After hanging up the call, Gu Yaolin returned to his seat and informed Gu Yaoqing and the Gu family head of the numbers Gu Yaoyang had written down.
"So slow," Gu Yaoqing shot Gu Yaolin a glare before turning to the Gu family head. "Grandpa, how much should we bid?"
The Gu family head seemed not to have anticipated that Gu Yaoyang would write such an astronomical figure as 1.5 billion. After a moment of thought, he gritted his teeth and said, "One hundred million more than him."
"Understood." Gu Yaoqing immediately wrote down "1.6 Billion." Shortly after, the paper was collected.
The collected papers were directly handed over to Master Lei by the staff.
The head of the Wen family, sitting opposite Master Lei, scoffed at the astronomical figure on the paper. "Every one of you is truly swimming in wealth. What's the background of this Wilson? He's so generous, bidding 2 billion outright?"
"He's a magnate in the overseas new energy industry. He doesn't usually make public appearances, but he owns several well-known new energy companies and a significant number of oil businesses in the Middle East." Master Lei had already reviewed the proof of funds and asset declarations, and had some understanding of the people attending the auction. "The Gu family has really accumulated quite a foundation under your management these past few years, to be able to bid 1.6 billion."
"Hmph." The head of the Wen family snorted. He would settle accounts with the Gu family later. What he let the Gu family swallow out of consideration for Gu Yaoyang, he would make them disgorge with interest in the future. "Let's see how much Xia Qing Tian wrote down."
Master Lei flipped it over and couldn't help but laugh. He handed the paper Xia Qing Tian had written to the head of the Wen family. "She didn't write a number. She drew a turtle."
"Truly..." The head of the Wen family was at a loss for words.
Why did Gu Yaoyang have to set his sights on someone so difficult to handle!
"Gu Yaoyang bid 1.5 billion. That was quite restrained," Master Lei picked up the paper Gu Yaoyang had written on and chuckled, shaking his head.
Although he would resolve it later, what harm was there in Gu Yaoyang bidding a little more?
Placing the paper with "1.5 Billion" next to the paper with the "turtle" drawn by Xia Qing Tian, Master Lei felt a pang of sadness.
With these two children placed side by side, one could immediately tell who had grown up pampered and indulged.
If Yaoyang had grown up by his side, he would have hoped to raise the child with a more carefree disposition. Perhaps not as ostentatious and indulged as Xia Qing Tian, or as whimsical and undisciplined as Bai Yu Qi, but at least he wouldn't have had to endure so much grievance and hardship.
The head of the Wen family knew what Master Lei was thinking. His gaze flickered, and in an instant, he retracted the hint of tenderness that had inadvertently surfaced. He cleared his throat and said, "We've come this far. The stage is set. It wouldn't be right not to make an appearance."
"It's rare to have someone playing the 'good cop' who is as anxious and proactive as you," Master Lei scoffed, placing the paper in his hand on the table and standing up.
"It's not the first time the Wen family has played the 'good cop'," the head of the Wen family replied indifferently. He was in his position to do his job, and everything was for the greater good.
Anyone who disagreed could naturally try to contend with his Wen family forces.
Master Lei shot the head of the Wen family a glare but said nothing.
The head of the Wen family was personally escorted into the auction hall by the head butler of the Lei family.
As if to ensure everyone knew of the head of the Wen family's grand arrival, a square table was specially set up at the very front of the first floor, complete with beverages, tea, and refreshments, as well as pastries and fruit platters. Only then did the head of the Wen family take his seat under everyone's gaze.
After escorting him to his seat, there was no need for further words. With a mere tap of his finger on the edge of the table, the stern aura that he had cultivated through years of battlefield experience made the pampered scions of noble families present break out in a sweat, too afraid to even breathe heavily.
Upon the appearance of the head of the Wen family, Xiang Xueyuan, sitting among the crowd, narrowed his eyes slightly, his hand, which was resting by the small table, clenching into a fist.
"Father, what is it?" Xi Fu noticed Xiang Xueyuan's unusual behavior and immediately asked in a low voice.
"The Wen family is here. It's really not certain who the treasure map belongs to anymore..." Xiang Xueyuan murmured.
Xi Fu's brows furrowed, and she also looked in the direction of the head of the Wen family. She then let out a soft snort and said, "Don't worry, Father. Regardless of who it belongs to today, tomorrow, it will only belong to you, Father."
What Father wanted could only belong to Father.
Anyone who touched it would die!
Hearing Xi Fu's words, Xiang Xueyuan's clenched fist gradually relaxed. He curved his lips, casting a very satisfied glance at Xi Fu.
Receiving Xiang Xueyuan's appreciative gaze, Xi Fu's lips also curved upwards. While Xiang Xueyuan was not paying attention, she cast a triumphant glance in Xia Qing Yu's direction.
Beside Xiang Xueyuan, she, Xi Fu, was the irreplaceable one.
Soon, the female auctioneer took the stage, and Master Lei was also invited out.
Seeing Master Lei personally coming out to preside over the event, the audience at the auction couldn't help but be astonished.
After all, Master Lei had already retired to the second line many years ago. No matter how important the auction, it was usually the three young masters of the Lei family and the head butler of the Lei family who handled it.
Master Lei?
Everyone turned their gaze towards the head of the Wen family, vaguely feeling that the auction that night was going to be full of twists and turns. The final twist would either end in nothing or... be a shocking exposé that could choke everyone to death.
As expected, the first sentence Master Lei spoke on stage left everyone too stunned to close their mouths.
"Tonight's blind auction ended with three parties bidding the same price. They were the Miao family, the Tang family, and the Lu family."
As soon as Master Lei said this, everyone was too stunned to recover for a long time.
What?
The Lu family?
Hadn't the Lu family been annihilated long ago?
When did the Lu family start participating in auctions?
But they wouldn't have passed the proof of funds and asset declaration stage, right?
What? Were they bidding with spirit money?
Many people felt a chill run down their spines. They looked around and saw that everyone else had expressions similar to their own.
"Grandpa?" Gu Yaoyang looked at the Gu family head with some confusion.
The Lu family? How could it be the Lu family?
The Gu family head's expression was also quite subtle. Knowing that the Gu family hadn't won the bid, he didn't feel too strongly about it.
After all, he hadn't won it with 1.6 billion. Gu Yaoyang, that traitor, with his mere 1.5 billion, had even less of a chance.
Pah!
Thinking that the beast still bore the Gu surname, the Gu family head felt disgusted and nauseated!
Upon returning to the Gu family tonight, he would immediately order the arrangements to be made, issuing a public announcement to everyone that the beast Gu Yaoyang had been expelled from the Gu family, and from this day onward, the beast would no longer be a Gu!
While the Gu family head was still harboring his resentment, Master Lei spoke his next shocking sentence.
"Given that this treasure map originally belonged to the Miao, Tang, and Lu families, the Lei Corporation has decided..." Master Lei paused slightly after saying this, casting a somewhat resentful glance at the head of the Wen family seated in the audience. "To return this treasure map to its rightful owners publicly, and hand it over to the Miao, Tang, and Lu families, charging them only a series of cost fees, sixty million."
After saying this, without waiting for everyone to react, Master Lei threw the microphone back to the female auctioneer and turned to leave, appearing displeased and helpless.
After Master Lei had left, everyone else turned their attention back. An item that had been bid up to several hundred million was now being returned to the Miao, Tang, and Lu families for a cost fee of sixty million?
This!
This was an unprecedented situation!
Everyone's gazes were uniformly directed towards the head of the Wen family, who was still seated in front, enjoying his tea, presenting only his back to everyone.
He swallowed a mouthful of saliva silently.