Chapter 8

This meal took nearly an hour, and Xu Qing had a taste of the life of the rich. However, he remained unusually calm inside; this kind of luxurious life was not what he pursued. Getting admitted to his dream university was the current issue he needed to think about.

"Bro, there's a small antique auction upstairs later. I heard there are a few interesting old items. Let's go up and take a look together." Tang Dashao felt that the meal was particularly delicious, so he invited Xu Qing to join in the post-meal entertainment.

This time, Tang Dashao invited Old Wu not only to appraise the 'Ten Thousand Year Elephant' but also to help him find some items at the auction.

"Sure, let's go and join in the fun." Before Xu Qing could respond, Liu Fat had already eagerly agreed. This so-called small auction was a private transaction, and the items being auctioned were private collections. The authenticity relied entirely on the expertise of the antique appraisers. Even if one made a mistake, it was their own fault. Usually, the rich liked to seek excitement, and such auctions perfectly catered to this mindset.

To be honest, Xu Qing hadn't slept all night and just wanted to find a big bed to catch up on some sleep. He had little interest in the antique auction, but since Liu Fat had already agreed, he could only nod in agreement. At worst, he would find a chair and take a nap.

Tang Guobin was in high spirits. He casually took out a gold card and paid the bill at the door, then led the three of them to the top floor by elevator. Xu Qing looked somewhat listless, as he was extremely tired.

At the stairwell, four tall guards in camouflage uniforms stood, each wearing earpieces, exuding a fierce aura. They didn't show much enthusiasm when they saw Tang Guobin and his group, only nodding slightly.

Tang Guobin smiled slightly and led the three directly into a room down the corridor. Inside, they found a spacious hall, at least 200 square meters, with an ancient and solemn decor. Five rows of rosewood armchairs with tea tables were arranged horizontally, and a marble table covered with red velvet was prominently placed in the center of the hall.

At first glance, Xu Qing felt a sense of familiarity, reminiscent of the school meeting room. Of course, the school auditorium would never use rosewood furniture.

There were already about twenty people seated in the hall, mostly middle-aged, with a few elderly men with gray temples. They were all well-dressed, clearly successful and wealthy individuals. The youngest were the three of Tang Dashao's group.

The crowd only glanced at Tang Dashao and his group, but the few elderly men nodded in unison when they saw Old Wu.

The auction hadn't started yet, so the four found a seat in the back row. Two elegant waitresses in cheongsams promptly served them a few cups of fragrant tea. Before they could chat, the main door opened, and six security guards in camouflage uniforms carried in three large wooden boxes, followed by a middle-aged man in a dark blue robe, who bore a resemblance to Old Wu.

"This is Xiao Gongyun, the owner of Gu Yunzhai, a renowned figure in the Jiangcheng antique world. It costs at least 100,000 yuan to invite him to host an auction..." Tang Dashao deliberately sat next to Xu Qing and whispered the man's background.

Xu Qing yawned and nodded, showing little interest. Fortunately, the tea here was quite invigorating; otherwise, he would have fallen asleep as soon as he sat down. He didn't think this game of the rich had anything to do with him; he was just there to make up the numbers.

Xiao Gongyun walked to the rosewood table with a smile, bowed to the audience, and said loudly, "Thank you all for coming. No need for pleasantries. As they say in the trade, let's see the goods."

He bent down and opened a wooden box, took out a blue-white porcelain bottle, and placed it on the table. The bottle was about fifteen centimeters tall, narrow at the bottom and broad in the middle, gradually narrowing towards the neck, resembling the vase held by the Buddhist deity Guanyin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I will use this Song Dynasty blue-white glaze vase to start the auction. This item was acquired by Mr. Tang Zhenggang in 2009 from Quyang, Hebei. Today, I will boldly use it as the opening act."

With that, Xiao Gongyun picked up the vase with one hand and threw it forcefully into the corner behind him. It shattered into pieces with a loud crash.

The crowd was in an uproar, all turning their eyes to Tang Dashao in the back row. They all knew that the Tang Zhenggang mentioned was his father.

Tang Dashao smiled indifferently, sipped his tea, and said in a voice only those nearby could hear, "Damn, the thing that cost 600,000 yuan, at least I got to hear the sound..."

Xu Qing was also startled awake by this sudden action, looking at Tang Dashao with confusion. He couldn't understand why someone would smash a good item in front of everyone. Six hundred thousand yuan, was he out of his mind?

Tang Dashao blinked and whispered, "The item is fake. My foolish father paid the tuition, and now it's being used as a gimmick."

Hearing this, Xu Qing finally understood. He thought, "So it's a trick to draw people in."

Actually, Xu Qing was mistaken. Xiao Gongyun had two purposes: to quickly capture everyone's attention and to indicate that if one bought a fake at the auction, it was their own fault, not the seller's.

There was no denying that Xiao Gongyun's move was highly effective. Everyone's attention was focused on him. He slowly put on a pair of white gloves, bent down, and took out a blue-white glaze bowl with a plum blossom petal edge from the box, placing it gently in the center of the table.

"The Song Dynasty blue-white glaze vase just now was a fake. Mr. Tang specifically asked his son to come and hear the sound. I did the heavy lifting, I wonder if Mr. Tang Dashao found it satisfying?"

Xiao Gongyun said this slowly, then looked at Tang Guobin.

"Satisfying, very satisfying!" Tang Dashao straightened his neck and shouted, causing many to burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became relaxed again.