Chapter 324: The Grand Finale Treasure
Starting bid: 30 million!
Su Tao gasped.
For her, that was practically an astronomical price. Even a valuable piece of vacant land in Taoyang had a starting bid of only 50 million. And that wasn’t even guaranteed to sell.
Su Tao sighed softly.
If her guess was correct, this “Power Borrowing Bracelet” was Granny Yu’s creation.
Borrowing power—using the abilities of others.
Although it could only utilize the crystal cores of the five elemental ability users, for an ordinary person, it would mean a qualitative leap in strength.
In the post-apocalyptic world, there was no shortage of wealthy and powerful people—many of whom had no abilities.
For instance, the eldest son of the Xiao family next door was one of them.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Xiao Wenting from the neighboring box pressed the bidding button without hesitation.
Seeing the new number displayed on the bidding screen, the auctioneer raised his voice:
“40 million federal credits, once!”
The audience erupted into an uproar.
Which tycoon just raised the bid by 10 million right off the bat? How were the others supposed to compete with that?!
Still, several other wealthy bidders joined the fray.
“42 million, once!”
“48 million, once!”
The price soared to 68 million. Bai Jiayan’s heart pounded as she turned to look at Young Master Xiao. His usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a serious expression as he stared at the auction hammer, continuously raising his bid.
When the price hit 70 million, he directly offered 82 million, silencing the entire room.
The auctioneer’s voice grew hoarse:
“82 million federal credits, once!”
“82 million federal credits, twice!”
“Any more bids?!”
“Sold!”
“Wow—”
Xiao Wenting relaxed, leaning back on the sofa with a satisfied smile.
Being able to buy abilities with money, even if only temporarily, was absolutely worth it for him.
Bai Jiayan was both shocked and thrilled, gaining a new appreciation for the Xiao family’s wealth.
She had thought that spending 20,000 credits on a basket of strawberries for her was extravagant. But compared to the 80 million he had just dropped on the bracelet, that was mere pocket change.
If she could marry into the Xiao family, forget 30,000-credit strawberries—she might even get an 80-million-credit bracelet…
With a sweet smile, she cozied up to him:
“Wenting, as soon as I saw that bracelet, I knew it was meant for you. With you bidding, who else would dare to compete? Now that you’ve won your dream item, if I see something I like later, you won’t hold back on me, right?”
Xiao Wenting clicked his tongue. “The auction’s almost over. I doubt there’s anything better coming up. I’ll just give you 10 million—go shopping in Xindu tomorrow and buy whatever you want.”
Why 10 million?
Because after spending 82 million on the bracelet, he only had about 10 million left of his liquid assets.
Even a wealthy heir like him had financial limits.
In the Xiao family, his father controlled the purse strings, only giving the children a hefty allowance each month.
Whenever Xiao Wenting thought about it, he wanted nothing more than to kick his father aside and take control himself.
Bai Jiayan didn’t know about his internal struggles. Hearing she could get 10 million for free, she immediately agreed and started calling him “hubby” sweetly.
The auction continued.
Xiao Wenting had lost interest—mainly because he was out of money. It looked like he’d have to wait until next month to get his father’s wedding gift.
At that moment, the stage lights flashed brightly, pulsing with rhythm. The auctioneer, full of enthusiasm, announced:
“The next auction item is our grand finale treasure—the last item of the evening! Please direct your attention to the screen—300 square meters of vacant land in Taoyang!”
At first, the audience fell into silence, but soon a wave of discussions rippled through the crowd.
Only a small group familiar with Taoyang reacted with excitement.
Most people, however, were left confused—what was this Taoyang place, and how could a piece of vacant land be worthy of the auction’s grand finale, even surpassing the Power Borrowing Bracelet?
With professional finesse, the auctioneer amplified the intrigue with grand gestures and a confident tone:
“I know many of you are unfamiliar with Taoyang. But I assure you, every word I’m about to say is true—without the slightest exaggeration!”
“This land is protected by a defensive shield—the same type of shield that Changjing spent over a decade trying to develop without success. It can block any external threats while maintaining a comfortable internal temperature.”
He then displayed a series of photos and videos:
In the sweltering 40-degree heat, the residents of Taoyang moved about effortlessly without breaking a sweat.
Children, under parental instruction, even wore light jackets to avoid catching a cold.
The next video showed bullets fired at the transparent shield—only to be deflected as if they had hit reinforced steel.
Finally, the auctioneer displayed Taoyang’s official website, showcasing housing options and the luxurious Restaurant in the background.
Bai Jiayan burst out laughing:
“Renting property? Is Xindu using the auction’s grand finale to promote this Taoyang place? The whole thing feels like a scam.”
She didn’t believe a word the auctioneer said.
If even Changjing couldn’t develop such technology, how could some backwater place like Taoyang pull it off? Clearly, the videos were fake.
Even Xiao Wenting was skeptical—but something about the whole situation felt odd.
The Xindu Auction wasn’t easy to manipulate. If the videos and information were falsified, how much had Taoyang paid Xindu to risk its reputation by backing this auction?
It was puzzling.
The auctioneer concluded with an offer too tempting to ignore:
“The winning bidder will receive a custom-built dream home—up to five stories high—with any design request fulfilled. An outdoor pool, underground garage, fountains, and garden terraces—all within the 300 square meters!”
“Starting bid: 50 million federal credits and 40 fixed crystal cores. Let’s begin!”
For a moment, the room fell into silence—nothing like the excitement for the Power Borrowing Bracelet.
Su Tao massaged her temples.
As expected, the bidders didn’t recognize the value. While she found their ignorance frustrating, the lack of interest was undeniably awkward.
But just as she resigned herself to disappointment—
“65 million, once!”
Someone bid an additional 15 million in one go, stunning the crowd.
Even Su Tao’s eyes widened in surprise—someone else recognized the value of Taoyang!
