Chapter 76

The auction was still held at the East Asia Grand Hotel Convention Center. The central hall had been cleared out, and a simple platform was set up at the front. Rows of tables and chairs were placed below.

Fang Zhenting accompanied Lu Li to sit in the second row, but Lu Li had no interest in the auction of calligraphy and paintings and didn't even take a number.

After a brief opening speech, Fang Gaizhi, representing the Calligraphy and Painting Association, gave a speech. He mainly explained the significance of this auction, thanked the entrepreneurs and business elites present, and hoped that everyone would actively bid to help more drought-stricken areas.

After Fang Gaizhi finished speaking, the auctioneer took the stage.

A礼仪小姐 (etiquette lady) carried the painting onto the stage. The auctioneer cleared his throat and loudly introduced, "‘A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains,’ a work by our famous young painter Li Tian. His works are grand and majestic, especially in landscape painting, with a strong ancient style. After discussion by the Calligraphy and Painting Association, the starting price for this work is 50,000 yuan, and each bid must be at least 5,000 yuan higher. The auction begins."

"50,000 yuan."

"55,000 yuan."

"..."

Listening to the continuous bidding, Lu Li couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

This painting, in terms of quality, could only be considered average, but its content was very popular among business people. The idea of wielding power and enjoying the company of beautiful women was something most men liked.

"150,000 yuan for the first time, any higher bids? 150,000 yuan for the second time, 150,000 yuan for the third time. Congratulations to bidder number 25 for winning ‘A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.’”

The auctioneer didn't seem very enthusiastic as he took out the second piece of calligraphy and painting, "Now we are auctioning a work by young painter Hu Naimin."

"..."

The auction continued, with the bidding being quite intense.

For the guests participating in the auction, a few hundred thousand yuan was just a small amount. If they liked it and could gain a good reputation, why not?

More than eighty works were auctioned, and in the end, none of them failed to sell, all fetching high prices.

"Now we are auctioning the 85th work, one of the highlights of the evening, young calligrapher and painter Lu Li's ‘Ink Lotus.’ The starting price is 300,000 yuan, and each bid must be at least 30,000 yuan higher. The auction begins."

Finally hearing his own work, Lu Li sat up straight, his eyes showing more interest.

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, the scene was initially quiet, but soon someone raised a bid.

"1,000,000 yuan."

"Huh?"

Hearing this bid, the guests participating in the auction turned to look behind them, their faces full of surprise.

They naturally didn't take 1,000,000 yuan seriously, but the highest bid for the previous works was only 900,000 yuan.

After all, most of the artists participating in this exhibition were young, and while they might have some fame in the industry, they were not well-known throughout China.

As for those top-level artists who had long been famous, they wouldn't compete with young people, as it would be a clear mismatch and lower the standard.

For young calligraphers and painters, selling a work for 900,000 yuan was already a good achievement. For Lu Li, who was young and not well-known, the first bid reaching 1,000,000 yuan was a bit exaggerated.

"Isn't that Mr. Xue? What does he mean by this?" Someone quickly recognized the bidder and whispered.

"I'm not sure. But Mr. Xue has always been enthusiastic about charity. This time, he can also get a painting, so bidding a high price doesn't seem strange."

"..."

Hearing the discussion behind him, Lu Li's face turned strange. He turned to look at Xue Weijun, who nodded at him, looking very confident.

"Mr. Lu, do you know Mr. Xue?" Fang Zhenting asked, noticing Lu Li's expression of bewilderment.

"I've met him once."

Fang Zhenting suddenly understood, thinking that the top bidder of the evening would likely be Lu Li.

Although this was just a small auction, becoming the top bidder would undoubtedly greatly enhance Lu Li's reputation, possibly making him a standout among young calligraphers and painters.

"1,000,000 yuan, 1,000,000 yuan, any higher bids?"

The number instantly tripled, and the auctioneer finally became enthusiastic, loudly calling out, "Ladies and gentlemen, please note that the core value of this work is not the ink lotus but this line of text. Confirmed by the chairman of the Calligraphers Association, the brush style is identical to that of one of the four great calligraphers of the Qing Dynasty, Fang Gang, even to the point of being indistinguishable from the real thing."

"Indistinguishable from the real thing?"

Someone in the corner let out a light "hmm" and, after a moment of thought, suddenly raised their bid, "1,500,000 yuan."

"1,500,000 yuan, bidder number 50 bids 1,500,000 yuan, any higher bids?"

"3,000,000 yuan."

Xue Weijun glanced at the person, looking somewhat surprised, but at this point, he couldn't afford to be too cautious.

Two days ago, he had given the Great Yuan Soup he obtained from Lu Li to the clan leader, Xue Renzhi. Xue Renzhi was overjoyed and immediately took it, about to break through to the peak of the Later Heaven stage.

As a result, his status in the Xue family had risen significantly.

After this incident, Xue Weijun fully realized Lu Li's mystery and strength. Given the rare opportunity to curry favor with him, he couldn't let it slip by.

"3,000,000 yuan, 3,000,000 yuan." The auctioneer was completely excited, shouting, "Let us witness the birth of a master of calligraphy and painting, right now, it's Lu Li."

"3,500,000 yuan."

After a moment of silence, the same voice came from the corner.

"Wow."

This time, not only was the auctioneer shocked, but all the guests present were equally surprised.

China hadn't lacked million-dollar calligraphy and painting masters in recent years, but they were all well-known and had accumulated their reputation over decades. Who was Lu Li? Before this, they had never even heard of him.

Everyone looked at the corner, and those who recognized the bidder were stunned, thinking, "Why is it him? Given his profit-driven nature, could Lu Li really become a master of calligraphy and painting? But that doesn't make sense! The things he has done over the years don't seem to show any long-term vision!"

Fang Zhenting suddenly felt a bit absurd and pointed to the corner, smiling bitterly, "Mr. Lu, do you know that person?"

Lu Li turned to look and shook his head, "Never met him."

"Never met him?" Fang Zhenting said helplessly, "Today's auction is really strange."

Lu Li nodded in agreement, "It is a bit strange." Xue Weijun's intention to curry favor and raise the bid was understandable, but who was the other person? He had indeed never seen him.

On the other side, being outbid again, Xue Weijun was slightly angry. "I finally got a chance to curry favor, and you dare to compete with me?"

"5,000,000 yuan."

"5,500,000 yuan."

"7,000,000 yuan."

"..."

"9,000,000 yuan."

"9,500,000 yuan."

The person in the corner maintained a calm voice, as if the amount of money made no difference.

Each time Xue Weijun raised the bid, the person would add 500,000 yuan, making Xue Weijun's scalp tingle with anger, gritting his teeth, and almost wanting to fight the bidder.

At the same time, many people thought, "They're crazy, they're all crazy."

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