sbdcsierra Chapter 209 Auction
Chapter 209 Auction
Cheng Xue said, "Fifteen years is too lenient. You'd better sentence them to life imprisonment."
Captain Zhao smiled and then said to his men, "Take them all back to the police station."
"Yes, Captain."
"Chairman Cheng, your daughter was lucky this time. She was kidnapped just as the CEO of the Tang Group saw her. You could say that's a blessing for your daughter!"
Cheng Tianhai let out a long sigh and nodded, "Yes, it's good that we ran into him this time. By the way, Captain Zhao, there's something I still can't figure out. My bodyguards were beaten up by this Chairman Chao. Logically speaking, the bodyguards I hired should be quite capable. How could this young punk be so good? Is he from the military?"
Captain Zhao smiled slightly and said, "I know nothing about this person and have never heard of him before, so I can't be sure if he's from the military. Our great nation of HX has many martial arts families; he might be from one. Chairman Cheng, these past few days have been quite a commotion because of tomorrow's XX auction. Police in all areas have increased their vigilance, and we are no exception. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."
Cheng Tianhai naturally knew this, nodded and smiled, and said, "Captain Zhao, take care!"
With Captain Zhao gone, Cheng Tianhai and the others also left, thus ending the kidnapping incident.
As dawn broke and the doors of the XX Auction House had not yet opened, a number of vehicles were already parked around the venue. At a glance, there were hundreds of cars, mostly luxury vehicles. These were antique dealers from all over the country who had traveled overnight to bid on items they had their eyes on. Many more were still arriving, all hoping to be among the first to arrive and secure a good spot.
The auction was scheduled to start at 8:00 AM, but staff had already opened the doors by 7:30 AM, and people filed in. Within half an hour, the auction hall was packed with people, a sea of black as far as the eye could see.
As the protagonist of this auction, Chao Bufan naturally rushed to the scene immediately. The auction house had been privately contracted by Chao Bufan using his special connections several days ago, so today is destined to be a special day.
In room 208 on the second floor of the auction house, just as Joben, Charlie, and John sat down, Su Haijun pushed open the door and walked in.
Charlie asked, "Mr. Su, have you found out who the mastermind behind this auction is?"
Su Haijun nodded and said, "We've found out. The person who uploaded the picture is a man named Lü Tie, who is the director of the finance department of the Tang Group."
"Lü Tie? The finance director of the Tang Group?"
“Yes, I used to work at the Tang Group. I know this person quite well and have some understanding of him. I think the people in these pictures are not his, but belong to someone else.”
"Mr. Su, who do you think this 'other person' might be?"
"I don't know either. If you want to know, you can ask this guy named Lü Tie."
In a room on the third floor of the auction house, Chao Bufan was leisurely drinking morning tea on the sofa. Surrounding him were Baihe and her two siblings, as well as Huang Mengting and Zhang Xiuli. Bai Ruyu and her friends were also there, along with Mr. Song, the owner of the auction house.
To be able to establish such a large underground auction house in the bustling city, one must possess extraordinary strength and connections. This Mr. Song is a prominent figure with considerable influence in both legitimate and criminal circles. As for his family fortune, it is naturally in the hundreds of millions.
But now, this Mr. Song showed utmost respect for Chao Bufan, standing before him with utmost deference.
Mr. Song glanced at his watch; it was 7:55. He then said respectfully, "Master, it's almost time."
It turns out that this Mr. Song had become Chao Bufan's apprentice, no wonder he had such awe of Chao Bufan.
There were several LCD monitors in the room, displaying images of the entire auction.
Chao Bufan glanced at the monitors one by one, smiled slightly, and said, "Old Song, have you explained things clearly to your men?"
Old Song replied, "Master, please rest assured, I have already explained everything clearly."
"Have all the authoritative appraisal experts we invited arrived?"
"Everyone's here, and they've all been arranged to be on-site!"
Chao Bufan nodded and said, "Then let's begin!"
"Yes, Master."
Old Song replied with one sentence, then turned and left the room.
Because staff had already instructed these people not to make loud noises when they entered the venue, the huge auction hall was quite quiet. Although many people whispered among themselves, it was not a big deal.
"When... when... when..."
At eight o'clock sharp, the bell in the venue rang out one by one, each chime resonating in the hearts of everyone present, for they knew that the auction was about to begin.
The bell rang eight times in a row, and then the auctioneer in charge of the auction walked up to the platform from backstage. At the back of the platform, more than a dozen connected tables and chairs were arranged in a row, where more than a dozen authoritative appraisal experts sat solemnly. On the table in front of them was a nameplate, which, of course, bore their names.
The auctioneer was a man who was about sixty years old. When he walked to the auction table in the middle of the platform, or more precisely, the moment he appeared in front of everyone, the entire auction room immediately fell silent.
In the center of the auction table was an all-in-one computer, next to which sat a wooden gavel.
Approaching the table, the auctioneer coughed lightly, clearing his throat as usual. The entire auction house fell silent. Then, the auctioneer announced loudly, "Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning! Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Andy (actually, he is from HX) – the host and auctioneer of this auction!" (The following lines are a poem and don't directly relate to the auction announcement: "Like a towering figure, soaring high, his brushstrokes defy the frost and wind; the fragrance of ink attracts butterflies to dance, and the vibrant colors on paper bring songs of flowers. Welcome to this grand antique auction held on this early August morning, to experience the beauty of ink and painting, and to share in the joy of this event. This event is exclusively hosted by our auction house, and we would like to...") Let me express my sincere gratitude to all the art masters and antique collectors who provided artworks for this auction. The items have a price, but the sentiment behind them is priceless. Today, we will continue to use a market-based pricing model, ensuring fair competition and that the highest bidder wins. This auction adheres to the principles of fairness, impartiality, and transparency; every artwork is authentic, valid, and legally binding. Those seated behind me are renowned antique appraisers in HX, including internationally acclaimed calligraphers and painters, international first-class artists, HX first-class appraisers, and famous HX artists. Let us give these appraisers a warm round of applause to express our heartfelt welcome and gratitude!