I chose one of four options at the start, and I chose the number one clan in Lingnan.

The numbers from the price increase indicator popped up on the big screen.

Two billion.

In the auction hall of the provincial capital's property rights exchange center, the bank representatives in the front row stopped flipping through documents, and the real estate bosses in the back row who were watching the excitement also fell silent.

The base price for the old Huasheng factory area is 320 million yuan, with renovation costs, debts, and employee resettlement costs to be calculated separately.

Gu Ting just reported 1.6 billion, relying on the name of Beijing Changheng Industrial Fund.

Lin Ting reported 2 billion, in cash.

The auctioneer held the gavel, not daring to bring it down or utter a word.

The director of the property rights center stood to the side of the stage, still holding the supplementary materials handed to him by Gu Ting's assistant. He glanced at the materials and then at the numbers on the large screen.

Gu Ting sat in the last row and tapped his fingers on the armrest.

"Lin Ting, do you understand what two billion means?"

Lin Ting didn't turn around.

Lin Fu laid the bidding paddle flat and turned on his laptop.

Gu Ting got up and took two steps forward.

"The Changheng Industrial Fund is backed by the Gu family and the Beijing project team. We acquired this factory for the sake of a national-level new materials base. What makes you, a mere Lingnan clan, think you can compete with us?"

Lin Ting then turned around.

"You need the factory, so we'll have to bid."

"I said, it's 1.6 billion in full."

"I said two billion."

Gu Ting stared at him: "Can you produce it?"

Lin Ting looked at the director of the property rights center.

"Is the capital verification channel still open?"

The director's throat moved.

"According to the rules, bidders can submit additional bids for verification. The eligibility for temporary bids also needs to be reviewed. Since the Lin family submitted a valid bid first, the amount of funds received will be the determining factor."

Gu Ting turned to look at the director.

"Think carefully. If you offend the Gu family, you won't be able to hold onto this position."

The director closed Gu Ting's temporary documents.

"Mr. Gu, this is the provincial capital property rights exchange center, not your fund's internal meeting. The funds must arrive first, then the procedures can be followed."

Lin Fu has already made the call.

"Financial Group 1: Funds transferred to the escrow account. Group 2: Release of pledged shares in Bai's Port Holdings. Group 3: Bridging loan for Lin's Medical acquisition. Group 4: Access to the family treasury's working capital; bank witnesses take over the connection."

Gu Ting chuckled.

"A last-minute cash grab? The Lin family just took over three hospital bills and pledged port stocks; their cash flow is already stretched to the limit. Two billion, arriving in ten minutes? Do you think the interbank system is your family's ancestral hall's accounting office?"

Lin Fu did not look up.

"Mr. Gu, your Beijing Foundation requires a board meeting to make payments, but for us in Tazhai, all we need is for Grandpa to agree."

Seven or eight more people entered through the back door of the auction hall.

They are not thugs.

They were all finance and legal staff wearing gray suits.

They connected their laptops to the property rights center's intranet and laid out rows of bank USB tokens, electronic guarantees, credit approvals, and supervisory account receipts.

The first transaction was 360 million from the Lin clan treasury.

The second sum was 240 million RMB in working capital for Lin's Logistics and Lin's Construction.

The third deal involves a 300 million yuan credit line for the merger of three hospitals.

The fourth transaction involved a pledge of 800 million yuan in Baishi Port's equity.

The fifth payment was 200 million yen in cash, representing compensation from Mitsui's performance guarantee.

The remaining portion will be covered by Lin's Heavy Industries' special account.

The bank witness sat in the front row, verifying the information together with the property rights center's financial staff.

The amount credited to the account on the screen changes every ten seconds or so.

Five hundred million.

Nine hundred million.

1.3 billion.

1.8 billion.

Two billion.

The printer for the supervisory account receipts started printing.

One sheet of white paper after another fell into the tray, the seal clearly visible.

Someone in the room gasped, then quickly suppressed it.

The auctioneer picked up the microphone.

"Lin's Holdings, the successful bidder, has submitted a bid of 2 billion yuan, and the full amount has been verified in the escrow account."

Gu Ting's assistant became anxious and whispered in his ear.

"Mr. Gu, our 1.6 billion is a commitment letter. The parent fund funds will not be transferred until tomorrow morning, and the temporary qualification is still missing a reply from the competent authority."

