Chapter 135: The Slap That Came Whistling

Wang Dongliang’s words caused an immediate uproar. The female star beside him changed color, followed by ripples of suppressed laughter throughout the hall. Everyone was puzzled by his abrupt behavior; even the auctioneer was momentarily struck dumb.

Just as everyone expected Chu Dong to fly into a rage, Chu Dong began to clap with a beaming smile. Seeing this, the rest of the crowd followed suit. As the saying goes, a wealthy and successful young man spending a fortune to win a beauty’s smile is no big deal; at most, it’s just a bit of gossip or an amusing anecdote.

When the crowd’s impression of Chu Dong shifted toward admiration for his magnanimity, he spoke up. "It’s rare for Young Master Wang to have such an elegant interest today, and I certainly wouldn't want to spoil your mood. Although my friend rarely accepts gifts—and wouldn't even glance at anything of low value—let me give you a hand." With that, he beckoned to the auctioneer, "One million."

Wang Dongliang felt a surge of triumph. Chu Dong had finally taken the bait. Since he was locking horns with him, the show could truly begin. A smile curled his lips, "Since Mr. Chu is interested, how could I not accompany you? I’ll raise it by another hundred thousand."

The eyes of the entire hall were fixed on the two men; it seemed a fierce battle was about to unfold. Just as everyone prepared to settle in for the show, Chu Dong did something entirely unexpected. He cupped his hands in a gesture of salute toward Wang Dongliang. "Congratulations, congratulations. Brother Wang is truly generous; let me thank you on behalf of my friend." He then turned to the auctioneer with a smile, "Please have someone wrap it up and send it over later. I can certainly afford the tip."

Wang Dongliang nearly vomited blood. He had been secretly gloating, fully aware of Chu Dong’s strategy: to bait him into spending more. He had already decided that as soon as Chu Dong raised the bid again, he would stop, leaving Chu Dong’s plan in ruins. To his dismay, Chu Dong stopped after just one bid, rendering his counter-strategy useless.

As the auctioneer’s gavel fell, applause erupted once more.

Xiao Rou felt a twinge of unease and looked at Chu Dong with wide, pleading eyes.

"Not happy about receiving a gift?" Chu Dong remained smiling. "He has money to burn, so don't worry about it. Besides, you’re getting it because you’re the most beautiful woman here tonight. You should accept it with pride. What is there to fear?"

Wang Dongliang, who had been riding high just moments ago, felt no joy in the applause. He made no further bids, and the next dozen items were snapped up by others in the room. Chu Dong also refrained from bidding, making the atmosphere seem a bit "chilly" and leaving the reporters with little to focus on.

By the end of the evening, the host returned to the stage.

"Today’s charity gala has been an unprecedented success, raising funds that far exceed any previous year. I have been entrusted by the organizing committee to report the figures. So far, fourteen donated items have been auctioned, raising a total of 34,120,001 yuan. During the gala, we also received one million yuan in direct donations from several local Dalian corporations who could not attend, and on-site donations have reached thirteen million."

As the host’s resonant voice faded, thunderous applause filled the room.

"As we mentioned at the start, there were fifteen auction items in total, and the final one is rather mysterious. The donor, Mr. Chu Dong, requested that it be revealed at the very end. So, let us welcome Mr. Chu Dong!" It was already late into the night, yet the host remained full of energy. Amidst scattered applause, Chu Dong stood up, straightened his suit, buttoned the bottom button, and walked slowly toward the podium.

"Good evening, everyone. I am very happy to be gathered here with so many elites today, and I am even happier that my companion unexpectedly received a grand gift."

Chu Dong’s lighthearted teasing delighted the audience. Everyone could see that Wang Dongliang’s earlier move had been intentional, so it was no surprise that Chu Dong would take the opportunity to retaliate. Consequently, the applause he received now was far warmer than when he first took the stage.

When the applause subsided, Chu Dong continued, "My participation in this gala was quite unexpected. As a member of the younger generation, I felt a bit intimidated, so I could only repay the organizers' kindness with concrete action. Therefore, I decided to provide a grand finale for this evening. Please, Miss, bring out my auction item."

At Chu Dong’s signal, a woman in a qipao walked out holding a tray covered in red silk. Everyone was curious, but the tray was flat, revealing nothing of its contents, which only heightened the anticipation.

The auctioneer stepped forward to reveal the item. "Mr. Chu Dong has donated..."

Everyone stared at the auctioneer as he picked up a sheet of paper and read the final words.

"He has donated 4% of the shares in the Haifeng Group," the auctioneer announced, struggling slightly to get the words out.

Silence. A deathly silence.

