Lin Muyang finally relaxed his tense nerves as he looked at the three plots of land he had successfully secured. During the bidding process, he had genuinely worried that Liu Yutong might suddenly intervene to disrupt his plans.
Yu Fei leaned over to congratulate him: "Congratulations, Young Master Lin, on your triumphant start! Now it’s our Yu Corporation’s turn!"
Lin Muyang merely nodded slightly, offering no further words.
Time ticked by, and as the auctioneer’s voice rang out repeatedly, the atmosphere in the venue gradually intensified.
Some plots went unsold due to lack of interest, while others were smoothly auctioned off.
Suddenly, a repeated announcement echoed through the hall, instantly capturing everyone’s attention.
"Plot No. 35 in the northern district—successfully acquired by Bidder No. 6!"
"Plot No... Bidder No. 6 secures another win!"
"Plot No... Bidder No. 6 claims a third victory!"
...
The announcement repeated five times in a row, sparking murmurs throughout the venue.
Bidder No. 6—that was none other than the renowned Yu Corporation!
After all, Yu Corporation had already made its intentions known to many before the auction. Yet, even so, this scale of ambition and decisiveness was beyond what most could match. Few real estate developers in attendance had secured more than two plots.
"That’s the Yu Corporation for you—their approach is on another level. I heard they’re launching a multi-billion-dollar project this time!"
"Exactly! Once this wraps up, I’m heading straight to Chairman Yu’s office. A project this massive—I’ve got to get a piece of the pie."
"Same here. I’ll prepare a generous gift and pay a visit to the Yu family estate!"
"........"
For large-scale developments like this, corporations rarely go it alone. Instead, they bring in partners or investors—after all, a billion-dollar investment is no joke.
Yu Corporation only needed to leverage its brand influence to spearhead the project. Naturally, there would be no shortage of parties eager to co-invest or collaborate on development.
Seated in his spot, Yu Fei listened to the surrounding chatter, a smug smile curling at his lips.
But his satisfaction was short-lived.
After securing five consecutive wins, he suddenly realized—aside from Su Lin, sitting beside him, who had won two bids—there had been no further activity.
Plot No. 33 in the northern district, a crucial piece of land, remained unclaimed.
Yu Fei’s heart sank as a sense of foreboding washed over him.
Plot No. 33 was absolutely vital to Yu Corporation—it was the core plot intended for their small commodities market.
Losing this land would likely send his father leaping out of his sickbed to throttle him. Worse, the fallout for Yu Corporation would be catastrophic.
The truth was, Yu Corporation had staked its entire fortune on this real estate venture.
Excluding fixed assets, most of the group’s liquid capital had been poured into this project. Failure here could jeopardize future investors, developers, and even their partnerships in Wu Cheng.
To put it bluntly, losing this single plot could plunge Yu Corporation into ruin, triggering a total collapse.
Of course, they could choose to default, sacrificing the hundreds of millions in deposits to cut their losses.
But doing so would land them on the local government’s blacklist, making future business endeavors nearly impossible.
As time dragged on, Yu Fei grew increasingly frantic.
His eyes darted around the room, searching for the fool who dared challenge Yu Corporation for this land.
Lin Muyang seemed to sense something, but he kept silent.
What could he say?
Admit that Yu Fei’s earlier loan of 100 million had given Liu Yutong the opening to strike at Yu Corporation?
That would make him look like a traitor.
Lin Muyang couldn’t shake the feeling that he and Yu Fei had fallen into a trap meticulously laid by Liu Yutong—every move calculated, every step anticipated.
Two words echoed in his mind:
She-devil.
Usually, that term described a woman’s bewitching beauty.
But now... it perfectly captured the cunning tactics of the girl who left him both infuriated and enthralled.
Honestly, every encounter with her felt entirely unpredictable.
Sure enough, just as Yu Fei was on the verge of grinding his teeth to dust, the auctioneer’s voice rang out again.
"Plot No. 29 in the southern district... secured by Bidder No. 39!"
"Plot No. 30... Bidder No. 39 claims another win!"
