Chapter 674

"Tonight, the Rodriguez family estate is going to the Peterson Group."

Winnie felt a pang of discomfort thinking about Bob's dejected look.

"How do you know?" Melanie asked, frowning.

Winnie lowered her voice and told Melanie what she had just seen.

Melanie's eyes widened in anger. "That Ronnie is shameless. The Rodriguez estate is prime real estate. Many rich folks dream of owning it. Fifteen billion dollars might not be enough for such a valuable property. They're just bullying him. Why don't we raise our paddles and drive the price up to 20 or 30 billion?"

Winnie chuckled at her sense of justice. "What if no one else bids? Are you going to buy it or am I?"

Melanie's face turned red. "Winnie, if you hate Lawrence, let's not get involved. Mr. Jenkins said we should just watch. Besides, I've heard Ronnie is ruthless. If he finds out we raised the price, he won't let us off."

Winnie stayed silent.

Soon, the host downstairs announced, "The Rodriguez family estate, the largest building in Veridiania, spans 248 acres. Nestled against snowy mountains and next to a lake, it has a golf course, an airport, a horse farm, and an orchard. This estate exudes luxury, with even a single vase worth millions. It's a coveted possession for any wealthy individual. Let the bidding start at 15 billion dollars!"

A paddle immediately went up. "15 billion plus one hundred."

"You're being stingy. I'll bid 15 billion plus two hundred."

"I'll add one thousand! The Rodriguez estate is worth that much."

The host looked embarrassed; it was the first time he had seen such small increments at a luxury estate auction. 'Are these wealthy folks just playing around?'

"That's too much," Melanie said, pounding the table. "I wonder if anyone from the Rodriguez family is here. They must be furious hearing this."

Winnie lowered her eyes. Bob seemed very ill.

"If I had the money, I'd bid 20 billion!" Melanie clenched her fist.

Winnie thought she was still too young. "Are any of these affluent bidders really interested? They all seem to be following Ronnie's lead."

"15 billion plus ten thousand!"

Another paddle went up. Melanie didn't recognize the voice, but Winnie paused. 'That voice sounded like Rock's?'

Winnie's expression changed as she turned around, but the boxes were isolated, and she couldn't see who it was. She had known Rock for years; she wouldn't misidentify his voice. She didn't expect him to attend the auction. 'Why didn't he tell me?'

For some reason, Winnie felt disappointed. In her mind, Rock was a gentlemanly businessman. Even if he disliked Lawrence, raising the price by ten thousand dollars to kick someone when they're down didn't seem like him.

"Could it be that Rock was also pressured by the Peterson family?"

After Rock's bid, no one else raised their paddle. The host was almost spitting blood, expecting the estate to sell for a stunning price. He didn't expect these wealthy folks to just be playing around.

"Anyone else? 15 billion ten thousand dollars, going once..."

"I bid 30 billion dollars!" Winnie suddenly spoke, disguising her voice.

This caused a stir below, but the light was too dim for anyone to see who was inside the box on the second floor.

A cold snort came from the adjacent box. Winnie rolled her eyes. 'Must be Ronnie's side issuing a warning.'

Melanie was startled. "Winnie, you raised it too much! What if Ronnie doesn't bid anymore? Can you afford 30 billion dollars?"

"The Blanchet family can afford it, right?" Winnie was bluffing, acting on impulse.

Melanie looked at her. "You're not afraid of offending the Peterson family? Do you still want to help Lawrence? This doesn't match what you said."

"No!" Winnie glared at her. "I was inspired by your sense of justice, okay? Besides, if I buy it, I can sell it for a few hundred billion later, right?"

Melanie thought she made sense. "Winnie, you really know how to persuade people."

"I bid 30 billion plus one hundred!" someone quickly spoke.

"That's Ronnie's voice," Winnie said disdainfully.

Melanie was furious. "Ronnie is the richest man in Veridiania, and he dares to bid just one hundred dollars?"

Winnie sneered. "You don't know how he made his fortune. Before the Peterson Group brought down the Rodriguez Group, Ronnie was just an incompetent relative of Bob. A scheming person, once rich, is definitely stingy."

"Letting such a person become the richest man in Veridiania is unfair. Lawrence should stay on top." Melanie got bolder. "I bid 32 billion dollars!"

"32 billion plus one hundred!" Rock's voice came again.

Winnie frowned. 'If he had to speak up because of the Peterson family's pressure, then what about this time?'

For the first time, she felt disappointed in Rock. 'Why kick someone when they're down?'

"I bid 100 billion dollars."

The entire auction hall was shocked. '100 billion dollars? That's astronomical. The estate's market value is at most 50 billion. This is too much of a premium. And who dared to bid so high against the Peterson Group? The voice was synthesized, very mysterious!'

Winnie was stunned. The voice sounded familiar, like a child's. 'Did I hear it wrong?'

The host was so excited he was incoherent. "100 billion once, 100 billion twice, 100 billion three times, sold!"

Melanie was dumbfounded. "Who on earth called out that price? 100 billion dollars! Winnie, can you tell whose voice it was?"