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Chapter 50 – First Update

Before the auction began, the organizers had already collected and organized letters of intent from the bidders. The most eye-catching among them were four mining areas, because there were five interested parties, and the starting bid skyrocketed from $1 million USD to $5 million USD.

A display board at the front showcased maps of over a hundred mining areas. Lin Keying clearly saw that the four mining areas with the highest starting bids were exactly the four worthless mines she had vaguely hyped to mislead the wealthy British and French businessmen.

These four “junk” mines were the biggest surprise of the auction. Analyzing the environmental location and surrounding soil conditions, they seemed like promising mines, but in reality, they would be bitterly disappointing.

The auction began with the first of these junk mines, starting at $5 million USD.

Because it was a blind auction, everyone was cautious — hoping for a top-quality mine but fearing they might end up with worthless land. While observing each other, they hesitated about whether to participate in the most contested auction area.

After all, in an all-blind auction, only those with insider information would have an advantage and make decisive bids.

Among the British and French businessmen, Charles and Leo were exchanging opinions and hesitating to make a move, when a confident yet casual voice suddenly echoed through the hall.

“Ten million USD.”
Someone in the hall raised their bidding paddle first, doubling the starting price right away — shocking everyone.

Lin Keying glanced slightly surprised at the man beside her.

She had only asked Cheng Wanting to help push the price a little, but wasn’t this a bit too aggressive?

Yet the man remained calm and composed, bidding $10 million as casually as if he had spent just $1,000, full of confidence and flair.

Many of the cautious bidders inside the venue began calculating inwardly — a mysterious buyer making such a confident, high bid on his first move…

British businessman Charles couldn’t hold back. Competing with the French was one thing, but where did this man with an Eastern face get the nerve to act so boldly?

He nodded gentlemanly to Lin Keying and decided to show the beautiful Miss Lin just how incapable her mediocre husband was.

“Fifteen million,” Charles raised his paddle.

An American businessman loudly commented, “Mr. Charles is very capable. Mr. Leo, aren’t you going to bid?”

French businessman Leo already suspected the British had insider information. Now that someone from Hong Kong had joined in and Charles had bid high, he couldn’t fall behind:
“Eighteen million.”

The price of the first mine soared quickly, pushing what should have been a slow-paced auction into a heated frenzy.

The more people fought over something, the more others were drawn in. In the end, the first mine was won by British businessman Charles for $18 million USD.

Charles gave a gentlemanly nod to Leo, then turned apologetically to Lin Keying’s direction:
“Miss Lin, sorry for snatching the mine your husband wanted.”

Lin Keying forced a smile and turned to complain in English loud enough for several nearby foreign businessmen to hear:
“Darling, we can’t lose the next mine. Didn’t you say you were going to buy me a mine and give me the world’s most beautiful diamonds?”

Cheng Wanting also promised in English:
“Don’t worry — the next one will definitely be ours.”

However, things didn’t go as planned.

Backed by powerful capital, the British and French businessmen kept pushing forward. Along with the American businessman who fanned the flames at every turn, the combined Western forces worked together to suppress Cheng Wanting. Every time he bid up to $20 million, Charles and Leo would take turns raising it by $3 million increments, forcing him into a corner.

The second mine was won by French businessman Leo for $26 million.

The third mine was taken by the American businessman for $28 million.

When the price for the fourth mine reached $23 million thanks to British and French bids, Lin Keying took the paddle from Cheng Wanting, hesitated briefly, and raised it:
“Thir—”

Before she could finish, the same mischievous, overweight American businessman from the day before suddenly leapt in arrogantly:
“Thirty million!”

Other businessmen, who occasionally participated, saw that these British, French, and American players were constantly bidding aggressively and seemed determined to win — most of them chose to bow out.

After all, blindly spending tens of millions on a mine of unknown quality could be heartbreaking if it turned out worthless.

Looking at the smug American businessman, the sly British businessman, and the Frenchman watching the show, Lin Keying calmly raised her hand:
“Thirty-eight million USD!”

The price for a single mine had now reached the highest of the day — even the highest in the past decade.

