Little John was furious. Not a single person had come to find him during lunch. Just as Little John was sitting upright, ready to negotiate with the people from Jiangnan Group, they informed him that power had been restored and the auction would resume in an hour. This infuriated Little John to no end.
An hour later, Little John and his entourage reappeared at the auction. To everyone’s surprise, the crowd in the afternoon was almost the same as in the morning, with only about thirty to forty people missing.
This was highly unusual. After all, exclusive broadcasting rights for regions other than North America had already been sold. Those who hadn't secured the auction rights should have left.
The television stations that had purchased exclusive broadcasting rights should have gone to the relevant departments of Jiangnan Group to sign agreements. There was no reason for them to be present at the afternoon auction.
Yet, most of them were there. What did this signify?
It meant they were all there to witness the spectacle!
The events of the morning had been far too entertaining. Even if some people hadn’t fully grasped the situation then, after resting during lunch, they had figured it out: this was an intriguing conflict between the five major North American television stations and Jiangnan Group.
It was a rare and interesting event, something that couldn't be missed. They had to witness it firsthand and see who would emerge victorious.
Little John even noticed that many people from the television stations had brought their professional equipment – cameras and microphones. Hundreds of cameras, over two hundred microphones, and dozens of beautiful hosts were present.
It seemed like the auction had been turned into a press conference.
This was perfectly logical. Since they were all from television stations, bringing a film crew was incredibly easy. Furthermore, such a fantastic topic and story would be a shame not to turn into television news.
The best approach would be to turn it into a television documentary. It would surely be a hit!
Seeing these people who clearly intended to turn him into news material, Little John felt his mood worsen. He then scanned the representatives of the other four television stations. If he hadn't received a private meeting or negotiation with Jiangnan Group, did it mean Jiangnan Group had already reached an agreement with one of the other four, a private compromise, and that he had been played?
If the board of directors found out that he hadn't secured the exclusive rights to *Misty Journey*, hadn't gained any benefits from other companies, and then watched as other television stations acquired the exclusive rights at a lower price, his future would be completely ruined.
"No, this cannot happen!" Little John pondered, realizing he couldn't just wait and see. He had to seize this opportunity to make another move.
He took out his phone and sent messages to the other four, sternly stating that all five had signed an agreement and no one was allowed to breach it. Otherwise, they would collectively blacklist the traitor!
The other four quickly replied, expressing their firm agreement!
"Still good at pretending!" Little John scoffed, put down his phone, and calmed himself.
Soon, the same auctioneer from that morning reappeared, apologized, and attributed the morning's events to technical issues. After offering apologies, he presented a Tianxing 5 phone as a token of appreciation.
This gift was well-received. A Tianxing 5 phone was a hard currency in the market, often unavailable despite its demand. Giving away a Tianxing 5 phone was much more prestigious than simply offering $2,500.
Following this, the auctioneer announced that for fairness and to protect interests, the highest bid from the morning session would remain valid. He asked the representative of ABC Television, who had made the earlier bid, if they still intended to offer $27 million.
The representative from ABC Television hesitated for a moment, then raised his paddle to confirm the bid. The auctioneer, holding his hammer, said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have struck the hammer twice this morning, and this extends to now. I will give you three seconds. If no further bids are made within three seconds, the deal will be closed!"
"Such good fortune?" The representative of ABC Television was delighted, but this joy lasted only a second. After one second, someone directly raised their paddle and made a gesture of three.
"Thirty million! A friend from lot 187 has bid a full $30 million. Now that's a truly passionate bid!" the auctioneer shouted.
Wait, what did that mean? Was their bid not passionate enough?
Little John and the others turned ashen, but at the same time, they were puzzled. Who exactly was lot 187?
Little John and the others knew the numbers of the five television stations by heart. Lot 187 was definitely not one of them. This must be a sixth party that had emerged.
But in the entire United States, where was there a sixth entity bold enough to snatch food from their mouths?
