16 A Battle for Young Madam

"Dude, do you even know what's going on?" Juno, who happened to be aware of the situation, asked him. He never expected Alex to take part in the bid.

"No but Malon Nang just pissed me off with that cocky smirk of his."

"Haha, bro, you're crazy. That person up there is the young madam of the Bai family. Let me guess, you don't know why she's up there either..."

"Hm, no and no, but if she's that big of a deal, then I must help." Alex turned to face the stage and locked eyes with the girl who was now glaring at him.

'Hmm, she looks cute! You'll thank me later, young madam of the Bai family.' Alex thought and chuckled deep down.

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When Zunnie heard a familiar voice bid, she knew exactly who it belonged to. She turned her head and glared at the person. She was right. It was him; the guy from the lobby.

'What the hell is he up to? First, he followed me and now he's bidding. He must be up to something.' Zunnie began fuming. 'What's wrong with the people bidding?' She wanted to cry.

She turned to Sanua again and pleaded with her eyes. But San only pumped her fist next to her chest and mouthed, "Fighting, Zunnie boo."

Zunnie ignored her and fixated her eyes on the handsome guy who had spoken to her in the hallway earlier. Looking at him from where she stood, she couldn't help admiring how attractive he looked.

"I guess I should pray he wins instead of Mr. flirtatious over there," Zunnie mumbled and glanced to where Malon Nang was seated, showing a huge smirk.

Just as the host was about to yell sold, another voice from the back of the hall exclaimed, "Three hundred million…"

Another player entered the bidding. The guests were all whispering from excitement.

"I had no idea young madam Bai had so many suitors?" A woman behind Eyan Bai whispered, but he still heard.

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Both Alexander Zi and Malon Nang frowned and yelled simultaneously; "One billion!"

Several people gasped. Zunnie's heartbeat became frantic when she heard the amount.

'That's rich men for you. Anyway, I'll make sure to use it wisely.' She snickered excited. She forgot she would be having dinner with one of those bidders.

'What the heck? Why am I excited?' She had no idea why but for some reason she was beginning to enjoy herself and couldn't help thinking. 'Let's bid higher boys…I can use that money to add another department to my hospital.'

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When Alex heard Malon bid at the same time as him, he quickly and coldly shouted, "Three billion."

Zunnie's cheeks turned a light pink when she heard the familiar voice outbid the others again.

Everyone seated at the Zi table was surprised. They all, except Hunter, gawked at Alex like he had gone mad.

Madam Zi had no idea what Alex was doing and quietly whispered, "Alex, what in the world are you up to?"

Alex pretended not to hear her. His determination to win the bid grew stronger. However, just when he believed victory was within reach, the same husky voice from the back of the room bid four billion dollars. Fury consumed Alex. He felt an urgent need to help her. Despite having no idea who the other guy was, he couldn't let him win. With no other option, Alex bid ten billion. Standing up, he adjusted his suit and calmly declared;

"Ten billion dollars!"

The room plunged into silence as a hushed awe spread among the attendees. Zunnie found herself breathless, a sense of wonder sweeping over her. 'What is this captivating aura emanating from him?'

The host, like the rest, was momentarily struck dumb, only snapping back to reality when Wan Bai cleared his throat with a resonant sound.

"Sold, to Alexander Zi of Arch.deZIgns."

Spontaneous applause erupted throughout the room, but a discernible tension lingered, especially among the two rivals who had fervently bid against Alex. Malon Wang couldn't suppress a muttered curse, realizing he had lost the chance to court his boss' sister.

The other gentleman bidding, merely smiled, his eyes betraying a sense of amusement at the audacity of Alex's bid. Curiosity flickered in his gaze as he pondered why the heir of the Zi household would lavish such a colossal sum on Zunnie Bai. He couldn't help but wonder whether Alexander Zi had an interest in the Bai princess.

Despite his cold exterior, Alex harbored a quiet satisfaction deep within. He felt content to have shielded her from the persistent rivals vying for the dinner date.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes shot an angry glare toward the girl on the stage. The observer couldn't fathom Alex's impulsiveness, and the mystery left her irked. She pondered over the motive behind Alex's extravagant spending for a dinner with her boss' sister.

'Humph…I need to find out why Alex spent ten billion dollars for this girl!'