At a quarter past two in the afternoon, there was an auction going on at Shen Zhen City's Good Auction House.
On the display stand was a landscape painting from the Qing Dynasty.
"Seven hundred and fifty thousand," the auctioneer said with the gavel in his hand. "Anyone else? Seven hundred and fifty thousand going once … Oh … Eight hundred thousand … Anyone else? "
On the auction seat, a man in a blue suit raised his paddle and said, "One million!"
"Okay, this bold gentleman bids one million. One million going once, one million going twice," the auctioneer shouted. "One million going thrice, sold!"
With the sound of the gavel, the man in the blue suit successfully bid for the landscape painting.
The corners of his mouth curled up into a smile, then he turned his attention to the next auction item.
Just then, his assistant suddenly appeared next to him and whispered a few words into his ear. The man in the blue suit's face darkened, then he had no choice but to leave.
After walking out of the auction hall, he went straight to the VIP lounge next to the auction house under the guidance of his assistant.
In the lounge, Miao Ying, Cui Lizhu, Wu Xiumin, and a few police detectives from Yun State were all there.
"Why …" The man in the blue suit sighed and said unhappily, "Why can't we wait until the auction is over?"
"Mr. Bao," Miao Ying said politely, "There are two more auction items with a starting price of less than five hundred thousand. I'm sure you won't be interested in them, right?"
"This …" The man who was called Mr. Bao was slightly stunned, then smiled. He sat on the sofa next to him and asked, "Excuse me, police officers, why are you looking for me?
"Wow …" When he saw that Miao Ying, Cui Lizhu, and Wu Xiumin were all female police officers, he immediately looked surprised.
"Your name is Bao Yucheng," Miao Ying said. "Then, Bao Yicheng is …"
"My cousin," the man answered straightforwardly. "He works in an airline company. Why are you looking for me? Is it related to my cousin? Did something happen to him? "
"Mr. Bao," Miao Ying said, "We are here because of Zhang Qile's case. We would like to consult you about something."
"Oh … Zhang Qile!" Bao Yucheng said. "What a pity …"
"We heard that Zhang Qile once painted a painting of the Red Bathtub Case, and that painting was bought by you. Is that true?" Miao Ying went straight to the point.
"Yes." Bao Yucheng nodded. "It's been many years. For a long time, I've enjoyed talking about it!"
"Oh?" Miao Ying quickly asked, "What is it about?"
"My foresight?" Bao Yucheng said, "At that time, I could tell that Miss Zhang Qile was talented.
"Back then, I spent 200,000 to buy a few of her works. In just a few years, these paintings have become worth tens of millions. Tell me, why don't I enjoy talking about it?"
"I want to know if Zhang Qile's painting of the red bathtub is still with you?" Miao Ying asked. Can we have a look? "
"Well … Well …" Bao Yucheng thought about it and said, "The painting is at my house. You can go and see it anytime.
But … Why do I suddenly feel that you are not here with good intentions? "
"Mr. Bao likes to use idioms," Miao Ying said. "Don't get me wrong. We just want to investigate the truth, and we hope that you can cooperate with us!"
"Of course, but … This case …" Bao Yucheng asked cautiously, "Is it related to that painting? This … "
"Don't be nervous," Miao Ying said. "I want to ask, how is your personal relationship with Miss Zhang Qile?"
"Miss Zhang … Um …" Bao Yucheng said, "Since I bought her painting a few years ago, she has contacted me many times through her connections. Generally speaking, our relationship is quite good!
In the past few years, we've had dinner a few times. I've also gone to see her art exhibitions and recommended her to magazines. That's all … "
"Then …" Miao Ying asked again, "Do you know that Miss Zhang Qile and your cousin, Bao Yicheng, have an ambiguous relationship?"
"Yes, I heard a little about it, but it's probably just gossip!" Bao Yucheng said. "Yicheng has a wife, so I hope that the police officers will be lenient!"
"During this period …" Miao Ying asked again, "Did you buy Zhang Qile's paintings again?"
"No …" Bao Yucheng answered affirmatively. "Her later paintings were too utilitarian. To be honest, I don't like her way of hyping things up!
When a painter only cares about how to package and promote himself, he has already lost his artistic vitality! "
"Then … Can I ask you a personal question?" Miao Ying asked. "Seven years ago, Zhang Qile was just a student who had just graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts. Why did you spend so much money to buy all of her paintings?"
"Ha ha, many people have asked me this question." Bao Yucheng smiled faintly and said, "If I said that there was no reason, I'm afraid that many people wouldn't believe me. But to be honest, there really was no reason. I just liked them!"
"Liked …" Miao Ying stopped smiling and asked seriously, "Did you especially like the red bathtub?"
"You …" Bao Yucheng felt Miao Ying's piercing gaze, and his expression changed. "What you said is misleading!"
As soon as he said this, Bao Yucheng's assistant immediately asked, "Mr. Bao, would you like to call your lawyer over?"
"No." Bao Yucheng waved his hand and said, "I haven't done anything shameful. Why should I call my lawyer?
"Officer, you're right. The reason why I bought Zhang Qile's painting back then was because I liked this red bathtub. I think that Zhang Qile's painting is very good, and it has a strong sense of realism!
"Later, you will understand when you see the painting," Bao Yucheng said. "There is a sense of oppression in the painting, which is the perfect interpretation of Morgan's painting style. When you look at the painting, you can even smell the smell of blood …"
As he spoke, Bao Yucheng seemed to be immersed in the painting, with his eyes closed.
"As a person from Yunzhou, I naturally know about the Red Bathtub Case," Bao Yucheng said. "It is really rare for Miss Zhang Qile to paint such a realistic effect.
Moreover, from a value perspective, that painting definitely has room for appreciation. As long as it is properly hyped up, it may be able to sell for a higher price in the future! "
"Hey, to be honest …" Cui Lizhu murmured. "Now that I have gotten what I wanted, once Zhang Qile is dead, won't this painting be sold at a sky-high price?"
"This …" Bao Yucheng suddenly opened his eyes and said with trembling lips, "I … I didn't mean that! I mean, no one in Yunzhou would dare to paint a red bathtub. So many people died, it's ominous! "
"Also, if the families of the victims knew about it, they would definitely come out to protest. In that case, the painting would be quite valuable! I … I didn't mean Zhang Qile's death … This … "
At this time, Bao Yucheng finally realized that he had set himself up. He was naturally depressed and anxious.
"Mr. Bao," his assistant was even more anxious. He held the phone and said, "I think we'd better contact your lawyer quickly!"
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