"I want to auction some antiques." Yang Xuan was direct.
"Of course, sir. Please come with me," the attendant said.
With that, he followed the attendant into the appraisal room.
Yang Xuan took everything out of his backpack. There were five items in total.
There were two paintings. One was Tang Bohu's Pine Cliff Villa Scroll.
The second was Qi Baishi's complete set of Landscapes Twelve Screen Panel.
The third was a pair of inkstones from the Qing Dynasty.
The fourth was a Buddha statue.
The fifth was a silver coin.
Actually, Yang Xuan was quite satisfied with all these antiques. He was just a little dissatisfied with the silver coin. After all, in the world of Fist of Legend, he had used silver coins himself. To Yang Xuan, it was nothing more than a commemorative coin—how much could it possibly be worth? The pawnshop owner had definitely shoved the last item onto him just to get it over with.
At that moment, a man in his thirties or forties, dressed in a suit and tie, entered and sat down in front of the collection. "Mr. Yang, this is your first time at Fushide Auction House, right?"
"Yes. My grandparents' house was demolished for redevelopment, and while sorting through it, I found some old objects. I thought I'd bring them here and see how much they're worth." Yang Xuan told a small lie.
"Very well, Mr. Yang. My surname is Zhang. You can just call me Little Zhang," Manager Zhang said.
As he spoke, he professionally took a pair of gloves from the drawer and put them on with practiced ease.
He began carefully appraising the antiques.
You never knew until you looked. Once he did, he was shocked. Little Zhang's relaxed expression gradually turned serious and grave.
"Mr. Yang, your collection is extremely valuable. I need to bring over our auction house's chief appraiser for another look. Please wait a moment." Before Yang Xuan could answer, Manager Zhang hurried out. Before leaving, he did not forget to turn back and say, "Li Na, take good care of Mr. Yang."
"Mr. Yang, what would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?" Li Na asked.
"I don't like coffee. I'll have a cup of black tea," Yang Xuan replied.
While he sipped his black tea, Little Zhang hurried back in with a man around sixty years old.
"Old Nian, take a look. I'm not skilled enough. I could tell who painted these two works, but I can't tell whether they're genuine." Little Zhang looked embarrassed.
Old Nian slowly stepped forward, holding a magnifying glass. Without saying a word, he began examining the paintings with meticulous care.
After a long while, Old Nian lowered the magnifying glass and said excitedly, "Mr. Yang, are all five pieces going to be auctioned through Fushide Auction House?"
"Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here. If possible, try to keep the commission as low as you can." Yang Xuan haggled as well.
"That won't be a problem. Then I'll begin appraising them now." Old Nian was inwardly relieved.
The first was Tang Bohu's genuine Pine Cliff Villa Scroll. Estimated value: 24 million yuan.
Old Nian looked at Yang Xuan, wanting to see his reaction. Yang Xuan continued sipping his tea without the slightest change in expression.
"Continue," Yang Xuan said.
"Very well." Old Nian swallowed. This man is so young, yet he doesn't even blink at tens of millions. His background must be extraordinary.
In truth, Yang Xuan was only pretending to be calm. On the surface, he was savoring his tea, but inside he was already shouting: Hahahahahaha! I'm rich! I'm rich! That pawnshop owner really didn't give me a fake. What should I buy? I couldn't bear to buy that alien laptop I saw online last time. Hah! Once I sell the paintings, I'll buy two or three. Hahaha! I can buy a house and a car too. I'm so excited! But I can't show it. That would be too undignified. Mm-hmm, stay calm, stay calm.
The second was Qi Baishi's complete set of Landscapes Twelve Screen Panel. Estimated value: 100 million yuan.
The third was the Qing Dynasty Rectangular Eyed Pine Tree Duan Inkstone. Estimated value: 100,000 yuan.
The fourth was the Ming Dynasty Amitabha Buddha Statue. Estimated value: 250,000 yuan.
The fifth was the late-Qing Double Dragon Silver Yuan. Estimated value: 400,000 yuan.
After finishing, Old Nian let out a long breath and thought, It looks like Fushide Auction House will gain another huge boost in prestige from the international auction in two days.
"Then I'll leave the collection here with you. Can you arrange the auction as soon as possible?"
"Please rest assured, Mr. Yang. There will be a three-day international auction two days from now. This auction will be different from previous ones. Only eighty percent of the items will be made public, while the other twenty percent will be kept hidden. This is to allow the auction house to add items temporarily and create a sense of mystery. Mr. Yang, please keep your deposit card. It contains all the information about your collection." Old Nian handed him a card.
"Alright. There's nothing else, right?" Yang Xuan asked.
"That's right. Please come to the auction at eight in the morning on July 21—the day after tomorrow," Old Nian said.
"Okay, I'm off." Yang Xuan waved as he walked away.
With that, he sauntered out of the auction house.
Yang Xuan felt as if he were floating as he walked. He had saved only around 60,000 yuan over the years. The rest had gone either toward shopping or food. Not becoming a complete spendthrift had already been an achievement. Now, he was suddenly about to earn tens of millions. Hahahahahahahahaha! He was thrilled. Since he was already in The City of Devils, he might as well look around.
When he checked the time, it was already noon. Let's go eat. Lanzhou noodles? KFC? Shaxian snacks? He ate those every day. Today, he was going to splurge. The food didn't necessarily have to be amazing, but it absolutely had to be high-class.