"Plot No. 31... Bidder No. 39 makes it three in a row!"
Three consecutive victories sparked another wave of murmurs. After confirming they’d heard correctly, many couldn’t hold back their scornful laughter.
"Who in their right mind would want those barren wastelands south of the bridge? If I recall, those plots have gone unsold three times already."
"Exactly! Everyone knows the northern district is the focus of development. The southern area? Only an idiot would bid there."
"Hah! Probably some small-time developer who got swindled."
"Real estate isn’t a game for amateurs. Any smart player would follow Yu Corporation’s lead and grab a nearby plot to skim some profits."
"Damn right!"
"By the way, why hasn’t Plot No. 33 in the north been announced yet? Maybe it’s the grand finale?"
"Could be!"
"........"
Hearing the crowd’s speculation, Yu Fei felt a flicker of relief. Perhaps, as they said, Plot No. 33 was being saved as the crown jewel of the auction?
But fate had other plans. The auctioneer’s voice suddenly rose sharply.
"Plot No. 33 in the northern district... Congratulations to Bidder No. 39 for securing the winning bid at 388.89 million!"
The announcement was met with stunned silence. When the realization hit that Plot No. 33 had also fallen to Bidder No. 39, the room erupted in chaos.
"What the hell? Did I hear that right?"
"Plot No. 33 went to No. 39 too?!"
"Wait, wasn’t No. 39 supposed to be some nobody? How did they pull off stealing the prize right from Yu Corporation’s jaws?"
"I’d love to know what Yu Corporation’s thinking. That price is shockingly low—I estimated at least 500 million. How did it go for less than 400?"
"Same here. Did Yu Corporation even bid?"
"No way. The plots they won form a perfect ring around the core area. Why leave the center untouched and hand it to someone else?"
"Burning themselves to light up others? What saints!"
"Damn it! If I’d known it’d go for that price, I’d have bid 400 million myself. Even pissing off Yu Corporation would be worth flipping that land for a quick profit!"
Countless attendees slapped their thighs in regret. Who could’ve imagined such a prime location would sell for under 400 million?
Yu Fei trembled uncontrollably, his eyes locked on his own bid sheet—388.88 million.
A difference of just ten thousand.
A blatant, humiliating slap in the face.
That’s right—he wrote 388.88 million just to show off, waiting for the host to announce the price so he could flaunt it in the most dramatic way possible.
But in the end, it backfired spectacularly.
"I challenge this!" Yu Fei couldn’t bear the outcome. In a fit of rage, he suddenly stood up. "I question the legitimacy of this auction! It shouldn’t count! There must be a re-bid!"
He raised his bid sheet for everyone to see. "Look, this is Yu Corporation’s offer—388.88 million! And yet, bidder No. 39 won by just 10,000 more than us. I have every reason to suspect foul play here—perhaps even collusion between the organizers and No. 39!"
"I demand a re-bid immediately!"
The moment he spoke, the atmosphere in the room turned tense. Even Su Lin beside him paled, urgently tugging at his sleeve and hissing, "Yu Fei, have you lost your mind? Shut up right now!"
You can protest, you can raise doubts—but how could you outright accuse the organizers of collusion? Do you even know who’s behind this event?
Not to mention, high-ranking officials are present.
Blinded by fury, Yu Fei didn’t realize the gravity of his words. He ignored Su Lin’s warnings and kept shouting.
Lin Muyang’s expression darkened. If Yu Fei kept this up, it would reflect badly on him too. What if the auction was reset, and Yu Fei, fearing he’d lose the land bid, refused to lend him the money? He’d be ruined.
"Yu Fei! Sit down!"
"I won’t! Yu Corporation deserves an explanation today! If you dare pull shady tricks, then own up to it! No. 39, get the hell out here—I’ll make sure you regret this!"
Yu Fei had completely lost it.
If this scandal blew up and harmed the corporation, he was finished.
Just then, a cold, composed voice rang out from the back.
"I heard Yu Fei wants me dead. Well, here I am—come and try."
The moment the words fell, Yun Cheng took a step forward, radiating lethal intent.
