After dinner, Dirk drove with Jake and half an hour later, they arrived at their destination.
"JH Auction House." Jake stared at the sign hanging on the entrance of the building, slightly dumbfounded. He had only seen places like auction houses on TV before; he had never experienced it in real life.
"Have you been here before?" Dirk asked as he led Jake inside.
Shaking his head, Jake replied, "Never."
"There happens to be a small-scale auction here today. I brought you to take a look," Dirk explained.
"Dirk, you're here? Please come in," not long after they entered, a middle-aged man in a suit approached them and greeted Dirk.
Dirk nodded and gestured toward Jake, saying, "This is Jake, my friend. I brought him here to have some fun. Jake, this is Manager Jaden."
"Hello, Jake. Welcome to JH Auction House. I hope you have a pleasant evening," Jaden greeted politely. People in their line of work, like Jaden, dealt with wealthy and influential individuals. At this moment, courtesy was essential.
"Hello," Jake shook hands with Jaden. Indeed, networking was crucial. If Jake had come alone, they wouldn't be as polite; he might not even get a chance to meet them.
"Please, both of you, come inside," Manager Jaden said to Dirk and Jake.
There was a small auction scheduled for tonight, and many people who attended were individuals like Dirk, who had money. Thus, Jaden was here to greet the guests. Dirk led Jake inside. Clearly, he was familiar with the place and had been here before.
"If you find something you like later, bid on it. I'll foot the bill. Consider it my gift to you," Dirk told Jake.
Although Jake appeared ordinary for now, Dirk had already sensed Jake's exceptional qualities. He believed Jake's future accomplishments would be outstanding, so he didn't mind investing in him at this point. This was also one of the reasons why Dirk enjoyed a good reputation among the wealthy young circles in J City. He knew how to deal with people and had a keen eye.
"I'm here today to broaden my horizons with Dirk," Jake replied with a smile.
"If you're interested, you can come here often in the future. Jaden will certainly treat you well," Dirk said. This was why he had introduced Jake to Jaden in the first place.
"Okay," Jake nodded.
In reality, Jake didn't have much interest in such places. He had come today due to Dirk's invitation and his own curiosity.
Soon, they arrived in a hall. At the forefront was a stage, and below it were rows of chairs, resembling an auditorium in a school. At this moment, some people had already taken their seats, conversing politely in pairs. Judging by their attire and demeanor, Jake could tell they were all wealthy individuals. He was probably the poorest person in the room.
Dirk led Jake to find a place to sit. Along the way, people greeted Dirk, indicating his well-known status. However, people weren't as enthusiastic toward Jake; some even thought he was Dirk's follower.
Jake didn't mind this; he had come to observe the spectacle. As time passed, more and more people entered the hall. When the number reached around fifty or sixty, the doors of the hall were closed, and a host stepped onto the stage.
"Welcome, gentlemen and ladies, to JH Auction House this evening. May all the young masters and bosses find their desired items." After a few courteous words, the host got to the point, "As you all probably know, we have a small-scale auction tonight. Though the scale is modest, we have a good collection of items. If you have your eye on something, make your move promptly. Once it's taken, there won't be a second chance."
The people below just smiled. They were all familiar with auctions and knew what the host meant by saying this.
"Alright, I'm sure you're all eager and don't want to hear me talk. Therefore, I announce that tonight's auction is officially underway." The host announced loudly, "Please present the first item for auction."
Jake observed curiously. It was his first time attending an auction, and everything seemed novel to him. Soon, a well-groomed, perfect figure of a lady approached the stage, a sweet smile on her face, carrying a wooden box.
After placing the wooden box down, the host carefully removed an item from it and placed it on the display stand. He addressed the audience, "The first item up for auction tonight is a inkstone used by Li Dollarfa, who ranked top in the imperial examination during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. It's said that this inkstone was used by Li Dollarfa during his ten years of arduous study. After becoming the top scorer in the provincial exam, he continued to keep it with him. Even after reaching the rank of a third-rank official, he never discarded this inkstone. It holds significant collection value. As the first item for today's auction, the starting price is 100,000 Dollar, with each subsequent bid not less than 10,000 Dollar."
