"Boss, do you want me to bid on this?"

Demo Did, standing beside him, was puzzled when no one else made a bid. ’Even if you sold this for scrap, it’d be worth more than one euro, right?’ he thought. ’So why doesn’t anyone want it?’ 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

But Fang Chenyi waved his hand. "No need. We’re all countrymen here. There’s no reason to bid against each other just to let foreigners profit in the end."

At these words, a portly man in front of them, who had been hesitating about raising his paddle, decided against it. Just as Fang Chenyi had said, they couldn’t become a laughingstock for the foreigners.

Meanwhile, on stage, the auctioneer saw what was happening and smiled to himself. He discreetly touched his ring while starting to repeat the standard auction patter.

Just as the auctioneer was about to start the countdown, a paddle with the number 7 on it shot up in the front row, followed by a shout in English.

"Ten million euros. This thing’s mine."

The speaker wore a look of pure arrogance.

WHOOSH~

The man’s bid sent a buzz through the room. Everyone suspected the same thing: he was likely a shill planted by the auction house. It seemed getting their Huaxia treasure back for a low price today was going to be impossible.

But even knowing he was probably a shill, they had no choice but to press on. The artifact was simply too precious.

"Ten million five hundred thousand euros!"

As soon as the voice of a Huaxia bidder rang out, the number seven paddle shot up again. "Fifteen million euros!"

"Fuck, even a shill can’t be this blatant! A jump of four and a half million euros in one go! They’re dead certain we’ll buy it no matter the price."

"Tell me about it. This is just bullying, isn’t it? Sigh... but what can we do? We have to get it! I brought a full hundred million euros today. There’s no way I’m leaving without it!"

Hearing the murmurs from his fellow Huaxia countrymen, Fang Chenyi frowned.

’This can’t go on,’ he thought. ’At this rate, we’re just lambs to the slaughter. No, I have to think of something!’

"Oh, are these people insane? A lump of old bronze has reached twenty million euros? They’ve truly lost their minds. If this were a world-class oil painting, I might’ve considered it."

Demo Did watched the suddenly fierce bidding war unfold, shaking his head in confusion and muttering under his breath.

However, the speaker may have been careless, but the listener was paying attention. The moment Demo Did finished speaking, Fang Chenyi’s eyes lit up. ’A painting? That’s right, I have a painting!’

With that thought, Fang Chenyi turned to Bai Menghan, who was watching the commotion. "Menghan, come with me."

"Oh, okay."

Bai Menghan didn’t ask why, simply standing and following him. Seeing this, Demo Did quickly got up and went after them as well.

"Oh, Boss, where are you going? The auction just started! Don’t you see anything you like?"

Fang Chenyi led Bai Menghan by the hand, with Demo Did trailing behind. The three of them made their way toward the backstage area of the auction house.

When they arrived backstage, the trio was stopped at the door by two security guards in suits.

"I’m sorry, sir and ma’am, but this is the backstage area. Guests are not permitted."

After hearing this, Fang Chenyi simply waved his hand.

"Go inform your general manager. Tell him that if he doesn’t come, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life."

After Bai Menghan translated for him, Fang Chenyi sat down in a nearby chair and closed his eyes to rest.

The two guards exchanged a look, unsure what to make of this act. After a moment of hesitation, one of them finally hurried inside. He had no idea what this man’s business was, but it wasn’t his place as a mere guard to make that call.

’Of course, there’s no way I can find the general manager myself,’ he thought. ’I can only report this to my supervisor. How they handle it is up to them.’

Less than a minute later, the guard returned with a middle-aged man, also dressed in a suit. The man walked up to Fang Chenyi and asked politely,

"Hello, sir. I’m the head of security for this auction. You can tell me what business you have."

Fang Chenyi barely lifted an eyelid. "I told you to get your general manager. A head of security doesn’t have the authority for this. Oh, and I’ll repeat myself: if you don’t bring your general manager here within two minutes, he will absolutely fire you."

The head of security carefully sized up Fang Chenyi and his two companions. When his eyes landed on Demo Did, his pupils contracted. ’If I’m not mistaken,’ he thought, ’that’s one of the VIPs the manager personally invited! A real god of wealth!’

Realizing this, the head of security said, "Please, follow me," and led the three of them into a reception room.

After arranging for a staff member to bring them coffee, he hurried off to find the general manager.

"Oh, Boss, I really don’t get it. Why are you looking for their general manager?"

Fang Chenyi picked up his coffee cup and stirred it gently before softly uttering two words: "Selling paintings."

"Selling paintings. Selling paintings?! What? Boss, you’re going to sell a painting?! Don’t tell me you’re going to sell *that* one—"

Fang Chenyi quickly cut him off. ’This guy has such a big mouth!’ he thought. ’If I’d been a second later, he would have blurted out the words ’Mona Lisa’.’

He shot Demo Did an annoyed glare and said,

"What are you shouting about? You think that’s the only painting I own? Relax. Since I promised to save that one for you, I definitely won’t sell it to anyone else."

Hearing this, Demo Did let out a long sigh of relief. ’Phew... as long as he’s not selling that one.’

Just then, the door to the room was pushed open, and a woman in a business suit stepped inside.

"Heh, hello, gentlemen, ma’am. I’m Averill, the general manager of this auction. I was told you had some important business with me?"

After Bai Menghan translated her words, Fang Chenyi was a little taken aback; he hadn’t expected the auction’s general manager to be a woman.

He shook his head, putting the thought aside and getting straight to the point.

"I have a few paintings that I’d like to enter into this auction."

After speaking, he turned and glanced at Bai Menghan, signaling for her to translate.

[To be continued...]

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