Qu Jianping finished speaking and left with his head held high.
Ying Chen was left alone on the spot, like a monkey in a zoo, being pointed at and gossiped about by onlookers.
Clearly, in the eyes of these people, Ying Chen's actions were foolish.
Not only did he spend a nine-figure sum for something worth only a few hundred thousand, but he also failed to gain Qu Jianping's favor. It was a classic case of losing both the wife and the soldiers.
"Today, I finally understand what it means to be truly foolish and rich."
Everyone shook their heads and sighed. Seeing that the auction was about to begin, they dispersed.
"Mr. Ying..." Min Ziqiong walked forward, looking puzzled.
"Are you sure you want to do this? The expert previously estimated that Shi Boqiong would fetch an astronomical price of over a hundred million!"
Facing Min Ziqiong's doubt, Ying Chen merely smiled slightly and uttered a perplexing sentence: "Having a price is better than being priceless."
Min Ziqiong blinked in confusion.
What did he mean?
Having a price referred to Shi Boqiong, which Min Ziqiong could understand.
But what did priceless refer to?
Qu Jianping's necklace?
But Qu Jianping had already made it clear. Her necklace was only worth a few hundred thousand, so it clearly had a price!
Could it be...
A thought suddenly flashed through Min Ziqiong's mind.
Did Ying Chen truly fancy Qu Jianping, and thus "priceless" referred to Qu Jianping herself?
"..." Min Ziqiong watched Ying Chen's retreating back as he walked towards the auction stage, feeling a mixture of emotions.
At this moment, another person in the hall was also staring at Ying Chen with a sinister expression.
This person was none other than the behind-the-scenes organizer of the auction, who had specifically invited Qu Jianping!
Liao Yifan, the young master of the Liao family!
Liao Yifan had long admired Qu Jianping, but had unfortunately never been able to ask her out.
Until today, when heaven finally gave him an opportunity!
It was Qu Jianping's grandfather's 70th birthday, and Qu Jianping happened to want to find a birthday gift for her grandfather.
Liao Yifan seized the opportunity, using the excuse of finding a birthday gift to invite Qu Jianping!
Liao Yifan had made thorough preparations. If Qu Jianping truly fancied an item at the auction, he would present it to her in his capacity as the young master.
If Qu Jianping did not fancy anything, he had also prepared a private collection that would absolutely satisfy her.
In any case, Qu Jianping would owe him a favor this time!
Once the favor was owed, Liao Yifan would have an excuse to continue interacting with Qu Jianping, until their relationship blossomed and he successfully won her over!
But Liao Yifan never expected that an unexpected interloper would appear midway and disrupt his perfect plan!
If Ying Chen were to actually bid for Shi Boqiong and give it to Qu Jianping, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain, and he would have unwittingly paved the way for Ying Chen?
"No! I absolutely cannot let this guy succeed!"
Liao Yifan clenched his fists, his nails digging into his flesh, and said sternly.
Then, he got up and walked towards the security room.
A moment later, three security guards emerged from the security room and walked directly towards Ying Chen's location.
Soon, the three security guards arrived in front of Ying Chen.
"Sir, according to our auction house regulations, we require your cooperation."
"Please turn around now and leave the venue through the back door."
"We will provide you with a meal subsidy as compensation. Thank you for your cooperation."
The leading security guard said coldly to Ying Chen.
After speaking, he handed over a so-called meal subsidy voucher.
It turned out to be a meal coupon for a boxed lunch!
And it was for the cheapest ten-yuan boxed lunch!
"Why?" Ying Chen remained unmoved, without any emotional fluctuation, and simply asked.
"Because you are suspected of disrupting the order of the venue and seriously interfering with the participants' judgment of the auction items' value. Most importantly..."
A hint of contempt appeared at the corner of the security guard's mouth.
"We have checked the guest list and did not find your name. This means you are actually just a loafer who snuck into this auction!"
"You can't even guarantee the one million entry deposit, yet you dare to talk about bidding for Shi Boqiong. Isn't that a joke?"
The security guard deliberately spoke these words very loudly.
As expected, it immediately attracted everyone's attention.
The crowd that had just dispersed from Ying Chen's vicinity reassembled around him.
"What? This guy snuck in? He's not an invited guest?"
"I knew it. He looks so unfamiliar, how could he be the young master of some wealthy family? I actually believed him and thought he could bid for Shi Boqiong, when he couldn't even afford the one million entry deposit!"
"The audacity of these con artists is getting bolder these days, daring to deceive the Tie Mao Qu family. Are they brave or just tired of living..."
The crowd buzzed with discussions, their gazes towards Ying Chen filled with disdain and contempt.
This commotion naturally did not escape Qu Jianping's notice.
Qu Jianping looked at Ying Chen with a look of astonishment.
Her eyes were filled with disbelief and disgust.
She had just started to feel a sliver of good impression towards Ying Chen, and she never expected him to be a con artist!
And she almost fell for it!
If this got out, wouldn't the entire Qu family lose face?
Thinking of this, Qu Jianping shook her head and prepared to leave.
She did not want to stay any longer, as it would undoubtedly turn into a farce.
Just then, a voice rang out, "Wait a moment! I can vouch for him. He's not a con artist! He came in with me!"
It was Min Ziqiong!
The security guards apparently recognized Min Ziqiong, and hesitated upon seeing her.
Min Ziqiong continued to explain, "We did not pay the entry deposit, but we entered under the name of the Min family, so we didn't need to pay... If you don't believe me, you can ask my parents!"
After speaking, Min Ziqiong looked towards her parents in the distance.
Attempting to signal her parents to come and vouch for Ying Chen.
Unexpectedly, Min Ziqiong's parents quickly hid in the crowd!
While hiding, they waved their hands and said, "Don't ask us, we don't know! And we don't recognize him!"
Wow!
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
Min Ziqiong's face turned ashen.
Her parents' words undoubtedly pushed Ying Chen into an abyss and undeniably confirmed Ying Chen's identity as a con artist!
The security guard sneered, "Your father doesn't seem to recognize this person! So, Miss Min, are you still going to try to defend him?"
"I..." Min Ziqiong's face flushed crimson, and she was speechless.
Qu Jianping, who had thought there might be a turn of events, no longer hesitated and walked directly towards the exit.
"Get out! Get out!"
Cheers of incitement also rose from within the crowd.
Everyone was demanding that Ying Chen be expelled from the venue.
Just as Ying Chen was about to be kicked out.
Suddenly, a voice rang out, "Let's see who dares to touch him!"
Everyone froze, then turned to look.
Immediately, their faces changed in unison.
The speaker was none other than Han Shixi, the eldest son of the Han family! m..oΓg
Han Shixi first swept his gaze around the crowd with an icy expression, then turned to Ying Chen, his tone incomparably respectful and humble: "Mr. Ying, please rest assured, with me here, no one will dare to lay a hand on you! Today, you can sit wherever you want in this venue, and stay as long as you wish! If they dare to drive you away, I will tear down their entire establishment!"
"Just tearing down the establishment? That's not enough! If they dare to touch our ancestor, they should pay with their lives!"
Before Han Shixi's words even finished, and before the crowd could even be shocked, another voice rang out from the scene.
And this voice directly made everyone turn pale with fright and freeze on the spot!