The moment the figure of ten million was announced, a low murmur swept through the venue.
Jumping directly from 8.5 million to ten million was the first time anyone had raised the price by such a large margin tonight.
Shigeru Nagano's eyes lit up slightly, and he raised his voice. "Ten million! This gentleman has bid ten million! Any higher bids?"
The man in the leather jacket frowned even more deeply.
He fell silent for a moment, seemingly calculating something quickly.
"Ten and a half million." He finally raised his paddle again, though there was now a trace of hesitation in his voice.
"Twelve million." Xinhai gave him no chance to catch his breath and immediately drove the price up again.
This time, the murmurs in the venue grew louder.
"Twelve million... Who is that young man?"
"No idea. Never seen him before."
"He came in wearing expedition gear. Isn't he the young man who showed up at yesterday's banquet?"
"Looks like it really is him."
Ryosuke Onodera sat beside Xinhai with a bottle of mineral water in hand, the smile at the corner of his lips growing deeper.
Yuma Kamiya remained composed, but his gaze lingered on Xinhai for an extra moment.
The man in the leather jacket remained silent for a long time as he looked at the Charcoal on the stage, faintly gleaming beneath the spotlight.
Then, he slowly raised his bidding paddle.
"Thirteen million."
His voice no longer carried its former calmness and held a hint of gritted determination.
Xinhai took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
Thirteen million was already several times the market price of a premium Charcoal.
But Charcoal with a 37% boost was simply too rare. Its value could no longer be measured by price alone.
So he had no intention of