There was not a single person present who did not know of the Haifeng Group; it was the very reason Wang Dongliang was so well-connected and influential at the gala. His donations and auctions were always expected. Everyone present understood exactly what 4% of the Haifeng Group meant—it was worth over a billion, not something one could just earn with a flick of the tongue.

Only Xiao Rou sat steady, as she had no concept of what 4% of the equity was worth, even if she knew the name of the group.

Wang Dongliang was stunned. He never imagined Chu Dong would humiliate him in such a way. It was a staggering amount. Watching the camera flashes turn toward Chu Dong and seeing him smiling and waving to the crowd, Wang Dongliang felt a wave of dizziness.

Gritting his teeth, he slowly opened his tightly shut eyes. He could only hope that the bid would fail, or that the reserve price would be low enough for him to buy it himself.

But Chu Dong’s next words shattered that hope.

"I know some may think I’m acting impulsively or just putting on a show. But I want to tell you all that I am serious. There are countless groups around us that deserve our attention—people struggling in the lower or middle classes who are easily crushed by sudden hardships. How many children are still playing in the fields when they should be at school? How many should be receiving an education but are already shouldering the burden of supporting a family? How many suffer in silence from illness because they cannot afford the high costs of medical care? We have the duty and the obligation to reach out and help them. That is why I have decided to donate 4% of Haifeng Group’s shares to establish a foundation. The ownership will belong to the Red Cross, and the proceeds will be used to help those in need. Of course, this equity has a reserve price, based on the current market value. Since this is a charity gala and no one is here to make a profit, the more, the better."

Chu Dong knew how to control the crowd. Seeing that they were still in shock, he continued, "Oh, right, I almost forgot. Since this amount is quite large, you may bid on it in portions; that is, you can start bidding on 1% at a time. If a portion fails to sell, no matter—this 4% will remain as an asset of the Red Cross to collect dividends. Of course, as the donor, I have one small condition: if it fails to sell, the Red Cross may not transfer these shares."

He walked back to Xiao Rou’s side with a light step, having swept the room's attention away with him.

Xiao Rou was moved to tears by Chu Dong’s words. She was one of those who felt this pain deeply; when her brother fell ill, her family had scraped together less than a hundred thousand yuan, which was exhausted within months on dialysis and supplements. If Xiao Yu had not found Chu Dong to help, she didn't know if her brother would still be alive today.

Wiping the tears from Xiao Rou’s eyes, Chu Dong patted her back gently. Xiao Rou leaned into his embrace. Many reporters saw this and hurriedly reached for their cameras, only to find them out of power; they switched to their phones to take photos, not wanting to miss such a touching moment, even if the images were blurred.

Although Chu Dong was not as well-known as Wang Dongliang, rumors about him were plentiful. People knew his family wealth had collapsed and that he was now drifting through Yinlong, relying on his old father’s reputation to be a president. He had never seemed particularly impressive, but tonight, he was stunning.

After Chu Dong finished speaking, the room became somewhat chaotic. Even a 1% stake was no small sum; no one dared to raise their paddle easily. Wang Dongliang was completely thunderstruck by Chu Dong’s move.

If this 4% stake were in Chu Dong’s hands or someone else’s, he might have had a chance to get it back. But if it were donated, it would be like throwing a meat bun at a dog—gone forever. And now that Chu Dong had set the price at market value, it was effectively asking him to bleed out.

Yet, there were those who feared no trouble. The CEO of the Juzhi Group was the first to raise his paddle to bid for 1%, offering the reserve price of 380 million. The reporters were going crazy; some were writing their copy on the spot, and others were calling in the news live. The Juzhi CEO’s bid sent the room into a frenzy.

There was no further competition, and the Juzhi Group successfully won the bid. Then, a household chemical company bid for 1%. Again, no competitors.

Wang Dongliang’s eyes were bloodshot. Watching this felt as painful as having his own assets carved up. When only 2% remained, he couldn't help but raise his paddle. He had to take it all.

Just then, someone else raised the price.

"Number 60 adds ten million. The price is now 770 million!" The auctioneer’s voice cracked.

Wang Dongliang didn't even have time to see who was competing with him; he added another five million before looking over to see who Number 60 was.

Chu Dong was smiling at him, waving his bidding paddle.

By the time the auctioneer’s gavel fell and he loudly announced that Wang Dongliang had won the bid for 775 million, Wang had already lost his sanity and was charging toward Chu Dong.

His tie was no longer straight, and his slicked-back hair was disheveled. Wang Dongliang wanted to demand why Chu Dong had to do this; he felt that if he didn't teach this brat a lesson today, he would never be able to swallow his rage for the rest of his life.

What he didn't expect was a whistling slap to the face.