My minimum living allowance is credited to my account every day with 1000 million yuan

As soon as Wang Jian finished speaking, the entire audience stirred again, and everyone looked in one direction.

"Ah—she's raised her sign again!" Wang Jian and Gao Lei exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

Old Master Li frowned. "So, Mr. Wang, are you still planning to go ahead?"

Wang Jian glanced at Chen Xiao and smiled nonchalantly: "Old man, I'm determined to get this painting."

Otherwise, all that pose he struck while standing up would have been for nothing, and all that attention he got would have been wasted. He had a budget in mind, and he would buy anything under 1 million. He didn't believe that the beautiful woman would spend 1 million to buy a painting that any elementary school student who had studied painting for a year could produce.

"2000."

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.
He Qing lifted her slender fingers slightly, her jade-like fingertips pinching the gilded number plate. The jade bracelet on her wrist swayed gently with the movement, reflecting a warm luster. Her movements were as elegant as if she were painting, without the slightest hesitation.

She didn't look at anyone, but simply placed the bidding paddle lightly on her lap and tapped the auction catalog with her fingertip—like a queen casually stamping her imperial seal.

The air in the auction hall suddenly froze; even breathing could be heard clearly. The hands of reporters in the back row, holding up their cameras, froze in mid-air, while the cigar ash of the wealthy men in the front row fell onto their custom-made trousers without them noticing.

"Twenty-two million?!" the auctioneer shouted in a raspy voice, the gavel slamming onto the podium. He hurriedly adjusted his glasses, stealing a glance at He Qing as if he were looking at the source of a financial storm.

This unit is Chinese Yuan, not Zimbabwean Dollars. Is it possible to inflate prices like this?

Wang Jiangang slammed the license plate in his hand onto the table with a "thud," his pupils suddenly contracted, and the smug smirk that had been on his lips instantly froze, his entire face stiff as if it had been frozen.

"Has this woman gone mad?!" He Qing's calm and collected profile flashed through his mind; she had always been so lucid. Just moments before, he had been telling Old Master Li that he was determined to win; this slap in the face came so swiftly.

He looked at the number 25 on the number plate lying on the table. The round shape of the plate seemed to mock him as a fool. He didn't even dare to turn his head to look at the strange gaze of Old Master Li.

Some grand pronouncements are nothing more than a resounding slap in the face when faced with true strength.

This is troublesome. Wang Jian had promised Old Master Li that his painting would fetch the highest price at the auction, but now he's expected to spend over 20 million yuan to bid for it? That would be far too expensive. His painting isn't even worth 2000 yuan; why should he spend 2000 million?
Thinking about the 150 billion yuan investment he needed and the network of connections he would require in the future, he couldn't help but feel a pang of pain. He glanced at Chen Xiao; that bastard had ruined him. He saw Chen Xiao and He Qing whispering together and naturally blamed everything on He Qing.

Little did people know that Chen Xiaozhen wasn't targeting him; he was just spending some money for charity. If he wasn't afraid of being too sensational, he could have gotten He Qing to contribute 2 million yuan.

However, after looking at the auction process, the next item was another painting, a work by a well-known local painter. But Chen Xiao wasn't interested. He wanted to spend another sum of money in the most inconspicuous part: after the disabled children's choir performed, the audience would spontaneously raise prices to purchase the handicrafts.

Gao Lei's champagne glass wobbled violently, nearly spilling the wine. His pupils dilated abruptly; the fragile girl he remembered, the one who needed protection, now commanded the room with overwhelming force. The 2000 million bid was like a hammer blow, shattering his earlier fantasy of rescuing her on a cloud of rainbows.

"When...did she become like this?" His Adam's apple bobbed violently, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead—he realized he had never truly understood her.

Because of the impressive results of the first two bidding rounds, the wealthy individuals and media present were extremely interested in the upcoming auction.

"The next item to be auctioned is a traditional Chinese ink painting titled 'Spring Dawn in Jiangzhou,' donated by Li Haobai, a renowned painter from this city. The starting bid is 10 yuan."

