Chapter 105: The Strange Incident and the Eccentric Man

“15 million!” Huo Xiao gritted his teeth and shouted, not only because the old master had demanded they do everything possible to secure this piece of porcelain, but also to uphold the Huo family’s dignity and to fight for pride.

“15.1 million!” Jin Qianbiao called out coolly, unfazed. The more fiercely the Huo family reacted, the more confident he became that there was something fishy about this auction item.

Their fierce bidding war, however, stirred the curiosity of others present. Could this seemingly ordinary piece hold some secret? Otherwise, why would the Huo family and Jin Qianbiao be so desperate to acquire it? The possibility that these two families were colluding was virtually nonexistent.

When the time came to act, one must act decisively; they couldn’t let this item slip away so easily. No matter what, they had to get involved.

“15.5 million!”

A third party called out a bid. Among the shrewd onlookers, once someone took the lead, many would follow.

“16 million!”

A fourth person raised the bid.

“Huo Shao, is there something unusual about this? Need my help?” a familiar voice whispered beside Huo Xiao.

Suppressing his anger, Huo Xiao replied, “Nothing unusual. It’s just that I personally like this piece of porcelain.”

“Is that so?”

The acquaintance gave Huo Xiao a half-smile, then promptly raised his paddle: “17 million!”

Huo Xiao nearly slammed the table in frustration. If there had been a table to slam, the situation had clearly spiraled out of his control. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He calmed down and withdrew from the bidding.

“17.5 million!”

“17.8 million!”

“18.1 million!”

“19.3 million!”

A group of schemers continued to follow the bidding for a while, only to realize the Huo family had stopped participating. Huo Xiao watched them with a cold smile, while Jin Qianbiao remained silent.

Immediately, many felt a chill. Could it really be a setup? Yet a few sharp minds suspected the Huo family and Jin Qianbiao were deliberately cooling the atmosphere, planning to strike again later. Under such inflated bidding, even if they won the item, the losses would be heavy and not worth the price.

Consequently, fewer and fewer people continued bidding. Eventually, aside from the Huo family and Jin Qianbiao, only two or three others remained.

“Your Highness, when do we make our move?” Fan Jun asked.

“It seems this is how it stands. Let’s start bidding—50 million to open!” Jiang An smiled.

“50 million!” Fan Jun raised his paddle.

Wow!

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Everyone turned to see who this unexpected challenger was, suddenly bidding so fiercely. Even the auctioneer and staff thought they had misheard—is this item really worth so much? Could there be some hidden secret?

Huo Xiao’s expression flickered before settling into calm. He had already made up his mind to no longer intervene; whoever won the item, he would simply negotiate with them afterward.

“Damn it!” Jin Qianbiao glared fiercely at Fan Jun.

Society Brother immediately spotted Jiang An and was taken aback. He whispered something into Jin Qianbiao’s ear. Jin Qianbiao nodded, a cold smile playing on his lips, then turned his attention elsewhere.

The bidding temporarily quieted down. The auctioneer finally remembered his duty and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have an opening bid of 50 million rice gold. Any further bids? 50 million, first call! 50 million, second call!”

“51 million!” someone attempted a last gamble.

“60 million!” Fan Jun disdainfully raised the bid again.

The other bidder was silenced. Increasing by one million each time was futile against such wealth and determination.

“60 million, first call! 60 million, second call! 60 million, third call! Sold!”

The auctioneer’s gavel struck, settling the matter.

“Congratulations, Your Highness!” Fan Jun smiled at Jiang An.

“Didn’t expect it to go for 60 million. I thought it might fetch one or two hundred million,” Jiang An smiled in response.

This remark stung Huang Dashu beside them. One or two hundred million? Two hundred million rice gold would be over a billion in Huaxia currency, just for a vase? Even the emperor’s possessions weren’t worth that much. That was almost a fifth of his entire fortune. Old Huang realized he was still just a poor man.

The auction continued, but after this disruption, the atmosphere grew less fervent. Soon enough, the event ended, and Fan Jun and Huang Dashu went to settle payment and collect the item. Jiang An waited alone.

“Sir, you seem unfamiliar—are you not from Xiang City? From inland, perhaps? May I know your name?” Huo Xiao approached Jiang An and handed over his business card.

Jiang An accepted it with a smile. “Huo Shao, I’ve heard of you—your reputation precedes you! My surname is Jiang, single character ‘An’.”

