Chapter 172 : Bid on favorite items
At the auction, Zhang Daqian's painting of the lotus flower had already stirred up a heated bidding war. This painting was known as Zhang Daqian's masterpiece in his later years, and every bid caused a commotion. Even though Xu Qing did not have a deep understanding of calligraphy and painting, he was still attracted by the majestic aura of this lotus painting. Under everyone's gaze, he decisively raised his placard.
The auctioneer, Xiao Gonggong, spoke loudly. He looked around the auction hall, hoping that someone could surpass this price." This gentleman has bid 2.1 million. Are there any higher bids?" " This is Zhang Daqian's rare treasure…" However, the rich people present seemed to be calm. They knew that there were more treasures waiting to be auctioned.
"2.1 million going once, 2.1 million going twice, 2.1 million going thrice!" As the auction hammer fell, the entire place fell silent.
"Deal! Congratulations to this gentleman for obtaining Zhang Daqian's Splashing Ink Lotus Painting." Xu Qing smiled and walked to the front desk to pay. He was already thinking about how to find a suitable frame for this painting. It would look very appropriate to hang it on his wall.
Then, Xiao Gonggong took out a white jade Guanyin statue from the Ming Dynasty. He described in detail the material, weight, and artistic value of the Guanyin statue. He emphasized that the value of this Guanyin statue far exceeded the value of its raw materials, not to mention the historical significance given by its age.
"Now, please bid for this Ming Dynasty white jade Guanyin statue. The starting price is 20 million." Because it had an extraordinary name, Zi Gangyu. Hearing this name, a middle-aged man sitting in the front row instantly stood up excitedly, his eyes flashing with fanatical sparks.
"Zi Gangyu! It's actually Zi Gangyu…" He sighed. The experts present also began to estimate the value of this white jade Guanyin. Considering that the jade was worth more than 20 million yuan, and that it was the Zigang Jade of the Ming Dynasty, they all agreed that if this white jade Guanyin was the real thing, it would be worth at least 50 million yuan. It could be said to be a priceless treasure.
Xu Qing smiled, his hand involuntarily touching the miniature carving of Zi Gang Yu on his chest. An idea sprouted in his heart. Perhaps one day, his works could reach the height of Zi Gang Yu and become the Xu Qing Yu praised by others.
Indeed, although gold was expensive, the value of jade was hard to estimate. As everyone knew, Zigang jade was a peerless jade. The auctioneer decided to start the bidding at 68 million, and each bid must not be lower than 1 million.
"70 million!" The one who made the bid was the zealous middle-aged man. He raised the price by two million in an instant. Xu Qing was not very interested in this jade Guanyin. As an elite in the jade carving industry, he regarded Zi Gang as a monument in his heart. For hundreds of years, countless people had tried to imitate Zi Gang Jade's carving style, but they had only learned its shape and failed to understand its spirit. If Zi Gang was still alive, he would proudly say,"My style can only be imitated, but never surpassed."
"Seventy-one million." Old Man Zhuang joined the bidding. He was the head of a well-known jewelry store in the country and knew the value of this jade Guanyin. If it was placed in the shop, it would undoubtedly become the treasure of the shop.
However, the middle-aged man did not give up. He directly increased the bid by four million, showing his determination to win. As the price was too high, only Old Man Zhuang and the middle-aged man were bidding. Everyone's eyes were focused on these two people, and the smell of gunpowder in the bidding became even stronger. In Old Man Zhuang's jewelry store, there was a piece of exquisite Zigang jade. It was indeed admirable. However, he smiled and shook his head. Looking at the middle-aged man, he raised his hand and said," The value of this jade is 80 million." This was a bid that was filled with confidence and enthusiasm. It was also a sign of respect and affirmation for this piece of jade.
A one-time increase of five million was undoubtedly a huge sum. The middle-aged man's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. He raised his right hand on his knee slightly and sat down firmly.
The hall was silent, and a professional smile appeared on Xiao Gong's face. He picked up the rubber hammer and slammed it on the table. This white jade Guanyin already had a new master.
Xiao Gong cleared his throat, his tone full of enthusiasm. " Now, we will present you with a different program. It will make men's hearts beat, women's hearts beat, and as for those who are neither male nor female..." His words aroused everyone's curiosity and anticipation.
Xu Qing and Tang Guobin looked at each other and smiled. They knew that the next stone gambling segment would be an exciting contest. Xiao Gonggong's eloquence was indeed admirable. His ability to express himself was comparable to any lawyer.
However, at this moment, an untimely ringtone broke the silence. Xu Qing felt the vibration in his pocket. He knew that it was his phone. In order to avoid disturbing others, he quickly walked out of the room to answer the call. To his surprise, the caller was Xue Guoqiang.
Xue Guoqiang asked him to rush to the Jiangcheng Municipal Committee in two hours, saying that he had something important to discuss. Xu Qing had some doubts in his heart, but out of respect, he still agreed. Since he had enough time, he wanted to see what he could gain from this stone gambling.
The rules of stone gambling were the same as always. Every raw material had a price tag. Xu Qing used his Clairvoyant Eye to scan the pile of raw materials and suddenly found an Ice-type Yellow-Yang Green material. It was priced at only 10,000 dollars. He walked forward excitedly and hugged the material tightly, determined to challenge his luck. "Sir, do you need to open these raw materials here?" Xiao Gong walked up confidently with a smile on his face. His words were filled with passion and professionalism.
Xu Qing smiled and replied,"Thank you, but there's no need." Give me two large plastic bags and pack these raw materials." His tone was very calm and confident. It was obvious that he was full of confidence in his skills.
Xiao Gong Gong nodded and arranged for the waiter to quickly bring two large plastic bags. He carefully put the raw material into the bag and made sure it was tightly sealed. Throughout the entire process, Xu Qing maintained an elegant posture and polite words, displaying a calm demeanor.
In the end, Xu Qing took the raw materials and thanked Xiao Gong before leaving. His figure was particularly eye-catching in the crowd because he not only had a unique vision and skill, but also had a calm and confident temperament and demeanor.