The painting received a lukewarm response; only a few people made token bids up to 12, and then no one else raised their paddles. Li Haobai immediately tensed up, glancing nervously at Wang Jian and then at He Qing, hoping these two influential figures would raise the price, otherwise, where would he put his face?

Wang Jian was also in a bind. If Chen Xiao offered another 2000 million, he would back down, as long as the old man's goal was achieved. But now Chen Xiao hadn't made a move at all. If the painting sold for 12, the old man would hate him to death.

He previously boasted that he would guarantee his paintings would fetch the highest price at the auction. Wasn't that just making the biggest boast and getting the loudest slap in the face?

"12, the first time."

Li Haobai sat there with a grim expression, his clenched hands sweating. It seemed that after tonight, Li Haobai's reputation would be ruined.

Wang Jian felt that he had been tricked by Chen Xiao. If he didn't spend the 2000 million, he would definitely have offended Li Haobai to death. But if he did spend the 2000 million, it would be too cost-effective.

Damn, why are we talking about cost-effectiveness again? He took a deep breath. If he wasn't going to spend the 2000 million, there was no point in investing in Jiangzhou. How was he going to get revenge on that pretty boy later? Besides, the landing policies they had discussed in Jiangzhou were quite good.

"12, the second time."

Wang Jian took a deep breath, then held up the sign, "2010 million!"

The audience erupted in uproar again, but this time Wang Jian didn't have the same look he had when he shouted out the 20. At this moment, he looked more like a tragic hero, or someone who had a knife to his throat and was charging into battle.

The audience and media showed him considerable respect. Flashbulbs rained down on Wang Jian, but he only turned to Li Haobai and said, "Old man, what I, Wang Jian, say, I must keep. If I say the highest price, then it must be the highest price."

He still put on this act, but the price was a bit heavy. He hated Chen Xiao to death. If he had known he would be tricked like this, he would have been better off buying that Ferrari, at least it would have some collectible value. He felt embarrassed to have this painting hanging in his office.

Li Haobai was very moved. This young CEO Wang spent 2010 million yuan just to save face. Although he knew what Wang wanted, the price he paid was too high.

Logically speaking, someone of Mr. Wang's status should be a distinguished guest in Jiangzhou, and people should be willing to build a good relationship with him. But spending 2000 million to do so is simply outrageous.

Wang Jian was basking in the admiring gazes of the crowd, but he felt worse than if he had swallowed a fly. This money was his own, and he didn't even know if he could get reimbursed by his father when he got back.

Then came the final segment: a choir of disabled children sang "A Grateful Heart," followed by the last piece of artwork created by the disabled children in their craft class.

These works are not even as valuable as the painting by that autistic child. Everyone is just preparing a few thousand or tens of thousands as a token gesture. This is the last chance for those who have no opportunity to contribute to charity.

Li Haobai joked, "This is the final piece, Mr. Wang, how about adding it to your collection?"

Such a piece is probably only worth tens of thousands of yuan. Wang Jian smiled, but he was not in the mood for it. 2000 million yuan! His whole body ached.

"1."

"1.1."

Finally, when the price reached 2, no one raised their paddle anymore, and the auctioneer felt it was time to close the day.

Gao Lei also seized the opportunity to shout out, "3!"

Let him finish this job. He looked at his goddess, wondering if she could hear him now.
As if sensing something, He Qing, who had been talking to Chen Xiao, turned around. Gao Lei suddenly became a little excited. Would she see him?
Huh? He saw He Qing raise her bidding paddle; so she was going to bid. Okay, He Qing, I'll play a few rounds with you. I bet you won't pay attention to me.

Inside the auction hall, the lights poured down like a galaxy, focusing on He Qing. She sat gracefully in the front row, her elegant cheongsam outlining her exquisite figure. Her black hair, like clouds, was tied into a low bun, and the pearl earrings on her ears swayed gently with her slight tilt of her head, gleaming with a warm luster.

"2 million!"

There was dead silence.