Even those who’d heard rumors that these mines might be good hesitated. After all, it was still a blind auction — all a gamble!

Seeing their hesitation, Lin Keying calmly spoke to Cheng Wanting in English:
“Darling, this mine looks promising. When it’s mined, I’ll wear a diamond on every finger.”

Cheng Wanting leaned back comfortably in his chair — no longer adopting the usual tense posture of business negotiations — and nodded at the British, French, and American businessmen:
“Then I must thank all of you for letting it go… Mr. Charles, when we return to Hong Kong, I’ll treat you to tea.”

“Forty million!”
British capital was the most prestigious in Hong Kong; Charles couldn’t stand the provocation and immediately raised his paddle.

In the end, the fourth mine was sold to Charles for $40 million USD — the crown jewel of the auction.

Charles smugly lifted his chin but maintained gentlemanly manners:
“Miss Lin, when we return to Hong Kong, I’ll treat you and your husband to tea. It’s a shame you didn’t win anything today — my apologies.”

Lin Keying forced a stiff smile for a second before turning to Cheng Wanting and mockingly complaining:
“Darling, you… my diamonds are gone!”

But her eyelash-fringed eyes quickly blinked mischievously as she leaned closer to him and whispered in Cantonese:
“Done~ Hehe.”

This auction had started high and ended low. The four most popular mines were fiercely fought over by wealthy businessmen from several countries, setting record-breaking prices. As a result, later mines saw dwindling bids as budgets were exhausted, and prices kept dropping.

Guo Changda and Zhao Fengzhen secured six mines Lin Keying had set aside with a starting bid of $1 million USD each and later won Kimberly Mines 1, 2, and 3 through a few more auctions — spending a total of $12 million USD.

All nine mines combined didn’t cost as much as even one of the overpriced junk mines that the British, French, and American magnates had snapped up.

After the event, Lin Keying held back her laughter all the way back to her room before her lips curved beautifully, her eyes sparkling even more brilliantly than diamonds.

“Had fun?” Cheng Wanting rarely saw his new bride so gloating, his eyes nearly crinkling from his smile.

“Mhm!” Lin Keying pounced on him and insisted on shaking hands.
“Mr. Cheng, we made a great team! I… I met some locals from South Africa on the ship. They told me that mines with certain characteristics — just like those four — were likely worthless, maybe yielding nothing good at all.”

Spending tens of millions to buy such mines and missing out on the true top-tier SSS mine — in time, those people would regret it deeply.

Cheng Wanting had never cared much about blind-bidding mines — money spent didn’t matter to him — but his wife’s joy infected him as well:
“You really can act.”

Lin Keying looked deeply at the man, silently muttering to herself:
Well, of course — and you still haven’t figured out I’m a fake.

Cheng Wanting simply remarked:
“Mr. Guo, I’ll transfer the $12 million USD for the nine mines to your account.”

Guo Changda waved his hand:
“No need. Consider it a gift for Keying.”

Cheng Wanting firmly refused:
“I’m her husband. Naturally, I should be the one giving it to her.”

Zhao Fengzhen didn’t back down:
“We’re her godparents too.”

As both sides argued over who would cover the cost, Lin Keying quietly raised her hand:
“Actually, I have some money too.”

Though it paled compared to the two powerful groups.

This time, Cheng Wanting and the Guo couple stood united and insisted it wasn’t her responsibility.

In the end, with Yang Minghui mediating, both parties agreed to split the cost 50/50.

“This way, everyone’s happy,” Yang Minghui sighed — he’d never seen people so eager to fight over paying.

Lin Keying secured all the top-tier mines she’d targeted. The rest were decoys, chosen randomly from unpopular ones, to later help mask the exceptional quality of her real finds.

On the third day in South Africa, the auction contracts were signed. Lin Keying signed her name on all nine documents, officially owning nine diamond mines!

Though the mines still looked like ordinary land for now, standing on the soil, Lin Keying could already envision their dazzling future.

After paying an additional $8 million USD for mining operations — with Cheng Wanting arranging the manpower to oversee it — the group set their return trip to Hong Kong.

