Chapter 78

"Everything here has been booked by the organizers. Those inside are either their people or visitors or merchants who have come here to take photos or do business." Zhao Liangde did not use the tea provided by the organizers but took out a small jar from his pocket and brewed a pot of tea for everyone.

Seeing Xu Gang's strange look, Zhao Liangde explained, "It's not that I'm afraid of danger. The organizers hold an auction every year and wouldn't harm anyone unless they plan to run away with the money. I just don't like the tea here. You know, in Wudao Village, my tongue has become quite picky."

Xu Gang nodded, feeling relieved, and began to carefully observe the people around him.

There were about two hundred people around the lake, most of whom were dressed very well, with the poorest having a net worth of several million. Although they weren't considered rich, they could still afford to buy a few items they liked.

Many people were holding things, some with bags, some with boxes, and some with bamboo tubes. These were probably the items they planned to auction.

Zhang Tianyuan also held a bamboo tube, which contained a copy of Mi Fu's painting that he had made that night. He decided to try his luck at this auction to see how much the forgery would be worth.

"Hey, look at that guy, he's really showing off," Xu Gang whispered to Zhang Tianyuan.

Following Xu Gang's gaze, Zhang Tianyuan saw a few people sitting not far from him. Among them was a young man, about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, dressed very flamboyantly. He wore a sable coat, with rings on all ten fingers, and the diamonds looked quite high-quality. He had a gold necklace around his neck, a Swiss watch on his wrist, and his clothes were definitely high-end, probably custom-made for him. His shoes were likely made of real crocodile leather. His hair was slicked back, and he looked like Crocodile from "One Piece." He wore dark sunglasses, so it was hard to see his expression, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. He was leisurely smoking a cigar and had a young woman on each arm. The two women were around twenty years old, and Zhang Tianyuan recognized one of them as a famous internet celebrity. The other was probably a high-quality model. They had heavy makeup, which didn't look comfortable, but their perfume smelled good, likely imported from France.

Behind the middle-aged man stood two other women, but they were different from the two models. They wore black suits, ties, sunglasses, and white gloves. One held a tablet, and the other held a phone.

"Man, I thought they were here for a funeral. What kind of outfit is that?" Xu Gang complained, but his voice was low, so the others couldn't hear.

"Don't mind them, they're probably bodyguards," Zhang Tianyuan shook his head. This gathering was for antique dealers and wealthy people from all over the world. With so many people, it was normal to see all kinds of outfits. It wasn't his business to care.

He didn't mind, but someone else did. Not far from the middle-aged man, two foreigners with blonde hair were talking in English and occasionally looking at the middle-aged man with disgust.

The pavilion was not very large, only able to accommodate about ten people, so Zhang Tianyuan only observed those nearby. He didn't bother to look further, as it would be a waste of time.

In the pavilion, some people were drinking tea, and some were chatting. It seemed they all knew each other. Four people were gathered around an elderly man, who looked to be in his seventies or eighties, and they were showing great respect, as if seeking advice.

Near Zhang Tianyuan, there was another elderly woman, about sixty years old, with a dragon-headed cane. Beside her stood a middle-aged woman with glasses, who looked to be in her late thirties but was well-preserved, still quite attractive. Her glasses gave her an intellectual charm, making her more appealing than the two models.

At least, that was Zhang Tianyuan's opinion.

There were also young men in camouflage uniforms moving around the pavilion, probably responsible for maintaining order. They tried not to disturb the guests and only patrolled in areas that wouldn't bother anyone, showing they were well-trained.

After sitting down, She Lin began to savor the tea, and Zhao Liangde also enjoyed the tea he had brought. Xu Gang, however, didn't understand the taste of tea and became impatient, standing up to take a walk.

Just as he stood up, a middle-aged man, about forty years old, accompanied by a few others, walked over to the elderly man.

"Old Tu, I'm truly sorry for not giving you proper attention. If I had known you were coming, I would have personally welcomed you."

The elderly man pinched his beard and coldly said, "Yang Gazi, don't be so fake. You probably wish I never came. Last time, I ruined several of your deals, hehe."

