She was only browsing casually, but to her surprise, several auction items actually caught Yun Zijin's eye.
Yun Zijin secretly made a mental note of the items, then placed the list back on the table.
As soon as it struck eight, the emcee announced the official start of the auction, then walked off the stage to be replaced by the auctioneer.
The first item of the night was a White Jade Jewelry Set, including a pair of earrings, a pair of bracelets, a Peace Pendant, and a bamboo-shaped Jade Hairpin.
However, the set had been provided by a certain lady and was pre-owned, so Yun Zijin didn't plan on bidding for it.
"Qingqing! Do you like this jewelry set? Should I bid on it for you?"
Sheng Yang, who had at some point switched seats with the person on Yun Zijin's other side, saw that she hadn't made a move and wanted to bid on the jewelry to give to her.
"I appreciate the sentiment, but if I want something, I'll bid on it myself."
They had met twice at most. Yun Zijin didn't believe they were on gift-giving terms.
Rejected, Sheng Yang sighed inwardly with regret. He would just have to find another chance to show off.
In the end, the very lady who had provided the White Jade Jewelry Set bought it back for 1.2 million yuan.
Yun Zijin didn't get it, but she was profoundly shocked.
Then again, this was a charity auction, so there was nothing wrong with what the woman did.
It was her own item, after all, and there were no rules against buying it back. The money was all going to charity anyway, not a cent less.
Soon, the staff brought the second auction item onto the stage.
It was a piece of fully-cut yet unpolished jade. The stone was about the size of a grown man's two hands put together, and its entire body shimmered with different shades of red. From a distance, it looked just like a phoenix rising from the fire.
Yun Zijin was captivated by the jade stone at first glance.
Yun Zijin had already marked it down as a target when she saw it in the auction list.
But there's always a difference between a picture and the real thing. The actual stone was far more breathtaking.
"The 'Phoenix Rising from the Fire' Red Jade Raw Stone. The starting bid is 500,000, with minimum increments of 50,000. The bidding starts now!"
"600,000!"
The auctioneer's words had barely faded when people began scrambling to call out their bids.
Watching the price skyrocket, Yun Zijin lamented inwardly, 'These people really don't treat money like it's real.'
Yun Zijin waited until the number of bidders started to dwindle before she participated.
"3 million."
The last bid was 2.8 million. Yun Zijin immediately raised it by 200,000, causing another bidder to back out.
"Qingqing, that bidding style of yours is..."
But Yun Zijin had no time to pay Sheng Yang any mind. The bid from across the room had reached 3.05 million. Yun Zijin pursed her lips. "4 million."
This time, even Lu Yunque, who had been sitting silently beside her, raised an eyebrow.
'That's a completely unconventional bidding style.'
"4.5 million!"
"8 million!"
The 8 million bid immediately knocked out two more people. Including Yun Zijin, only three bidders were left.
"10 million!"
"12 million!"
Yun Zijin bid without the slightest hesitation, giving off the impression that she would match any price her opponents dared to name.
"Qingqing, you really are the best bidder at this auction. You call those numbers without a hint of hesitation."
After the 12 million bid, the opposition hesitated for a long time before finally declining to raise the price again.
While a piece like the Phoenix Rising from the Fire was rare, the best way to handle it would be to have a master craftsman polish it into a decorative sculpture that follows its natural form. But a piece like that would be hard to sell, and the price wouldn't go much higher.
At 12 million, there was absolutely no profit margin left.
But cutting it up for jewelry would be a terrible waste. Weighing the pros and cons, they ultimately chose to give up.
Having successfully won the Phoenix Rising from the Fire Red Jade, Yun Zijin's mood visibly brightened.
Over the next while, Yun Zijin also won bids for a Violet Jade Bracelet and a Yuan Blue and White Flower Vase.
Meanwhile, Sheng Yang, sitting next to Yun Zijin, was completely dumbfounded by her extravagant bidding style.
"Qingqing..."
"Wait a second. My name is Yun Zijin. You should probably stop calling me Qingqing."
Yun Zijin never expected this. She just hadn't wanted to give her real name to a stranger, but in the end, she had only shot herself in the foot.
Every time she heard Sheng Yang call her Qingqing, Yun Zijin felt a special kind of awkwardness.
Sheng Yang: ...
'So I'm the only one who's been sincere and serious about making a friend this whole time?'
"Zijin, this auction isn't even halfway over, and you've already spent close to 100 million. Are you sure your family won't have a problem with that?"
Sheng Yang himself certainly didn't have that much capital to throw around.
"This is all my own money. No one can say a thing even if I spend it all."
Yun Zijin didn't mention that she was an orphan.
"So, Zijin, are you also after that West Suburb Land? A lot of people came here just for that plot."
Yun Zijin really hadn't noticed that. When she was flipping through the auction list earlier, she didn't seem to recall seeing any land being auctioned.
"What land? I didn't see any land up for auction on the list just now."
Yun Zijin was being serious, but she had no idea that the expressions of those who overheard her became hard to read.
"A plot of land in the West Suburb. It's right next to the resort the Lu Family is planning to develop. Brother Yun Que and his people are aiming for that land today."
"Hearing you say that, it sounds like buying that land would be a sure-fire investment?"
Yun Zijin hadn't been interested initially, but now that Sheng Yang put it that way, her interest was suddenly piqued.
Lu Yunque, who had overheard their entire conversation from the side: ...
'If you're going to try and snatch the land from me, could you please not do it right in my face?'
"It's more than a sure-fire investment—you'd make an absolute killing! If I weren't broke, I'd be all over that."
Sheng Yang was still a university student, so all he got was a monthly allowance that never exceeded twenty million.
Trying to bid on a plot of land with twenty million was pure fantasy.
"You may not have money, but I do!"
At that moment, Yun Zijin's interest in the plot of land reached its zenith.
"Does Miss Yun intend to compete with us for that plot of land?"
Lu Yunque spoke up so suddenly that it startled Yun Zijin, who instinctively recoiled.
But she recovered quickly. "It's an auction, after all. The highest bidder wins."
Yun Zijin's words made Lu Yunque pause for a second, then he chuckled. "Miss Yun is right. The highest bidder wins."
After that, neither of them spoke again.
Yun Zijin then spent a colossal 3.8 billion to acquire a 2,143.56-carat pink diamond, purely because it spoke to her rarely seen girlish side.
This forced Lu Yunque and Sheng Yang to completely re-evaluate their perception of Yun Zijin's financial power.
They had originally assumed Yun Zijin was just talking when she said she wanted to bid on the land, but now, they had no choice but to take her seriously.
If Yun Zijin could still produce another 3.8 billion or more in liquid assets, then she might actually be able to acquire the land.
As time passed, the auction finally neared its conclusion. The much-anticipated West Suburb Land was at last brought out as the final, grand finale item.
"And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for! Tonight's final auction item: the West Suburb Land.
This plot has a total area of 400,000 square..."
"The final item up for auction, the West Suburb Land. Starting bid: 50 million! Minimum increment is 100,000. Let the bidding begin!"
"80 million!"
"90 million!"
"100 million!"
...