Chapter 155: Chapter 152: 1 Dollar!

What?! Ma Yunbin was here to host the auction?

When the young master nonchalantly made his announcement, everyone in the auction house was stunned. They all knew just how sensitive a figure Ma Yunbin was in Jiangzhou’s high society. For him to show up and do something like acting as the auctioneer… wasn’t that a bit much?

“What’s wrong? Not happy with me as your auctioneer?” Ma Yunbin asked with a roguish grin, taking a bite of his apple.

That quintessential playboy attitude sent a shiver through the assembled real estate tycoons of Jiangzhou.

Dissatisfied? Who would dare be dissatisfied?

His gaze drifted across the room until it landed on Qin Fan. He paused, gave a subtle blink, and then tossed the apple core into a nearby trash can. “No one’s objecting, so I’ll take that as a yes. Good. Let’s cut the crap and get this auction started!”

With that, Ma Yunbin picked up the documents from the auctioneer’s stand and glanced over them.

“We’ll skip the formal introductions. I trust you’ve all done your homework, and the details are on the big screen anyway. Let’s begin,” he said. “The starting bid for this unfinished residential complex, sitting on roughly one hundred acres, is seven hundred million. No minimum increment. The floor is yours!”

“Seven hundred and fifty million!” a man in the fourth row shouted, raising his paddle.

“Nine hundred million!” a middle-aged man in the third row called out, raising the price directly.

“One and a half billion!” Since Ma Yunbin was running the show, even Qin Shuai didn’t dare to act too flamboyantly. He raised his paddle and called out his bid with uncharacteristic modesty.

The price had jumped straight from nine hundred million to one and a half billion. While the increase was insane, a hundred-acre stalled project still had massive potential profits behind a 1.5 billion price tag. Snagging it for that much would be an absolute windfall!

Following Qin Shuai’s bid, the venue fell silent. Everyone knew 1.5 billion was a steal, but they didn’t have the guts to bid against Qin Shuai.

“Is that it? Nobody else bidding on one and a half billion? Damn, what a waste! Anyone else going to speak up?” Although he wasn’t surprised, Ma Yunbin still scanned the crowd with a contemptuous look.

No one responded. Most of them just offered fake, dry smiles.

“Alright, one and a half billion going once!” Ma Yunbin murmured with a smile, shaking his head.

“One and a half billion going twice!”

“One and a half billion going thir—!”

Just as Ma Yunbin was about to close the bid, Qin Fan raised the paddle in front of him.

He spoke softly and clearly, “One and a half billion and one dollar.”

WHOOSH!

The room erupted at his words. Everyone’s eyes shot toward the source of the voice.

Bidding one dollar more than Young Master Qin? He must be insane! Is he trying to start a war? You could count the number of people in Jiangzhou who would dare to do such a thing on one hand! Who is this guy?

But when they all saw his face, they froze.

Qin Fan? The Qin family’s outcast? That useless coward whose reputation was known throughout every level of Jiangzhou society? Holy shit, how is this possible?

Instinctively, everyone thought their eyes were deceiving them. But the familiar faces of Qin Chu and Wei Shuying told them it was real. The one who had raised the paddle and spoken was indeed Qin Fan!

He’s lost his mind! When did this coward get so much courage and audacity? It’s like he has a death wish!

It wasn’t just the real estate magnates; even Qin Chu and Wei Shuying were terrified.

“Xiao Fan, what are you doing!” Qin Chu panicked, his voice trembling. This was a direct challenge to Qin Shuai! With their current capital, could they possibly afford to compete? No! This was both an insane and idiotic move!

“Qin Chu, this is all your fault! It was your brilliant idea to bring Xiao Fan here! We’re finished! This is going to be a disaster!” Wei Shuying whispered harshly, pinching her husband’s arm in a nervous fit.

“Dad, Mom, it’s fine,” Qin Fan said with an unconcerned smile. “A plot of land like this for only one and a half billion is an absolute steal. Why shouldn’t we try for it? Hehe.” He then turned to look at Qin Shuai, giving him a playful and provocative wink. The mockery on his face was unmistakable.

Damn it! Qin Shuai cursed inwardly as his knuckles cracked from clenching his fists in fury. With Ma Yunbin present, he had to restrain the urge to explode.

He raised his paddle again. “Two billion!”

“Two billion and one dollar!” Qin Fan raised his paddle again with an air of contempt.

It was obvious now that a confrontation was underway. The quiet hall immediately erupted into a chaotic buzz of voices.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Ma Yunbin slammed the gavel a few times. “Have you all forgotten the rules? Quiet!”

“Xiao Fan, are you crazy? Why are you antagonizing him? Do you have any idea what the consequences will be? Besides, even if we wanted to, we don’t have two billion! Quick, listen to Mom, stop this nonsense! Let’s go home, right now!” Wei Shuying grabbed Qin Fan’s arm, her whole body trembling as she pleaded with him.

“Mom, we could sell this land for more than two billion without even trying. How can we pass up such a golden opportunity to make money? Right, Dad?” Qin Fan replied with a calm smile, seemingly unfazed by the implications of his bidding war.

Yes, the land was worth far more than two billion. But bidding one dollar at a time? That wasn’t a bid; it was a slap in the face! Given their current situation, slapping Qin Shuai in the face was no different from seeking death.

Qin Chu was also panicking. “Xiao Fan, stop messing around. Please, let’s go. Let’s go now!”

Just then, Qin Shuai’s furious voice echoed through the hall again. “Two and a half billion!”

Adding five hundred million at a time… everyone could feel the extent of Young Master Qin’s rage.

“Two and a half billion and one dollar!” Ignoring his parents, Qin Fan gently patted their hands to reassure them and continued his standoff with Qin Shuai.

“You damn waste of space! Do you have any fucking idea what you’re doing? You’re courting death! You hear me? Courting death!”

SLAP!

Qin Shuai slapped his thigh hard, finally losing control. He shot up from his seat and glared at Qin Fan in the back corner, snarling menacingly.

“What’s all this? What’s going on!” Ma Yunbin snapped from the auction stand, his face dark. “Young Master Qin, are you bidding or not? If not, then get the hell out! What, you think you can throw your weight around and threaten people now? You really thought you could snag this land for a measly one and a half billion? You think your Qin family owns all of Jiangzhou?”

“Hehe! Young Master Qin, you could always bid one dollar at a time like me,” Qin Fan said, still completely unfazed. “To be honest, this land is worth at least three billion. Snapping it up for two and a half billion and flipping it for a quick two or three hundred million would be easy, wouldn’t it? I’m just an ordinary guy; I can’t resist the temptation of money either! So, one last time, Young Master Qin, are you going to bid? It’s not good to waste everyone’s time. Really, it’s not.”

Bid one dollar at a time? He, Qin Shuai, couldn’t afford to lose face like that!

“Three billion!” He knew Qin Fan’s family couldn’t possibly come up with 2.5 billion, but his pride was on the line. He was in too deep from the moment he started bidding; he had to see it through.

“Tsk tsk, how magnanimous! Bidding in increments of five hundred million, very impressive! At three billion, there’s not much profit left to be made. Since that’s the case, I won’t fight Young Master Qin for his prize! I withdraw!” Qin Fan scanned the room and broke into a mocking grin.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep