The silence in the auction room was deafening. Fifteen million yuan. The number hung in the air like a physical weight, pressing down on everyone present.
I stared at Noah across the room. His smirk had widened into a full grin of triumph. He thought he had me cornered, that I'd finally reached my limit.
"Fifteen million going once," the auctioneer called, his voice slightly strained.
My hands clenched on the table. The Purple Dragon Root was right there, so close I could practically feel its spiritual energy calling to me. But fifteen million was an astronomical sum, even for something so rare.
"Going twice," the auctioneer continued.
Noah leaned back in his chair, radiating smug satisfaction. He raised his water glass again in another mocking toast, his eyes never leaving mine.
That's when something clicked in my mind. A strategy formed, cold and calculating.
"Sixteen million," I called out clearly.
