Modern Traveler-Chapter 104. Plan Promotion

"$155 billion!" someone shouted.

"$155 billion, who else?" After David finished speaking, another voice chimed in.

"$165 billion!"

"$165 billion... $170 billion. Who else? $180 billion. It's going up—who else?" Slowly, the price was rising as the bidders began to take interest.

"$200 billion for the Saudi prince. Are there any contenders?" David asked.

"$220 billion for the king of the United Kingdom."

"$225 billion for the alliance of the luxury brands, including Rolex and others. Is there anyone who wants to compete?" David noticed that only a few bidders remained; the majority couldn't afford the price of $225 billion.

"$230 billion for the Arab prince."

"$240 billion for the representative from Singapore."

"Rae, who do you think will win the stone? I'm betting on the Arab prince this time," Poki said.

"Hmm, I thought the same. Look at the prince's face; he seems eager to win it," Rae replied.

"But for Singapore to compete is rare," Sakura remarked.

"Yeah, maybe they plan to use it to boost their economy further? Just displaying that stone could attract more tourism," Rae suggested.

"Look, it's only between the Arab prince and the alliance of luxury brands now," Sakura noted.

"$245 billion for that alliance. Going once..."

"$260 billion for the Arab prince. Going once, going twice... sold! Congratulations to the prince of Dubai. The item will be yours now, sir. That concludes our auction for today. Thank you for attending and participating. Once again, congratulations to our winner of the night!" David announced.

Isaac met with the prince, and they completed the financial transfer. Isaac provided Neo's bank account to finalize the transaction. The Arab prince contacted his royal family to authorize the substantial funds for transfer to Neo's account. According to the auction agreement, the tax would be covered by the buyer. Once all was completed, Isaac returned to my quarter with the Arab prince.

"Congratulations on acquiring the stone, Your Highness!" Neo extended his hand for a handshake.

"So you are the seller? I didn't realize there was someone like you in the U.S. If you visit Dubai, contact me, and I'll be your host," the Arab prince said as he shook hands with me. They chatted for a few more minutes before the prince left.

"Neo, the media is here for the interview. I informed them that they could interview you after the auction, and now they are waiting outside your quarter," Kim announced.

"Let them in. The sooner we finish this, the better," Neo replied.

Kim left the room and returned with three individuals: one holding a microphone and the other two filming.

"Hello, sir. We would like to interview you for a few minutes. It won't take long, I promise—just a few questions," the reporter said.

"No problem. Ask anything," Neo responded.

"Where did you find the stone?"

"I didn't find it. I inherited it. Next," Neo said, wanting to avoid dwelling on that.

"What are your plans for the money you just acquired from selling the diamond?"

"Most of the money will go to my charity," Neo replied.

"What charity are you focusing on, and what budget are you willing to donate?"

"All kinds of charities: scholarships, childcare, homes for the aged, and many more. We will allocate $40 billion to help them. Once we establish a solid foundation, we will expand our reach to assist other countries. That's the goal of the charity we will build," Neo explained.

"Last question, sir: why are you doing this?"

"Nothing. With so much money, I don't know where to put it, so why not help those who are struggling in life? For those who are struggling, you can expect us to help you in a few more weeks. That's all," Neo concluded.

"Thank you for your time, sir." After thanking Neo, the media left. This news would surely be a topic of discussion for days.

"Neo, we will leave too. Now that our task is finished, we don't have anything left to do. Just message me if you need anything," Isaac said.

"Ah, leave your bank account info, same with you, Kim. Since Leo is not here, can you message him and get his bank account?" Neo requested.

"Sure, Neo." Isaac and Kim provided their bank account details and left the room.

"Neo, Jimmy and Kai, along with their friends, are here. Should I let them in now?" Poki asked.

"Yes, Poki. You should call them in now," Neo replied.

Poki, along with Rae, walked to the door to see Jimmy, Kai, Duke, Agent, Ray, and Rakai there. Logan, although not invited, couldn't resist coming once he heard Poki had invited Jimmy.

"Let's go inside! Hahaha, Neo is waiting for you," Poki encouraged.

"Rakai, behave yourself. All of you, don't cause trouble, hahaha," Kai reminded his friends.

"Let's go!" said Jimmy as they entered the room. In the center was a table surrounded by chairs, with Neo sitting in the middle and Sakura next to him.

"Hello there!" Neo said.

"Nice to meet you! Can I call you Neo? It feels a bit awkward to be too formal. Oh, and by the way, this is my friend Logan," Jimmy said as he walked over to Logan and smiled. He introduced Logan and extended his hand for a handshake.

"You sure can. I've been wanting to meet you, the philanthropist of this generation. Come sit, Jimmy, you too, Logan," Neo replied, shaking hands with Jimmy and gesturing for them to take a seat.

Kai, who had been watching Jimmy take the lead, felt a bit relieved. As a millionaire and streamer, he wasn't sure how to act around Neo, but now that Jimmy had broken the ice, he felt more comfortable following his friend's example.

He signaled for his friends to join him. "Hello, Neo! Haha, nice to meet you. These are my friends Duke, Agent, Ray, and Rakai," Kai introduced, stepping forward.

"I know you! I sometimes watch your streams when I have nothing to do. Hello, Duke, Agent, Rakai, and my favorite, Ray," Neo said, shaking hands with them and allowing them to take a seat.

"So, Neo, why did you call us? Rae didn't specify," Jimmy asked first.

"Hmm, Jimmy, you want to help people, right? Why don't you organize events with my charity as a sponsor?" Neo suggested.

"I can do that! Sponsorship was one of the ways my channel began to grow. What kind of help are we talking about?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know—things like giving homes to homeless people or paying college tuition for those with student loans. Hahaha! I'm just here to provide funds, and you promote my charity," Neo explained.

Kai and the others listened to their conversation. Logan felt a bit shy in the corner, as he wasn't invited into the discussion and felt left out.

"Are you giving millions, Neo? If so, that would help a lot of people. I can't wait to work on a project like that again! Hahaha!" Jimmy said excitedly.

"Ah? Millions? No, hahaha! I'll give you billions for that. It's a win-win situation: I give you billions to help people, and in return, you promote our charity," Neo replied.

"What?! Billions?" Kai couldn't help but blurt out.

"Damn!" Duke exclaimed.

"Did I hear that right? Hahaha!" Agent said in disbelief.

"Giving away billions as if it's nothing! Bro, Neo, can I call you 'big bro'? Hahaha!" Ray joked.

"That is so much money!" Rakai added.

Logan felt a pang of jealousy hearing about that kind of money. He was a millionaire himself, but seeing someone offer billions so casually was hard for him to accept. If only he was contacted instead of them