bioinnovel Chapter 60 3 million!
Chapter 60 3 million!
The weather in Jinghai City was clear and crisp over the weekend.
A discreet black Bentley silently glided into the underground parking lot of Duobaoge.
Unlike last time, the security level for this internal appreciation event was significantly higher.
From the parking lot to every part of the venue, there were security personnel dressed in black suits with solemn expressions.
The elevator takes you directly to the top floor, and once the door opens, a more private and luxurious world unfolds before your eyes.
Unlike the opulent grandeur of the lobby downstairs, this place exudes a rustic elegance that has stood the test of time.
The room features a round-backed chair made of huanghuali wood, Song Dynasty Ge kiln celadon, and a splashed-ink landscape painting on the wall whose artist is unknown, yet whose artistic conception is profound.
The venue was small, with only a dozen or so individual tables, each spaced just the right distance apart.
Those who can sit here are all truly at the pinnacle of the art collecting world in Jinghai City and even the entire Chinese art collecting community.
Zhang Yan's appearance did not cause much of a stir.
He was still dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, following Nie Qingcheng like a boy next door accompanying an elder to broaden their horizons.
Today, Nie Qingcheng wore a dark green velvet cheongsam, her long hair loosely tied back, revealing a section of her snow-white and slender neck.
She didn't wear any extravagant jewelry, only a string of sandalwood prayer beads on her wrist, exuding a lazy yet noble aura.
Her arrival prompted several distinguished elderly men, all over fifty, to stand up and nod in greeting with smiles.
"My beautiful girl, it's been a while since I've seen you. You've become even more beautiful."
"President Nie's presence is an honor to grace our humble abode."
Nie Qingcheng simply nodded slightly, then took Zhang Yan's arm and sat down in the reserved first row seats facing the booth.
She wasn't interested in the small talk from those people. Instead, she turned her head and looked at Zhang Yan with great interest, lowering her voice and letting her warm breath brush against his ear.
"How's it going? Bored, aren't you?"
Zhang Yan shook his head; his attention was completely drawn to the precious items about to be displayed on the stand.
The appreciation session will begin soon.
From Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain jars to Qing Dynasty enamel porcelain, and then to paintings by modern masters, each piece is enough to ignite a fierce and bloody battle for attention.
The atmosphere inside was calm; everyone was simply sipping tea, with occasional people raising their paddles, and prices remaining within a relatively rational range.
This was more like an exchange among insiders, using their collections to support their own collections.
Zhang Yan never raised his placard.
Nie Qingcheng didn't rush him, but quietly stayed with him, occasionally peeling a segment of orange and feeding it to his lips.
Finally, after auctioning more than a dozen items, the host announced the appearance of the final item in a tone that was both mysterious and excited.
Two staff members carefully placed a huge tray covered with a red cloth in the center of the booth.
"Distinguished guests, the next treasure we are about to present is arguably the most legendary piece we have ever handled since the establishment of our Treasure Pavilion."
The host paused, building up the suspense, before suddenly lifting the red cloth.
Beneath the red cloth was not the glittering finished product everyone had imagined, but a gray stone that was about half a person's height.
The stone's surface was pitted and uneven, covered with signs of weathering and cracks of varying depths, making it look like scrap material that had been randomly picked up from some construction site.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
"What the heck? This is the grand finale? A piece of junk?"
"This is jade gambling! Duobao Pavilion does this too?"
"Look at this skin, no pine flower pattern, no python skin, and so many cracks. It's typical 'dog shit land.' It's a miracle if there's any green inside, let alone imperial green!"
An elderly man sitting not far away, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking quite refined, shook his head and let out a disdainful sneer.
He is the vice president of the Jinghai Jade Association. He has been playing with stones all his life and boasts of having "eagle eyes".
In his opinion, this raw stone was worthless.
The host, seemingly anticipating the audience's reaction, cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, please look! Although this rough stone doesn't look perfect, it weighs eighty kilograms, and when we examined it with a powerful flashlight, we discovered a 'window'—its color is truly exquisite!"
As he spoke, he picked up a powerful flashlight and aimed it at an inconspicuous corner on the side of the rock.
A beam of strong light shone on it.
In an instant, a rich, vibrant green, almost dripping with moisture, burst forth from that small window!
That green was bright, rich, pure, and harmonious, without a trace of impurity, like a spring of life that had been frozen for thousands of years.
"hiss--"
A collective gasp filled the arena.
Even the vice president of the jade association sat up abruptly, adjusted his glasses, and looked incredulous.
"This...this quality..."
"Starting price: ten million! Each bid must be at least one million higher!" The auctioneer struck the gavel, seizing the opportunity.
The room fell silent instantly.
Everyone was stunned by that breathtaking green, but reason quickly returned to their minds.
Gambling on stones is all about betting on the unknown.
Even immortals cannot judge the value of a piece of jade.
Although this stone offers a pleasant view, who can guarantee how deep that green hue is?
Is it a narrow slit in the sky, or a resounding success?
If it's only a thin layer, then that ten million will be completely wasted.
"Eleven million!"
After a long silence, someone finally tentatively raised their card.
"Twelve million!"
"Fifteen million!"
Prices began to climb slowly, but those raising their paddles appeared very cautious.
After hesitating for a long time, the vice president of the jade association also raised his paddle: "Eighteen million."
This seems to have reached the price point that most people are willing to pay.
Just when everyone thought the stone would be sold for that price.
A clear and calm voice rang out in the hall without warning.
Thirty million.
The entire room fell silent instantly.