Ten thousand Dollar for a broken inkstone, and that's just the starting price? Jake looked at the host with some disbelief. Even though the host held the inkstone, Jake found it difficult to accept the price. To him, such an inkstone was worth around ten Dollar; a hundred thousand Dollar was outrageous. However, the people below didn't share his perspective. They were familiar with this type of presentation, and they understood the host's intentions.
"Alright, I know you're all excited. You probably don't want to hear me talk anymore. So, I officially announce the start of tonight's auction," the host proclaimed loudly, "Please bring out the first auction item."
Jake observed everything with curiosity. For someone attending an auction for the first time, everything felt new. Soon, a well-dressed lady with a perfect figure and a sweet smile appeared on the stage, carrying a wooden box.
Once the wooden box was placed on the platform, the host carefully took out an item and set it on display. He addressed the crowd, "The first item for auction tonight is an inkstone once used by Li Dollarfa, who ranked among the top scorers during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that this inkstone accompanied Li Dollarfa during his ten years of arduous study. After achieving the top provincial exam score, he continued to keep it by his side. Even after rising to the rank of a third-rank official, he never parted with this inkstone. It holds immense collectible value. As the inaugural auction item tonight, bidding starts at 100,000 Dollar, with each subsequent bid no less than 10,000 Dollar."
One hundred thousand Dollar for a worn-out inkstone, and that was just the starting price? Jake stared at the host in disbelief. The item he was holding seemed far from worth that much. To him, it was worth around ten Dollar at most; a hundred thousand Dollar was beyond his comprehension. However, the audience below didn't share his sentiment. Having attended auctions before, they understood the host's rhetoric.
"Alright, I'm sure you're all eager to get started. I won't bore you with more words. With that, I declare tonight's auction officially open," the host proclaimed in a loud voice, "Bring out the first item for bidding."
Jake watched with curiosity. This was his first time attending an auction, so everything felt new to him. Soon, a well-dressed woman with a perfect figure and a sweet smile stepped onto the stage, carrying a wooden box.
As the wooden box was placed on the stand, the host carefully took out an item and put it on display. He addressed the crowd, "The first item up for auction tonight is an inkstone once used by Li Dollarfa, who achieved the top score in the imperial examination during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that he used this inkstone throughout his ten years of diligent study. After becoming the top scorer in the provincial examination, he continued to keep it by his side. Even after attaining the rank of a third-rank official, he never parted with this inkstone. It possesses significant collectible value. As the opening item for tonight's auction, bidding starts at 100,000 Dollar, with each subsequent bid not less than 10,000 Dollar."
A mere inkstone selling for a hundred thousand, and this was just the starting price? Jake looked at the host, who was also tonight's auctioneer, feeling somewhat speechless. He couldn't quite accept such a price for what he saw as a simple inkstone. In his mind, that inkstone might be worth about ten dollars, but a hundred thousand? That was exorbitant. However, the people below had a different perspective. As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, bids began to emerge. Multiple people bid on the item, and the price quickly rose, reaching three hundred thousand Dollar.
Madness, it was truly madness. Observing the people around him, Jake found it difficult to comprehend their mindset. If he were in their shoes, he wouldn't even think about bidding at such prices.
"What do you think? Interested?" Dirk asked Jake in a low voice.
"Not really," Jake shook his head, "It's just a simple inkstone, not worth it."
"A simple inkstone?" Dirk raised an eyebrow and then chuckled, "Antique collecting works like that. To those who love it, an antique can be priceless, while to those who don't, it might not even be worth ten dollars."
Jake glanced at a middle-aged man not far away who had just bid three hundred and twenty thousand Dollar for the inkstone. Reflecting on the situation, he sighed, "Antique collecting really drives people to madness."
Indeed, from Jake's perspective, an inkstone that might be worth ten dollars at most had been bid up to three hundred and twenty thousand Dollar. The buyer had a delighted expression on their face, as if they had scored a tremendous bargain. While marveling at the buyer's wealth, Jake also came to understand the fervor surrounding antique collecting.