Chapter 58

The next day, Liu Xiong called Su Zhe and asked if he was interested in going to an auction together.

Su Zhe thought it would be interesting to check out the auction, and he also had some matters he wanted to discuss with Liu Xiong. So he agreed and asked Liu Xiong about the location and time of the auction.

Liu Xiong told Su Zhe that the auction was today, and he would come to pick him up later.

Liu Xiong had been in frequent contact with Su Zhe recently, but mostly over the phone. After hanging up, Su Zhe went to his room, changed out of his pajamas, and put on a casual outfit.

Not long after, Liu Xiong called to say he had arrived. Su Zhe said goodbye to An Xin and the others and hurried out.

Liu Xiong's car was still the Bentley Continental, but there was now a driver, who looked strong and sturdy. Su Zhe guessed the driver also served as Liu Xiong's bodyguard, while Liu Xiong himself sat in the back seat.

When Su Zhe came out, Liu Xiong opened the car door and let him in, then the car started moving.

"Brother Liu, what kind of items are mainly being auctioned this time?" Su Zhe asked.

"The items being auctioned are varied, including famous paintings, antiques, and gemstones," Liu Xiong said with a smile. "I found it a bit boring to go alone, so I invited you along. I hope you're not upset?"

"How could I be upset? I'm glad Brother Liu invited me, giving me a chance to broaden my horizons."

As they chatted, they quickly arrived at the destination, the Huite Auction House.

The Huite Auction House was the most famous and powerful auction house in the country, with branches in major cities. It had a high reputation and strong appraisal capabilities, and it was rare for fake items to be auctioned here.

Under the guidance of the Huite Auction House staff, Liu Xiong and Su Zhe were led to a position close to the auction stage, which was specially arranged for Liu Xiong.

There were quite a few people in the auction hall.

Soon, a middle-aged man walked onto the auction stage, holding a microphone. He said, "Welcome to today's auction hosted by the Huite Auction House. I am today's auctioneer, Ye Mingzhe. It is an honor to be your host today. This auction is based on the principles of openness, fairness, justice, and honesty. I hope everyone will bid enthusiastically and wish you all success in acquiring your desired items!"

Everyone in the hall applauded for Ye Mingzhe. After the applause, Ye Mingzhe began to announce the auction rules and precautions.

After going through the usual formalities, Ye Mingzhe officially declared the auction to begin.

An assistant brought up a tray.

"The first item to be auctioned today is a jade belt hook, with a starting price of 5 million yuan. This jade belt hook has been confirmed to be from the Western Han period. Please start bidding," Ye Mingzhe said. Soon, someone began to bid.

"5.5 million."

"5.8 million..."

"6 million..."

In the end, the jade belt hook was successfully auctioned for 10 million yuan, which was twice the starting price.

Liu Xiong also bid, but he seemed to have little interest in the jade belt hook and stopped bidding at 8 million yuan.

The second item was a blue and white porcelain vase from the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong period, with a starting price of 1 million yuan, and it was finally auctioned for 3.5 million yuan.

One item after another was brought out for auction, including porcelain, famous paintings, and diamond necklaces designed by masters. Each item was successfully auctioned, with no items failing to sell.

Su Zhe quietly watched without bidding, as he had little interest in these items and did not know how to appreciate them, so buying them would just be a waste of money.

It was normal for Su Zhe not to bid, but it was a bit strange that Liu Xiong, who had invited Su Zhe to the auction, had not bid on any of the items. Although Liu Xiong occasionally bid, the prices were not high, and he seemed to be bidding with a casual attitude, not strongly pursuing any item.

After the auction of an ancient painting, the staff did not bring out any more items.

"The next item to be auctioned is, I believe, the main target for most people attending this auction," the auctioneer Ye Mingzhe said.

Liu Xiong, who had been indifferent until then, immediately sat up straight and stared intently at the auction stage. Su Zhe believed that the next item was Liu Xiong's target for coming to the auction.

Ye Mingzhe did not keep the audience in suspense and quickly had the staff bring up the item.

"The next item to be auctioned is this wild ginseng, which has been appraised to be over 420 years old, weighing 82.6 grams, with a starting price of 6 million yuan. Please start bidding," Ye Mingzhe said, opening the box and showing it to the audience.

"8 million," a middle-aged man dressed as a businessman called out, immediately raising the price by 2 million yuan.

"I bid 8.5 million," an elderly man with gray hair said.

Although Liu Xiong had shown great interest in the 420-year-old wild ginseng at the beginning, he remained calm and did not bid once the auction started.

The price quickly rose to 9.5 million yuan.

Then someone called out, "10 million," raising the price to the ten million level. This was the first item to reach ten million yuan, while the others were all below that.

The bidder appeared to be a middle-aged man in his forties, about the same age as Liu Xiong. He looked dignified and had a commanding presence.

After making his bid, the middle-aged man looked in Su Zhe's direction. Su Zhe had the intuition that the man was looking at Liu Xiong.

At this point, Liu Xiong began to bid, "11 million."

"12 million," the middle-aged man, named Wang Anguo, called out. He was determined to get this ginseng. His family business was in the herbal medicine industry, similar to Liu Xiong's, and they were the new nobility in the industry. Their biggest rival was Liu Xiong's Liu Corporation. Wang Anguo's business lacked the century-old tradition of Liu Corporation and was generally inferior in all aspects.

For example, Liu Corporation had a 300-year-old wild ginseng as their flagship product, while Wang Anguo's company did not have any wild ginseng over 100 years old. Therefore, no matter the cost, Wang Anguo was determined to get this 420-year-old wild ginseng.

"13 million," Liu Xiong bid, although he was not as determined as Wang Anguo, he would not let such a good item go if possible.

"14 million," Wang Anguo bid again.

At this point, it was basically just the two of them bidding, and no one else was participating.

Liu Xiong frowned, thought for a moment, and then called out, "15 million."

"16 million," Wang Anguo did not hesitate and added another million.