"It seems he intends to watch the show first," Li Chonglou's pupils contracted slightly, a flicker of understanding dawning in his mind.
The staff for private auctions were limited.
Although the items were sold, they were not immediately delivered to the buyers.
Instead, they were returned to the safety deposit boxes backstage.
If Tian Shan wanted to make a move, he could do so at any time. But he chose not to. He wanted to see the auction continue, and then strike when everyone's guard was down, escape, and vanish.
Even a lion spares no effort when hunting a rabbit. One had to admit that this scumbag Tian Shan possessed both superhuman strength and a cunning mind like a sly rabbit.
Back in the Xingzhi Group in Zhonghai, he had long been orchestrating everything from behind the scenes as the Vice President. He wasn't the legal representative or the general manager, so even if Xingzhi Group collapsed and faced trouble, he could receive the news immediately and escape.
This was his terrifying nature.
Li Chonglou's heart sank slightly. Tian Shan's actions were not entirely unexpected and aligned with his own thoughts, but he still couldn't let his guard down.
The most dangerous moment would be after the auction ended and people began to disperse.
Before that, there shouldn't be any major moves.
"Alright, eight million seven hundred thousand for the first time, eight million seven hundred thousand for the second time..."
The auctioneer's face was flushed. Professional habit made him appear as if he had taken stimulants during auctions; this was professionalism.
After calling out three times, he brought down the gavel.
Luo Pin's "Thatched Hat Painting" ultimately belonged to a middle-aged man with a protruding belly.
Next up was the second item, a lotus-shaped plate, black and red with a dragon boat pattern in the center.
"Although this plate is small, its origins are significant. Ladies and gentlemen... a Qing Dynasty Cloisonné Lacquer Lotus Pond Dragon Boat Patterned Lotus Leaf Plate. The starting bid is three million, with increments of one hundred thousand." As the auctioneer's voice rang out, the entire venue was once again abuzz.
Similar items at major auction houses in China started at tens of millions, at the very least.
These antiques, representing the highest level of Chinese lacquerware craftsmanship, were a niche category, but their research and collection value were extremely high.
They were no less significant than the "Thatched Hat Painting" from earlier.
Seeing two treasures after each other, the crowd's excitement surged.
Even Tian Shan's eyes gleamed with greed. As expected, Ren He had saved the good items for last.
The most expensive single item he had cheated out of that group was worth at most two million.
He had sold it for even less on the black market, but he had no choice. After all, he was wanted nationwide, his accounts were frozen, and everything he had worked for over decades was gone.
All of this was thanks to Li Chonglou.
Thinking of this, Tian Shan's single eye filled with immense hatred as he continued to search for Li Chonglou's whereabouts.
Soon, the lotus leaf plate was also sold for a high price of seven million two hundred thousand.
Sitting backstage, Ren He's face flushed slightly, her eyes filled with admiration. "As expected of Master Li. Merely by organizing an auction, he can achieve such high prices."
"Even if I sent them to auction in Zhonghai or Macao, the amount I would receive wouldn't be much more than this."
"Furthermore, it would require significant time and effort, and these are the two things I can least afford to spend right now."
Zhang Chen, hearing this, smacked his lips. "That's true. My master, though he might not be exceptional in other areas, seems to have an innate understanding of antiques. He's particularly knowledgeable."
"I accompanied him on a trip to Yucheng for an inspection once. He could identify the true nature of all those items with just a glance."
"It's also thanks to him that I was able to complete that thesis and get transferred back to Yongan."
Despite his outward disdain, Zhang Chen deeply admired Li Chonglou in his heart.
"He looks to be about your age, but he's much more mature than you," Ren He teased with a smile.
"He's called 'oily,' I'm called 'energetic.' They're not the same," Zhang Chen said, looking displeased. "Hey, Ms. Ren, where's your beautiful secretary? Why isn't she here today?"
Ren He shot him a glare. "You're still not behaving yourself even when you're injured. You dare to lay hands on my people? Believe me, I'll break your legs."
"I believe, I believe... forget I said anything," Zhang Chen quickly raised his hands in surrender.
The two companies had a business history, and Yongan was a small place. He had heard of the prestige of the beautiful CEO, Ren He.
He absolutely dared not provoke her anger.
As they chatted back and forth backstage, the items on stage were also being auctioned off one by one.
Soon, all of Ren He's items were sold, and a mid-auction break was announced.
A total of thirteen items, with a total value of over ninety-seven million.
This amount might be astronomical for ordinary people, something they would aspire to their entire lives.
But for entrepreneurs like Ren He, it was merely a drop in the bucket, a paltry sum.
Although all the items were sold, she couldn't feel happy.
Even if Li Chonglou truly had the ability to recover the part she had been cheated out of, it would only be a temporary fix.
When a businessman has to sell off assets to cover company debts, it basically signifies his failure.
Selling antiques was merely a stopgap measure.
The future development and transformation of the company were the most critical issues.
However, Li Chonglou couldn't help with these matters; she had to worry about them herself.
"Mr. Li, will the upcoming auction items be arranged as per the original plan?" At this moment, the auctioneer's voice came through Li Chonglou's earpiece.
"No, deliver all the previously sold items to the clients and arrange for their departure." Li Chonglou walked out of the conference hall.
He had been observing Tian Shan's movements covertly, confirming that he was determined to make a clean sweep at the end.
If they continued with the original plan of holding onto the items until the end for unified handover, the risk would be too great.
Ning Lang's portion of the antiques was not intended to be sold; they were merely a facade to make Tian Shan believe the auction had not ended, preventing him from making a move immediately.
As long as the clients who had purchased items earlier were sent away, whether or not the remaining items were sold was no longer important.
"Understood," the auctioneer replied, comprehending the intention.
He instructed the beautiful hostesses to invite each of the guests who had purchased items into the VIP lounge.
This move clearly exceeded Tian Shan's expectations.
He instantly understood Li Chonglou's intentions, his eyes blazing with greed, and he sneered inwardly, "Mid-auction break? Trying to disperse the crowd?"
"If I wasn't prepared for this, how could I have dared to step into your trap?"
"Not a single one of these people will escape!"
He then leaned in and whispered a few words into the ear of a beautiful woman beside him. The woman immediately took out her phone and sent a message.
Not long after, the guests who had purchased items in the first half had paid, received their goods, and were escorted out of the Han Palace by security.
Arrangements were made for cars to take them away.
"Now, it's time for the game between you and me!" Li Chonglou returned to the conference hall, awaiting the start of the second half, suppressing the surging anger within him with all his might.
The auctioneer, along with the hostesses holding precious items, returned to the stage.
"Thank you for waiting, ladies and gentlemen. We will now continue with the remaining auction items..."
Before he could finish speaking, a startled voice came through Li Chonglou's earpiece: "Chonglou, things have changed."
"All the guests who were sent out have been intercepted!"
"These people are not from Yongan. I don't know where they came from, but they've blocked all the exits of the Han Palace."
It was Xiao Yun's voice.