CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 50: A WIFE’S UTTERLY GENUINE AND URGENT BIDDING INTENT

million!

times!

It’s already 10 times!

Everyone was stunned, the whole room fell silent for two seconds, then erupted in intense discussions.

"Still in!"

"823 is really going to blow up Julian Lawson’s lantern!"

"My God, this is too bold!"

"Am I going to witness this historic moment?"

"In all these years, no one dared to challenge Julian Lawson like this!"

The buzzing in the room almost lifted the ceiling.

Vera Hansen glanced at seat 823, nearly gritting her teeth to bits.

She didn’t know what that woman named Irene was trying to do.

A flash of calculation passed through her eyes.

Then, she turned her back, taking out her phone somewhere Julian couldn’t see, sending a message to someone unknown.

Meanwhile, Julian Lawson raised his hand once more.

"Bidder 888 continues to bid, offering 12 million!"

The auctioneer shouted loudly.

"12 million, already 12 times!"

"A full 12 times! My God, how high will the price go today? Will 823 continue?"

It’s just a piece of Tanzanite, yet it fetched 12 million!

The entire venue was in an uproar, lights constantly flashing, focusing on the two seats in the second tier.

While the crowd was buzzing with discussion, suddenly—

"This is malicious bidding! This auction is completely unfair!"

Someone shouted from the crowd.

The explanation of malicious bidding is—[During the auction, bidders or bidders and auctioneers deliberately collude to inflate the price of the auction item through irregular means, to gain improper benefits or harm others’ legal rights.]

Suddenly the whole room went quiet for a moment, then exploded again, everyone looking around, but the person had already fled.

No one knew who it was.

Some agreed—

"Yeah, until now 823 has only been bidding, not lighting the lantern, is it intentionally making Julian Lawson buy that Tanzanite at a high price?"

But most people were just watching the spectacle, indifferent—

"Julian Lawson isn’t a fool, right? Since he’s daring to light a sky lantern for that piece of Tanzanite, he must have anticipated such a scenario."

"Yeah, Julian Lawson lit the lantern himself, so he’s surely not afraid of others driving up the price, and this amount of money is nothing to Julian Lawson anyway."

As the discussions grew louder, the auctioneer tried to maintain order: "Everyone, calm down, esteemed guests, please be patient, our Ford Group’s auction house will not allow malicious bidding."

But no one paid him any attention, after all, those invited to this charity auction dinner were no ordinary people.

As the commotion continued to grow and some people took out their phones seemingly to send messages out, at this moment—

"Clang clang clang clang clang..."

A thunderous and urgent knocking sound came, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

The lights focused on a high platform on the second tier.

A wheelchair was slowly pushed out into view.

And then, everyone saw the figure of Old Master Percival Ford sitting in the wheelchair.

He took the microphone.

"Everyone, let me say a few words." The old but strong voice of Percival Ford came through.

For a moment, the previous commotion temporarily ceased.

"Bidder 888." Percival Ford addressed.

Julian Lawson looked up at Old Master Ford, nodding to acknowledge him.

"Bidder 823." Percival Ford spoke again.

Serena Sterling heard and slowly stood up.

Then, under everyone’s gaze, she slowly stepped out of the shadows, standing at the railing of the second tier just like Julian Lawson.

The light in the hall shone on her, highlighting the unmatched beauty of the woman in a silver luminescent satin gown.

She looked in Old Master Ford’s direction, bowing slightly in acknowledgment.

"For this piece of Tanzanite, are there any other bidders?" Percival Ford spoke once more.

No one responded, and no one stepped forward.

After about 30 seconds, Percival Ford nodded and continued: "Very well, now I ask you both, is it your voluntary bid?"

Both simultaneously raised their hands in a gesture of confirmation.

Thus, Percival Ford raised his hand, and the lighting changed dramatically.

With a drum roll of excitement, Old Master Ford spoke again: "Ladies and gentlemen, the situation of both parties I have understood, and I guarantee with my reputation and that of the Ford Group, there is no malicious bidding in today’s bid between these two."

The crowd looked at one another.

Isn’t this situation even more mysterious?

There was no malicious bidding, no marketing ploy; both genuinely wanted that piece of Tanzanite!

So, all biddings from 823 were from the heart, genuine bids of true intent!

What exactly is the situation!

Those on the scene certainly wouldn’t know, while Julian Lawson slightly furrowed his brow, looking towards the woman standing there calmly.

Serena Sterling didn’t look at Julian Lawson; she just slightly lowered her eyes.

Percival Ford knew her identity; she had previously asked Jasper Ford to cover up the real information of the seller of this Tanzanite, but none of this could escape Percival Ford.

After all, Jasper Ford was Percival Ford’s grandson.

It’s even possible that Percival Ford knew this Tanzanite was prepared as a birthstone for her child.

A wife, not wanting the mistress or the husband helping the mistress to buy the child’s birthstone, is a completely genuine and urgent bidding intention, without malicious bidding behavior.

No matter where you go to explain, no one would question her motive.

But, is it really so?

A hint of mockery flashed in Serena Sterling’s eyes.

Knowing the impossibility of success, would she still insist on bidding?

She, Serena, wasn’t that foolish.

Raising her eyes once again, Serena looked towards Julian Lawson standing over there, her red lips slightly raised.

And he was looking at her as well.

At this moment, there seemed to be an invisible magnetic field surrounding the two of them.

At this moment, they isolated the entire world, leaving only each other.

This was a psychological battle.

One with the advantage of wealth and power, the other unpredictable, impossible to gauge.

Julian Lawson furrowed his brow tightly.

Who exactly was this woman?

In all his years in business, he had never met someone so inscrutable.

"Very well." At this moment, Old Master Percival Ford’s voice rang out again from the high platform of the second tier, "The next round of this auction will be presided over by me personally, Percival Ford."

The venue, which had only slightly calmed down earlier, erupted once more.

"Old Master Ford presiding in person! My God, how many years has it been since Old Master Ford came out of retirement, and now he’s personally presiding over this auction for the two of them!"

"This is definitely a historic moment!"

"Is the scene of twenty years ago when Percival Ford ruled the auction world about to be reenacted?"

...

"Clang clang clang clang clang..."

Another round of intense knocking sound came, and the crowd slowly quieted down.

Everyone looked at these three spots.

The high platform of the second tier, the 888 seat, the 823 seat.

"Now, bidding continues, bidder 888 has offered 12 million yuan, is there a higher bid?" Percival Ford’s voice echoed throughout the venue.