Chapter 68: Charity Auction Gala
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The next morning, Zhou Chao received a voice message from Jiang Li. He quickly opened it, and she said, “Hmph, you rascal. If you missed me, why didn’t you come to see me?”
Hearing Jiang Li’s flirtatious tone, Zhou Chao felt a flutter in his heart, like a cat’s gentle scratch. He responded with a voice message, “After I’ve taken care of things here, I’ll come to see you.”
The two of them playfully chatted for nearly an hour before being reluctantly cut short because Jiang Li had to go to work. Zhou Chao felt a bit helpless but hoped to finish things in Jingdu soon so he could fly to Rain City.
Zhou Chao glanced at his phone and casually tossed it aside, then rolled over and continued to sleep.
At 6 PM, Jingdu Hotel.
Outside the hotel, there were already crowds of reporters. This charity auction gala, organized by the official authorities to support orphans, had drawn a considerable number of attendees, including some prominent figures.
As Zhou Chao and his group exited the car and entered the hotel, reporters swarmed around Si Cong and Qin Fen at the forefront, snapping photos frenziedly. Zhou Chao, standing beside them, attracted much fewer photos.
The incessant flashes of cameras momentarily disoriented Zhou Chao. Nevertheless, they didn’t blind his eyes, and he proceeded into the hotel alongside the others.
Once inside, they were directed by the staff to the auction venue. The subsequent cocktail party would take place after the auction concluded.
As the event required invitations, each invitation permitted the attendance of three guests. Zhou Chao successfully joined Qin Fen and his companions. The staff promptly guided them to their assigned seats, which happened to be in the second row, a rather favorable location.
Glancing around, Zhou Chao noticed a few rows behind them contained celebrities he used to only see on TV, such as the Peach Sister sitting with Reba in the third row.
In the past, Zhou Chao would have been excited to see these stars, but with his accumulated wealth and connections, including friends like Qin Fen and Si Cong, he had developed his own sense of poise and understanding.
Looking around their row, he observed a mix of corporate executives and perhaps some second-generation elites from Jingdu. Unfortunately, Zhou Chao didn’t recognize anyone, and the front row was still vacant—perhaps those VIPs would arrive later.
Zhou Chao glanced upward. Under the spotlight, he didn’t see many familiar faces. He turned to chat with Si Cong and the others.
“Qin Fen, Si Cong,” a voice came from behind them. They turned to see a man in his thirties. He had an upright posture and a sharp appearance, exuding a military air of determination.
“Brother Yang!” Qin Fen and Si Cong stood up and called out in a hushed tone. Hearing the way Si Cong addressed the man, Zhou Chao also quickly got up, and Qin Lang and his companion promptly followed suit.
“Please, everyone, have a seat. Why stand?” Although Zhou Chao heard the words, nobody sat down. The man they called “Brother Yang” turned his gaze toward Zhou Chao. Zhou Chao looked back at the man with a calm expression.
“Si Cong, is this a friend of yours? Why not introduce him to me?”
“Brother Yang, this is my friend Zhou Chao, from Shudu City.”
“Oh,” Brother Yang responded with a knowing tone. He extended his hand for a handshake with Zhou Chao and then took a seat in the front row. This surprised Qin Fen and Si Cong, both of whom were left amazed.
“Oh gosh,” Si Cong let slip a slang phrase. He looked at Zhou Chao in amazement, murmuring, “Is being handsome really that influential?”
Feeling puzzled, Zhou Chao turned to Qin Fen and gestured for him to explain.
“We all lived in the same neighborhood as Brother Yang when we were kids.
He’s one of the most prominent second-generation elites in Jingdu. Back in the day, I used to face a fair bit of bullying, but things improved significantly when he joined the military. I heard that Brother Yang now heads a highly classified special forces unit and holds a senior rank. Rumor has it he’s even attained the rank of Colonel,” Si Cong whispered this information to Zhou Chao’s ear.
“What’s his surname?” Zhou Chao inquired with confusion.
After a moment of silence, Si Cong replied, “Xiao.”
“Xiao? Which character of Xiao?”
“The Xiao that’s used in the phrase ‘vivid and lifelike’.” Zhou Chao’s eyebrows knitted together, as he recognized the name similarity with Fourth Brother. Could there possibly be a connection between them? However, before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, the charity gala commenced. Zhou Chao redirected his attention, gazing upwards.