Gao Lei had been holding up his bidding paddle, ready to keep bidding and keep up with He Qing's lead. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest of his seat, a confident smile playing on his lips. However, He Qing's bid of 2 million was like a thunderclap. He clenched his bidding paddle tightly, his knuckles turning white, and a look of disbelief flashed across his pupils as they contracted sharply.

Wang Jian's eyes widened, and he stood up abruptly. "Holy crap, are you kidding me?"

She was both shocked by the 2 million and annoyed that her own 2000 million had been wasted. It was 2 million! How could she just throw it away at a charity auction? Did her family own a gold mine?

In the media area, the sound of camera shutters rained down like a storm. Reporters practically shoved themselves against the railings, while social media editors furiously typed out headlines: "A record-breaking 2 million yuan auction for pottery by disabled children: charity or hype?"

A representative from a non-profit organization, an elderly man with white hair, tremblingly took off his glasses to wipe them, and murmured, "This is enough to build so many rehabilitation centers..."

This is absolutely incredible! This is probably unprecedented in history. You know, the original plan for today's auction was for a charity auction with a total amount of around 200 million, but now it has reached as much as 2.4 million.

All the staff on site were dumbfounded. If it weren't for He Qing's identity, the key figures tonight would probably have thought she was just fooling around. But knowing her identity, they would understand that let alone 20 million, even 2 billion would not be a problem for her.

She's the head of the Junxiao Charity Foundation, which is Junxiao Group's own charity foundation. Why would she be short of money?

Standing next to Gao Lei, Xu Guang was truly amazed by this charity auction. It wasn't just He Qing's extravagant 2 million yuan purchase of worthless children's craft projects that opened his eyes. He was even more astounded by the young man's deceptive charm; in the afternoon, he'd hooked up with one who spent over 6000 million yuan on him, and that evening he'd hooked up with another, managing to spend over 2 million yuan under Gao Lei's influence.

These are all stunning beauties, and incredibly wealthy women too. Why can't I meet even one of them? How unfair is fate! And don't these beauties even realize that running into a gigolo like this will at least result in financial ruin, or worse, bankruptcy? Gao Lei already felt a bit inferior seeing He Qing's wealth, unsure what to say to her later. Thinking back to that afternoon, how he'd boasted about his success—it was a complete joke. She'd spent 2.2 million at an auction, while he struggled to come up with even 500 million.

However, Xu Guang's words reminded him that he needed to expose Chen Xiao's true colors as a gigolo and tell He Qing to stay away from him and stop being deceived by him.

To avoid being surrounded by the media, Chen Xiao and He Qing left the venue after completing the payment. Several media outlets that wanted to interview them were blocked by security personnel and could only watch helplessly as Chen Xiao and He Qing left together.

He Qing's pearl earrings swayed gently with her steps, accentuating the delicate lines of her neck, making her appear like a beautiful woman sketched on rice paper. Passing by Gao Lei, he was instantly captivated, but He Qing didn't even glance at him.

Gao Lei's knuckles unconsciously pressed against his palm until his nails left four crescent-shaped white marks on his skin. He should have looked away, but those two intertwined hands were like a frame of a movie forcibly frozen in time—Chen Xiao's thumb was rubbing He Qing's wrist bone, and the pearl buttons on the cuffs of her cheongsam gleamed dazzlingly in the sunlight.

There was no point in Wang Jian staying any longer. He hadn't been able to fulfill his promise to Old Master Li, which had caused him to lose face. Fortunately, the old man was understanding. There had indeed been too many unexpected events tonight, and he was already very grateful that Wang Jian had offered 2010 million.

When "Abstract Live Talking About Cars" saw Chen Xiao looking in their direction, he immediately turned his face to the side and pretended not to see him. He had been insulted by Chen Xiao several times today, and now he trembled at the sight of him. That guy was too brutal.

As they were about to leave the venue, Gao Lei couldn't help but run up to her again and shout, "He Qing, wait for me!"

He Qing's expression changed drastically; this person was too annoying. Chen Xiao also stopped and asked, "Who is this person?"

She had to explain again that it was a senior from high school, the kind that's really persistent. Chen Xiao nodded and let He Qing get in the car first. The Rolls-Royce Phantom had already arrived, and the driver, wearing white gloves, came over and opened the back door.