They boarded a cargo ship sent by Huanyu Group a month and a half ago, bound for Singapore, and from there would take a private jet back to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Guo Changda and Zhao Fengzhen planned to vacation in Singapore to revisit old memories of their youth.

Back at the Monsanto Hotel, as they prepared to pack their bags, they ran into the smug British, French, and American magnates.

Nothing tastes sweeter than something you’ve snatched.

Auctions are the same.

Making Hong Kong businessmen realize their place and not dare compete again was the goal.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we look forward to selling you diamonds from the mines we acquired,” the arrogant American businessman raised his proud chin.
“Since we took the mines you wanted, we apologize. We can give you a discount later.”

The British and French businessmen echoed promises of discounts to Miss Lin:
“You shouldn’t leave empty-handed after losing the auction. Oh, and those two elderly folks — buying randomly like that is a waste of money. Even all those mines together probably won’t match the value of one of ours.”

Since everyone scrambled for those mines, the British were convinced the Americans and Hong Kong businessmen had insider info; the French thought the British and Americans had it; and the Americans thought the same of the British and French.

Lin Keying smiled:
“Sure — I’m sorry I didn’t get your mines. I wish you the best in unearthing top-quality diamonds. Remember the discount for me next time. Goodbye.”

As Lin Keying and her group walked away, Charles still sighed admiringly:
“Miss Lin — beautiful, generous, and kind. She even wished us the best.”

Once arrangements for the mine development were complete, Lin Keying boarded the cruise ship back to Hong Kong.

The excitement and novelty she’d felt on the way over gradually faded on the return trip. Especially after successfully securing the mines she wanted, she was in a great mood. After arriving in Singapore, she even encountered the family of three she’d met earlier at the South African hotel.

Little Pearl waved at her, calling her “pretty sister”. Pearl’s mother chatted with Lin Keying and Zhao Fengzhen, explaining they had also bought two mines to gift their daughter, intending to name the diamonds after Pearl and inviting everyone to dinner in Singapore to show their thanks.

Since they had a private jet with flexible departure times, they accepted the invitation and went to the Li family’s villa in Singapore.

“Pearl said she wants to cook sausages for you but won’t give any to that big, bearded, blond man,” the child still remembered who had scared her.

Inside the villa, exquisite dishes filled elegant plates. Lin Keying thanked Pearl for her sausages:
“Pearl, if you come to Hong Kong in the future, big sister will treat you to delicious food too.”

Pearl smiled brightly.

While eating, Lin Keying noticed the man beside her occasionally conversing with Pearl’s father, Li Changming, about port trade and container throughput.

After dinner, as they bid farewell, Cheng Wanting shook Li Changming’s hand:
“Mr. Li, once I’m back in Hong Kong and have drafted the documents, we’ll discuss the specifics of the business cooperation.”

Lin Keying: …

This workaholic truly never stopped — even during a meal, he managed to close a business deal?

Leaving the Li family villa, Lin Keying said goodbye to her godparents and agreed to meet again in Hong Kong. Then she, her new husband, Secretary Yang, and a few bodyguards headed to the private jet departure point.

“Mr. Cheng,” Lin Keying teased him deliberately,
“What business were you discussing with Mr. Li just now?”

Cheng Wanting answered bluntly:
“The sale situation of Singapore ports. I want to buy two ports there, and Mr. Li can help connect me.”

“Mr. Cheng, you’re really tirelessly busy!” Lin Keying couldn’t help but admire him.

“Mr. Cheng?” Cheng Wanting playfully repeated the title, raised his brows slightly, and leaned close to her ear:
“Not calling me ‘darling’ anymore?”

At the auction, they had spoken in English the whole time to provoke the British, French, and American businessmen. Every sentence she began had started with darling.

Lin Keying: QAQ

Upon arriving at the departure point, Lin Keying and her nitpicking, title-sensitive new husband boarded the private jet straight to Hong Kong. Having been away for over a month, she began to feel a bit homesick, wondering if anything had changed in Hong Kong.

Little did the newlyweds know that back in Hong Kong, secret rumors had already reached the Cheng family’s ears — someone had seen the usually aloof Cheng Wanting apparently with a woman abroad…

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