Chapter 342
“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” Watching the price in the auction soar, Sheng Hong gritted his teeth with a smile on his face and whispered to Xu Ke.
“You guessed right. I did it on purpose. From the beginning, I wanted this piece of land,” Xu Ke nodded, speaking candidly.
“What about just now?” Sheng Hong was momentarily stunned by Xu Ke’s straightforward admission, but anger quickly replaced his daze, and he even spoke with a grinding intensity.
“You’re good at this.” Sheng Hong forced out each word through gritted teeth.
“I’ll get even better,” Xu Ke replied nonchalantly.
“Seven billion.”
Due to the remoteness of this plot, not many companies were bidding, and the price had only reached seven billion so far.
“I am determined to get this land. Once I have it, I will surely thank you for your gracious concession,” Xu Ke said humbly with a hint of gratitude, signaling his assistant to raise the bid.
“It’s still not decided who will ultimately own this land, so don’t celebrate too early,” Sheng Hong finished speaking and also signaled his assistant to raise the bid.
Due to the bidding war between the two, the price of the land suddenly jumped from seventy billion to seventy-five billion.
“Why force it, Sheng? You just bought a piece of land. Do you still have money for this one? I think you should quit fighting with me. You can’t have all the pie and not even leave some soup for others. People shouldn’t be that greedy,” Xu Ke said, leaning on his chin with one hand, his tone slow and flippant.
Sheng Hong was so enraged by Xu Ke’s shameless words that he almost spat out blood, tamping down his fury but unable to fully suppress it as he said, “Thanks for your concern, Xu Ke. The Sheng Family is not short of money.” With that, Sheng Hong raised his hand, signaling his assistant to continue the bidding.
“Eight billion nine hundred million,” the auctioneer on stage announced with some excitement.
The last competitor withdrew due to the high price of eight billion nine hundred million, leaving the stage once again to Xu Ke and Sheng Hong’s Asura battle.
“Boss Sheng, we can’t bid any higher. This price already exceeds our budget,” Sheng Hong’s assistant whispered, risking his wrath.
The assistant’s reminder was like a cold splash of water, extinguishing Sheng Hong’s fiery temper and restoring his rationality.
“No worries. Another bid, then we’ll stop. This Xu Family kid stabbed me in the back. I must take a chunk out of him. Otherwise, people might think Sheng Hong is a pushover,” Sheng Hong said with a squint, exuding the vibe of a crafty old fox.
Realizing Sheng Hong didn’t really intend to buy, his assistant let out a sigh of relief, and his tense expression finally relaxed.
On the other side, hearing Sheng Hong’s bid, Xu Ke’s smile deepened. “Boss Xu, should we bid again?” Xu Ke’s assistant asked quietly.
“Do I look like a fool, spending ninety-two billion on land with only a thirty-year lease?” Xu Ke tilted his head and questioned his assistant with a slightly imperceptible smile in his eyes.
“Yes.” No one around Xu Ke was an idiot. Although his move earlier left them momentarily confused, upon hearing Xu Ke, the assistant understood and gave Sheng Hong a sympathetic look, making Sheng Hong bewildered and a bit anxious.
“Nine billion, going twice.”
The auctioneer on stage called out the price, but Xu Ke showed no intention of continuing to compete. Sheng Hong’s eyelid twitched, his unease solidifying as he hurriedly said before the deal was closed, “Boss Xu, this is the last piece of land today. Do you really plan to just give up?”
“I wouldn’t call it giving up. It’s just that it’s not mine right now,” Xu Ke replied leisurely, giving Sheng Hong a familiar, meaningful look, instantly snapping a string in Sheng Hong’s mind. Despite being slow to react, he understood he had fallen into Xu Ke’s trap.
But Sheng Hong, consumed by anger, didn’t bother to dwell on Xu Ke’s words.
The second piece of land was announced sold at this moment.
“You did it on purpose. From the moment you entered, everything you did was intentional. You never intended to buy either of these plots,” Sheng Hong stood up abruptly, blocking Xu Ke’s path.
The congratulatory noises in the room abruptly stopped. Everyone remained seated, silently watching the only two standing entrepreneurs, ears perked up to catch their gossip.
“You were bidding against me just to make me buy both plots. You set me up!” Sheng Hong asserted firmly.
“Boss Sheng, you’re mistaken. You were the one persistently bidding against me. When I saw how much you wanted it, I reluctantly let you have it to fulfill your wishes. How did this become me scheming against you? Or did I misunderstand? Was Boss Sheng only engaging in malicious competition and never intended to buy either plot? Or was it all an impulse purchase, and Sheng Group doesn’t actually have enough funds for you to buy two pieces of land? Now that your impulsiveness has subsided and you’re filled with regret, you’re trying to paint me as the villain who maliciously bid against you, using public opinion to pressure me into buying both plots?”
Xu Ke asked innocently, tilting his head, but his words carried a deadly weight. Whether Sheng Hong admitted to it or not, his image was already tarnished, impacting their perception of Sheng Group and causing them to reconsider their cooperation.
Sheng Hong realized the deep pit he had dug himself with his reactions. He regretted deeply and wished to turn back time, wanting nothing more than to smack himself, but there was no remedy for regret in the world, and things had come to this.
At this moment, Sheng Hong’s hatred for Xu Ke peaked.
“You’ve got guts. This isn’t over. Just you wait,” Sheng Hong shot Xu Ke a vicious look, then turned and left with his assistant.