ng Nanhao looked stunned. "So they want to lure us away..."
"Exactly," ng Qingshan said. "They tried to bait us. But thanks to Xiaoxiao’s carelessness and your awareness, they slipped. Now, let’s beat them at their own ga."
He turned to his team. "Keep our bid strong. We won’t let the Ou family take this."
ng Nanhao clenched his fists. His eyes were serious now. "I won’t let them win," he said firmly.
ng Qingshan nodded.
"Good. Rember, this isn’t just about money. This is about power. If we lose the South Project, the Ou family will rise again. We can’t let that happen."
The room was quiet except for the soft tapping of keyboards and the quiet buzz of conversation. Everyone was tense. The bidding was almost over.
Outside the main bidding hall, reporters waited. Caras were ready. Everyone wanted to see which family would win the big project.
Inside, the representative from the Ou family sat calmly. He didn’t look nervous at all. In fact, he smiled, which made ng Nanhao even more annoyed.
"They’re too confident," ng Nanhao whispered to his father.
"That’s because they think they tricked us," ng Qingshan replied. "But we already know their trick."
Just then, a staff mber walked in and handed out the final bidding papers.
"It’s ti," the announcer said. "Let’s see the final offers."
One by one, the sealed bids were opened and read out loud.
When it was the ng family’s turn, everyone leaned forward.
"Our final bid is... 40.85 billion yuan."
A murmur ran through the room. It was a strong offer—high but not crazy. People nodded in approval.
Then ca the Ou family’s turn.
The announcer opened the envelope and read it out loud.
"The Ou family’s final bid is... 40.75 billion yuan."
The room went silent.
It was close, but not enough.
The announcer cleared his throat. "And the winner of the South Project is... the ng family!"
Applause broke out. Reporters rushed to their caras. Flashlights popped. People clapped and congratulated each other.
But ng Qingshan hadn’t smiled yet. He leaned over and whispered to ng Nanhao,
"Call our people. Check where Ou Lin and Mr. Ou are. If they’re not here, then we need to know what they’re bidding on right now."
ng Nanhao nodded quickly and stepped outside to make a call.
anwhile, the Ou family’s representative stood up calmly and bowed. He didn’t look upset. He just said, "Thank you," and left the room.
That made ng Qingshan even more uneasy.
Minutes later, ng Nanhao ca back, looking worried.
"They’re bidding on another project," he said. "The West Coast Tech Park."
"What?" ng Qingshan stood up. "That project was supposed to open for bids next month!"
"They moved it forward by surprise," ng Nanhao said. "Only a few people knew."
ng Qingshan’s face turned serious.
"So that’s what the ’decoy’ was about. They made us focus on the South Project while secretly going after the West Coast one."
"They let us win here so we’d stop watching them," ng Nanhao added.
"Smart move," his father said, his voice tight. "But they didn’t expect we’d figure it out."
He pulled out his phone and made a call. "Send soone to the West Coast bidding venue. Now."
Back at the Ou family ho, Mrs. Ou sat on the sofa, sipping tea. She smiled as she watched the news showing the ng family winning the South Project.
"Let them enjoy it," she said softly.
Ou Xiaoxiao sat beside her, looking confused. "Why are you smiling, Mom? Didn’t we lose?"
Mrs. Ou chuckled. "Sotis, losing one battle helps you win the war."
Ou Xiaoxiao still didn’t understand. "But what if they find out?"
Mrs. Ou raised an eyebrow. "Then let them. If they’re smart enough, they’ll chase after us. But by then, we’ll already have the prize."
Back at the West River venue, the final bids were being opened.
The Ou family had offered a very strong bid—clean, detailed, and high enough to win, but not waste money.
Their plan was working.
When the final announcent ca, it was clear.
"The winner of the West Coast Tech Park project is... the Ou family."
Inside the quiet eting room, Ou Lin finally smiled.
"We’re back," he said.
ng Qingshan stood frozen, the news of the Ou family winning the West River Land still fresh in his ears.
He didn’t say anything at first. His brows were furrowed, deep in thought.
ng Nanhao noticed and said softly,
"Maybe they’re just fighting a losing battle, Dad. Don’t worry."
