"One point five million!"
This bid immediately caused a stir among the audience.
"He raised the bid by half a million on his first move. It seems he's determined to get this bronze ancient sword," Han Chen remarked with a smile.
"His momentum is strong, but I'm certain the person who ultimately gets it won't be him," Song Ming said with a similar smile.
"Why wouldn't it be him? How about we make a bet?" Han Chen looked at Song Ming and chuckled.
"A bet it is. Am I afraid of you?" Song Ming also looked at Tang Hongye and laughed.
"Alright, then I'll bet a million on him."
"Then your million is likely to be mine," Song Ming said, grinning at Han Chen.
"That remains to be seen," Han Chen replied with a smile. He then turned to Lin Hao, who sat as still as a stone Buddha, and asked, "Brother, do you think he'll win the bid in the end?"
"Hey, Brother Han, you can't do that."
Seeing Han Chen ask Lin Hao, Song Ming became anxious and quickly interjected, "Brother, you mustn't say!"
"Don't be so scared. I was just asking casually," Han Chen said, though he was wondering if Lin Hao had figured out whether the man in the back row would win the bid.
"I've been in seclusion recently and can't perform divination or fortune-telling. Don't you both know that?" Lin Hao said to Han Chen and Song Ming.
Lin Hao's words immediately relieved Song Ming.
He had genuinely feared Lin Hao would reveal the answer.
If that happened, out of respect for Lin Hao, he would be in an awkward position, unable to accept the win or the loss.
Just as Song Ming was secretly breathing a sigh of relief, another bid was placed.
"Two million!"
The voice came from a middle-aged man in the center of the hall.
This bid caused another commotion in the hall.
"Isn't that Manager Ruan?"
"That's right, it's Manager Ruan."
"It really is. Manager Ruan is famously known as an enthusiast of ancient swords in the industry."
"Haha, indeed."
"It seems the first item is already shaping up to be quite a show."
...
Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, the beautiful woman in the qipao on the auction stage picked up the gavel and struck it down.
"Two million, first call!"
As the gavel fell, just when everyone expected another bid, the entire hall fell silent.
Even the man who had bid one point five million remained quiet.
After a brief pause, the woman in the qipao picked up the gavel and struck it down again.
"Clack!"
"Two million, second call!"
The gavel fell, and the woman in the qipao looked out at the audience, waiting for another bid.
However, the hall was once again eerily silent.
"Clack!"
The woman in the qipao struck the gavel again and called out,
"Two million, thir—"
"Two point five million!"
A man on the right side of the hall suddenly shouted.
This shout caused the hall to erupt in renewed clamor.
"That sounds like Director Li."
"I didn't expect Director Li to be here."
"Haha, this is going to be good."
"It certainly looks like it's going to be a good show."
"Director Li and Manager Ruan are famously rivals."
"I thought Director Li wasn't coming today, but he was hiding here silently."
As the crowd below buzzed with discussion, the man from the back row suddenly called out again, "Three million."
This bid instantly silenced the air in the hall.
At that moment, everyone felt a sense of unease.
"Could this guy be a shill for Cang Pai Ge?"
Someone cursed.
"Shh! Keep your voice down."
"With Cang Pai Ge's reputation, they wouldn't do something that harms others without benefiting themselves."
"But he really does seem like a shill."
"When no one else was bidding, he stayed silent, playing dead. Now that someone has bid, he's directly raising by half a million each time."
"He really does seem like it."
"But I still believe that with Cang Pai Ge's reputation, they wouldn't do such a thing."
"Well, let's just wait and see."
"Three point five million," Director Li on the right side of the hall called out again.
"Four million," Manager Ruan in the center of the hall also raised his paddle and bid.
"Four point five million," Director Li called out again.
This bid caused a sensation throughout the hall.
Many people already felt that the bronze ancient sword on stage had far exceeded its intrinsic value at this price.
Among those present today were many discerning individuals.
Even those who had been in the antique business for many years felt that even with future appreciation, the highest price for this bronze ancient sword would be around three point five million.
Now, exceeding that by a full million was considered outrageously inflated.
Indeed, just as the people in the hall thought, upon hearing Director Li's bid of four point five million, Manager Ruan in the center of the hall rose and looked at Director Li.
He stared intently at the composed Director Li, and ultimately gave up on the bronze ancient sword.
He liked the sword, but he couldn't bring himself to pay a price far exceeding a million.
And this was even after factoring in its future appreciation.
If future appreciation was not considered, the current bid was already three point five million higher than its original value.
For just a sword, he still felt it was not very cost-effective.
With these thoughts, Manager Ruan cast a fierce look at Director Li and then sat down.
Seeing Manager Ruan sit down with such palpable animosity, the crowd in the hall immediately knew who the bronze ancient sword would belong to.
At the same time, the woman in the qipao on stage also believed that the auction for the bronze ancient sword was about to conclude.
However, just as she was about to quickly strike the gavel to finalize the sale, a voice, not loud but clear enough for everyone in the hall to hear, rang out.
"Five million!"
The voice came from the first row on the right.
That's right, it was Lin Hao.
Lin Hao's bid stunned everyone in the hall, and then all eyes turned towards him.
Even the woman in the qipao on stage looked at Lin Hao with surprise.
After all, Cang Pai Ge had already appraised each item for the auction.
In the woman's opinion, the fact that this bronze ancient sword had reached such a price was entirely due to competitive bidding.
If there were no bidding wars, this bronze ancient sword would have fetched at most three million.
Then, looking at Lin Hao in the audience, Lin Hao felt a wave of embarrassment as all eyes turned towards him.
He wished he had asked Xiao Hei to bid instead.
"Brother, you like bronze swords too?"
Han Chen and Song Ming looked at Lin Hao with confusion, feeling that Lin Hao had played a trick on them.
They had just asked Lin Hao who would win the bid for the bronze sword, and he had said he didn't know.
Now, in the blink of an eye, he was bidding himself.
"Not particularly. I just found the sword pleasing to the eye," Lin Hao said with a smile.
"You bid five million just because you found it pleasing to the eye?"
Han Chen and Song Ming looked at Lin Hao, finding his explanation hard to believe.