Chapter 131: The South Sea Guanyin Wood

Upon seeing what Shen Qingli was pointing at, the staff member quickly explained, "Oh, that was brought back from a remote village. It has always been withered; it shows signs of life but never sprouts leaves, looking just like a dead tree. Some people call it a 'Money Tree,' so it was sent here for auction. It is mainly valuable because the wood is quite rare—it’s South Sea Guanyin wood."

South Sea Guanyin wood?

Shen Qingli was inwardly surprised. Logically speaking, South Sea Guanyin wood should be dead timber. How could this one possibly still be alive? Stranger yet, it was alive but failed to grow any leaves.

Just as she was about to take a closer look, she heard the person in charge speak, "Ms. Shen, the documents and contracts are all prepared. When would you like to formally discuss the partnership?"

Hearing this, she pulled her gaze away and immediately shifted into work mode.

"I think this clause needs to be revised, as well as these ones. Are you trying to pull a fast one with 'yin-yang' contracts behind my back?"

Looking at the terms, there were far too many loopholes. She slammed the contract onto the table with a stern face, her eyes flashing with irritation.

"This... this must be a mistake. We must have grabbed the wrong contract."

The person in charge, who had hoped to profit from the situation, realized Shen Qingli was not so easily fooled and immediately ordered the correct contract to be brought up. However, the woman did not reach for it right away.

"Your auction house is quite reputable. I don't care what you do with your other items behind the scenes, but attempting to undermine a spokesperson's contract makes me question your professionalism. You should know that in this industry, the greatest fear is a public scandal. If your actions damage my artist's reputation, can you bear the responsibility?"

With the point made so clearly, anyone who didn't understand would truly be a fool.

"Ms. Shen is right. How about we add another provision to the end of the contract..."

Looking at the revised contract and that final line of text, Shen Qingli finally gave the group a faint smile.

"Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

After putting the contract away, Shen Qingli returned to the private box. Upon entering, she saw Gu Qingming lounging on the sofa, looking bored and staring blankly at the items on display on the first floor.

"What's wrong? Nothing you like?"

Hearing the voice he had been waiting for, Gu Qingming came back to life instantly.

"Sister, how did it go? Did you settle everything?"

Shen Qingli nodded and waved the file in front of him. "Don't worry, everything is settled."

Gu Qingming didn't even bother to look; he knew Shen Qingli would never let their side be taken advantage of, so he was completely at ease. Her assistant, however, took a few extra glances, inwardly marveling that bringing Shen Qingli along was truly the right decision. Only she could negotiate with these stingy people and secure so many extra benefits.

"By the way, I just bid on a bracelet for you, Sister. It wasn't expensive; consider it a small token of gratitude for looking after me."

Shen Qingli felt a bit helpless. Even though she had told him all along not to spend money recklessly, she could never convince him otherwise.

"There is no need for Mr. Gu to concern himself with my wife's belongings."

A cold voice suddenly came from behind them. Shen Qingli looked back with a pleasant surprise. "How did you get here? Is everything alright at the company?"

The joy on her face appeared incredibly bitter in Gu Qingming's eyes. As expected, being one step behind meant being behind in everything.

"Yes, I finished my work and came specifically to keep you company." Xie Jinchuan reached out to stroke the woman's hair, then turned his gaze toward the man. "I will transfer the money to Mr. Gu’s account shortly."

"There's no need," Gu Qingming replied quickly. He stood up, his gaze softening as it landed on the woman. "Since Sister has someone to keep her company, I happen to have a recording session to attend, so I won't disturb you two any further."

He smiled brightly, waved at Shen Qingli, and brushed past Xie Jinchuan. The two men locked eyes, and sparks seemed to fly between them.

After watching him leave, Shen Qingli poked the man's solid chest. "Look at you, scaring people away the moment you arrive."

"I don't think it was because of me," Xie Jinchuan said with a light chuckle. He wrapped his arm around Shen Qingli's shoulder and analyzed it quite seriously, "I think he just didn't want to intrude on our time as a married couple."

His words made Shen Qingli smile helplessly. She then recalled the matter of the tree and told him everything she knew. Just as she finished, the announcement began.

"The next item up for auction is the South Sea Guanyin wood we obtained from a distant, small village. Don't be fooled by its withered appearance; our experts have verified that this tree is indeed alive."

"Such a rare tree is seldom seen, and it is said to symbolize wealth and prosperity. So, if you intend to bid, you should act quickly."

The tree naturally attracted a crowd of business owners, as they were the ones most concerned with such matters. Immediately, they began to call out their bids.

"Should I investigate that tree..." Xie Jinchuan started to reach out to examine it, but Shen Qingli stopped him.

"Rong Qiaoyi is sitting across from us. If you use your abilities, she will certainly notice, and that could lead to more trouble."

Hearing this, Xie Jinchuan turned to look in that direction. One could vaguely see Rong Qiaoyi staring intensely at the tree. Clearly, she valued this object highly.

"It seems there is definitely something strange about it, otherwise she wouldn't be so nervous."

Shen Qingli said this while glancing down at the catalog. The price was only a few million; that was an amount they could easily afford.

"Bid on it."

As soon as Xie Jinchuan finished speaking, his hand pressed the bidding button several times in succession. The base price of five million jumped straight to fifteen million.

"The guest in Box 3 has raised the bid by ten million!"

The host looked at the suddenly inflated price, grinning from ear to ear. He hadn't expected this item, which had been passed over by several auction houses, to be so coveted in the capital.

Watching the price skyrocket, Rong Qiaoyi frowned and looked toward Box 3, but the dim lighting made it impossible to see who was sitting inside. She wanted to use her spiritual energy to investigate, but she feared causing an abnormality in the Guanyin wood, so she could only urge Father Chu to increase the bid.

As the two sides traded bids, the price soared past fifty million. The host was overjoyed, thinking of the hefty commission he would receive. "I wonder if the guest in Box 1 intends to raise the bid further?"

Inside Box 1, Rong Qiaoyi glanced at Father Chu. "What is the meaning of this, Mr. Chu? Don't forget your daughter's future."

Father Chu frowned. He didn't believe in the "Money Tree" superstition at all and felt disdain for paying fifty million for a dead-looking tree. Naturally, he didn't want to spend the money.

"Ms. Rong, this price is already excessive. You need to show me a bit more sincerity if you want me to continue."