"The brushstrokes are vigorous, the composition is divinely inspired. A born king, truly worthy of the title Wan Shu Xian."
The business magnates and calligraphy enthusiasts present, upon seeing Wan Yunting's Golden Seal script calligraphy displayed at the auction, were instantly jolted awake. They stirred with eagerness, and someone couldn't help but call out to the host, actress Jiang Xiaoying, on stage: "What's the starting bid? Announce it quickly! I must have this calligraphy."
Jiang Xiaoying, holding the microphone, smiled enchantingly. "It seems everyone is here for Mr. Wan's calligraphy tonight. So, I won't elaborate on Mr. Wan's fame. Since everyone is impatient, I won't waste your time. The starting bid for this Golden Seal script calligraphy is five million, with increments of five hundred thousand. Bid…"
"Ten million!"
A magnate seated at the front, before Jiang Xiaoying could finish speaking, excitedly raised his paddle and shouted.
"Fifteen million!"
In the next moment, someone from behind raised their paddle and shouted.
"Twenty million!"
A middle-aged man with an extraordinary demeanor next to them stood up, no longer showing weakness, and raised his paddle.
"Twenty million is nothing! I bid thirty million!"
Immediately, a middle-aged man in a designer suit beside Kang Hongwen, none other than Wang Jun, the chairman of the well-known first-tier Wang Xi Group in Huadu City, stood up, picked up his paddle, and directly increased the bid by ten million, casting a disdainful glance at the man who had bid twenty million.
"Forty million!"
Another business magnate sitting next to Wang Jun raised his paddle with a smile and bid.
"Old Zhang, why are you competing with me?"
Wang Jun glared at the man named Zhang Huamao and shouted. He then raised his paddle and bid, "Fifty million."
"Sixty million…"
"Seventy million…"
Before Zhang Huamao could bid, other unseen collectors and tycoons immediately called out, reaching eighty million…
"Eighty-five million…"
The prices continued to rise with great momentum, especially as the competing magnates stood up and shouted at each other, determined to win. The crowd's emotions were instantly ignited, and a buzz filled the venue.
Jiang Xiaoying, the actress host on stage, holding the microphone, widened her eyes, watching the intense bidding scene. Her mouth agape, she couldn't interject.
Huangfu Hongfang and Gao Jiaxu, seated in the front row, saw that the crowd had already bid up to one hundred and thirty million for Wan Yunting's Golden Seal script calligraphy. The fierce bidding continued to escalate, causing Liang Hongda and Wang Fuyi to freeze, drawing a collective gasp…
Previously, the outside world had hyped up one of Wan Yunting's calligraphies to over a hundred million. But now, at the actual auction, the price exceeded one hundred million. Wang Jun, the head of Wang Xi Group, bid one hundred and fifty million, leaving Wan Yunting, seated beside him, stunned. He couldn't help but give a wry smile and say, "Mr. Wang, are you a helper invited by President Kang?"
Wang Jun turned to him, waving his hands excitedly. "Mr. Wan, you're mistaken. I genuinely want to collect your calligraphy, so I must have this Golden Seal script piece…"
Upon hearing someone bid one hundred and sixty million, Wang Jun stood up, raised his paddle, and excitedly shouted, "Two hundred million, two hundred million, I bid two hundred million!"
… Upon hearing two hundred million, everyone in the venue looked stunned and gasped. Wang Jun was too formidable, increasing the bid by forty million. It seemed he truly admired Wan Yunting's calligraphy.
"This Old Wang is truly audacious…"
Zhang Huamao and Kang Hongwen looked at Wan Yunting, shaking their heads and sighing at Wang Jun…
Wan Yunting opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't say anything. The price of two hundred million far exceeded his imagination…
He had already felt it was exaggerated when the outside world hyped his work to over a hundred million, as he personally believed his calligraphy wasn't worth that much.
But seeing Wang Jun bid two hundred million, this was undoubtedly an astronomical price for a calligraphy auction piece in the domestic art world.
Even Fan Liren, a titan of literature, had never had a single piece of his calligraphy sell for two hundred million. Wan Yunting had certainly set a precedent as the first person to achieve such a high auction price for calligraphy in the contemporary art world.
Gao Jiaxu, seated in the front row, had a grim expression. "It's obvious Wan Yunting hired a shill!"
Huangfu Hongfang, sitting beside him, also turned slightly, his gaze dark as he glanced at Wan Yunting. Regardless of whether Wang Jun bid two hundred million out of consideration for Kang Hongwen, the price was real.
"Two hundred and ten million!"
Before the host Jiang Xiaoying could speak, a man in his fifties wearing a white Tang suit, with a young man seated beside him, raised paddle number 90 and bid.
"My goodness, still bidding…"
The surrounding people heard that there was still a bidder and showed expressions of disbelief.
Wang Jun also widened his eyes, looking at the young man bidding in front of him. The middle-aged man beside the young man was the actual principal, but Wang Jun didn't recognize him. Determined to win, he raised his paddle: "Two hundred and fifty million!"
The young man seated beside the man glanced back at Wang Jun, then raised his paddle again: "Two hundred and sixty million!"
"Damn it, three hundred million!"
Wang Jun, exasperated, glared and directly shouted three hundred million.
This time, the young man frowned, glanced at the middle-aged man wearing glasses beside him, and finally put down his paddle…
Everyone in the venue quieted down. No one expected Wang Jun to bid three hundred million for Wan Yunting's Golden Seal script calligraphy. Even the host Jiang Xiaoying was stunned. Wang Jun swept his triumphant gaze over everyone present, then shouted to the stage, "Hammer it."
