405

The staff member didn't understand why Ivanov was looking at him like that; he believed he had treated Ivanov with more respect than ever. Moreover, his work seemed flawless.

Even though it was Ivanov in front of them, the staff didn't feel that he had done anything wrong.

Before he could even voice his question, Ivanov slowly opened the box. The precious Tang Dynasty Buddha statue that should have been lying quietly inside had vanished, leaving only an empty box.

Ivanov looked down and saw the contents of the box. His suspicions were confirmed, and he stared at the staff with a grim expression.

“I think I need an explanation.” Alexander Ivanov’s voice was calm, but the chill emanating from it seemed to freeze a person instantly, and his eyes seemed capable of killing.

The staff member was terrified by this sudden turn of events; his legs trembled slightly, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Only the words "Impossible!" kept echoing in his mind.

He frantically pondered in his mind: when he was holding the box, he clearly felt its weight, and the weight of each artifact was clearly perceptible. How could it all have disappeared after he handed it over to Ivanov?

His mind was in complete disarray, but this turn of events simply couldn't be explained. The only possibility was that Ivanov had sabotaged it?

But how could that be? Ivanov had been standing right in front of him the whole time; he had no chance to do anything underhanded! Besides, Ivanov wasn't someone who needed more than ten million rubles.

Faced with Alexander Ivanov's angry questioning, he was speechless for a moment, unsure how to explain.

"I...I..." The staff member stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time. His hands waved helplessly in the air, trying to find a reasonable explanation, but to no avail.

This staff member seemed to be giving Ivanov a signal that there was something wrong with the person in front of him.

Ivanov sat lazily in the chair in front of the staff. "You have to give me a reasonable explanation! I spent so much money, not to buy a few empty boxes!"

After speaking, he turned to his secretary and said, "Go and fetch the general manager here."

The staff member turned pale with fright. He desperately tried to explain, but in his panic, he could only stammer, "Mr. Ivanov, it really isn't my fault. I don't know how this happened... It was just here a moment ago..."

Ivanov didn't believe a word the staff member said. He had calmed down considerably by now, calculating in his mind that a mere staff member wouldn't dare do such a thing. Could it be that some higher-up had designs on his Alexander family?

Within three minutes, the auction's general manager rushed over. He was slightly overweight, his forehead beaded with sweat, clearly having run all the way. Before he even stood still, he hurriedly bowed to Ivanov in apology.

"Mr. Ivanov, I am so sorry to have caused you so much trouble. We will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Ivanov looked up, glanced coldly at the general manager, and instead of responding to his apology, asked directly:

"I want to know what exactly happened? Why did my auction item disappear?" His voice was still deep, but it carried an undeniable sense of pressure.

The general manager wiped the sweat from his brow and said with a forced smile, "Mr. Ivanov, please calm down. Our internal security system is very comprehensive, and there are so many people guarding the outside. Theoretically, such a situation shouldn't occur."

Meeting Ivanov's mocking gaze, he quickly continued, "However, since it happened, although it was an accident, it must be a problem on our side. We will investigate thoroughly immediately."

Ivanov sneered: "An accident? Hmph, so many precious artifacts disappeared at the same time, do you think this can be explained by a simple accident?"

"Besides, your employees just suspected that I tampered with it." As he spoke, he gave a sharp look to the trembling staff member beside him.

Upon hearing this, the general manager's expression changed drastically. He glared at the staff member and angrily rebuked, "What nonsense are you spouting? Who is Mr. Ivanov? How could he do such a thing!"

Then he quickly turned around, smiling broadly at Ivanov, and said, "Mr. Ivanov, please calm down. I don't think he did it on purpose. We will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation."

Ivanov frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the general manager's explanation: "I'll give you half an hour. If you still can't find the results, your auction house should be prepared to bear the consequences."

I, Ivanov, am not someone to be trifled with. If you don't give me a satisfactory answer to this matter, I think the entire Russian country will know about you and the person behind you.

The general manager was inwardly groaning. Who was he backing? This was a blatant threat! But he could only nod repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Mr. Ivanov, we will hurry."

After saying that, he immediately turned around and began to loudly instruct the staff around him to search every corner.

Just then, another staff member rushed over in a panic and whispered a few words in the general manager's ear. The general manager's face turned deathly pale, and he almost lost his balance.

Ivanov took in all of this, a sense of foreboding rising within him. He asked coldly, "What's happened now?"

The general manager hesitated for a moment, then said in a trembling voice, "Mr. Ivanov, something terrible has happened. The other guests' items... are all gone too, leaving only empty boxes."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!