Chapter 768: Chapter 767: Fierce Bidding
"What?"
Upon hearing this voice, those who were competing for the painting suddenly froze, their faces all turning pale.
They had not expected that someone could jack up the price in one go.
Keep in mind, this antique had already hit the astronomical price of seven hundred thousand!
Although this figure was still far from seventy billion, it was an absolutely astonishing number for this auction.
Because, at ordinary auctions, it is simply impossible to fetch such a high price.
This also indicated that the bidder’s identity was no simple matter, and their target was certainly significant.
But then again, in this world, whose identity is ever simple?
Moreover, things had already escalated to this point, those people were hardly likely to give up, unless they were fools or tired of living.
Thus, some with a bit more guts continued to shout their bids.
However, after that shouting person, no one else continued the clamor.
This shouting chap was not just a person from Zhao Tianming’s faction.
They were all well aware that such ancient scholar’s four treasures could be worth a fortune, even a minor official might not be able to cough up six hundred thousand.
Hence, at this auction, anyone who could offer six hundred thousand was certainly a person of immense wealth or high status.
And while they were shouting their bids, many eyes turned to Liu Zheng.
Because he was the most formidable presence among them.
But what shocked them was that this chap did not bid either.
Seeing Liu Zheng’s reaction, people started to speculate about just what his background might be.
At that moment, they became very interested in Liu Zheng’s identity.
"Six hundred and twenty thousand!"
At this point, Zhao Tianming spoke again, his tone filled with a hint of malice and resentment.
Upon hearing his words, the entire venue fell into a moment of silence.
"Hiss..."
"Six hundred and twenty thousand now, has this guy gone mad?"
"Does he really want to snatch this item that badly?"
"This chap is indeed the eldest son of the Capital City Zhao Family, truly formidable in wealth!"
...
Listening to the crowd’s discussions, a cold smile appeared on the corner of Liu Zheng’s mouth.
This time, the reason he did not bid was simply because he did not have that much money.
Although he was a famous gambler, his yearly salary plus bonuses would not amount to a million.
A million, to the prominent families of the Capital City, was nothing at all, not to mention that there were many wealthy people in the world, some making tens or even hundreds of millions a year, which was not unheard of.
But he was out of his depth here, because he was truly penniless!
And although he loved gambling, he never engaged in bad business deals.
Therefore, he decided to give up on the antique painting because he was determined to have it.
Of course, if the painting was auctioned off at the gallery, that would be a different matter.
"Six hundred and fifty thousand!"
And just then, Liu Zheng’s ears caught the voice of Zhao Tianming again.
Hearing this, a scornful smile formed on his lips.
"Heh, six hundred and fifty thousand? This guy really is too greedy for his own good, asking that much all at once!"
"But still, six hundred and fifty thousand is indeed a bit excessive, however, since he bid that, why don’t we offer a higher price, that painting, I’ll take it!"
Saying so, Liu Zheng directly raised his paddle and called out his bid.
"Eight hundred thousand!"
And at that moment, Zhao Tianming too did not show weakness and continued to raise his bid.
In Zhao Tianming’s view, this painting was extremely important to him, like a boulder pressing on his chest, making him extremely uncomfortable.
Therefore, he did not mind spending a large sum of money to auction off this ancient painting.
Moreover, at an auction, reaching one million was already considered top-tier.
If he could get this ancient painting for eight hundred thousand, then in his eyes, it would be a huge bargain.
"Eight hundred and ten thousand!"
At that moment, Liu Zheng also refused to show weakness and called out his own price.
In his view, the value of this painting was absolutely several times more than a million.
Moreover, if he could get his hands on this painting, he would be able to obtain a large amount of cash, which for him was definitely an enormous gain.
This ancient painting, he was determined to win.
And his actions had caused quite a stir among the crowd.
"Is this guy really a gambler? This is an antique, doesn’t he feel the slightest heartache?"
"By doing this, he’s going to drive the auctioneers crazy!"
"This guy is simply the cream of the crop among the filthy rich; his net worth must be over two million by now!"
"Exactly, what he’s doing is just insulting those auctioneers!"
...
Many people also discussed this ancient painting, full of doubt and skepticism about its real value.
However, they quickly came to understand the key point.
Because Liu Zheng’s statement, "I’m taking it," was telling them that he had the strength to secure this painting!
So, after hearing Liu Zheng’s words, they all shut their mouths and dared not call out bids carelessly.
They couldn’t afford to provoke such tycoons!
After all, the man had a fortune of over two million, and they weren’t looking to be scolded.
"Two million nine hundred and fifty thousand!"
However, Zhao Tianming was not planning to give up.
He felt the painting was already within his grasp, and he wouldn’t give up even if it was just for the last few tens of thousands!
In this world, the only ones who could compete with him in terms of wealth were those heirs from the top-tier wealthy families.
And at the moment, he was just a rich second-generation individual.
Although he held a high status in the Capital City and knew many people,
compared with those top-tier heirs, he still fell short by more than a little.
Therefore, he was not afraid of Liu Zheng at all.
But he really wanted this painting!
So, he didn’t mind spending a high price to get it.
He believed that by doing so, his net worth could increase by a hundredfold, and he would become a super tycoon in the eyes of the other rich second-generations.
"Eight million!"
At this time, Liu Zheng still increased the bid without hesitation.
Upon hearing this, the crowd once again couldn’t help but take a sharp breath.
This guy was truly playing with fire!
This painting wasn’t just any antique; he had just bid eight million in one go.
"Eight million one hundred and ten thousand!"
And at this moment, Zhao Tianming also increased his bid without hesitation, a price that made everyone secretly click their tongues because it had far exceeded their imaginations.
Eight million one hundred and ten thousand was definitely an astronomical figure to them.
"Nine million!"
"Eighty million!"
...
Now, Zhao Tianming’s complexion also slightly changed.
He had never expected Liu Zheng to be so reckless, to directly jump the bid to eighty million for the painting.
And this price also made him feel a pang of pain.
However, after a brief silence, a sneaky smile also appeared on his lips as he raised the bid again, "Ninety million!"
Upon hearing this sentence, the crowd once again gasped.
This time, even Liu Zheng’s brow furrowed.
He never thought that Zhao Tianming could be so shameless, instantly doubling the price.
But deep inside, a rage also surged within him.
Because he knew, if he were to increase the price further, it would appear like bullying the weak, but he was intent on obtaining this painting, and he had to have it.
At this moment, even he ran out of options.
"One hundred million!"
A moment later, a fierce look finally emerged on his face.