"Ah, oh…"
Jiang Xiaoying finally reacted, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. Following procedure, she announced, "Three hundred million, are there any further bids?"
The venue was silent. Three hundred million was already an astronomical price; who would dare bid further?
"Three hundred million once, three hundred million twice, three hundred million thrice, sold…"
As the auctioneer struck the gavel, Jiang Xiaoying raised her hand and smiled at Wang Jun. "Congratulations, Mr. Wang, for acquiring Mr. Wan's poem and Golden Seal script calligraphy…"
"Phew, finally got it."
As the gavel fell, Wang Jun also sat down with relief and smiled at Wan Yunting.
Facing Wang Jun's frenzied bidding, Wan Yunting could only offer a wry smile. Selling a piece of his calligraphy for three hundred million felt unreal…
"Please welcome the forty-seventh item, also a wild cursive calligraphy work by Mr. Wan!"
Next, the beautiful woman in the qipao brought another scroll, hung it on the rack, and unfurled it, displaying a large piece written by Wan Yunting in wild cursive script that afternoon. It was Li Bai's "Ode to a Swordsman"!
The display of this wild cursive calligraphy once again ignited the enthusiasm of everyone present. Especially Huangfu Xueyi and others, looking at this calligraphy, the strokes were like a sword, and the ink transformed into sword energy. It not only conveyed the artistic conception of Li Bai's poem "Ode to a Swordsman" but, strangely, looking at this calligraphy, it was as if they saw a phantom shadow of a person wielding a long sword on it!
"Sword intent!"
Huangfu Xueyi's old eyes widened, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Although he had never practiced martial arts, only occasionally practicing Tai Chi and Tai Chi sword for health in small parks with his friends, at this moment, looking at Wan Yunting's wild cursive calligraphy, Huangfu Xueyi could discern a clear and intangible sword intent contained within the characters. This sent a tremor through his heart, leaving him deeply impressed.
"Previously, at the Lanting Award calligraphy competition, Wan Shu Xian wrote a piece that almost scared the judge, Mr. Yuan, to death. I thought it was an exaggeration, but now, seeing Wan Shu Xian's wild cursive calligraphy, I truly feel the charm of calligraphy!" a local calligraphy enthusiast exclaimed, staring intently at Wan Yunting's wild cursive calligraphy with wide eyes.
"Indeed, they say Wan Shu Xian's wild cursive calligraphy contains powerful sword intent. Even I, who don't practice martial arts, can see the sword intent in his calligraphy. It's miraculous."
Another business magnate couldn't help but marvel. The intangible sword intent clearly displayed in Wan Yunting's calligraphy seemed to conjure phantom images of him practicing swordplay in their minds, both real and illusory, truly marvelous.
"I heard Wan Shu Xian is a martial artist. No wonder his calligraphy contains such powerful sword intent. I must acquire this piece!"
Someone realized and shouted excitedly.
"Bid quickly…"
Instantly, everyone present became more enthusiastic than before. Jiang Xiaoying on stage reacted and announced, "Mr. Wan's wild cursive calligraphy also has a starting bid of five million, with increments of fifty thousand…"
"One hundred million!"
Before the words were out, a magnate from the calligraphy collecting circle excitedly stood up, raised his paddle, and shouted.
"Geez, Old Ming, are you crazy? Bidding a hundred million right off the bat? How are the rest of us supposed to play?"
Another magnate sitting next to the calligraphy collector stood up and scolded loudly, then raised his paddle and shouted, "One hundred and fifty million!"
"One hundred and eighty million!"
"Two hundred million!"
"My heavens, over two hundred million! This is insane, completely insane…"
Everyone present was stirred by the frenzied bidding, their emotions rising. They had never witnessed such intense competition at an auction. It was simply madness.
"Two hundred and thirty million!"
Zhang Huamao stood up and raised his paddle.
"Two hundred and fifty million!"
Wang Jun also stood up and shouted excitedly. Zhang Huamao immediately turned to glare at him, pointing at his nose and cursing, "Wang Jun, are you intentionally going against me? You already bought Mr. Wan's Golden Seal script piece, and now you're competing with me for this one? You're doing it on purpose!"
"Old Zhang, why are you so angry? I like this wild cursive calligraphy piece by Mr. Wan too. How am I doing it on purpose?"
Wang Jun also turned to glare at the furious Zhang Huamao. He raised his paddle and excitedly shouted at Wang Jun, "I bid three hundred million!"
"Three hundred million? Fine, I'm out."
Wang Jun immediately sat down, a sly smile on his lips. His previous bid was clearly intentional.
Zhang Huamao pointed at him and said angrily, "I'll settle with you later."
"Three hundred and twenty million!" A middle-aged man in casual designer clothing raised his paddle. He was a business magnate from out of town; some recognized him as being from Yang City.
"Three hundred and fifty million!"
Immediately after, another reclusive wealthy collector raised his paddle to increase the bid.
"Good heavens, three hundred and fifty million! This is too crazy…"
Everyone present was dumbfounded by this price. Those guests who couldn't afford to bid could only watch enviously as the few reclusive tycoon collectors bid against each other.
After all, a single calligraphy piece being bid up to three hundred and fifty million was undoubtedly an astronomical price, and also the highest price achieved for modern calligraphy works. Even the titan of literature, Fang Liren, had never had his works fetch such a high price…