The next day, Butler Kiel arrived punctually to pick up Huang He. Huang He, of course, brought Hu Jing along, and both were dressed to impress for the event.
After a series of security checks, Vivian successfully led Huang He into the event venue, a charming manor.
This manor seemed to be the private estate of a noble family, located in the suburbs of Paris. The drive alone took two hours.
However, the manor was immense, encompassing a significant portion of the surrounding mountain range.
Soon, under Vivian's guidance, Huang He met the esteemed French President and his wife. They greeted Vivian warmly, and Vivian introduced Huang He as her friend, without revealing his identity.
Upon hearing this, the President and his wife shook Huang He's hand with great courtesy, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then paid him no further attention, focusing their conversation on Vivian.
However, new guests soon arrived, requiring the distinguished couple's attention. Vivian, seizing the opportunity, quickly whisked Huang He away.
The rest of the morning passed pleasantly, with Vivian and Huang He exploring the manor at their leisure.
The estate was truly vast, featuring not only exquisite architecture but also a swimming pool, tennis courts, a football field, a basketball court, and even a racecourse with adjacent stables, reportedly housing over a dozen purebred European horses.
Beyond these sporting facilities lay vast stretches of forest and a sizable lake. Along the lake's edge, numerous elegant wooden boats were moored, and fishing platforms were prepared. Huang He even caught glimpses of deer moving through the wooded hills.
"Are all these the property of the manor's owner?" Huang He couldn't help but ask.
"Yes!" Vivian nodded. "This is the estate of the Count of Paris. The hundreds of hectares of land in this area are legally owned by their family. In addition to this, they own the Château de Voltaire, which has even more land than this."
"Is that legal?" Huang He inquired, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Of course, it's legal. Not only the land but also the noble titles are legal. The French government recognizes these noble titles, they just don't grant new ones anymore," Vivian explained.
"Don't the French people have any objections?" Huang He asked again, his curiosity piqued.
"Why would they? It's something passed down through generations. The nobles aren't doing anything wrong, so what grounds would they have for objection?" Vivian replied, confused. Huang He understood then that their worldviews were somewhat different.
The concept of nobility, he realized, was quite normal in the West, a place that prided itself on freedom, democracy, and equality. Conversely, in China, which they perceived as autocratic, dictatorial, and lacking freedom and equality, if a wealthy individual were to create such an estate and claim it as their domain, they would likely face the wrath of the common people almost immediately.
Still, he had to admit, the manor was incredibly fascinating. Huang He spent the entire morning exploring and still felt he hadn't seen enough. It was only when lunchtime approached that Vivian's butler urged them back to the villa for the midday banquet.
During lunch, Huang He had another brief encounter with the President and his wife. They exchanged friendly toasts, but that was the extent of it. Huang He didn't even get a chance to have a proper conversation.
However, after lunch, the event moved to a crucial segment: the charity auction.
While this was described as a collective outing organized by France's first family, its more significant purpose was the charity auction. Otherwise, hundreds of reporters wouldn't have been present to document the proceedings.
Charity auctions were a common occurrence in the social circles of French high society, providing a valuable opportunity for these influential figures to showcase their noble character.
After all, the more prominent the individual, the more they needed to cultivate a persona of benevolence, lest they face unforeseen consequences.
Before long, the First Lady took the stage to deliver her speech.
This charity gala, initiated by the French First Lady, aimed to raise funds for installing birdhouses for migratory birds living in the city.
The impetus for this initiative arose when photos circulated of a nest built by migratory birds on a utility pole. A car accident involving the pole caused the nest to fall, resulting in the deaths of five newly hatched chicks, their parents mournfully chirping nearby.
This photograph had undoubtedly tugged at many heartstrings, leading to an explosion of public sentiment. Animal welfare groups criticized urbanization and proposed the construction of sturdy birdhouses in urban areas for these migratory birds. Subsequently, politicians recognized the potential for publicity and actively supported various initiatives.
The President's wife conceived the idea of hosting a charity gala to raise funds for these migratory birds.
Huang He typically rolled his eyes at such justifications, especially when, following the event's commencement, the First Lady delivered a passionate speech and then called for three minutes of silence in memory of the deceased chicks.
Huang He had no desire to engage in such a meaningless act. However, with journalists and media present, armed with their long lenses and cameras, Huang He could only follow suit and bow his head. Whether he truly observed the moment of silence, only heaven knew.
"Sigh!" Huang He sighed as the moment of silence concluded.
