Chapter 528 — I Have a Plan

Otherwise, who bids like that? Even with money to burn, no one plays the game this way, do they?

Kang Guifeng felt blood surge through his chest, and was just about to call out a staggering eighty-five million when Kang Jinglong stopped him! Kang Jinglong's original task today had been to keep Wang Xinyan company, but now that the Kang family's elevation to great-clan status was all but carved in stone, he was not about to spend his time on Wang Xinyan. Far better to come to the auction and see a thing or two!

"Zhaolong, what are you doing?" Kang Guifeng frowned. "Didn't you hear your grandfather say we mean to have it no matter the cost?"

"We mean to have it, Father, that's true enough, but we need some strategy too!" Kang Jinglong said quickly. "Blind bidding like this will only drive the price higher and higher until it flies completely out of hand!"

"Oh?" Kang Guifeng was a little impatient. "If you have something to say, out with it. If we don't bid, aren't we just letting someone else buy it?"

"Guifeng! Listen to Zhaolong! Let him bid!" After yesterday's long talk with Kang Jinglong, and having witnessed his outstanding performance before Yu Haitian this morning, Divine Physician Kang now held his eldest grandson in the very highest regard — higher even than his own eldest son, Kang Guifeng.

Hearing his father say so, Kang Guifeng had no choice but to shut his mouth.

"Eighty-six million!" Kang Jinglong raised his bidding paddle before rapidly explaining to his father and grandfather, "We were adding five million at a time before, which showed we still had plenty of money left. If the other side is trying to trap us, then hearing our raises, they would certainly keep pushing higher! So now I've raised only a million, showing weakness. If they truly mean to trap us, they'll have to wonder whether this is our limit, whether we've run out of money! Just like yesterday — it was only when we could no longer raise that the other side gave up! But if they mean to have the thing no matter the cost, then a million or five million makes no difference to them at all. Let's see how they raise from here!"

Kang Guifeng actually understood the reasoning perfectly well; he had simply let his temper get the better of him. Hearing his son's explanation, he realized just how rash he had been.

Divine Physician Kang, meanwhile, regarded his eldest grandson with quiet satisfaction. The ability and composure Kang Jinglong had shown clearly surpassed anyone else in the Kang family.

"A hundred million!" Fatty Lai called out the final price.

"This..." Kang Jinglong had not expected the other side to genuinely mean to have it. He had shown weakness himself; by all rights, the man should not have raised again. If he, Kang Jinglong, could not afford it, then wouldn't the thing fall to the other fellow? Did he truly mean to buy it?

Still, that was hard to say! Fatty Lai represented the Guan Healer Pharmaceutical company. The thousand-year snow lotus was a top-grade medicinal ingredient, and the Kang family was not the only one that might need it. Perhaps others needed it too.

Kang Jinglong wanted to raise the bid, but could not, because the Kang family truly had no more money! Kang Jinglong was not a man given to rashness or recklessness. Yesterday's fifteen million at Wu Chengtian's expense had left the Kang family with only a little over eighty million in liquid assets. The earlier price had, in fact, already reached the Kang family's absolute limit!

"Grandfather, we have no money left!" Kang Jinglong drew a deep breath and said, with some reluctance.

"Then we buy it first and talk later! At a moment like this, we absolutely cannot retreat!" Divine Physician Kang gritted his teeth. This thousand-year snow lotus had to be obtained; otherwise, a whole chain of Kang family plans would collapse.

They had even put two advance samples of the "Beautifying and Skin-Nourishing Golden Wound Medicine" up for auction tonight! If they failed to obtain this thousand-year snow lotus, what would they deliver to the buyers?

At the thought that the Golden Wound Medicine and the Beautifying and Skin-Nourishing Golden Wound Medicine were still to be auctioned later, which would recoup part of the funds, Divine Physician Kang felt slightly reassured.

"A hundred million and one million!" Kang Jinglong stopped playing the big spender. Since they meant to have it no matter the cost, then they would raise little by little and see whether Fatty Lai had the patience to grind it out with them.

Once the price passed a hundred million, Fatty Lai could not help turning to look at Wei Zhao. In his view, the Kang family had essentially hit its limit. To give up now still felt rather unwilling.

"Boss, do we keep bidding?" Fatty Lai suggested in a low voice. "If that box really is that important, I think we should fight for it a bit more!"

"You can raise it a bit, just keep it under control." Wei Zhao nodded. With yesterday's earnings from the Life-Extending Detox Pill, he did not feel the sting of the money so much.

"You want that box?" Feng Xiaoxiao had overheard Fatty Lai and looked at Wei Zhao in puzzlement. "You don't want the thousand-year snow lotus?"

Wei Zhao had not intended to explain, but fearing Feng Xiaoxiao would make a scene and be overheard, he had to say, "What I want is the box on the outside, not the thousand-year snow lotus!"

"Huh? What do you want the box for?" Feng Xiaoxiao asked curiously.

"Don't ask so many questions. I'll tell you when we're back," Wei Zhao said, unwilling to explain too much to Feng Xiaoxiao.

"Hmph, what kind of attitude is that!" Feng Xiaoxiao was a little displeased. "Hey, if I get that box for you, will you be my boyfriend?"

"You have a way?" Wei Zhao did not take up her offer, but asked instead.

"Of course!" Feng Xiaoxiao nodded, then her eyes darted about. "Well? Yes or no?"

"What do you plan to do?" Naturally, Wei Zhao could not possibly agree to such a ridiculous proposal.

"Just leave that to me. If you agree, then it's a deal," Feng Xiaoxiao said, winking at him.

"Forget it, then." Wei Zhao shrugged. Agreeing to something like that just for the sake of a box was more than he could bring himself to do.

"Hmph!" Feng Xiaoxiao was furious and shot him a resentful glare. "Then from now on you're not allowed to ignore me. That much is fine, isn't it?"

"Talk to me once you've got the box." This time Wei Zhao did not object; now that Feng Tianlong was involved, he naturally could not simply turn a cold shoulder to Feng Xiaoxiao.

"Then you'll have to play along for a bit. Whatever I say later, you can't argue with it!" Feng Xiaoxiao said.

"Fine." Wei Zhao nodded. Playing along for a while was doable, so long as she could get him that box.

By now, under the bidding of Fatty Lai and Kang Jinglong, the price had soared to one hundred and ten million! Neither was making large jumps anymore, raising it a million at a time, each waiting to see who could hold out to the end.

Kang Jinglong had just called out one hundred and eleven million when Fatty Lai bid one hundred and twelve million.

"That's about enough, let it go!" Hearing the price, Wei Zhao shook his head at Fatty Lai. He was not even certain whether this thing was the "Ten-Thousand-Year Spring Wood" written of in the ancient texts, so he was not set on winning it at all costs.