The representatives of the five television stations, including Little John, stood up to look, and discovered that the bidder was a completely unfamiliar individual. They certainly didn't recognize such a person from the television industry before.
"How daring! Someone actually dares to interfere!" Little John and the others' faces turned grim. They wondered if they should continue bidding.
If they bid, it would break their previous agreement of not exceeding $30 million. They would also have to execute the agreement, resulting in a significant loss.
However, if they didn't bid, a sixth party would snatch the exclusive rights at a low price... their efforts would have paved the way for someone else.
"Wait! Is there a possibility that this sixth television station is a disguise for one of the other four? Perhaps they don't dare to bid openly and pay exorbitant fees, so they brought a puppet to buy the exclusive broadcasting rights, and then have the puppet transfer the rights to them. That would be a perfect maneuver!" Little John thought, and felt certain this was the case. These people were truly wicked.
"We can't be bound by this contract, or we'll just stand by and watch that scoundrel succeed!" Little John picked up his phone and sent a text message directly to the other four, with only one sentence: "Contract canceled, direct competition, agree?"
Within seconds, four replies came through, all simple "ok." Little John then decisively raised his paddle, accompanying it with a raised fist.
"Alright, friend from lot 041 bids $40 million. $40 million for the first time!" the auctioneer on stage exclaimed excitedly.
The bidding then entered a fierce competition, with the price quickly soaring from $40 million to the $100 million mark.
However, anyone paying close attention would notice something strange: the competition was primarily between lot 041 and lot 137. The other four seemed to have no intention of bidding; they just watched Little John, as if he had done something incredibly shocking.
Little John, however, paid no mind. He was fully immersed in the bidding. As for the other four not bidding, Little John found it perfectly normal. Their bottom line was above $100 million, so there was no need to sell at a low price. They would wait until Little John and the other party drove the price up.
Thus, the price rose again from $100 million to $140 million. Little John, who made this bid, felt somewhat drained. This was the highest authorized limit he could reach. If he had to bid any higher, it would be beyond his capacity.
Indeed, Little John had to admit that he had gotten carried away, to the point of shouting out his bottom line without thinking.
"One hundred and forty-one million dollars! Friend from lot 137 bids one hundred and forty-one million dollars. Are there any friends who wish to continue bidding? One hundred and forty-one million dollars for the first time!" the price was called out again. However, Little John sensed that the opponent was struggling. Their bids were no longer as frenzied as before and became increasingly hesitant. They were making the $1 million increments almost to the dot, and they were constantly making calls, having intense conversations with their bosses. It was clear that this was also their bottom line.
"Almost there. The capabilities of the five television stations are similar. $140 million is already a very high bottom line. The other four television stations should not exceed this price limit... Wait, why aren't the other three bidding? Have they conceded defeat?"
Little John found it strange, but the intense atmosphere on the scene left him no time to ponder. The auctioneer was preparing to strike the hammer for the third time. Little John tried to call the board of directors but couldn't get through. He didn't know why.
However, Little John no longer had time to consider. He quickly made a decision: to bid one more time. He still had the authority to exceed the bottom line by $2 million. If the opponent continued to raise the price, they could take it for $143 million, and he wouldn't be accused of cornering their money; it wouldn't be a loss.
If he could secure it for $142 million, he wouldn't be punished by the board of directors; instead, he would be praised!
So, Little John gritted his teeth, raised his paddle, and increased the price to $142 million.
"Friend from lot 041 bids one hundred and forty-two million dollars. Are there any friends who wish to bid? This is the North American exclusive broadcasting right for the highest-invested television series in history!"
"One hundred and forty-two million dollars for the second time!"
"One hundred and forty-two million dollars for the third time! Sold!" As the auctioneer's hammer fell, the auction concluded. Little John suddenly felt the strength drain from his limbs, and he slumped limply into his chair.
Indeed, in the end, he had won!
I am the strongest!