As Su Ran listened to the bidding increase, she looked at the item on the stage. It was indeed an authentic piece, and if the movement hadn't been replaced, a price of 20 million wouldn't be out of the question.
After all, it is a testament to history and remains intact to this day, so it is only natural to charge a high price.
The price had already reached 16 million, but some people still stubbornly continued to raise the price. After all, a modern watch can cost tens or hundreds of millions, let alone a timepiece from the Qianlong era that has never had its movement changed.
Ultimately, after Su Ran heard the bid of "twenty-three million" from the room on the left, no one else raised the price.
Su Ran raised an eyebrow, surprised that Song Shiyan was interested in this item. Then, after the auctioneer struck the gavel three times, she announced, "Congratulations to the gentleman in room number three on the third floor for winning the ninth item."
I just don't know when the item she's interested in will be available.
"Next is our tenth auction item, which is quite a coincidence, as it is the same as the sixth auction item in the last round."
Su Ran listened to the auctioneer's voice; the sixth item in the previous round was a snake head?
Then the auctioneer's voice was heard, "That's right, the tenth item is a bronze head. The bronze head is exquisitely crafted, showcasing the pinnacle of craftsmanship at that time."
"Let's look at the stage, the tenth item for auction!"
Upon hearing the auctioneer's voice, Su Ran paused, her hand holding the teacup still.
As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, the black cloth covering the statue was removed, revealing a bronze statue that resembled a chicken!
Su Ran stared at the object placed in the center, remaining silent for a long time, unsure of her own feelings.
The auctioneer didn't speak immediately, but smiled and looked at the expressions around him before continuing, "As you can see, this is a rooster head, donated by a declining noble royal family of a certain country, and handed over to this auction house for auction."
"The tenth item has been authenticated by experts, and its age and workmanship match those of the time. The starting price for this item is 13 million, with each bid increment being no less than 500,000. The auction is now beginning!"
Su Ran frowned as she listened to the auctioneer's voice. How could two bronze statues appear in one auction?
Looking around at the faces, there were very few Chinese people, and very few foreigners.
It is common knowledge that the twelve bronze heads belong to China, but the fact that the lost bronze heads are being openly auctioned here, even though it is not explicitly stated that they are the four lost from China, is clearly implied in the words.
China's treasures were once again openly auctioned, but there were very few Chinese people present, making it seem as if the auction was being held behind China's back.
Su Ran's expression darkened as she listened to the other people's bids.
She was in a state of mind, but China was striving to find the lost treasures.
Even the return of the remaining bronze heads was extremely difficult.
Pig head. Acquired by renowned entrepreneur Stanley Ho in 2003, and ultimately donated to the Poly Art Museum. Horse head. Purchased by Stanley Ho at a huge expense in 2007, and donated to the nation.
Monkey head. On April 30, 2000, China Poly Group purchased it at Christie's auction house for HK$8.185 million, and it is now housed in the Poly Art Museum.
Tiger head. In 2000, China Poly Group purchased it at Sotheby's auction house for HK$15,444,750 and it is now housed in the Poly Art Museum.
The bull's head was acquired by China Poly Group at Christie's auction house on April 30, 2000, for HK$7.745 million.
The rat head. On June 8, 2013, it was donated to the National Museum of China by the Pinault family of France. This was the first time that the twelve rat heads of the Yuanmingyuan were returned to the country through a donation.
The rabbit head, like the rat head, was donated by the Pinault family on June 8, 2013.
Dragon head. Currently in Taiwan.
A Chinese man living in the United States bought a bronze dog head statue for $1,000 at a secondhand store. He believes it is very likely the dog head from the twelve animal heads of the Old Summer Palace.
Unfortunately, he lacked the funds to verify the authenticity of the bronze statue, so he could only store it in a bank safe deposit box for the time being.
Therefore, the whereabouts of the dog head are still unknown. Su Ran felt a bit resentful that even though the twelve bronze heads were known to be from China, someone still put them up for auction.
But Su Ran couldn't do anything about it. Even if you condemned them with your words, nothing would happen, and the auction would still continue.
As a Chinese, Su Ran knew that China was backward in the past, and backwardness meant being vulnerable to attack. But now that she had discovered the bronze head that had been lost abroad, Su Ran would not let it go.
He nudged Su- with his elbow, and Su-yi understood and started bidding. Because of the appearance of the chicken head, many people in the venue were competing for it.
Su Ran's eyes turned slightly cold, but there was nothing she could do. They probably couldn't compete with her in terms of money.
Song Shiyan, who was standing nearby, also spoke up, "Ranran, is this something from your country?"
Su Ran turned her head to look into Song Shiyan's eyes and nodded slightly. Song Shiyan clicked his tongue and said, "The people behind this auction are dancing on your heads."
"Ranran, do you want me to give them to them...?"
Su Ran understood his lip movements, but simply shook her head slightly; she could handle this herself.
The auction was held openly, but Chinese people were restricted from attending. It's unclear who the person who conducted this auction was.
Su Ran remained silent, but what Song Shiyan said was true. One bronze head might be an accident, but if it appeared one after another, it was definitely not an accident and could very well be intentional.
That's right.
The rooster head on the stage was not the fake snake head from the previous round; it was a genuine rooster head. Su Ran was wondering who, which country, or which family was behind this trouble.
Song Shiyan chuckled softly, "Ranran, would you like me to take a picture for you?"
Song Shiyan's tone was cheerful, as if he didn't care about the money. Su Ran looked up at him and wondered if this man had really fallen in love with her after just one night's sleep.
He still hasn't met enough people.
Su Ran rejected his suggestion without even thinking, saying, "No need, I can handle my own things."
Song Shiyan didn't say anything. Hearing the distance between their words, he was a little unhappy, but ultimately he didn't say anything more.
His slightly lowered eyes were full of sadness.
After considering Su Ran's personality, Song Shiyan felt relieved. "Ranran, this trip to the Ugly Country isn't just for this auction, is it?"
Upon hearing Song Shiyan's voice, Su Ran really wanted to say that she had come all this way just for this auction.
If it weren't for this auction, she probably wouldn't have had much time to come here.
Su Ran didn't reply, but Song Shiyan kept talking, like a chatterbox, "How about I take you on a nice trip to the United States sometime?"
"Ranran, this place is quite fun. Although it's not as good as China, there are still some attractions worth seeing. If you don't like my childish ways, I'll take you to play with guns."
"Or shall I show you my armory?"
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