On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Wang Youde’s highly persuasive declaration of “the foundation for prosperity for generations to come” was like throwing the last flame into a boiling oil pan!

The last vestiges of rationality in the eyes of more than 300 wealthy businessmen in the audience were completely burned to ashes by the ultimate temptation of "eternal gold mine" and "glory for descendants"!

The strong smell of money and sulfur in the air was almost suffocating. Heavy breathing, suppressed roars, and the crisp sound of tea cups being crushed unconsciously intertwined together, forming a destructive sound wave that was about to explode!

Wang Youde stood on the edge of the platform, feeling the greedy heat wave coming from below like a substance, and the sickly blush on his sallow face deepened a little.

He took a deep breath and forced down the bloody taste rising in his throat (the fear of the past few days and the excitement at the moment had exhausted him), and tremblingly raised the rosewood stick inlaid with mutton-fat white jade, as if raising a key to open a treasure, and slammed it heavily on the specially made, brass-rimmed hardwood gavel in the center of the auction table!

"Boom——!!!"

A dull and penetrating roar, like the beating of a war drum, instantly drowned out the noise from the audience!

Everyone's eyes were attracted by a magnet, and focused on Wang Youde and the wooden stick in his hand!

"Silence!" Wang Youde's hoarse voice boomed through the brass loudspeaker, carrying an undeniable authority (though this authority was like a paper lantern). "The auction of the concession development rights for the Huxian Special Economic Zone, Chongming Deepwater Port, and Xirang Sacred Land begins now!!!"

He turned abruptly, pointing his stick at the sandbar wrapped in golden veins on the huge map behind him. It was precisely located near the northwest corner, with the smallest area (about 500 acres), but the position was extremely critical - it controlled the main channel of the Yangtze River and was adjacent to an area marked with a ruby ​​as a "natural deepwater anchorage"!

"First bid! Chongming Shazhou Northwest Anchor Area! Five hundred acres! Thirty-year exclusive franchise development and operation rights!!"

Wang Youde's voice was filled with excitement, almost breaking:

"This bid! Starting price—500,000 taels of silver!! Each bid increase—must not be less than 50,000 taels!!!"

“The bidding begins!!!”

"boom--!"

It was like lighting the fuse of a powder keg! After a brief silence, the audience erupted in a thunderous wave of bidding!

"Six hundred thousand taels!!" A Yangzhou salt merchant, who was dressed in brocade with round flowers and as fat as a ball, suddenly jumped up from his chair, waving his fat palms, and the sound was like a broken gong!

"Six hundred and fifty thousand!!" A Suzhou and Hangzhou silk merchant next to him, who was as skinny as a monkey and had a goatee, was not willing to be outdone. His sharp voice almost pierced the eardrums!

“Seven hundred thousand!!” A dark-skinned sea merchant with a Minnan accent slammed the table and stood up. The pigeon egg-sized South Sea pearl hanging around his neck shook violently with his movements!

"Eight hundred thousand!!" A Jinling bank owner who was dressed in a low-key but calm demeanor slowly raised the ivory number plate in his hand. His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable crushing power of financial strength!

The price soared wildly in just a few breaths like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins!

The bidding sounds came one after another, like fighting on the battlefield!

The merchants' faces turned red, their veins bulged, and their saliva flew!

Some people were tearing their collars excitedly, some were stepping on their chairs and waving their arms in a fit of rage, and some had gloomy faces, their fingers moving rapidly on the abacus, calculating the limits of risk and return!

The air was filled with a strong smell of sweat, powder, and a sickening sweet smell called "greed"!

"One million taels!!" The fat Yangzhou salt merchant slammed the table so hard that the teacups on the table clinked!

He was breathing heavily, the fat on his face was shaking violently with excitement, and his eyes were flashing with a fierce light that was determined to win!

This price has far exceeded the current actual value of this land!

But what he was betting on was the future! What he was betting on was the myth of "Xirang"!

The bet is on the future of the "Special Zone" personally led by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!

