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墨書 Inktalez
Lijie was to return to Silent Screen Island, as Leng Qianqiu had sent her instructions to go back and carry out a mission. Although the two were reluctant to part, how could children of the rivers and lakes indulge in such fleeting moments?
On the night before their separation, they naturally indulged in passionate embraces time and again, finally falling asleep in each other's arms at five in the morning. When Xin Yi woke up, Lijie had already left at some unknown time. Now, Xin Yi could sleep soundly every night; the fear of loneliness that once plagued her had vanished with Lijie's presence. Leaning lazily against the headboard, a sense of emptiness began to creep back in. The room was filled with traces left by Lijie, yet she was now thousands of miles away. The assassin profession did not adhere to a nine-to-five routine; sometimes it could take a year to achieve a single goal. So, with Lijie's departure, it was uncertain when they would reunite again. Xin Yi hoped this would be the last time; last night, Lijie had shed tears, saying that after this mission, she would ask Leng Qianqiu to retire and wholeheartedly become Xin Yi's wife. However, Xin Yi knew how difficult it was to leave an organization.
After pondering her thoughts for a while, Xin Yi got dressed because there was an important matter today. Shu Rui had already informed her about the auction for properties left over from Century Spring.
When she drove to the Junxing Group headquarters, Shu Rui was already waiting eagerly. Xin Yi executed a perfect drift with her top-notch SUV and parked steadily in front of Shu Rui's car. Shu Rui shot her a fierce glare and angrily said, "Why are you so late?"
Xin Yi scratched her head and replied sheepishly, "Heh heh, I overslept."
"Who knows what you were up to last night!" Shu Rui retorted but then felt embarrassed herself; after all, she wasn't anyone significant in Xin Yi's life and had no right to say such things. She quickly covered up her embarrassment by saying, "Hurry up and get in the car!" With that, she jumped into the passenger seat.
Xin Yi could only take the driver's seat, starting the engine. Shu Rui's vehicle was a red Lamborghini; its bright color made Xin Yi uncomfortable. It was unusual for a big man to drive such a flashy car without being called foolish. Shu Rui sat beside her, sulking in silence. To break the tension, Xin Yi deliberately asked, "So it's just the two of us going today?"
"Of course not! Do you think everyone is as late as you? The staff downstairs have already gone ahead. If it weren't for waiting on you, I wouldn't have bothered to wait this long!" Shu Rui was still fuming.
Fortunately, the Lamborghini's performance was top-notch; Xin Yi drove at high speed, even making Shu Rui—who loved fast driving—nervous enough for her palms to sweat. They finally arrived at the auction venue five minutes before it started and hurried inside.
This auction was essentially a bidding meeting due to its significance; relevant personnel from the city government were also present. All participating real estate companies needed qualification verification, so there weren't many eligible companies for this auction. Besides Junxing Group, there were two local companies and two from other cities.
Xin Yi and Shu Rui found their seats for their company just as they settled down when they heard a commotion behind them. Turning around, Xin Yi saw a rotund man with a round face and big ears from Golden Dragon Group loudly berating one of his subordinates without regard for others' feelings—he seemed to be leading that company.
As usual, the meeting began with some lengthy speeches devoid of practical content about promoting local economic prosperity and urban development. Then the auction officially commenced; the auctioneer first played an introductory video about one of the properties before announcing the base price and starting bids at increments of fifty million. Each company had already conducted detailed analyses and valuations of each property beforehand, so bidding remained reasonable; once it reached each company's estimated value, no one would bid further. The first two properties were won by two companies from both local and external markets.
Junxing Group's targets were properties 3 and 5 due to their significant appreciation potential; these were their main objectives for this auction. Finally, it was time for property 3; Junxing Group initially did not raise their paddle while a local company and Golden Dragon Group frequently raised their bids. The low price started at 1.6 billion and soon Kung Fu had pushed it up to 2.1 billion; Junxing Group estimated property 3 at 2.5 billion. Shu Rui waited for the final moment; she wanted to strike decisively.
When the bidding reached two billion three hundred million, the local company gave up, and the fat man from Golden Dragon Group laughed, looking quite smug and arrogant. Just as the auctioneer was about to drop the hammer, Shu Rui finally raised her paddle, her crisp but colorless voice ringing out: "Two billion five hundred million!"
"Good! Junxing Group bids two billion five hundred million! Is there any higher bid? Any higher..." The auctioneer continued to show off on stage as if he had just drunk some invigorating tonic.
The fat man shot a resentful glare at Shu Rui but ultimately did not raise his paddle again. The final price was two billion five hundred million, and Building No. 3 was won by Junxing Group.
For Building No. 4, neither Junxing Group nor the fat man’s Golden Dragon Group placed a bid, and it was taken by a company from another city.
Building No. 5 was also a target for Junxing Group. This time, the fat man's Golden Dragon Group faced off against another local company. It seemed that Golden Dragon Group was determined to win, and soon the price skyrocketed to three billion. Shu Rui still did not raise her paddle. Before long, the local company gave up again; in terms of strength, neither of the local companies could compete with Junxing Group, especially since Three Tiger Group had injected two billion into the mix. Three billion was already the limit for that company.
