Chapter 87 Embezzlement of Public Funds!

One million eight hundred thousand yuan, that price was far beyond the inherent value of the Buddha of Longevity and Good Fortune.

Even considering the numerous symbolic meanings the Buddha held, there was no justification for its value to spike by a whopping one million yuan in one go. Clearly, these two women locked in this fierce bidding war had lost all sense of reason!

Wang Lianhong was truly taken aback by Mo Zihan's contorted expression. One million eight hundred thousand yuan! The combined savings of her and Mo Lingfeng over half a lifetime were only slightly more than that. If they continued to raise the price like this, they'd be left scraping by for the rest of their days.

Yet, her pride wouldn't let her back down. "O... One million eight hundred and fifty thousand yuan!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, her voice quivered, betraying the intense struggle and reluctance churning within her.

"Ha!"

Hearing that Wang Lianhong had only added a measly fifty thousand yuan, Mo Zihan knew her aunt was reaching her limit. With a haughty air, she declared, "I'll offer two million yuan!!!"

She held up two fingers defiantly, showing not an ounce of mercy.

Even if this meant sacrificing many of her designer handbags, expensive cosmetics, and luxurious clothes, as long as she could relish the sight of her aunt's defeated look, it would all be worth it to her.

At this point, the supervisor, watching these two relatives shouting out absurdly high prices, couldn't help but beam with delight. However, he felt obliged to caution Mo Zihan, "Miss, I must stress that this Buddha of Longevity and Good Fortune isn't worth anywhere near that amount. You can continue bidding as you please, but don't come crying to us later if you feel you've overpaid. Once you make the purchase, we won't be held responsible. This is all your own doing."

"Humph! Do I look like someone who frets over money? You should be giving that speech to them. A bunch of paupers! Everyone knows their true colors. They're just putting on a show, pretending to be something they're not!" Mo Zihan retorted with disdain.

Wang Lianhong, already on the verge of conceding defeat, was now trembling with rage upon hearing these words.

Adding to her humiliation, she'd just endured Dong Yan's taunts outside the mall. There was no way she'd let her niece mock her again now!

She simply couldn't bear to lose face twice in one day!

"Two million five hundred thousand yuan!!!"

In a fit of madness, Wang Lianhong whipped out all her bank cards and slammed them onto the display stand.

It's all gone to ruin!!!

Mo Lingfeng felt as if his head had been struck by a bolt of lightning. With a thud, he sank to the ground, his legs giving way beneath him.

This woman had truly gone mad! It was as if she didn't care about their future livelihoods. No matter how hard he toiled, there was no way he could ever earn back two million five hundred thousand yuan!

"Second Aunt, you!!!" Mo Zihan's eyes blazed with fury, and her entire body shook with anger.

She'd barely savored the taste of victory before being overshadowed once again.

"I'll offer... I'll offer two million five hundred and fifty thousand yuan."

"Two million six hundred thousand yuan!!!"

"Two million... Two million six hundred and ten thousand yuan..." Mo Zihan was now drenched in cold sweat as she stared at the frenzied Wang Lianhong.

"Two million six hundred and fifty thousand yuan!!"

"Two million..."

However, just as Mo Zihan was sweating profusely and struggling to stammer out another bid, Mo Zixun suddenly had a realization.

She took a bold step forward and fixed Mo Zihan with a piercing glare. "Wait a minute! Mo Zihan, where on earth did you get so much money?!"

As far as she knew, Mo Zihan, like herself in the past, was just a pampered young lady of the Mo family.

Sure, she lived a life of luxury and had no shortage of pocket money, but she certainly didn't possess such a vast sum on her own.

Over two million six hundred thousand yuan! Even if her eldest uncle and aunt were here, they'd be shocked by such an amount, let alone her.

So, only one possibility crossed Mo Zixun's mind: Mo Zihan was so cavalier about spending this much money because she was dipping into the funds of Lavender!

