Chapter 36: The Foolish Heir of the Landlord's Family

"Don't rush. The real show has only just begun..." Lin Fan suddenly let out a strange laugh.

Ouyang Qi looked at him in confusion. When she saw Lin Fan glance at the screen displaying the fourteenth auction item, she suddenly realized what was about to happen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next item up for auction is the Ming Dynasty 'Golden Landscape Scroll'... The starting bid is seven hundred thousand."

After introducing the details of the painting, the auctioneer had barely finished announcing the starting price when Lin Fan immediately raised his hand.

"Eight hundred thousand!"

As expected, as soon as he made his bid, Ling Feng behind him followed suit without delay.

"Nine hundred thousand!"

"One million!"

"One million two hundred thousand!"

...

Only Lin Fan and Ling Feng were competing, bidding against each other. The entire room fell silent, everyone watching the two of them battle, faces flushed with intensity. Of course, many began to suspect the two had colluded.

"Do you think those two are in on it? Maybe they're laundering money, deliberately driving up the price so they can bid at an inflated amount? They're the only ones bidding—it's outrageous!"

"Nonsense! Do you even know who Young Master Ling is? He doesn't need to collude with anyone. His family's loaded. You're obviously from out of town and don't know the local elites—no wonder you don't get it..."

Soon, Lin Fan had driven the bid up to ten million.

At that point, though, Ling Feng didn't stop. After all, everyone had just witnessed Lin Fan transfer funds on the spot, proving he wasn't short on cash.

So he decided to push Lin Fan even further!

Tonight's auction was a special session for ancient paintings. Apart from the first ten low-priced items—porcelain and jade to warm up the crowd—the rest were all classic Chinese paintings.

"Twelve million!"

Lin Fan deliberately raised his voice, as if declaring to everyone his determination to win this lot.

The crowd turned in unison to look at Ling Feng behind him.

Sure enough, Ling Feng immediately shouted out, "Fourteen million!"

"Fourteen million! Sir, will you raise the bid again?" The auctioneer looked at Lin Fan with enthusiasm.

To everyone's surprise, this time Lin Fan didn't continue.

He clenched his fist and pressed it to his lips, looking as if he were deep in thought and torn over the decision.

Everyone assumed he didn't want to go any higher.

The auctioneer, unwilling to wait, turned to Ling Feng.

"It seems the gentleman in front has decided not to continue. Fourteen million, first call!"

"Fourteen million, second call—about to close!"

"Fourteen million, third and final call! Congratulations, Young Master Ling, the 'Golden Landscape Scroll' is yours!"

As soon as the words fell, the staff swiftly printed out the invoice and delivered it to Ling Feng.

"Damn it..." Ling Feng's lips twitched with anger.

He didn't want this worthless painting at all. He'd assumed Lin Fan was determined to win, and had planned to stop at twenty million. He never expected Lin Fan to suddenly drop out!

Everyone looked at him with puzzled expressions, as if to say, "Could it be he doesn't have the money?"

Ling Feng felt his pride wounded and could only suppress his frustration and transfer the funds via his phone.

At this moment, Ouyang Qi caught sight of the sly, victorious smile curling at Lin Fan's lips and exclaimed with sudden realization, "So you did that on purpose!"

"It's not over yet! If that fool wants to play, I'll play right along to the end!"

Lin Fan quickly tucked away his smile, resuming an expression of perfect calm, so that no one around could tell he was acting.

For the next two lots, Lin Fan didn't bid again.

Naturally, Ling Feng also refrained from bidding.

Not until the twenty-second item, 'The Gallant Steed,' was displayed did Lin Fan resume bidding.

This time, however, he didn't join in from the start.

Instead, he waited through a few rounds; when no one else was bidding and the auctioneer was about to bring down the hammer, he suddenly spoke up.

"Three million six hundred thousand!"

"Oh, it seems this gentleman is also interested in 'The Gallant Steed.' Four million six hundred thousand—any advances? Four million, anyone?" The auctioneer instinctively glanced at Ling Feng.

As expected, as soon as Lin Fan placed his bid, Ling Feng immediately joined in.

"Four million!"

"All right, four million. Sir, will you raise it to five million?" The auctioneer, a master at reading the room, sensed Lin Fan's eagerness and took the opportunity to stoke the rivalry, pushing both men to keep bidding.

Lin Fan nodded and raised the bid to five million.

This painting was, in fact, the one Ouyang Qi had her eye on. Its colors were much more vibrant than the previous 'Kingfisher and Blossoms,' and Ouyang Qi thought Su Juanmo might like it. Lin Fan, without a second thought, jumped in at the last moment.

"Six million!"

Ling Feng was unwilling to be outdone.

"Seven million!"

Lin Fan echoed, bidding calmly as before.

He knew Ling Feng might push the price even higher this time, since he had already tricked him once, but Lin Fan's scheme was not yet complete, so he kept up the act.

By now it was clear to everyone present that tonight's auction was a private skirmish between these two sworn rivals. No one else dared join in or cause a stir; all watched in silence as the two exchanged blow after blow.

Such theatrics were rarely seen at auctions, so everyone was delighted to watch two rich fools squander their family fortunes.

In the end, Ling Feng raised the price of 'The Gallant Steed' to twenty million and stopped.

One should know when to show mercy.

Ling Feng suspected Lin Fan had come with a mission tonight and wouldn't stop at just two paintings.

If Lin Fan continued bidding on future lots, Ling Feng would keep up the pressure, making Lin Fan pay dearly for every win!

"Twenty-two million!"

After Lin Fan's final bid, Ling Feng didn't continue.

'The Gallant Steed' thus fell into Lin Fan's hands.

The auction seemed to enter an intermission, with Lin Fan abstaining from bidding on several lots in a row.

Then, when the thirty-seventh item—a four-panel ink album of lotuses with a starting price of thirty million—was displayed, Lin Fan suddenly stood up.

"I'm quite taken with this painting. Thirty-five million!"

Boom!

Once again, the entire room erupted in astonished murmurs.

Never before had anyone raised the bid so much in a single step—utter madness!

Previously, the highest increments had been two million, and only from Lin Fan. For the rest, the most anyone added per bid was one million—only Lin Fan, with his deep pockets, dared to be so bold. This time he had jumped directly from thirty million to thirty-five million, stunning the entire crowd!

It seemed the auction had reached its fever pitch.

Once again, all eyes turned to Ling Feng in the back, wondering if he would dare match the bid.

Feeling the weight of every gaze, Ling Feng's heart pounded wildly—partly from the electrifying atmosphere, which left him breathless with excitement, eager to take revenge on Lin Fan and ruin him; but also, at such a staggering price, he hesitated.

What if Lin Fan stopped bidding at the last minute? Would he end up digging his own grave?

He didn't dare take the risk. To test Lin Fan's resolve, he called out with suspicion.

"I don't believe you have that much money!"

It was both a challenge and a taunt.

Lin Fan turned to him, replying coolly, "Do you need me to show you proof of assets?"