"What's so fun about them?" Jiang Lang said hurriedly, glancing at Zhuo Bufan from the corner of his eyes.
He had received his father's orders, and he had sensed danger. If he didn't work hard and relied on his father's generation, he would eventually be overtaken by others. If only he could cling onto Zhuo Bufan's thigh.
Then, he would probably be able to achieve meteoric success in the future.
"Changed?" Long Ge Yueh looked at him suspiciously.
"Mr. Zhuo, my dad said to let me follow by your side. If you have anything, you can order me. I'll go through water and tread on fire, I'll do it even if I have to die a thousand times …" Jiang Lang choked out the only two words in his stomach.
Zhuo Bufan naturally understood that it was Jiang Beiya's idea, but it was good to have someone to run errands for her. "Don't call me Mr Zhuo. Just call me by my name."
"Brother Fan." Jiang Lang's smile was even brighter than a chrysanthemum as he followed up.
The auction began. The auctioneer from the Jia Group was in charge of the opening speech. His speech quickly stirred up the atmosphere.
There were jewelry, paintings, and antiques. However, Zhuo Bufan shook his head when he didn't see a single item.
What he wanted was a cauldron, a cauldron for alchemy.
In the southwest corner sat a woman and two men. The silver-haired old man had his eyes closed, and the woman beside him had her eyes fixed on the auction stage.
The assistant behind her leaned over and whispered, "President Lian, it's done. This time, we'll auction all three items together. The Chen family won't notice."
Lian Lian nodded lightly, her face expressionless.
It turned out that two years ago, the Chen family in Jinling had gone to Zhongzhou to sell a fake antique to Lian Lian. Not only did they lose tens of millions in assets, but they had also caused her family to be ridiculed.
Even the entire Zhongzhou antique industry was laughing at her. This time, she had finally come back for revenge after two years of planning.
Lian Lian was still worried. She glanced at Master Wu and asked, "Master Wu, are you sure this is a foolproof plan? If they find out, then … "
Master Wu opened his eyes and said proudly, "I used a special spell to leave an ancient aura on the stone that was born in the 12th year of Qianlong. Even an experienced antique expert wouldn't be able to verify it. I'm afraid they'll only be able to find some clues after three months."
"Then, I can rest assured. This time, it is all thanks to Master Wu's willingness to help. After this matter is completed, I will definitely reward Master Wu," Lian Lian said with a nod.
On the auction stage, three items were brought up, covered with red cloth.
The auctioneer removed the red cloth. The first item was a piece of jade. It was emerald green in color, and the engravings on it were beautiful. However, the experienced people knew that it was not worth much.
The second item was a miniature cauldron. It had three legs and two handles, and its design was simple and unadorned.
The third item was a large white jade. On it, there were engravings of a coiling dragon, a fierce tiger, a skinny monkey, a jade rabbit, a raging bull, a fine horse … The twelve zodiac animals were vivid and lifelike. Under the lights, it was dazzling and instantly attracted everyone's attention.
However, Zhuo Bufan's gaze was fixed on the miniature cauldron. It had an ancient aura on it. A golden light flashed in his eyes. He was disappointed. "It should be something left behind from the Qing Dynasty. Unfortunately, it's too small. It can only be used as a decoration. It can't be used to concoct pills."
"Mm." Zhuo Bufan's gaze stopped on the third item. It was a white jade carving of the twelve zodiac animals. He frowned.
"Although there is an ancient aura and some Yin Qi on it, as if it was taken out from a tomb, the aura is only attached to the surface. It doesn't come from the inside. It seems like someone used some kind of method to fake it."
However, it was none of his business, so he didn't take it to heart. After all, he could only blame himself for making a mistake.
The highest price of the first two items was the miniature cauldron, which cost more than three million. The last one was the real deal. Back then, the Qing Dynasty was incompetent. Many treasures were taken away by the Eight-Nation Alliance and were still lying in the museums of other countries.
It was said that the twelve zodiac animals of the Qianlong Dynasty were given to Li Lianying by the empress dowager. Later, they disappeared. Now that they had reappeared, the whole auction reached a climax.
However, the rich were not fools. They didn't know the origins of the items being auctioned, so it was hard to tell whether they were real or fake. Not as many people had expected.
Most of the people were antique dealers or antique collectors. Even if they didn't know how to appraise, they had hired experts.
"Mr. Zhang, do you think this is the real deal?" Chen Jiamu and Chi Yunhai's faces were flushed with excitement.
Before the New Year, they had contacted a French buyer who offered fifty million yuan for the white jade zodiac animal. The Chen family had signed a three-year contract and collected five million yuan as a deposit.
However, two years had passed and they still hadn't found the white jade zodiac animal. When the time was up, they would have to pay the liquidated damages. How could they not be anxious?
Unexpectedly, God rewarded those who waited. They had planned to come here to relax and try their luck. They didn't expect to find it.
If this white jade zodiac animal was real, Chen Jiamu was determined to get it.
Mr. Zhang was nearly eighty years old. He wore glasses and a long gown. He was elegant and had once been on a TV station's treasure appraisal program.
This time, Chen Jiamu had spent a lot of money to invite him.
"I'll have to take a closer look." Mr. Zhang took out a magnifying glass. They went up to the stage and looked around.
There was no guarantee of authenticity at the auction. It all depended on one's insight and standard.
After a long time, Mr. Zhang's face flushed with excitement. "Mr. Chen, this is real!"
Chen Jiamu and Chi Yunhai were delighted. As long as they could get it, they could make at least ten million yuan!
Chen Qingai didn't understand these things, but she was a girl and was more attentive. She said, "Dad, Mom, we found it so easily. It can't be fake, right?"
After saying that, Mr. Zhang glared at her. "Little girl, you don't believe me?"
"That's not what I meant. It's just …" Chen Qingai wanted to say something but stopped.
"Mr. Zhang is an authority in this industry. He has been in this business for many years. Besides, I've seen it before. It's not a problem," Chen Jiamu said in a low voice.
Chi Yunhai suppressed his excitement and said in a low voice, "Honey, let's hurry up. If we can't get this white jade zodiac animal, we'll have to compensate Jeffery more than ten million yuan."
"Okay." Chen Jiamu nodded.
After a round of bidding, although there were many competitors, it was a business after all. If you bought it and couldn't sell it for years, wouldn't you be stuck with the money?
Chen Jiamu was determined to get it. In the end, no one competed with him and he got it for twenty million yuan.
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