She was actually planning to embezzle company funds to buy the Buddha of Longevity and Good Fortune as a birthday gift for their grandfather!

Mo Zihan saw the sharp look in Mo Zixun's eyes and knew she'd been found out. Still, she stubbornly lifted her chin and snapped, "It's my own money. What's it to you? I can spend it however I like. Mind your own business!"

"Your own money?" Mo Zixun stared coldly at her. "Mo Zihan, I'm warning you. Embezzling public funds is a serious crime that can land you in prison. And if the amount embezzled is substantial, the punishment will be even harsher. You'd better think long and hard about what you're doing!"

Hearing this, Wang Lianhong also caught on. No wonder Mo Zihan was being so ruthless. She was using company money!

"Mo Zihan, you've got some nerve! Spending the money from my daughter's company to outbid me like this? You're just as bad as your parents!"

"You're talking nonsense!" Mo Zihan felt a growing sense of unease in her heart but continued to argue vehemently. "Who says I'm using company money? Besides, that company ultimately belongs to the Mo family. It belongs to grandfather. As long as grandfather is happy, it's not your place to interfere. If you can't afford to keep up, just admit it instead of trying to play dirty tricks!"

Yes, Lavender had been entrusted to Mo Zixun by Mo Jiugong to manage, starting from a small storefront and growing to its current scale through her hard work.

All the assets had been painstakingly accumulated by her. Now, seeing Mo Zihan squander it like this, using it to curry favor with gifts, how could Mo Zixun not feel heartbroken?

"Mo Zihan, you'd better stop right now! For the sake of our being cousins, don't force me to call the police and have you arrested!" Mo Zixun warned icily.

"Ha, who are you trying to scare? Go ahead and call the police if you want. Let's see who grandfather will side with! I'm not spending this money on just anyone. I'm spending it on him. He'll be overjoyed and will only praise me for being filial!" Mo Zihan sneered, though her bravado masked a growing sense of anxiety. "As for you lot, you're all out of tricks and making fools of yourselves!"

"Two million seven hundred thousand yuan!!!" Wang Lianhong was pushed to the brink. In a desperate move, she wagered all her remaining savings.

Mo Zihan had been so insufferably pushy. There was no way she'd let her have the upper hand today!

If she were bested by her own niece from the family, she'd never be able to hold her head up again and would become the laughingstock of the town!

Mo Zihan opened her mouth, but this time, no words came out.

Because she knew that there was only a little over two million six hundred thousand yuan in Lavender's account!

That was her limit!

If she bid any higher, she'd have to dip into her own personal funds.

She didn't bat an eye at spending the company's money, but when it came to parting with even a single cent of her own savings, she was loath to do so. Her so-called filial piety was nothing but a sham!

"Fine! Second Aunt, you've got guts! But believe it or not, even if you bet the farm, you won't be able to take this Buddha of Longevity and Good Fortune away. I'll just make a phone call, and you'll have to hand it over to me meekly!"

Mo Zihan suddenly let out a cold laugh and, having thought of something, whipped out her cell phone and prepared to make a call.

Wang Lianhong wasn't about to put up with her bluster. She barked at the supervisor to quickly package up the Buddha of Longevity and Good Fortune.

Before long, Mo Zihan had connected the call. Suppressing her anger, she put on a sugary voice and said into the phone, "General Manager Gao, um, yes, it's me! I'm at your mall right now. There's something that needs your immediate attention. It's over at the display stand of the Buddha of Longevity and Good Fortune. Please come quickly."

The supervisor, who had been about to happily assist Wang Lianhong with the packaging, froze when he heard Mo Zihan mention General Manager Gao. Could it be Gao Baoshan, the head of the entire mall?

Instantly, he didn't dare to proceed any further. Hastily, he placed the Buddha of Longevity and Good Fortune back in its original position.

Wang Lianhong furrowed her brows and immediately turned to glare at Mo Zihan. She saw a smug, mocking look on Mo Zihan's face, as if to say: Let