After Arthur had injured Maris so badly the night before, there was no way Zane and Stephen would let it slide. The fact that they had personally come to the auction was proof enough. Ashley had seen the way Zane looked at Arthur when they entered—it was unmistakable. Maris's expression shifted unpredictably, and even Megan beside him seemed unsure of herself. Just as the auctioneer was about to bring down the hammer, Maris gritted his teeth and shouted, "7 million and 565 thousand dollars!" 7 million and 565 thousand dollars—this was far beyond what he had budgeted for the bronze cauldron. Even if he sold it in a few years along with the full set of porcelain pieces, it still might not be worth that much. But seeing Arthur's unwavering confidence, Maris couldn’t help but second-guess himself. Could this cauldron really have some hidden value he hadn’t noticed? He didn’t know much about Arthur, but watching him continuously raise the bid without hesitation made Maris uneasy. Most of the people at this auction were here specifically for antiques, and nearly all the items up for bid were valuable collectibles. Maris was passionate about antiques, but he wasn’t an expert—he had made miscalculations before. The crowd was beyond stunned. The relentless bidding had far exceeded their expectations. Arthur’s lips curled into a faint smile as he looked in Maris's direction, his expression unreadable. The auctioneer, hands trembling with excitement, called out, "7 million and 565 thousand dollars going once! Any further bids?" Sweat gathered in Maris’s palms. If Arthur placed another bid, he might not be able to keep the cauldron! His budget wasn’t unlimited—he had his eye on more than just this one item. Seeing Arthur remain silent, the auctioneer continued, "7 million and 565 thousand dollars going twice! If there are no more bids, this bronze cauldron will belong to Mr. Maris." When Arthur still didn’t raise the bid, Maris let out a quiet sigh of relief. Finally, the auctioneer made it official. "7 million and 565 thousand dollars—sold! This bronze cauldron now belongs to Mr. Maris!"Maris’s lips curled into a triumphant smile. His gaze toward Arthur was full of smugness, as if to say, You? Compete with me? Megan was even more direct. She sneered, "Some country bumpkins really think they can compete with Mr. Maris? They should take a look at themselves first!" Zane and Stephen, however, were far from pleased. They turned toward Arthur. He was still sitting there casually, his expression unchanged. There was no anger, no frustration—nothing about him resembled someone who had just lost a bidding war. In that instant, Zane and Stephen understood everything, and their eyes burned with fury. Without hesitation, Zane smacked the triumphant look right off Maris’s face. Maris, stunned, asked in confusion, "Dad? What’s wrong?" Zane frowned and motioned for him to look at Arthur. "You were played." Following Zane’s gaze, Maris turned toward Arthur. Having spent years in auction houses, he was well-versed in the psychology of bidding wars. As he calmed himself and observed carefully, he suddenly understood what Zane meant. Maris’s face turned black in an instant—his smugness vanished. Arthur! He glared at Arthur, his teeth clenched so tightly they could break. If looks could kill, he would have torn Arthur apart on the spot! Originally, he could have won the cauldron for just 2 million and 70 thousand dollars, but now he had driven the price all the way up to 7 million and 565 thousand dollars! He had wasted an extra 5 million! Even though his family was wealthy, they weren’t endlessly rich. Losing 5 million for nothing—it made Maris’s heart ache. Zane spoke in a low voice, making sure only Maris could hear. Megan, sitting on the other side, didn’t catch the conversation. Even if she had, she probably wouldn’t have understood what they were talking about. She was still busy praising Maris. "Mr. Maris is incredible! As soon as he steps in, those nobodies don’t stand a chance!"Hearing her words, Maris’s expression darkened even further. Zane and Stephen exchanged displeased glances before looking back at Maris. Their gazes seemed to say, Is this really the girlfriend you chose? How clueless can she be? Catching their expressions, Maris felt even more annoyed with Megan. After the bronze cauldron was taken away, the next item was finally brought onto the stage—the piece of land Arthur had been waiting for. At the moment, it was just an ordinary, unremarkable plot. The surrounding environment wasn’t great, and it was in a rather remote area. It was only included in the auction as a minor addition. The auctioneer, ever professional, gave a thorough introduction of the property before announcing the starting price. "The starting bid is 100 thousand dollars." Arthur raised an eyebrow.