Obey and get in the car first. Gao Lei will naturally be left for her man to deal with. Besides ignoring him, He Qing can't think of a better way to deal with this kind of person. This is a society governed by law; she can't just physically eliminate him.

As Gao Lei watched her get into the car, he tried to go forward again, but the bodyguard next to him stopped him.

Chen Xiao's usually gentle features seemed to have been cleaved open by an ice blade. A very soft chuckle escaped his throat, like a discordant note on a piano key being deliberately pressed. He turned his head to glance at Gao Lei: "What do you want with He Qing?"

Gao Lei ignored him because He Qing got into the car. Once the door closed, he might never see her again. He wanted to expose Chen Xiao's true colors as a gigolo and let her know that only he was truly good to her.

He had barely taken half a step when two bodyguards blocked his way like iron towers. Their arms, clad in tactical headsets, were crossed in an X-shape, their muscles bulging sharply into their suits—a standard special forces interception stance.

"Get out of the way." Gao Lei squinted. He noticed the calluses on the left bodyguard's hand—marks left from years of handling a gun.

"You haven't answered my question yet." It had been a long time since anyone dared to ignore his question. Chen Xiao put one hand in his pocket and smiled faintly. Only those who knew him well knew that he was angry.

He stayed, not intending to do anything to Gao Lei. He had no right to deprive someone of their freedom to like whomever they wanted; he simply wanted to tell him that He Qing was already taken and that he should let go. He wasn't so tyrannical as to kill anyone who liked He Qing; he wasn't that domineering.

You can like someone, but you can't bother them, and you certainly can't do what Peng Yu and Xia Bin did when they harassed Zhao Xiangjun—that would be courting death.

Gao Lei was stopped and couldn't get through. Fortunately, He Qing didn't close the car door after getting in, obviously waiting for this pretty boy. His mind was buzzing at the moment, and he didn't even notice what kind of car He Qing was in.

Wang Jian and his entourage, who followed them out, immediately spotted the Rolls-Royce Phantom, followed by two Mercedes-Benz GLS vehicles, which appeared to be bodyguard vehicles.

What a grand spectacle! Considering how she spent 2 million yuan that night, and then looking at this display, it all seems perfectly natural.

Xu Guang's eyes flickered. He couldn't understand if all the female bosses in Jiangzhou had the same entourage when they went out. The last one had the same convoy, except that the Rolls-Royce Phantom was an extended version. When did this become popular in Jiangzhou?

He looked at Chen Xiao, who would become his idol from today onwards. How could someone who had been a gigolo achieve such heights? Why did he still need to strive? He just wanted to ask, why?
Gao Lei was initially a bit timid, but when he saw Wang Jian and his group approaching—Wang Jian being the vice president of Huadi Group, someone he knew—he suddenly felt he had a powerful backer. He deliberately spoke loudly to Chen Xiao, "What right do you, a pretty boy, have to interfere in my affairs?"

"Pretty boy?" Chen Xiao's smiling lips suddenly froze, like a classical piece of music paused. His slender index finger unconsciously stroked the watch chain, the metal chain making a soft clicking sound—a small gesture he made when he was in a bad mood.

Suddenly, she lowered her head and chuckled softly. This smile, which should have been gentle, made the surrounding temperature drop sharply, like the moment a window is opened on a snowy day.

At this moment, Gao Lei turned around as if asking for help and called out to Wang Jian, "Hello, President Wang," and then called out to Xu Guang and "Abstract," "Hello, brothers."

"Abstract Live Talking About Cars" hesitated when he saw Chen Xiao, but Wang Jian kept walking forward so he could only follow. When he saw that Gao Lei seemed to be stopped by Chen Xiao's bodyguard, and that the person stopping Gao Lei was the same one who had slapped him earlier that day, he thought he should leave quietly.

Now, when Gao Lei shouted at him, he immediately cursed in his heart: "Fuck you. Do you think we're that close? You're trying to screw me over."

Sure enough, Chen Xiao looked at them after Gao Lei shouted. He asked casually, "Do you know them?"

