Chapter 73
The moment those words were spoken, the entire hall erupted in uproar.
Who could be so bold as to disregard the Yun family’s authority?
Lin Qinghuan was stunned and smacked Ye Fengyun lightly. “Are you out of your mind? Spending two hundred million on a worthless rock?”
Ye Fengyun shook his head. “It’s not a worthless rock. It’s very important to me.”
Seeing the seriousness on Ye Fengyun’s face, Lin Qinghuan realized he wasn’t joking and composed herself as well.
“My friend, apart from its value as a collectible, this stone serves you no other purpose. I hope you’ll grant me this favor. The Yun family will reward you handsomely,” said Yun Mengxi.
Ye Fengyun smiled. “Sorry, but I need this stone as well.”
Yun Mengxi frowned, her tone turning cold. “Are you declaring yourself an enemy of the Yun family?”
It was an unmistakable threat.
Unfortunately, Ye Fengyun most despised being threatened. If you spoke reasonably, that was one thing. But if you dared to threaten him, he’d oppose you to the end.
“If that’s how you see it, then yes—I am standing against the Yun family,” Ye Fengyun replied casually.
Everyone drew a sharp breath.
What audacity! To publicly declare enmity with the Yun family!
Clearly, Yun Mengxi hadn’t expected Ye Fengyun to be so bold and was left momentarily speechless.
Even the auctioneer was stunned by Ye Fengyun’s actions. To declare war on the Yun family in public? He was throwing away his future!
Ye Fengyun turned to the auctioneer. “Aren’t you going to bring down the hammer?”
The auctioneer snapped back to attention and hurriedly announced, “Two hundred million, once. Two hundred million, twice—”
“Three hundred million!” Yun Mengxi raised the bid, her gaze icy. “This will not be forgotten.”
Ye Fengyun raised his paddle again. “One billion!”
“What?!”
Not only Yun Mengxi, but even Lin Qinghuan paled in shock.
Ye Fengyun really acted as though money were nothing to him.
Lin Qinghuan’s attendant quickly pulled out a tablet, frantically calculating what such an amount would mean.
“Miss, we can’t continue. If the old matriarch finds out, we—”
Lin Qinghuan said nothing, glancing at Ye Fengyun. She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Is that stone really so important to you?”
Ye Fengyun was taken aback, then nodded slowly.
Lin Qinghuan smiled faintly, nodded, and said, “I understand. One billion—we’ll match it!”
The attendant was petrified and tried to protest, “Miss, look at the screen, this amount is really—”
He handed the tablet to Lin Qinghuan, only for her to knock it aside.
“I said we’ll match,” she declared willfully.
The attendant fainted from fright.
Yun Mengxi stared at Ye Fengyun in disbelief, her teeth clenched in anger.
“Miss, we can’t go any higher,” her own attendant cautioned.
Though frustrated, Yun Mengxi managed to keep her composure.
“You win,” she said bitterly to Ye Fengyun, “but this debt—I won’t forget.”
With that, she sat back down, stewing in resentment.
The auctioneer could hardly believe it. He’d expected the Thousand Mechanisms Stone to fetch a high price, but not this high.
One billion—it was terrifying.
“One billion, once! One billion, twice! One billion, three times!”
The gavel fell. “Congratulations, sir. The Thousand Mechanisms Stone is yours for a record-breaking one billion.”
No one had cared much for the stone before, but after Ye Fengyun bought it for such a price, everyone grew curious.
“What on earth is that stone, to fetch a billion?”
“They say it’s the legendary Thousand Mechanisms Stone, but I’ve no idea what it’s for.”
“For those who can use it, it’s worth every penny. For those who can’t, it’s just a rock.”
When the auction ended, Ye Fengyun and Lin Qinghuan went backstage to collect their items.
Tang Yilin and Lin Lei, both curious about who had bid so extravagantly, tried to follow but were swept away by the crowd, never catching a glimpse of the mysterious tycoon.
Backstage, Ye Fengyun collected both Ocean’s Love and the Thousand Mechanisms Stone from the auctioneer.
Though Lin Qinghuan felt uneasy about spending such an exorbitant sum, seeing Ye Fengyun’s smile eased her anxiety.
She knew she’d be in trouble when she returned home, but the thought that Ye Fengyun was willing to give her Ocean’s Love made it all worthwhile.
Unfortunately, Ye Fengyun hadn’t bought Ocean’s Love for her.
“Thank you, Lin Qinghuan. I’ll make sure to repay you. If you ever need anything, just ask,” Ye Fengyun said earnestly, always one to repay kindness.
Lin Qinghuan smiled, radiant with satisfaction. “Then promise me you won’t bully me anymore! I’m the eldest daughter of the Lin family—I’ve always been the one to bully others, never the other way around.”
Ye Fengyun laughed heartily. “Alright, I’ll never bully you again. You can bully me instead, how about that?”
“Hmph, as if I care.”
Though she said that, her heart bloomed with happiness.
“I’ll be heading home now. Need a lift?” Lin Qinghuan asked from her Mercedes, glancing out at Ye Fengyun.
Ye Fengyun shook his head. “No need. Go on ahead.”
“Alright,” she replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice. Then she asked, “You bought Ocean’s Love as a gift, didn’t you?”
Ye Fengyun nodded.
Lin Qinghuan was secretly delighted—so it was for me after all.
“When do you plan to give it to her?” Lin Qinghuan asked, her cheeks reddening.
Ye Fengyun hadn’t expected the misunderstanding but answered honestly, “In a week.”
“Alright, I’ll wait for you,” Lin Qinghuan replied tenderly.
Ye Fengyun was momentarily confused.
Wait for me? For what?
Oh, right—she must mean she’s waiting for my wedding invitation.
“Of course, I’ll make sure you get one,” Ye Fengyun replied solemnly.
Naturally, he meant an invitation, but Lin Qinghuan misunderstood, thinking he meant Ocean’s Love.
“Mm, get some rest tonight. Don’t stay up late—it’s bad for your health,” Lin Qinghuan said, her heart racing and cheeks flushed as she offered her concern.
Not thinking much of it, Ye Fengyun nodded. “You too.”
Overjoyed, Lin Qinghuan drove away.
Ye Fengyun gathered his things and was about to leave when several men blocked his path.
He turned, only to find more behind him.
His interest was piqued.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“Come with us,” came the reply.
Ye Fengyun shook his head in refusal.
“Then don’t blame us for being rough.”
Ye Fengyun smiled.
Their luck was rotten indeed—of all people, they had to choose him.