The auction hammer fell with a resonant thud.
That mysterious Thorn Wolf Head Key Seal was hammered down for a staggering twelve million, finding its new owner in Manager Li, a respected senior business figure seated at the main table.
A wave of polite applause rippled through the room. Many secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while their eyes couldn't help but dart furtively towards Liu Yutong and the Leader.
Truth be told, some of the earlier bids hadn't been entirely sincere; many had merely been symbolic gestures, performed for the Leader's benefit.
After all, they weren't fools. Spending over ten million on what looked like a piece of scrap metal was a bit much, even for charity.
Times were different now; the economic climate this year was tough, and every penny saved counted. So, many attendees had come with a mindset of just going through the motions.
As the item was delivered to Manager Li, Liu Yutong couldn't resist stealing another glance at the emblem.
Just then, the Leader's voice came from beside her, low enough that only the two of them could hear.
"Chairwoman Liu seems quite taken with that little trinket?"
Liu Yutong turned her head, meeting the Leader's eyes, which appeared gentle yet held a profound depth. She offered a slight smile and said,
"I just find its design rather unique, unlike anything I usually see. I thought about acquiring it to study it further. I didn't expect our esteemed seniors to be so enthusiastic about philanthropy. It's truly been an eye-opener."
The Leader merely nodded in response, his expression softening somewhat.
Regardless, Liu Yutong's bid had single-handedly caused tonight's charitable sum to skyrocket, which was undoubtedly a good thing.
At the very least, it reflected well on him.
It also highlighted Liu Yutong's cleverness.
She had clearly sensed the room's lackluster, perfunctory atmosphere and decisively intervened, using an unexpected method to ignite the competitive bidding spirit.
This keen observation further elevated his opinion of her.
If only she could be of use to him...
Unaware of the Leader's thoughts, Liu Yutong would have been exasperated if she knew.
Her interest was purely in the object itself; she had no intention of driving up the price.
The auction continued.
Perhaps spurred by the example set by the sky-high emblem, the subsequent few lots sold for prices slightly above their estimates, and the host's smile grew increasingly radiant.
After all, the higher the final auction total, the happier the Leader would be. A happy Leader meant a job well done.
Liu Yutong sat quietly, no longer paying attention to the now-relinquished emblem, and refrained from raising her paddle lightly.
That was until the hostess presented a small, antique white jade Lingzhi fungus ornament.
The jade piece was warm and smooth to the eye, exquisitely carved with auspicious symbolism, but its modest size meant it wasn't among the most valuable items of the evening.
The opening bid was two hundred thousand, and the price quickly climbed to four hundred and fifty thousand.
Liu Yutong thought the jade's form was rather pleasing; it would make a suitable small accent for an office or study.
Of course, the main point was its reasonable price—it wouldn't seem like a perfunctory gesture, yet it would allow her to fulfill her obligation for the evening.
So, as the host asked for a second time, she raised her paddle once more.
"Five hundred thousand!"
She had thought her victory was assured this time, however...
"One million!"
The entire hall was stunned. All eyes swiveled towards the source of the voice.
There, leaning casually against the doorframe at the entrance, one hand in his pocket, stood a somewhat flamboyantly dressed young man in a suit. A self-satisfied smirk played on his lips as his gaze fixed directly on Liu Yutong at the main table.
Two other young men with similarly unruly airs stood beside him.
It was none other than the young masters Zhou Muchen, Gu Yebai, and Lu Hong.
Liu Yutong: "..."
Few in the banquet hall recognized them.
Primarily because most people had little contact with the trio; after all, Zhou Muchen and his friends had never visited Pearl City before.
Moreover, information about the Leader's family members was kept confidential online and not publicly disclosed.
As long as they didn't reveal their identities themselves, it was genuinely difficult for others to know who they were.
Of course, the Leader seated beside Liu Yutong was the exception.
Having reached his level, he frequently interacted with provincial authorities and thus immediately recognized Zhou Muchen and Lu Hong.
As for Gu Yebai, having had no prior contact, he didn't recognize him.
But anyone who could run in the same circles as a young master like Zhou Muchen surely came from a significant background.
Upon spotting the trio, the Leader began to rise to greet them—these were the sons of superiors, after all, and courtesy was necessary.
However, just as he started to stand, Liu Yutong, still at the main table, silently mouthed a word towards the entrance.
No sound emerged, but the lip movement was unmistakable.
A single, clear word: "Scram!"
Seeing this, Zhou Muchen tilted his head slightly and nudged Gu Yebai with his elbow. "Hey, Old Bai, did Sister Yutong just say 'come over' to us?"
Gu Yebai hesitated. "It didn't seem like 'come over'? Her lips weren't that rounded. Looked more like... 'rod'? Praising us for being as handsome as rods?"
Lu Hong, however, thought they were both mistaken and whispered, "I think the mouth shape looked more like 'scram'."
"Scram?"
Zhou Muchen and Gu Yebai were taken aback simultaneously, their eyes darting back to Liu Yutong for confirmation.
There she sat, posture still impeccably elegant, the curve of her smile unchanged, but her beautiful eyes seemed to convey a clear message: "If you don't scram now, you're dead!"
The three young men jolted, the realization finally dawning.
"Holy crap!"
"It really is 'scram'!"
"Beat it, quick!"
Any pretentious notions they had flew out the window.
Their original plan had been to win the item and gift it to Liu Yutong.
Seeing her raise her paddle, they assumed she liked it and wanted to appear generous by securing it for her.
They hadn't anticipated angering her.
The main issue was that Liu Yutong hadn't yet completed her task for the evening, so she saw their antics as deliberate sabotage.
In the blink of an eye, the trio vanished, so quickly that the audience was left bewildered.
The Leader, his backside half-raised from his seat, froze mid-motion, utterly confused about what these young masters were playing at.
In the end, the lot was won by Liu Yutong for 1.1 million.
With that, the charity gala drew to a close.
The total funds raised surpassed thirty million, far exceeding expectations and setting a new record for the event's history.
The host announced the figure excitedly, met with another round of enthusiastic and prolonged applause.
A smile graced the Leader's face as he nodded frequently in acknowledgment to various guests, evidently quite pleased with the night's outcome.
As the host declared the gala officially concluded, guests began to rise and depart.
Just as Liu Yutong prepared to bid the Leader farewell, he extended an invitation.
"Chairwoman Liu, if you're not in a hurry to leave, perhaps you'd join me in the lounge for a moment. The city is currently discussing plans for a development zone in the southern district. As a prominent local emerging enterprise, Wanlong Group might have some unique insights on the matter."
Hearing this, Liu Yutong felt a flicker of surprise.
Nevertheless, she still put on an air of being pleasantly surprised and accepted the offer.