At this point, Shu Rui began to raise her paddle again, and she quoted thirty-two billion. The fat man from Golden Dragon Group became anxious; why did Junxing Group always have to compete with him? Whatever he bid on, they would bid on too. However, this was where the fat man went wrong; everyone had similar analyses of the market. If he thought a property was valuable, others would likely think the same. Although other properties had less potential for appreciation, they were cheaper, making them suitable for companies with less financial power. Since they were a strong company, they naturally aimed for properties with high transaction prices but greater appreciation potential.
The fat man gritted his teeth and raised his paddle again: "Thirty-two billion five hundred million!" But his voice trembled noticeably; that was an additional five hundred million, which was a significant amount for him.
"Thirty-four billion." Again came Shu Rui's colorless crisp voice.
The auctioneer became even more energized, almost frenzied: "Good! Junxing Group bids thirty-four billion! Thirty-four billion! Is there any higher bid? Any higher? Thirty-four billion for the first time! Thirty-four billion for the second time!..."
The fat man took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off his face and finally raised his paddle with trembling hands: "Thirty-four billion five hundred million!" His voice sounded like a roar; after shouting it out, he nervously glanced over at Shu Rui.
Not only Shu Rui but even Xin Yi could tell this was the fat man's last desperate attempt; if he went any higher, he would have to give up. Of course, Shu Rui would not let such an opportunity slip by; Building No. 5 was valued at thirty-seven billion, and she never expected she could secure it for thirty-five billion.
"Thirty-five billion," Shu Rui said.
The fat man was completely defeated; both prime properties were won by Junxing Group while the other three companies each secured one property. Only the fat man from Golden Dragon Group walked away empty-handed. Furious, he stormed off while casting a fierce glare at Shu Rui as he left; of course, only Xin Yi witnessed all of this.
The fat man walked out of the auction hall, spitting angrily and cursing, "Damn it! You think you can compete with me, Gao Jinlong? Let's see if you have the ability to build something!"
After completing the necessary procedures, a group of people exited the auction hall. Shu Rui was clearly in a good mood and mentioned that they should hold a celebration banquet to celebrate the successful auction. Everyone was happy, except for Xin Yi, who seemed less enthusiastic. From the fat man's furious gaze as he left the auction venue, Xin Yi sensed something unusual.
The celebration banquet took place at the Longchuan Golden Emperor Hotel. Of course, only a small number of relevant personnel attended since this was just the beginning and not a true celebration; it was merely to seek good fortune. As the representative and behind-the-scenes boss of the Three Tiger Group, Xin Yi could not refuse to attend, nor could Shu Rui let him go. This nominal celebration was actually prepared for him, but aside from Shu Rui and her good friend and assistant Wang Fang, no one else knew this.
Wang Fang understood Shu Rui very well. Ever since she attended Hong Tianhu's birthday banquet at the Three Tiger Hall, Wang Fang noticed something off about her. The usually wise and composed Miss Shu seemed to be suffering from a syndrome characterized by daydreaming, silly laughter, and sighing like a lovesick girl. It was hard to believe that she had once been known as the cold beauty in college, with suitors lining up around the campus. Yet Miss Shu had never shown interest in any of them, often responding with just three words: "Who are you?" Many innocent young men had suffered heartbreak because of her indifference.
There was actually no need for cooperation with the Three Tiger Group; Junxing Group's strength meant they didn't require additional funding. However, Shu Rui unhesitatingly agreed and specifically requested someone named Xin Yi for negotiations. This made Wang Fang realize that her friend had ulterior motives—she was looking for a husband! That was fine; Junxing Group didn't lack money but rather needed a suitable partner.
The banquet only had one table set up for those who participated in today's auction, including representatives from the Three Tiger Group stationed at Junxing Group. Wang Fang also attended as she was the assistant to the general manager of Junxing Group and held significant influence.
During the meal, Wang Fang continuously encouraged her subordinates to toast Xin Yi. Alcohol served as a social lubricant, and since Miss Shu was exceptionally beautiful, there was a chance that Xin Yi might get drunk enough to sweep her off her feet. With this thought in mind, Wang Fang smiled mischievously at Shu Rui. Of course, Shu Rui understood Wang Fang's intentions and shot her a fierce glare but didn’t express any further objections. It seemed that Wang Fang secretly hoped for some good fortune.
Soon enough, Xin Yi could no longer handle it; his speech became slurred and he stumbled while walking. When Wang Fang saw that it was about time to leave, she signaled everyone to depart. The group quickly got into their cars and drove off, leaving behind the drunken Xin Yi and Shu Rui.
Shu Rui had no choice but to support Xin Yi as they wobbled down the stairs together, preparing to take him home. Xin Yi appeared quite unwell; before getting into the car, he leaned against it and retched repeatedly but couldn’t bring anything up. After struggling for a while, he finally managed to clumsily get into the vehicle. As Shu Rui drove for a bit and was about to ask where Xin Yi lived, she turned to look at him only to find him sitting upright in his seat, alert and observing through the rearview mirror with calm and clear eyes—there was no trace of drunkenness left in him.
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