Chapter 13, Section 13: Raising the Bid
He Peiru turned her head away in confusion.
Only then did they realize that the person sitting down was Gu Zhaoqian.
Her expression momentarily blank, then she quickly realized: "Brother Qian."
Gu Zhaoqian nodded, making sure there were no people in the empty seats on either side of her, and asked, "Are you all alone?"
She nodded subconsciously, then shook her head sharply and turned to look in Li Jiale's direction: "My uncle called his assistant to come with me."
Li Jiale kept a close eye on the situation and nodded to Gu Zhaoqian from a distance when he saw him appear.
"And you?" He Peiru stopped looking at the auction catalog in her hand and turned to ask, "Alone?"
Since that's the case, Gu Zhaoqian decided to sit there and calmly replied, "I always participate in these things alone."
"Oh." The auction hadn't started yet, but He Peiru thought it best to try chatting with him, so she asked, "What are you planning to bid on at this auction?"
"Come see if there's anything worth bidding on." As is his custom, he occasionally bids on some of his collection just in case. "What about you?"
She answered truthfully, "I need to help my uncle and his family take some photos."
As Gu Zhaoqian sat down, he noticed the auction catalog with obvious signs of being flipped through, which reminded him of He Peiru's past. He then asked, "Is this your first time at an auction?"
“Yes…” She knew that Gu Zhaoqian must have guessed it and was just asking a token question. She then whispered, “Maybe he wants me to get some training.”
Gu Zhaoqian wasn't surprised at all. He took a glass of red wine from a passing waiter's tray, took a sip, and replied, "You could say that's a pretty normal idea."
Looking at the drinks on the shelf, he picked out a glass of orange juice and handed it to He Peiru: "You should have the juice."
"Thanks."
Just as He Pei had hoped, He Zhong's actions made her resist alcohol from the bottom of her heart, and she has always insisted on not drinking a drop of alcohol even after entering university.
Since the banquet held by the Jiang family for He Peiru, she had thought a lot in private, and she didn't know when it started, but she inexplicably had great trust in Gu Zhaoqian.
She hesitated for a moment, then turned to Gu Zhaoqian and said, "Tell me, if I were mediocre, or even if I had given up my studies early on, would I still have any chance of getting these things if I returned to the Jiang family?"
He Peiru could clearly sense that the man in front of her, who had always been composed when she spoke, hesitated because of her words.
She seemed to know the answer without him needing to say anything more.
Gu Zhaoqian remained silent not because he agreed with He Peiru's words, but because he was considering how to say something that would dispel her recurring doubts.
“Wealthy families do indeed prioritize outstanding family members.” He finally spoke, his expression turning serious. “But have you ever considered that the love from family needs no reason? It’s all inexplicable and immeasurable.”
There was a time when He Peiru truly felt the love from her family that Gu Zhaoqian spoke of.
But so much time has passed that she has forgotten what it felt like.
She gently shook her head: "I know, but I can't believe it."
"The fact that they let you come to the auction alone is undoubtedly a sign of their trust in you stemming from their love." Gu Zhaoqian understands the Jiang family and naturally has the right to speak on this matter. "According to their thinking, you'd better buy some things you like to take back, otherwise they might misunderstand and think that something is not done well enough."
He Peiru carefully considered what he had said.
By laying the facts and situation bare before her, her thoughts became clearer, and she felt much more at ease.
The lights in the venue slowly dimmed, and Gu Zhaoqian, seeing that she was engrossed in her thoughts, reminded her, "It's starting."
The items will be auctioned in the order listed in the auction catalog.
He Peiru picked up the booklet again. The three items she wanted to bid on were all more valuable than the last, and she waited intently for them to appear.
All she knew was that she had to complete the task assigned by Jiang Yici.
The first item displayed was an imperial porcelain bowl from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, selected by Jiang Yaozong. The photograph projected on the large screen was very detailed, and the exquisite patterns on it were immediately apparent.
Even a layman like He Peiru can easily tell that this collection is quite valuable.
After a brief introduction, the auctioneer announced the starting price and the auction began.
One after another, bidding paddles were raised from below the stage, and the bidding not only intensified but also showed no signs of stopping.
He Peiru felt as if a heavy stone was always hanging over her heart, but when she raised her card, she did so without any hesitation.
If you're afraid of being indecisive, you're more likely to attract the attention of those around you.
She held her breath and watched the auction closely; the price had already reached nine figures.
Despite Jiang Yi's offer of no upper limit, He Peiru gritted her teeth and raised the sign again, despite her hesitation.
"One hundred and two million."
However, the next second—
"One hundred and five million."
"One hundred and eight million."
...
"One hundred and twenty million."
The frequency of bidding finally slowed down. He Peiru gripped the paddle tightly. Her mind had been blank just now, but now she finally remembered that she could ask Gu Zhaoqian next to her for help.