“Hey, it’s Xiao Sa,” Zhou Chao remarked with a touch of surprise, recognizing the gala’s host. Upon further consideration, the surprise wasn’t all that remarkable. After all, this was an official charity auction event.
The evening commenced with a few speeches from relevant officials about the purpose of the charity auction gala and its details, lasting around 20 minutes. Following this, Xiao Sa took the stage.
“Next, we invite Yang Zi to perform ‘Mercury Records’ for everyone.”
“Enthralled by your eyes”
“Traces are left in the Milky Way”
“Through the seams of time”
“It remains authentically”
“Attracting my path”
“This moment’s light”
“How’s it? She sings beautifully,” Si Cong said beside Zhou Chao.
“I grew up watching her dramas, but I’ve never heard her sing. She’s indeed quite good,” Zhou Chao agreed, nodding in approval.
Soon, the song came to an end, and Zhou Chao applauded along with the audience.
Several other actresses took the stage one after another, including Peach Sister. When her performance concluded, the entire venue was filled with applause.
“After enjoying these moving melodies, it’s time to enter the thrilling moment of our evening. 1 hereby declare the auction officially open, and now, I hand the stage over to our auctioneer.” Xiao Sa’s impassioned speech elevated the atmosphere.
“The auction has officially begun,” Zhou Chao saw a professional auctioneer step onto the stage.
The auction lineup featured paintings by renowned artists, collectible items, finished bracelets, necklaces, and more. Upon arrival, every guest received a brochure outlining the evening’s auction items. Among them, Zhou Chao had his eyes on a glass-type Emperor Green bracelet. He intended to win it and present it as a gift to Jiang Li.
“Esteemed leaders and distinguished guests, the auction for tonight has officially started. Our first item is a painting by Master Zhong, titled ‘Mountain and Water.’ The starting price is 100,000, and each bid must not be less than 10,000.”
“110,000.”
“120,000.”
The atmosphere quickly heated up, with three rounds of bidding, and it finally sold for 280,000 yuan. Zhou Chao noticed an elderly gentleman in the first row looking pleased; he guessed this might be the association’s president.
Soon, a dozen or so items were auctioned off in succession. Even Qin Fen and Si Cong spent several hundred thousand to acquire two items of minimal significance.
“Chao, why don’t you give it a shot?” Qin Fen asked, looking at Zhou Chao who had been quiet all this time.
“I’m waiting for this.” Qin Fen and the others followed Zhou Chao’s pointed finger. It was none other than the centerpiece of the auction, the glass-type Emperor Green bracelet.
Seeing the bracelet, Qin Fen and his friends understood Zhou Chao’s intention and refrained from saying anything more. Soon, they arrived at the final item, the Emperor Green bracelet.
“Our grand finale is this Emperor Green bracelet. The starting price is 5 million, and each bid must not be less than 100,000.”
Instantly, the entire venue buzzed with excitement. Everyone knew this was the calm before the storm, and someone couldn’t resist anymore.
“5.5 million.” a female celebrity sitting in the third row raised her paddle, but her bid was quickly surpassed by a new one.
“6 million.”
“7 million.”
“8 million.”
“10 million.” someone increased the price by two million in one go. Many people tried to figure out who made this bid, only to discover that it was Zhou Chao in the second row. He decided to end it early; otherwise, who knew how much more it would escalate.
This price instantly caused many bidders to withdraw, as not everyone was willing to spend tens of millions on a bracelet. Of course, if one had the money, that was a different story.
“10.5 million.”
“15 million.” Before anyone else could bid, Zhou Chao immediately raised the price by half.
At this point, hushed whispers filled the entire hall. The price had already exceeded the actual value of the bracelet, causing many to cease bidding.
“Is there anyone else bidding? Going once,” the auctioneer shouted loudly.
“16 million.” A voice came from the first row. Zhou Chao looked over and saw a middle-aged man. However, Zhou Chao remained undeterred and raised his paddle again.
“20 million.” The scene erupted in astonishment. Everyone understood that Zhou Chao was determined to win.
“20 million. Any further bids? Going once for 20 million, going twice for 20 million, sold for 20 million. Let’s congratulate this gentleman on winning the glass-type Emperor Green jade bracelet for 20 million. Let’s give him a round of applause.”
The entire venue filled with applause as Zhou Chao reluctantly stood up and gave a slight bow.
“The auction comes to an end. Everyone, please enjoy the evening’s festivities.”
Energetic music started playing, marking the end of the auction..