Upon hearing Ye Qian's words, the old man's face turned beet red, and he was at a loss for words for a moment. He hadn't expected Ye Qian to set him up like this. Hastily, he greeted Ye Qian and then turned away, not daring to let him continue. Who knows what Ye Qian might say next?
The young woman's face also darkened visibly. The old man was in a tough spot; he couldn't just claim not to know Ye Qian or deny ever having been to the capital or attended Vice Chairman Cen's birthday banquet. If he did, the young woman would never believe him. He hurriedly whispered apologies into her ear, explaining that he had never had AIDS or been caught in a police raid. Despite his attempts to calm her, the young woman continued to complain, and it was only after promising to buy her another piece of jewelry that she finally quieted down.
The auction had already begun, and the atmosphere was lively. Wealthy businessmen, officials, and affluent young men were enthusiastically bidding to impress their women and uphold their status. Qin Yue, Hu Ke, and Zhao Ya showed little interest in the jewelry, remaining silent as others bid.
"The final piece, the 'Star of Love' diamond necklace, starts at 500,000. Each bid increase is 100,000. The auction begins now!" the host announced energetically.
"One million!" Wei Chenglong shouted loudly.
"Good, Number Three bids one million. Is there any higher?" the host exclaimed.
"One and a half million!" another young man raised his paddle and said.
Wei Chenglong glared at the young man and shouted, "Two million!"
"Two million, Number Three bids two million. Any higher?" the host said excitedly.
Although the 'Star of Love' was valuable, it wasn't expected to reach two million. Some bidders began to reconsider; while many had millions, spending two million on a necklace seemed overly extravagant. Even to please their women, they thought a gift worth tens of thousands would suffice.
"Two and a half million!" The young man raised his paddle again, glaring defiantly at Wei Chenglong.
"Three million!" Wei Chenglong gritted his teeth, glaring at the young man. Although three million was a small amount for him, he felt insulted by the public challenge in Shanghai, China. Money was one thing, but pride was another.
Just as the young man was about to raise his paddle again, another young man whispered in his ear. He glanced at Wei Chenglong and slowly lowered his paddle.
"Three million, three million. Number Three bids three million. Any higher?" The host scanned the room. "Alright, three million once, three million twice."
"Three million one hundred thousand," Ye Qian called out, raising his paddle.
Qin Yue was shocked and nudged Ye Qian, saying, "What are you doing? Bidding at an auction is legally binding. Do you have that much money?"
Zhao Ya rolled her eyes at Ye Qian, sneering, "Stop trying to act rich. Don't claim you know us if you can't pay up. We won't recognize you, you little rascal, big fraud."
Hu Ke looked slightly surprised but didn't speak. She smiled at Ye Qian and then turned away.
Ye Qian smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'll get the necklace somehow, so relax."
Wei Chenglong glanced around but couldn't find the previous bidder, so he turned to the young man he thought had been bidding against him, glaring. The young man looked helplessly at Wei Chenglong, clearly not responsible for the bid.
"Four million!" Wei Chenglong shouted in frustration, unable to contain his anger. But to win Qin Yue's favor, he couldn't hold back.
"Four million one hundred thousand," Ye Qian's voice came again, just as Wei Chenglong thought he had secured the necklace.
Wei Chenglong finally spotted the source of the bid and was stunned to see it was Ye Qian. A mere security guard, earning how much per month? How dare he challenge him! But seeing Qin Yue beside Ye Qian, Wei Chenglong realized Qin Yue must be the one interested in the necklace, with Ye Qian just acting on her behalf. He felt even more excited, thinking that winning the necklace would surely make Qin Yue fall for him. "Ten million!" Wei Chenglong shouted excitedly.
The entire audience was stunned, staring at Wei Chenglong in disbelief. They thought he must be crazy to spend ten million on a necklace.
Feeling triumphant, Wei Chenglong looked at Ye Qian, confident the necklace was his. But Ye Qian calmly said, "Ten million one hundred thousand." Qin Yue was completely taken aback, unable to believe Ye Qian was seriously trying to get the necklace for her. She felt a mix of emotions—touched by his gesture but worried about how he would pay for it. She thought she might have to use her own money to cover the cost and then slowly deduct it from Ye Qian's salary.
Seeing no sign from Qin Yue to Ye Qian, Wei Chenglong was momentarily confused. But there was no time to think; he hesitated briefly before bidding again, "Fifteen million!"