Sixty million! Twice!

A fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on Yamamoto's forehead.

Wait... sixty million?

He didn't have that much cash in his pocket... he didn't have that much cash in his pocket at all!

He was planning to acquire the property for 20 to 30 million and then resell it for a profit. He was certain that the Chinese man would continue to bid, which is why he quoted that price! He just wanted to give him a boost!

Sixty million! This number far exceeds his ability to pay!

He didn't actually have 60 million in his pocket! He just wanted to annoy Qin Ye, to force him into a position where he would bleed money!

He never expected that the other party would back down so decisively!

"Wait...wait! I..."

He wanted to speak up, to say that he had made a mistake and to take back his bid.

But the auctioneer had already impatiently raised his hammer.

With a loud "bang!"

The auction gavel slammed down with a sharp, resounding sound.

"Sold! Congratulations, Mr. Yamamoto! You have successfully acquired this unparalleled art treasure—a Tang Dynasty mother-of-pearl inlaid rosewood five-stringed pipa—for a record-breaking price of sixty million US dollars!"

Yamamoto's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

He's finished.

Soon, a waiter in a sharp uniform, carrying a tray with a portable card reader on it, approached Yamamoto with a professional smile: "Mr. Yamamoto, congratulations. Would you like to pay now?"

Yamamoto's lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He doesn't have 60 million!

"What's wrong, Mr. Yamamoto?" The waiter's smile remained, but a hint of scrutiny crept into his eyes. "Is...is there a problem?"

"I..." Yamamoto felt a stone stuck in his throat, and he struggled to speak, "I...I didn't bring that much money..."

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze.

Immediately afterwards, a burst of suppressed laughter erupted.

"What? No money?"

"So, all this time you're just trying to show off?"

"My God, he dares to ask for 60 million without any money? How could he dare to do that!"

"It seems he tried to drive up the price, but ended up getting himself into trouble."

The wealthy women who had previously mocked Su Tang and Qin Ye were now laughing hysterically: "They've really lost all face."

Yamamoto's face instantly turned from deathly pale to a deep liver color; he wished there was a crack in the ground he could crawl into.

The auctioneer's face darkened. Winning an item at the Noah's Ark auction but not paying was tantamount to sabotaging their event.

He stepped off the stage and looked coldly at Yamamoto: "Mr. Yamamoto, according to our regulations, if you refuse to pay after winning the bid, you will need to pay 50% of the starting price of this item, which is five million US dollars, as a penalty. This amount will be deducted directly from the deposit you paid when you boarded the ship."

Five million dollars!

Yamamoto felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and almost fainted on the spot.

The auctioneer ignored him completely, turned to face the audience, and announced loudly: "Due to Mr. Yamamoto's breach of contract, this auction is void. According to the rules, we will ask the second highest bidder, Mr. Ye, whether he is willing to purchase this item with his final bid of fifty million US dollars."

All eyes were once again focused on Qin Ye.

Now, surely he'll take it, right? After all, it'll save him ten million!