Many of those who had been tempted by the bronze goblet earlier now felt embarrassed and lowered their heads in shame.
They didn't notice either! At the same time, a wave of fear and relief washed over them. Luckily, they hadn't tried to take it from Bai Donghua; otherwise, they would be the ones making a fool of themselves now. What a close call! That country bumpkin has such sharp eyes!
Bai Donghua nearly choked on his words, his hands clenched into fists so tightly his nails almost dug into his flesh. He wanted nothing more than to pounce on Xu Kuo and tear his mocking mouth apart, but reason and the fear he had just felt prevented him from doing so.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the humiliation and anger in his heart. He simply stopped looking at Xu Kuo's annoying face, turned his head and roared at the auctioneer who was still standing there dumbfounded: "What are you all standing there for?! Continue! Continue the auction! Don't let irrelevant people delay the important business!"
In his view, Xu Kuo was just a country bumpkin who got lucky and had some brute strength, not worth his time.
Zhou Changke was so excited that his face was flushed. He moved closer to Xu Kuo, lowered his voice, and said with barely concealed excitement and pride, "Brother Xu! You're amazing! Your eyesight is simply divine!"
The auctioneer, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, quickly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, forced himself to remain calm, and returned to the auction stage, clearing his throat.
"Ahem, everyone, there was a slight mishap just now, please excuse the commotion. Now, the auction continues! Next up is the third item..."
The atmosphere at the auction became lively again, but everyone's eyes kept glancing at the composed young man in the corner.
For the next few items, starting with the third one, Xu Kuo didn't make any more surprising moves. Whenever he took a liking to something, he would bid decisively and each time, raising the price by a considerable margin, appearing determined to win.
Soon, he acquired several seemingly ordinary old items at prices significantly higher than the reserve price.
Watching him spend money so extravagantly, everyone wondered what was going on with this country bumpkin. Was he really that rich, or was he just putting on a show?
The eighth item presented was a simple-looking terracotta figurine that appeared to be quite old.
Bai Donghua seemed very interested in this item. His eyes flickered, and after hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and quoted a price. "Three hundred!" He wanted to get his revenge.
He had barely finished speaking when a lazy voice followed, as if waiting for him to speak. "Three hundred and fifty."
It was Xu Kuo again!
Bai Donghua abruptly turned his head, staring intently at Xu Kuo, his eyes practically spitting fire! This kid, he really did it on purpose! He practically spat out the words through clenched teeth: "Four hundred!"
"Four hundred and fifty." Xu Kuo didn't even lift his eyelids, picked up the tea on the table, and slowly took a sip.
"Five hundred!" Bai Donghua slammed his hand on the armrest.
"Five hundred and fifty." Xu Kuo put down his teacup, his voice calm and even.
The price soared, adding fuel to the fire and quickly igniting the atmosphere. Everyone could see that these two were locked in a fierce battle!
When Xu Kuo casually raised the price to seven hundred yuan, this price far exceeded the actual value of the terracotta figurine.
The veins on Bai Donghua's forehead bulged, and his breathing became heavier.
He finally couldn't hold back any longer, abruptly stood up, pointed at Xu Kuo, and angrily shouted: "You surnamed Xu! What the hell do you mean?! Are you deliberately trying to mess with me, Bai Donghua?!" He wasn't stupid to spend seven hundred yuan on this thing!
Xu Kuo finally looked up at him, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips. "What are you saying, Boss Bai? It's an auction, after all. It's a free bidding process, the highest bidder wins. Does that mean only you, Boss Bai, are allowed to like it, but I can't? I need this too."
"You need my ass!" Bai Donghua retorted angrily, his words dripping with rage. "How much money have you already poured in? Every item is way over the reserve price! And now you're trying to take this broken terracotta figurine from me? I think you're just here to cause trouble! You're just throwing around wildly! Where would a country bumpkin like you get so much money to pay?!"
The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. How could Xu Kuo, with his impoverished appearance, possibly afford such a large expense? He must be deliberately inflating the price to annoy him, waiting to see how Xu Kuo would handle the situation when he couldn't pay!
Thinking this, a ruthless and calculating glint flashed in Bai Donghua's eyes. He suddenly turned to the auctioneer, raising his voice to a high pitch: "Host! I seriously suspect that this person has no ability to pay! He is engaging in malicious bidding and disrupting the normal order of our auction! I demand that his funds be verified immediately!"
"Verification of funds?!" Zhou Changke's expression changed, and he immediately stood up to defend him, "Boss Bai, you've gone too far! What auction house has a rule about verifying funds casually? This is extremely disrespectful to our guests! Brother Xu is my friend, and since he dared to bid, he can definitely afford it!"
Xu Kuo frowned, a clear displeasure showing on his face. Being interrogated like a criminal was not a pleasant feeling.
"Verification of funds? I don't think that's necessary."
In Bai Donghua's view, Xu Kuo's refusal only confirmed his suspicion that he was guilty!
A smug sneer spread across his face, his voice growing even more arrogant: "No need? I bet you simply can't afford the money and are too scared to get tested! Host, did you hear that? He's guilty! People like this who deliberately cause trouble must be dealt with according to the rules!"
A chorus of agreement immediately erupted in the auction hall. Those who had been intimidated by Xu Kuo earlier were now wavering again in the face of money.
"Yeah, look at him, that country bumpkin, all dressed in rags, he doesn't look like someone who can afford so many antiques."
"Breaking the stick was impressive, but being strong doesn't mean you're rich!"
"Yes! Verification of funds is mandatory! Don't let these people fool us and drive up the price!"
The crowd chimed in with their opinions, clearly leaning towards Bai Donghua's assessment and disbelieving that Xu Kuo, this "country bumpkin," truly possessed such wealth.
The auctioneer was caught in the middle, caught in a dilemma, sweating profusely. On one side was the pressure from the local influential Boss Bai and the crowd, and on the other side was Xu Kuo, who had just displayed terrifying strength.
He looked at Xu Kuo with a pleading and helpless tone: "Sir, how about... in order for the auction to proceed smoothly, you could show a little bit of your funds?"
Xu Kuo shook his head again, his tone turning cold and tinged with impatience: "I told you, there's no need."
Seeing this, Bai Donghua completely abandoned all pretense of civility, grinning maliciously as he threatened, "No need? Hmph! Kid, let me tell you, according to the rules of our black market auction house, those who maliciously raise prices and can't afford to pay will not have a good ending! They'll be given a good 'lesson,' have their arms and legs broken, and then be thrown out! If you don't verify your funds now, don't blame us for being impolite!"
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