Chapter 58

Time passed quickly, and it was already past 10 PM. The atmosphere at the auction site grew increasingly intense, and the enthusiastic auctioneer said, "Next up for auction are the last two items of this auction. First, we have this pair of engagement rings."

As the auctioneer introduced the items, a model walked up to him with a tray holding a dazzling pair of diamond rings. The auctioneer began his introduction, "This pair of diamond rings is provided by De Beers, sourced from Botswana, Africa. The rough stones weighed 58 carats and 61 carats before cutting. After nearly two months of hard work by ten senior technicians in Antwerp, Belgium, the diamonds were cut and polished into these two brilliant stones, set in platinum. The women's ring weighs 11.1 carats, and the men's ring weighs 12.11 carats, both meeting the perfect 4C standards. This is the best gift for your loved one! The starting bid for this pair of engagement rings is 1.39 million USD! The minimum bid increment is 50,000 USD!"

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, someone shouted, "1.5 million!" A handsome, well-dressed Asian man raised his paddle. The beautiful woman sitting next to him, with a meticulously made-up face, was almost beaming with joy, tightly holding the man's hand. The man smiled gently at his companion, patted her hand, and was about to say something when another bid interrupted, "1.55 million!" The man's face immediately darkened.

At this moment, in the VIP box on the second floor, Gao Yang, who had been lounging with his legs crossed on the sofa, suddenly sat up straight, his left hand supporting his chin, eyes fixed on the pair of engagement rings on the big screen. Stock, who had been standing beside him, had a thoughtful expression when the auctioneer announced the last two items. Seeing Gao Yang's movement, he furrowed his brow slightly and walked quietly to the phone.

"1.8 million!" "1.95 million!" "2 million!" "2.2 million!" The bids kept rising, and the competition became more intense. The man, who was being looked at with pleading eyes by his companion, gritted his teeth and shouted, "2.5 million!" The auction site fell silent for a moment, and the man finally showed a satisfied smile.

"Hey!" Gao Yang couldn't help but laugh. This number was truly interesting. After laughing for a while, he saw the auctioneer start the first call for 2.5 million. Gao Yang turned to Stock and said softly, "3 million." Stock nodded and picked up the phone.

When the auctioneer called 2.5 million for the second time, he was about to hammer down. The man had already sat down, turning to his companion with a smile, saying, "Dear..." At this moment, the phone bidder announced, "3 million!"

The man's next words were cut off, and his face turned as black as charcoal, almost ready to explode. His companion, however, grabbed his hand and shook it, cooing, "I want it, I want it!"

The man's expression was now a mix of frustration and anger. When the auctioneer called 3 million for the second time, he finally gritted his teeth and raised his paddle, "3.05 million!" He then stared intently at the phone bidder. The phone bidder did not disappoint, quickly picking up the phone and, after hanging up, announced, "3.5 million!" The man tightly closed his mouth, sitting quietly, his expression so stern that his companion dared not speak.

Before the auctioneer called 3 million for the third time, he deliberately looked at the man. Seeing no reaction, he decisively hammered down. In the VIP box on the second floor, Gao Yang picked up a cigarette box from the coffee table.

He had worn engagement rings before, but after that incident, he had thrown them away. Now, buying this pair of rings, "The past is over. I will absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not fail again!" Gao Yang murmured, clenching his hands tightly, crushing the entire cigarette box.

On the stage, the auctioneer, flushed with excitement, loudly announced, "Now, we will auction the last and best item of this auction." He turned and pointed to a model holding a tray. The model walked up to the auctioneer, and the screen began to display the item—a huge pink diamond!

The auctioneer began to introduce the pink diamond with great enthusiasm. This 59.6-carat, flawless pink diamond, known as the "Pink Star," is oval-shaped, internally pure, and crystal clear. Discovered in South Africa in 1999, it took two years for De Beers' top craftsmen to cut and polish it from a 132.5-carat rough stone, creating this extraordinary piece of jewelry.

The entire audience was stunned; this was a true rarity. The man's companion's eyes turned into hearts, and her expression was as if she wanted to swallow the Pink Star whole!

At this moment, Stock had a knowing smile and walked to Gao Yang, bowing slightly and smiling, "Sir, this is their true intention."

Gao Yang, who had just taken out a pack of cigarettes and was about to open it, paused at Stock's words, his heart racing. He then continued to open the pack, took out a cigarette, lit it, and looked at Stock with a half-smile, "I didn't see this diamond in the catalog. What's going on? Tell me."

Stock smiled and said, "Sir, this pink diamond is called the Pink Star. In 2013, it was auctioned by Sotheby's for 83 million USD. However, the buyer, Isaac Wolf, refused to pay! Sotheby's has been in legal battles with Isaac Wolf for the past two years, and they only recently settled out of court. This time, Sotheby's invited you, hoping you would be interested in this diamond."

Gao Yang rubbed his temples, blew a smoke ring, and looked at Stock, "How do they know I can come up with 83 million USD?" Stock smiled, "Sir, many people know about your oil business. The Koreans didn't hide this deal. For a well-informed Sotheby's, you are their top choice for this diamond, as its price is less than a week's income for you."

Gao Yang glanced at Stock, his mouth twitching, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Stock bowed slightly, "Sir, I only felt something was off when the auctioneer mentioned two more items. You used 3 million USD to bid on the engagement rings, which isn't Sotheby's style. It wasn't until they brought out this diamond that I understood. I immediately reported to you."