"That's one of the organizers of this auction, named Yang Yijun. The old man, Tu Shou, is a famous appraiser from Nandu. Last time, my father told me that Yang Yijun had several forgeries that were about to sell for a high price, but Tu Shou stopped them, so he has been very unhappy with him," Zhao Liangde whispered to the others.

"Is there someone with the surname Yang?"

"What's so strange about that? There are people with the surname Mu. See that guy with the big back hair? His name is Mu Yi!"

"Ha ha ha, Mu Yi, ha ha ha, Mu Yi, and Mu Yi Tianxia, what a ridiculous name." Xu Gang, unlike Zhang Tianyuan, was always loud and boisterous. Hearing Zhao Liangde's words, he couldn't help but laugh, which made the big back hair guy glare at him angrily.

Xu Gang, however, was not afraid. He had been in the military and grew up with Zhang Tianyuan, learning his toughness. It was said that when he first joined the military, he beat up a veteran so badly that the veteran had to stay in bed. Xu Gang was not afraid of a fight.

Seeing that Xu Gang was not afraid, the big back hair guy coldly snorted and turned to his bodyguards, saying a few words before resuming his cigar.

"Xu Gang, be careful. That guy told his bodyguards to deal with you later," Zhang Tianyuan warned.

"Deal with me? I'll chop him up instead." Xu Gang said disdainfully, "Hey, that's far away. Are you a super-hearing guy or something?"

"Can't I read lips?" Zhang Tianyuan had a look of surprise on his face.

"Fine, fine, fine. You have too many secrets, but I'm used to it." Xu Gang shrugged and laughed, not paying attention to the big back hair guy anymore.

At that moment, a woman beside the big back hair guy said in a sweet voice, "Brother Mu, don't be angry. Anger is bad for your health. Let me massage you to calm down. Don't take that kind of person seriously; he's just a bumpkin, what does he know?"

As she spoke, her hand began to wander over the big back hair guy's body, which made Xu Gang stare in shock.

"Damn, I've seen disgusting things, but I've never seen anything this disgusting. It's blinding my titanium dog eyes." Xu Gang didn't say this loudly but complained to Zhang Tianyuan.

"Alright, don't meddle in others' affairs. Although I find it disgusting too, it's their freedom," Zhang Tianyuan generally didn't like to meddle in others' affairs, but he wouldn't tolerate anyone causing trouble for him.

Old Tu, however, was different. He seemed to have a habit of meddling in others' affairs. He said to Yang Yijun, "Yang Gazi, look at that. Does that guy even know anything about antiques? It's embarrassing to let anyone in. Reversal, you used to be decent, but now you're all about money."

Yang Yijun's face showed a moment of displeasure, but it quickly disappeared. He smiled and said, "Old Tu, it doesn't matter if they appreciate it or not. As long as they can pay, it's an auction, not an appreciation session. What do you think?"

"Hmph, I don't care about this nonsense. But why hasn't the auction started yet? It's almost lunchtime. Do you want everyone to bid on an empty stomach?"

Yang Yijun checked the time and realized it was indeed late. He quickly explained, "Old Tu, please bear with us. This time, the scale is larger, so the preparations took longer. Not everyone has arrived yet, and those who haven't are either holding valuable items or are important people. We can't start hastily. If you're hungry, we have free snacks prepared. You can have some first."

"Hehe, are there people you can't deal with?" Old Tu sneered at Yang Yijun. "Who can't you deal with? Even the richest man in Nandu, Zhao Shenluo, has to give you some face. Is he coming this time? I heard he's on his deathbed."

This old man was indeed a bit of a sharp-tongued person, even bringing Zhao Shenluo into it.

Zhang Tianyuan was not pleased. He and Zhao Shenluo were sworn brothers, and he couldn't just let someone badmouth his brother. So he smiled and said, "Brother Zhao will probably live longer than some people in their seventies or eighties."

"Right, right, old coffin board, what do you know? Brother Zhao found a divine doctor and is already cured. He just needs more time to recover, and he will definitely live longer than you." Xu Gang was not as polite as Zhang Tianyuan, and his words were quite harsh.

Old Tu's beard flew up in anger, and he pulled out a strand, saying, "Yang Gazi, look at these people. They have no respect for the elderly. These young brats, who haven't even grown their hair, think they know anything about antiques?"

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