This girl doesn't seem like someone found in the countryside at all; she has none of the awkwardness or rusticity one might expect.
She displayed a graceful demeanor and profound composure, subtly revealing a hint of Ning Man'an's charm.
Ning Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly: "Brother Li is joking. In a sense, this is indeed a bidding process. However, the 'goods' this time are quite special; they are precious auction items from the mainland."
After speaking, she stepped aside and gracefully gestured for them to enter: "You are all prominent figures in the Hong Kong government. You will see for yourselves once you go inside. It is my honor to have the opportunity to host you as your juniors."
Her answer successfully piqued everyone's interest.
Led by Ning Yuan, everyone entered the venue with great anticipation.
The auction venue was decorated in a solemn and elegant manner, with a huge crystal chandelier casting a dazzling light that illuminated the entire hall.
The red velvet chairs are neatly arranged, with an exquisite auction brochure and number plate placed in front of each chair.
After the guests were seated, Ning Yuan walked onto the stage, took the microphone from the host, and said in a clear and melodious voice, "Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the charity auction hosted by the Morning Light Elite Club..."
Her poised and confident opening remarks, her composed yet assertive demeanor, and her fluent bilingual introduction in Chinese and English all took the guests by surprise, leaving them with the same impression as Young Master Li.
She doesn't look like a country bumpkin at all; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she's a high-achieving student who returned from a top foreign university.
Amidst everyone's anticipation and curiosity, Ning Yuan gestured to the staff to unveil the first exhibit—
It was a bronze plaque inlaid with gold, its surface covered with fine gold and silver wire patterns. The intricate and exquisite designs, the interplay of bronze and gold and silver creating a unique luster, were truly breathtaking.
"A Western Han Dynasty bronze decorative plaque inlaid with gold." Ning Yuan's voice was clear and melodious, like heavenly music.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment, followed by a series of low gasps.
"What is this? It looks like... something from a museum?"
"This was lost overseas when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing. Could it be from a French museum's collection? Or is it... a fake?"
Even though the attendees were all prominent figures in the Hong Kong government who had seen countless treasures, they were still amazed by the exquisite craftsmanship of this exhibit and the story behind it.
The next few exhibits left everyone speechless and amazed.
There are bronze tripods from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, a white marble statue of Ananda from the Sui dynasty, murals from Dunhuang, and even a Buddha head from the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
Uncle Guo couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, his face grave: "Any one of these things is priceless!"
"It's more than just priceless," Mrs. Zheng murmured to herself, "it's practically a treasure of our Chinese nation!"
At that moment, an elderly gentleman with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses, sitting in the back row, suddenly pushed up his glasses, a hint of doubt flashing in his shrewd eyes behind the lenses—
"This...this white jade Ananda statue, I remember it's from the collection of a French museum, right? The one that was stolen last year?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for the guests around him to hear.
Upon hearing this, the previously lively meeting room fell silent. The crowd exchanged glances and began to whisper among themselves.
Uncle Guo looked at Madam Ning with a slightly grim expression and said in a low voice, "Madam Ning, these things are probably of dubious origin. I'm afraid I can't attend today's auction."
As he spoke, he gently placed the auction catalog on the table, appearing ready to leave at any moment.
Madam Zheng couldn't help but glance at Madam Ning, her tone somewhat probing: "Huifang, where did these things come from? If they don't have a legitimate source, I can't take pictures of them, otherwise it will upset the old man at home."
Madam Ning frowned, about to explain, but Ning Yuan spoke first.
Ning Yuan stood on the stage, calmly took out a stack of documents, and waved them: "Dear uncles and brothers, I know that you may have some doubts."
She paused, then said calmly, "I can assure everyone that these cultural relics came from legitimate channels in the mainland, with complete customs declaration documents and proper procedures. They are definitely not of dubious origin."
Everyone was stunned, looked at each other, and for a moment no one spoke.
The once whispering meeting room was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
At this moment, the old man's gaze behind his glasses sharpened like a knife: "Miss Ning, do you think we're all fools? For your Ning family to get some fake customs documents, isn't that a piece of cake?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a young man next to him chimed in, "That's right. I recently asked people at the General Administration of Customs, and they are certain that the Ning family has not imported any cultural relics from the mainland recently. Customs has not received any declarations!"
The young man spoke in a sarcastic tone, with an undisguised malice.
The old man then sneered, "Seventh Miss Ning, did you and the Ning family sell stolen goods from abroad, or was the theft from the French museum the work of the Ning family?"
Ning Yuan looked at them, her eyes as cold as ice: "What if I can prove that the Ning family's auction items are legal?"
The atmosphere inside the arena was tense, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.
The situation off the field was equally turbulent.
In the underground parking lot, Ning Manfei glanced at her watch and asked her secretary in a cold voice, "Master Lu has already started dealing with Ning Yuan and Second Aunt. Have the police and customs officers arrived yet?"
The secretary nodded: "The police and customs officers are already on their way, Miss. But those gossip reporters won't be able to photograph anything of great value. To get to the auction house, you'll need a high-level access card from the socialite club to swipe open the private elevator."
"Useless!" Ning Manfei cursed under her breath, a cold glint in her eyes: "I'll lead the men up myself."
The secretary was very worried: "What if the chairman finds out?"
Ning Manfei snorted coldly: "So what if they know? They've never cared whether I live or die anyway! Besides, I'll just change my clothes."
As she spoke, she unbuttoned her glamorous coat, revealing a staff uniform underneath, put on a mask, and took out her Morning Light Socialite Club board member authorization card before getting out of the car.
She had already planned it in detail: first, she would bring paparazzi up to disrupt the event and take the opportunity to photograph evidence of Ning Yuan's smuggled black market artifacts.
Then, taking advantage of the security chaos, they had the police and customs officers rush in.
She had already made arrangements with acquaintances on both sides, and this seizure of smuggled goods was a major achievement for the police and customs.
At that time, Ning Yuan and her second aunt will be disgraced, her eldest sister will become a CEO, and her father and grandfather will see Ning Yuan's true colors and not let Bing An marry her!
She could almost see Ning Yuan's disgrace and being scorned by everyone, and her heart was filled with the pleasure of revenge.
A dozen or so reporters from gossip magazines had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Ning Manfei, dressed in a staff uniform, appear, they excitedly surrounded her, like a group of sharks smelling blood.
"Are you the employee who reported the Morning Light Socialite Club for smuggling stolen goods?"
"Why did you report the Chenguang Socialite Club? Are you an undercover agent for the Ning family's rivals?"
Ning Manfei snorted coldly and said in a high-pitched voice, "Alright, why ask so many questions? Hurry up and go up!"
She waved the membership card for the Morning Light Socialite Club in her hand, and led the group of "sharks" to swipe the private elevator and head straight for the auction venue.
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