She turned her head, her face showing difficulty: "I..."
Gu Zhaoqian could clearly see her hesitation. It seemed that some people at the scene were also there for this piece. It appeared that if he didn't say something, she would only continue to be troubled: "There is still a lot of room for bidding. I think the value of this bowl is more than that."
"Okay." She breathed a slight sigh of relief, then asked, "So, what price do you think would be reasonable to get it?"
He shook his head: "If you're determined to win, there's no need to consider these things."
"I understand, thank you."
He Peiru turned her head back, preparing to continue raising her paddle and increasing the price.
"One hundred and forty million."
He Peiru took a deep breath and raised the sign again.
"One hundred and forty-two million."
People were still holding up signs.
"One hundred and forty-five million."
Gu Zhaoqian's voice rang out again: "I reckon if you raise your paddle again, the person competing with you will give up."
"I hope so."
As she spoke, she held up the sign in her hand.
"One hundred and forty-eight million," the auctioneer on stage immediately announced the current price. "Does anyone else wish to raise the bid?"
The auctioneer looked in the direction where the paddle had just been raised, and the person seemed to react. Then the auctioneer looked back at her: "One hundred and forty-eight million, congratulations."
We finally acquired our first collectible.
He Peiru smiled and subconsciously looked at Gu Zhaoqian beside her.
It was as if she wanted to share this joy with him.
Gu Zhaoqian smiled slightly and said, "That's about the pace. You'll get used to it gradually."
In the following time, He Peiru calmed herself down and quietly waited for the next item to be auctioned.
When she first sat down, she was worried that even holding up a sign would become difficult for her, but now, although she is not yet proficient, she has vaguely found her footing.
She knew that a relentless pursuit strategy wasn't suitable for her; instead, she let others compete and waited until the time was right before raising her bid.
Doing this also allows you to skip some of the less important steps.
Zheng Wanqiao wanted a natural jadeite bracelet, and Jiang Yici repeatedly urged He Peiru to bid on a pink diamond, which was ultimately won for 28 million and 36 million respectively.
She calculated the price several times before she dared to confirm that the total price of the three items was correct.
He Peiru had virtually no knowledge of the auction industry, let alone what price range would be appropriate for these collectibles.
She only knew that the final price would generally be higher than the estimated price, so she voiced her doubts to Gu Zhaoqian.
Gu Zhaoqian was very patient with her and explained, "Many of the collectibles are the kind that are in high demand but priceless. As more people seek them out and want them, the prices naturally rise."
He paused for a moment: "That's why I said if the goal is to acquire this piece, there's absolutely no need to care about the price."
That's probably the meaning of being unique.
He Peiru also understood why Gu Zhaoqian deliberately mentioned the price. Since he was determined to win the deal, there was no need to consider anything else.
However, no matter how many competitors there are, once they encounter a family like the Jiang family that spares no expense, they will eventually have no choice but to give up.
She discovered that as long as she bravely stepped out, many things would become easier.
This idea thrilled her.
Gu Zhaoqian's voice rang in her ears: "And what about yourself?"
"Me?" He Peiru raised her hand in confusion, pointing to herself. "What?"
He asked again, "Don't you yourself want anything?"
"I don't care."
She waved her hand dismissively.
“No, that won’t happen,” Gu Zhaoqian reminded her. “If you go home empty-handed tonight, what do you think Uncle Jiang and the others will think?”
She narrowed her eyes hesitantly and asked, "...It can't be that bad, can it?"
"As for it." Gu Zhaoqian picked up the auction catalog she had placed aside and opened the page with the paperclip bookmark she had clipped to it.
Apart from the three items she had just purchased, the rest of the items with bookmarks were all jewelry.
As he looked through them, he commented, "You have a good eye. These items haven't been released yet, you can consider them."
However, Gu Zhaoqian also knew that it was inappropriate for him to make the decision rashly, so he could only offer her advice indirectly.
Just then, his phone rang, and he looked down to find a message from Jiang Yici.
Jiang Yici: [Help me persuade Aru to film some things she likes.]
Jiang Yici: [After this is done, you can make any project requests you have.]
Gu Zhaoqian: [Okay, no problem.]
He couldn't help but chuckle and sigh as he turned off his phone screen.
Whether it's He Peiru or Jiang Yici, their every move once again proves that they are connected by blood and that they always consider each other's interests.
Gu Zhaoqian didn't intend to tell He Peiru the message Jiang Yici had sent, so he could only try to guide her from a different angle: "Since you've already successfully acquired the previous items, why not try bidding on the ones you like as well?"
"good."
He Peiru bit her lip and replied.
Raising your bid to increase the price is a completely different experience altogether.
A note from the author:
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It was a process of Aru gradually adapting to these situations.
Information regarding the auction items in this chapter is referenced from the internet.
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