Chapter 127: Reporting the Results
Jiang Yue pleaded earnestly, "Dear, is it possible the old man only found superficial information? If Cheng Yuan’s family background is really that ordinary, how could he possibly get Deputy Director Qian to help him?"
"That’s what I can’t wrap my head around. Cheng Yuan and Deputy Director Qian shouldn’t have any connection at all! Why would Deputy Director Qian do him such a favor?"
Lin Xingchen took out his phone and sent a text message.
About five minutes later, Lin Xingchen’s phone rang. It was a call back.
Lin Xingchen quickly grabbed his phone and asked in a low voice, "Secretary Yu, is it a good time for you to talk?"
"It is."
"Secretary Yu, I just don’t get it. Why is Deputy Director Qian so strongly supporting Yuanxi? Does he have some kind of relationship with Cheng Yuan?"
"I haven’t heard of the Director having any connection to Cheng Yuan. He was originally planning to attend your Huanya Auction House’s event, but after receiving a call from Shen Jiangnan last night, he suddenly changed his mind."
’Shen Jiangnan?’
’The Luo City Lord?’
’Why would he help Yuanxi Auction House?’
Soon, a thought struck Lin Xingchen, and he slapped his thigh hard!
"Lin Ruoxi and Shen Manwen are best friends! And Shen Jiangnan absolutely dotes on his daughter—he’d do anything for her! If Shen Manwen asked, Shen Jiangnan would definitely use all his power to support Yuanxi Auction House!"
Lin Xingchen turned and shot his son a fierce glare!
"Ruolong, all you do all day is fool around! Look at Ruoxi—the people she associates with are actually useful! They come through when it counts! What’s the use of those fair-weather friends you hang out with?"
"So this is all Ruoxi’s doing?"
"Yes. And it’s a good thing Ruoxi is a girl. If she were a boy, I’m afraid the Huanyu Group would have nothing to do with you!"
A flicker of understanding passed through Jiang Yue’s eyes. ’So it was Ruoxi’s connections after all? Since it has nothing to do with that Cheng kid, the old man will definitely not change his mind.’
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「Yuanxi Auction House」
The atmosphere was incredibly lively.
The VIPs had already taken their seats in the venue ahead of time.
As the most important guests, Deputy Director Qian and Vice City Lord Jiang naturally made their entrance last, receiving a thunderous round of applause from the entire audience.
As the general manager of Yuanxi Auction House, Lin Ruoxi rightfully took the stage to give a speech.
Lin Ruoxi was stunningly beautiful with a noble air. Showing no sign of stage fright, she spoke eloquently from the rostrum.
"Hello everyone, I am Lin Ruoxi, the general manager of Yuanxi Auction House. A warm welcome to all the leaders, and to our friends from the business and antiques communities for gracing us with your presence. On behalf of Yuanxi, I offer my sincerest well wishes! I hope you all have a wonderful time and find what you’re looking for. I know you’re all very busy people, so I won’t waste any more of your time! I declare that the inaugural auction of Yuanxi Auction House now officially begins!"
Thunderous applause erupted.
Cheng Yuan stared intently at Lin Ruoxi. ’So this is what Ruoxi looks like when she’s serious about work. So impressive!’
’She’s like a completely different person from the clingy koala last night!’
Lin Ruoxi handed the microphone to the host and walked gracefully off the stage.
The host announced enthusiastically, "Next, let’s welcome Teacher Zhang to the stage! I don’t think Teacher Zhang needs any introduction, right? Everyone should know him! He’s a leading authority in Dragon Country’s antiques world! In several decades in the business, he’s never made a single bad call!"
The crowd roared.
Another round of applause!
Zhang Zhigang walked slowly onto the stage. To be honest, this was also his first time experiencing such a scene, but he wasn’t flustered in the slightest. He said with a smile, "I, Zhang Zhigang, will not let a single fake pass, nor will I allow a single genuine piece to be misjudged! I will ensure that every treasure is presented with the value it deserves!"
The applause grew even more enthusiastic!
The host gestured downwards with both hands, and the applause died down a little.
"And now, let’s welcome our first Treasure Holder!"
...
With no competitors and with so many influential figures showing their support, the Yuanxi Auction House’s inaugural auction was a resounding success!
Once he was sure the inaugural auction was running smoothly, Cheng Yuan was finally able to relax. He took Shen Youchu to an empty office to focus on their cultivation.
By the time the auction ended, it was already three in the afternoon.
An extremely excited Lin Ruoxi rushed over to Cheng Yuan. "Cheng Yuan, it was a success! Our Yuanxi Auction House’s inaugural auction was a success! Guess how many lots we sold today? And what was the total transaction value?"
Cheng Yuan made a "shushing" gesture. Lin Ruoxi immediately quieted down, looking at him apologetically. ’I’ve disturbed their cultivation.’
Cheng Yuan glanced at Shen Youchu and saw that she was still in a deep state of cultivation. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and walk out of the office with Lin Ruoxi.
"So how many did you sell? Was it more than a hundred items?"
"Haha! You guessed right! We sold a total of 137 treasures today! The total transaction value was 316 million! After taking our 10% commission and deducting rent and salaries, we made a profit of thirty-one million in a single day! You’ve already earned back the entire twenty million you invested!"
Cheng Yuan laughed. "My wife is amazing. From now on, I can just focus on being a freeloader!"
"Pfft, don’t say that! You’re no freeloader; this is all thanks to you! If you hadn’t invited Teacher Zhang, if you hadn’t invited Deputy Director Qian, the outcome today would have been uncertain! All the clients my uncle and his side invited just ended up lining our pockets. I’d really love to see the look on their faces right now."
Cheng Yuan gave a mischievous smile. "Well then, why don’t you call your uncle and report your results?"
"Th-that’s not very nice, is it?"
"What’s not nice about it? As a junior, isn’t it perfectly normal to report your work results to an elder?"
"Well... I guess that does sound pretty normal."
As the saying goes, you are colored by the company you keep. This was no empty platitude; influenced by Cheng Yuan, Lin Ruoxi was starting to develop a mischievous streak of her own.
Lin Ruoxi took out her phone and dialed Lin Xingchen’s number. The call connected quickly, and Lin Xingchen’s somewhat cold voice came through.
"Ruoxi, are you calling to gloat? There’s no need. I never expected you to have so much hidden up your sleeve. This time, you’ve won."
Lin Ruoxi laughed. "Uncle, what are you talking about? You’re my elder; how could I possibly dare to gloat? I’m calling to report my results. Yuanxi Auction House sold a total of 137 lots, with a total transaction value of 316 million and a profit of over 30 million. Isn’t the Huanyu Group having some cash flow problems? I can lend my profits to the group for the time being. I hope it can help the company get through this difficult period."