A middle-aged man, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. He wore a gray and white scarf and even a mask.
"Twelve point five million!"
The bidding then became a competition among a few big players. Each price increase was minimal, and the woman who had initially stunned everyone with her bid now lowered her head in silence.
She dared not even glance at the current price herself, having been relegated to the role of a spectator.
While each incremental increase might sound like a mere few hundred thousand, for ordinary people, it represented savings accumulated over several years.
However, for these wealthy individuals, it was perhaps nothing more than the cost of a single meal. Money was the one thing they never lacked in their lives.
The older men continued their heated contest, each one placing their bid and refusing to yield. Their demeanor and tone suggested they all possessed the financial capacity to go even higher.
Today, they were determined to take home what they desired. If they couldn't achieve this, what face would they have to see anyone?
Amidst this fervent competition, the price soon doubled, escalating from 12 million to 25 million!
Just then, a new face emerged. A simply dressed young man raised his bidding paddle high. His face was instantly exposed to the gaze of the crowd.
It turned out this man had a peculiar appearance. A very prominent scar ran across the right side of his forehead. Yet, his face was remarkably delicate. If one ignored the scar and solely focused on his features, he could be considered a handsome man of exceptional quality.
However, the scar was too conspicuous, and its location made it impossible to conceal, naturally becoming one of his defining characteristics.
His attire, his demeanor, and the scar on his face—all these instantly etched him into the memory of everyone present, leaving a lasting impression.
One felt that this man undoubtedly had a story to tell.
Despite his understated appearance and dress, the confidence radiating from his eyes spoke volumes.
At this moment, everyone was curious about how much he would bid. The most curious, of course, were the older men who had been fiercely competing.
They certainly wouldn't accept an outsider completely overturning their bids.
The number written on the paddle was clear and prominent: 35 million.
The older men inwardly flinched. The price had jumped by another 10 million. Could this car truly be worth this much?
If the bidding continued like this, would anyone truly profit?
Faced with this sudden, precipitous increase, several began to hesitate. They pondered whether they should continue bidding. While they had sufficient funds, their hearts ached at the thought of spending it.
Half of those who had participated in the earlier competition had completely withdrawn. They now watched as spectators. However, the most steadfast elder still held his bidding paddle.
He maintained his principle of only increasing the price slightly. As the reactions from the other bidders and those around him began to slow, he knew they were starting to waver. He still had a chance to take the item home.
This was no longer about the item's intrinsic value, nor whether it was worth the price. What was being bought now was undoubtedly face. After all, the people present were all influential figures with comparable wealth. They absolutely could not lose face at such a moment.
Moreover, a mere 30 million wasn't an insurmountable sum to earn back!
The elder's face was etched with determination. He silently felt that today, he would be the ultimate winner.
He reveled in this quiet joy, though he did not let it show on his face.
The final bid was 37.6 million, and this price quickly found itself without contenders. The auctioneer then began the final countdown.
The other spectators in the hall also anticipated the emergence of another hidden master who would shatter this price. This was undoubtedly the moment the audience most hoped to witness and the most exhilarating.
As expected, at the very last second, the auctioneer almost brought down the gavel. Someone raised their paddle once more!
This time, it was Cao Baming. He intended to join the fray at this critical moment and have some fun with these people.
"Fifty million!!!"
All eyes snapped to this bidding paddle. For a moment, everyone was stunned by such a price. Who was this master?
They didn't even have time to look at who held the paddle or what their face looked like.
However, it wasn't long before, within two seconds, someone recognized Cao Baming's face and let out an earth-shattering scream.
The others in the hall instantly shifted their gaze to Cao Baming's face. Almost everyone there knew him.
"Cao Baming is here!!!"
"It really is Cao Baming!!"
The people who had just been astonished by the 50 million bid, along with the auctioneer, now felt that the price had lost its shock value.
To Cao Baming, a mere 50 million was likely insignificant.
The other bidders, including those who hadn't yet made a move but planned to surprise everyone at the last moment, were now all re-evaluating their decisions. Should they continue bidding?
Now they knew their opponent. It was Cao Baming. Did they still have even a sliver of a chance of winning?
Many began to face reality and voluntarily withdrew. They didn't leave in a hurry, choosing instead to stay and see if there were any audacious individuals who would continue to compete.
As predicted, there were indeed courageous people, and more than one of them!