Chapter 156: Chapter 153: Old Qin, Dodge Quickly!

“Is there anyone else who would like to bid more than three billion?”

“No more, huh? Very well!”

“Three billion, going once!”

“Three billion, going twice!”

“Three billion, going three times! Sold! Congratulations to Young Master Qin!”

With Ma Yunbin’s final strike of the gavel, what was originally a bargain at 1.5 billion was inflated to three billion by Qin Fan’s few words, doubling the price just like that.

Was it a matter of the Qin family being unable to afford the extra billion or so?

Not at all.

But Qin Shuai had lost an incredible amount of face.

It wouldn’t take long for the news to spread throughout Jiangzhou: the great Young Master of the Qin family had been forced to pay double the price in a bidding war instigated by the good-for-nothing Qin Fan.

This incident was destined to become a blemish on Qin Shuai’s record, but there was no helping it. If Qin Fan had actually won the land for 2.5 billion and then flipped it for a profit of two or three hundred million, that would have been an even more humiliating joke.

So, from the moment Qin Shuai entered the auction hall, his humiliation was already set in stone.

Shame washed over him. Qin Shuai clenched his jaw and turned to glare at Qin Fan and his family. The rage in his eyes was intertwined with an endless, grim chill.

“Next up is the auction for the second plot of land. Please see the map. The bidding starts at five hundred million!” Ma Yunbin banged the gavel to quiet the venue and announced loudly.

“Six hundred million!”

“Six hundred and ten million!”

“Six hundred and thirty million!”

“Six hundred and eighty million!”

“Seven hundred million!”

The price continued to soar, but Qin Fan chose not to speak again. The reason was simple: he was only targeting Qin Shuai. He couldn’t be bothered to interfere with the bids from other tycoons. Besides, he knew these plots of land weren’t part of his parents’ development plans.

Plot by plot, the land was sold under Ma Yunbin’s gavel.

Qin Shuai did not bid again, choosing to hold back for the final items. He knew Qin Chu and Wei Shuying must have come with a purpose, and he was determined to crush their hopes. It was just money, after all, and the Qin family had plenty of it.

To his disappointment, however, Qin Chu and his wife never once made a bid. The couple knew it would be futile. With Qin Shuai present, there was no chance their bid would ever succeed unless they were willing to be played for fools, and they weren’t that irrational.

Qin Fan, on the other hand, got a kick out of messing with Qin Shuai a few more times during the auction for the last few plots. The amounts weren’t huge, just a few hundred million, but it was enough to further tarnish the reputation of the increasingly unhinged Qin Shuai.

Having been on pins and needles the entire time, Qin Chu and his wife couldn’t wait for the auction to end. They forcibly pulled Qin Fan away, slipping out quietly through a back door. They were utterly vexed by his series of reckless actions, which showed a complete ignorance of the consequences. After finally managing to live a peaceful life and see a bright future, provoking Qin Shuai in such a manner meant they would have to tread on thin ice from now on.

「Inside the Mercedes driving away from Fushan Cloud Abode.」

Qin Chu and his wife sat with tense faces and furrowed brows, not uttering a single word. Qin Fan, in stark contrast, looked perfectly content as he switched on the car stereo and began to hum along leisurely.

“Xiao Fan, you’re in the mood to sing? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’ve caused? Sigh, it’s all my fault. It’s my fault for insisting on bringing you,” Qin Chu said, smacking the steering wheel in regret.

“Alright, what’s the use of saying that now? We should be thinking about how to handle what’s coming next. Our company has only just started, and under the covert pressure of the Qin family at that. Now that we’ve clashed with Qin Shuai like this, they’ll probably make things even harder for us!” Wei Shuying glanced at Qin Fan and sighed helplessly, swallowing the scolding words on the tip of her tongue.

She couldn’t understand it, she really couldn’t. Given the emotional intelligence Qin Fan had displayed recently, he didn’t seem like someone so ignorant and foolish. How could he lose all reason when faced with Qin Shuai?

“Mom, Dad, don’t worry yourselves over nothing. It’s no big deal. Things will only get better from here! Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Don’t forget, I have Old Master Ye backing me. When I won that one billion at the Mountain and Water Manor, even Ye Jizu had to pay up obediently. What kind of trouble can a guy like Qin Shuai stir up?” Qin Fan said brazenly, putting on a smug expression.

In truth, aside from using Old Master Ye as a shield, he couldn’t think of any other excuse to justify his earlier fearlessness.

“Xiao Fan, is that what you’re counting on? Are you trying to worry your mother to death? Even if you have a connection with Old Master Ye, can the Ye Family protect you for a lifetime? All relationships are conditional. They might clean up your messes once or twice, but can they do it forever? How can you be so naive about the ways of the world? Be it friendships or favors, constantly asking for help will only weaken the bond. Since you have a connection with Old Master Ye, you should be using it to carefully plan your future, not to recklessly seek some pointless thrill. You… you… you… sigh!” Wei Shuying’s voice was tinged with disappointment and frustration.

Listening to this lecture, Qin Fan felt no resentment. Instead, a warmth spread through his heart.

He recalled his years in the Cangqiong Continent, accompanied by centuries of empty loneliness and emotional desolation. As for the Heavenly Dao Elder, while he had provided infinite help on the path of cultivation, he could never fulfill his other needs. It was this background that made him, upon his return, value emotions above all else—more than his own life.

Turning from the passenger seat, he met Wei Shuying’s worried gaze. Qin Fan dropped his frivolous demeanor and said seriously, “Mom, I have it under control. I know what I’m doing, and I know the chain reaction it will cause. I’m not crazy, ignorant, or irrational. Trust me. You and Dad just watch. The Qin family… their day of regret is not far off. Not far at all.”

“Xiao Fan, what are you planning to do?” Wei Shuying’s heart tightened as she looked into Qin Fan’s deep, unfathomably strange eyes.

Make the Qin family regret?

In all of Lingnan, who besides the Ye family would dare say such a thing? Who had the power to back it up?

SCREECH!

The moment Qin Fan’s words left his mouth, Qin Chu slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a jarring halt.

“Xiao Fan,” he said anxiously, “are you thinking of asking the Ye Family to help you deal with the Qin Family? Let’s not even talk about the fact that the Ye Family would never antagonize the Qin Family over someone like you. The point is, we simply can’t afford to provoke them! If the Qin Family truly decides to come after us, there will be no place for us in all of Jiangzhou, in all of Lingnan!”

Hearing his parents’ desperate words, Qin Fan could only smile bitterly, filled with regret.

I spoke too soon. Why did I have to bring up the Qin family? It was like digging a pit for myself to jump into.

“Mom, Dad, you’re overthinking it! I didn’t mean it like that. I’m well aware of our own capabilities; I wouldn’t do something so stupid. The college entrance exams are coming up, right? Once I get the top score, don’t you think that old man Qin will regret kicking such a dragon among men out of the family? Haha!”

As he spoke, Qin Fan let out a self-deprecating laugh.

His words caught in his throat, and his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

In the next instant, a pair of blinding headlights shot out from around the corner.

A dump truck was hurtling toward their Mercedes without slowing down in the slightest!

“Qin Chu! Quick, move!” Wei Shuying shrieked instinctively as the dazzling lights bore down on them.

In that instant, her expression was completely consumed by boundless terror.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep