"Xiao Tian, that's Jiang Li," Liang Xu whispered in Lin Xiao Tian's ear.
Lin Xiao Tian naturally recognized Jiang Li, the person who had made him act foolish for so many years. He would recognize him even if he turned to ash.
At the entrance of the venue, Jiang Li swaggered in, acting as if no one else was present. This made some of the guests feel displeased.
"Who is this? So rude!" a foreign woman with blonde hair and blue eyes shook her head.
She had lived abroad for many years and it was her first time in Jiang City, so she naturally didn't know Jiang Li.
But before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a bearded man next to her.
"Shh! Jessica, don't speak carelessly. This is the young master of the Jiang Group. We can't afford to offend him."
"Jiang Group?" Jessica frowned and pondered for a moment. "I don't recall them being among the world's top hundred enterprises, do you?"
"Silly girl, you don't know the Jiang Group, but you know the Lin family of Shenzhou, right?" the bearded man sighed.
His daughter had been sent abroad to study since childhood and knew too little about the domestic situation. It seemed he needed to teach her properly in the future.
"The Lin family of Shenzhou?" Jessica's face immediately stiffened upon hearing this.
Even though she had spent a long time abroad, she was not unfamiliar with the Lin family of Shenzhou.
The Lin family's status was comparable to the Rothschild family in the United States; they were a prominent family whose actions could easily influence the economic direction of a nation.
"The CEO of Jiang Group is the son-in-law of the Lin family."
"The Lin family is known for its loyalty and bravery. In the past, their male members almost all sacrificed themselves for the country. In this generation, among the direct bloodline of the family, apart from one who left many years ago, all the others are daughters."
"It can be said that in the current Lin family, the status of the grandsons is equivalent to that of family heirs!"
"So, silly girl, do you understand now?"
The bearded man said with a serious tone.
Seeing her father's solemn expression, Jessica, no matter how much she disliked Jiang Li, could only nod obediently.
Just then, she suddenly felt a gaze upon her.
Jessica instinctively looked over and found Jiang Li standing beside her, his eyes unceremoniously staring at her chest.
Jessica was wearing a small dress today, and coupled with her already voluptuous figure, she was naturally eye-catching. However, being attractive didn't mean anyone could stare at her in such a perverted way.
Especially at this moment, Jiang Li was standing right beside her, looking down at her!
Jessica adjusted her small dress and moved closer, pretending not to notice. Now that she knew Jiang Li's identity, she naturally didn't want to offend him.
But clearly, Jiang Li had no intention of letting her off the hook.
"Heh, foreign lady, what's your name? I'm Jiang Li. Can I add you on WeChat?" Jiang Li leered at her.
"I'm sorry, I just returned to the country and haven't registered for WeChat yet!" Jessica could only smile and respond.
"Oh, oh... that's okay, I can teach you how to use it!" Jiang Li said, and then, without hesitation, sat down next to Jessica.
Seeing Jiang Li stubbornly lingering, Jessica was about to explode with anger, but she dared not act out, as it might implicate her father.
"Haha! Thank you, Young Master Jiang, for your concern for my daughter. However, the auction is about to begin. I heard Young Master Jiang is on a mission this time. If the mission is delayed, I, Hu, cannot take responsibility!"
The bearded man interrupted their conversation.
Jiang Li finally noticed the bearded man's presence. He also recognized him as the CEO of a listed company, a figure of some standing in Jiang City.
"It's fine, it's just an auction. It won't interfere with my conversation with the beautiful lady." Jiang Li said dismissively.
Jessica, standing nearby, clenched her fists. Anyone could tell that this was a polite refusal, but Jiang Li was pushing his luck!
Seeing this, a hint of anger flashed across the bearded man's face, but he hid it well, appearing to smile on the surface.
"Haha, if Young Master Jiang is truly interested, perhaps I can arrange a time for me and President Jiang to meet at a later date for our families to get together properly. What do you say?"
Upon hearing the bearded man's words, Jiang Li's expression immediately soured.
He was flirting now, but if it escalated to his father, it would be a meeting between families, a matchmaking attempt!
He just wanted to have some fun; he had no plans to get married at all.
"Heh, we'll talk about it later. I have important matters to attend to, so I won't disturb President Hu anymore." Jiang Li said, and then directly moved away from Jessica.
The scene unfolding before him was naturally observed by Lin Xiao Tian.
"Xiao Tian, that middle-aged man with the beard is named Hu Tao. He's the CEO of a listed company. His main business is the same as Jiang Group's – jewelry. However, his assets are more than ten times that of Jiang Group." Liang Xu whispered to Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian understood Liang Xu's implication: Hu Tao could be utilized. After all, an enemy's enemy was, in a sense, a friend!
Next, Liang Xu continued to introduce the figures present at the venue and their relationships with Jiang Group. Lin Xiao Tian meticulously noted everything down.
Soon, the auction officially began.
The first item was a rough stone of red jade, with a portion already cut and showing red.
Normally, jade was green. Such a rough stone of red jade could definitely be considered a rare treasure. Moreover, this piece of red jade was large. If processed, the jewelry made from it would surely have a market value much higher than ten million!
When the auction house announced the reserve price of ten million, some of the jewelers present began to fight for it.
Those who could attend an auction of this caliber were generally not lacking in money. In just a moment, the price of the jade rough had been driven up to over fifteen million.
"Twenty million!" Hu Tao directly raised his paddle.
Everyone in the room gasped. Only a jewelry magnate like Hu Tao would dare to bid such a price.
"Twenty million, first time! Second time! Third time!"
"Sold for twenty million!"
Finally, Hu Tao acquired the rough red jade for twenty million.
The venue erupted in applause, congratulating Hu Tao on acquiring the rough stone. However, Lin Xiao Tian looked at the rough stone and shook his head.
"What's wrong?" Liang Xu asked.
"This rough stone isn't worth this price," Lin Xiao Tian said nonchalantly.
"Hu Tao is a veteran jeweler and collaborates with other renowned jewelry companies worldwide. This twenty-million-dollar rough stone might be an overpayment, but after his promotion, he will definitely earn more." Liang Xu explained.
But Lin Xiao Tian still shook his head. "I don't doubt Hu Tao's capabilities. I mean, this rough stone has too little red jade content, perhaps only about ten percent of the entire stone. The price of twenty million is definitely too high."
Upon hearing this, Liang Xu couldn't help but be startled. However, judging by Lin Xiao Tian's expression, he clearly wasn't lying.
But was this possible?
Even though the appraisal of rough jade stones couldn't be said to be 100% accurate even for some master appraisers, let alone Lin Xiao Tian who just glanced at it from a distance!