Upon hearing this, the leader's smile froze for an instant, a flicker of uncertainty passing through his eyes.
He wasn't sure if he had misunderstood the girl's meaning.
On the surface, her words seemed to indicate drawing a clear line with Lin Muyang, but upon closer consideration, it felt somewhat off.
Why did it instead sound like it was directed at him?
Could it be that she had guessed something?
Before the leader could ponder further, the host's voice sounded from the stage.
The banquet had begun.
After an enthusiastic opening by the host, the highlight of the evening commenced—the charity auction.
Items donated by various celebrities and dignitaries—collectibles, artworks—were presented one by one on the display platform, followed by successive rounds of bidding.
Most of those raising their paddles were doing so to earn a good reputation or to seize the opportunity to gain face in front of the leader and their peers.
Liu Yutong sat quietly, not rushing to place a bid.
To be honest, if not for the leader's invitation, she wasn't particularly fond of attending such events, finding them rather uninteresting.
And, to put it bluntly, it was hard to say whether the auction money would even reach the disaster victims.
However, regardless of her feelings about the occasion, the expected contribution still had to be made.
Liu Yutong's gaze swept over the auction items, but she never raised her hand.
The first few lots were mostly calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, limited-edition luxury goods, or decorative pieces with auspicious meanings. The bidding was lukewarm, with the highest bid so far only reaching 280,000 yuan.
At this rate, it seemed doubtful whether the total funds raised tonight would even exceed five million.
While this sum was not insignificant, for the leader, it was still somewhat lacking.
That was until a hostess brought up a black velvet tray, upon which rested an oddly shaped badge.
The badge was a dark gold color. Its main feature was a ferocious wolf's head entwined with thorns, its eyes inlaid with two tiny, dull red gemstones. Below it crossed two classical keys. The overall style combined a sense of ruggedness and antiquity, with even some signs of wear along the badge's edges.
Then, the host introduced with a smile, "The next item is rather special, donated by an overseas Chinese resident who has lived abroad for a long time. According to the donor, he acquired this item from an antique shop overseas, and its specific origins can no longer be traced in detail. The material is a certain alloy, with inlaid decorations... The starting bid is fifty thousand yuan, with each increment no less than five thousand."
After the introduction, most guests in the audience showed puzzled expressions.
This badge looked somewhat aged, but its design was slightly eerie. It didn't resemble modern art, and the wolf's head even appeared somewhat menacing.
Was this even an antique? It looked more like a prop from some game.
But it was a charity auction after all.
No matter what the item was, someone would always place a bid.
"I bid fifty thousand!"
"I bid fifty-five thousand!"
"..."
Guests at other tables placed bids one after another, though the atmosphere was not exactly lively.
The entrepreneurs at the main table also glanced at it before losing interest, clearly having no appetite for something of unknown origin and lacking aesthetic appeal.
However, Liu Yutong's gaze grew doubtful and surprised.
The more she looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. She was certain she had seen it before, or more accurately, had come across a certain rumor about it.
In her previous life, after the short video era arrived, information exploded, and people's horizons broadened immensely.
In her previous life, with the advent of the short video era, people entered an age of information explosion, and their knowledge expanded greatly. Of course, there were also more fake news stories fabricated by all sorts of chaotic marketing accounts.
She vaguely remembered once scrolling past a quickly banned dark web story video that precisely featured a [Thorn-Wolf-Head Key Badge].
The rumor said that the ownership of this token directly triggered a brutal internal succession struggle within a certain mafia family abroad, even leading to a world-shocking street shootout at a high-end restaurant in America, resulting in many deaths.
And that video was quickly deleted and taken down.
Originally, she had just brushed it off as an amusing story, after all, what couldn't those marketing accounts fabricate.
But now, suddenly seeing this familiar object, she had the illusion—could this thing actually be real?
Whether it was real or not, her curiosity was indeed piqued.
Since this money was going to be donated anyway, what difference did it make what she bid on?
Just as the price was called to eighty thousand.
"One million."
A calm female voice suddenly rang out.
The entire room was stunned!
All eyes instantly turned to Liu Yutong, who had just placed the bid, their faces filled with disbelief.
Spend one million on this weird iron plaque?
The young lady from the Wanlong Society truly acted in ways that were hard to fathom.
Even the senior entrepreneurs at the main table, who had been indifferent to her, couldn't help but cast surprised and doubtful glances her way again.
What they were thinking wasn't that Liu Yutong was foolish with money, but rather wondering if the leader was displeased.
After the leader arrived, he had only exchanged brief greetings with everyone, yet he had spoken the most with this Wanlong Society young lady, Liu Yutong.
Clearly, the leader's relationship with this Liu Yutong was unusual.
Perhaps the Wanlong Society was someone the leader supported.
Not thinking about it was one thing, but once they did, it felt even more terrifying.
The leader was on the 'white' side, the Wanlong Society was on the 'black' side, and these two had a special relationship... then wouldn't Mingzhu City be...
Sharp intake of breath
In short, they couldn't help but suspect that Liu Yutong's sudden bid of one million was perhaps a hint from the leader?
For example, that donations at this charity banquet were too low, and the leader wanted to use her to drive up the prices?
The more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Especially seeing the leader frowning continuously, they became even more convinced of their speculation.
"One million! Director Liu bids one million! Is there any other guest placing a bid?"
"Director Liu bids one million! Is there any other guest placing a bid?"
Just as the host called three times and was about to drop the gavel.
Suddenly, General Manager Wang from the main table, his hair thinning, raised his hand.
"One point two million!"
"Supporting charity is my duty!"
As he spoke, he gave a slight nod towards the leader's direction, as if saying, 'Leader, I understand your hint.'
Another person at the main table, Manager Li, seeing this, immediately raised his paddle as well.
"One point five million! Director Liu is young, capable, and charitable. We old folks can't just stand by and watch!"
He thought to himself, this was definitely the leader finding the scene unimpressive, using this young girl to nudge them. Now was the perfect time to show loyalty.
Their actions were like lighting a fuse.
"One point eight million!"
"Two million!"
"Two point three million!"
The price soared as if on a rocket.
Guests at the other tables below were dumbfounded.
"What's going on? Why are the big shots at the main table suddenly acting like they've been injected with adrenaline?"
"Is that iron piece actually some treasure we failed to recognize?"
"Treasure, my foot! Can't you see? This is a political task! The leader is dissatisfied. Miss Liu deliberately bid one million to remind everyone not to be too stingy."
"So that's how it is. It has to be the leader. This move is masterful..."
Then, gritting their teeth, this group also joined in.
"I bid three million!"
"Three million six hundred thousand!"
"..."
One after another, they shouted out bids, as if scrambling for some incredible treasure.
Liu Yutong: "???"
Internally, it felt like ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through her mind.
"I just wanted to buy it myself to study it. What's with all of you joining in the frenzy?"
Watching the price soar past five million and head straight for ten million, she was utterly speechless.
This whole situation made her hesitate again about whether to continue bidding. If this thing turned out to have no value at all, she'd be taking a huge loss.
While she had money, she didn't want to spend too much at this critical juncture. The funds in her accounts were all earmarked for making a fortune overseas.
When someone from the floor shouted a price of 12 million, her reason finally prevailed, and she ultimately chose to give up.
You all have fun!
