"We will now display the auction items one by one in the order of the auction list. The waiters will bring you small tags shortly."
"You may raise your paddle at any time during the auction."
"The list of items for this auction includes..."
Then he recited a long list of names of antiques and jewelry that sounded very profound and obscure.
Soon the first item was put up for auction.
The auction was held directly in the hall, saving the big bosses from having to walk back and forth between two venues. However, there were no seats in the hall, so everyone stood with their paddles and wine glasses in hand, listening to the host introduce the first item.
Annie walked over to Chen Dong and whispered, "Just now, Li Jiacheng's female companion called me over and asked me to whisper in your ear."
"What do you mean, 'whispering in one ear and out the other'?" Chen Dong turned his head and asked in a low voice.
"Of course I'm advising you to do charity. Regardless of whether there are any items you like at the auction, you should at least show your appreciation."
Chen Dong smiled. It seemed that not only did Li Ka-shing not understand him, but even Li Ka-shing's female companion did not understand him.
Previously, Chen Dong and Zheng Afang had been procuring supplies globally in order to expand the supply base for relief materials in mainland China.
In order to persuade the leaders to form an expert group and establish a flood prediction model, he almost embarrassed Mr. Lin several times. All of this was done for the benefit of ordinary people in the mainland.
However, these wealthy people in Hong Kong thought that Chen Dong, like some other guests in Hong Kong, was only there to exchange resources and display his wealth at the charity gala.
Chen Dong sighed helplessly and handed the list of auction items to Annie, "Choose a few items from it yourself."
"I'll definitely offer you a higher bid than these big bosses."
"For me?" Annie said, flattered. "Really for me?"
Although the items on the auction list are things that wealthy people look down on, they are only looking at it from the perspective of collecting and aesthetics.
In fact, every artifact here, including jewelry designed by famous designers, is extremely valuable.
Before coming, Annie was worried that Chen Dong had invited her to be his date just so she could hold her head high at the party. She didn't dare to hope that she held any important place in Chen Dong's heart.
However, this time Chen Dong directly told her to choose the items herself, which means that Chen Dong is going to spend money to buy himself a gift.
Anne was shrewd; she didn't choose any of the antiques, but instead selected several rings, necklaces, and other jewelry items that symbolized special meanings.
She knew that Chen Dong hadn't explicitly stated what giving him these gifts meant. Perhaps Chen Dong just wanted to find a way to donate money, and he didn't need these auction items, which was why he let Annie choose for herself.
However, Chen Dong quickly saw through Annie's little scheme.
"Why do you only choose rings and necklaces?" Chen Dong looked into her eyes and joked, "Are you getting married?"
Upon hearing this, Annie frowned instantly, blushed, and lightly stamped her foot. "Boss, what are you saying?"
"These items were all chosen by you."
"Fine, fine, I'm the one who let you choose."
Chen Dong reluctantly accepted the list of auction items. The items being auctioned first were all antiques, so Chen Dong had to wait until all the previous items were auctioned before he could bid on them for Annie.
"A Qing Dynasty sky-blue vase!" The host on the high platform enthusiastically introduced the vase's origin and value.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the starting bid for this item is HK$5 million."
The host saw someone holding up a sign and loudly announced, "5.5 million."
Someone else raised a sign on the right, and the host happily called out his name, "Boss Zhou, 6 million."
After several rounds of bidding and price increases, the vase has been priced at 9.5 million.
No one raised their placard anymore.
"9.5 million per time!"
"9.5 million twice!"
"Wait a minute." Guo Bingxiang appeared from somewhere, holding up signs with both hands.
"Mr. Guo, HK$10.5 million."
The host looked around and asked, "Who else wants this item?"
"Okay! 10.5 million per time."
Several big bosses who had previously participated in the bidding were very unhappy to see Kwok Ping-cheung snatch the prize away.
However, the auction item has already been priced at tens of millions, which is beyond their means.
"10.5 million times!"
The host slowed down the pace again and said to the audience, "10.5 million, the third time."
"make a deal."
With the hammer falling, the transaction was considered complete.
At this point, a waiter invited Kwok Ping-cheung to the backstage area to complete the handover procedures.
Since this auction is for raising funds for the mainland, all procedures are designed to be simple and quick.
"Now, let's begin the bidding for the jewelry items."
The thing that Annie was interested in had finally arrived. Seeing how happy she was, Chen Dong felt that no matter how much money he spent on her, it was worth it.
He handed the small plaque to Annie, saying, "If you come across any piece of jewelry you like, just raise your plaque."
Anne was so excited that she didn't even have time to think about whether her actions were appropriate before accepting the sign.
By the time she realized what was happening, the sign was already in her hand.
"The first piece of jewelry was designed by the famous French designer, Ms. Yves, with a flowing butterfly silhouette, made of gold and diamonds."
"This piece of jewelry is set with 109 diamonds and 6 precious gems that are quite valuable."
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