Chapter 896:

Speculation quickly took hold. Many assumed it must be a newly established subsidiary of the Havenridge Group. Otherwise, how could an unknown company command such staggering financial strength?

As the discussions continued, Rylie entered the hall slightly later than the others. She found an empty seat and sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the massive display ahead. When her eyes settled on the name Pinnacle Construction, her brow lifted in faint amusement.

That name belonged to a shell company Brad had deliberately created to intensify the competition. Its purpose was to inflate the land’s perceived value, fabricate the illusion of fierce rivalry, and divert suspicion. By doing so, Brad intended to ease the pressure on the Kirk family and convince Terrance that the contest was far from one-sided.

Seeing Rylie enter the hall, Terrance grew even more convinced that she was his most formidable rival. Havenridge Group never involved itself in losing ventures; if the price became unreasonable, they would withdraw without hesitation.

The second phase of the limited-time bidding began, with the three remaining companies required to submit new offers within a strict countdown. Whichever company held the highest bid when the timer reached zero would secure both plots.

The first sixty-second round opened with Detour Inc. taking the initiative, swiftly raising its offer to 1.9 billion. Leland, however, remained calm and waited until only ten seconds remained before matching the figure with composed precision.

Then, to everyone’s astonishment, Pinnacle Construction surged ahead with a bold bid of 2 billion.

Whispers rippled through the hall. It was now clear that Pinnacle Construction was no minor newcomer. In the next round, the tension escalated further. Pinnacle Construction confidently raised its offer to 2.2 billion. Terrance clenched his jaw and reluctantly matched it, fully aware that the bid had already exceeded their planned budget. Leland followed the same strategy, placing his matching bid in the final seconds. All three companies now stood tied at 2.2 billion.

Mᴏʀᴇ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇs ɪɴ ɢᴀʟɴᴏᴠᴇʟs.ᴄᴏᴍ

As the final second of the round approached, the atmosphere inside Detour Inc.’s booth grew suffocating. One of the technical staff turned to Terrance, unease written plainly across his face.

“Sir, our financial condition isn’t what it used to be. Our absolute limit is 2.2 billion. We really can’t push any further. Maybe we should withdraw and focus on the other plots instead.”

Terrance shifted his gaze toward the other shareholders.

“What do you all think? Should we take the risk on these two plots and use them to revive our market position and expand our influence, or should we back down and watch the company sink even deeper?”

If Detour Inc. slid into recession, every shareholder would bear the loss. After a heavy silence filled with quiet deliberation, they reached a collective decision to gamble.

In the third round of bidding, Pinnacle Construction immediately raised its offer to 2.8 billion. Once again, Leland waited until the very last moment before responding. Terrance’s fists tightened, beads of sweat forming at his temples as the seconds ticked away. He didn’t even glance at the board. His eyes were fixed entirely on Leland, who sat gripping the bidding device, brows drawn tight, his face etched with hesitation as he wrestled with his own limits.

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