She paused for a moment, then gave an estimate: "If it were to go to auction, five million would be a conservative estimate."
"If a discerning collector comes along, it might even fetch an higher price!"
Zhou Yang felt a weight lifted from his heart and a smile appeared on his face: "Then I'll trouble Miss Gu to arrange the auction."
"No problem!"
Gu Huaiyue readily agreed and immediately took out an auction consignment contract. After both parties carefully reviewed the terms, Zhou Yang signed his name.
After signing the contract, Gu Huaiyue seemed to remember something, and took out two exquisitely made gold-embossed invitations from her handbag, handing them to Zhou Yang and Xu Yao respectively.
“Look, last time I asked you to come with me to my grandfather’s birthday banquet, but you didn’t go. This time, next Wednesday night, our Tianjin Auction House will be holding a fine auction, and this pen holder will be one of the closing items.”
"I was unable to invite you, Zhou Yang, to grace us with your presence last time, but you must come and support us this time, so that Miss Xu can also witness our splendor!"
Gu Huaiyue felt depressed thinking about how Zhou Yang had rejected her at the teahouse last time.
Zhou Yang glanced at Xu Yao and saw a hint of curiosity and anticipation in her eyes, so he smiled and accepted the invitation.
"Tsk tsk, how could I dare refuse Miss Gu's invitation? I will definitely be there on time."
After the deal was settled, Zhou Yang, along with Xu Yao and Gu Huaiyue, bid farewell to the teahouse and drove to the film set.
Lin Chuan was directing the day's work when he saw Zhou Yang approaching and quickly waved him over.
"Director Lin, good news."
Zhou Yang didn't keep anyone in suspense and directly revealed the appraisal results and valuation of Gu Huaiyue.
"Five million as the starting bid?!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan was so surprised he almost jumped up and slapped Zhou Yang on the shoulder.
"Hahaha, great, great! I've got my allowance for the whole quarter!"
He rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with joy. "Zhou Yang, you deserve the most credit for this!"
"So, if the profit from the auction, after deducting costs, exceeds five million, I'll decide to give you one-third of the excess! Consider it a reward for your hard work!"
"For the portion not exceeding five million, I'll raise your salary to twenty thousand a day!"
Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow, not refusing this unexpected treat: "Then I'll accept it without hesitation. I'm perfectly comfortable taking this money."
Lin Chuan is a straightforward person.
With everything settled, today's filming was a breeze.
When Zhou Yang brought Xu Yao back to the villa, the city lights were already on.
Both of them were tired after a busy day.
Just as Zhou Yang took out his keys to open the door, Xu Yao suddenly grabbed his arm, her voice carrying a mysterious smile.
"Zhou Yang, close your eyes first, I have something to show you."
Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat, and a thought flashed through his mind like lightning.
He subconsciously thought of today's date—
Today seems to be his birthday!
After transmigrating, he didn't pay much attention to these days, but he didn't expect that Xu Yao might actually have prepared a birthday present for him.
This girl hasn't acted out of the ordinary for the past three days; it turns out she was waiting for me here!
A warm feeling welled up in Zhou Yang's heart, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up. He obediently closed his eyes at the doorway and said, "Okay, I'll close my eyes."
Xu Yao chuckled softly, her soft little hand gently covering his eyes, carrying a slightly cool and sweet fragrance.
She took his hand and pushed him step by step towards the door: "Don't peek!"
"I absolutely will not peek!"
Zhou Yang assured him.
But how acute his five senses are now?
Even with their eyes covered, their noses could already detect the complex aromas permeating the air.
A rich floral fragrance, a sweet cake aroma, and...
Hmm? It seems to be a mix of grilled meat and seafood flavors?
The aromas of various foods rushed into his nostrils, making him very hungry.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two crisp explosions of fireworks came from in front of him, followed by countless colorful ribbons that gently fell, some even brushing against his cheeks.
Xu Yao's voice rang out with a smile: "Alright, open your eyes!"
The soft little hand covering his eyes was removed, and Zhou Yang slowly opened his eyes.
The scene before him startled him slightly.
The originally spacious and simple living room of the villa has now been decorated to be warm and romantic.
Pink and gold balloons hung from the ceiling, and twinkling string lights adorned the walls.
A huge banner was hung on the wall behind the sofa in the center of the room—"Happy Birthday Zhou Yang! May you become more and more handsome! May you make a fortune!"
The corny yet direct blessing made him chuckle.
Flowers, ribbons, and exquisite dishes filled the long table.
This looks like a marriage proposal from someone who doesn't know better.
However, to his even greater surprise, Xu Yao was not the only one standing in the living room.
Several familiar faces came into view; they were none other than the neighbors who had previously bought braised food from him, including the beautiful young woman with an anorexia-prone daughter.
At this moment, they were still holding the fireworks tubes that had just been set off, their faces beaming with sincere smiles of blessing.
Wow, what a sight!
Zhou Yang was slightly surprised. Why were these neighbors involved?
Before he could ask any questions, the beautiful young woman, Li Yuexin, smiled and offered her explanation.
"Zhou Yang, don't get me wrong, it was Xu Yao who asked us yesterday to give you a birthday surprise. She even designed the venue herself!"
"Just five minutes ago, she opened the door remotely with her phone and asked us to bring in the food and cake we had prepared, and to set off some fireworks to create a festive atmosphere for you."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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