Chapter 222
Chapter 222: First Lot
Translator: Min_Lee Editor: Tennesh
In Muzhou, Su Hou was conferring with Su Feng on whether to place a bid at the auction .
"I can probably chip in 10 million," Su Hou said as he scratched his head . Ten million was the total sum of his savings . He had gotten quite a few red packets this year, which had beefed up his savings . He had planned on using the money to buy seeds but then Fang Zhao's tooth had come up for auction, and he felt obliged to help out . Compared to his contemporaries, 10 million was already a huge sum, but it was still peanuts by auction standards .
Su Feng felt conflicted too . It was not that he wanted to help, but he had to bid for Fan Lin's item . However, he could still help drive the price up for Fang Zhao's lot . Even if he bought it by mistake, so be it . They owed Fang Zhao . He had saved Su Hou's life, after all . Lending a helping hand was the right thing to do .
Yanbei, Yanzhou . Retirement home for former government officials .
Great-Grandfather and Great-Grandmother Fang were at a loss too . The hype was getting out of control . They could tell that some folks were trying to drive prices up . If the feeding frenzy kept up and Fang Zhao's lot didn't fetch a handsome price, it would be a major blow to him .
The elderly couple took stock of their savings . "It's not enough," they lamented .
"Let's at least be prepared . If the price is too low, we can put in a bid . Actually, in the best-case scenario, if prices are through the roof at the outset, if there's a bidding war, then there's nothing left for us to do either . "
"True . "
Qi'an, top floor of Silver Wing Tower .
"Chairwoman Duan . As far as the auction is concerned, for Fang Zhao's lot, should we get involved?" the head of Silver Wing's operations department asked .
"You stay out of this," Duan Qianji responded .
The operations chief got the cue . "You stay out of this" meant that someone would take care of things . Who knows—Duan Qianji might even place a bid herself .
Duan Qianji felt that she owed Fang Zhao a favor because he had done her husband Hong Lou a good turn . Hong Lou had had so much competition from his contemporaries . In the end, it had been the intervention of Shanta, the most senior commander, that had sealed the deal . Tens of millions was nothing compared to the opportunity Hong Lou had secured . Opportunities like that couldn't be bought with money, so Duan Qianji decided that not only was she going to prop up prices for Fang Zhao's lot, she was going to buy the tooth outright . She was taking the tooth home .
Elsewhere in Qi'an .
Ming Ye, the Hull virus patient, could finally say "Mom" and "Dad" articulately after nearly two years of treatment .
Ming Cang and his wife were so emotional they felt they were about to explode . They both went completely blank and froze, recovering their senses only after an extended period of time .
Ming Cang's voice started quivering . Ming Ye's medical team started checking his various vitals . Ming Cang's wife left the hospital room .
Ming Cang's wife quickly ducked into another room, closed the door, and burst into tears . After all these years, her son could finally address her . She couldn't control her emotions .
Ming Cang paced frantically in the corridor, panting and heaving . His bloodshot eyes had become tearful . He wanted to distract himself, but he didn't know what to do . He was so emotional he felt confused .
He calmed down after a long walk . When he stopped, he noticed his face was covered in tears .
After wiping his face, Ming Cang forced himself to settle down, but to no avail . He kept pacing neurotically and mumbling to himself . "He's finally recovered, finally! I should tell everyone . Who should I call? I also need to thank . . . Who do I need to thank? That's right—Fang Zhao . It was Fang Zhao who pointed us in the right direction . It was Fang Zhao . "
He dug out Fang Zhao's number and was about to call when he suddenly realized Fang Zhao was still performing his military service and was thus incommunicado .
After taking a few more deep breaths, Ming Cang felt a bit more composed . He couldn't reach Fang Zhao, so he was going to share the good news with others .
Ming Cang was just about to send out a status update on his social media platform when he saw a pop-up box that contained several news items . He was just about to dismiss the box when the top headline, "Fang Zhao Auction Lot Estimated at 50 Million," caught his eye .
What actually first caught Ming Cang's attention were the two words "Fang Zhao . " Only then had he read the rest of the headline . He clicked on the link and got the full story .
Ming Cang stared at the picture of the animal tooth engraved with the musical score .
"I'm taking that tooth home!"
He decided to join the bidding not only to thank Fang Zhao but also to mark the occasion of Ming Ye's first words since falling ill .
Folks following the auction online wondered who else was getting ready to place bids . As people with different motives got involved, the hype kept on heating up .
People who viewed Fang Zhao as a formidable opponent were peeved . Why are we seeing his name among the top search items again?
Regardless of the hype and controversy online, the Baiji military district proceeded with its preparations for the auction .
Organizers unveiled the official list of auction items on their official website the day before the auction .
The range of items that the military could chip in was limited . Other than belts, wristbands, and bullets donated by general-level military officials in positions of real power, what was left was commemorative coins .
In the age of virtual currency, only two types of people bought commemorative coins: collectors and the wealthy that treated antique coins as a fad . The former group comprised mainly genuine collectors . They bought coins for their personal collections or to make the occasional profit . Meanwhile, the rich bought coins to flaunt their wealth .
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