"Jake, what's wrong with you?" Dirk noticed Jake's unusual behavior, seeing him fixated on the painting and calligraphy on the display stand. He couldn't help but ask, "What's going on? Interested? If you are, I could buy it for you. But I must warn you, this painting isn't a valuable collectible."
Dirk knew that Jake had no knowledge of collecting, so he kindly warned him. Jake didn't reply to Dirk's words. Instead, he asked, "Have you heard of Li Suzhi?"
"Li Suzhi? Yeah, I've heard of him," Dirk didn't know why Jake suddenly brought up this topic, but he still explained, "Li Suzhi was a renowned calligrapher from the Sui Dynasty. His calligraphy skills were unmatched during the entire Sui Dynasty and even into the subsequent Tang Dynasty. He's often referred to as 'Shu Sheng' (Calligraphy Saint). Each of his calligraphy works is highly sought after by collectors, especially those who collect paintings and calligraphy. I remember a few years ago, a calligraphy work by Li Suzhi was auctioned off, and it fetched a final price of 48 million. Unfortunately, only a few of Li Suzhi's works have survived, so it's quite difficult to collect his calligraphy pieces."
Evidently, Dirk was quite knowledgeable about the collecting field, much more than Jake, who had almost struggled to support himself in the past and hadn't had the energy for high-end pursuits like antique collecting.
"Well, did he create a piece called 'Farewell to a Guest'?" Jake's heart raced, feeling nervous.
48 million! Li Suzhi's work could actually sell for such a high price! If the appraisal technique wasn't mistaken, then the hostess likely held a piece worth tens of millions in her hands. And currently, only Jake knew about it! Jake was excited and nervous.
"'Farewell to a Guest'? Yes," Dirk said, "It's Li Suzhi's most famous work, his pinnacle in showcasing his calligraphy skills. Its value surpasses his other works. If it were to be auctioned, the final price would definitely exceed that of the previously auctioned work. However, it's said that this piece has been lost to time, possibly destroyed in the river of history. What a pity."
Lost? No! It was right here, in the hands of that beautiful hostess! Although Jake hadn't yet figured out why two works were present in the same painting, he believed in the accuracy of his appraisal technique. That "Farewell to a Guest" by Li Suzhi was definitely within that crude painting.
Jake's excitement grew. This was worth tens of millions, not just a few thousand. He had never seen so much money in his life. Buy it! He had to acquire it! Jake shouted in his mind.
But then, Jake felt awkward. He didn't have the money. Although his barbecue stall had been doing well lately, he hadn't been able to accumulate much money due to the short time frame. He definitely didn't have the 150,000 required.
Was he going to let this masterpiece slip through his fingers?
If that happened, Jake might lose sleep for days, and he'd remember this for the rest of his life. He would regret it endlessly. He couldn't let it go!
"It seems like you really like this painting," Dirk said, noticing Jake's eager gaze on the painting. He asked, "Hmm?"
"Yeah," Jake didn't deny it. He truly wanted to buy that painting.
After hearing Jake's response, Dirk smiled, raised his bidding card, and shouted loudly towards the stage, "160,000!" Dirk's voice shattered the eerie silence in the room. In an instant, almost everyone's attention turned toward Dirk. His good reputation among the attendees had prompted some to even try persuading him to back off.
"Dirk, this is just a poor work, not worth this price."
"Yeah, Dirk, you seem to have misjudged this time."
"Dirk, these kinds of works are everywhere, there's no need to pay this much for them."
Although everyone present was affluent, spending money in vain, regardless of the amount, was displeasing. They didn't mind the money itself, but being seen as gullible spenders, being laughed at behind their backs, was something they didn't want.
"No worries, I'll buy it for fun," Dirk explained with a smile.
Seeing Dirk's persistence, the others stopped saying anything. However, they were all thinking that Dirk had fallen into a trap, spending money foolishly. They couldn't fathom how he had misjudged.
Dirk shared their sentiment to some extent. He thought he might have acted as a person deceived on account of his generosity, but he didn't think he had spent the money in vain. He didn't buy it for himself; he bought it for Jake. Dirk's intention was clear. He wanted to get to know Jake better, and spending a little money on that endeavor didn't bother him.
Jake understood Dirk's intention too. Dirk hadn't been interested in the painting before, yet he was now bidding for it. Clearly, he intended to buy it for Jake. Jake initially wanted to decline, but considering the value of Li Suzhi's work, he held his refusal back and appreciated Dirk's gesture.
The host on the stage was initially in an awkward situation. The audience was silent, and he didn't know how to proceed. Suddenly, Dirk spoke up, breaking the silence and relieving the host. The host was grateful for Dirk's intervention and looked at him appreciatively. He then resumed his role, speaking loudly, "Bid number 26, Dirk, with an offer of 160,000. Is there anyone willing to bid higher? The owner of this piece is quite accomplished in the field of calligraphy and painting, he..."
Because Dirk placed a bid, the host regained his confidence and began to praise the owner of the artwork enthusiastically. However, no one in the audience joined in. Except for Dirk, no one else spoke up with another bid.
Trying to make us the "冤大头" (credulous person)? No way! The onlookers watched the host with amusement, yet no one was willing to participate, regardless of his enthusiastic words.
After talking for a while without any response, the host felt embarrassed. He cleared his throat and said, "160,000 for the first time! Is there a higher bid?"
"160,000 for the second time!"
"If there's no one else bidding, this piece will be sold to Dirk!"
"160,000 for the third time!"
"Sold!"
As the host's gavel struck down heavily, Jake, who had been nervously watching, finally let out a sigh of relief.
"It seems like you really like this piece," Dirk remarked, showing no particular emotions about acquiring the painting. After all, in his eyes, it wasn't anything valuable. "You're overthinking it; others didn't think much of this painting either."