Chapter 119: Unexpected
"What a piece of junk. It has no luster, no appeal."
"Has Elder Zhang lost his mind?"
As all eyes focused on this "treasure," many people immediately began to voice their doubts.
After all, compared to the previous few treasures, this item was clearly a huge step down.
"Elder Zhang, is this the treasure you were talking about?"
The crowd below was abuzz with discussion. Some even suspected that Elder Zhang, in his old age, was colluding with someone to put on a show and make a quick buck.
You couldn't really blame them. Resting on the luxurious platter was an incredibly plain, fist-sized piece of jade.
To put it bluntly, you could probably pick up a prettier rock off the side of the road.
Many people secretly shook their heads and sighed, assuming Elder Zhang was just trying to grab attention with a gimmick. This time, however, they were probably going to be disappointed.
Zhang Ronghui, however, remained perfectly composed. He explained with a gentle smile, "Everyone, please be patient. The function of this jade is far more than just being a simple decoration. I guarantee there's nothing wrong with this piece of jade—it is absolutely top-grade!"
"Heh, Elder Zhang, are you joking?"
"That's just an ordinary rock. What's so special about it?"
"Yeah, I bet he's a shill you planted, right?"
Many people jeered, their voices full of skepticism.
But Zhang Ronghui didn't respond. He simply smiled faintly and slowly brought his small gavel down on the table.
"Starting bid, one hundred million."
With no introduction, not even a name for the item, he opened with the sky-high price of one hundred million. Everyone was instantly shocked.
"HISS~ So expensive! Could it be the legendary Imperial Jade?"
"Even if it were Imperial Jade, a piece this small wouldn't be worth a hundred million!"
"I think Elder Zhang must have made a mistake. This is probably just an ordinary rock!"
...
The crowd broke into an uproar, utterly refusing to believe the sky-high price of one hundred million.
"Elder Zhang, don't mess with us. How can you call that a sky-high price for a worthless rock?"
Wu Haotian was even more direct with his mockery, showing no respect for Zhang Ronghui whatsoever.
Hearing this, Zhang Ronghui just smiled without retorting. He was confident that soon enough, they would all shut their filthy mouths.
And just as he expected, the moment Elder Zhang announced the starting bid, a voice rang out without the slightest hesitation, cutting through the already chaotic hall.
"Two hundred million!"
The calm voice instantly drew everyone's attention.
"What the hell is this kid doing? Does he really have so much money he doesn't know what to do with it?"
"Damn, who gave him the guts to bid? Is this kid just here to squander his family's fortune?"
"I bet he's gone crazy. If he were really that rich, he might as well just buy the entire auction house!"
Everyone scoffed contemptuously, treating Lin Feng like a total idiot.
But Lin Feng paid no mind to the discussions of these clueless fools. He just stared intently at the Obsidian-like jade on the stage, his eyes filled with fiery passion.
'Now I understand what that Elder Li meant. To think there's a Spirit Stone of such high quality here!'
'This one's almost reached the mid-grade stage!'
Lin Feng's heart pounded as he stared fervently at the piece of Obsidian, wishing he could just take it right then and there.
This was the first time he had encountered such a high-quality Spirit Stone in the Mortal Realm. If not for his calm temperament and his aversion to forcefully seizing things, he probably would have already rushed up and snatched it away.
Under the circumstances, Lin Feng could only suppress the wild thoughts in his mind.
But no matter what, he had to get his hands on this Spirit Stone!
"Three hundred million!"
A cold voice suddenly interjected from another corner.
'Hm? Someone dares to compete with me?'
Lin Feng followed the sound and saw Wu Tianxiang, who had been looking vicious just a moment ago, now also staring at the jade on stage with a fanatical expression.
'As expected, this guy knows something.'
He frowned slightly, but Lin Feng paid it no mind. When it came to money, he had never been afraid of anyone.
"Five hundred million."
His indifferent voice rang out, as if he hadn't just called out a sky-high price that most people couldn't earn in several lifetimes, but had merely bought a fried dough stick from a street vendor.
"Holy crap, where did this other dunce come from? Isn't he afraid of going broke?"
"Didn't that guy just bid three hundred million? And now this other one jumps to five hundred million? What's going on?"
"Heh, a country bumpkin like him must be some poor bastard just trying to get attention."
"I'd say he's probably just trying to inflate the price, then figure out a way to get his hands on the jade stone later."
Countless disdainful gazes were cast at Lin Feng, but he couldn't care less. As long as he could obtain this Spirit Stone, it would all be worth it.
"Six hundred million!"
Lin Feng continued to bid, not wanting to waste too much time.
Even so, the crowd was in an uproar. What was this kid's background? How could he be so ridiculously wealthy?
"Eight hundred million!"
But just then, a cool voice came from the other side. It was none other than Wu Haotian, who hadn't bid on anything until now.
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. 'This guy seems to be doing this just to piss me off.'
"Nine hundred million!"
Lin Feng continued to bid, completely unfazed by the scornful looks being sent his way.
"One billion!"
Wu Tianxiang gritted his teeth, glaring at Lin Feng as if he wanted to cut him into a thousand pieces.
He knew Lin Feng could identify Spirit Stones; after all, he had seen the low-grade Spirit Stone in Lin Feng's hand when they first entered. But now, the guy was trying to snatch this top-quality jade, which infuriated Wu Tianxiang!
He wouldn't allow anyone to take what he wanted!
Wu Tianxiang's bid only made Lin Feng smile coldly. He raised his paddle, and a price that would shock everyone fell from his lips.
"Fifteen hundred million."
As soon as he said it, a collective gasp echoed throughout the entire venue!
"Fifteen hundred million? Has this kid lost his mind? He doesn't look any older than twenty, where did he get that kind of money?!"
"Yeah, and who just adds five hundred million to the bid like that? He's completely insane!"
Everyone cried out in alarm, clearly terrified by Lin Feng's incredibly extravagant move!
However, after his expression shifted several times, Wu Haotian's face finally settled into a ferocious scowl!
"Seventeen hundred million!"
Wu Tianxiang roared.
'This damned bastard dares to mess with me like this! Since you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for what comes next!'
"Eighteen hundred million."
Lin Feng's voice remained completely steady. He simply uttered three words.
Meanwhile, Wu Tianxiang was already starting to pant, his face and neck flushed red as he glared at Lin Feng.
"What the hell is with this guy?"
"I don't feel like I'm watching an auction. It's more like a street brawl."