ASTNovels Chapter 1010 An Astounding Gift
Chapter 1010 An Astounding Gift
"A gift from the president of Universe Pictures: A genuine Tang Dynasty painting, 'Appreciating the Moon,' by Zhang Xuan, which failed to sell at Sotheby's last year and is estimated to be worth 120 million!"
"A gift from the Asia-Pacific representative of UBS: a custom-made Patek Philippe starry dome clock, with a dial set with three hundred diamonds, a one-of-a-kind piece in the world, valued at fifty-four million!"
……
Madam Ye wore a tight-fitting crimson cheongsam. With each exorbitantly priced gift she announced, her meticulously drawn eyebrows would lift slightly, and the greed in her eyes would almost overflow.
She had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and finally the gift-receiving ceremony officially began.
She controlled the entire gift-receiving process, and her four stewards were all trusted confidants. She would not allow anyone to interfere, for fear that someone might try to switch her treasures with fakes in the chaos.
When the chanting of the ceremony began...
"A gift from the Middle Eastern oil prince: a life-size model of the Desert Eagle made of pure gold, weighing eighty-eight kilograms," Madam Ye finally couldn't help but burst into laughter, the layers of pearl necklace around her neck swaying violently with her laughter.
Her eyes were fixed on the glittering gifts, completely unaware that Ye Boxiong beside her had already furrowed his brows and looked frighteningly grim.
Even Ye Haixia, standing to the side, couldn't stand her ugly, impatient and opportunistic behavior. At this moment, the entire audience consisted of the top dignitaries from the capital and even the whole country. For the matriarch of the Ye family to lose her composure like this was a complete disgrace to the family.
Across from the Ye family's house was the Xiao family's VIP box. Even though they were more than a hundred meters apart, Madam Xiao could see every move Madam Ye made clearly.
"Ha, so this is Xiao Ran's future mother-in-law? A fool who only recognizes gold and silver jewelry?"
"Once Xiao Ran marries into the Ye family, won't they be able to do whatever they want with her?"
"Ye Boxiong was already frail and sickly. Once this old man dies, the entire Ye family will be in Xiao Ran's hands!"
Madam Xiao sneered inwardly. In her eyes, apart from Ye Boxiong, the rest of the Ye family were all utterly incompetent fools.
Once her daughter marries into the family, she will be the head of the household, and the entire Ye family will be under her daughter's control.
However, right now, there is only one thing that makes her restless, and that is Xiao Wenbo.
She had repeatedly questioned Xiao Yuanqing, but the answers she received were always disappointing. No one knew how Xiao Wenbo was rescued, and no one knew where he was hiding now.
"Could that old man be so audacious as to barge into the engagement banquet?"
"Is the owner of the Imperial Capital Building dead? Knowing that today is the marriage ceremony of the Ye and Xiao families, he didn't even guard the gate properly, letting just any Tom, Dick, or Harry in?!"
"Please, I hope it's not him mixed in with the crowd..."
Please don't...
Madam Xiao was restless, her eyes repeatedly scanning the crowd in the hall, fearing that Xiao Wenbo would suddenly rush out, expose the Xiao family's scandals in public, and seize the position of family head.
If that's the case, the Xiao family will not only lose face, but will also be completely despised by the Ye family.
Fortunately, all of Xiao's bodyguards had entered the venue and carefully checked all the unfamiliar guests one by one. They did not find any trace of Xiao Wenbo, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.
She just hoped the ceremony would end quickly and that the host would stop dragging things out and causing more trouble.
Lost in thought, her gaze was drawn to the bustling gift-receiving counter across the street.
A mountain of gift boxes lay before Madam Ye, who was holding a magnifying glass, fascinated by a set of exquisite jade jewelry.
"A pair of blue and white porcelain plum vases with a dragon and sea wave design, made during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, presented by the shipping magnate of Hong Kong Island. They are in excellent condition and valued at 230 million!"
