Chapter 321: Fighting Over the VIP Box
Zhuo Ercheng eventually agreed, but his expression was conflicted.
If the price had been cut a little more, the Zhuo family might have been able to join in.
Fifty million—although the Zhuo family could afford it, it wasn’t a small amount. The old master of the Zhuo family, who didn’t understand Taoyang’s value, definitely wouldn’t approve.
What a pity…
After Ma Dapao left, Zhuo Ercheng kept flipping through the information on Taoyang, reading it over and over again.
Such a prime location, and Dongyang just stumbled upon it by sheer dumb luck—it was frustrating to think about.
*
When Ma Dapao returned with a bottom line of fifty million federal coins and forty crystal cores, Su Tao was stunned.
Hadn’t they previously agreed on thirty million and thirty crystal cores?
Ma Dapao had the audacity to raise the price on the spot, and Zhuo Ercheng actually agreed.
She gave Ma Dapao a thumbs-up. “You really have the makings of a swindler.”
Qian Lin was also impressed. “It had to be you to carry the burden.”
Qian Rongrong’s face flushed with excitement—being in charge of finances, she loved hearing good news like this.
Ma Dapao remained humble. “It’s all for Taoyang.”
At 1 p.m., the group arrived at the auction venue, where they happened to run into Xing Shuyu and Yang Ying.
Dongyang also had an item up for auction—the crawling creature that Shi Zijin had captured.
Of course, Dongyang wasn’t willing to sell the entire creature. They had only removed one of its claws, which was displayed in a specimen jar.
Xing Shuyu was confident. “So far, no other base has captured a crawling creature. Everyone wants to get their hands on its tissue for research. The bidding will be fierce.”
Su Tao nodded in agreement but felt a twinge of envy.
She was still uncertain about Taoyang’s empty land.
After all, Taoyang’s reputation in the south was still new, and many people didn’t know about it. If no one bid, it would be embarrassing.
The staff started handing out black cloaks with hoods that concealed their identities.
This was to protect everyone’s privacy and prevent any incidents of robbery or murder after the auction.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out near the entrance.
Following the noise, Su Tao saw two sleek, black stretch limousines pulling up.
A bodyguard respectfully opened the back door, and a young man stepped out—short, wearing sunglasses, and exuding a flamboyant air.
The crowd’s murmurs grew louder:
“That must be the eldest young master of the Xiao family. Only he would drive such flashy cars everywhere, spending money just to show off how rich the Xiao family is.”
Someone who didn’t understand asked, “Eldest young master? What kind of outdated title is that?”
“You don’t get it. The Xiao family is the largest manufacturer of fighter jets. Every base has bought from them. With that kind of power, greed follows. Old Master Xiao is sixty years old and has five wives. I heard he’s even eyeing another one recently.”
“With so many wives, there are a lot of kids too. People joke that the Xiao family is like the tycoons from Hong Kong in the 1970s—calling the wives ‘concubines.’ Over time, everyone just started calling the old man’s eldest son ‘young master.’”
“And Xiao Da Shao loves that title. Everyone around him uses it to flatter him.”
Su Tao listened carefully and then turned to ask Xing Shuyu:
“What’s the deal with the Xiao family?”
Xing Shuyu replied, “As they said, Old Master Xiao is the real powerhouse. No one knows what his ability is, but the fighter jets he produces are incredibly powerful against zombie hordes. He manufactures low-end, mid-range, and high-end models, and they sell worldwide.”
“As for Xiao Da Shao, I’ve only heard he’s a playboy like his father. I’m guessing he’s here to buy something fancy to impress his girlfriend.”
Sure enough, right after Xing Shuyu finished speaking, a beautiful and elegantly dressed woman stepped out of the second limo, following closely behind Xiao Da Shao.
Luxury cars, a wealthy heir, a glamorous woman…
For a moment, Su Tao felt like she was watching a pre-apocalypse soap opera. The harshness of the apocalypse really was reserved for the common folk.
Without paying much more attention, Su Tao listened to the auction rules before a staff member led them to a VIP box on the second floor.
The box had a full glass wall facing the auction hall, offering a perfect bird’s-eye view. The regular seats were to the left, and the auction stage was on the right.
Behind the auction stage was a massive screen that magnified the items up for bid.
As Su Tao was taking it all in, someone knocked on their box’s door.
Since Qian Rongrong was closest, she opened it to find the auction manager, who apologized, “Sorry to bother you. Could I ask you to switch to the box next door? To express our apology, we’ll offer you a complimentary fruit platter.”
A fruit platter? Taoyang folks weren’t that easily impressed.
Su Tao glanced at the neighboring box and frowned slightly.
“That one doesn’t have as good a view. Why should we switch?”
Just then, the fashionable woman—Xiao Da Shao’s girlfriend—strode over in her high heels, removed her sunglasses, and flipped her silky hair.
“Sorry, my boyfriend and I would like to use this box. Could you move to the other one?”
Although her words were polite, her tone was anything but. It was downright condescending.
Ignoring her, Su Tao directly questioned the auction manager:
“If I recall correctly, Chairman Zhuo reserved this box for us as an apology. Isn’t it inappropriate to ask us to give it up?”
The manager broke into a cold sweat.
He couldn’t afford to offend either side.
The woman clicked her tongue. “It’s just a box—why so difficult? How much do you want to move?”
Su Tao immediately perked up. “How much are you offering?”
She didn’t care about the box—if the price was right, they could have it!
The woman looked down on her instantly. What kind of backwater people were these, selling out for money? For a moment, she even hesitated to take the box, thinking it might lower her standards.
“Twenty thousand federal coins. What’s your account number? I’ll transfer it to you—now move.”
Su Tao gave her a once-over, surprised. “Xiao Da Shao’s girlfriend can only afford twenty thousand?”
She thought rich heirs’ girlfriends would be throwing around millions like in pre-apocalypse dramas.
How disappointing.
