The starting bid was only 100 thousand dollars! Two bidders saw the low price and decided to join in, even though the land had little practical use. "113 thousand dollars." It would be nice for a private villa. They thought. "114 thousand dollars." "118 thousand dollars." This round of bidding was far less intense compared to the earlier bronze cauldron auction. Arthur didn’t rush to raise the price too much. When the bid reached 132 thousand dollars, he finally lifted his paddle. "$140 thousand dollars." Hearing the familiar voice, the crowd turned toward Arthur but remained silent. The price increase wasn’t significant, leading many to assume he just wanted a place to settle down in Seacity. The land was remote but spacious—perfect for building a large private estate. However, if the price exceeded its value, it wouldn’t be worth it. Having just fallen for a price-gouging trap, Maris hesitated to bid this time. To him, the land was worthless. Even if someone gifted it to him, he wouldn’t want it cluttering his assets. Besides, if he raised the price and Arthur suddenly withdrew, he’d be the one losing money again. Just when everyone thought Arthur would win the land for 140 thousand dollars, a female voice suddenly rang out. "153 thousand dollars." The voice was unfamiliar. No one had heard it before, making it clear that this was her first bid of the evening. Ashley, however, instinctively turned toward the source of the voice. The woman sat in a shadowed corner, dressed in loose-fitting black clothes and wearing a wide-brimmed hat that obscured most of her face. Through the dim lighting, Ashley noticed she was also wearing a mask. Ashley couldn’t make out her figure or features, but the voice—it sounded strangely familiar. Arthur glanced at the bidder in surprise and raised his paddle again. "180 thousand dollars." "210 thousand dollars." "250 thousand dollars." "280 thousand dollars." At 280 thousand dollars, both Arthur and the crowd were surprised. Did she also recognize this land’s future value? This property wouldn’t rise in value for another two years—it was currently surrounded by nothing but empty space. The two continued bidding back and forth until the price reached 420 thousand dollars. By now, the price had far exceeded the land’s current worth. The spectators and Maris couldn’t help but pondered. Is Arthur running another bidding trap? Could he know the woman in black? Ashley suddenly leaned toward Arthur and whispered, "Arthur, should I place the next bid?" Arthur didn’t understand her reasoning but didn’t refuse. He trusted that Ashley had her own plan. Ashley took the paddle, her voice crisp and clear, "421 thousand dollars." The woman in black turned to look at Ashley. After hesitating for a moment, she ultimately chose not to bid again. Arthur gave Ashley a surprised look. Does she know that woman? Seeing that the woman had stopped bidding, Maris’s face turned red with frustration. He wanted to bid just to make Arthur suffer! But just as he was about to raise his paddle, Stephen grabbed his arm and shook his head silently.They didn’t know Arthur well enough. What if this was another trap? And what if the fully concealed woman had been planted by Arthur to drive up the price? In the end, Arthur successfully secured the land for 421 thousand dollars. Compared to the wealth it would generate in the future, 421 thousand dollars was nothing. Even at 40 million dollars, it would still be worth it! Arthur hadn’t expected to acquire it for such a low price. Afterward, he also won a few antique items that were expected to appreciate in value. By the time the auction ended, both he and Ashley were satisfied as they left the venue. Outside the restroom, Arthur waited for Ashley. As he stood there idly, the woman who had bid against him for the land suddenly appeared in his line of sight. Since she was the only one who had bid against him until the end, Arthur couldn’t help but take another look at her. She moved quickly, as if in a hurry. Moments after she passed, Arthur noticed two men lurking nearby. Their sneaky behavior was obvious—they were following the woman! Recalling the auction, Arthur didn’t hesitate. He immediately followed. At the same time, he sent Ashley a message, telling her to return to the hotel first so she wouldn’t worry if she couldn’t find him. After tailing them for some time, they reached a street corner—where the two men suddenly disappeared.