CHAPTER 279: CHAPTER 98: OFF THE BEATEN PATH

After such an opening extravaganza, no one paid any more attention to whether the "five hundred million" figure touted in advertisements was actually realized.

The final auction amount was locked in at around three hundred million, which is far higher than the highest total auction price in the country so far. Most commendably, the Subi Auction House, having never held any major auctions before, saw not a single item go unsold, with each piece achieving a sale price at least twenty percent above the reserve.

Perhaps it was the novelty of this extraordinary auction, or perhaps it was the influence of the patriotic blood that lies dormant in the bones of the people of Z country, accustomed to the glitter of money, these guests who were used to cautious advances and retreats in the rough and tumble of commerce lost their sharpness, contributing to the great success of the auction.

At the end of the auction, city leaders lavishly praised Su Qingzhang, asserting that the achievement of the auction equated to the Su Family erecting another landmark building in Mo City.

The media swarmed around Miss Su Ziceng and other organizing personnel, prompting questions of whether such a rare cushion meant that Subi Auction House, coated in the sugar of business, was in fact consuming the royal grain.

"No comment, thank you," Miss Su Ziceng squeezed herself out from under the bright lights of the cameras, countless experiences had taught her that when facing the media, silence is the best response, leaving more space for the imagination of the public would make tomorrow’s headlines all the more exciting.

Moreover, by now, she still didn’t understand how such an ordinary cushion had become a rare treasure in the eyes of others. The only person who could answer her questions was Pello, but having previously handed over the auction item to Shang Yin, he had disappeared.

The departing guests still savored the joy of successfully acquiring their collectibles, while the ladies and misses admired the fans in their hands, and thanks to the generosity of the host, they were also gifted with a special wine sponsored by "Fig Wine Shop" after the auction.

Outside the auction house, the crowd was gradually dispersing, and a twelve-seater van turned into the back alley of Subi Auction House, driven by an unremarkable male driver.

Pello stood at the end of the alley, watching Shang Yin instruct his men to move the Dragon Chair into the van.

"Did you arrange this?" Although Shang Yin and Pello had collaborated for many years, they always worked independently; like this time, when Shang Yin secretly took the Dragon Chair without notifying Pello in advance.

"Just a woman’s debt," Shang Yin said, aside from handing over the Dragon Chair to Chang Chi, he also needed to recover some of the two million in real gold and silver he had spent.

"After years of being a businessman, you’ve gotten quite practiced," Pello’s discontent was clear in his tone, prompting Shang Yin to grin cheekily, "Without my secret push, how could you have had the chance to win the lady’s heart?"

Miss Su Ziceng must be very grateful to Pello for his timely intervention.

"I don’t need to resort to such methods," Pello still remembered how Miss Su Ziceng turned pale and forced a stiff and helpless smile when she first saw that the Dragon Chair was missing, making his displeasure more evident.

"Fine, fine, fine, let’s just say that I did a bad deed with a good intention. What are you going to do with this cushion that’s been praised sky-high?" Shang Yin couldn’t figure out Pello’s thoughts; Miss Su Ziceng was clearly one of his enemies, yet sometimes he seemed especially concerned about her. Who says only the heart of a woman is inscrutable? Pello, a man with equally meticulous thoughts and mind, is even more puzzling.

"Send it back to the Central Military District," Pello let Shang Yin buy the cushion because he simply wanted to return it to its rightful place, "Dealing with matters in Z country is much easier with government support."

Pello walked to the entrance of the alley. The night hid his face in darkness while Su Qingzhang and the other wealthy businessmen of the city exited one by one, and a procession of luxury cars merged into the night, leaving a trail of red tail lights.

"Ephemeral Flower Saint Hand? Miss Su Ziceng is actually called the Ephemeral Flower Saint Hand," Chang Chi did not follow Su Qingzhang and the others. She was determined to confront Hang Yishao, but after receiving a call from the gossip media she had specifically invited to "support" the event, she could no longer hold back.

"The mainstream media all report this way, saying that the auction was like a suddenly appearing wondrous flower, and Miss Su Ziceng, who organized this auction project, is a rare mastermind of grand events." Although the gossip media are not mainstream, they have their basic professional integrity; they could not deliberately "smash" a publicly praised auction, so they refused the page that Chang Chi paid for.