But ng Qingshan shook his head slowly. "No, sothing’s not right. I can feel it."
He looked out the window, thinking hard.
"The South Land project... it was bought years ago. A mysterious buyer. No na was ever revealed.
Why would soone buy it, keep it, and suddenly put it back on the market? That doesn’t make sense."
Before he could think further, ng Nanhao’s phone rang. He quickly answered.
"Yes? What? Really? Are you sure?!" His voice was full of surprise.
ng Qingshan turned toward him. "What is it?"
A thrilled smile spread across ng Nanhao’s face.
"Dad! We made the right choice! One of the two lands that were auctioned today is said to have an ancient tomb underneath it. The experts believe it’s more likely to be the West Coast Tech Park!"
ng Qingshan’s eyes widened.
"An ancient tomb? That would an... no developnt can happen there."
"Exactly," ng Nanhao said, excitent rising in his voice.
"If it’s true, the land is basically useless. We dodged a bullet!"
ng Qingshan finally smiled and let out a long breath.
"Then the Ou family just bought a giant headache."
They left the building together. As they reached the entrance, they suddenly stopped.
The Ou family was standing near the gate.
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Ou Lin’s face was gloomy. Mr. Ou’s expression was even worse. Their suits were perfect, but their eyes looked defeated.
"Looks like they got the news too," ng Qingshan whispered to his son.
ng Nanhao nodded. "It’s written all over their faces."
Reporters quickly surrounded both families.
"Mr. ng! Mr. ng!" one reporter called out.
"You won the South Project! How do you feel?"
ng Qingshan smiled proudly.
"Of course, we’re happy. It’s a strong step for our company. We believe this land will bring great value."
Another reporter turned to the Ou family. "Mr. Ou, do you have anything to say about winning the West River Land?"
Ou Lin forced a smile. "We will... review our next steps carefully."
The reporters caught the tension in his voice.
"Have you heard the rumor? That one of the lands auctioned today has an ancient tomb underneath it?"
Ou Lin’s face twitched. He quickly looked away and didn’t answer.
Mr. Ou remained silent.
The ng family, however, looked like they were enjoying every second.
"I guess silence ans yes," ng Nanhao said with a smirk.
The reporters laughed.
"How sure are you that your land is safe, Mr. ng?" another reporter asked.
"Very sure," ng Nanhao said confidently. "So sure that I’m willing to bet one billion yuan that we picked the right land."
Gasps echoed through the group. Even the reporters were shocked.
All eyes turned to the Ou family.
Ou Lin looked stiff. His father gave him a sharp glance. After a few seconds of silence, Mr. Ou finally said, "Fine. We accept."
"Whoa, it’s a bet now?" one of the younger reporters whispered.
"Guess this just turned into a real battle," another said.
ng Qingshan leaned closer to the Ou family.
"You tried to trick us, but it looks like fate tricked you instead."
Mrs. Ou, standing a few steps behind, held her purse tightly. Her lips were pressed into a thin line.
ng Nanhao turned to leave, patting his father on the back. "Let’s go celebrate."
"Let’s wait for the result." ng Qingshan replied, still smiling.
A loud alert buzzed from one of the reporter’s phones. Then another. And another.
Everyone looked at their devices as news broke on every major site.
A reporter gasped and read aloud, "Breaking news! Governnt archaeologists confirm an ancient tomb has been found under the South Land Project site. Construction will be halted for investigation."
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap.
ng Qingshan blinked. His breath caught in his throat.
"W-What did you say?" he asked, voice shaking.
The reporter repeated the headline slowly. "An ancient tomb... under the South Land."
ng Qingshan’s legs wobbled. He clutched his chest, gasping.
"Dad!" ng Nanhao shouted, quickly grabbing his arm.
"I... I can’t believe it," ng Qingshan whispered, eyes wide. His face turned pale.
All the smiles from earlier faded in an instant.
The reporters turned back toward the Ou family. And now, Ou Lin was no longer gloomy. In fact, he was grinning.
An evil, smug smile.
Mr. Ou chuckled and stepped forward.
"Ah," he said softly, with mock concern. "So sorry to hear that. Must be quite the surprise."
ng Qingshan stared at him. "You... you knew. You knew from the start, didn’t you?"
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