Chapter 27: Sudden Change

"However," Prince Qian smiled and called out. Chen Yuyi remained slouched against the back of his chair, wearing an expression that suggested the auction was of no concern to him. Zhu Shaoqi looked somewhat dazed; she could easily infer that if the person sitting in the front row participated in the bidding for the ginseng king, their family, the Zhu family, would likely miss out on it. A wave of disappointment washed over her. On the other hand, Zhang Tianyou felt a flicker of joy; this meant that Chen Yuyi and Zhu Shaohui might not end up bidding against each other, relieving him of any discomfort. Yet, he wondered if his thinking was a bit selfish.

Zhu Shaohui was momentarily taken aback; he hadn’t expected the other party to raise the bid by ten million directly. He clenched his teeth secretly, "Fifty-two million!"

"Sixty million!" Prince Qian smiled, casting a glance at Chen Yuyi, his expression implying, "I know you want this ginseng king; if I win it, I’ll give it to you if you agree to my terms."

Chen Yuyi lazily stretched, as if to respond to him. Naturally, others couldn’t understand the nuances of their interaction. As the bidding intensified, all attention shifted to the auction, even those who had previously shown little interest in the ginseng king now displayed keen interest.

"Sixty-two million!" Zhu Shaohui’s calm demeanor began to falter; his voice even stuttered, as if nearing his limit.

"Seventy million!" Prince Qian maintained his nonchalant air.

Upon hearing this bid, Zhu Shaohui’s face paled slightly, yet there was a hint of unwillingness in his eyes. He stood up, declaring, "Seventy-one million!" He had only raised the bid by the minimum amount, indicating he had reached his limit.

"Eighty million!" Suddenly, another voice joined the bidding.

Zhu Shaohui looked toward the sound and found it was another person from the front row. Defeated, he sat back down, having completely given up.

Prince Qian frowned slightly.

As the bidding continued from the front, curiosity rippled through the crowd. Despite the excitement surrounding previous items, the front-row attendees had remained uninvolved until now, when a ginseng that seemed of little interest to them prompted competitive bidding from two individuals in the front. It seemed this ginseng was quite extraordinary.

People were eager to scrutinize the ancient ginseng king with a magnifying glass. After the middle-aged man placed his bid, he nodded slightly at Prince Qian.

Prince Qian, now having lost his smile, made another bid: "Ninety million!"

A murmur of excitement spread through the audience, as it seemed they were on the verge of breaking the one-hundred-million mark. To date, no item had ever reached that threshold.

"One hundred million!" The middle-aged man raised the price directly to one hundred million.

Even Chen Yuyi couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth; a hundred million could provide a comfortable life for several generations. Clearly, wealthy people lived in a world beyond his understanding.

Nevertheless, he prepared to enjoy the spectacle, eager to see just how high the bidding for this ginseng king would go.

Prince Qian was noticeably shaken; he initially thought he could easily secure the ginseng king but hadn’t anticipated the presence of such a cunning opponent. Given his position in the Wang family, one hundred million was the limit of the family funds he could access without consulting his father or grandfather, leaving him feeling somewhat helpless.

The middle-aged man chuckled lightly, "Young Prince Wang, don’t continue to contest this with your elder! Just let me have this ginseng king!"

It turned out they were acquainted.

Prince Qian raised an eyebrow, "Mr. Fu, may I ask what use you have for this ginseng king? Why not let it go to me? I can owe you a favor!"

Mr. Fu smiled, "I have my reasons; I specifically came for this ancient ginseng king today!"

"Then please, Mr. Fu, go ahead." Prince Qian had no choice but to withdraw from the bidding, casting a glance of mild regret at Chen Yuyi.

At this moment, Chen Yuyi regarded the two of them with amusement. It was clear they not only knew each other but also seemed to be at odds, hinting at some underlying conflict. However, this had nothing to do with him, and he preferred to mind his own business. Still, he felt little fondness for Mr. Fu, as Prince Qian’s intention to win the ginseng king for him was now about to be thwarted, leaving him displeased.

When the beautiful host called out for any further bids, he finally made his move.

"One hundred one million!"

Instantly, all eyes turned to him. Originally, he was the center of attention; now he was once again in the spotlight. Especially those sitting at the back without VIP cards were exceptionally excited, eagerly anticipating this seemingly shabby-dressed individual in the front row to make a bid, and now he finally had.

Even the other middle-aged man from the front row, who had remained silent, glanced over at him.

