Courtyard House: My Wife is Xu Huizhen

Page 819

At this moment, the banquet hall was brightly lit and filled with laughter, but in He Yuzhu's eyes, all of this was just a hypocritical facade.

The distance between him and Gao Kening was less than ten meters, which was exactly within the range of his powerful mental energy.

He Yuzhu took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his appearance calm, but his heart was churning like a stormy sea.

With a thought, the powerful spiritual energy hidden within his body instantly became active. An invisible and colorless spiritual energy, like a lightning bolt piercing the night sky, rushed swiftly towards Gao Kening's direction with lightning speed.

In the blink of an eye, this mental energy was imprinted on Gao Kening's body, leaving a unique and extremely secretive mental energy mark.

This marker is like an invisible tracker. Even if Gao Kening flies far away and leaves this ten-meter range in the future, He Yuzhu can still vaguely sense the general direction of Gao Kening's location with it, making it difficult for Gao Kening to escape his "control" no matter what.

Whenever night falls and all is quiet, a strong fire of revenge ignites in He Yuzhu's heart, and he plots countless times to ambush Gao Kening.

Gao Kening, like a cunning fox, sensed He Yuzhu's intentions and hid himself away early on, making it impossible for He Yuzhu to find him no matter how hard he tried, and causing his plans to fall through time and time again.

Now, amidst the ever-changing political landscape of Hong Kong, He Yuzhu unexpectedly encounters Gao Kening face to face. How could he possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by?

At this moment, he was marked with a mysterious and powerful spiritual energy, like a bright lamp suddenly lit in the darkness, or a wanderer finding a solid harbor, giving him unprecedented confidence.

From this moment on, he no longer needed to worry or fear that his opponent, like a cunning mouse, would vanish without a trace at the slightest sign of trouble, leaving him to once again be caught in endless pursuit and waiting.

At this moment, Gao Kening sat upright in the carved mahogany chair, the cigar in his hand had burned out, and the ash was scattered on the expensive Persian carpet, but he was completely unaware.

That face, which was already gloomy, now resembled the dark sky before a storm, extremely unsightly.

In his mind, the disastrous defeats of the previous two operations kept flashing back like a revolving lantern.

The first time, the carefully selected men sneaked into Huo Yingdong's mansion like ghosts, thinking they could strike hard. But for some reason, the mansion seemed to be prepared. After a fierce battle, the men were defeated and fled in disarray.

The second attempt to target He Yuzhu was made in a busy street, hoping to take advantage of the chaos. However, the attempt failed again, resulting in heavy losses and a crushing defeat.

These successive failures fueled Gao Kening's anger, which burned like a raging fire, and filled her with resentment. Her clenched fists were so tight that her knuckles turned white from the force.

This series of conflicts was like throwing a boulder into an already turbulent sea of ​​hatred, stirring up huge waves and instantly escalating the hatred between the two sides to the point of no return.

How could Gao Kening swallow this insult? Not long ago, he joined forces with various forces and meticulously planned a blockade strategy, with spies everywhere and key routes under control.

They thought this would trap Huo Yingdong and He Yuzhu in the city, halting their progress and causing them to suffer a complete defeat in this business battle.

However, reality delivered a resounding slap to his face.

Despite facing numerous obstacles, Huo Yingdong and He Yuzhu seemed to have divine assistance, overcoming all difficulties and finally arriving at the Governor's Mansion before 3 p.m.

At the same time, He Yuzhu activated the mysterious power within his body, maximizing his keen mental scanning ability.

He closed his eyes slightly, and everything around him seemed to be clearly visible to him.

Amidst the complex torrent of business information, he finally gleaned the other party's reserve price for this bid—a full 408.8 million!

Upon learning this number, He Yuzhu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, felt as if it had found a safe haven and instantly calmed down.

Recalling his initial guess about the other party's bottom line, he realized that his thinking at the time was too conservative, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.

Everyone originally thought the other party would set the price at the round number of 400 million, after all, it is a very iconic and conventional number.

