The transaction hammer striking after the bidding had been struck, Lin Chen felt a hint of surprise.
He had expected some competition, and Qin Xuan was prepared to pay a hefty price. Perhaps Chu Shaofan would even stir up trouble. To his surprise, no one present recognized the stone's worth, and he acquired it with surprising ease.
Qin Xuan's heart thrummed with excitement. Such a large raw stone, if its spiritual energy could be fully absorbed, would likely boost his strength significantly. Several dragon scales on his back might regenerate, and his Dragon Transformation Art might even advance to the second level! His trip had not been in vain.
However, Wang Yuyan did not share his sentiment.
Spending two and a half million on such a worthless stone, what if it yielded nothing? That two and a half million would be lost without a trace.
"I really shouldn't have brought you. You don't know anything and just bid recklessly. This money is yours to bear; don't even think I'll help you pay." Wang Yuyan grumbled like a disgruntled woman.
Qin Xuan remained silent, simply smiling at her. He found Wang Yuyan incredibly endearing at that moment.
The seventh, eighth, and ninth raw stones were successively auctioned off.
Two of these were acquired by Wu Qianxi and Mo Jin from the private rooms on the third floor.
Soon, it was time for the last of the ten raw stones.
The raw stone was pushed onto the stage.
This final stone was at least half again as large as the biggest of the previous nine.
Wang Hanzhi began his introduction.
"This last raw stone weighs two hundred and ten catties. Of the ten stones, this one contains the highest proportion of jade, a staggering ninety percent."
Upon hearing this, the entire venue erupted in excitement.
Ninety percent!
This meant that apart from the outer layer, the rest of this two-hundred-catty raw stone was pure jade!
"A raw stone with such a high jade content hasn't been seen in years."
"Indeed, with such a high jade content, its value is likely to double."
"This stone is beyond our reach. Those in the second and third-floor private rooms have probably already claimed it."
"Quiet, everyone!" Wang Hanzhi called out to the clamoring crowd, then continued,
"We now begin bidding for the tenth raw stone. The starting price is ten million! Each increment must be no less than one hundred thousand."
The starting bid alone dashed many people's hopes.
Ten million could buy many raw stones in the industry.
"Ten million fifty thousand!"
A middle-aged man in the hall was the first to make a bid. Though he knew this stone was likely out of his league, a sliver of hope remained.
As the first bid was placed, many others in the hall gradually joined the bidding.
"Eleven million!"
"Twelve million!"
"Fifteen million!"
...
In less than three minutes, the price of the tenth raw stone had already soared to thirty million.
Few people in the main hall were still bidding.
The remaining contenders were those in the private rooms on the second and third floors.
Seeing that no one in the hall was bidding anymore, Lin Chen nudged Wang Yuyan with his shoulder.
"Hey, this is the last raw stone. Aren't you going to bid?"
Wang Yuyan shook her head.
"No. In the end, these things are all made into jewelry and ornaments. Frankly, they're not that useful, just luxury items. With this money, I'd rather buy a few more clothes and dresses."
Qin Xuan looked at her with some surprise and said,
"I didn't expect you to have such high moral standards."
"Hmph," Wang Yuyan snorted coquettishly.
"Of course. How many women like me are there in the world? Whoever gets me is truly blessed in this life." She then turned her gaze to the auction stage in the hall.
"After this raw stone is sold, the items that follow are actually the main focus."
"Oh?" Qin Xuan asked with curiosity.
"Isn't this called a 'gambling stone' auction? Why are other items the focus?"
Wang Yuyan deliberately teased him.
"Hmph, I won't tell you. You'll know soon enough. The items that follow are definitely not inferior to these raw stones."