RMWDS -Chapter 278 The Moral and Legal High Ground

It took Hawkins several seconds to finally process what had just happened.

He had actually treated a treasure containing a top-grade red ruby as worthless junk and donated it for auction?!

And worse—he had sold it to the person he hated the most!

At that moment, everything his father had repeatedly warned him before leaving—“You must restore the Chinese market,” the global image of the family brand, the carefully maintained charity persona, and the fabricated “love for Chinese culture”—was completely thrown out of his mind.

There was only one thought left:

Get that ruby back!

He shot up from his seat and pointed at Miao Yunyou, shouting furiously:

“This auction doesn’t count! That’s mine, god damn it! Give it back right now!”

The translator beside him went pale and hurriedly grabbed his arm, trying to force him back into his seat.

But Hawkins had completely lost control. He shook the translator off and continued screaming at Miao Yunyou:

“It’s mine! You stole it from me! I will sue you!”

Because he was speaking extremely fast and in English, most people in the audience couldn’t understand him and only stared at him in confusion as he raged.

The translator, of course, understood everything. Panicking, sweating profusely, and seeing Hawkins completely spiraling out of control, he snatched a microphone from a nearby staff member and forced himself to lie to the audience:

“Everyone please stay calm! Stay calm! We sincerely apologize—there has been a small mistake! This item was misdelivered by our staff!

The item donated by Mr. Hawkins was not this bronze turtle paperweight, but another bronze artifact from the Qing Dynasty! The previous auction is invalid, and we will immediately contact the organizers to arrange a refund!”

The moment these words were spoken, the entire hall exploded.

“What? Misdelivered? Who are you kidding!”

“Wrong delivery at this moment? After it already revealed a hidden ruby?”

“No shame at all! This is a charity auction—you can just take it back whenever you want?”

The murmurs surged like a tidal wave. Everyone pointed at Hawkins and the translator, their eyes full of disdain and contempt.

Many people immediately took out their phones to record and take photos. Camera flashes clicked nonstop, capturing Hawkins’ face—now red and contorted in rage—clearly and mercilessly.

Miao Yunyou and Ling Nianci, both fans of dramatic “short drama” tropes, exchanged a look. They could clearly see the excitement and delight in each other’s eyes at finally witnessing a real spectacle.

Just as expected—this auction really had something. A place like this would be wasted without a proper dramatic incident.

Worth it. Totally worth it.

Miao Yunyou felt amazing. After all, she had paid real money for it—so now she was firmly standing on the moral and legal high ground.

She crossed her arms, stepped forward slightly, and spoke calmly but clearly, her voice carrying through the entire hall:

“Misdelivered? Then why didn’t you say it was a mistake when it was being introduced just now?”

“I raised the bidding paddle—why didn’t you say it was misdelivered then?

When the auction hammer fell and the deal was finalized—why didn’t you say it was misdelivered then?

Now that you’ve seen there’s a ruby inside, you suddenly say it was misdelivered?”

She paused, then lifted the bronze turtle in her hand so everyone could clearly see the dazzling red gemstone hidden in the compartment. The crimson light shimmered between her fingers, so brilliant it was almost blinding.

Her gaze swept over Hawkins’ ashen face, and her tone was full of mockery.

“Besides, this Northern Song bronze turtle paperweight was originally a cultural relic of China.

It was stolen from Chinese soil by invaders back then.

You failed to recognize its value yourselves. Now I’ve spent real money to buy back something that already belonged to us—and you still want to take it back?

Where in the world does anything like that make sense?”

The organizer of the auction hurried over. He usually wore a gentle smile, but now his face was dark as a pot bottom. He snatched the microphone from the translator and addressed the audience solemnly:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we sincerely apologize for this incident.

On behalf of the organizers, I hereby state that this auction was conducted fully in accordance with laws and regulations, and the result of Lot 20 is valid and final.”

If people could just casually reverse bids like this, their entire auction house reputation would be destroyed.

He then turned to Hawkins and the translator, his tone firm and unquestionable:

“Mr. Hawkins, as the donor of this auction item, your unilateral attempt to revoke your donation after the sale constitutes a serious violation of our donation agreement and auction rules.

Furthermore, your actions have severely damaged the reputation of this charity auction. We reserve the right to pursue legal responsibility, and you and your family will be permanently banned from participating in any future events hosted by us.”

The translator’s legs nearly gave out. Grabbing Hawkins’ arm, he urgently pleaded in English:

“Sir, let’s leave first! If we keep making a scene, we won’t be able to recover from this! The media is here—if they keep filming, our brand image will be completely destroyed!

The chairman will not let us off!”

That last sentence finally snapped Hawkins back to clarity.

Looking at the surrounding faces full of disdain, the flashing cameras pointed at him, and the dazzling red ruby in Miao Yunyou’s hand, he ground his teeth in rage.

He knew he had completely lost today. Continuing to argue would only make things worse.

Finally, he shot Miao Yunyou a vicious glare, cursed in English, then shoved the translator’s hand away and stormed toward the exit without looking back.

However, he walked too fast, crashed into a chair with a loud bang, stumbled, and nearly fell flat on his face. The scene immediately triggered laughter throughout the hall.

The translator quickly picked up the bag from the floor, keeping his head down, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground, and hurried after Hawkins in a humiliating retreat.

Watching their miserable escape, the entire hall erupted into thunderous applause. Some even whistled. The applause lasted for a full half minute before gradually fading away.