But who would have thought that the other party would be so unexpected, adding an extra 8.8? There must be some unique business considerations behind this.

Fortunately, at the last moment, He Yuzhu made a decisive change and revised the bid amount to 411 million yuan.

This maneuver resembled a meticulously planned chess game, not only exceeding the opponent's bid but also cleverly gaining a slight advantage, thus securing a crucial first-mover advantage in this fierce bidding process.

With the bid deadline fast approaching, the team members worked diligently, dividing tasks and making every second count in the final checks and improvements.

The copywriter carefully proofread every piece of data to ensure accuracy.

The designers repeatedly adjusted the layout of the tender documents in an effort to achieve the best visual effect.

Finally, at the crucial moment before the deadline, they successfully submitted their carefully prepared bid to the relevant personnel in charge of the bidding process.

With less than 20 minutes left until the final deadline, the air in the office seemed to freeze, and everyone silently prayed that their bid would stand out.

As the clock on the conference room wall precisely struck 3 o'clock, the staff moved swiftly and methodically, like well-trained dancers.

With professional smiles on their faces, they warmly invited representatives from all the companies involved in this major bidding process, including the Ho Group and its competitors.

Guided by the signs, the group proceeded toward a spacious, bright, and elegantly decorated conference room.

Inside the conference room, soft lighting illuminated the gleaming conference table, where documents and materials related to the bidding process were neatly arranged.

As everyone took their seats, the highly anticipated bidding ceremony, which involved countless commercial interests and future trends, officially began amidst the tense anticipation of the crowd…

Five companies participated in the bidding, with the other three offering prices ranging from 350 million to 390 million.

The atmosphere at the bid opening was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring; everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the documents in the host's hands.

When the host took a deep breath and then loudly announced that Taixing Company's bid amount was 408.8 million, the scene was like a bomb had been dropped, and an uproar instantly ensued!

The crowd erupted in a frenzy, with whispers rising and falling like a tidal wave.

Some people stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief, deeply shocked by Taixing Company's bold offer.

Some people, however, frowned, their eyes revealing shrewdness, secretly speculating about their intentions—whether it was a desperate gamble to win or a strategic plan with hidden agendas.

Meanwhile, He Yuzhu and his group stood in a corner, exchanging knowing glances. They secretly rejoiced that after days of deliberation and analysis, they had made the right decision and successfully surpassed this formidable opponent...

It should be noted that, in previous years, the bid amount for a project of this scale has never exceeded 400 million.

In the public's perception, 400 million is an unattainable astronomical price, like a towering, insurmountable mountain peak.

At this moment, the representatives of Taixing Company were all smug and self-satisfied, and the person in charge named Gao Kening was even more arrogant and haughty.

He was dressed in a sharp, bespoke suit, and the luxury watch on his wrist gleamed with a cold luster. Every subtle movement he made exuded deliberate arrogance.

He glanced sideways at the other bidders, his eyes full of disdain, as if everyone present was an insignificant ant.

He deliberately raised the corners of his mouth, pulling out a mocking smile. The curve was like a sharp blade, seemingly capable of easily slicing through the defenses of others' dignity.

His appearance was so arrogant that it seemed as if he had the words "You're all doomed to lose" hanging on his body like a giant neon sign, openly provoking his opponents. The atmosphere at the entire bidding site became oppressive and tense because of his arrogance.

Faced with Gao Kening's blatant provocation, everyone present seemed not to hear it, their expressions as calm as still water, as if the surface of a lake remained undisturbed.

They remained seated, their postures as steady as ancient pines rooted for millennia, their minds undisturbed by his actions.

As Gao Kening watched this scene, her heart skipped a beat, and the uneasy premonition grew stronger, vaguely feeling that something was not right.

Previously, he had gone to great lengths to learn, through shady gossip, that the entertainment company's bottom price was only 400 million.

