My Perfect Female CEO

The auction has begun.

The bidding for the Ancient Painting started to escalate.

Ye Fan and Mengyao exchanged glances, Mengyao softly asked, "How much should we raise in the first round?"

"Make a decent bid, test the opponent’s resolve. I believe the enemy is also watching us," Ye Fan replied calmly.

"I’ll place this bid," Mengyao said, pressing the ’1’ followed by a long string of zeros on the bidding device.

After a brief discussion, Nagano Yoko, Charles, and the others began bidding as well.

Ma De and his group also joined the fray, unwilling to be left out.

Even the wealthy bidders purely interested in the Ancient Painting were increasing their bids.

Soon, the result of the first round of bidding was out. The host, looking at the numbers in front of him—three exorbitant figures at the forefront—almost thought he misread them.

After a breath adjustment and a closer look at these figures, he couldn’t stay calm.

He wasn’t sure if this was the price the guests actually wanted to bid. What if the guests had made a mistake?

Even if the guests hadn’t erred, what if there was a backstage processing error? What then?

The host wasn’t being paranoid but was genuinely concerned.

"A starting price of one million for an Ancient Painting, and what do I see? Merely in the first round, the highest bid is five hundred million, the second highest is one hundred million, and the third is ten million." The host thought confusedly, "Even ten million is an unprecedented high price. How can there be such high bidders of five hundred million and one hundred million?"

The host doubted the authenticity of these figures, fearing an error from the backstage staff or the guests. With such considerations in mind, he was extra cautious.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please understand, due to personal reasons, I need to verify the bidding situation with the backstage staff. These bids are extraordinarily high, and before confirming, I dare not announce such exorbitant auction prices." The host’s words were cautious and deliberate. After a brief distraction, he bowed and returned to his poised demeanor.

The host communicated with the backstage staff for a while, and only after confirming there were no errors, did he feel more assured.

"The world is crazy; for an imperfect Ancient Painting, people bid so extravagantly. Isn’t that incredible? Do they print money?" the host thought with a sense of astonishment.

"Astronomical? What kind of astronomical price could a painting starting at one million have?" Many wealthy individuals showed impatience.

They had lost patience, seeing the host as wasting time.

Only Nagano Yoko, Charles, and the others seemed genuinely interested in the price, showing hopeful expressions.

Don’t underestimate this small first-round bid, as it represents a form of psychological contest.

"In the first round, the highest bid was five hundred million, second was one hundred million, and third was ten million." The host announced the three figures.

"What?"

"How is that possible?"

"Could something be wrong?"

"What is going on?"

"That high?"

"There must be a mistake."

"How could a mere painting be worth so much?"

"Even if this Ancient Painting was crafted entirely of gold, it wouldn’t be this expensive."

As soon as the host’s words fell, the entire auction hall went silent momentarily.

The silence was eerie, you could hear a pin drop.

Then, a surge of shock, inexplicable bewilderment, and complex astonishment intertwined and emerged.

The wealthy bidders couldn’t sit still any longer, each one abruptly stood, staring at the host on stage, eager to know if what he said was true.

At this moment, they couldn’t fault or blame the host for verifying with backstage earlier. Behind such a shocking figure, there had to be unknown secrets. Otherwise, how could it be so outrageous?

No wonder the host lost composure, and now, they too were losing their composure.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down. What I said is true, every word without exaggeration. Three friends indeed placed an astronomical bid, and I have confirmed, it is indeed three friends who bid such a high price, not a mistake." The host hurriedly explained, the commotion was unexpected, and despite his tough experience, he was nearly breathless over such high bids.

Having heard the host’s words, the wealthy bidders quieted down and settled into their seats.

However, their expressions remained unsettled, each displaying their own emotions.

"Something’s definitely off; how could a mere painting have such an astronomical price?"

"Nobody would purposely inflate the bid, and no one would be foolish enough to do so. Those who can afford such high bids aren’t simple folks."

"A seemingly simple, utterly ordinary Ancient Painting must hold unknown secrets."

"That’s definitely the case, it must be."

"Otherwise, how could the value of this Ancient Painting be so incredibly high?"

"But what exactly is going on?"

The wealthy bidders pondered numerous possibilities. Based on their guesses, they perceived the Ancient Painting as anything but ordinary, although they couldn’t pinpoint its uniqueness.

This left them rather perplexed.

However, one thing was certain: someone placed astronomical bids in the first round, and from three parties no less, so the value of the Ancient Painting definitely exceeds imagination.

"Unexpectedly, they were so hasty?" Mengyao chuckled, for she was the one who bid one hundred million. She looked at Zhang Lu and asked, "Was it Nagano Yoko’s group who bid five hundred million?"

"No," Zhang Lu had received precise information, responding, "Ma De bid five hundred million, Nagano Yoko’s group bid ten million, and you bid one hundred million."

"The Black Cat Team? Ma De? Them?" Ye Fan scoffed dismissively.

"That’s right, it’s them. I don’t know what’s gotten into them to dare to bid so high," Zhang Lu laughed.

Understanding the situation, Mengyao said helplessly, "I thought I was being reckless, but unexpectedly, we were overshadowed."

"Having money means being able to act recklessly; merely moving a finger brings a hundred million bid, that’s quite extravagant," Zhang Lu teased, "Even if overshadowed, it doesn’t affect your prestige."

"Since someone is stirring things up, Nagano Yoko and the others surely don’t know who is causing trouble. This works in our favor," Ye Fan contemplated for a moment before speaking.

"At this moment, Nagano Yoko and Charles surely think the five hundred million bidder is us," Zhang Lu asserted confidently.