"A gift from North American tech giants: Two seats on the maiden voyage of the first manned mission to Mars by the Pioneer spacecraft, a priceless honor!"
"A gift from an ancient Italian family: three previously unpublished sketches by Michelangelo, accompanied by an official certificate of authenticity from the Louvre, valued at 180 million!"
The counter beside Madam Ye had already surpassed nine digits. Her face flushed, she shrilly ordered the butler, "Put that fifty-kilogram pure gold Buddha statue away separately! Don't let it be bumped or scratched!"
Completely disregarding the etiquette expected of a matriarch of a noble family, she reached out and grabbed a handful of rough diamonds, weighing them repeatedly in her hands. She didn't care at all that her palms were scratched red by the diamond's sharp edges.
The guests exchanged glances, their expressions subtle.
Several ladies from prominent families secretly shook their heads. The matriarch of the prestigious Ye family was so vulgar and shallow, utterly unfit for the occasion. It was truly laughable.
Just then, five hundred small drones took off and formed a giant family emblem totem of the Ye and Xiao families in the sky above the capital. The entire city's large screens broadcast this grand event live, pushing the atmosphere to its peak.
The gift-receiving platform reached its final climax.
Madam Ye had already switched to the third counter, and the gift list in front of her was as thick as a dictionary.
"A gift from a South African diamond mine owner: An uncut rough diamond from the same vein as the 'Star of Africa,' weighing 300 carats, valued at 350 million!"
"A gift from the renowned scholar Gu family of Jiangnan: The original copy of Su Shi's 'Cold Food Festival Scroll' from the Song Dynasty, which has never been publicly revealed, has been authenticated by carbon-14 dating and is of immeasurable value!"
……
Explosions rang out continuously, and each gift caused a stir.
The three great families are indeed the three great families. Receiving such valuable gifts for an engagement is a spectacle never before seen in the capital.
As time quietly passed, the gift list gradually dwindled, and it was almost finished. Only the gifts from second- and third-rate families remained, those that wouldn't be mentioned on this occasion.
Otherwise, the engagement ceremony would go on for who knows how long.
Just then, the person who placed the order suddenly picked up a gift list, paused for a moment, and then shouted:
"A mysterious person presents Miss Xiao Ran with a congratulatory gift: a perpetual property deed for an island in the heart of Lake Baikal, with an area of 4.7 square kilometers, and a permit for the construction of a private airport!"
The announcement of this gift caused an uproar throughout the room.
Madam Ye was beaming with joy, completely immersed in ecstasy.
"Who exactly is this mysterious person? This gift is several times more valuable than everything else combined! An island in the middle of Lake Baikal, freehold property, a private airport..."
This is something that money can't measure!
She looked around excitedly, then looked at the major families in the center of the VIP section, only to find that all of them had already presented gifts.
Who exactly is it?
Madam Ye was filled with doubt.
Not only her, but even Ye Boxiong, who had been holding back his emotions, was deeply shocked upon hearing about this generous gift.
Who is it that possesses such extraordinary talent?
And why give such an extravagant gift at the engagement banquet?
Everyone present was stunned by this gift worth billions, which far exceeded the scope of diamonds and gold.
Ye Haitao, standing on the spiral staircase to the east, suddenly turned pale. He felt a burning sensation on his face, and a surge of resentment at being humiliated and cuckolded rushed to his head.
Xiao Ran, who was standing to the side, was also suddenly stunned, and then his heart sank.
"Could it be him? Why would he send me such a generous gift?"
What exactly does he want to do?
Her first thought was of that man, but she quickly dismissed it.
The other party did not show up, and their family had already sent congratulatory gifts.
"Could it be that bastard Ji Xiuhan?"
Xiao Ran changed his mind and also rejected the idea.
"Impossible! He doesn't even reply to my texts, how could he possibly send me a gift? He's probably having a great time in the Maldives with that vixen right now!"
At this thought, bitterness and grievance overwhelmed her instantly.