OFR – Chapter 190 Who is worthy of looking down on the rich man (Part 2)!

Off to the side, Dongfang Jing also sensed Mu Bai’s displeasure.

Her delicate brows knit slightly, and she stopped what she had been about to say.

But she too felt a trace of dissatisfaction toward this young man.

Could it be that she was wrong just to ask him a few questions?

Granted, he did have the qualifications to speak with her as an equal, but that did not give him the right to be so arrogant, as if no one else existed.

Dongfang Jing was indeed used to being in a position of authority, so she didn’t feel there was anything wrong with her earlier words.

Frowning faintly, she sat quietly without speaking further.

At this moment, Mu Xiaoxiao, the invited celebrity, had already taken the stage to perform.

Since Mu Xiaoxiao was the most popular star of the year, she was naturally greeted with warm applause from the audience, even quiet praise from some VIPs seated in the second row of the main section.

Hearing these praises, Dongfang Jing glanced at Mu Xiaoxiao, and her frown slowly relaxed.

After all, the young man beside her was her niece’s crush. In the end, he was still a junior, and it didn’t seem right for her to fuss with him.

Besides, he was an extremely talented youth. For someone like that, a little arrogance and willfulness seemed normal.

So, after calming her mood, she pressed down the faint displeasure in her heart and resumed chatting with him.

“Although Xiaoxiao always says she treats you like a brother, I can tell—she likes you.”

“Mm.”

“And you? Do you like her? I want your honest answer.”

“Honest answer?”

“Of course. Lies only make people weary.”

Hearing this, Mu Bai cast her a calm glance. Thinking that this was Mu Xiaoxiao’s aunt, he refrained from saying anything too sharp.

The two continued talking quietly.

Since the topic was emotions, the conversation flowed on, though the atmosphere remained strained.

After all, Dongfang Jing’s long-standing habit of looking down from above made Mu Bai uncomfortable.

Time slipped by as they talked.

Before long, about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the charity auction began.

The auction was the highlight of the charity gala; the host’s opening remarks and the celebrity performances were merely preludes.

Many wealthy patrons had donated items for auction—antiques, jade pieces, calligraphy and paintings, luxury goods, and so on.

Most weren’t particularly valuable, rarely exceeding a million yuan, since people donated more for reputation than to part with their true treasures.

As the auction began, the host’s rhythmic calls of bids rang out.

With media reporters on site recording everything, the atmosphere spurred many status-conscious tycoons to compete for attention.

This gave the charity auction a lively, electric energy.

Even a jade ornament valued at tens of thousands could be bid up into the hundreds of thousands.

“Ms. Haitiantian bids 360,000 for Master Mo Yan’s calligraphy.”

“Ms. Qin Baobao bids 370,000.”

“Mr. Zhang Yunfeng bids 380,000—oh! Mr. Zhang has raised it again to 390,000!”

Voices of bidding rose through the hall.

Compared to ordinary auctions, the Nalan family’s charity auction was more visually striking.

Here, participants didn’t just ring a bell to bid.

With thousands of tycoons present, relying only on sound would overwhelm even the sharpest hosts.

So instead, each seat had a switch: pressing it once lit the transparent chair green, signaling participation in the bidding.

Pressing again turned it red, signaling withdrawal.

This system, reminiscent of some TV variety shows, was far clearer than simple bells.

Amid the calls, Mu Bai and Dongfang Jing were still quietly conversing.

No matter what, this was Mu Xiaoxiao’s aunt, so he tolerated it.

But after an hour of increasingly thin conversation, Mu Bai suddenly felt the jade pendant on his chest pulsing violently.

Connected to it by spirit, he sensed a wave of excitement.

“Excitement?”

Startled, Mu Bai looked toward the auction stage.

By now it was already past 8 p.m., and the gala was nearing its finale.

On stage, in a crystal case, was the final lot—a blood-red piece of jade, beautiful and serene, its color soothing rather than garish.

Mu Bai instantly understood: the jade pendant’s excitement was due to this stone.

“Dragon Blood Jade?”

With his sharp hearing, he caught the murmurs around him.

“Yes, Dragon Blood Jade. Extremely rare, a precious-grade stone unique to the Nalan family. Wearing it clears the mind, aids sleep, sharpens focus—beloved by many elite tycoons. Who’d have thought they’d part with such a treasure for charity tonight?”

Seeing Mu Bai’s interest, Dongfang Jing softly explained.

“Oh, a precious-grade jade. Truly rare.”

Mu Bai nodded in acknowledgment.

