Chief Inspector Feng looked at Ning Yuan, his eyes flashing with shock and complex emotions. He took the lead in applauding.
The applause came like a tidal wave, louder and longer than ever before.
Who among us here isn't a shrewd and calculating person?
Ning Yuan's words both elevated their status and subtly hinted at the special nature of this auction.
But even shrewd people have their pride, and they fell for Ning Yuan's act!
More importantly, the courage and skill she displayed made them take notice.
Ning Yuan smiled slightly. As the applause subsided, she cleared her throat and said in a clear and melodious voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, the auction is about to begin. I hope everyone can find something they like."
As she finished speaking, a well-dressed host walked onto the stage and began to officially preside over the auction.
The first item up for auction was a famous painting from the Song Dynasty, with a starting bid of one million Hong Kong dollars.
Guo's second uncle was the first to raise his paddle, smiling as he offered: "1.2 million!"
"1.5 million!"
"Two million!"
The bidding price climbed steadily, with bids coming in waves, creating a lively atmosphere.
Madam Zheng looked at Ning Yuan, who was shining brightly on the stage, and her eyes flashed with admiration.
She is intelligent and broad-minded, with a seemingly well-behaved and adorable baby face, but her eyebrows and eyes reveal a fresh wildness and untamed spirit, which is completely different from the socialites and ladies of today.
Ning Yuan's words were practically an admission that these auction items were the stolen cultural relics that had flowed back from overseas.
But so what? Who has the evidence?
The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department has "complete documentation," and Chief Inspector Mr. Fung personally came to endorse this batch of auction items from the Morning Light Socialite Club.
Not to mention, do you think they can go to the mainland to check whether this batch of goods has actually been shipped out?
The customs authorities on the mainland probably don't listen to these Hong Kong government officials at all.
As for foreign museums, they have no power to pursue the matter. Even if Interpol is called in, so what? Who says these artifacts can't have identical replicas?
These items were originally stolen starting in the late Qing Dynasty.
Now, these artifacts have been "legally" returned to the Hong Kong government.
Even if they know what's going on, what can they do?
Madam Zheng smiled and looked at Madam Ning, who was standing to the side: "Madam Ning, little Ning is really amazing. Your daughter is a treasure."
If it weren't for the fact that the Ning family had already made arrangements for their youngest daughter's marriage, she might not have been an unsuitable marriage partner.
Madam Ning took a sip of champagne, her tone tinged with just the right amount of humility: "Mrs. Zheng, you flatter me. Little Ning is just young and impetuous, acting on a whim. This auction was also something she did on a whim, and I apologize for the fright and amusement you all have caused."
Several ladies around immediately chimed in.
"That's right! Yuanyuan is really amazing. She's so young. If my sons could be half as good as her, I'd be burning incense in gratitude!"
"Mrs. Ning is too modest. Miss Ning's courage is something that most young people can't match."
"President Ning is so lucky to have such a capable daughter."
...
The compliments came like a tidal wave, but Madam Ning maintained a calm smile throughout.
Her beloved daughter has now truly entered the sights of the Hong Kong government's upper echelons and is no longer just a decorative vase that has been brought back.
This is one of the reasons why Ning Yuan wanted to hold this auction.
As Madam Ning watched her daughter navigate the stage with ease and grace, her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
This child is just like her when she was young—stubborn and strong-willed.
She could only watch silently as her daughter used busyness and assertiveness to cover up her inner pain.
On the other side, Ning Manfei clenched her fists, trembling with anger. She rushed into the elevator and pressed the down button.
"Damn Ning Yuan! Damn Second Aunt!" she cursed under her breath. "I refuse to believe they can control everything!"
Once inside the elevator, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Ning Manfei immediately called her secretary, suppressing her anger: "Ning Yuan and Second Aunt, they must have bribed the customs officers. I underestimated them!"
The secretary was also somewhat flustered: "Second Miss, what do we do now? The auction has already started..."
"What should we do? Call the police! You idiot!" Ning Manfei gritted her teeth.
"I refuse to believe that the police they contacted before could be bribed! I'll see how they get out of this!"
As they were talking, the elevator went down a few floors and suddenly stopped with a "ding".
The elevator doors slowly opened, and a handsome figure stood in the doorway—Ning Bing'an.
He was followed by two bodyguards in black, their faces cold and their aura imposing.
Ning Manfei was startled and immediately lowered her head to tighten her mask, trying to disguise herself as an ordinary company employee.
However, her body was stiff, and her movements only made things more obvious.
Ning Bing'an did not step into the elevator, but instead said calmly, "Second sister, you're here, but this low-key outfit doesn't suit you."
Ning Manfei's heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong.
The next moment, Ning Bing'an took a step back, and the two burly men behind him immediately stepped forward and surrounded Ning Manfei from the left and right.
"Please invite the Second Miss out." Ning Bing'an's voice remained cold.
Without saying a word, the two burly men dragged Ning Manfei out of the elevator.
Ning Manfei was panicked and angry, struggling desperately, but to no avail. She hadn't expected Ning Bing'an to recognize her, and she certainly hadn't expected him to treat her like this.
"Ning Bing'an! What are you doing! Let go of me! Are you crazy?!" Ning Manfei shouted angrily, but could only watch helplessly as the elevator doors slowly closed in front of her.
Ning Manfei was escorted by two bodyguards and "invited" to an office.
She was roughly thrown onto the sofa, looking disheveled.
Ning Bing'an slowly walked up to her, looking down at her with icy eyes: "Second sister, you really disappoint me."
Ning Manfei's face turned pale and then red: "You...you're the one who disappointed me!"
She looked at Ning Bing'an as he suddenly stood up, gritting her teeth as she said, "You clearly recognized me, yet you treat me like this! You're even helping Ning Yuan, are you insane!"
He looked coldly at Ning Manfei: "Second sister, from the list of invited participants to the selection of each item for auction, to the media attention, and even the complex transactions and collaborations behind the scenes, every step was meticulously planned by Ning Yuan. Why do you think you can bring her down so easily by calling the police?"
Ning Manfei paused, her eyes bloodshot as she looked at him: "After saying all this... you might as well say you've fallen in love with her!"
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