Soro continued, "Because the Azure Heart is so extraordinary, our auction house has made a few changes to the rules for this auction. Anyone placing a bid must show our staff proof that they can afford to pay." No one objected. They all understood Sotheby's decision.
After all, Sotheby's had put a great deal into this auction. If someone recklessly drove up the price of the Azure Heart, only to prove unable to pay, wouldn't that turn the whole auction into a joke?
Everyone genuinely wanted to buy the Azure Heart, so naturally, none of them wanted anyone throwing out frivolous bids.
"All right! Bidding for the Azure Heart begins now! The starting price is one hundred million dollars, with a minimum increment of ten million!"
The moment he finished, an arrogant voice rang out. "How could a hundred million dollars do justice to the Azure Heart? I bid one billion!"
The voice came from the front row. Judging by the accent, the speaker was probably from the Middle East.
Shen Bing looked over and saw the back of an Arab man wearing a white headscarf.
Compared with this fellow's spending, his own earlier bids had been child's play.
"The Middle Eastern tycoons really are something else!" Shen Bing remarked.
Yun Xue said softly, "Shen Bing, I think that man is a prince from one of the emirates. He even trended online back home for flaunting his wealth. These Middle Eastern billionaires might not have any high-tech industries that capture the world's attention, but they're the kind of people who have nothing left but money."
"Their good days probably won't last much longer," Shen Bing muttered.
Yun Xue paused, then understood. "That's true. If geothermal power stations spread across the world, the impact on the oil industry will be enormous."