Gao Lei needed to leverage this opportunity, so he naturally had to praise Wang Jian highly. "This is the vice president of Huadi Group. One of the other two is an entrepreneur from the Han River region, and the other is a big influencer with 500 million followers. Neither of them can compare to you, a guy who makes a living just by his looks."

Chen Xiao smiled and waved to "Abstract Live Car Talk," signaling him to come over.

{You son of a bitch, Gao Lei, I curse your whole family to be hit by a car.}
The right facial muscle of "Abstract Live Car Talk" suddenly spasmed—like the slap from earlier that day was still stuck to his skin, a burning pain shooting up his trigeminal nerve to his temple. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down but he couldn't make a sound, only the clattering of his teeth against each other, like a frozen window frame on a cold winter night.

"I told you to come over, are you deaf?" Chen Xiao snorted coldly, annoyed, seeing that "Abstract" looked completely bewildered but was still unwilling to come over.

Wang Jian's face was grim. This guy Gao Lei was really asking for trouble. What happened to Gao Lei was none of his business. If "Abstract" caused any more trouble, he wouldn't be able to continue as a KOC anymore. He might as well go play the clown.

"Abstract Live Talk about Cars" slowly moved three steps away from Chen Xiao, but was blocked by the bodyguard: "Just stand here."

Seeing his trembling legs, Chen Xiao smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. You know I believe in winning people over with virtue."

{I know a guy named Der, you shameless bastard, I'll listen to you, you'll turn the other cheek after slapping me, and now your videos have over 3 million views online.}
He could curse in his heart, but he didn't dare to resist Chen Xiao at all. He quickly nodded to show that he agreed that Chen Xiao was a person who won people over with virtue.

He nodded in satisfaction. "I'm a good person, you understand me—"

Wang Jian was speechless, and Xu Guang was extremely impressed. He had never seen anyone so shameless, bullying "abstract" so much and still expecting people to call him a good person.

At this moment, Chen Xiao pointed at Gao Lei and said to "Abstract Live Car Talk": "But this person, I clearly don't know him, but he cursed at me, and he cursed at me several times in a row. Does that mean that good people should be held at gunpoint?"

His voice suddenly rose eight octaves, carrying a chilling aura. "Abstract Live Talking About Cars" was startled by his sudden increase in volume. His legs, which were already trembling, suddenly gave way, and he plopped down on the ground: "I was wrong, I was wrong."

Chen Xiao frowned. "I've already said I'm a good person. If you act like this, people will misunderstand. What will you do then?"

Ah—"Abstract Live Car Talk" hurriedly struggled to get up, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You haven't answered my question yet."

What was the question? The "abstract" expression became even more abstract. Only then did it dawn on me—it was that question he had asked: "Should good people be held at gunpoint?"

"No, no, that shouldn't be."

Chen Xiao smiled with "relief," "You understand me. What should I do if someone insults me?"

Gao Lei watched him talking to "Abstract" and couldn't understand why "Abstract" was so afraid of him. He didn't feel anything when Chen Xiao asked him the question, but Wang Jian and Xu Guang were terrified.

He said something similar when he slapped "Abstract" in the morning.

"Abstract" indeed remembered, and reflexively said, "Whoever insults you, I'll slap them."

Tsk tsk—Chen Xiao was delighted and turned to Gao Lei, saying, "You said this is your brother, but your brother seems to be on the side of justice and fairness. He said he's going to beat you up."

Gao Lei looked at Chen Xiao as if he were an idiot, not understanding what he meant. And that "abstract" thing was ridiculous. Yesterday when they met, he was bragging about how awesome he was, how did he become an idiot today?

Just as everyone was wondering what Chen Xiao meant, the bodyguard moved and grabbed Gao Lei.

"What are you doing? Let me go! Let me go!" It was pitiful that this grown man was like a weakling in the hands of the bodyguard. Only "Abstract" could understand him at this moment, because his posture was a perfect replica of his posture during the day.

He smiled at "Abstract" and said, "Go ahead, you said you wanted to beat him up, beat him up until you're satisfied—" (End of Chapter)