Liu Ritian and his daughter, Liu Ruxue, both looked astonished, especially Liu Ritian, whose hair seemed to stand on end from anger.
"Sister, did you call me here just to make us stand guard like this?"
Liu Yuemei also felt a bit awkward, but she really wanted to enter because she and Lin Jian were representing the Suran Group.
Liu Ritian snorted coldly, "Hmph, I don’t have to go in, but Ruxue must go in to gain some experience."
Lin Jian noticed the awkwardness in the atmosphere and spoke up calmly.
"I won’t go in. Let Ruxue go in instead."
Liu Ruxue looked at Lin Jian with gratitude, and he returned her gaze with a meaningful look.
Liu Yuemei knew that this whole situation was because she hadn’t properly inquired about the rules beforehand. Now, she couldn’t say much and could only silently agree.
Thinking about how Lin Ran had swaggered in earlier made her furious.
It was all Lin Ran’s fault. If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have been humiliated like this.
Her hatred for Lin Ran grew even stronger.
Just like that, Liu Yuemei led her niece into the venue, where they immediately spotted Lin Ran sitting in the front row.
After a moment of thought, she put on a kind expression and walked with Liu Ruxue toward the front row. However, they were stopped by a staff member.
"Ladies, you can only sit in the back. The front-row seats are reserved for VIPs."
Liu Ruxue retorted, "Do you know who we are? We’re from the Suran Group."
The staff member smiled, "I know the Suran Group, but in the capital, it’s a small company that’s not even on the radar. I’m surprised you even dare to look down on the Luo Corporation. If you’re not satisfied, you’re free to leave now."
The staff member had clearly seen Liu Yuemei causing trouble for other staff at the entrance earlier. He also knew that she had dared to disrespect the Luo Corporation, and he had already taken a dislike to the two of them.
Liu Yuemei was fuming inside. How dare this staff member look down on the Suran Group? It was a slap in her face.
"You dare to look down on the Suran Group?"
The staff member replied, "If that’s how you see it, there’s nothing I can do."
"You… Do you believe I’ll…" She was about to say something but then remembered her brother’s warning that the organizer of tonight’s auction had a very powerful background.
She then pointed in Lin Ran’s direction and said, "My son is sitting up front, right there. He’s representing the Luo Corporation. Can I go over now?"
The staff member was startled and quickly confirmed through his earpiece. After a moment, another staff member came over and said,
"Mr. Lin says he doesn’t know these two."
Liu Yuemei was instantly enraged. "Nonsense! Lin Ran is my son. How dare that ungrateful brat say he doesn’t know me? Does he think he can disown his family just because he’s climbed up the ranks in the Luo Corporation?"
The staff member sneered, thinking to himself that climbing up in the Luo Corporation was indeed a good reason to disown one’s family.
"Ladies, if you’re not going to take your seats, please leave. We have the right to remove anyone who disrupts the order."
Liu Yuemei hadn’t expected a mere staff member to be so assertive, but when she saw the security guards approaching behind him, she backed down.
She pulled Liu Ruxue to the back row and sat down, silently glaring at Lin Ran in the front row, her face filled with hatred.
It was all Lin Ran’s fault. If it weren’t for him, she wouldn’t have been humiliated like this.
Liu Ruxue asked, "Auntie, what’s going on with Lin Ran?"
Liu Yuemei didn’t answer. She couldn’t very well say that Lin Ran had swindled three billion from the Lin family.
However, what Liu Yuemei didn’t know was that Lin Jian had already told Liu Ruxue about it, though Liu Ruxue was pretending not to know.
Three billion! If she had that much money, how many designer bags could she buy?
Her gaze toward Lin Ran was filled with affection.
If Lin Ran were willing to offer three billion as a dowry, she might even consider marrying him. Although she also "loved" Lin Jian, he was her cousin, and such love was neither recognized nor blessed.
But Lin Ran now met all the criteria for marriage.
He was rich, handsome, and most importantly, he had always been generous to her.
If he could cut ties with that woman from the Luo family, hand over the three billion, and propose, she might just say yes.
Lin Ran, sitting in the front row, didn’t glance back even once. However, Uncle Fu beside him kept looking back nervously.
Wu Zhishang, on the other hand, kept whispering into Lin Ran’s ear.
"Brother Lin! This place is freaking luxurious! Look at that stage, those girls, those legs, look at…"
Lin Ran snapped, "I’ll look at your mom’s hammer, you idiot. Are you trying to get me killed?"
Wu Zhishang was baffled. "…???"
At that moment, the lights dimmed, and a host stepped onto the stage.
The entire room erupted in gasps.
Wu Zhishang’s eyes widened. "Holy crap, isn’t that Chen Qingtian, the star anchor from Donghai TV?"
"I thought the auction host would be some old geezer, but it’s actually a household-name celebrity!"
Lin Ran nodded. He hadn’t expected the host to be a celebrity either.
Lin Ran remembered that Chen Qingtian’s career had been smooth sailing so far, with her only low point coming soon when she would be caught in a scandal involving a late-night "script discussion" with a director at a hotel.
However, Chen Qingtian was no ordinary person. As soon as the scandal broke, she immediately revealed her wealthy family background. Not only did the director retract his statements, but even the media apologized and clarified the situation.
With such a powerful background, no one dared to slander her anymore.
But none of this concerned Lin Ran. He just recalled some memories upon seeing her in person.
A celebrity? Hah, to ordinary people, you might seem untouchable, but in the eyes of the powerful, you’re just a plaything.
What truly commands respect is the power behind someone, like Chen Qingtian. Without her background, she would have been crushed by the scandal, never able to recover.
Soon, Chen Qingtian picked up the microphone.
"Respected leaders, ladies, and gentlemen, good evening!"
"Thank you all for attending tonight’s charity gala. I’m Chen Qingtian…"
She spoke for about ten minutes before finally getting to the main event—the charity auction.
"Everyone, the charity auction is now officially beginning. We solemnly promise that all proceeds from tonight’s auction will go toward charitable causes, and we welcome your supervision. Now, let’s welcome tonight’s auctioneer, Mr. Yang Wei."
Pfft!
Lin Ran stifled a laugh. That name carried a certain… lack of confidence.
As Chen Qingtian finished speaking, a man in his fifties, dressed in traditional Tang attire, slowly walked onto the stage.
The staff immediately brought out the first item of the night.
As the item was displayed, gasps of awe filled the room, and the screen began its presentation.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first item up for auction tonight—‘Eternal Love.’"
"This necklace is the final masterpiece of Master Jack, the chief designer of a renowned jewelry company. It features the world’s top craftsmanship, with a central sapphire surrounded by white diamonds. There is only one of its kind in the world, making it the number one necklace globally."
"It is said that Master Jack created this piece to commemorate his eternal love for his late wife. It symbolizes not just love but also holds immense significance and unparalleled collectible value. The sapphire alone was once auctioned for one billion Chinese yuan in the United States."
"The starting bid for this piece is 130 million, with each increment no less than 10,000."