"Fake?" the staff member at Heyuan sneered. "I studied banking and monetary economics at Columbia Business School in 2004, and after graduation I worked at the largest securities firm on Wall Street—Mr. Tang, please don't doubt my professional competence."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "This gentleman's black card has Citibank's exclusive anti-counterfeiting mark and personal number. Judging from the number, this gentleman is not only a Citibank black card VIP, but also a top-tier customer among black card VIPs."
He bowed slightly to Duanmu Ci, "From today onwards, you will be one of the most distinguished guests of Crane Garden."
Although Citibank is one of the world's top banks, it is not very well-known among Chinese people. In this respect, Chinese people generally have a higher regard for Swiss banks. But Duanmu Ci is different; he is a long-time customer of Citibank. During the Republic of China era, Citibank was the most popular bank among the people of Haishan, and Duanmu Ci was no exception. So, he was used to it.
Duanmu Ci nodded, looked at Tang Rui, and asked with a half-smile, "25 million, I wonder if this price will be enough for Young Master Tang to part with it?"
Tang Rui exuded an aura of ruin. Upon hearing Duanmu Ci's question, his gaze gradually focused, and he sneered, "This time, I admit defeat. You'd better pray you don't fall into my hands, otherwise... Hmph!" After saying that, he left on his own.
Duanmu Ci shook his head inwardly. Defeat is defeat, and it's enough to lose with dignity. Why say such pointless harsh words? Win with style, and lose with grace. Arrogance only makes people look down on you.
The auctioneer was beaming. "Dongpo calligraphy, 25 million in three bids—sold!" To sell something worth only a few million for over 20 million would be the pinnacle of his career, greatly increasing his status as an auctioneer!
The guests applauded; they admired the young man's courage.
Tang Ke walked over and said with a smile, "Although I didn't get this calligraphy either, it's better for you to win it than for it to fall into the hands of that kid Tang Rui, so that he won't have to be outdone for no reason."
Duanmu Ci asked, "This calligraphy scroll is novel, but it's not worth such a high price for you. Why do you both want it?"
If Tang Rui was only willing to be a sucker to save face and spite someone, then Duanmu Ci could understand it; spoiled brats are capable of anything. But the problem is there's also Tang Ke, who doesn't seem like the kind of spendthrift who throws money away for the sake of a quick buck.
Upon hearing Duanmu Ci's question, Tang Ke gave a wry smile, "My old man is about to celebrate his 80th birthday."
Duanmu Ci was an extremely intelligent man. Tang Ke had only said a few words, yet he could guess the gist of it. The Tang family patriarch must be the highest authority in the Tang family. Tang Ke and Tang Rui wanted to buy this calligraphy scroll, presumably to take it back as a birthday gift, hoping to win favor with the patriarch who loved calligraphy and painting, and thus gain an advantage in the struggle for succession between the two families.
But unexpectedly, a man with the compound surname Duanmu suddenly appeared out of nowhere, much like Cheng Yaojin.
Seeing that Tang Ke's words were sincere and his actions were fairly decent, Duanmu Ci wanted to get to know him a little. After all, he had no connections in the country and was completely clueless, so getting to know a well-connected local bigwig wouldn't be a bad thing.
However, it's important to note that this is merely acquaintance, not a formal friendship. Duanmu Ci is extremely selective in choosing friends and doesn't easily form ties with others. This is also true at this time.
However, since he had expressed his intention to make friends, he naturally had to show his appreciation. "I also have a few pieces of calligraphy and paintings by famous artists in my collection. If you find one that suits your taste, you may choose any piece you like."
Tang Ke was overjoyed, "Really?"
"really."
The two chatted for quite a while, making the others who wanted to make their acquaintance wait. The Tang family held a high position, and there was a hierarchy of arrivals, so they couldn't very well rush ahead of Tang Ke. Only after the two stopped talking did they hand over their business cards one by one, without much preamble, simply saying that they should get to know each other sometime. Duanmu Ci accepted them all.
Logically, Duanmu Ci should have returned the business card at this point, but he declined and let the matter drop.
At this moment, Bu Tongxun also came out of the Heyuan Finance Office and handed over everything. It was called a handover, but it was really just a matter of exchanging money for goods.
After agreeing on a time and date for their meeting, Duanmu Ci and Tang Ke left Crane Garden separately.
...
...
A black Maybach was driving down a straight street. This top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz sports car attracted the attention of passing drivers, who unanimously kept their distance, fearing that even a small scratch on the paint would cost them the equivalent of a house in compensation.
The owner of the Maybach was Tang Ke, who had just left Crane Garden. He was sitting upright in the black leather back seat of the Maybach, with an Apple laptop on his lap. If you looked closely, you could see the words "Duanmu Family" on a special search engine.
Tang Ke's slender fingers flew across the keyboard a few times before he looked up and asked, "Last year, when the family failed to acquire a winery in the Bordeaux region of France, was it because of a person named... Duanmu Jin?"
The secretary, sitting in the passenger seat, tilted his head slightly. "Yes, young master. Duanmu Jin is the spokesperson for a mysterious American conglomerate. He frequently appears at various types of business events around the world and is quite well-known."
"Oh," Tang Ke responded softly, then turned his head to look at the snowflakes fluttering outside the car window.
His surname is Duanmu...
Tang Ke had already sensed something was amiss when he heard that person's self-introduction at the Crane Garden. Among the thousands of surnames in China, Duanmu was not a common surname like "Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li"; it was quite rare.
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