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Under the cover of night, Tang Yue and Dongfang Yi hurried toward the mysterious gray-white building in the eastern suburbs. Along the way, Dongfang Yi looked tense, constantly observing her surroundings, while Tang Yue's gaze was firm and her steps steady.

As they approached the building, they found the security extremely tight. Heavily armed soldiers stood in neat rows, patrol cars moved back and forth, and searchlights constantly swept across the surroundings.

Dongfang Yi gently tugged at Tang Yue and said in a low voice, "Tang Yue, will we be discovered? There are just too many of them."

It's no wonder Dongfang Yi was timid; the surveillance here was simply too strict. He didn't know if Tang Yue's invisibility had a time limit, or if there were any drawbacks.

Tang Yue waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry, they won't see you unless I want to."

Dongfang Yi wanted to ask him about his doubts, but then she thought about it again. If Xiao Yueyue wasn't afraid, then what was there for him, a grown man, to be afraid of?

The two swaggered towards the building, unnoticed by the soldiers. Tang Yue and Dongfang Yi easily passed through the soldiers' lines of defense, and the people checking at the entrance treated them as if they didn't exist, allowing them to enter the building without any trouble.

As soon as I stepped inside, I heard a cacophony of voices coming from not far away.

After listening carefully for a while, Dongfang Yi said to Tang Yue in surprise, "Tang Yue, these people are all wealthy and powerful people and high-ranking officials from Moscow. They are preparing to attend a private auction, and the cultural relics that General Igorevich sent over during the day will be auctioned at this auction."

Cultural relics? Those cultural relics were moved here?

A cold glint flashed in Tang Yue's eyes, but she quickly calmed down. "So Russia isn't all that great after all. They give the best things to these people to choose from in private, and only put the unwanted ones in the museum. Heh, the Russians are really quite pathetic."

Dongfang Yi never expected that the upper class would play such a game... However, he never felt a sense of belonging to Russia, and he could accept whatever they did.

The auction was about to begin, and the two followed the crowd into a spacious hall.

The hall was brightly lit and luxuriously decorated, with a huge crystal chandelier radiating dazzling light and precious paintings hanging on the walls.

In the center of the hall stood an exquisite auction table, surrounded by tables and chairs, where dignitaries from all walks of life sat.

Dongfang Yi boldly walked to the auction stage and recognized everyone in the hall before walking over to Tang Yue. The two stood on one side of the auction stage.

"Tang Yue, this isn't just a gathering of Mosco's elites; people from other cities have also come here."

Tang Yue's big eyes lit up. "Do you know where they all come from?"

Dongfang Yi shook his head. "I've seen some of them before, and some look familiar, but I'll have to go back to the newspaper office to find out exactly where they are." Thanks to his job at the newspaper, Dongfang Yi knew quite a few high-ranking figures in Russia.

Tang Yue produced a camera and handed it to Dongfang Yi. Dongfang Yi was busy identifying the people and didn't notice Tang Yue's action.

"Let's take pictures of these people, and find them slowly when we have time." Tang Yue felt that there was new money to be made from them.

At this moment, the auction had already begun. An auctioneer dressed in a black suit stood on the stage, holding an antique brocade box in his hand. He slowly opened it, revealing the cultural relics inside.

It was a Buddha statue from the Tang Dynasty in China, cast entirely in bronze, with exquisite craftsmanship and smooth lines. The Buddha's face was benevolent, and his eyes were slightly closed, as if telling a story of a thousand years of history.

The patina on its surface, weathered by time, adds to its antique charm. Under the light, the Buddha statue exudes a mysterious and solemn aura.

The auctioneer cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Distinguished guests, welcome! The first item to be auctioned today is a precious artifact from the mysterious ancient country of China."

According to Mr. Viktorovich's team, this is a bronze Buddha statue from the Tang Dynasty.

It is said to have been unearthed from a well-preserved ancient tomb. Not only does it possess extremely high artistic value, but the profound religious and cultural connotations it embodies have also attracted the attention of countless researchers.

In the current context of international cultural exchange, such artifacts are undoubtedly treasures of immense collectible value. Starting bid: 50,000 rubles!

At this point in time, although relations between the Soviet Union and China have been turbulent, mutual cultural attraction still exists.

For Soviet high-ranking officials and wealthy individuals, owning a precious artifact from China was not only a symbol of wealth, but also a way to showcase their unique taste and tolerance for multiculturalism in social settings.

As the auctioneer's words fell, the audience began bidding, and the price soared. Tang Yue stared intently at the artifacts on the stage, her mind racing. She knew all too well that once an artifact was sold and taken away by a buyer, getting it back would be far more troublesome.

Just then, a tall, stern-faced man stood up and said in a deep, powerful voice, "I'll offer three million seven hundred thousand rubles!"

This man was none other than Alexander Ivanov, a well-known wealthy man in Moscow, who had always been fascinated by Eastern culture and had a large collection of Eastern art in his home. Upon learning of this auction of such precious Chinese artifacts, he naturally couldn't miss it.

A murmur rippled through the audience, and everyone turned to look at him. A flicker of surprise crossed the auctioneer's eyes, and he shouted, "Three million seven hundred thousand rubles, first time! Three million seven hundred thousand rubles, second time!"

Dongfang Yi had been translating for Tang Yue the whole time. After following Dongfang Yi around for a day, Tang Yue could understand a few of the simple words. Now, she heard the auctioneer repeating the same thing, "How much did it cost?"

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