Chapter 656 Bin, You Liar

"Bin, what’s this ad for? Are you hiring again?" Xia Shixuan was a little nervous, afraid a newcomer would arrive and replace her. Although she’d been busy lately, she was also very happy and didn’t want to leave at all.

"Hiring? Have you guys been overwhelmed lately?" Shen Yibin paused for a moment. ’If that was the case, I really would have to hire a couple more people. I can’t have my employees working themselves to exhaustion.’

"No, no, customer traffic has stabilized recently. The few of us can handle it just fine." Hearing they weren’t hiring, Xia Shixuan immediately calmed down and casually unfolded the notice. "Huh? You’re going to auction off Monkey Wine? Isn’t it better to keep it for yourself? It’s not like you need the money, right?"

’I don’t need the money, but Xiaoliu does. I can’t just give it money directly; the Future Pet Shop would never recognize it.’ Shen Yibin was all too familiar with the Future Pet Shop’s bullshit. "Er, just think of it as giving back to our loyal customers. Business has been so good lately, shouldn’t we reward them?" Shen Yibin offered an excuse.

"Then can I participate in the auction? I’ve been wanting to buy a few bottles to add to my collection." Xia Shixuan could drink it often enough at the shop, but she couldn’t very well bring some home for her family, could she? She had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

"Go ahead and join if you want! Here, give me the notice so I can take a picture!" After taking the photo, Shen Yibin posted it to his WeChat Moments. It wasn’t long before his phone started blowing up.

His good friends like Xu Ye, Sun Qian, Director Kong, and Wen Yuan, as well as wealthy business partners like Fang Yuanshan, Murong Li, Fang Yun, and John Farrell, all sent messages asking about it. Even Sakai Kaori and Sylvie, who were far away in another country, were stirred by the news.

"You two don’t need to come all the way over. I’ll give you a couple of bottles of the new batch next month." After reassuring Sylvie and Sakai Kaori, Shen Yibin quickly replied to the others, extending a warm welcome for them to participate in the auction.

He told them the time and location of the auction. After a full hour of frenzied activity, Shen Yibin finally had a moment of peace. By then, his fingers were so tired from typing that they could barely move.

’At this rate, selling just one jug will probably be enough,’ Shen Yibin mused, his eyes glinting. ’Even if I auction off a few more for other reasons, three to five bottles should be plenty. Then I can use the rest of the Monkey Wine to make more medicinal liquor, right? Just thinking about it makes me happy. I’ll be able to drink to my heart’s content for a good long while.’

"Bin! Bin! How much Monkey Wine are you auctioning? Just name a price, I’ll buy it all!" Director Kong had lost all interest in work and rushed directly to Shen Yibin’s shop, asking hurriedly.

"I’ve already announced the time and place. It wouldn’t be right to back out now, would it?" Shen Yibin quickly tried to placate him. "Please, don’t worry. For the month you’re in Yunzhong City, I’ll make sure you have enough to drink whenever you want. And how about I give you a few bottles as a parting gift? Why don’t you just sit this one out?"

Shen Yibin was organizing this auction for outsiders, not to rip off acquaintances like Director Kong. He would feel terrible if he caused them to spend a fortune.

"I want the parting gift wine, but I want this wine now, too." Director Kong, however, refused to give up so easily. He still planned to participate in the auction.

Over the next few days, Shen Yibin made repeated trips to the Yunzhong City airport to welcome guests who had traveled from afar for the auction. His own villa was certainly not large enough to accommodate so many people, so he could only arrange for them to stay at the Yunzhong Grand Hotel. While he was at it, he booked a large hall in the hotel, had it set up like an auction house, and hired a professional auctioneer to preside over the event.

「Three days later.」 The auction began as scheduled. Shen Yibin placed three bottles of Monkey Wine, each weighing a pound and a half, on the stage. Xiaoliu watched, utterly dejected. It shot Shen Yibin a deeply reproachful look. ’Who was it that said if there wasn’t enough, they’d drain my entire stash? And now you’re only selling this little bit? Did you guzzle down the rest? Bin, you big liar!’

"Alright, since everyone has arrived, our auction will now officially begin. What we have up for auction today is..." The auctioneer praised the Monkey Wine to the heavens before finally announcing the rules. "The starting bid for the first bottle of Monkey Wine is one hundred thousand, with a minimum bid increment of ten thousand. Let the bidding begin!"

"I bid five hundred thousand!" Director Kong was the first to raise his paddle, quintupling the starting price in one go. He glared menacingly around the room; he was determined to win this bottle.

Murong Li, Fang Yuanshan, and the others didn’t mind the five hundred thousand, but it was awkward for them to compete with Director Kong, so they reluctantly lowered their paddles.

John Farrell, however, couldn’t care less about all that. The Monkey Wine he had taken from Shen Yibin last time was long gone. Back in America, he missed it every single day; other wines tasted like nothing in comparison. Now that a new opportunity had presented itself, how could he possibly miss it? "I bid one million!"

John Farrell and Director Kong also had a working relationship, but Farrell’s special effects company was second to none in Hollywood. He wasn’t the least bit afraid of Director Kong not seeking his cooperation, so the two of them immediately engaged in fierce competition.

Xu Ye and Xia Shixuan also tried to get in on the action, but unfortunately, they were both young and their financial resources couldn’t compare to these two titans. However, some of Shen Yibin’s other long-time customers were also present, and among them were hidden dragons and crouching tigers. They stepped up and raised their paddles one after another, and in no time, the price of the Monkey Wine soared to an unbelievable level.

"Alright, three million, two hundred and ten thousand, third call! I declare the first bottle of Monkey Wine sold to Mr. Farrell!" The auctioneer was ecstatic. He had initially been a bit disdainful of the small number of lots, thinking he wouldn’t earn much of a commission, but the proceeds from this first bottle alone exceeded his income from the entire previous month.

"Thank you, thank you!" John Farrell accepted the Monkey Wine and immediately cradled it in his arms. After a moment of excitement, he immediately joined the bidding for the second bottle. From the looks of it, he intended to take home all three bottles.

"Sigh, I guess we’ll just have to watch the show!" Sun Qian, Xu Ye, and Xia Shixuan exchanged wry smiles. It looked like they’d have to keep mooching drinks off Bin from now on.

The competition for the second bottle was even more intense, and the price went higher than the first. By the time the last bottle was brought out, Fang Yuanshan, Murong Li, and Fang Yun could no longer worry about giving face to Director Kong. They all stepped up and raised their paddles to join the auction.

The price of the first bottle alone was enough to buy Turtle Immortal and support it for many years. Shen Yibin couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for putting the other two bottles up for auction. Looking at this third bottle, he figured it would probably fetch a price that would leave him utterly speechless.

’By the way, what is the auction record for a bottle of liquor?’ he wondered. ’Is there any chance of breaking that record today?’ Shen Yibin curiously picked up his phone, opened an app, and started searching.