Chapter 228: Chapter 228

However, no one in the Qin family cared about her feelings.

Qin Han was quite busy, occupied with the Clearwater Cloudscape project and the pursuit of immense wealth.

On Monday, an auction press conference was held. As Clearwater Cloudscape was the largest real estate project in Qingcheng and was being forcibly auctioned due to the Gu family’s bankruptcy, it drew large crowds of spectators.

At the press conference, Gu Anxi and Wang Keru sat in the front row, with cameras trained on them.

Wang Keru was somewhat impatient. "What are they taking pictures of? Haven’t they ever seen bankruptcy before?"

Gu Anxi glanced over, and the person with the camera moved it back a little.

By this time, representatives from the six companies participating in the auction had mostly arrived. However, when they heard about the 200 million deposit requirement, many were deterred. After all, no one was optimistic about the abandoned Clearwater Cloudscape project.

Only two parties paid the 200 million deposit: the Qin family and Anpu Investment, a little-known investment firm. Its head, Zhou Yunchen, had never made an appearance in Qingcheng before, yet Anpu Investment appeared to possess remarkable financial resources.

As the clock struck ten, a refined young man, accompanied by two assistants, hurriedly arrived. Smiling, he apologized, "Sorry, I’m a little late." Updates are released by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁

Upon his arrival, Qin Han’s expression shifted.

Qin Siling whispered, "Dad, what’s wrong?"

Qin Han struggled to suppress his anger. "Si Lan, this Mr. Zhou is the one who bought the painting."

Qin Siling was surprised, murmuring, "How could this be?"

Qin Han narrowed his eyes. "We’ve been fooled!"

Qin Siling remained stunned. After a moment, she said, "But we need to raise money. Dad, try to look on the bright side. If we win the bid for Clearwater Cloudscape, what won’t we have?"

Qin Han’s mood calmed somewhat, and he nodded. "You’re right."

At this moment, Zhou Yunchen saw him, walked over, and greeted, "Mr. Qin, what a coincidence."

Then, as if suddenly recalling something, he added, "Oh, by the way, are you also here to bid for Clearwater Cloudscape? I was wondering why you were willing to part with Luo Lin’s painting the other day. I truly feel bad for taking something Mr. Qin cherished."

These words were like a soft knife to Qin Han’s ears.

To others, especially the group of reporters, it was as if sharks had smelled blood. They wondered: did Mr. Zhou’s words imply that the Qin family was having cash flow problems?

All eyes turned to the Qin family members, their gazes inscrutable.

Qin Siling said unhappily, "Can’t we sell something if we don’t like it anymore?"

Just then, someone remarked, "I always thought the world of the super-rich was more like: ’Even if I don’t like it anymore, I won’t let anyone else have it.’"

The atmosphere grew rather awkward. The Qin family members pretended not to hear and focused on the proceedings.

In fact, it was just a press conference, a publicity stunt. It was to generate buzz for future sales by the new owners. Big investors!

The press conference itself was unremarkable, but afterwards, some relevant individuals approached Qin Han.

They had some acquaintance, so they sat down for a detailed discussion. "Brother Han, you must be prepared. I’ve heard that this Zhou Yunchen, who returned from America, is unscrupulous. Anpu’s main base of operations isn’t Qingcheng, but Beicheng... and they command substantial funds."

Whenever Zhou Yunchen was mentioned, Qin Han grew irritable. "I’ve crossed paths with him once and suffered a heavy loss." He recalled that young man: outwardly refined and gentle, yet incredibly shrewd and ruthless in his dealings. For some reason, Zhou Yunchen reminded Qin Han of someone else: Gu Yuntian. Their methods, even their expressions, were strikingly similar.

At this realization, cold sweat prickled Qin Han’s back.

The person next to him asked with concern, "Brother Han, are you okay?"