephone bidder from Asia offered, "Three hundred and ten million."

An agent for an old-money European family fund raised a paddle. "Three hundred and fifteen million."

The price climbed slowly but steadily in five-million-dollar increments.

320 million... 325 million... 330 million...

When the price broke 340 million, only two bidders remained: the Middle Eastern prince and the anonymous bidder who had never shown their face and only bid via telephone.

"Three hundred and forty-five million!" The prince's representative raised the bid again. His voice was still steady, but sweat was starting to bead on his forehead.

The telephone bidder remained silent for a bit longer.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone's heart was in their throat.

"Three hundred and fifty million." The voice from the phone was calm, without a hint of emotion.

The prince's representative frowned and turned to have a quick, intense, whispered conversation with his team of consultants.

A few seconds later, he turned back and slowly, with a very slight motion, shook his head.

"Three hundred and fifty million, going once." The auctioneer's voice echoed through the hall with a sacred solemnity.

No response.

"Three hundred and fifty million, going twice."

Still dead silence.

Countless eyes focused on President Chen Ran's private box on the second floor, even though they couldn't see anything.

Inside the box, Chen Yan gripped her brother's arm so hard her knuckles turned white, though she didn't even notice.

Xiao Lin and the others covered their mouths tightly, their eyes wide, forgetting to breathe.

Wang Xiaopang's mouth hung open like a fish out of water, completely stunned.

Lin Wei and Zhou Qing also held their breath, standing perfectly straight.

President Chen Ran remained seated, his back straight.

His fingers, gripping the edge of the auction catalog, trembled slightly from the extreme force, his fingertips turning white.

Three hundred and fifty million... The number roared in his mind.

Combined with the income from the previous separate auctions... it far exceeded the most optimistic estimates.

His heart pounded in his chest, and the sound of blood rushing thrummed against his eardrums. But on his face, aside from a tiny twitch at the corner of his mouth, there was almost no change.

The auctioneer raised the polished hardwood gavel high, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room.

"Three hundred and fifty million..."

The gavel fell, striking the smooth hardwood podium with a crisp strike that seemed to pierce the soul.

"Sold!"

"Congratulations to bidder number 099! The closing price is three hundred and fifty million dollars!"

"Boom!!!"

Applause, gasps, cheers, and screams of disbelief... all sounds erupted at this moment, merging into a massive wave of noise that almost lifted the roof off the auction hall! Flashbulbs lit up the room like daylight. Reporters went completely wild, desperately trying to rush to the front, only to be blocked by a wall of security guards who had been prepared.

It was over.

Everything was over.

In the private box, a deathly silence lasted for about three seconds.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!"

Chen Yan was the first to let out an ear-piercing scream. She sprang from her chair like a coil, turned, and hugged President Chen Ran tightly, jumping up and down with all her might. Tears poured out without warning, mixed with her ecstatic screams: "Brother! Three hundred and fifty million! Three hundred and fifty million dollars! We're rich! We've made a fortune!! Ahhhhh!!!"