With this board member authorization card, I was indeed able to pass through smoothly, directly bypassing the strict security and checks at the entrance.
The group stormed upstairs, but when they reached the auction floor, the elevator doors opened and two young employees and four security guards at the entrance were horrified and immediately rushed over to stop them.
"Who are you? This is a private area, please leave immediately!"
"Get out of the way! We're reporters! We want to interview the seventh young lady of the Ning family about her alleged smuggling of cultural relics!"
A paparazzo roughly shoved aside the staff member blocking his way, and the others followed suit, their cameras and microphones aimed at the auction hall entrance at the end of the corridor.
In the corridor, the entourage of the Hong Kong tycoons were all somewhat surprised and flustered, and they all stood up to ask what was going on.
A few of the more timid ones had already started calling their boss's bodyguards.
Wearing a mask and a staff uniform, Ning Manfei stood behind the group of gossip magazine reporters and paparazzi, sneering smugly.
It was as if they had already foreseen Ning Yuan's disheveled state when she was surrounded and attacked.
But the next moment, her smile froze on her face.
A handsome figure emerged from the nearby lounge, leading a group that blocked the reporters' path.
He was tall and slender, with a classical and aloof demeanor, and wore a black fitted Zhongshan suit.
Behind him followed a large group of tall, muscular men in black suits, wearing sunglasses and carrying baseball bats.
The corridor instantly filled with a sense of oppression, as if the air itself had frozen.
Ning Manfei's eyes widened instantly when she saw who it was.
It's Ning Bing'an! What's he doing here?
Ning Bing'an glanced indifferently at the noisy group of reporters, his eyes cold and devoid of warmth. He parted his thin lips and uttered only one word: "Attack!"
Without further ado, the men in black charged forward like a pack of well-trained cheetahs, their target the group of terrified gossip reporters.
"Ouch! Ouch! My camera!"
"We are journalists! What right do you have to assault us!"
"Who are you? Do you know who I am? I am..."
But the men in black first stuffed handkerchiefs into the reporters' mouths to prevent them from shouting, then brandished baseball bats and punched and kicked them mercilessly.
The sounds of groans, cracking bones, and clicking cameras blended together, creating utter chaos.
Those reporters who were originally arrogant and domineering were now like lambs to the slaughter, their mouths covered by the men in black, powerless to fight back.
Ning Bing'an's tone was icy cold: "Alright, please, all the reporters who came to interview, go downstairs to the lounge for some tea."
Next, this group of strong men in black forcibly dragged away the reporters who tried to struggle and resist, like dead dogs.
He was ruthless and his movements were clean and efficient!
The corridor quickly returned to calm, leaving only a mess on the floor.
In the corridor, the wealthy entourage who had been panicked were now all silent and trembling, not daring to utter a sound for fear of getting into trouble.
Ning Manfei was both angry and panicked. She couldn't understand why Ning Bing'an would do this! Did he also want to protect Ning Yuan?!
Why is that?
Her original plan was to let the reporters go in first to take pictures of the "evidence," and then let the police and customs officers come in to arrest people, but now...
She gritted her teeth, angrily lowered her head, pretended to be an ordinary employee, hid in the elevator, and quickly pressed the close button.
The elevator doors slowly closed, shutting out the chaos in the corridor.
Ning Manfei looked down and took out her walkie-talkie to contact her secretary: "Have the customs officers arrived yet?"
"We've arrived, Miss, she's downstairs." The secretary's voice trembled slightly, clearly also frightened by the scene just now.
"Tell them to come up here right now!" Ning Manfei said through gritted teeth, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes.
She refused to believe that she couldn't bring Ning Yuan down today!
As the elevator plummeted, Ning Manfei felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart tightly, making her feel suffocated.
Ning Bing'an's appearance completely disrupted her plans... making her almost feel a sense of betrayal.
The noise outside naturally reached the venue, despite the excellent soundproofing measures implemented.
The atmosphere gradually became subtle. Some of the wealthy men exchanged glances, their expressions shifting slightly as they looked towards the door.
The white-bearded old man and the young man both wore smug expressions, as if victory was assured.
The white-bearded old man who had just made things difficult for Ning Yuan gave a wink to the young man beside him.
The young man immediately understood and casually raised his voice: "What's going on outside? Why is it so noisy? Has something happened?"
Some people couldn't help but ask in bewilderment, "Yeah, why is the security at this auction so poor?"
Ning Yuan remained calm: "As is customary, a press conference is held after a major auction. The people outside are just staff guiding reporters to the correct venue."
The white-bearded old man clearly didn't believe it and wanted to continue asking questions.
Ning Yuan didn't give him a chance.
She picked up the auction gavel and slammed it on the table, the crisp sound instantly drowning out all the noise.
"Let's get back to the items up for auction."
She said firmly, "I will prove to everyone that the items in this auction have genuine customs documents."
As he spoke, he gestured to Ah Heng beside him.
Ah Heng immediately handed over a file folder.
Ning Yuan opened the file bag in front of everyone, took out the documents inside, and showed them to everyone.
"This is a formal document issued by the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, which clearly records the origin and legality of these antiques."
Ning Yuan’s voice was clear and strong: “I believe that everyone here is a knowledgeable person and will not be misled by rumors.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the door was suddenly pushed open forcefully with a loud "bang".
A group of customs officers in uniform filed in, each with a serious expression.
The leader was a burly, stern-faced middle-aged man.
His hawk-like gaze swept across the entire venue, finally settling on Ning Yuan on the stage and the exhibits behind her.
The middle-aged man's tone was cold and devoid of any emotion: "Ms. Ning Yuan, we have received a report that you are suspected of using the Chenguang Socialite Club to smuggle stolen cultural relics from overseas museums."
The room erupted in an uproar, as if a pot had been boiled over.
The wealthy men began whispering amongst themselves, their eyes filled with suspicion and conjecture as they looked at Ning Yuan.
It was as if she and Madam Ning were some kind of monstrous flood, and at this moment they wished they could stay as far away from her as possible, for fear of getting involved in any trouble.
Even Madam Ning's elegant posture wavered slightly; her brows furrowed, and a hint of worry flashed in her eyes.
Although she believed in her daughter's abilities, the current situation was clearly very unfavorable to her.
Ning Manfei, wearing a mask and hiding outside the venue pretending to be a staff member, could barely suppress her smile.
She had even begun to imagine Ning Yuan being taken away by customs, her reputation ruined and her miserable state. It would be even better if Madam Ning the Second also suffered misfortune along with her!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
