Yang Chen and Chu Xiang sat in the front row. Soon, staff members brought them two auction brochures.
The brochures detailed more than thirty treasures to be auctioned at the charity auction, covering porcelain, gold, silver, bronze ware, lacquerware, calligraphy, and paintings, spanning a historical period of over three thousand years from pre-Qin to the Republic of China.
"How about it, are there any worth getting?"
"It's hard to say. Just looking at the pictures, it's impossible to verify their authenticity."
Yang Chen shook his head and said,
"Even if all the auction items are genuine, these listed are not top-notch. They might not be suitable for you to give as a birthday gift to your elder."
"But don't worry, no matter what kind of auction it is, the truly good items won't be registered. The organizers will simply mix them in to be auctioned to those who truly understand treasures."
Chu Xiang nodded with satisfaction. She frequented auctions and naturally understood what Yang Chen meant. The reason she asked was out of caution, intending to test Yang Chen.
If Yang Chen didn't even grasp this principle, she would naturally not feel at ease letting him decide on purchases worth millions or tens of millions.
Dong, dong...
As they were speaking, the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed, and a strong spotlight shone on the main stage.
A beautiful woman in a cheongsam, with a graceful figure, slowly walked onto the stage. She bowed to everyone before speaking in a crisp voice,
"Thank you all, esteemed benefactors, for attending tonight's charity auction. I am your host and auctioneer for this evening – Zhou Hui."
Pa, pa...
The audience below erupted in applause, a thunderous ovation.
"All proceeds from tonight's event will be donated to the Children Left Behind Foundation..."
Zhou Hui then gave a series of lengthy introductions, followed by the introduction of the leaders on the main stage.
Pa, pa...
Yang Chen applauded along with everyone else each time a leader was introduced.
In truth, he didn't recognize any of these people. He was just afraid he might fall asleep from boredom if he didn't join in the applause.
"Next, we invite the Vice-Head of our charity auction's appraisal team – Old Master Wei Tianheng!"
Yi!
Chu Xiang suddenly exclaimed, and Yang Chen, out of curiosity, asked, "Miss Chu, who is this Wei Tianheng that surprises you so much?"
"Wei Tianheng is a professor of History at Shen Da University and a master of Sinology, as well as a truly remarkable appraisal expert. However, I'm not surprised by him, but by He Jianhong, Old Master He, sitting next to him!"
Yang Chen looked up and saw an elder with white hair and beard next to Wei Tianheng, dressed in an old-fashioned long gown, exuding an extraordinary presence.
"This Old Master He you mentioned... I feel like I've seen him somewhere?"
Yang Chen looked more closely and felt increasingly familiar. He suddenly realized,
"I know where I've seen him! He's an expert on the television program 'Treasure Appraisal Daily'!"
"That's right!"
Chu Xiang said excitedly,
"Old Master He is one of the earliest people to become wealthy in our region... no, in all of China after the Reform and Opening Up. He was already a billionaire in the 1990s."
"However, his greatest achievement is not in the business world, but in the world of treasure collecting!"
"Old Master He has a discerning eye. He is proficient in gold, stone, jade, calligraphy, and painting. He was even invited by the television station to be an appraisal expert on a program."
"Three years ago, for some unknown reason, he suddenly stopped appearing on television and rarely showed himself in the treasure collecting circle."
"Since this charity auction managed to invite him, there must be some good items among the things being auctioned!"
"Yang Chen, keep a sharp eye for me. If you help me secure a treasure, your 3% commission will not be deducted by a single cent!"
"Yes, I will definitely keep my eyes wide open!"