"Next up for auction is the sixth raw stone," Wang Hanzhi announced.
Two cheongsam-clad ladies pushed the sixth raw stone forward. Wang Hanzhi then began his introduction, "This raw stone is much smaller than the previous ones, weighing only over seventy catties. It's also a peculiar stone. Our experts have examined it, but they are still unable to determine its quality. The surface of the stone appears to have a layer of impurity, but we are certain that it will yield jade. However, we cannot guarantee the quality. Therefore, the starting bid for this raw stone is only one million."
As Wang Hanzhi finished speaking, a buzz of discussion erupted from the audience.
"A stone this small starting at a million, and the quality isn't guaranteed. Who dares to buy it?"
"Exactly. What if we buy it and it turns out to be plain white jade? We wouldn't even get our investment back."
"Forget it, forget it. I'm not bidding on this one. You guys can have it."
For this sixth raw stone, there were practically no bids. After all, no one wanted to buy a stone with an unknown origin and risk losing their money.
Although many people gave up, quite a few still participated, with the majority being those hoping for a stroke of luck. The people in the main hall weren't all billionaires; most were merely wealthy individuals. Perhaps by spending a million or two, they could strike it rich with jade worth millions or even tens of millions.
"One point one million."
After several bids, the price only reached two million, and then no one else increased it.
"Two million for the first time! Is anyone else willing to bid?" Wang Hanzhi asked.
"Two million for the second time."
"Two million for the... "
"Two point five million!" Just as Wang Hanzhi was about to strike the gavel, Qin Xuan's voice suddenly rang out.
Wang Yuyan looked at him with confusion. "Qin Xuan, why are you bidding on this raw stone?"
Qin Xuan smiled. "It's so cheap, why wouldn't I bid?"
"Are you an idiot?" Wang Yuyan said with an air of disappointment. "This raw stone isn't great, and you can see no one else wants it. It might not even be worth two million."
Qin Xuan didn't reply, only smiling. After waiting for a long time, he had finally found what he was looking for. The moment this raw stone was brought onto the stage, Qin Xuan had sensed a faint spiritual energy fluctuation from it. Even from a distance, Qin Xuan was certain that this raw stone was not as simple as it appeared. If this raw stone contained dense spiritual energy, and it was a substantial piece, it would be enough for Qin Xuan to cultivate for a considerable period.
"A VIP from a private room on the second floor has increased the bid by five hundred thousand, making it two point five million!" Wang Hanzhi was slightly surprised, yet also very pleased. The initial price for this raw stone was around one point five million, and now it had more than doubled! His commission would be substantial. This stone was only worth about a million yuan in itself, and among the ten raw stones, this was undoubtedly the worst. Furthermore, VIPs on the second and third floors likely knew some inside information, so why would they bid on this stone? Despite his confusion, Wang Hanzhi proceeded according to the procedure.
"Two point five million for the first time."
In the main hall, no one showed any intention of increasing the bid. After all, no one wanted to be the fool. Some people, with a sense of schadenfreude, commented, "Two point five million for this thing? At this size, if it doesn't yield top-grade jade, it's a loss."
"Whoever buys it will regret it! Only a complete idiot would buy it."
"Mind your own business. Perhaps they just like wasting money."
Seeing that no one was bidding, Wang Hanzhi continued, "Two point five million for the second time!"
"Two point five million for the third time! Sold!" Wang Hanzhi struck the gavel. "Congratulations to the VIP from the 'Yuan' inscribed private room on the second floor for acquiring the sixth raw stone. It will be delivered after the auction concludes."