Chapter 198 Never Reasons with People
Feng Tianyu quickly noticed her unusual behavior and hurried to her side, asking in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Ye Wanxi shook her head and smiled slightly at the staff member who had not yet left, "Excuse me, are the pastries and fruit platters the same in every private room?"
Although the staff member didn't know why Ye Wanxi would ask this, she still politely replied, "The pastry and fruit platters in each private room are placed randomly. If you have any favorite or least favorite items, you can tell us, and we will replace them for you as soon as possible."
Ye Wanxi felt a little disappointed when she heard him say that; she realized she had been overthinking things.
"That's alright then, thank you."
"You're welcome. The auction is about to begin. Please take a short break. If you need anything, please feel free to call me. I'll be right outside the box. Finally, I wish you both a pleasant auction."
The staff member then left the room, giving the two people some space.
Feng Tianyu didn't think Ye Wanxi would ask about the snacks and fruits here for no reason. As soon as the staff left, he couldn't help but ask, "Is there a problem with the snacks and fruits here?"
"No problem, just a little surprised that they prepared...it seems to be all my favorite foods. But I guess I'm overthinking it, these fruits are quite ordinary."
Feng Tianyu narrowed his eyes, recalling the time Ye Wanxi visited his home, when he had blurted out that he had asked the old housekeeper to bring her some osmanthus cakes and orange juice.
Later, when he asked her what flower she liked, she answered osmanthus and said she would make osmanthus cake for him by hand...
Feng Tianyu didn't believe there were so many coincidences in the world; these things were probably not that simple.
"Hmm..." Ye Wanxi didn't dwell on this matter for too long. She picked up the osmanthus cake, took a bite, and her eyes brightened slightly. "It's delicious. The osmanthus flavor is very strong. You can tell it's made with high-quality ingredients just by tasting it. It's just a bit too sweet. You might get tired of it if you eat too much."
Ye Wanxi said, taking another piece of osmanthus cake and feeding it to Feng Tianyu: "Try it and see if you like it."
Feng Tianyu didn't take it, but instead leaned over and swallowed the whole piece of osmanthus cake from Ye Wanxi's hand.
Ye Wanxi paused, her ears turning red instantly: "Is it...delicious?"
"It's alright, a little sweet."
"I think so too. Next time I'll make you one that's a little less sweet."
"Um."
As soon as the two finished speaking, the auction officially began.
The host was a man in his early twenties, dressed in a sharp suit. He said a few simple opening remarks with a smile, and then had the first item to be auctioned brought up.
It was an antique-style painting of fishing in a pine-lined stream, which, according to the host, was a posthumous work left by a painter named Zhang Zhong from the Yuan Dynasty.
Before this, I had only heard of it but never seen it, and even the specific images of the painting had never been made public.
The auction house recently acquired this item and is auctioning it today as the first item up for auction. The starting price is five million, with no upper limit.
No sooner had the host finished introducing the painting than a question came from box number 8 next to Ye Wanxi's room: "Since we've only heard of it before and never seen it, how can we know if it's genuine?"
Ye Wanxi had no interest in calligraphy and paintings, and upon hearing this, she thought the host might produce a bunch of professional appraisal certificates to prove the authenticity and value of the painting.
Unexpectedly, after hearing the question, the host simply replied, "If the guest has any questions, they are free to choose not to participate in this auction."
Ye Wanxi almost choked on her grapes: "So tough? Shouldn't auction houses usually present the facts and reason things out when faced with this kind of issue?"
"You mentioned a typical auction house. This auction house never reasons with people."
"..." Isn't that the same as a shady shop?
"What if they actually film a fake? Will making a scene here bankrupt them?"
"Since its establishment, Xirui Auction House has auctioned 208 antiques and paintings."
"Um?"
"They are all genuine."
Ye Wanxi was stunned for a moment, and finally understood what Feng Tianyu meant.
Antiques and calligraphy are inherently somewhat mystical, much like gambling on jade; whether they appreciate or depreciate after collection depends entirely on luck.
Even seasoned professionals cannot guarantee that they have never made a mistake in their entire career when it comes to distinguishing between genuine and counterfeit products.
The fact that this auction house offers only genuine items is a major source of confidence, and the ability to put so many genuine items up for auction is an even greater source of confidence.
No wonder the staff here can always say the most arrogant things with the most polite expressions, yet so many rich people still flock to it, willing to spend a hundred million to come and see it.
As expected, after the host said that, the guests in VIP room number 8 either backed down or were held down by their companions, and in any case, they didn't say a word.
The host smiled slightly: "Do any other guests have any questions? If not, we will proceed with the auction of this painting immediately."
Everyone: "..." Since you've already said that, what questions could we possibly have?
After the warm-up sales ended, the intense bidding began.
Ultimately, the painting was auctioned off to a guest in VIP box number five for 80 million.
The subsequent auction items were mostly rare and unusual antiques. Ye Wanxi did not participate in the bidding, but instead ate a lot of pastries and fruits.
While eating, she kept thinking how nice it would be if her third senior brother were here.
He usually loves collecting these things, not for any so-called cultivation of his mind, but simply to collect them and wait for them to appreciate in value.
Ye Wanxi didn't know how her third senior brother could judge which collectibles would appreciate in value and which would depreciate, but anything her third senior brother collected would eventually sell for several times the price.
For this reason, various sects at the time gave him the title "Master of Turning Stones into Gold," meaning to turn stones into gold.
After devouring a plate of pastries and a fruit platter, Ye Wanxi finally got her sixth item up for auction: the ginseng that was over 500 years old that she had been longing for!
This large ginseng was carefully preserved in a transparent box, and it attracted everyone's attention as soon as it was brought out.
Ye Wanxi even performed a dramatic scene, sitting up abruptly from her deathbed, her eyes fixed on the ginseng, overjoyed.
Anyone who knows a little about ginseng knows that the older the ginseng, the more difficult it is to preserve. Wild ginseng that is over a hundred years old is already considered a rare and precious item on the market.
The plant in front of us is not only the age that is not exaggerated, but it is also very well preserved. Just by looking at its appearance, you can tell how good its medicinal properties are.
After reading it, Ye Wanxi excitedly grabbed Feng Tianyu's hand: "It's this, it's this! As long as we have this, your illness can be cured."
“Then let’s bid.” Feng Tianyu’s spirits lifted, and he patted her hand reassuringly, saying with a smug look, “Don’t worry about saving me money. If you want, you can bid on all the items here today.”
(End of this chapter)
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