At this moment, the auctioneer was still enthusiastically introducing the diamond, showing no signs of starting the bidding. Gao Yang's lips curled into a smile, and he understood.

"Knock, knock, knock." The sound of knocking came. Gao Yang nodded to his bodyguard, and one of them went to open the door.

The door opened, and Manager Rong walked in with a smile, slightly bending his waist, "Mr. Gao..." Gao Yang raised his hand to stop him. "Did you arrange for any shills?" Rong was taken aback, not knowing what to say. Gao Yang stubbed out his cigarette and smiled, "What's the reserve price?"

Rong swallowed, his expression turning serious, and he respectfully said, "61 million USD." He then touched the cold sweat on his forehead and continued, "This is the deposit we paid to De Beers, plus additional fees. Sotheby's did not make a profit on this item."

Gao Yang stood up, straightened his clothes, walked to Rong, patted his shoulder, and smiled, "I have the money, but I don't want to be a fool. I want this diamond, 61 million USD, not a cent more! Go tell the decision-maker. And I don't want anyone to know about this!" He then slowly left the VIP box, with Stock and the bodyguards following closely.

Rong watched Gao Yang and his group leave, touched his bald spot, and hurriedly ran out.

At the auction site, the auctioneer was still praising the diamond, but his eyes kept darting towards the phone bidder. Soon, a phone bidder picked up the phone, and the auctioneer's eyes lit up.

The phone bidder hung up and nodded at the auctioneer. The auctioneer immediately said, "Alright, the diamond is sold. Thank you all for your participation. The auction is now over." He then hurriedly left. The audience erupted in noise, and the man's companion tightly grabbed his arm, shouting, "Diamond, diamond!"

By this time, Gao Yang was already in the car heading to the right bank of the Rhône. It was late, and Gao Yang didn't want to drive back to Bern at night, so he asked Stock to arrange accommodation. Stock contacted the ultra-luxury business hotel, the Mandarin Oriental, one of the most prestigious luxury hotels in Switzerland. Stock chose this hotel because it was the only one among Geneva's five-star hotels with a super-luxury suite available!

Soon, Gao Yang and his group arrived at the Mandarin Oriental. Stock quickly arranged everything, and with the hotel manager's accompaniment, Gao Yang entered the top-floor luxury suite via a private elevator.

From the balcony of the suite, one could enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lake Geneva and the stunning views of the Alps. The hotel was surrounded by Geneva's shopping and financial districts, with bright lights and bustling crowds.

Stock walked up to Gao Yang and said, "Sir, the Mandarin Oriental's spa and massage services are very famous. Would you like to try them?"

"Oh." Gao Yang turned, rubbed his chin, and said, "Is that so? Then let's try it. You arrange it."

Ten minutes later, Gao Yang, accompanied by Stock, arrived at the spa and wellness area. After a shower and sauna, he received a professional massage.

Indeed, the service was top-notch. The techniques and pressure were perfectly balanced, and after the massage, Gao Yang felt completely relaxed.

Stock and the bodyguards were waiting outside. When Gao Yang came out, he followed him back to the lobby to take the private elevator to the suite. As they walked down the corridor, a commotion suddenly broke out.

Gao Yang frowned slightly, recognizing the sound of a national curse. He thought for a moment and turned towards the commotion. Stock quickly signaled the bodyguards, and two of them walked ahead to protect Gao Yang.

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Gao Yang and his group arrived at the scene of the commotion. The noise was coming from a group of people arguing in the lobby. Gao Yang's bodyguards quickly formed a protective circle around him.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Gao Yang asked one of the hotel staff.

The staff member, looking flustered, replied, "Sir, there's a group of guests who are causing a disturbance. They seem to be arguing with the hotel staff."

Gao Yang nodded and walked closer to the group. He saw a few men and women, all dressed in casual clothing, arguing loudly with the hotel staff. One of the men, who looked particularly agitated, was shouting, "This is outrageous! We booked a room, and now you're telling us it's not available?"

The hotel staff member, trying to remain calm, replied, "Sir, I apologize, but the room you booked is currently occupied. We are doing our best to find an alternative for you."

The man's face turned red with anger, and he shouted, "That's not good enough! We need a room now!"

Gao Yang stepped forward and said, "Excuse me, I can help with this. How many rooms do you need?"

The man turned to Gao Yang, surprised, and said, "Thank you, sir. We need three rooms."

Gao Yang nodded and turned to the hotel staff, "I'll cover the cost. Please arrange three rooms for them immediately."

The hotel staff member, clearly relieved, bowed and said, "Thank you, sir. I will take care of it right away."

The man and his group looked at Gao Yang with gratitude. The man said, "Thank you so much, sir. We really appreciate your help."

Gao Yang smiled and said, "No problem. Enjoy your stay."

After the situation was resolved, Gao Yang and his group returned to the elevator and headed back to the suite. As they entered the suite, Gao Yang sat down on the couch and sighed, "Sometimes, a little kindness goes a long way."

Stock nodded and said, "Indeed, sir. It's always good to help others when you can."

Gao Yang smiled and said, "Let's get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Stock and the bodyguards nodded, and Gao Yang retired to his room, feeling a sense of satisfaction and peace.