Grandpa Zhou, the Auction Begins!

Lin Fan naturally had no idea what Liu Yuhang was thinking.

He simply poured Zhou Guotao a glass of wine and said, "Please, sir."

Zhou Guotao did not stand on ceremony. He picked up the glass and first held it to his nose for a sniff.

Then, he slowly poured it into his mouth.

At once, Zhou Guotao's aged face filled with a look of lingering appreciation and enjoyment.

"Not bad. This is exactly the taste—rich and mellow, smooth on the palate, with an endless aftertaste! Worthy of the Moutai Emperor!" Zhou Guotao praised sincerely.

Lin Fan said, "It seems... you truly like it, sir. There's still some Han Emperor Maotai left in this bottle, so I'll give it to you."

"Oh? Little brother, you're willing to part with this wine for me?" Zhou Guotao asked in surprise. "This is the last bottle of Han Emperor Maotai in the world."

Zhou Guotao had quietly observed Lin Fan just now and noticed that his movements while drinking were smooth and natural. He even had a bottle of Han Emperor Maotai in his collection.

Clearly, he was also someone who appreciated fine liquor.

The old man understood very well just how painful it was for a wine lover to give away Han Emperor Maotai. It was practically like cutting off one's own flesh!

Lin Fan said, "Han Emperor Maotai is indeed mellow, full-bodied, and long-lasting. It has brought nearly every aspect of liquor to perfection!"

"However, perfection does not always mean best. Sometimes, slight imperfections give a wine more depth and layers."

"From that perspective, Five Star and Feitian are more distinctive."

"Han Emperor Maotai isn't to my liking. It should go to someone who appreciates it."

As Zhou Guotao listened to Lin Fan's words, his wrinkled old face shone with admiration.

A young man in his twenties understood liquor to such an extent—it was truly rare.

Only after a long while did Zhou Guotao laugh heartily. "In that case, I'll gladly accept it."

After a pause, he added, "I still haven't introduced myself. My name is Zhou Guotao. If you don't mind, little brother, how about calling me Grandpa Zhou?"

The beautiful woman standing beside him revealed an unconcealed look of surprise.

She had rarely seen her grandfather introduce himself to a young person, much less allow him to call him Grandpa Zhou.

Han Emperor Maotai was certainly precious.

But her grandfather had received gifts far more valuable than Han Emperor Maotai countless times before.

Yet she had never seen him act like this.

Could there be something special about this young man? With that thought, the beautiful woman could not help looking Lin Fan over again from head to toe.

"Hello, Grandpa Zhou. My name is Lin Fan," Lin Fan said.

"Good, hahaha!" Zhou Guotao laughed loudly.

Ring ring ring!

At that moment, a lively tune rang out inside Xin Yue Restaurant.

"The auction is about to begin, so I won't stay any longer. Lin Fan, we'll meet again," Zhou Guotao said.

"Goodbye, Grandpa Zhou," Lin Fan said.

Liu Yuhang hurriedly added, "Goodbye, Old Zhou."

After Zhou Guotao and the beautiful woman left, Liu Yuhang said enviously, "Brother Lin, you can actually call him Grandpa Zhou directly!"

Lin Fan said calmly, "He should be nearly eighty, right? What's wrong with calling him Grandpa?"

"What's wrong with it? The Zhou family became one of China's top families entirely because of Old Zhou! If anyone else found out you called him Grandpa Zhou, they'd be so jealous their teeth would ache!" Liu Yuhang cried excitedly.

Lin Fan could not help smiling at Liu Yuhang.

Teeth aching from jealousy? Like you?

Then, Liu Yuhang poured some Plain Water into the decanter, hugged it, and drank the Plain Water straight from it.

Lin Fan asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"This is the last bottle of Han Emperor Maotai in the world. We absolutely can't waste any!" Liu Yuhang said.

Lin Fan: ...

In another private room.