On stage, the host began a stirring introduction to the Dragon Blood Jade, his words designed to ignite young men’s blood.

But the crowd, mostly mature, responded with only a few murmurs of admiration.

After seven or eight minutes of buildup, the host announced:

“From the Nalan family—the Dragon Blood Jade! Starting bid, 70 million! Each raise no less than 5 million! Let us begin the grand finale of tonight’s charity gala!”

At once, nearly the entire hall lit up green.

Regardless of whether they could afford it, everyone wanted to be part of the excitement.

But the spectacle lasted only moments—after all, 70 million was no small sum.

Soon, red lights began appearing, and the bidding commenced.

“Seat 28, Ms. Qingyun, 75 million!”

“Seat 30, Mr. Li Yunzheng, 80 million!”

“Seat 108, Ms. Zhao Fengzhi, 85 million!”

At the main table in the front row, the crystal lights remained off, but Li Shaofeng, Liang Yunfeng, and others had their hands poised to bid.

Dragon Blood Jade was rare, and they too were eager.

Even Dongfang Jing pressed her switch, lighting her crystal green. She didn’t raise immediately, instead turning to Mu Bai:

“By the way, I still have a question for you.”

“Go ahead.”

Mu Bai nodded calmly.

He noticed that besides her, the other four black card VIPs in the front row had also lit their lights, ready to bid.

“Earlier, we mentioned Xiaoxiao’s struggles—endless training in manners, posture, acting, singing. That’s how society works: no effort, no reward. So I want to know—what have you sacrificed, that at such a young age you enjoy this exalted treatment? And another thing—why have you always been dissatisfied with me? Have I offended you somehow?” Dongfang Jing asked softly.

These were the questions she most wanted answered. Her eyes fixed on him, waiting.

Mu Bai set down his teacup and paused a few seconds in thought.

Then, turning slightly to meet her gaze, he said:

“You’ve never offended me. But have you heard this saying?”

“What saying?” she asked quietly.

“Born free—who is worthy of looking down from above? Remember this: some people are never meant to be spoken to from a lofty perch.”

His words left the always-calm, aloof Dongfang Jing stunned, her expression shifting more than it ever had.

For indeed, as he said, she hadn’t even realized her habit of speaking down to others.

Before she could reply, the young man continued:

“As for your question—why I deserve this treatment…”

She instinctively nodded.

But instead of answering, Mu Bai pressed the crystal switch and stood.

Straight and proud, he swept his gaze across the hall, raising his bidding paddle high.

Because of his prominence, the moment he rose, nearly every eye turned to him.

The host quickly cried out:

“Dragon Blood Jade—Young Master Leng bids 95 million!”

But to his shock, Mu Bai kept his paddle raised.

Swallowing, the host called out again:

“Dragon Blood Jade—Young Master Leng bids 100 million!”

Still the paddle did not fall.

“Dragon Blood Jade—Young Master Leng bids 105 million!”

“Dragon Blood Jade—Young Master Leng bids 110 million!”

“Dragon Blood Jade—Young Master Leng bids 115 million!”

The hall erupted in sharp intakes of breath. All eyes locked on the youth standing proud in the most prominent seat, awestruck.

Three minutes later, when the price hit 150 million, every other green light in the guest section went red.

Five minutes later, at 180 million, the other black card VIPs stared at him in disbelief.

Seven minutes later, at 230 million, three of them dropped out.

Nine minutes later, at 270 million, Li Shaofeng gave up as well. Even Dongfang Jing, the wealthiest in the hall, showed an expression of pure shock never seen on her cold, regal face.

Ten minutes later, at the astronomical price of 300 million, the woman hailed as the Eastern Queen finally gave in.

Her hand, clenched and unclenched beneath the table, finally fell still.

“I admit it—you win. Now I understand what makes you worthy.”

Yes—at that moment, gazing at the young man beside her, standing proud and unyielding, she felt the overwhelming aura of a true tycoon, unstoppable and absolute.

Now she finally understood why this twenty-year-old youth could stand as her equal.

Because he was a God-Tier Tycoon, one whose presence dominated the entire hall.

“Born free—who is worthy of looking down from above? Remember, some people are never meant to be spoken to from a lofty perch!”

Dongfang Jing recalled his words.

And she finally understood his dissatisfaction.

Her manner had only been habitual, not intentional—yet it was still condescending.

But before such a formidable presence, no one had the right, or even the courage, to look down.

And so, at exactly 9 p.m., the supposed grand finale of the charity gala ended in absolute silence.

Looking around, the hall was a sea of piercing red lights.