Of course, Xu Hao was completely unaware of all this.

Originally, the Liu Family's seats were in the main hall on the first floor, but due to Liu Tianxiong's presence, Liu Ruyan and Zhao Feng among others had moved to the No. 7 private room on the second floor.

It was specially prepared for the Liu Tianxiong family!

The auction officially started with the sale of some ordinary antiques, priced in the tens to several hundred thousand range. Xu Hao glanced over these items from a distance, finding none of them possessed the Floating Light he was looking for; they were not what Xu Hao desired.

The auction continued for over half an hour, successively selling dozens of items. As the auction was drawing to a close, a two-foot-long ancient sword was presented on stage, "This Ancient Sword was donated by an anonymous donor, with a starting bid of 20,000 yuan. According to the appraisal master, the Ancient Sword is a counterfeit forged during the Republican Era, and its intrinsic value is not high—it's all about acting generously!"

A counterfeit?

The attendees in the auction hall became even less interested, but Xu Hao's eyes lit up when he saw the ancient sword!

That kind of Floating Light appeared once more on the ancient sword, "Head of Liu Family, help me bid on that auction item later. Remember, at all costs."

An inconspicuous ancient sword with a starting bid of only 20,000 yuan. Normally, this ancient sword would have reached a maximum of one hundred thousand under normal circumstances.

What Xu Hao and Liu Ruyan didn't know was that at the same time they noticed this ancient sword, in the adjacent No. 8 private room, Wang Zihao from the influential Wang Family had also noticed the ancient sword.

A gray-robed elderly man beside Wang Zihao, upon seeing the ancient sword being brought up, sharpened his gaze and said excitedly to Wang Zihao, "Young Master, this ancient sword is extraordinary, we must win it at the auction!"

The old man also had a faint yellow Floating Light pulsating on him, similar to that on a jade raw stone, yet slightly different.

"The auction starts now, with a starting bid of 20,000 yuan. Does anyone wish to bid?"

At first, a few other families casually called out some prices!

20,000!

21,000!

22,000!

...

Four or five bidders eventually raised the price to 25,000. Xu Hao felt it was about time and nodded to Liu Tianxiong beside him, "Start, Head of Liu Family, bid 100,000!"

This time Xu Hao did not bid himself nor did he let Liu Ruyan do so, but had Liu Tianxiong, who was sitting beside him, help with the bidding. By offering 100,000 directly, he naturally intended to leverage Liu Tianxiong's influence in Jing'an.

The Liu Corporation had a decent status in Jing'an City anyway, and considering everything that had happened in the hall today, perhaps everyone would hold the Liu Family in even higher regard.

However, for safety's sake, Xu Hao let Liu Tianxiong handle it directly. The deterrent power of the Liu Group in Jing'an was indeed very strong.

"I, Liu Tianxiong, bid 100,000!" Liu Tianxiong personally raised the placard, stating flatly.

His voice was not loud, but the authority it carried was undeniable, embodying the aura of someone accustomed to power.

With Liu Tianxiong personally speaking, the noisy auction hall immediately quieted down. Several bosses who were planning to make bids silently put their placards down. With Liu Tianxiong, one of the two dominant figures in Jing'an, wanting this ancient sword, there were probably few in Jing'an who dared to compete with him.

While everyone remained silent, their gazes involuntarily turned towards private room No. 8. Over there, Wang Zihao and several other young elites seemed to be drinking, not caring about the auction at all.

An item that started at 20,000 yuan and went up to 100,000 already appreciated fivefold. The auctioneer was somewhat excited but also helpless, as Liu Jianxiong had made a move, and this price was probably set.

But following protocol, the auctioneer still asked, "100,000 for the first time, does anyone offer more?"

"100,000 for the second time, is there a higher bid?"

The audience remained utterly silent. Just as the auctioneer was about to ask for the third time, a lazy voice finally came from Wang Zihao's private room, "We, the Wang Family, bid one million yuan. Who dares to compete with us?"

From 20,000 to one million, a 50-fold premium!

Buzz!

The venue immediately erupted in surprise! People couldn't help but look again at the ancient sword on stage, which looked downright plain and nondescript. Why did both dominant families value this sword so highly?

Wang Zihao even directly offered one million!

The auctioneer was thrilled, with the Wang Family making a move, a spectacle was guaranteed!

"One million for the first time, does anyone offer more?"

Before the auctioneer could finish speaking, Liu Tianxiong swiftly raised his placard, "The Liu Family offers two million!"

Xu Hao had instructed Liu Jianxiong to spare no expense, meaning even if this ancient sword's bid reached ten billion, Liu Jianxiong would still buy it.

"The Wang Family offers 2.5 million!"

"Liu Family, three million!"

"Four million!" Nееd сhаrасtеr shееts аnd glоssаriеs? Visit

"Six million!"

...

When Wang Zihao last offered eight million, Liu Tianxiong was visibly angered. Liu Tianxiong had made it absolutely clear that he was determined to obtain this ancient sword, yet Wang Zhihao relentlessly competed against him.

An item that started at 20,000 yuan had skyrocketed 400 times to now stand at eight million. Was this deliberately done to make Liu Tianxiong lose face?

Liu Tianxiong coldly swept his gaze towards private room No. 8, "Wang Zihao, are you intentionally provoking me? Even your father shows me respect when he sees me. I've set my sights on this ancient sword today. If you dare compete further, beware, I won't be polite."

In private room No. 8, Wang Zihao smiled, lifting his wine glass towards Liu Tianxiong, "Head of Liu Family, don't get so angry. Rage harms the body. Considering your age, who knows, you might pass away any day now, and such a large Liu Corporation will be left without a successor!"

Wang Zihao's words touched a sore spot for Liu Tianxiong. As one of Jing'an's two dominant figures, he had no son. The large corporation would eventually have to be handed over to someone else, which was a major source of frustration for Liu Tianxiong, "Wang Zihao, you little bastard, don't push me!"