The starting bid was 30 million.
Ye Qiu raised the bid four times, shouting it up to 1 billion.
At that moment, the entire room fell silent.
Everyone was somewhat stunned. They hadn’t expected Ye Qiu to be so wealthy, nor had they anticipated that he’d dare to challenge Young Master Zhang.
“Who the hell is this guy?”
“How does he have the guts to go up against Young Master Zhang?”
“A single Heavenly Master Token, bid up to 1 billion—this has to be the most expensive auction item of the year, right?”
“Forget the year—since this auction house opened, no single item has ever fetched such a high price.”
“Young Master Zhang won’t let this go easily. I wonder how he’ll deal with him?”
At that very moment.
Young Master Zhang’s face darkened, his fists clenched tightly, itching to rush forward and smash a punch into Ye Qiu’s face.
But then he recalled the auction house’s rules—no one was allowed to cause trouble here—so he held himself back.
Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed his anger.
“1 billion, huh? You just throw that number out like it’s nothing. Do you even have that much money?”
Young Master Zhang glared at Ye Qiu with a sinister expression, his eyes burning with fury and a hint of murderous intent.
“Whether I have that much money or not is none of your damn business!”
In front of everyone, Ye Qiu’s tone was brash, showing no regard for Young Master Zhang whatsoever.
“Well, I’d like to see if you actually have that kind of cash!”
Young Master Zhang laughed in rage and turned to the host, “I hope you can verify his funds immediately. If he can’t cough up that much, the Heavenly Master Token belongs to me.”
Soon, two staff members approached Ye Qiu.
They carried a card reader in their hands.
It was clear they intended to make Ye Qiu pay on the spot.
“Little brat, do you really have that much money?” Master Longbrow asked nervously.
1 billion wasn’t a small sum.
It was enough to fund a lifetime of extravagance—eight lifetimes, even.
“1 billion? Is that supposed to be a lot?” Ye Qiu pulled a black bank card from his pocket and handed it to the two staff members, “Go ahead.”
However, the two staff members stared at the card in their hands, motionless for a long while.
Their eyes betrayed undisguised shock.
Young Master Zhang grew impatient and snapped, “What are you two idiots standing there for?”
“Young Master Zhang, this… this is a Swiss Royal Black Card.”
In an instant, a look of astonishment flashed across Young Master Zhang’s face.
Born into one of the top families in the capital, he naturally understood what a Swiss Royal Black Card signified.
The Swiss Royal Black Card was universally recognised as the “King of Cards,” reserved for the elite—international dignitaries, billionaires, and the creme de la creme of society.
Crucially, it wasn’t something you could simply acquire with money. You needed both immense influence and a stroke of luck to even be invited by the Swiss Bank to apply for one.
It was said that holding this card granted world-class VIP treatment and a slew of jaw-dropping privileges!
The Royal Black Card was exceedingly rare, with only 3,000 issued worldwide, and in China, a mere 100 existed.
Coincidentally, Young Master Zhang’s father owned one.
“How does he have a Swiss Royal Black Card?”
Young Master Zhang’s expression turned dazed.
“We’ll deal with payment later.”
Compared to the bewildered and uncertain Young Master Zhang, Ye Qiu remained calm and composed, exuding an overwhelming presence.
The two staff members returned the black card to Ye Qiu.
Their態度 was deferential and respectful.
Almost servile.
“Young Master Zhang, are you going to raise the bid?” Ye Qiu asked, “If you do, I’ll add another billion.”
Young Master Zhang’s mind stirred.
He considered whether he should seize this chance to trap Ye Qiu.
If he raised the bid, Ye Qiu would have to shell out at least 2 billion to secure the Heavenly Master Token, forcing him to waste an extra billion.
But in the next moment, Young Master Zhang hesitated.
“This kid’s cunning. What if this is a trap? He might be baiting me to raise the bid, only to back out at the last second. Then I’d be stuck paying over a billion for the Heavenly Master Token.”
Over a billion was a drop in the bucket for the entire Zhang family.
But for Young Master Zhang personally, it was an astronomical figure.
Though he was a wealthy heir, he couldn’t just casually toss out over a billion in pocket money.
So, he didn’t dare take the risk.
He feared Ye Qiu might outmanoeuvre him.
“Hmph, it’s just a lousy piece of wood. Only an idiot would spend 1 billion on it,” Young Master Zhang scoffed, waving his hand dismissively, “Let’s go.”
With that, he stormed out of the auction house with his entourage in tow.
Once they were gone, Ye Qiu and Master Longbrow stepped onto the stage. Ignoring the host, Ye Qiu picked up the Heavenly Master Token from the tray and handed it to Master Longbrow.
“Take a good look. Is this the real thing?”
Master Longbrow cradled the token, examining it closely before nodding solemnly, “Yes, this is indeed the Heavenly Master Token.”
“Good, let’s go,” Ye Qiu said, turning to leave.
Master Longbrow froze in place, stunned. Leaving without paying?
The host quickly stepped in front of Ye Qiu, saying, “Sir, you haven’t paid yet.”
“Pay for what?” Ye Qiu retorted, “The Heavenly Master Token has always been the sacred treasure of Dragon Tiger Mountain. This is merely returning it to its rightful owner.”
Returning it to its rightful owner?
The host couldn’t help but glance at Master Longbrow. Was this old Taoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain?
“This humble Taoist is Longbrow, the Sect Leader of Dragon Tiger Mountain,” Master Longbrow declared with a serious tone.
The host hesitated before saying, “Sir, this item is being auctioned by our house. Taking it without payment goes against the rules.”
“Rules?” Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow, “My word is the rule.”
His voice rang out, bold and commanding.
Arrogant and domineering.
The host panicked, unsure of what to do.
Ye Qiu added, “I won’t make this hard for you. Tell your boss the situation. If he has a problem, let him come see me.”
Master Longbrow chimed in, “The Heavenly Master Token is the sacred treasure of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Returning it to its rightful owner now can forge a bond of goodwill. Infinite Heavenly Sovereign!”
“Well… please wait a moment, both of you. I’ll call my boss.”
The female host finished speaking and hurried to a corner to make the call.
At the same time, she signalled the staff with her eyes to keep watch on Ye Qiu and Master Longbrow, ensuring they didn’t slip away.
As the host made her call, murmurs erupted around the room:
“This kid doesn’t just dare to challenge Young Master Zhang—now he’s refusing to pay? He’s got some guts!”
“He’s clearly here to stir trouble. Doesn’t he know where he is? Even Young Master Zhang wouldn’t dare act out here. He’s risking his life with this stunt.”
“These days, there are more and more reckless youngsters who don’t know their place.”
“Just wait and see. That kid’s going to pay a heavy price for his actions.”
“…”
At that moment, the host returned.
“Gentlemen, our boss said that since the Heavenly Master Token belongs to Dragon Tiger Mountain, and this Taoist is the Sect Leader, it should naturally be returned to its rightful owner. You don’t need to pay.”
“Thank you!”
Ye Qiu offered a word of thanks and strode off with Master Longbrow.
In the exhibition hall.
The crowd was stunned.
After a long silence.
A voice finally broke the dead quiet, “Who the hell is this guy?”
“How does he have so much clout?”