"Brother, do you also feel very sorry for those little birds?" Vivian asked curiously from beside him.
"No, I'm merely contemplating!" Huang He replied.
"Then what are you contemplating?" Vivian pressed.
"The turmoil in the West will begin here!" Huang He stated with a slight smile.
"What did you say!" Huang He's words carried a touch of classical Chinese. Although Vivian had learned Chinese and was quite proficient, she struggled to understand this archaic phrasing. She merely felt that Huang He's words were profound.
"Indeed, this is a small matter. However, from this single point, we can see the broader picture. A nation where so many high-ranking officials are making such a fuss over a few small migratory birds, with even the President and First Lady personally appearing to lead a moment of silence, clearly indicates that the West has gone astray!" Huang He shook his head inwardly. "If all politicians in the future concern themselves with and discuss such matters, rather than genuine national development, can this nation truly stay on the right path?"
Of course, Huang He wasn't claiming prophetic foresight. Rather, the bizarre and inexplicable actions of the "white left" in the future, along with the refugee crisis, had vividly demonstrated to him the dire straits a nation could fall into when dominated by such ideologies.
However, Huang He certainly wouldn't voice these thoughts aloud. He simply smiled and said, "What I mean is, this might be a good thing!"
"..." Vivian felt completely unable to follow Huang He's train of thought.
At this point, the First Lady had finished her speech, and the President had taken the stage. Although his delivery was good, Huang He couldn't understand French and had no interest in having every word translated. He used the time to rest his eyes.
Ten minutes later, after the President concluded his speech, it was time for the charity auction.
The process of a charity auction was quite straightforward. The esteemed guests present would each contribute one or two personal items to be auctioned. The wealthy and influential attendees would then generously bid. All the funds raised would be used for the designated charitable cause, assuming the money was truly used for charity.
The first item up for auction was, naturally, provided by the President: a walking stick he reportedly had used for over a decade. However, judging by its pristine condition, Huang He suspected it had spent more time in storage than in use, as the President walked without a limp and had little occasion to use a cane.
Ultimately, the walking stick sold for $32,000. This was considered a high price, as the subsequent seven or eight auction items fetched prices around a few thousand dollars, with only one breaking the ten-thousand mark.
"The next item is from Her Royal Highness Princess Vivian. This is her first princess tiara, crafted from platinum and rubies, engraved with a laurel motif..." the host introduced the tiara's provenance.
"You're actually auctioning off your tiara? And it's your first one!" Huang He exclaimed in surprise. According to the host's introduction, this was the first symbolic princess tiara that Vivian had worn for public occasions, placed on her head by her father on her eighth birthday. It should have been one of Vivian's most treasured possessions.
"I couldn't help it. I didn't know there would be a charity auction when I came, and the caliber is so high. I rummaged through my things and only found this as a suitable item!" Vivian said, looking rather dejected.
In reality, Vivian had other items she could have auctioned, but those were personal and intimate belongings, and auctioning them would have been far too inappropriate.
"So, how much do you think it will sell for?" Huang He asked curiously.
"Actually, this tiara isn't anything particularly precious; it's made of ordinary materials. I couldn't bring out anything too valuable, or it would overshadow the main purpose. However, I think this tiara should fetch around $20,000," Vivian replied.
As it turned out, while the tiara was indeed quite beautiful, and the bidding quickly surpassed ten thousand dollars, it stalled at around $12,000, with no further bids.
This caused Vivian's expression to falter slightly. After all, she had confidently stated that her princess tiara would sell for $20,000, and it had stalled at $12,000.
"Twelve thousand dollars, going for the third time..." Just as the auctioneer was about to bring down the hammer, Huang He raised his paddle, making a gesture. The auctioneer, becoming very excited, announced, "Twenty thousand dollars! Mr. Number 58 bids twenty thousand dollars! Are there any other bids?"
Upon hearing this price, a slight stir rippled through the audience. The tiara's increment bids were only $500, but Huang He had increased it by a massive $8,000 in one go. This was the most generous bid increase seen so far.
Would anyone else step forward to challenge Huang He?
This wasn't an online novel, and there seemed to be no romantic rivals present, so the scene did not unfold into the continuous bidding wars often depicted in novels.
Moreover, most of the esteemed guests present likely guessed that someone was simply trying to please the princess, hence the exorbitant bid.
The auctioneer, being astute, swiftly called out the price three times and then brought down the hammer.