Zombie Bodyguard
Chapter 574 - 571: Never Underestimate the Underdog

Chapter 574: Chapter 571: Never Underestimate the Underdog

Everyone on the first floor harbored a sliver of hope that with their own capabilities, they could win the Three Pure Ones Jade, but the initial increase in the bid amount had shockingly reached one hundred million. The auction had only just begun; how much higher would it climb when it heated up? Thus, their hopes were dashed.

"Forget about it, folks. A national treasure-level jade carving is not something you can afford to play with. The jade itself is already invaluable. Just watch quietly, for today might be the last chance you ever get to see it," Old Man Zhao said condescendingly as he looked down at the crowd on the first floor.

The two hundred million bid was his, but his indifferent tone greatly irked the crowd on the first floor. They felt completely ignored.

"Friends, although our family fortune is significantly lesser, such a national treasure-level jade carving is a rare find. If we don’t fight for it now, we might spend the rest of our lives regretting it. I propose that we pool our funds together and give it a shot against them!" a middle-aged man declared loudly and seriously as he stood up.

"Old Dong, no need to choose anymore; you be our representative. I’ll contribute fifty million!" someone shouted as they stood up.

"Count me in for sixty million!" another person declared, standing up.

"I’ll put in thirty million!"

...

Perhaps provoked by Old Man Zhao, five people quickly responded to the middle-aged man’s call to arms. Excited, he took out a pen and paper and began to record their names and the amounts they pledged.

In the end, this fellow named Old Dong surprisingly managed to gather over nine hundred million in funds, an outcome Old Man Zhao hadn’t anticipated, and it left him momentarily embarrassed.

This method of pooling funds for an auction was somewhat uncommon, but quite frequent in the gambling on stones industry. Many sought to be the king of bids but didn’t have sufficient funds to compete with the major tycoons, so they resorted to partnerships.

Previously, to win the first bid, the Bai Family had teamed up with Futian Yizhi and Sun Hai, another form of partnership.

Elder Zhao, however, had not expected that his one remark would catalyze such an event.

"Old Man Zhao, using a rock to smash your own foot, huh? Don’t assume you stand above everyone just because you have some damned money!" Second Young Master Yun didn’t miss an opportunity to taunt him.

"Hmph, what does nine hundred million matter!" Old Man Zhao stubbornly retorted.

But Lin Tian could see that Old Man Zhao already regretted it. Although the magnates on the second floor were rich, nine hundred million was not a trivial amount. It was extremely foolish to create a competitive rival like this.

"Since you gentlemen are politely not bidding, I, Wan Gaoyuan, will not stand on ceremony anymore; even the auctioneer is becoming impatient. I’ll bid three hundred million to set the ball rolling. You are all welcome to continue," Wan Gaoyuan joined in the excitement, raising the bid by one hundred million.

With the second call, the price of the Three Pure Ones Holy Realm Jade Carving shot straight up to three hundred million, and although the people on the first floor had spoken confidently, they were still shocked by the bidding style of these tycoons.

"Brother Lin, am I hearing things? It’s already three hundred million," Zhou Botong exclaimed, patting his forehead.

"Three hundred million is nothing. Such a high-level jade carving rarely comes up for auction, and I can’t even see where the price ceiling is. No wonder the Miss spoke so calmly. It seems we still underestimated Sister Song’s ability," Lin Tian said with a relaxed smile.

This auction, Tianxue Jewelry taking first place was already beyond doubt. What concerned him more now were how well Ghost and Thunder Wolf were tracking their targets.

They had to pinpoint the Gu Cultivator’s location before the auction ended, otherwise, once Bai Zhengchu and Futian Yizhi left, Lin Tian would have no reason to hold them back.

Right now, they were both detained by the auction and couldn’t leave, so he could only send people down to inform them.

Once the auction ended and the two left the venue, they would discover that the people they had sent out were gone. Then they would realize something was wrong, and if they informed the Gu Cultivator to move locations, locating him next time would not be easy.

"Three hundred and ten million!" Old Dong, seemingly after much deliberation, gritted his teeth and called out a price.

Being part of a joint bid naturally lacked some domineering presence in raising the price, but raising by ten million was still significant for them. Without the joint capital, they wouldn’t even have the qualification to bid.

"Three hundred and ten million, any more bids?" Shi Feifei followed procedure and announced.

In reality, auctioning something like the Three Pure Ones’ Holy Realm Jade Carving was the most relaxing job for her. The quality was obvious at a glance, needing no introduction from her, nor any need to incite the crowd’s competitive spirit. The bidders were destined to fight fiercely.

"Brother Zhou, keep an eye on the place, I need to step out for a bit," Lin Tian said, unsure of how high the bidding would go and decided to check out the situation outside.

"Hey, Brother Lin, don’t go, I can’t handle these big shots on my own. They could eat me without even having to chew, just swallow me whole," Zhou Botong anxiously said.

Although an exaggeration, the situation was indeed close to that description; the big shots truly didn’t regard someone like Zhou Botong. They respected his grandfather, not him, primarily because the Zhou Family had indeed become somewhat weaker.

"What are you afraid of? You are a shareholder, and another shareholder is watching from above. Miss faces all sorts of weather, she can handle a scene like this. Besides, everyone here is civilized; what could possibly go wrong? Don’t worry," Lin Tian reassured him with a calming look.

Civilized, indeed. It’s you, Brother Lin, who are the least civilized here, Zhou Botong muttered in his heart, but still somewhat reassured, he nodded in agreement.

Lin Tian didn’t care whether he agreed or not, he simply got up and walked out through a side door.

The appearance of the Three Pure Ones’ Holy Realm Jade Carving had captivated everyone’s attention, even the waitstaff, so nobody noticed when Lin Tian left.

Once outside the ancient building, Lin Tian looked around for Ning Luoxi, but with buildings, large trees, and flower beds everywhere, he decided to activate his super-vision and scan the area.

So here it is, Lin Tian thought, picking up speed and vanishing from the drum tower’s vicinity, only to reappear by the fence of Heavenly Mansion Restaurant.

"Miss Luoxi, swift and decisive action there," Lin Tian said with a smile to Ning Luoxi who stood before him.

It was because Ning Luoxi had just taken down a man in a suit, and in this man’s hand was a cellphone, presumably someone sent by Bai Zhengchu or Futian Yizhi.

"You are more impressive; previously, you mentioned sending them to meet their maker," Ning Luoxi nonchalantly said.

"Of course, these men are either Bai Zhengchu’s or Futian Yizhi’s enforcers, perhaps even from the Sun Shadow Association. Naturally, I’ll beat each one I see. Forgiving them is God’s duty; our responsibility is to send them on their way," Lin Tian remarked.