Mavi helplessly pursed his lips. He certainly understood the mentality of his fellow countrymen. But why did they have to harbor such hostility toward him? Weren't they all compatriots at heart? Didn't they realize how hurtful this was?
At that moment, a verse suddenly came to his mind:
"Born of the same root, why torment each other so cruelly?"
"Thank you for the reminder. No matter how intense the auction gets, I will accept the results with composure," Mavi said, unsure of how to describe his emotions—complicated, to say the least.
Five minutes later, all the real estate developers participating in the auction, each carrying a numbered paddle, entered the banquet hall. At this moment, Ma Anxiang, Director Ma, who was responsible for delivering the opening speech, stepped onto the stage. He was dressed in a well-tailored, loose-fitting suit, exuding an air of authority.
"Director Ma, good evening."
"Director Ma, it's great to see you."
The smaller real estate developers seated in the back rows greeted him enthusiastically. Director Ma acknowledged them with a slight nod, showing no particular reaction.
However, when he reached the front row—more precisely, when he reached the first row—his demeanor changed unexpectedly. He glanced at Mavi, and in his expression and gaze, there was noticeably less indifference and a hint of something more intriguing.
After briefly looking at Mavi, Director Ma stepped up to the podium and began his opening remarks for the auction.
"Ahem, thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the auction of Plot A316, hosted by the Pudong New Area Land Resources Bureau..."
His speech dragged on for over twenty minutes, nearly putting many attendees to sleep.
"Alright, I now officially announce that the auction for Plot A316 has begun!" With Director Ma's concluding statement, the audience erupted into applause.
Then, the auctioneer, a woman in a professional suit, stepped forward to introduce the item up for bid.
"Thank you, Director Ma, for the wonderful speech. I am Huang Jie, the auctioneer for Plot A316. This plot covers an area of 60,180 square meters and is a prime piece of land in the Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone, boasting an excellent location adjacent to the Huangpu River..."
"The starting bid for Plot A316 is 20 million RMB, with a minimum increment of 2 million RMB per bid. The auction now begins!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her wooden gavel and struck it against the table, signaling that bidding was open.
"30 million!"
The moment the gavel fell, Chen Yuliang, President of Jindi Group, eagerly raised his paddle numbered 3, increasing the price immediately.
"50 million!"
Wang Zhengde, President of Ludi Group, was unwilling to be outdone, raising the bid by another 20 million in one go. The aggressive increase frightened the smaller developers in the back rows, leaving them too intimidated to participate. The auction no longer felt like an open competition—it was a battlefield for titans.
"60 million!"
Li Xingbang, President of Poly Real Estate, also joined in, raising the bid by 10 million. He was still far from his expected limit, so he figured he might as well participate for now.
While the other developers were busy bidding, Mavi, seated in the center of the hall, remained unfazed, making no move to place a bid. Observing from the sidelines, Director Ma was sweating nervously.
"What's going on? Why isn't the Russian investor even participating? Is he put off by how fast the price is rising?"
What Director Ma didn't know was that Mavi simply couldn't be bothered to bid repeatedly. It didn't matter how fierce the competition was in the earlier stages—what really mattered was the final bid. There was no need to rush.
Fifteen minutes later, Li Xingbang raised his paddle again.
"150 million!"
"157 million!"
Chen Yuliang continued bidding, showing no signs of backing down.
"162 million!"
Wang Zhengde pushed the price even higher and deliberately glanced at Mavi beside him.
The look in his eyes clearly conveyed his thoughts: The auction has reached its most intense stage. Why hasn't Mavi placed a single bid? Is he waiting for the perfect moment to strike, or has the price already exceeded his expectations?
"162 million! The bid now stands at 162 million. Is there anyone willing to go higher?" The auctioneer held up the gavel and called out loudly.
As the bidding amount increased, the increments had shrunk from 20 million to around 5 million per bid, signaling that the developers were reaching their psychological limits. Most estimated that 185 million would be the ceiling. From here on, it would come down to sheer determination.
Just as Wang Zhengde was still speculating about Mavi's strategy, the latter finally raised his paddle—Number 1.
In a calm, unhurried voice, Mavi spoke:
"200 million."
The entire room fell into stunned silence. It was as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on a sweltering summer day—utterly shocking.
"What? 200 million!? Did I hear that right? That Russian investor just jumped straight to 200 million!?"
"The last bid was only 162 million, right? And he just raised it by 38 million in one go? Is he even giving others a chance!?"
The smaller developers in the back rows shuddered in disbelief. They had seen wealthy businessmen spend money before, but never like this! At the peak of an intense bidding war, Mavi had casually obliterated the competition with a single bid. It was terrifying…
Wang Zhengde, who had been eyeing Mavi earlier, felt his heart tremble. His psychological limit for this plot was around 185 million. But now, Mavi had effortlessly outbid him by an additional 15 million! This level of decisiveness meant he was doomed.
Li Xingbang, President of Poly Real Estate, had already given up. He silently placed his paddle down, deciding not to compete any further. Against someone as ruthless as Mavi, there was no point in fighting. At least not for this plot—Poly Real Estate simply couldn't afford to go against him.
"200 million! The bid now stands at 200 million! Is there anyone willing to bid higher?"
"200 million, going once!"
"200 million, going twice!"
"200 million, going three times!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Sold!"
With the auctioneer's final strike of the gavel, Mavi successfully secured the 60,000-square-meter Plot A316 in the Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone for 200 million RMB, setting a new record for the highest land transaction price in Shanghai's history (for residential land).
200 million RMB, equivalent to about 25 million USD—an amount Mavi could easily afford. He could make it back in the stock market within two weeks. As for the extra 15 million RMB he bid over Ludi Group's limit? That was merely 1.87 million USD—about the cost of sinking two yachts or three armed helicopters.
"Hahaha! Mr. Mavi, congratulations! That was an absolutely thrilling auction!"
Just moments ago, Director Ma had been anxious, but now he was visibly relieved. With a bright smile, he stepped forward to shake Mavi's hand and offer his congratulations.
(End of Chapter)