Zhang Tianyou's heart raced; he barely believed that Chen Yuyi could call out a bid over one hundred million without flinching. It felt like a dream, and he wondered if he was still asleep.

Zhu Shaoqi’s eyes widened; she had previously looked down on Chen Yuyi, but now he had not only brought her to this enviable front-row spot but also bid without batting an eye. She thought perhaps it was time to get to know him better.

Zhu Shaohui twitched his lips; he had stubbornly refused to believe Chen Yuyi could outbid him, but now the evidence was laid bare before him. Others had only just begun bidding, which was beyond his acceptance. He suddenly felt like a clown performing in front of others.

As for Tao Qiang, Lu Manman, and the others, they no longer dared to meet Chen Yuyi's gaze. They had previously mocked him, only to realize the most ridiculous ones were themselves.

Prince Qian, however, felt a twinge of worry. No matter how he looked at Chen Yuyi, he couldn’t fathom how much money he truly had. After all, this person only worked at his sister's bar. Although he didn’t know how he had obtained a black VIP card, it was merely a symbol of status, and true financial power did not rest with that card. Hence, he had offered to help him bid for items. But now, that assistance was no longer feasible, and he could only watch the situation unfold.

Mr. Fu appeared somewhat surprised, glancing at Chen Yuyi. "So, this young friend is also interested in the ginseng king?"

"You don’t need to concern yourself with that," Chen Yuyi responded without even looking at him, as the man's sinister grin irked him greatly.

Mr. Fu's face stiffened momentarily but quickly returned to his smile. "If that’s the case, let’s see who has the ability to win the ginseng king!"

He flicked his sleeve and called out, "One hundred ten million!"

"Two hundred million!" Chen Yuyi called out casually.

Wow! The crowd erupted; this far exceeded their expectations.

"Two hundred ten million!" Mr. Fu’s veins bulged with anger.

"Three hundred million!"

Mr. Fu leaped up, "Three hundred fifty million!"

Suddenly, the auction room fell silent, as everyone awaited Chen Yuyi’s bid.

Someone quietly called out, "Five hundred million." Of course, this wasn’t an actual bid but rather a wishful thinking that Chen Yuyi would call out that amount. With the precedent set, many shared this hope, and soon the chant echoed, "Five hundred million, five hundred million, five hundred million!"

Chen Yuyi was somewhat dumbfounded; these people really enjoyed stirring the pot, trying to coax him into bidding this way.

Honestly, why should he listen to them?

"Six—"

"Wait!" Just as Chen Yuyi was about to bid again, Mr. Fu interrupted him.

"I seriously doubt your ability to pay!" His smile vanished, replaced by a somber expression.

Prince Qian secretly sighed; Fu Zhuoqiu was not only wealthy but also extremely cunning. He had worried that Chen Yuyi might not be able to outsmart Mr. Fu, and now the old fox had finally revealed his true nature.

"Are you suggesting I can’t afford to pay?" Chen Yuyi looked at Fu Zhuoqiu with a smirk, even the event staff had said he could bid on whatever he wanted, proving that he had the means to play in this arena. Why should he worry? Furthermore, he could always get money from the Bai family if necessary.

"Several hundred million is not a trivial matter. If you don’t have the cash on you, wouldn’t that mean I’ve wasted my time bidding with you?" Fu Zhuoqiu’s old eyes scanned Chen Yuyi, as if trying to see right through him.

In truth, anyone who could attend the auction would not face such a situation, so no one had thought along those lines. However, Chen Yuyi's unexpected presence today had taken everyone by surprise, and Fu Zhuoqiu’s words led some to begin doubting him.

"You really are clever!" Chen Yuyi smirked, raising his hands defensively, "If I told you I didn’t have even a hundred bucks on me, would you believe me?"

"Haha, little brother, you’re just like me! I don’t have a hundred bucks either, but does that mean I’m broke? You certainly know how to play!" Some of the wealthier attendees sitting a bit closer found Chen Yuyi amusing, laughing and joking along.

"Yes, I have no cash, but I have a card!"

"I don’t even have a card; does a check count? Haha..."

Their banter caused everyone present to start leaning in favor of Chen Yuyi. After all, how could someone in the front row possibly be in that situation? Moreover, the staff had respectfully escorted him to that seat.

Suddenly, many turned their unkind gazes toward Fu Zhuoqiu, deeming him unreasonable.

Fu Zhuoqiu's face flushed, but he had no intention of letting it go. He continued to scrutinize Chen Yuyi, "Do you dare let me verify?"

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the room...