So when Taixing Company offered a high price of 408.8 million, he was full of anticipation to see his competitors crumble like frostbitten eggplants, his face filled with disappointment and frustration.

He even mentally simulated those scenes, imagining his opponents' exasperated and helpless expressions.

However, reality struck him like a resounding slap in the face.

The people in front of him were calmer than he had imagined, as if Taixing Company's high price was nothing but a drop in the ocean in their eyes, not even causing a ripple. This made Gao Kening even more confused and uneasy.

As Gao Kening was filled with doubt and restless like an ant on a hot pan, the staff member next to him coughed lightly, cleared his slightly dry throat, and then raised his hand to adjust the microphone, continuing to read out the bid price of the next company in a clear and articulate tone.

The voice was crisp and penetrating, carrying exceptionally clearly to every corner of the otherwise quiet venue: "Now, I will announce the bid price from Macau City Entertainment Company... 411 million!"

The moment these words were spoken, the entire room erupted in a cacophony of exclamations and murmurs, like a calm lake being struck by a boulder, causing waves to surge and crash.

Taixing Company, which was originally considered to have the project in its grasp, overcame all obstacles and stood out from many bidders. Everyone thought that the project was rightfully theirs.

Who could have imagined that at this crucial final moment, Macau City Entertainment Company would emerge as a dark horse, successfully overtaking the competition with a price nearly 2 yuan higher!

In an instant, the air in the entire venue seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible hand, completely freezing.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, their gazes drawn as if by a magnet, fixed on the staff on the stage. Their faces were filled with astonishment and disbelief, their mouths slightly agape, as if they could fit an egg inside.

Clearly, this unexpected turn of events was completely unexpected, like a bolt from the blue, leaving many people in disbelief and even whispering among themselves, wondering if they had misheard.

But this was only the first round of bidding, and a price lead was far from enough to make Macau City Entertainment Company rest easy and secure the gambling license that so many people coveted.

In this fierce competition, even companies that bid as little as 350 million are qualified to take the stage and present their promises.

After all, while the bid amount is a key factor in bidding, it is by no means the only one.

The Governor's Office had far-sighted and comprehensive considerations; their vision went beyond short-term interests and looked towards a longer-term future.

In their view, apart from economic benefits, factors at the societal level are of paramount importance.

At that time, the social environment in the Haojiang area faced many challenges, and the living space of the people urgently needed improvement.

The real core demand behind this bidding process is to rectify public security issues, improve infrastructure construction, and optimize the public service system to create a safer, more convenient, and more comfortable living space for the people.

However, the clock on the wall had already quietly pointed to a little past three in the afternoon, and sunlight streamed through the window, casting a dim yellow glow on the floor.

With only two or three hours left before the normal end of the workday, the atmosphere in the meeting room grew increasingly tense, as taut as a bowstring.

There were as many as five companies participating in the bidding. If we followed the usual procedure and asked each company to give a detailed explanation of their proposal, there simply wouldn't be enough time, and the task would be impossible to complete today.

The project leader and team members sat down together urgently, discussing the matter in hushed tones. Everyone's brows were furrowed and their expressions were solemn.

After careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons, a decision was made to move the formal presentation to the morning of the following day.

Today, we will first announce the bid amounts submitted by all participating companies.

Tomorrow, representatives from each company will be invited to the stage in order of increasing bid amount to give a detailed presentation of their solemn commitments and to be examined and judged by the audience.

As the crowd filed out of the Governor's House, whether they were high-ranking executives of wealthy British companies or Chinese businessmen who had worked hard in Hong Kong for many years, their faces were all covered by a cold and invisible mask, showing no extra expression.

They clenched their teeth, pressed their lips together, and remained silent, only their hurried steps revealing their inner turmoil.

The British company's employees, dressed in sharp suits and with their gleaming leather shoes clicking crisply on the cobblestones, strode briskly toward their custom-made luxury cars, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

The Chinese businessmen, dressed in traditional Chinese attire, looked solemn and walked briskly, with assistants closely following them, each holding important documents.