HLM – Chapter 131 A New Ambition

The auction concluded, and the wealthy attendees happily signed checks and took away their prized collectibles.

However, Wang Bo wouldn’t receive his money immediately. The funds had to go through the tax bureau’s account first. Only after the taxes were calculated would the remainder be transferred to him.

Wang Bo had an advantage in this regard — he wouldn’t owe much in taxes, thanks to his extensive investments in the town’s public infrastructure, which qualified for tax deductions.

For instance, when Sacred Hymn was auctioned off and fetched over 20 million, the original tax due was a whopping 4 million. But in the end, he paid less than 1 million — it seemed unbelievable, but it was entirely legal and compliant. The construction of just one tertiary highway offset much of that tax liability.

So, in this respect, Wang Bo had a relaxed attitude. All of his town investments were made in his personal name. Now that Sunset Territory had been renamed Sunset Town, it was functionally still his domain. Using it to offset taxes was more than appropriate.

After Christie’s finalized all the finances, Adams promptly presented him with a summary of the earnings:

• The legendary pocket watch fetched the highest price at 38 million.
• The full set of Indian-style jewelry sold for 16 million.
• The two gold statues combined sold for 28 million.
• The three silver statues together brought in 12 million.
• The jade snuff bottle sold for 2.5 million.
• The rosewood cane sold for 1.5 million.
• The pair of ivory pistols, once owned by the family of an East India Company chairman, sold for an impressive 4 million.

The Japanese bone china gave Wang Bo a pleasant surprise, fetching 5.5 million — far above the original 2 million valuation given by Adams and Lyle.

Altogether, this exclusive castle-themed auction sold antiques totaling a staggering 107.5 million!

Completely beyond expectations!

Although Adams had previously called Wang Bo the youngest billionaire, that was more a nickname — like someone earning 800k a year claiming they’re a millionaire.

Christie’s appraisal experts had estimated the collection to be worth around 90 million, yet the final auction results exceeded that by 15 percent.

That said, this outcome was unexpected but not unreasonable. Final auction prices are notoriously difficult to predict due to the high value of such items — just one or two with fluctuating prices can throw off all estimates.

In fact, at top-tier auctions around the world, price swings of 20% or even more are common. In cases of fierce bidding wars, a single item’s price might multiply several times over!

Adams shook Wang Bo’s hand enthusiastically and said, “Congratulations, young billionaire. I think today’s auction will live on in my memory for a long time. Witnessing the rise of a billionaire is truly something to celebrate.”

Wang Bo responded with a modest smile. A hundred million in NZD — if he didn’t plan on developing the town and simply returned home to enjoy life as a wealthy man, he probably wouldn’t be able to spend it all in his lifetime, even if he hired models and dined on sea cucumbers every day.

But unfortunately, he did want to build a world-class town. Besides, he couldn’t just abandon his territory. Without it supplying him with lord energy, who knew what the Lord’s Heart would turn into once the energy ran out?

Adams then asked how Wang Bo planned to use the money. “If you’re thinking about taking a vacation or blowing off some steam, I could suggest a few great places.”

Wang Bo thanked him but shook his head. “No thanks, buddy. I’m a town mayor. My town is still under construction. I don’t have time for leisure right now.”

After a pause, he added, “Besides, is a hundred million NZD really that much? As far as I know, just the segment of Highway 8 passing through our town will cost over 500 million to build!”

That was his honest thought. A hundred million sounds like a lot — but once it’s invested in development, it might not even be enough to form the outline of a town.

Of course, he meant the outline of a world-class town. A regular one wouldn’t need that much money.

Adams deeply appreciated Wang Bo’s attitude toward wealth: rational, open-minded, and composed.

As a senior executive at a world-class auction house, he had seen many cases of people getting rich overnight — from heirlooms or unexpected treasures — only to lose it all. Many couldn’t handle sudden wealth and went on wild spending sprees, eventually returning to poverty.

He had seen too many like that — especially young people. But Wang Bo was different. He had a calm maturity rare for someone his age.

Confidence, massive wealth, composure, ambition — and on top of that, a strong sense of responsibility. These made Adams take real interest in Wang Bo. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Hey, buddy, are you interested in joining the Free Line? I could be your sponsor.”

Wang Bo wasn’t familiar with the Free Line Club, so he politely declined.

Adams, a seasoned pro, understood immediately. He patted Wang Bo’s shoulder and said, “You should look into the club. If you change your mind, come find me anytime.”

The auction had ended, but Adams still had a lot on his plate. First, he needed to arrange for his team to organize all the auction records: consignment contracts, public notices, instructions, special terms, item catalogues, sales confirmations, transaction logs, and more.

He also had to archive buyer information and send it to the headquarters for a retention period of over ten years.

Finally — and most importantly — he had to confirm the financial flow of the auction with the accounting department, calculate profits, fees, and commissions, and settle accounts with the antique owners.

Christie’s had prepared a banquet at the castle, but few people stayed to attend.

Half of the guests left immediately after the auction. Of the remaining half, most flew to Queenstown to rest for the night and then depart. In the end, only a dozen or so rich guests remained.

Adams had expected this. When the banquet was initially arranged, it was planned for about thirty people.

Wang Bo sighed, “You really planned ahead.”

Adams gave a wry smile. “I actually wish I had been wrong. You know why they left? It’s because I don’t have enough influence or connections to support a party of that scale.”

Wang Bo was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Charlie, standing nearby, explained, “In the circles of the wealthy, private gatherings like this require serious social capital. If you want people to stay for a party, you need a big enough reputation.”

Then Wang Bo understood — in short, Adams just didn’t have enough clout to convince all those wealthy guests to stay for his party.

Realizing this, a bold ambition surged in Wang Bo’s chest. “Charlie, one day, I will host another party here. By then, I’ll invite every wealthy and powerful figure in New Zealand. I want them all to feel honored just to be invited to my party!”