What’s more, the bigger gamble is… winning the first bid and gaining huge political capital in front of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!

A brief silence fell. One million taels! Like an invisible threshold, it instantly blocked many less powerful merchants from entering. They gritted their teeth unwillingly, their eyes filled with regret and envy, but could only sit down helplessly.

"One million taels! At once!" Wang Youde's voice was trembling with ecstasy, and the wooden stick was raised high!

"One million ryo! Twice!!"

"One million and one hundred thousand taels!!" Just as Wang Youde was about to drop the hammer, a cold and clear voice sounded from the back of the venue!

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man wearing a black shirt with dark patterns, with a stern face and eyes as sharp as an eagle slowly raising his license plate.

Beside him sat two silent, stone-like attendants, yet his aura overwhelmed the surrounding clamor. He was a representative of the imperial merchants from the capital, and behind him stood a reclusive prince of the imperial clan!

"Hiss!" The audience gasped again! The imperial merchant had made his move! And the sum total was one hundred thousand taels! This was no longer a simple commercial competition, but a struggle for power!

The Yangzhou salt merchant's chubby face instantly turned the color of liver! He stared intently at the stern imperial merchant, his eyes filled with anger, resentment, and... a hint of fear! Competing with imperial power? He didn't have the guts!

Finally, he fell back into his chair like a deflated ball, letting out a muffled groan of unwillingness.

"One million and one hundred thousand taels! All at once!"

"One million and one hundred thousand taels! Twice!"

"One million and one hundred thousand taels! Three times!!"

"Boom——!!!"

The gavel struck again! The sound was crisp and cold!

"Deal!!!" Wang Youde's voice cracked with excitement, carrying a hysterical edge. "Chongming Shazhou Northwest Anchor Area! Five hundred acres! Thirty-year franchise! Belongs to... Belongs to our distinguished guest from Beijing!! Congratulations, our distinguished guest!! Congratulations, our distinguished guest!!!"

The dust has settled on the first bid, just like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, which stirs up not ripples but huge waves!

The imperial merchant's sky-high price, far from deterring anyone, was a powerful boost to everyone's confidence! Even the imperial family was so bullish! They were willing to pay a huge price! Is there any doubt about the value of this "Xirang"?! Is there any doubt about the future of His Royal Highness's "Special Zone"?!

The following auction was completely crazy!

"Second bid! Chongming Sandbar, East Beach Area! 800 mu! Starting price: 800,000 taels!"

"Nine hundred thousand!"

"one million!"

"1.2 million!"

"One million and a half million!!"

“Bang!!!” Deal!

"Third bid! Chongming Sandbar, South Bay Shallow Waters! One thousand acres! Starting price: One million taels!"

"1.2 million!"

"1500000!"

"One million and eight hundred thousand!!"

“Two million!!!”

“Bang!!!” Deal!

The price skyrocketed like a rocket!

Every piece of land, regardless of its location or size, has triggered a crazy scramble!

The merchants, like gamblers with crazy eyes, poured the wealth accumulated by generations of their families, and even the huge sums of money they borrowed and embezzled, into this gamble that was destined to go down in history!

The shouting, exclamations, the clattering of abacus beads, and even the frustrated curses from failed bids... merged into a deafening frenzy filled with money and desire!

On top of the ruins and under the flames, a naked feast of capital in the name of "Xiran" was being staged!

Wang Youde stood on the high platform, like a puppet being roasted in fire.

He mechanically repeated the auction process, his voice already hoarse, and every drop of the hammer was accompanied by a violent cough and uncontrollable trembling of the body.

Sweat soaked through his heavy ceremonial attire, and the makeup on his face was washed away, leaving grooves and lines, revealing the ashen complexion underneath.

He looked at the merchants below the stage who were waving their signboards frantically and scrambling for the "sacred land" like evil spirits, and his heart was filled with absurd fear and a feeling of exhaustion on the verge of collapse.

He knew that the fire of greed that he had ignited with his own hands had completely gotten out of control and was about to burn him and the ruins to ashes!