Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet

"Bang, bang, bang," three knocks of the gavel echoed through the hall. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Downey, the auctioneer for today's Chinese antique special auction. First, let's welcome His Highness Wilson. Please rise and give a round of applause. Thank you."

Hearing this, William couldn't help but roll his eyes. Although he was reluctant, he immediately turned to Shen Cheng and the other Chinese guests, saying, "Out of courtesy, let's stand up, friends. Thank you." 

He led by example, standing up and applauding Wilson. Given his friendly relationship with the Wilson family, William wouldn't disrespect the royal family in such a public setting. Besides, a bit of clapping was harmless.

Most of the crowd, except for the English attendees who naturally stood up, seemed momentarily stunned. But seeing William take the lead, they followed suit and began to applaud.

Wilson was initially surprised but, seeing William stand and applaud him, quickly caught on. With a wide smile, he stood up and nodded gratefully to the crowd, continuously thanking them to ensure he maintained proper etiquette.

After the formalities, many people glared at today's auctioneer. If it hadn't been for him, none of them would have had to stand up to honor an 18-year-old. In fact, even Wilson felt slightly annoyed by the auctioneer's unnecessary gesture, which made things awkward.

"God, I hate this kind of thing," William complained to Shen Cheng as they sat back down. "Today's auctioneer is definitely English, and probably a royalist. Otherwise, Wilson wouldn't be getting this kind of attention."

William turned to Wilson, teasing him, "Right, Wilson? This must be the first time you've been publicly honored outside of a holiday celebration, right?"

"Haha, thank you, thank you very much," Wilson replied with genuine gratitude. Then, with a playful tone, he added, "Buddy, couldn't you have let me enjoy my dream for a little longer?"

"Sorry, my bad," William said, feigning seriousness. "My apologies, Your Grace, the Duke of Cambridge."

Wilson caught onto William's tone and knew he was irritated. He responded with a laugh, "Come on, Earl of Oxford. Be serious. We're on the same team here."

Everyone joined in with lighthearted laughter, easing the tension.

With the jokes aside, the auction officially began. The first item up for bid was a Ming Dynasty Jiajing period blue-and-white porcelain jar with a cloud and dragon motif.

When the bidding started, many people glanced at William. Seeing William uninterested, Professor Guan, who had come with Shen Cheng, smiled and asked, "Mr. Devonshire, aren't you interested in this fine piece from the official kilns? It's an easy one to authenticate."

"Professor Guan, no need to be so formal. Just call me William."

Professor Guan nodded, and William responded with a smile. "The thing is, there are too many Jiajing period porcelain pieces. I have more than ten in my collection, all of which are of a much higher grade than this one. I'm simply not interested in duplicates."

This statement left everyone speechless, with many silently grumbling about William's wealth. Fine, you're rich, we get it.

Over the next few minutes, more than a dozen porcelain and painting items were auctioned, yet William didn't raise his paddle once. This disappointed the sellers, who had hoped that this wealthy tycoon would get involved in the bidding.

It wasn't until a few more items were auctioned that something caught William's eye—a piece of white jade.

This was a top-grade nephrite jade, mined ten years ago, and the owner had spent several years having it carved by a top master. It had been stored ever since, untouched by human hands, which piqued William's interest.

The jade was the size of a goose egg, perfectly round and flawless, with a shallow carving of eight galloping horses. It was perfect for holding and admiring.

So, as soon as the auctioneer announced the starting bid of £200,000, William raised his paddle without hesitation.

Others interested in the jade grew nervous when they saw William raise his paddle so quickly. When the price hit £500,000, exceeding the market value by 60%, no one else dared to bid.

"Any further bids?" The auctioneer asked twice, and seeing no response, he hammered down the gavel. "Congratulations to Mr. Devonshire for winning the eight-horse nephrite jade."

Shen Cheng, seeing the item had been sold, leaned over and asked William quietly, "Do you not care about the price at all when you buy things?"

"Why should I?" William grinned. "If I like something, it'd be a shame not to get it. Besides, it's only £500,000."

"Right, 'only' £500,000," Shen Cheng laughed wryly. "That's over 6 million RMB. I doubt I'll ever make that much in my lifetime. Should I call you extravagant, or just someone who doesn't care about money?"

"Stop right there," William interrupted with a laugh. "Old Shen, that's not fair. Nephrite jade needs to be held and played with every day. If every time I pick it up I think of your words, how would I enjoy it?"

"If you're so disgusted, you can always give it to me. I wouldn't mind," Shen Cheng joked.

William smirked, "Haha, you think I'd just give it to you?"

"Why not? I don't hold any official position now, so why wouldn't I dare accept it?"

"Get lost." William rolled his eyes. He hadn't even laid hands on it yet, and he'd rather keep it in storage forever than give it away for free.

The auctioneer banged the gavel again. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the main event is here."

Three staff members brought out trays covered with red cloth and placed them on the display table. When they lifted the cloths, three bronze animal heads were revealed.

The auctioneer announced loudly, "Due to the owner's request, we have made a last-minute change to the auction. The ox, monkey, and tiger bronze heads will not be auctioned separately but as a set. The starting bid is £2 million, with a minimum increase of £100,000 per bid."

"Dammit!" Those interested in the bronze heads cursed immediately. The starting price for the three heads together caused many to hesitate. Auctioning them as a set meant the price would definitely go higher than if they were sold individually. Several people loudly protested.

"Bang, bang, bang," the auctioneer knocked his gavel quickly. "As an apology for the change, the owner will offer a 5% discount after the sale. Now, ladies and gentlemen, the starting price is £2 million. Do I have any bids?"

The 5% discount calmed the crowd, easing their initial resistance. However, Shen Cheng suddenly had a bad feeling and turned to glance at William, wondering if this abrupt change in the auction plan was somehow his doing.

After a brief discussion with his companions, Shen Cheng and the others reluctantly accepted the situation. For them, the best outcome would be to purchase all three bronze heads. If that wasn't possible, they had to secure at least two. But with the items now being auctioned as a set, their plans were completely disrupted, leaving them unsure of what to do next.

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