Upon Gu Dai's declaration, a hush descended over the auction house. All eyes snapped towards the direction of Gu Dai's booth in shock.
Once Wang Lan had announced her interest, the consensus amongst the attendees had been that the painting was effectively hers. No one wanted to provoke the Song family over a mere piece of painting. But, to everyone's astonishment, someone had chosen to challenge this unspoken agreement by bidding against her.
Stunned expressions mirrored not just among the spectators but also on Wang Lan who was directly involved. She thought she had this one wrapped up, but Gu Dai's unexpected appearance threw a spanner in the works.
Wang Lan's expression darkened noticeably. Recalling the earlier incident, she defiantly hoisted her bid card, declaring, "1.1 million!"
Without missing a beat, Gu Dai countered, "5 million."
Provoked, Wang Lan retaliated with "5.1 million."
