Now at one to two-tenths of the price, wouldn't that only be 80 to 160 million?
While it still sounds like a lot, it's a chasm compared to 800 million!
Many people present could afford 160 million, but very few could afford 800 million!
Because once you reach the unit of billions, every increase in wealth is difficult, requiring not just strength but also luck.
*Pat, pat!*
As expected, the projection from Shi Boqiong became increasingly chaotic, until finally all celestial bodies collided and turned into a black dot resembling ink wash.
Shi Boqiong also fell from the sky to the ground.
Seeing this, everyone sighed, "I didn't expect it to be fake..."
"If even the fake is this impressive, imagine how much more impressive the real one would be?"
"It's not entirely fake, you know. It did come from two thousand years ago, and it was indeed made according to Shi Boqiong's model. The only difference is that its production failed, resulting in flaws. It's not an authentic piece, but it's not a forgery."
Someone who was on good terms with Liao Yifan began to make excuses for him.
However, the crowd was clearly not buying it.
"Before the auction began, the Jiadeli Auction House emphatically guaranteed that this was an authentic piece, right? Their promotional brochures didn't mention anything about it being a flawed item, did they? Since they promoted it as authentic and a flawed item appeared, then it's fake! It's fraud!"
"Exactly! Makes sense! If you sell a flawed product as an authentic one, do you think the customer will listen to your excuses? They'd be lucky if they didn't slap you!"
"Who exactly is this person surnamed Ying? How come he knows everything about something that even industry expert Elder Dong can't figure out?"
"Do you even need to ask? He must be from a millennium-old family with deep roots! Otherwise, how could an ordinary person have access to such knowledge! Rich, handsome, and with a solid background. It's a shame I had a son; if I'd had a daughter, I'd have her pursue him even if she had to pay him!"
"Forget it! With your looks, would he even fancy your daughter? He's interested in Miss Qu Jianping of the Qu family! A firefly dares to compete with the bright moon, pfft!"
The crowd below murmured amongst themselves.
Qu Jianping, one of the focal points of discussion, found her earlobes slightly reddening for some reason when she heard her name mentioned.
Her eyes flickered with intense curiosity and disbelief, staring fixedly at Ying Chen.
She seemed to want to penetrate this man, who was shrouded in mystery, and uncover his hidden secrets.
Those who knew Qu Jianping saw her demeanor and immediately understood: it was over; Qu Jianping had taken the first step towards being captivated.
If a woman develops intense curiosity towards a man, her ultimate fate is to be captured by him.
Qu Jianping was clearly like a wild beast cautiously probing the edge of a trap, unaware of her actions or their consequences.
"Grandpa Yan," Qu Jianping finally could not suppress her intense curiosity and walked forward. "Do you have time to talk to me now? Also..."
"I'm very curious about your friend. Could you introduce him to me briefly?"
Yan Yang gave an awkward smile. "Jianping, I was too rushed earlier and didn't pay attention to you. You're not holding a grudge against Grandpa Yan, are you? As for Mr. Ying..."
Yan Yang looked at Ying Chen.
In reality, Yan Yang wasn't much different from Qu Jianping; he also had no idea about Ying Chen's background!
At most, he had known Ying Chen for a few days longer than Qu Jianping!
As for where Ying Chen came from, which family he belonged to, whether he was from a martial arts family or a grand sect of the Xuanmen, he knew nothing at all.
Most importantly, even if he knew, he couldn't casually reveal Ying Chen's identity without Ying Chen's permission.
Seeing this, Ying Chen merely cast a casual glance at Qu Jianping and said, "We met by chance, and I don't inquire about the past. I have obtained what you needed. Once I finish one matter, we will proceed with the exchange."
With that, he walked past Qu Jianping and headed in another direction.
Qu Jianping was instantly stunned in place.
Didn't Ying Chen spend so much effort and money to bid for Shi Boqiong just to please her?
Now that she had actively given him the opportunity to please her, why was Ying Chen ignoring her instead?
His attitude was incredibly cold and distant.
He wouldn't even bother with a basic introduction!
"Damn it! I was originally going to give you a chance, but now it seems... you have no chance at all!" Qu Jianping thought indignantly.
However, to outsiders, Qu Jianping appeared to have taken another step closer to being captivated.
"Master! This Mr. Ying is not only handsome and rich but also intelligent! This tactic of playing hard to get, of retreating to advance, is the perfect application of the highest principle of the 'Scumbag's Bible'! Hurry, take notes! Learn this move, and what goddess can't you win over?"
Someone in the audience excitedly exclaimed.
They had clearly misunderstood Ying Chen's intentions, thinking he was deliberately playing hard to get with Qu Jianping!
Little did they know that Ying Chen had no intentions toward Qu Jianping from the beginning!
Ying Chen's sole focus from the very beginning was the six-character golden pendant necklace that Qu Jianping was wearing!
"Do you remember what you said?"
Ying Chen finally stopped in front of Liao Yifan, looking down at Liao Yifan, who was slumped on the ground, and asked.
Liao Yifan looked up blankly. "What did I say?"
"'If it's fake, I'll compensate double.'"
*Swish!*
Liao Yifan's face turned ashen.
He had been so focused on the depreciation of Shi Boqiong's value that he had forgotten about the bet he had with Ying Chen!
Shi Boqiong, purchased at 800 million, with a 'fake one compensate double' clause, meant he had to pay 1.6 billion!
The thought of this astronomical sum made Liao Yifan's heart tremble, wishing he could slap himself for saying it at the time!
Sixteen hundred million!
This wasn't real estate like houses and cars, nor financial instruments like stocks and bonds, but hard cash!
In this day and age, the most valuable and precious asset for a company or a family was precisely cash flow!
Once cash flow breaks, a company immediately faces the predicament of defaulting on its debts and its operations grinding to a halt!
Liao Yifan had just caused the entire auction house to lose 1.6 billion in cash, which was equivalent to breaking one of the auction house's legs, forcing it to limp along from then on!
The thought of his father's furious reaction upon hearing this made Liao Yifan tremble uncontrollably!
"No... we can negotiate..."
"I will personally compensate you 200 million, and from now on, you will be the supreme VIP of our Jiadeli Auction House, how about that?"
"Or I can introduce you to some stunning beauties. They might not be comparable to Qu Jianping, but they definitely know how to serve a man better than Qu Jianping!"
"Or if you have any other requests, just name them, and I can satisfy them!"
Liao Yifan looked at Ying Chen with anticipation, hoping for a positive response.
However, before Ying Chen could reply, someone else stepped forward.
*Slap!*
A loud slap landed on Liao Yifan's face, accompanied by a sharp rebuke: "Vulgar!"
It was Qu Jianping!