Chapter 210 Auction
To ensure the privacy and safety of all the VIPs, the private rooms on the second floor are equipped with one-way bulletproof glass, allowing those inside to see into the main hall while those outside cannot see the faces of those inside.
During their conversation, the man's figure flashed by. He lingered for a short time, but from his neat Windsor knot to the spotless edges of his leather shoes, and his familiar stature that was even taller than most Europeans, Xia Mian recognized him at a glance.
"Xia?" The second son of the Wertheimer family, with his keen senses, noticed his tense expression and asked, "Did you run into someone you know?"
After a short rest, Xia Mian leaned back in her chair and didn't say much, only letting out a soft "hmm".
"Should we go and say hello? Or invite him over? If there are items that both of us are interested in, we can discuss them."
"No need." Given Zhou Pingchuan's utterly unromantic nature, Xia Mian felt it was impossible for them to be interested in the same item.
And what will the Second Young Master think if he sees Zhou Pingchuan?
Xia Mian was interested in an auction, but her husband didn't bring her. Instead, he insisted on using an invitation from a friend he had just met.
That's ridiculous.
"Alright." The second young master shrugged. The private rooms on the second floor were all occupied by top-tier wealthy individuals. It would be great if Xia Mian could introduce them. If not, he wouldn't mind; according to the six degrees of separation theory, they would become friends sooner or later.
The waiter brought over platters of wine and fruit, and turned on the high-definition screens for everyone. Soon, the auction officially began.
It must be said that the Second Young Master's efforts to invite him were worthwhile; the very first item up for auction immediately caught Xia Mian's eye.
It's a pocket watch from the British Royal Family, with a classic and elegant design. Even after all these years, the diamonds set on the dial still sparkle brilliantly. If you were to create a vintage look, this pocket watch would definitely be the perfect finishing touch.
Xia Mian glanced at the bidding lights beside him and continued drinking his tea. He wasn't in a hurry to make a move; he would wait for the right opportunity.
Lot number one had a starting bid of $800,000, and it was clear that many people were interested in it. After three rounds of bidding, the price reached $3.5 million.
Xia Mian cleared his throat and pressed the bidding light: "4.5 million dollars."
The auctioneer looked up: "The guest in the southeast box has bid $4.5 million. Anyone else want to raise the bid?"
The bid was increased by one million dollars, and it was still the first item up for auction, so the guests hesitated. The auctioneer asked twice more before raising the gavel.
Just then, the bidding light in the next private room suddenly lit up, and a familiar voice reached my ears: "6 million."
Even more ruthless than summer hibernation, they added a whopping $1.5 million.
Men are mostly interested in these three things: shoes, watches, and cars.
Zhou Pingchuan is mostly involved in business occasions and doesn't collect limited-edition sneakers. However, Xia Mian has seen Zhou Pingchuan's watches in the display shelves and safe in his wardrobe; he owns almost every famous, custom-made, limited-edition, and even unreleased model.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Pingchuan would be interested in pocket watches.
The "Summer Sleep" item is just a decorative piece, yet it's been overpriced by nine to almost ten times – that's just too much. There are other items up for auction, so let's wait and see.
Lot No. 1 sold for six million US dollars, sealing the deal.
Next, seven or eight more pieces of jewelry were brought up for auction. Xia Mian was particularly interested in four of them, especially the thirty-carat pigeon blood red jewel, which made his eyes light up and he kept pressing the flashlight.
Whether it was a coincidence or deliberately going against him, the people in the next room were bidding almost the entire time, lighting up their lights whenever he pressed the button, and each time they bid tens or hundreds of thousands more than him, which resulted in Xia Mian not winning any items.
Then a piece of jewelry, also from the Wertheimer family and in a style that Xia Mian would like, appeared at the auction. Seeing the Second Young Master put down his wine glass, his expression clearly excited, Xia Mian gestured for him to proceed.
He guessed that the second young master had come for this item, wanting to take it back to the family, and therefore hadn't participated in the bidding.
Surprisingly, the neighbors next door remained quiet the whole time.
Summer Sleep finally understood.
It wasn't a coincidence, nor was it out of affection; Zhou Pingchuan was simply going against him.
But what should Zhou Pingchuan do with these things that are useless to the other party?
Take it home?
Or... who should I give it to?
Meanwhile, in the east VIP box.
"Mr. Zhou," Xia Mingzhao asked tentatively, "you don't want this one?"
Zhou Pingchuan came to Paris to attend the International Economic Forum and took the opportunity to check out the auction.
"No," Zhou Pingchuan said.
"We didn't know you liked jewelry so much. Now we'll know what to give you for your birthday in the future."
Xia Mingzhao was very clever; he always used "we" when speaking in seemingly familiar terms. With Zhou Ting's support, he acted like a lively and affectionate junior in a family, someone who liked to be close to his elders, leaving no room for criticism.
Indeed, Xia Mingzhao was extremely popular during her internship at Kepler.
Zhou Ting is well-liked, but his popularity is based on his surname "Zhou". Xia Mingzhao, on the other hand, is favored by many colleagues and leaders simply because of her strong abilities, kind and easy-going personality.
Including this time, the head of the asset management department, who was originally scheduled to accompany the chairman to the meeting, had his visa expire due to negligence, and temporarily recommended Xia Mingzhao as an accompanying person - of course, there was also the factor of knowing Xia Mingzhao and Zhou Ting's identities and wanting to curry favor with the future heir.
Xia Mingzhao's learning and progress would benefit Zhou Ting, and Zhou Pingchuan agreed, which led to this trip.
“I don’t like jewelry,” Zhou Pingchuan said.
"Huh?" Xia Mingzhao asked in surprise, "Then why did you take so many pictures..."
Not only are there many of them, but the prices are also outrageously high.
Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Although the Xia family has declined, it still has a good reputation. Xia Mingzhao often accompanies Tang Wenhua to such occasions.
He had never seen anyone bid like Zhou Pingchuan, disregarding costs and consequences, spending lavishly.
It was both thrilling and enviable to watch.
If only the Xia family were this rich.
Just then, Zhou Pingchuan beside him said calmly, "It was taken for Xia Mian."
These words instantly shattered Xia Mingzhao's reverie—"Take a picture of Xia Mian?"
What right or ability does one have to hibernate in summer?!
He's just a petty thug who grew up in the slums. Does he even know what these things are? He wouldn't mistake a multi-million dollar antique for a cheap trinket, would he?!
Xia Mingzhao suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, a tightness that made it difficult for him to breathe, a tightness that made his chest feel like it was about to explode. He struggled to suppress his resentment, lowered his head and refused to watch the remaining auctions, barely managing to get through the entire auction.
Xia Mingzhao had little contact with Xia Mian and didn't realize from beginning to end that Xia Mian was sitting next to him.
Later, after figuring out Zhou Pingchuan's intentions, Xia Mian began to enjoy the champagne and didn't press the light again. There was no point in trying to outdo him anyway.
Only two or three items went unsold, and the auction concluded successfully. The second young master, beaming with joy after successfully bidding on his target item, said, "Xia, it's a pity you left empty-handed today. The castle owner has invited us to a family banquet. Would you like to come with me? Maybe we can find some trinkets that interest you?"
Xia Mian was in no mood for anything. Not to mention the family banquet, he had lost interest in all the items he had wanted to bid on earlier. He walked out with the second young master while struggling with his decision.
Then I saw that familiar figure again.
A person was following behind the figure.
Oh, so Zhou Pingchuan photographed so many accessories... for Xia Mingzhao, to make Xia Mingzhao smile.
"Xia? Are you going?"
“…Go.” Xia Mian lowered her eyes and replied softly.
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