Megan chimed in, "Maybe he’s just here to join in on the excitement and see what it's like." In front of the Yarbrough family, Megan still tried to maintain her sweet and kind persona. Arthur paid no attention to them. By this time, the auction had already begun. After a brief introduction explaining the rules, the auctioneer went straight into the bidding. The first few auction items were antique porcelain pieces. Arthur had no interest in them, but Maris ended up bidding on one or two. Each item started at a few hundred thousand dollars or more. After several rounds, Arthur still hadn’t raised his paddle. Maris couldn’t hide the smirk tugging at his lips. "What a country bumpkin. Showing up at an auction without money—he’s probably never even seen numbers this big before!" Zane sat to Maris’s right. Hearing this, he merely frowned slightly but didn’t say anything to stop him. Seeing that Zane had no reaction, Stephen also remained silent. Megan, eager to add her own mocking words, bit her tongue in consideration of Zane and Stephen’s presence. For the sake of her future, she had to hold back. Because of what had happened the previous night, everyone at the auction knew who Arthur was. Maris hadn’t mentioned any names, but his voice was loud enough that it was clear who he was talking about. Many people glanced at Arthur, their eyes filled with amusement. This kind of auction was meant for the elite. What was a nobody like him doing here? If it weren’t for Ashley, he probably wouldn’t have even qualified to step through the door. A man living off a woman—there was no one in the room who didn’t look down on him. Arthur, however, remained completely unfazed by the looks and whispers around him. He ignored Maris’s remarks and focused entirely on the stage, waiting for the land parcel he had set his sights on to appear. Seeing Arthur’s complete lack of reaction, Maris felt as though he had just punched a cloud—his taunts had no impact, leaving him deeply frustrated. Zane, on the other hand, took another look at Arthur. At his age, most kids were still clinging to their parents, yet Arthur carried himself with an unusual level of composure. Even Maris, who was a few years older than him, didn’t have the same level of restraint. As Zane pondered this, the auctioneer unveiled another item—a bronze cauldron from the ancient dynasty. It was from the same collection as the ceramic piece Maris had won earlier. The moment the cloth was lifted, Maris’s eyes lit up.He didn’t even spare Arthur another glance. Maris had always been passionate about collecting antiques. Fortunately, his mother, Zoey, came from a wealthy family, and since she was her parents’ only daughter, they indulged his extravagant hobbies. It wasn’t uncommon to see Maris at auction houses throughout Seacity. When the auctioneer announced the starting price, the room buzzed with excitement. "Starting bid, six hundred thousand dollars!" Maris’s eyes gleamed. As expected, it was something worthy of his interest! He immediately placed a bid. "Six hundred and five thousand dollars!" It was clear that many in the room were antique enthusiasts with deep knowledge of the field. As soon as Maris placed his bid, others quickly followed. "Six hundred and twenty thousand dollars." "Eight hundred and twenty thousand dollars." "Eight hundred and ninety thousand dollars!" "One million dollars!" The energy in the room was electric, with people eagerly upping their bids. Maris clenched his jaw. Determined, he called out, "One million three hundred seventy thousand dollars!" "One million three hundred seventy thousand dollars!" the auctioneer echoed excitedly. "The bid is now at one million three hundred seventy thousand dollars! Do we have any other offers?" The room fell into a brief silence as Maris’s bid landed. Megan looked at him with admiration. At moments like these, she found Maris incredibly charming! After a short pause, the bidding resumed, though fewer people were still competing. "One million three hundred eighty thousand dollars!" "One million five hundred ten thousand dollars!""One million six hundred fifty thousand dollars!" When the bid reached one million six hundred fifty thousand dollars, the room noticeably quieted down. "It’s already at one million six hundred fifty thousand? That’s more than this bronze cauldron is worth." "Any higher, and it’s just not worth it." "Yeah, let’s see who’s still willing to bid." Maris gritted his teeth. He wasn’t about to let this cauldron slip through his fingers—not after already winning the matching porcelain piece. He raised his paddle again. "2 million and 70 thousand dollars!" Megan’s admiration deepened at his decisiveness. This is the kind of man I like!He’s on a completely different level compared to Ashley’s boyfriend! She thought proudly. Feeling pleased with herself, Megan couldn’t help but glance at Ashley. Seeing that neither she nor Arthur had placed a single bid, Megan’s smugness only grew. The Gibson family had fallen from grace, and Ashley was just a student with no income. She probably couldn’t even afford 600 thousand dollars, let alone the million-dollar items being auctioned off!