“Haha, so you are Mr. Jiang. Well said, well said,” Huo Xiao said, scrutinizing Jiang An’s youthful face, trying to recall if the Jiang family was a notable clan inland. He had no recollection.

“The reason for this visit is about that porcelain,” Huo Xiao began earnestly. “To be frank, my father is very fond of it. We already have one at home, and he wishes to complete a pair—good things come in pairs, after all. So, Mr. Jiang, would you consider parting with it? The price is negotiable.”

The eldest son of the Huo family was quick to fabricate lies. Knowing the truth, Jiang An smiled inwardly and replied, “Since the old master favors it, I’d naturally give face. Coincidentally, I plan to visit the Huo family tonight. We can discuss it then. Would that be convenient?”

Huo Xiao was somewhat surprised. He studied Jiang An thoughtfully before smiling, “Your visit would truly honor the Huo residence! We shall await your esteemed arrival tonight.”

Whatever Jiang An’s intentions, they would soon be revealed. Huo Xiao thought this and refrained from further questions.

After some polite conversation, Huo Xiao excused himself. Soon after, someone else approached Jiang An.

“Daddy, this gentleman is the one I told you about—the one who saved me yesterday,” a girl in a red gown said softly, pulling Guo Tianrui, the patriarch of the Guo family, over.

Guo Tianrui appraised Jiang An with a broad smile. “So you are the one who saved my daughter’s life. I am Guo Tianrui. May I ask your name?”

“Jiang An—‘Jiang’ as in Jiang Ziya, ‘An’ as in the other shore. As for saving a life, it was merely a helping hand,” Jiang An smiled. Then he turned to the girl: “Miss Jasmine, so you are the Guo family’s princess. Pardon my earlier ignorance!”

“Mr. Jiang, you flatter me. My real name is Guo Xuanying; Jasmine is my English name,” she said with large, enchanting eyes and a gentle tone.

“Miss Guo, pleased to meet you,” Jiang An responded, unfazed.

“Haha, since Mr. Jiang saved my daughter’s life, I must repay the debt. For ordinary people, I would offer money, but just now I saw Mr. Jiang spend 60 million rice gold without batting an eye. Clearly, you do not lack wealth,” Guo Tianrui said, then turned to Xuanying: “Xuanying, what shall we do?”

“Then I’ll invite Mr. Jiang to dinner to express our gratitude. Surely he won’t refuse,” Jasmine smiled.

“Miss Guo’s invitation is most welcome,” Jiang An agreed.

“Mr. Jiang, you’re too polite. How about tomorrow evening? Originally, I wanted to invite you tonight, but I heard you already have plans,” Guo Tianrui proposed.

“Tomorrow evening sounds good. Here is my contact information.”

“Xuanying will call you in advance tomorrow.”

As they spoke, plans were settled. Guo Tianrui laughed heartily, “It seems my daughter is quite taken with Mr. Jiang. You young people should talk more—I’m getting old.”

Jasmine blushed deeply. “Daddy, you’re so mean! I’m not talking to you anymore!”

She glanced at Jiang An before turning away. After a few steps, she turned back and waved at him. “Mr. Jiang, don’t forget our appointment!”

Jiang An smiled and nodded, his interest growing. Such a beauty indeed.

...

Outside the venue, Huo Xiao got into his car and immediately called.

“Father, there’s been a change. We didn’t get the item.”

“What? What happened?” came the excited, aged voice on the other end.

“This is what happened. The bidding went smoothly at first, but then that despicable Jin Qianbiao interfered…” Huo Xiao recounted the events and mentioned Jiang An’s planned visit to the Guo family.

“You say this Mr. Jiang will visit the Guo family tonight? What a troublesome time. I hope it doesn’t bring more problems,” the old man sighed deeply. “Have you seen anyone from Shenyao Mountain? I haven’t been able to contact them.”

“No, maybe this Mr. Jiang is from Shenyao Mountain?” Huo Xiao suggested.

“No,” the old man denied firmly. “To be honest, this porcelain was commissioned by Shenyao Mountain to be bought by the Huo family. How could they have bought it themselves? If no one from Shenyao Mountain shows up, the Huo family is in danger... Forget it, come back quickly!”

“Understood. I’m on my way!” Huo Xiao ended the call, his face laden with worry.