Chapter 467: The First Collection Item

Hearing Master Ma's strange, sarcastic tone, everyone present wore odd expressions.

Zhu Guirong, in particular, looked extremely embarrassed as he explained:

"Master Ma, you misunderstand. Mr. Qin is no swindler!"

As he spoke, he shot Qin Tuo an apologetic glance.

Qin Tuo, however, didn't seem to mind. He couldn't care less about such superficial matters.

Unexpectedly, however, Master Ma continued in a slow, disdainful tone:

"How could someone so young have any real ability? I bet he used some trick to fool your Zhu Family. Who knows what his ulterior motives are!"

He followed this with a meaningful smile, but the mockery in his eyes was plain to see.

Zhu Guirong was at a loss. He was about to speak up and explain further, afraid that Qin Tuo would be offended.

But Qin Tuo shot him a look, stopping him.

Zhu Guirong could only nod silently, sighing to himself.

He didn't want the Master Ma he had paid a fortune for to clash with Qin Tuo and disrupt the upcoming auction.

As for Qin Tuo, he didn't even deign to look at Master Ma. 'With my status and power,' he thought, 'arguing with someone like him is utterly pointless.'

"Everyone, please, let's take our seats!"

Seeing the slightly awkward atmosphere, Kong Lianqing quickly spoke up to break the silence.

The group then made their way to the VIP section at the side of the hall and found their seats.

A family with the Zhu Family's status had designated seats, and their arrival immediately drew the attention of many in the venue.

In another section, Liu Zhenghai had also settled in with the members of the Liu Family.

From a distance, Liu Zhenghai watched them, his eyes filled with unconcealed hostility as he brazenly sized them up.

Qin Tuo then noticed an elderly man next to Liu Zhenghai who also had the air of a profound master.

He was clearly the expert the Liu Family had specially invited for appraisal.

'All the major families must have paid a fortune for experts like this,' Qin Tuo mused. 'They're afraid of making a mistake at the auction and becoming a laughingstock.'

And if a genuine treasure appeared, they could then bid for it without reservation.

The venue gradually grew livelier. Finally, the time came, and a middle-aged man in a suit walked slowly onto the stage.

This was the organizer of the auction, Wu Qihao, a famous businessman from Bay Port.

Wu Qihao smiled at all the guests attending the auction and said slowly:

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to join today's auction. I have specially prepared three items for this event, all of them treasured pieces from my personal collection. I guarantee you won't be disappointed."

Hearing Wu Qihao's words, everyone's eyes lit up with intense interest.

After all, wasn't everyone here for the legendary treasures that were rumored to be up for auction?

'Besides, Wu Qihao is no ordinary figure. He's a renowned businessman from Bay Port; his collection can't be anything but extraordinary.'

Then, under the expectant gazes of the crowd, a staff member slowly wheeled the first auction item onto the stage.

It was an exquisitely crafted wooden box that immediately captivated the entire audience.

Wu Qihao gazed at the box and announced in a solemn tone:

"Ladies and gentlemen, behold! This is our first item today. It is the very wooden fish used by the great Master Xuanzang himself, an item of incomparable value!"

The moment he said this, the entire hall burst into an uproar. Everyone stared at the box in disbelief.

Master Xuanzang...

That name alone was enough to awe everyone present.

The heads of many small and medium-sized families now showed unconcealed greed, looking as if they wanted to rush the stage and snatch the box for themselves.

Wu Qihao was quite satisfied with the crowd's reaction.

He then put on a pair of gloves and, with a very solemn expression, slowly opened the box...

As the box opened, the wooden fish inside instantly released a dazzling, multicolored light, causing a commotion!

Very quickly, however, looks of dawning realization appeared on many faces, followed by sneers. They said no more.

Facing the crowd, Wu Qihao announced solemnly:

"The first item: Master Xuanzang's wooden fish! The starting bid is five million, with a minimum increment of three hundred thousand!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bidding could begin.

At this, Zhu Guirong's eyes lit up with excitement, and he began rubbing his hands together.

He opened his mouth, about to call out a bid, but Qin Tuo immediately stopped him.

"Elder Zhu, don't be rash."

Qin Tuo said calmly.

But Zhu Guirong frowned and asked:

"Mr. Qin, this is an item used by Master Xuanzang! So many people are getting ready to bid. If I don't, won't I just be watching this treasure fall into someone else's hands?"

But Qin Tuo replied casually:

"Elder Zhu, it's just a worthless piece of wood. The only reason it looks so impressive is that someone tampered with the box."

Hearing Qin Tuo's explanation, Zhu Guirong finally understood. 'That was a close call!' he thought. 'If it weren't for Mr. Qin's warning, I would have made a fool of myself and joined the bidding.'

Hearing this, Master Ma couldn't help but shoot Qin Tuo a glance and sneer.

"Heh, you've got some sharp eyes, kid. But this is a simple trick anyone could see through. Nothing to be proud of!"

His words dripped with deep disdain for Qin Tuo.

Qin Tuo, however, just shook his head and smiled casually, paying no mind to the barbs in Master Ma's words.

And just as he'd said, everyone else was gradually realizing that the so-called treasure was just an ordinary object, not at all worth spending a fortune on.

And so, not a single person placed a bid on the grand, opening item.

The auction hall fell into a strange silence, and the atmosphere grew incredibly awkward.

Wu Qihao, who had been full of expectation on stage, now looked rather embarrassed.

Seeing that still no one was bidding after a long moment, Wu Qihao could only shake his head and say:

"If no one wants it, I'll have to withdraw it."

As he spoke, he continued to watch the audience with an expectant gaze, hoping someone would take the bait.

But just then, Liu Zhenghai called out disdainfully from the crowd:

"Boss Wu, we all brought our own appraisal masters today. You can't fool us with this kind of trash. You might as well save your breath."