The entrance of the Tianyu Auction House was bustling with crowds. Local media reporters formed circle after circle. As it was a charity auction, the organizers had not only invited celebrities but also all the prominent figures of Hua Du City.
Among them was the richest man, Kang Hongwen, and the bosses of other top-tier conglomerates, all dressed in suits. Upon alighting from their cars, they were swarmed by media reporters who interviewed them: "Mr. Kang, whose work are you most looking forward to tonight?"
Facing the reporters, Kang Hongwen smiled and said, "I'm most looking forward to Wan Yunting's calligraphy."
A reporter remarked, "Mr. Kang, we've heard you and Mr. Wan are close friends, and that you've even collected his calligraphy. Will you be bidding on his calligraphy tonight?"
"Of course."
Kang Hongwen generously and heartily laughed, "Tonight is a charity auction for public welfare. Since I'm here, I naturally have to pay for my admission ticket."
"Haha, Old Kang is so generous. But I'm here for Wan Shuxian's work tonight. Don't fight me for it, Old Kang."
"That's right. You collect Wan Shuxian's works privately. Don't compete with us tonight. You bid on something else."
The bosses who were with Kang Hongwen immediately chimed in, telling him not to make a move tonight.
"Alright. I heard that Mr. Huangfu, a contemporary master of our Lingnan School of painting, has also contributed a painting. I'll see if I can acquire it then," Kang Hongwen replied with a smile.
"Mr. Kang is truly a role model for our Hua Du City business community, contributing to our nation's public welfare..."
Some bosses of second-tier conglomerates seized the opportunity to flatter Kang Hongwen in front of the media...
Besides business magnates, local literary giants and art collectors also flocked into the Tianyu Auction House. Although it was scheduled to start precisely at 8:30 PM, the event was postponed to 9:00 PM due to the overwhelming number of attendees.
Consequently, many people, having heard that two calligraphy works by Wan Yunting would be auctioned tonight, traveled from all over the country to participate, solely to bid on his precious works...
Fang Guowen, dressed in a Tang suit with a jacket draped over it due to the cold night, was in the spacious hall behind the venue. After discussions among the members of their literary association, a total of forty-eight artworks were to be auctioned tonight!
These forty-eight artworks included calligraphy, paintings, jade, porcelain, and antiques. Some were works by contemporary art masters, while others were antique pieces from private collections, each of immense value.
However, the most highly anticipated items tonight were the two calligraphy works by Wan Yunting and the painting by Huangfu Xueyi, a representative figure of the Lingnan School of painting!
"President Fang, Mr. Huangfu has arrived. Let's go out to greet him."
At this moment, a member entered and called out to Fang Guowen, who was arranging matters.
"He's here. Then let's go and welcome him..."
Fang Guowen then signaled the members of the literary association present to rise and head outside...
At the entrance of the auction house, a sedan slowly came to a stop. Huangfu Hongfang first opened the car door, then bowed respectfully as he helped an elderly man in his eighties alight from the car. The elder wore a gray Tang suit and a thick jacket. He had short white hair, a ruddy complexion, and was full of vigor, leaning on a cane. He was Huangfu Hongfang's grandfather, Huangfu Xueyi.
"Mr. Huangfu, take your time..."
Besides Gao Jiaxu, who was accompanying Huangfu Hongfang, the Vice President of the Hua Du Literary Association, Liang Hongda, and Wang Fuyi naturally followed, bending and bowing as they assisted Huangfu Xueyi down...
Immediately, a crowd of media reporters swarmed forward, surrounding them and bombarding them with questions: "Mr. Huangfu, could you tell us why you've made an exception to personally attend tonight's charity auction?"
"Mr. Huangfu, could you comment on the current hot topic in the art world, Wan Yunting, also known as Wan Shuxian, and the level of his calligraphy works?"
...A barrage of various questions from the reporters filled the ears of Huangfu Hongfang and Huangfu Xueyi. Gao Jiaxu and Liang Hongda quickly shielded them from the media. The elder Mr. Huangfu remained calm, not answering any of the questions...
Then Fang Guowen and his group emerged, calling for security guards to restrain the disorderly media reporters to prevent them from bumping into the elder, given his advanced age and fragility.
Fang Guowen and his group respectfully escorted Huangfu Xueyi into the auction house and arranged for him to be seated in the very front row. Behind him were business magnates like Kang Hongwen. Even they rose and respectfully greeted him, "Mr. Huangfu..."
"Hello, everyone..."
Only then did Huangfu Xueyi, with a refined smile, nod slightly to Kang Hongwen and the others. This was not out of deference to their status as business magnates, but a reflection of Huangfu Xueyi's inherent etiquette and cultivation.
Upon seeing Fang Guowen, Kang Hongwen stopped him and asked, "President Fang, why hasn't Yunting arrived yet?"
Fang Guowen knew that Wan Yunting and Kang Hongwen were acquainted, and more importantly, that most people already seated in the auction house were there for Wan Yunting's works. He replied, "Mr. Kang, please don't worry. I'll contact him shortly to ask."