Gu Ting shoved his assistant away.

"Call the capital city immediately!"

The assistant ran to the corner with her phone.

Half a minute later, he returned, but his mouth was choked with sobs.

"President Gu, they say in Beijing... anything over 2 billion needs to be resubmitted to the board, possibly as early as tonight."

In the auction hall, someone couldn't help but laugh.

Gu Ting turned around and glanced around, but no one responded to his comment.

Lin Ting stood up and walked to the auction stage.

"Director, the gavel has fallen."

Gu Ting rushed forward.

"I'm increasing it to 2.5 billion!"

The director looked at him.

"Please complete the verification of funds for this round of bidding first."

Gu Ting slammed the fund authorization letter on the table.

"This is money!"

Lin Ting picked up the paper, glanced at it, and tossed it back onto the table.

"Paper is paper, and money is money."

The auctioneer looked at the director, who gritted his teeth.

"Changheng Industrial Fund's temporary bidding qualification has not been verified and it is unable to participate in this round of bidding. The auction continues."

Gu Ting pointed at the director.

You'll regret it.

The director did not respond, and the auctioneer raised his gavel.

"Two billion once."

Nobody followed.

"Two billion twice."

Xue Cheng, seated in the Bai family's section, huddled in his chair, not even touching the nameplate.

The Su family representative bowed his head to collect the documents.

Gu Ting stood in the aisle, and his two assistants behind him couldn't do anything about it.

"Two billion in three transactions, deal."

The gavel fell.

The assets of the former Huasheng factory area fell into the hands of the Lin family.

The security guard from the property rights center walked up to Gu Ting.

"Mr. Gu, please leave the bidding area."

Gu Ting didn't move, and the security guard repeated himself.

Please cooperate.

Gu Ting raised his hand to straighten his cuffs, and glanced at Lin Ting before turning around.

"Lin Ting, I've remembered this name. The Gu family from Beijing will come to the provincial capital to find you."

Lin Ting pushed the transaction confirmation to Lin Fu for signature.

"Drive carefully, don't fall."

Gu Ting paused for a moment, but was still asked to leave the lobby by security guards.

The car door closed, and the people from Changheng Fund left. Only then did Xue Cheng get up, intending to slip away through the side door.

Lin Fei blocked the doorway.

"President Xue, the people from Bai's Port Assets Department came to Huasheng to raise prices. Remember to submit a report to Bai Yu when you get back."

Xue Chengqian smiled.

"Young Master Lin, it's a misunderstanding. We just came to take a look."

Lin Fei flicked the Bai family badge on his chest.

"Does the Bai family still have the money to watch a spectacle worth two billion?"

Xue Cheng dared not accept it and left with his head down.

At 4 PM, the application for change of ownership of the old Huasheng factory area was accepted.

At 6:00 AM, the Property Rights Center handed over the first batch of factory keys, equipment sealing list, employee roster, and environmental rectification notice to the Lin family.

At seven o'clock, the Lin family's convoy drove into the suburbs.

Outside the old factory gate, half of the iron sign was missing. Inside the factory area, there was a smell of waste oil, the ground was uneven, and several pipe corridors ran between the factory buildings.

Of the 27 factory buildings, nine are leaking.

Of the forty-eight reactors, nineteen were sealed, and six had their valves removed.

There are two sewage treatment plants; one is out of service, and the other is missing pipeline parts.

Lin Fu followed behind Lin Ting with the list in his hand.

"Grandpa, there are many pitfalls. 432 employees need to be resettled, environmental remediation is estimated to start at 270 million, and equipment repair will also cost more."

Lin Ting stood at the entrance of the main reaction workshop.

"As long as it can be changed."

Wei Jianguo got out of the back car, took a flashlight, and crawled into the workshop. Sun Jianguo also arrived, followed by two process engineers from Jiangnan Heavy Industry.

Lin Dabiao led the Zhongtang convoy to park outside the factory gate.

Cranes, excavators, generator trucks, and mobile prefabricated houses arrived one after another.

People from Lin's Construction started putting up barriers, while people from Lin's Logistics placed cement blocks at the intersections on both sides of the road.

The old factory gate has been replaced with a new sign: Linshi Huasheng New Materials Base.

Lin Ting tapped his cane on the cement ground.

"Lin Dabiao, bring 500 men into the factory. We'll start work tonight."