Chapter 60 The Belief in Ghosts and Gods 13
The Zhang family held the auction at their own home. The Zhang family had come to Shenzhen to develop their business a long time ago, and purchased land to build a huge garden villa.
The building is in the style of traditional Chinese architecture, with pavilions, terraces, fountains, and flowing water; it is very beautifully constructed.
Zheng Laoqi had been to this place before and was quite impressed. He thought that although his family had bought land in Huaqiangbei and built houses to collect rent, they were very farsighted.
However, their residence was not as luxurious as the Zhang family's. It could no longer be described as a simple villa; it was more like an estate.
However, the Zheng family and the Zhang family are different. The Zheng family moved to Shenzhen as a whole, settled down there, and has been developing here ever since.
The Zheng family adhered to the principle of not putting all their eggs in one basket, leaving some family members in Fuzhou and acquiring numerous businesses in Shenzhen, steadily building their fortunes on both sides.
On the first day of the auction, most of the attendees were Hong Kong businessmen and some blond-haired, blue-eyed foreign clients. These people had very thick wallets, and they were all willing to spend money on antiques.
The items auctioned on the first day were all from reputable sources, with clean records. They could be sold openly and legitimately without causing any trouble, so customers could buy with peace of mind.
The price is naturally higher, everyone knows that, and no one will cause trouble.
The Zhang family's methods were indeed superb; they collected many fine items, which truly broadened people's horizons.
One of the jade Guanyin statues fetched the highest price at auction. The Guanyin statue is 68.5cm tall, entirely emerald green, with compassionate eyes and a lifelike spirit. The skill of the sculptor is evident, and the texture of the clothing is clearly visible. It is an excellent genuine piece.
The price of this collectible was driven very high, and it finally sold for 3.88 million. Keep in mind that this was in the early days of the opening up, when a large house in Kyoto cost less than 100,000.
All the guests left with full loads and were very satisfied, but the people from the esoteric arts world, who had also arrived in Shenzhen, did not show their faces on the first day.
Firstly, it's because they aren't very interested in these antique jade artifacts; people in the esoteric arts world are more interested in all sorts of ritual implements.
Then, since none of you have set off yet, wouldn't it be a bit beneath you if you set off first?
No one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out, so the Zhang family arranged accommodations for all of them and provided excellent service. They even hosted the auction for the first day, but only some of the younger disciples went; none of the older ones made a move.
Everyone knows the answer, so let's just wait and wait together.
The auction was moved to a quieter conference room the next day. The conference room was large, with a long table in the middle, and people sitting on both sides were colleagues.
Zheng Laoqi was naturally among them. Basically, everyone who could sit here was an important person. There was no rule against smoking among a group of grown men, and the room was filled with smoke for a while.
As the clouds and mist billowed, several pit sites were handed over.
These fellow traders are sitting here, trading not only antiques, but also funerary objects, tomb ruins, and even private information—all of which are available for exchange.
Finally, the Zhang family brought out several funerary objects. They said that these were all brought out of the pit by their own family members. These things should not be allowed to flow to the outside world. The best thing for them to do is to resell them among themselves. After changing hands a few times, their innocence will naturally be cleared.
The other shops are also eyeing these items. Everyone wants to sell their goods, and once they're ashore, they need something to display in their shops, so these are the best choices.
Several of the items were from the Ming Dynasty, including a Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup. These items gleamed under the bright lights, making one's mouth water.
Don't think that having a lot of strength is enough for tomb raiding; there's a lot they need to learn.
They memorized the styles, patterns, and colors of items from different dynasties from a young age. You can't stand in front of someone's tomb and not know what kind of tomb it is, can you?
However, when it comes to such a precious treasure, they dare not casually determine its authenticity!
If you buy a fake in this kind of antique trade, you can only admit that you were fooled, that you are not skilled enough, and suffer the loss in silence.
Zheng Laoqi also stared at the things on the table, his expression showing a mixture of interest and hesitation. He wasn't sure what to do with these things!
The auction was hosted by Zhang Song, Zhang Biao's eldest brother. Unlike Zhang Biao, he was not rugged in appearance; on the contrary, he was gentle and refined, and was smiling as he looked at everyone.
As Zheng Laoqi was struggling with his decision, he suddenly felt a chill on his shoulder, as if a chilling aura had entered his body, rising from his tailbone to the top of his head. He trembled and realized that the Heavenly Demon Star had arrived.
Luo Shu said in a cool voice, "Buy that cup, I like it."
Well, if that's what he says, then what is he still hesitating for? He should just take the picture.
Without hesitation, Zheng Laoqi bid, "I'll take that chicken cup, 880,000."
Clearly, Zheng Laoqi had chosen a very auspicious number.
The others exchanged bewildered glances. How could Zheng Laoqi be so confident in his own judgment? None of them were sure if it was true.
The main problem is that this item is so rare and precious that none of us here have ever seen the real thing, so we really can't make up our minds right now.
Zhang Song, who was in the lead, had his eyes half-closed and was filled with doubt.
This chicken cup wasn't brought up from this tomb along with other items; they found it outside with shovels. Last time, they found an enamel snuff bottle, but later realized it was fake.
Almost nobody knew about this. It was only a junior member of the Zhang family who came forward, so it wasn't exactly shameful. However, according to their sources, the snuff bottle had also been offered to Zheng Xia of the Zheng family, but Zheng Xia refused to accept it, which was quite puzzling.
When did the Zheng family's eye for antiques become so sharp? Zhang Song believed that his eye for antiques was better than everyone else present, ranking among the top in the antique world. However, Zheng Laoqi's eye for antiques was still two points worse than his.
Now that Zheng Laoqi is being so straightforward, could it be that he has a master to help him?
As Zheng Laoqi called out the price, others followed suit. That's how people are; they only think something is good when they're fighting over it.
The atmosphere suddenly heated up, and the price of the chicken cup soared, quickly reaching 1.75 million.
That's already doubled.
Zheng Laoqi simply offered 2 million, and no one else followed suit.
The group stared at each other, some of them looking at Zheng Laoqi with resentment.
"Let's congratulate the seventh master of the Zheng family on winning this Ming Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup!"
Zhang Song made the final decision, announcing the winner of this precious item with a warm and gentle smile.
Zheng Laoqi took the chicken cup to his side. It lay quietly in the brocade box. It was a true, exquisite, rare, and unparalleled treasure, now lying quietly in front of him.
A rich history has settled upon it, and even after a century, its colors have not faded in the slightest. It is the pinnacle of the wisdom and craftsmanship of the ancients.
Then something supernatural happened: the chicken cup floated into the air in full view of everyone, as if an invisible hand was supporting it.
Everyone present was a seasoned veteran, and at that moment, their hair stood on end and a chill ran down their spines.
The idea of ghosts and gods is not credible.
How could this happen in broad daylight?
Zheng Laoqi remained calm. He stood up and moved aside, and then a human figure gradually appeared on the table in front of his seat.
Today, Luo Shu wore a high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), revealing her snow-white arms and delicate collarbones, which were partially concealed by her black hair. Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her peach blossom eyes sparkled with life, with a touch of crimson at the corners—she was breathtakingly beautiful, capable of bewitching a person.
Her smile was enchanting, her eyes sparkling.
She sat on the table, her skirt billowing, surrounded by a dark aura, beautiful and alluring!
Everyone present dared not breathe. They all knew of this person's existence, but only a few who had gone down into the tomb had seen him. They never expected to encounter a ghost in broad daylight. How terrifying!
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