Chapter 61 Bidding $280 Million for a Rough Pink Diamond

Auction Hall.

Charles and Anna, along with Michael and Thalia, snagged the prime seats in the front row. Tina and Austin were chilling in the middle of the second row. The rest of the elite crowd filled in around them.

From the get-go, as soon as the first item hit the stage, Charles and Michael stayed super quiet. Michael looked bored out of his mind; Thalia tried chatting him up a few times, but all she got was a cold "Hmm." Meanwhile, Charles barely glanced at the stage, spending most of his time holding Anna's hand and giving it a gentle massage.

The weirdly silent vibe between them had everyone else scratching their heads.

As the auction rolled on, item after item got snapped up. Tina even threw in bids for four or five things she liked.

When the auction finally reached its denouement, with all the preceding items successfully sold, the organizers brought out the grand finale: a rare pink diamond.

"According to multiple tests by professionals, the purity of this pink diamond is as high as ninety-nine percent! It is also the rarest pink diamond ever found..." The screen up front showed the diamond's backstory. After the spiel, the auction kicked off. "Starting bid is fourteen million dollars!"

Michael shot a look at Charles and Anna, his face getting colder by the second. Thalia nudged him, reminding him to bid.

She'd been watching; Charles and Anna hadn't bid on anything yet, probably waiting for this pink diamond. No way was she letting this slip; she had to have it!

Just as Michael was about to bid, Charles's voice cut through. "Twenty-eight million dollars."

Charles's tone was lazy, almost cocky.

Michael glanced over and then raised his paddle, "Forty-two million dollars."

Charles turned his head, intrigued.

Their eyes locked in a silent showdown. The other bidders saw this and quietly put their paddles down. With these two going head-to-head, no one else stood a chance. They decided to sit back and enjoy the show.

"Mr. Tudor, you also want this pink diamond?" Charles asked with a smirk.

Michael's gaze flicked to Anna before he coldly said, "My fiancée wants it for her engagement ring."

Charles drawled, "Oh, really? What a coincidence."

Charles crossed his legs, looking totally relaxed. "In that case, Mr. Tudor, let's have a fair fight."

Then, Charles raised his paddle again, "Seventy million dollars."

Michael narrowed his eyes, "Rumor has it that Mr. Percy spends money like water. Seeing it today, you live up to your reputation."

Charles replied, "You flatter me. My wife still needs an engagement ring, and this pink diamond is barely suitable."

Michael's lips tightened. The next moment, he raised his paddle, "Eighty-four million dollars."

Hearing this, Charles lazily remarked, "Mr. Tudor, your sincerity is lacking. Always following with an extra fourteen million dollars."

Charles's words dripped with arrogance, like fourteen million was pocket change.

Michael ignored him, and Charles turned back to raise his paddle again, "One hundred and forty million dollars."

At this, a few gasps rippled through the audience. It was just a pink diamond, but Charles was really going all out. No matter how rare and precious it was, one hundred and forty million dollars was way over the top.

Michael frowned and looked over, just in time to see Anna lean close to Charles and whisper, "That's enough, Charles. It's not worth one hundred and forty million dollars. Let's not take it."

"How can that be?" Charles squeezed her fingertips and said softly, "It's rare to find something suitable; we must get it."

"Besides," his voice took on a different tone. Glancing at Michael with a hint of meaning, he said, "Can one hundred forty million dollars even be considered money? Apex Holdings Group makes several hundred million dollars in profit in a single day."

Sure enough, hearing his words, Michael's face darkened with displeasure. How could Michael not understand that Charles was openly mocking him about the one hundred and forty million dollar breach of contract incident?

Thalia sensed the tension and whispered, "Michael, do we still want it?"

But Michael's attention never left Anna. Seeing her sitting obediently next to another man made Michael feel extremely irritated.

A second later, he said coldly, "Bid! If you like it, why not get it?"

With that, he raised his paddle, "One hundred and fifty-four million dollars."

Charles was unfazed by the revelation. He glanced at Anna, whose attention was no longer on the stage, and casually said, "Two hundred and eighty million dollars."

At this number, the audience erupted in astonishment. Even among the elite, they couldn't hide their shock.

The Percy family's power and wealth were well-known across the country. Under Cedric and Alice's leadership, the Percy enterprises had grown several times over the years. When it came to money, who could compare to Charles?

As for Michael, it was well-known that fifty years ago, the Tudors were a renowned enterprise comparable to the Percys. But the problem was that Michael had an incompetent father. Not only did he fail to lead the Tudors to further prosperity, but he also indulged in vices, nearly driving the Tudors to bankruptcy. Michael's grandfather had been hospitalized multiple times due to his father's actions.

Michael's grandfather was a legendary figure. In his youth, he dominated the business world and laid a solid foundation for the Tudors. But no matter how hard the previous generation worked, it couldn't withstand the next generation's endless squandering.

After Michael's father passed away, the once formidable figure of the Tudor family faded from public view. Eight years ago, twenty-one-year-old Michael took over the Tudor Group. In just eight years, he transformed the nearly insolvent company into a powerhouse, rivaled only by the illustrious Percy Enterprises with a step behind.

This near-miraculous transformation made Michael a hotshot in the business world. Michael not only had exceptional business acumen but also ruthless methods and deep cunning. Almost no one could outmaneuver him. Moreover, with Michael's growing power over the years in Crystal City, apart from Charles, no one dared to provoke him.