The beautiful woman first poured Zhou Guotao a cup of clear tea before unable to restrain herself any longer. "Grandpa, why were you so friendly toward that person named Lin Fan?"

Zhou Guotao took a sip of tea and savored it as he said, "That boy is broad-minded and knowledgeable! His future is limitless. Once he encounters the right opportunity, he will transform into a dragon!"

The beautiful woman's pupils shrank slightly. She had rarely heard her grandfather give such a high evaluation to a young man.

She could not help glancing toward the private room where Lin Fan was, as though she wanted to take another good look at him.

At that moment, a glamorous, graceful, and alluring beauty in a red evening gown slowly walked to the center of the Xin Yue Hotel lobby, leading five pretty women holding lanterns behind her.

The glamorous beauty smiled and said, "Welcome, everyone, to Xin Yue Hotel. This auction has prepared many treasures, and I hope everyone will be able to purchase something they like."

"Additionally, 20% of the auction proceeds will be donated to charity in everyone's name..."

"Then, today's bidding will now begin!"

The glamorous beauty's voice was full of magnetism. Even as she spoke in the middle of the hall, she did not provoke the slightest annoyance from the crowd.

On the contrary, it gave them the illusion of listening to a pleasant song, making it thoroughly enjoyable.

Soon, a jade bowl with a rounded shape and exquisite patterns was slowly brought forward.

The glamorous beauty introduced it, "The Ming Dynasty Official Kiln Celadon Chrysanthemum Bowl. This bowl once accompanied Three Treasures Eunuch on his voyage to The West. Whether in workmanship, carvings, or material, it is among the finest products of the Ming Dynasty."

"It could even be said to represent the pinnacle of Ming Dynasty porcelain craftsmanship... The starting bid is 300,000."

As soon as she finished speaking, someone immediately raised a paddle.

"500,000!"

"800,000!"

When the price reached 2 million, the bidding noticeably slowed.

In the end, the Ming Dynasty Official Kiln Celadon Chrysanthemum Bowl was sold for 2.3 million.

Next, the glamorous beauty auctioned off two more pieces of porcelain and a painting.

Neither Liu Yuhang nor Lin Fan had any interest in them, so neither made a bid.

The two ate pastries, drank tea, and occasionally chatted for a bit. They were relaxed and at ease.

At that moment, another auction item was brought up.

The glamorous beauty said, "Medical books and legends often contain miraculous descriptions of Centennial Ginseng."

"Therefore, many people tirelessly search for Centennial Ginseng. However, genuine Centennial Ginseng is rarely found."

"Today, we have a genuine Centennial Ginseng here. The starting bid is 400,000."

As her words fell, an ancient ginseng plant was brought to the center of the hall.

The Round-faced Man, seated in a private room on the third floor with dark circles under his eyes, chuckled. "I've been a little weak lately. This is perfect—I can eat some Centennial Ginseng to replenish myself."

"500,000!" The Round-faced Man raised his paddle.

Almost at the same moment the Round-faced Man finished speaking, Lin Fan raised his bidding paddle as well. "5 million!"

He raised the price tenfold right away! Lin Fan was determined to get the Centennial Ginseng.

He did not want to slowly bid back and forth with others. That would be too troublesome.

Some of the people who had originally intended to bid on the Centennial Ginseng released their paddles after hearing that price.

No one qualified to attend the Xin Yue Hotel auction was a fool.

They had also heard certain legends about Centennial Ginseng, but legends were ultimately just legends. In truth, the medicinal effects of Centennial Ginseng were quite limited.

Spending several hundred thousand or even over a million on a Centennial Ginseng was barely acceptable.

But if it cost 5 million, it simply was not worth it.

Moreover, someone who directly called out a price of 5 million was clearly determined to obtain it. Competing with him could easily earn his resentment.

Offending someone at the Xin Yue Hotel was definitely not a wise thing to do.

PS: You're welcome to read my completed book, "Super Red Envelope Immortal Group."