"Alright."
Kang Hongwen nodded and sat back down, chatting with his friends.
Following closely, Ling Wei arrived, dressed in a black lace sheath dress with a fur coat draped over her shoulders, exuding a captivating elegance and mature grace. She was accompanied by Han Duoer and Kuang Long. She smiled and greeted Kang Hongwen, "Mr. Kang, you're here too."
"Ah, Ms. Ling, please have a seat..."
Upon seeing Ling Wei, Kang Hongwen gestured to the seat next to him and asked with a smile, "Isn't Master Fu here?"
Ling Wei shook her head slightly and replied with a smile, "Master Fu hasn't been feeling well lately, so he couldn't come and sent me in his stead."
Kang Hongwen nodded and smiled, "I'll send my regards to Master Fu later."
"Certainly."
Ling Wei nodded with a smile and sat down gracefully, saying no more.
She was representing Master Fu, but she was also here for the man...
Huangfu Xueyi, seated in the front row, was chatting with a scholar. Huangfu Hongfang, seated beside him, leaned in and whispered to Gao Jiaxu, "Brother Hongfang, can we outperform Wan Yunting tonight?"
Huangfu Hongfang turned his head, glanced at him, and snorted, "I've even invited my grandfather. What do you think?"
"Yes, yes, yes..."
Gao Jiaxu retracted his head, nodding repeatedly, "With the Elder's presence, he will undoubtedly be the most dazzling star of the show. Wan Yunting is just a clown hyped up by the outside world. How can he be compared to the Elder?"
Huangfu Hongfang narrowed his eyes. Ever since he learned that Wan Yunting had submitted two calligraphy works to the charity auction tonight, he had pestered his grandfather to attend personally, with the sole intention of using his grandfather's fame to overshadow Wan Yunting!
"However..."
Gao Jiaxu turned his head and glanced at the business magnates like Kang Hongwen seated behind them, saying, "I'm just worried that the richest man might inflate the prices of Wan Yunting's works!"
Huangfu Hongfang smiled faintly, "Don't worry, I have my ways of dealing with it. I absolutely won't let his works be sold for a higher price than my grandfather's!"
Gao Jiaxu nodded with a sly smile. Everything would wait until the auction began...
It was 8:50 PM, ten minutes before the auction was scheduled to start. The hall was already filled with people, and more were continuously pouring in from outside, indicating the high level of attention this charity auction had garnered tonight.
The entrance of the hall was still a scene of clamor, with numerous media reporters still blocked at the entrance because a key figure had yet to arrive!
Standing on the steps, Han Shumei and Lin Xinlan, dressed in elegant evening gowns tonight, were discussing arrangements with other organizers from the charity institution regarding matters after the auction commenced.
Just then, Han Shumei's phone rang. She took it out and saw it was Wan Yunting's number. She quickly answered, "Yunting, why haven't you arrived yet? The auction is about to begin."
"Sister Shumei, I'm almost there, about two minutes away."
At this moment, Wan Yunting was driving his silver sedan towards the venue. He called Han Shumei two minutes in advance. She nodded, "Alright, alright. I'm on the steps at the main entrance. You'll see me when you get here."
"Okay."
Wan Yunting answered, hung up the phone, crossed a street, and saw the Tianyu Auction House. From a distance, he could see the lively crowd gathered at the entrance. Wan Yunting found a parking space, parked his car, and walked towards the entrance of the venue...
Most of the guests attending the auction had arrived by now, but the media reporters had not yet seen Wan Yunting, making them doubt whether he would show up tonight...
Wan Yunting was dressed in very ordinary casual attire today. He walked through the venue entrance and directly headed for the steps. The media reporters gathered around didn't even notice his arrival. It wasn't until he reached the steps that a sharp-eyed reporter spotted him and excitedly rushed over, "Mr. Wan, it's Mr. Wan..."
Suddenly, others reacted. Before Wan Yunting could proceed further, he was blocked midway up the steps by dozens of microphones thrust towards his mouth, along with countless cameras, camcorders, and mobile phones flashing in his face. Before Wan Yunting could react, a reporter asked, "Mr. Wan, can you tell us why you're participating in tonight's charity auction?"
"Mr. Wan, you said you wouldn't let your works enter the market. Why have you made an exception to donate two calligraphy works for charity auction? Can you tell us the reason?"
...Various questions filled his ears. Wan Yunting quickly urged them to stop jostling and pushing, to avoid anyone falling down the steps, saying, "Everyone, please don't ask why. It's all for public welfare. Alright, the auction is about to begin. I'll answer all your questions after I come out. Please make way, thank you..."
At this moment, Han Shumei and Lin Xinlan had already spotted him. They immediately signaled security to stop the persistent media reporters, successfully pulling Wan Yunting into the venue.
Han Shumei breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yunting, you're too popular now. As soon as the news of your participation in the charity auction came out at noon, it directly hit the trending list. Especially with tonight's turnout, most people are here for you."