Chapter 436: Scumbag Chen Ling

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately captured the attention of the entire room. The directors of the major consortiums couldn't help but wipe away their sweat, thinking, "Of course it was exhilarating! We were the ones shelling out every single cent!"

They never expected that a "spontaneous" auction at a banquet could escalate to this point.

After a brief pause, Chen Ling spoke again:

"I have felt everyone's sincerity."

"Especially the Beidou, Paradise, and Huadu consortiums. Your enthusiasm has shown me how much you cherish and appreciate these golden treasures... I believe this is enough to cement our friendship."

Mu Chunsheng, Pang Shan, and Zong Wen were all stunned.

The next moment, they finally reacted. Joy erupted on the faces of Pang Shan and Zong Wen simultaneously.

That was it! The Special Envoy had never said that only the consortium that won the most items would gain his friendship. As long as he saw "sincerity," everyone had a chance... And tonight, each of the three major consortiums had thrown away tens of millions in assets—their sincerity was maxed out! The Special Envoy wasn't a rigid machine, but a living person; it wasn't strange for him to grant his friendship to all of them after seeing their enthusiasm.

The happiest of them all was Zong Wen, who had gained the Special Envoy's friendship for the least amount of money... while the one with the ugliest expression was naturally Mu Chunsheng, who had just spent twenty-five million to win the final five lots.

He had spent so much money specifically to be the sole recipient of the Special Envoy's friendship, to solidify his status in the main city and target the Paradise Consortium. But now that those two guys had also gained the Special Envoy's friendship, how the hell was that any different from none of them getting it??

Just as Mu Chunsheng’s face darkened to the point of dripping, Chen Ling suddenly took a step, walking on thin air, and approached him step by step.

Seeing this, Mu Chunsheng felt a surge of joy!

Could there be a turnaround?

He knew it! After going to such lengths to secure the most items, the Special Envoy wouldn't just ignore him!

"The Beidou Consortium's generosity has left the deepest impression on me." Chen Ling’s voice rang out slowly. He reached out a hand and patted Mu Chunsheng on the shoulder, like an elder praising a junior who had performed well.

This intimate scene made the hearts of Pang Shan and Zong Wen jump. They held their breath, waiting for Chen Ling’s next words.

A smile appeared on Mu Chunsheng’s weathered face, and he immediately responded:

"Generosity is too strong a word; it's mainly because I love the golden treasures you've brought, and I want to be friends with you..."

He immediately gave the reporters a look. Just as they were about to pick up their cameras to record the moment, Chen Ling pulled his hand back.

Chen Ling’s gentle voice continued:

"Since Chairman Mu has shown his sincerity, I will show mine... It's rare to meet a refined gentleman like Chairman Mu who is so passionate about collecting gold. There are five more large golden treasures from the auction. If there is any one of them you like, I will take the liberty of selling it to you at half price."

The smile on Mu Chunsheng’s face froze instantly.

At this moment, Pang Shan and Zong Wen almost laughed out loud. Mu Chunsheng had spent twenty-five million to win the last five lots, only to receive a "50% off coupon" for a golden treasure... And now that the Special Envoy had granted him this privilege, if he didn't use it to buy one of the treasures at half price, it would be a sign of disrespect to the Special Envoy.

The most crucial thing was that the Special Envoy’s tone and actions were indeed filled with "sincerity." So many envoys had come before, but none had ever been willing to sell their treasures at half price. He had set a precedent only for the Beidou Consortium—this was definitely sincerity maxed out!

Mu Chunsheng’s expression was incredibly complex. While his heart ached over the nearly seventy million in banknotes he had just thrown away, he had to bite the bullet and thank the Special Envoy for his "sincerity." At this moment, his smile was uglier than crying.

"Lord Special Envoy, since we are now friends, could we find a time to have a private dinner?" Mu Chunsheng asked cautiously. "My private residence has a master chef specifically brought over from the South Sea Realm. I hope you will do me the honor of tasting their cooking..."

Mu Chunsheng was, after all, an old fox who had navigated the business world for years. Even though he had suffered a silent loss with the "50% off coupon," he regained his composure immediately and began to use his current advantage of being "favored" to seize the opportunity to get closer to the Special Envoy.

"Oh?"

Chen Ling’s eyes narrowed slightly. After a brief pause, he nodded. "No problem. Let's make it tomorrow night."

"Lord Special Envoy, our Paradise Consortium also has a signature dish that is top-tier among several realms. I wonder if you would have the time to do us the honor..."

"Lord Special Envoy, come visit my residence as well. I have a private performance stage there, and the shows on it are things you won't see anywhere else..."

Seeing this, Pang Shan and Zong Wen immediately stepped forward to invite Chen Ling as well. Chen Ling naturally wouldn't refuse, but he didn't set a definite time, only vaguely saying he would find a time to visit.

Compared to the auction itself, the settlement was the main event for Chen Ling.

Each of these three major consortiums had spent tens of millions. Chen Ling couldn't let them feel cheated; he had to make them think, "I might have only lost a little, but in the long run, I'm still profiting." Otherwise, future business would be hard to conduct. As for how to make them feel that way, it was naturally by letting them see "hope."

From the initial complete indifference to now being able to accept dinner invitations, this shift in attitude was the "hope" they saw. It made them feel that there was room to get even closer to the Special Envoy, leaving them filled with uncertainty and anticipation for the future... In this way, this sense of anticipation would subconsciously pay for their extravagance tonight.

Chen Ling suddenly felt like a scumbag playing between five girls.

These girls spent thousands on him, and his task was to make them feel that no matter how much they spent, it was worth it, all while keeping them on a string. At the same time, he had to maintain his relationships with each of them. The girls who spent more naturally had to be given some sweetness to stir up competition between them—ideally, to the point where they were at each other's throats.

"I appreciate everyone's kindness," Chen Ling said slowly.

"I will have people deliver the items you won tomorrow... Thank you all for your hospitality. This has been an impressive banquet."

As his voice fell, Chen Ling walked straight out of the banquet hall, his trench coat fluttering under the deep black night sky, dotted with stars.

He stood still outside the Hongchen Hotel. The auction staff hurried behind him, carrying box after box of banknotes. Several of the boxes were bursting at the seams, and dozens of banknotes were caught by the night breeze, fluttering and dancing above Chen Ling, drawing gasps from the onlookers...

The golden mask watched this scene silently. Sitting on two hundred and seven million, he had now surpassed the vast majority of consortiums in the main city, becoming one of the wealthiest entities in the Hongchen Realm.

His lips parted slightly, and he murmured to himself:

"The night is truly beautiful tonight..."