Downstairs, the Shi family of three was in deep trouble, while the third-floor private room enjoyed perfect tranquility.
He Qiuchiu whistled, a mischievous smile on her face. “Shi Mingqian probably never expected that he would be publicly punished by the very ‘Master Kong’ he had been so eager to acquire.”
After saying that, she even enlarged the screen to get a closer look at the expressions of the family of three, her schadenfreude practically spilling out of her eyes.
“But I have to admit, your move is ruthless. Even if those who competed in the bidding don’t win in the end, they’ll band together to strike first, just to prevent retaliation from the Shi family. And with so much evidence laid bare in front of everyone, the Shi family’s reputation is completely ruined. Life’s going to be tough for them from now on.”
Shi Sheng didn’t answer, but the smile at the corner of her lips betrayed her good mood.
To witness this scene, she had even instructed Cimei to send invitations to many of the Shi family’s fiercest rivals.
She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, watching Shi Mingqian’s distorted face on the screen.
Shi Mingqian, with so many wolves waiting to tear apart the Shi family, let’s see how you handle this one.
The atmosphere in the auction hall grew increasingly intense. At first, some bidders hesitated, thinking that they had been collaborating with the Shi family for years after all, they saw each other often and felt awkward bidding against them.
But as more and more people joined the bidding, even the hesitant ones couldn’t resist making their moves.
After all, it wasn’t a secret that the matriarch of the Shen family loved collecting works by Master Kong. If they succeeded in acquiring it, they’d have future opportunities to collaborate with the Shens.
This wasn’t just a painting or calligraphy it was a golden ticket for their own family to rise to prominence!
What would their past collaborations with the Shi family even mean then?
“I can cancel the contract we were about to sign with the Shi family, worth over ten million!”
“I can reclaim the five factories we leased to the Shi family, with estimated losses of fifty million!”
Bidding calls continued non-stop, the atmosphere surging like ocean waves.
But to Shi Mingqian, each bid felt like a heavy hammer striking his heart.
He could no longer sit still. Rising, he stepped out of the private room, wanting to see who was bidding, who was opposing the Shi family.
But there were too many bidders; he couldn’t keep track. For a moment, his vision went dark, and he nearly spat blood.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
It’s okay, he still had the Shen family.
Yes, once news of Shi Sheng marrying Shen Luli went public, everything would be resolved. If that wasn’t enough, Shi Yiyan could also be married off early.
Thinking of this, Shi Mingqian’s restless heart settled slightly.
However, before he could fully relax, a voice from the third floor froze him in place, even causing his body to sway.
“I can cut off all of Shi family’s overseas supply chains, and withdraw a one-hundred-million contract from them as well.”
Shi Mingqian snapped his head up.
The voice came from the direction of the Shen family’s private room the very room he had counted on as his lifeline.
How could this be?
How could the Shens dare?
He held Shen Qinghui’s leverage in his hand. If that matter were made public, Shen Qinghui would be ruined. Otherwise, the Shen family wouldn’t have agreed to a marriage alliance with the Shi family.
Outsiders only thought the Shi family was the Shen family’s lackeys, always flattering them over the years to gain their favor.
But hadn’t they considered did the Shens really need more lackeys?
So what was going on now?
Ever since the auctioned item was placed on the stage, one setback after another had left Shi Mingqian unable to think straight.
But he wasn’t a fool.
A few seconds later, he realized that the voice from the private room just now didn’t seem to belong to Shen Qinghui and his son.
And Shi Mingqian wasn’t the only one surprised.
For a moment, the entire hall went silent, all eyes turned to the third floor.
That private room, if they remembered correctly, belonged exclusively to the Shens.
Who would have thought that the Shens, who rarely appeared at auctions these years, would show up this time?
Realizing this, the guests exchanged glances. No further bids were made.
Everyone present was smart they knew that even if they wanted the artwork, they had to consider who they were competing against.
The third floor was the Shens’ territory. Once they spoke, bidding against them would be like trying to snatch food from a tiger’s mouth.
Moreover, the Shens had already pushed the price sky-high. Clearly, there was no chance for others.
Shi Sheng, sitting in another private room on the third floor, frowned.
This was not what she wanted.
Although only one person could ultimately acquire the artwork, the more bidders there were, the harder the Shi family would be trampled.
She muttered a curse at Shen Luli in her mind for stirring things up, then looked at He Qiuchiu. “Turn on the voice changer.”
Moments later, He Qiuchiu placed the adjusted device in front of Shi Sheng.
Just when everyone thought the Shen family would take the piece, another voice sounded.
“A two-hundred-million contract loophole, plus evidence exposing ten companies misappropriating orphanage construction funds.”
Shen Luli: no one dares to bid against you? Then I will!
The hall erupted.
On one hand, people couldn’t believe that anyone in Jiangcheng dared challenge the Shens.
On the other hand, the Shi family’s image completely shattered.
After all, the Shi family had always presented themselves as philanthropic ambassadors.
They even gained many benefits from that reputation, and their foundation had once gone viral online.
Who would have thought they’d even embezzle orphanage funds?
Businessmen might have no moral bottom line, but this was too blatant.
Many couldn’t help whispering.
“Wow, if they can do this, imagine how much corruption is hidden in their foundation.”
“I’ve always said Ye Xiangwen’s charity is just for show…”
“My god, Ye Xiangwen was bragging about the primary school she donated to just now…”
“Looks like the sky over Jiangcheng is about to change…”
The Shi family’s private room was silent. Shi Yiyan shrank in a corner, afraid her parents would notice her.
She feared more that her parents would discover all these troubles only arose after she returned home.
But she overthought it. The couple was too distracted, how could they care about a daughter they just found?
Ye Xiangwen stumbled onto the sofa, accidentally knocking over a neatly stacked champagne tower. Glasses shattered, wine splashing everywhere.
Even the jade necklace she had proudly displayed snapped off her neck in the fall, clattering to the ground.
Shi Mingqian slammed his fist against the wall, blood oozing from his knuckles, yet he felt no pain.
He only felt cold all over, as if the blood in his body had frozen solid.
This wasn’t an auction it was a trap set specifically against the Shi family!