Chapter 162: Chapter 162: The Unchangeable Zhang Tianlai _1
As these words were spoken, the entire venue erupted into an uproar.
The reputation of the Spirit Spring Water had already spread far and wide, and anyone with common sense could see its commercial value.
Having the tool to make Spirit Spring Water meant having access to an endless stream of money.
Zhang Tianlai’s bid of just ten million was an absolute bargain.
After a brief silence, a middle-aged man stood up and shouted, "I bid thirty million!"
"I bid fifty million!"
"Eighty million!"
"I bid one billion, I must have the bowl that makes Spirit Spring Water!"
People started bidding feverishly for that worn-out bowl, and some had even become red-eyed with eagerness, throwing out the astronomical sum of one billion.
However, a minor goal could not deter the crowd’s enthusiasm.
When the price had already soared to five billion, a challenging voice suddenly arose from below the stage, "Master Zhang, Half-immortal Zhang, if this treasure of yours is so miraculous, why would you auction it off?"
"If you keep it for yourself, you would have endless wealth in the future. Isn’t a few billion just at your fingertips then?"
Zhang Tianlai, who had been grinning from ear to ear, had already been daydreaming about his future. With this money, he could retire happily and contentedly.
Just as his trickery was about to succeed, a question made him furrow his brows in anger.
Moreover, the voice sounded somewhat familiar, but Zhang Tianlai couldn’t immediately recall whose it was.
"Who’s talking?" asked Zhang Tianlai with an icy tone.
Simultaneously, the bidding ceased abruptly as everyone looked around, trying to find out who would dare to cause such a disturbance at this moment.
Chen Fu was utterly dumbfounded by Ye Ming’s actions.
He couldn’t understand how this imposter dared to challenge Master Zhang at such a time. Was he tired of living?
Regardless of whether Master Zhang would take offense, all the big shots present were influential figures in the Yanjing circle, each more formidable than the last. Ye Ming’s actions were tantamount to digging his own grave.
"On what basis?" Chen Fu wanted to ask Ye Ming this question face to face, but he held back, ready to enjoy the drama unfolding.
Moreover, he stopped the security guards from intervening, believing that there were plenty of people to take care of Ye Ming without him having to lift a finger.
But what happened next left Chen Fu dumbstruck once more.
As Ye Ming ascended the stage, the previously brazen expression on Zhang Tianlai’s face turned subservient, almost as if he were about to kneel before Ye Ming.
"Mr. Ye, what are you doing here... Don’t misunderstand, this is just a misunderstanding," Zhang Tianlai stammered, his voice trembling and large beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Before Ye Ming could follow up with another question, the assistant who had brought the water onto the stage began to challenge him.
"Who do you think you are? How dare you question our Master Zhang on stage? Get someone over here and kick him out!"
At a glance, it was obvious that the assistant was a plant hired by Zhang Tianlai, the two of them working in close coordination. However, he had no idea about Ye Ming’s identity or the relationship between Ye Ming and Zhang Tianlai.
Ye Ming chuckled dismissively, his gaze filled with mockery as he spoke to Zhang Tianlai, "Master Zhang, you really do put on a full performance, even hiring a plant. It looks like you’re planning to make a big score!"
Zhang Tianlai shivered all over, no longer knowing what to explain.
From what had transpired, Ye Ming must have been sitting in the audience the whole time, witnessing the entire process. At this moment, any explanation from Zhang Tianlai was useless—he wouldn’t be able to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
Ye Ming continued, "Your swindling to make a living is your own skill. You’ve survived that way before, and I couldn’t have cared less. But now you’ve conned me, and I have to intervene."
"Let me tell you the truth: I made the Spirit Spring Water."
Zhang Tianlai swallowed hard, his face turning deathly pale.
He thought he was merely exposed for his deception and would get a lecture from Ye Ming or, at worst, receive a beating. But now, after hearing Ye Ming’s words, Zhang Tianlai felt a deep chill in his heart. It seemed resolving the matter wouldn’t be so simple after all.
Ye Ming’s eyes bore into him as he asked, "Don’t just stand there. How should we resolve this? You tell me!"
Seeing Ye Ming’s aggressive attitude, the assistant was very unhappy.
He said to Ye Ming with righteous indignation, "What gives you the right to say that? Do you have evidence that we are swindlers? If you can’t explain yourself, we’ll have to sue you for slander!"
The assistant dropped the act, plainly stating that he was in cahoots with Zhang Tianlai.
To convince them thoroughly, Ye Ming said, "Since I dare to step forward, I definitely won’t accuse you without evidence. I will prove it to everyone!"
After finishing, Ye Ming grabbed another bottle of mineral water and took the cracked bowl from Zhang Tianlai’s hands, pouring the water into it.
There was no reaction at all; everything remained very calm.
Ye Ming explained, "You all saw that ordinary water doesn’t react at all in this bowl. The reason you felt dizzy and lightheaded after drinking it earlier is because..."
At this point, Ye Ming walked over to Zhang Tianlai and pulled out a bottle of stimulant from his sleeve.
The bottle of the stimulant was very small, perfectly concealed in the palm of Zhang Tianlai’s hand, unnoticed by others.
"It’s because our Master Zhang added a stimulant to the water."
People looked at each other, murmuring from all directions, causing some chaos at the scene.
Zhang Tianlai’s assistant, still unwilling to give up, said, "You’re spouting nonsense. If you’re out to charge someone, ’what lack of words would there be?’ This is just medicine for Master Zhang’s personal use; how could it be a stimulant?"
"You’re defaming him! Come on, someone, grab this guy and throw him out, make him scram!"
The assistant was so anxious because Zhang Tianlai had promised him a fee for his services upon success. Just as things were about to succeed, Ye Ming came out to disrupt everything, essentially blocking his payday.
But in his concern for his own fee, he forgot to gauge Zhang Tianlai’s expression.
Ye Ming ignored the assistant’s shouting and instead asked Zhang Tianlai, "Master Zhang, do you think what I said is correct?"
"Now that it’s come to this, shouldn’t you make a statement?"
Everyone’s gaze returned to Master Zhang’s face, curious to see how he would respond.
To everyone’s surprise, at this moment, Zhang Tianlai actually knelt down on the ground with a thud, his face filled with despair and guilt as he said, "Mr. Ye, you’re right. I did use this trick to deceive everyone!"
"I did it to make some money; I only ask that you don’t hold it against me."
The crowd erupted, sighs of disbelief filling the air.
Even the assistant who had followed Zhang Tianlai was shocked, staring bewildered at Zhang Tianlai.
