Chapter 430: 抢钱戏法

## Chapter 431: The Money-Grabbing Trick

Faced with Chen Ling's demands, the syndicate members dared not object. After all, Chen Ling’s willingness to stay was already a great concession. The five directors exchanged glances, each gritting their teeth.

They were unsure who had secretly orchestrated this situation, but there was no doubt that someone malevolently intended to bring about their demise. The original consensus had been completely shattered, and now it was purely every man for himself—a fight to the death.

"Your Excellency, wouldn't it be more convenient to conduct the transaction at the auction hall?" Zong Wen tentatively asked.

"No need for such trouble."

Chen Ling turned, stepping calmly as he returned to the center of the hall. "Valuable treasures are still being appraised at the auction. This transaction only involves some inexpensive small and medium-sized gold items... there's no need to bother the auction house."

Chen Ling raised a hand and gently snapped his fingers.

As Envoy Chen Ling snapped his fingers, the hotel's power supply returned to normal, light once again enveloped the hall, and the thunder outside the window gradually subsided.

*Snap—*

The lights above the hall flickered slightly, then came on one after another. Only a few thoroughly shattered bulbs at the edges remained dim, but overall, visibility was largely restored.

Chen Ling walked to the center of the hall and sat down, placing the list recording hundreds of treasures on the table. He spoke calmly:

"Since this is a transaction during a dinner party, we don't need to be too serious... Please, have a seat, everyone."

Seeing this, the directors of the various syndicates breathed a slight sigh of relief. They each found seats in different parts of the hall. Mu Chunsheng, in particular, quietly wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve, his wildly beating heart finally returning to normal.

The recent incident had nearly destroyed the relationship between the five syndicates and the envoy. Now, by merely trading some inexpensive small and medium-sized gold items, they could mend this relationship and even gain some degree of the envoy's friendship. This was undoubtedly the best possible outcome... At least, that's what the five directors thought for the moment.

After the atmosphere relaxed, Zong Wen spoke with a light chuckle, "Your Excellency, how would you like to conduct the transaction? Like an auction? I suggest this: you can simply draw a circle on the list, and our Huadu Syndicate will buy all the encircled treasures. Consider it a gesture of friendship."

They were just some inexpensive small and medium-sized gold items; how much could they possibly be worth? While large treasures were out of the question, these small items were nothing to them.

Mu Chunsheng gave him a cold, sinister glance, as if he wanted to kill him. "If that's the case, our Beidou is willing to pay double."

"That method is a bit uninteresting."

Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke unhurriedly, "Since the auction in a few days will use an open bidding format... for this time, why don't we try a sealed bid auction?"

"Sealed bid?"

"For each item up for bid, you will directly write down your highest offer on a piece of paper and hand it to me... I will then display the paper with the highest bid, which will be the final transaction price, and the item will belong to the highest bidder.

"However, during this process, I will not announce who the final successful bidder for each item is. Only after all items have been auctioned will I conduct all transactions at once, according to your bids.

"Does anyone have any objections to this method?"

This auction method was not new to the five syndicates. Sealed bidding, like open bidding, was a common auction format, though it had been less common in recent years... However, since Chen Ling proposed this plan, no one had any objections. It was certainly more convenient and faster than shouting out bids for each item during an open auction.

Otherwise, following an open bidding process, it would likely be dawn by the time all hundred-plus items were auctioned off.

"We'll go with what the envoy suggested." Pang Shan of the Paradise Syndicate was the first to nod.

"How much money did we bring this time?" Mu Chunsheng asked his son.

"We didn't bring many bank notes, only about two or three million when converted. The rest are checks... and the envoy won't accept those."

"That's too little. Have someone send another five million over," Mu Chunsheng's eyes swept over the other four syndicates, finally settling on Chen Ling in the center of the hall. "They conspired against my Beidou first. I must settle this score with them... No matter how much it costs this time, we must establish a good relationship with the envoy. Only by winning over the envoy can we secure an unassailable position."

"Yes, I'll send someone to get the money right away!"

Similar conversations were happening within every other syndicate as well.

The united front of the five syndicates had completely collapsed, and their internal conflicts were now inflamed to the extreme. The opportunity to gain the envoy's friendship was right before them. Whoever could win this auction war would surpass the other four syndicates and gain the envoy's support... The value of this was immeasurable, far beyond a few million.

Chen Ling observed this entire scene. Under his mask, the corners of his mouth subtly curved upwards as he unhurriedly turned to the first item up for bid.

"Item number one: a gold ritual vessel. No starting bid... Gentlemen, please place your bids."

At the same time, the directors of the five syndicates focused their attention on the first item: an exquisitely crafted gold wine goblet, about one and a half palm-lengths in size, still relatively large.

Mu Chunsheng's eyes narrowed slightly. After covertly glancing at the other directors, he decisively wrote a substantial number on the paper with a flourish.

After a brief hesitation, the other directors also wrote down their amounts on their respective blank papers, which were then collectively delivered to Chen Ling by their subordinates.

Chen Ling, expressionless, fanned open the five slips of paper in his hand...

200,000, 280,000, 300,000, 370,000, 500,000.

Not bad prices... At least, according to the original market value of gold, this item selling for 200,000 would have been considered good. However, with the added value of the 'envoy's friendship,' the highest bid astonishingly reached 500,000, more than double the original price.

If Chen Ling wasn't mistaken, this bid should be from the Beidou Syndicate. It seemed old man Mu Chunsheng was determined to win this time...

Unfortunately,

For Chen Ling, this was still far from enough.

The five sets of numbers flashed before Chen Ling's eyes. The corner of his mouth curved upwards beneath his mask. He gathered the five papers in his hand, then subtly rubbed one of them. The amount written on it suddenly changed, and Chen Ling slowly drew it out, displaying it before everyone.

"The highest bid for this auction is... 1,500,000."

A slip of paper clearly displaying "1,500,000" was revealed for all to see.

"What?!" Mu Chunsheng's pupils abruptly contracted. The other syndicate directors also widened their eyes in disbelief; this price was completely beyond their expectations.

Meanwhile, an invisible Heart Serpent, already under Chen Ling's command, had coiled itself around the shoulder of Pang Shan from the Paradise Syndicate. The moment Pang Shan showed a hint of shock, he was swallowed whole by the Heart Serpent!

Pang Shan immediately felt a sense of emptiness. He looked at the 1,500,000 amount but felt nothing, remaining quietly seated.

While the other syndicate directors were still in shock, this sole quiet figure immediately drew everyone else's attention...

"It was him? He actually bid such a high price?!"

Mu Chunsheng stared intently at Pang Shan's back, practically grinding his teeth.

One must remember that the Paradise and Beidou Syndicates were long-standing rivals. Now, Pang Shan had suddenly started bidding at such an exorbitant price, indicating he was making a blood-soaked effort to snatch the envoy from the Beidou Syndicate... This also implied that his true ambition was much larger, perhaps even the entire Beidou Syndicate?

If he could swallow up the entire Beidou Syndicate, what was this paltry sum of money?

"Damn it... I knew it... He's been messing with us in the dark all along!" Mu Chunsheng's breathing instantly quickened. "Fine, you want to play? I'll play along!"

As the second item began bidding, Mu Chunsheng took the second blank paper and, without hesitation, boldly wrote down a figure:

—1,550,000.

This entire scene was observed by Chen Ling in the center of the hall. Beneath the golden mask that seemed devoid of any emotion, he slowly revealed a playful smile, like a long-scheming conspirator...

"Everyone, please pay close attention. The money-grabbing trick... I'll only perform it this once."