Tomb raiding: A mere 20 is nothing!

Before long, the waiter brought a plate of bright red spicy crab to the table, and at the same time hung a bell on Xie Yuchen's table.

Bidders on the first floor must raise their paddles to bid, while VIPs on the second floor only need to ring a bell.

Shen Mingchao understood this rule, so he joked with Xie Yuchen, "If I want something, I'll ring this bell, and it'll be on your tab."

Xie Yuchen smiled faintly, her captivating charm radiating from her lips, and said in a gentle tone, "With utmost pleasure."

Is this the composure of the wealthy?

Shen Mingchao didn't respond. She came to the New Moon Hotel simply to join in the fun and didn't intend to buy any items. As for the spicy crab, it was purely out of curiosity and to try something new.

Unable to get a word in edgewise, Li Cu and the others sat silently in the back row, putting on gloves and picking out the crab meat.

Initially, Li Chu took the initiative to do the job because he was afraid that Shen Mingchao would get his hands dirty. Su Wan and Yang Hao, who had nothing else to do, also joined the team.

"ladies and gentlemen……"

As a gentle female voice rang out, the long-silent auction officially began.

The once noisy hall suddenly fell silent as a female auctioneer in a cheongsam gracefully stepped onto the stage, exuding elegance and extraordinary poise.

Auctions usually have previews, allowing buyers to observe the items up close, learn more about them, and then make their decisions.

Shen Mingchao didn't participate, so for her, this auction was more like opening a blind box.

The female auctioneer spoke in a pleasant tone, introducing the items in a gentle and detailed manner. Shen Mingchao looked at them attentively for a while and found that the items auctioned at the Crescent Hotel were quite diverse, ranging from ancient calligraphy and paintings to Ming and Qing porcelain, as well as various rare jewels.

"Ming Dynasty, here you go."

Just as they were engrossed in watching, a plate of meticulously cleaned crab roe and meat was served. Shen Mingchao didn't stand on ceremony with Li Chu and the others, simply smiling and saying that there was no need to prepare any more for her, as she had enough, and that they should eat their own food.

She could faintly hear the three of them whispering.

Yang Hao picked up a crab leg and muttered under his breath, "Tens of thousands of yuan in one bite, what's the difference between this and eating gold?"

Su Wan: "There's no difference, but I'm a little hesitant to eat it."

Li Cu glared at the two of them: "It's not like you're the ones paying for it, so what's there to be afraid of eating? It's already served, so hurry up and eat! Don't be timid and embarrass my sister."

Su Wan pointed at Li Cu's hand and teased, "But you're under pressure, your chopsticks are shaking!"

"..." Li Chu fell silent. How could he not tremble when someone ate several months' rent in one go?

Shen Mingchao silently ate the crab meat, thinking that watching the three of them bicker was truly a joy.

"jingle!"

Suddenly, a sharp bell sound came from the side.

Shen Mingchao was startled and turned his head to look, just in time to meet Xie Yuchen's gaze, the bell beside Xie Yuchen still swaying.

The female auctioneer's voice immediately came from downstairs.

"Room number 1 on the second floor, bid 45, anyone else going higher? Sir? 50? Okay."

"jingle!"

Another bell rang.

"The second floor is 55, and over there? 60."

"jingle!"

Shen Mingchao was curious about what had prompted Xie Yuchen to bid on it. She looked down in the direction of the sound and saw a peacock brooch quietly displayed on the stand.

The brooch is made of platinum, with sapphires adorning the peacock's head, emeralds set in its neck, and teardrop-shaped sapphires scattered on its tail feathers. Yellow and green gemstones surround the peacock, making it so luxurious that it is impossible to look away.

In a short time, the bidding had reached 80.

"Room 1 on the second floor, 80 per session! Anyone else willing to go up? And this gentleman on the first floor, how about 85?"

After the female auctioneer finished speaking, there was a brief pause in the room. Clearly, this price had exceeded the expectations of the male bidder on the first floor, but after a moment's hesitation, he nodded.

Shen Mingchao understood that the bidding for this auction, starting from 50, was essentially a competition between the man on the first floor and Xie Yuchen.

The man beside her, the God of Wealth from the Daomu Biji novel, had clearly lost patience, giving the waiting Xie family members a dismissive glance. The latter understood immediately, walked straight to the railing, and shouted downstairs, "My boss is offering 100 million!"

This was far beyond the value of the brooch itself. The male bidder on the first floor turned ashen-faced and reluctantly gave up the bidding.

After three inquiries about the price, no one responded. The auctioneer then brought down the gavel, sealing the deal.

"Congratulations to the gentleman on the second floor for acquiring this peacock brooch for 100 million."

Xie Yuchen has a close relationship with the New Moon Hotel, so it's impossible for him to have any credit transactions. After the hammer falls, the auctioned items will be delivered directly to his room by a dedicated person.

The room number was assigned by the Xie family, and everyone present was a well-known figure in the circle, whose inside information was widely known. Therefore, as soon as the auction ended, whispers began to circulate, speculating that the rumors about the Xie family head keeping a mistress were not unfounded.

The waiter carried the auction item into the private room. Xie Yuchen took the peacock brooch, stood up, and slowly walked to Shen Mingchao.

He leaned forward slightly, lightly pinned the brooch to Shen Mingchao's suit, and then sat back down in his seat.

"nice."

Xie Yuchen's eyes were gentle; it was unclear whether he was referring to the person or the brooch.

These words sounded vaguely familiar; I had just said them to Xie Yuchen not long ago, and now it was back to haunt me.

Shen Mingchao smiled wryly, somewhat helplessly: "Isn't spending a million on a brooch a bit too extravagant?"

Xie Yuchen shook his head, a faint smile playing in his eyes: "One million for a smile from you, it's worth it."

Oh, so that's back to me.

Shen Mingchao fiddled with the brooch and joked, "Trading a hundred dollars for a million? Little Flower Brother, aren't you afraid of losing your shirt?"

"If I say it's worth it, then it's worth it."

I say it's worth it, and it is!

Li Cu couldn't stand Xie Yuchen's fawning over him, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only mouth a sarcastic remark.

After this little incident, the auction proceeded as usual. The items were all pretty much the same, and Shen Mingchao lost interest.

Until the female auctioneer's clear voice rang out, announcing that the last item was about to be auctioned.

When the black cloth was lifted, everyone was confused.

It's not that the items were particularly impressive, but rather that the last item hadn't appeared in the preview.

All eyes were drawn to a complete set of exquisite purple jade jewelry.

A pair of jade bracelets, a pair of earrings, but the most eye-catching item is the necklace. The main stone is a large oval-shaped purple jadeite, surrounded by a circle of diamonds. When the light shines on it, it sparkles and shines, almost blinding people.

The female auctioneer explained in detail that a collector had suddenly decided to bid, but those in the know understood who this was aimed at.

The scene of Xie Yuchen spending millions of dollars was still vivid in everyone's mind. Although the crowd could not see the face of the woman beside him, they could clearly see the color of her clothes.

The intention was so obvious that anyone could guess it.

If we don't buy this brooch, we'll lose face. If we do buy it, the Crescent Moon Hotel will definitely make a profit.

Shen Mingchao sneered inwardly, raising an eyebrow mockingly: "Little Flower Brother, is this targeting you? Trying to rip you off?"

Xie Yuchen smiled faintly and raised his hand, intending to have the Xie family ring the bell to place their bids.

At the same time, a loud female voice suddenly came from outside the private room, coming from across the room, and the whole place instantly erupted in excitement.

"Room 6, second floor, light the sky lantern—"