Chapter 519 Brent's Experience!
Just then, Tyler swaggered over, smirking cockily at Ryder, "Didn't expect to see you here in person! What's the deal—your company's got no one else, or did you just show up to watch me win?"
Ryder just raised an eyebrow and shot back coolly, "Anyone can bid on this land! Or did your family already buy out the entire department?"
Tyler froze for a second, his eyes flashing with anger.
He was itching to march over and smack Ryder right then and there.
Meanwhile, the others in the room caught the vibe—Tyler and Ryder clearly had history, and it wasn't friendly.
This just got interesting!
Tyler's eyes landed on Brent nearby, and he let out a mocking laugh. "Wallace, what's with the shadow act? Everywhere I go, there you are! Don't you get how pathetic that looks? Or is your company finally crawling out of the gutter, and you're begging for me to knock you back down?"
Brent's face twisted with a mix of fear and anger. "Tyler, don't push it!"
Tyler shrugged, cool as ever. "Or what? Go ahead, take a swing. I'm right here—bet you won't!"
He even leaned in, tapping his head like a dare.
That provocative expression was really asking for a beating!
But Brent was clearly considering something, his fists clenched tightly.
In the end, he sighed, walked to a chair at the edge of the hall, and sat down without saying another word.
Tyler, like a victorious rooster, sneered at Brent!
Those who liked to flatter Tyler also joined in with mocking laughter!
Ryder, along with Rex and Ashley, sat down in a nearby rest area!
About 50 feet away from Brent!
Looking at Brent's desolate back, Ryder turned to Ashley and asked, "Have you heard of Brent?"
Ashley nodded respectfully, "Yes! He's kind of a big deal in NYC's construction scene."
"So what's his deal? Why's everyone giving him the cold shoulder?"
"There's quite a story to this. The Young family's rise in NYC is all thanks to the Wallace family. Back in the day, the Youngs were just small-time players, while the Wallaces were already mid-tier. But the two families were tight—besties, really. The Wallaces gave the Youngs a ton of free help, boosting them up the ranks. In less than a decade, the Youngs jumped to mid-tier status too," Ashley explained, blinking her pretty eyes.
"Every mid-tier family in NYC dreams of hitting the big leagues to grab more financial clout, and the Wallaces and Youngs were no different. But NYC's resources are limited, especially in construction and real estate. Only one family could make that leap.
"The Wallaces had the upper hand—they'd been in the game longer. But three years ago, disaster struck. A massive fire broke out at the Rigal District Stadium, killing a lot of people and implicating a ton of NYC officials and business bigwigs.
"The Wallace Group was the contractor, handling all the construction and even the fire safety equipment. When the smoke cleared, the Wallaces were crucified in the media. They had to pay out massive settlements, and half the family ended up behind bars, including Brent's dad.
"Overnight, the family empire crumbled. The Young Group swooped in and gobbled up the Wallace Group's assets, naturally rising to the top tier. Meanwhile, the Wallaces faded into obscurity.
"Brent tried to rebuild with Ascend Properties, but thanks to his family's tarnished rep, hardly anyone in NYC's construction scene wanted anything to do with him. It's been a rough ride."
"I see!" Ryder nodded, not expecting Brent to have such a background!
No wonder the bidders here had such a bad attitude towards him!
As for Tyler's attitude towards Brent, Ryder wasn't surprised!
Knowing Tyler, he's the type who'd bite the hand that feeds him. No matter how much the Wallaces helped the Youngs, Tyler wouldn't give a damn!
Suddenly, Ryder thought of something and asked Ashley with some confusion, "How do you know so much about Brent?"
Ashley hesitated, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Well, Brent and I went to the same university. He was two years ahead of me—my senior. Back then, he didn't even know I existed. When the Wallace family was still on top, he was a big deal on campus. A lot of girls had a crush on him. But then… everything fell apart."
She sighed heavily, her voice tinged with something deeper—like she'd been one of those girls, watching from the sidelines.
Clearly, Brent had left an impression!
At this moment, two staff members from the land management department walked out of the office and told everyone that it was time to enter the bidding hall for the auction!
Everyone present had been waiting for this moment for a long time!
They quickly entered the bidding hall!
The hall had been set up the day before, with a large space and nameplates for each company on the tables, corresponding to their seats!
Ryder sat in the second row on the left side, with bid number 58!
Tyler sat in the center of the first row, the most focused spot, with bid number 01!
Clearly, this seat was pre-arranged!
Coincidentally, Brent, who was just mentioned, sat right next to Ryder, with bid number 57!
Seeing Ryder, Brent once again showed a simple smile and greeted, "Mr. Clark, what a coincidence!"
"Sure is," Ryder replied with a nod, though something didn't sit right.
To be here, you had to submit all the paperwork upfront—and prove you had the cash to back it up. If you didn't meet the financial threshold, you were out.
According to Ashley, the Wallaces had hit rock bottom, and Brent was barely scraping by. So how the hell did his company clear the vetting process?
Maybe Brent had a few cards up his sleeve that Ryder didn't know about!
As Ryder was lost in thought, the bigwigs from the land management department stepped up to the podium.
After going through the usual formalities, they announced, "Let the bidding begin!"
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