Yang Xuan casually flagged down a taxi, got in, and asked, "Driver, are there any upscale restaurants nearby?"
"Upscale? Sure. There's a pretty good Japanese restaurant on the fifty-sixth floor of the Grand Hyatt Jin Mao Hotel. I hear it's quite high-end," the driver said after thinking for a moment.
"Then let's go there." Yang Xuan made the decision immediately.
He chatted idly with the driver during the ride.
Whew, what a tall hotel. In HN City, buildings over thirty stories were fairly common. But he had never seen one over eighty stories. He craned his neck until it ached, then rubbed it and said, "Fifty-sixth floor, here we go."
"Welcome, sir. How many guests?" the attendant asked politely.
"Just me." Yang Xuan was carefree.
"Would you like a private room or a seat in the main dining area?" the attendant asked warmly.
"A private room. A small one is fine. It's only me," Yang Xuan said.
"Certainly, sir. Our smallest private room has a minimum spend of 1,000 yuan," the attendant said.
"No problem." Yang Xuan put on a slightly ostentatious air.
"I'll have this too. Mm-hmm, this one looks good as well. Horse sashimi? What the hell is that? I can't understand it, so forget it. Sea urchin? Yes, I'll have that. Right, do you have king crab? Good, bring me one. Do you have Wagyu? Bring me one serving. No! Three servings. Are you trying to feed a cat with Japanese portions?"
The table was soon piled high with food. To be honest, the portions really were nothing special. But the presentation was excellent. He took a photo first and posted it to his social feed. They're going to be green with envy.
He had to admit that The City of Devils had far too many places to visit and eat. After filling his stomach, he decided to stay at the Grand Hyatt Jin Mao Hotel as well.
"Miss, I'd like to stay for three days. I saw online that you have a Diplomat Suite. Do you have one on the eighty-fifth floor?" Yang Xuan asked.
"Yes, sir. Including the deposit, the total is 17,550 yuan," the front-desk clerk said.
"Cough, cough. Mm, I'll pay by phone." Yang Xuan was startled.
Damn, that nearly killed me. It's so expensive. Forget it. I'll be a multi-millionaire the day after tomorrow. Money isn't a problem.
He was a little tired today, so he decided to return to his room early.
He swiped the card, opened the door, and turned on the lights.
He froze. The room was enormous. After taking a bath, he stood in his bathrobe with a glass of red wine, gazing at the view from the eighty-fifth floor. Yang Xuan gave a self-mocking smile. It seemed that although he was about to become a multi-millionaire and his physical abilities had surpassed ordinary human limits, he was still just a common man at heart.
There was nothing wrong with that.
He spent his time sleeping at the hotel and wandering around the streets. Soon, the twenty-first arrived.
Then the phone rang.
"Hello. Is this Mr. Yang? We're calling to inform you that your second painting, Landscapes Twelve Screen Panel, has been selected as the featured final lot on the first day. You may need to wait a while."
"Alright, make the arrangements and get me a good seat," Yang Xuan replied while holding his phone.
So auctions have unsold items too. Yang Xuan was already quite satisfied. The first painting had sold for 75 million yuan.
The inkstone had sold for 580,000 yuan.
The Buddha statue had sold for 880,000 yuan.
Even the least conspicuous Double Dragon Silver Yuan had sold for the astronomical price of 1.2 million yuan. Apparently, Empress Dowager Cixi had specially commissioned it for her birthday celebration.
Evening finally arrived.
Next came the featured lot of the day.
Qi Baishi's Landscapes Twelve Screen Panel. Opening bid: 150 million yuan.
Qi Baishi was a renowned modern Chinese painter, famous for painting flowers and birds, insects and fish, landscapes, and figures. His brushwork was vigorous yet supple, his colors rich and vivid, his forms simple and lively, and his artistic conception sincere and unadorned. His paintings of fish, shrimp, insects, and crabs were filled with natural charm.
This Landscapes Twelve Screen Panel was one of Qi Baishi's classic works. The auction began. Each bid had to increase by at least 1 million yuan.
160 million! 200 million! 230 million!
900 million!
900 million, first call.
Are there any other interested distinguished guests? This is a rare opportunity.
900 million, second call.
980 million.
Very well. Is anyone else interested?
980 million, first call.
980 million, second call.
980 million, third call.
Sold! Congratulations to this lucky distinguished guest.
"Mr. Yang, the total for your auctioned items comes to 1,057,660,000 yuan. Taxes and commission total 1,057,660,00 yuan.
The final total is 1,047,083,400 yuan. It has already been transferred to your bank account." Old Nian spoke with excitement. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."
Yang Xuan stood and shook his hand. "Likewise."
"Old Nian, I'd like to ask—if I wanted to sell gold, jewelry, and things like that, would you accept them?" Yang Xuan asked tentatively.
"Little Zhang, come over here for a moment." Old Nian turned and called to Manager Zhang.
"Yes, Old Nian? What is it?" Little Zhang jogged over.
"Mr. Yang, if you have transactions of that kind, you can contact Little Zhang." Old Nian pointed at Little Zhang.
They exchanged contact information.
Yang Xuan walked out of Fushide Auction House and stretched lazily toward the sky. It was already so late.
Forget it. I'll check out of the hotel by phone. I'll take a taxi back to HN City now.