Li Mu smiled disdainfully. To him, the second-generation people across from him were just brats who were spoiled by their parents.
Too lazy to respond to the provocations of a few boys, Li Mu turned his attention to the preparations for the auction below.
At this time, the guests below the stage were whispering to each other even more enthusiastically. Many heavyweight VIPs, as well as many people who had just arrived before the auction closed, were entering and taking their seats in an orderly manner under the leadership of the waiter.
Several uniformed staff came on stage holding a microphone to adjust, and someone else was adjusting the lights.
Li Mu is no stranger to the auction process, especially top foreign auctions, he has participated in many.
With his sharp eyesight, he could tell at a glance that this was indeed not a large-scale dinner-type auction in foreign countries, but a private internal auction, a place for everyone in the industry to play.
This kind of place is the most special, because most of the things that can be auctioned in this kind of place are priceless items. Many of these rare things may appear for the first time and have not even been seen by experts.
So if you want to shoot something here, the test is not only how much money you have, but also your eyesight and reaction.
And, the scariest thing is that you can also buy fakes here.
And the quality and details of the fakes that can enter such a place can completely deceive the expert old professors of the Palace Museum.
As the number one person in the Dragon Domain organization, Li Mu has knowledge and experience in this area that ordinary people cannot compare to.
Everyone who taught him this experience told him a short story. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a master of counterfeiting named Gao Shuiwang. He once made a treasure appraiser at the level of the Forbidden City pay a sky-high tuition of 7.8 million yuan.
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The ancient porcelain he produced is already extremely perfect. Not only are the shapes similar, but even the details are perfectly matched, truly reaching the level of works of art.
This kind of thing is not an isolated case. Nowadays, counterfeiters use extremely sophisticated technology to completely copy something that is exactly the same as the original. This thing is definitely a fake, but you can't find any flaws in it through any identification.
Of course, the cost of this kind of thing is also very staggering. In order to maximize the profits of this fake product, it will inevitably appear on the most high-end market.
In short, the auction here can be said to be a top-level feast of long-term experience. Anything can happen and anything can appear.
Recalling the experience of studying with the world's top jade masters and Chinese and foreign antique appraisal masters in the past few years, Li Mu couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Now, many years have passed, and he finally has the opportunity to come to China to experience the auction feast of the Crescent Hotel.
As the equipment is gradually debugged.
The noise below is getting smaller and smaller.
An old man wearing a black vest and a long gold chain monocle on his face raised the microphone and said to everyone around him:
"The auction officially starts in five minutes. Please keep quiet, distinguished guests. We will be closing soon."
Almost at the same time as he finished speaking, the hostess, wearing the same high-slit cheongsam as the one who brought out the exhibits on the stage before, knocked on the door of each private room on time.
Li Mu turned around and said:
"Please come in."
A beautiful woman with a willow waist and plump buttocks carried a tray of golden nanmu and presented the roster of today's auction as well as a hand-held placard.
The brand was familiar to Li Mu. The number written on it was the room number of the private room. Li Mu looked carefully and saw that the number above was 128, an ordinary number.
The brochure is folded with gold-plated velvet, and each item in the auction has a photo and a detailed introduction.
Li Mu and Shen Mange took the roster and flipped through it while watching the developments below.
The private rooms are divided into three floors. They are a ring-shaped structure. Countless private rooms similar to the room where Li Mu and Li Mu are staying form a ring with three sides surrounding one side, and are aligned with the platform at the bottom of the middle.
As the spotlight turned on and hit the first glass cover, the emcee below immediately shouted:
"It is now eight o'clock in the evening. I am Liu Haiping, the appraiser who is presiding over tonight's auction. I welcome all distinguished guests to attend the auction held tonight at our Crescent Hotel. I wish you all the best in advance. Collection.”
Thunderous applause.
Infected by the atmosphere, Shen Mange and Li Mu also sat in the private room and gently clapped their hands to support tonight's auction.
The appraiser who claimed to be Liu Haiping bowed to the three toruses in the face of applause.
After the ceremony, he spoke again:
“Without further ado, let’s introduce our first collection, the Ghost Valley Xiashan Vase from the Yuan Dynasty.”
"The estimated price is 600,000, the starting price is 200,000, and each increase in price shall not be less than 10,000."
Both of them lowered their heads to look at the roster.
The description in the booklet is quite detailed. It not only introduces the auction venue where the bottle last appeared and the final transaction price, but also states the advantages and disadvantages, making it clear at a glance.
Just when Li Mu and Shen Mange heard someone starting to bid, the bidding in the venue immediately became one after another.
Shen Mange doesn't know much about antiques.
So Li Mu took the initiative to explain:
“The first lot at an auction is often the one with the greatest potential for appreciation.”
"The value of this kind of object is generally not too high, but it is not too low either. The purpose is to heat up the atmosphere and give every bidder a sense of participation, so as to heat up the atmosphere behind it."
After listening to Li Mu's introduction, Shen Mange smiled slightly and asked Li Mu:
"Xiao Mu, what you said is very clear. Have you participated in an auction before?"
She didn't know that Li Mu had not only photographed a world-famous top-level building in Switzerland before, but also took a photo of a top-level jewelry for his third sister Ye Xinyi - the Heart of the Sky.
Li Mu smiled slightly and told Shen Mange the truth. He had gone shopping several times when he was abroad.
Shen Mange didn't quite believe Li Mu's words.
After all, most of her impressions of Li Mu still remain in the image of the little boy who peeked at her changing clothes when she was a child and always talked about running trains.
But seeing Li Mu's affirmation, Shen Mange subconsciously asked:
"Can you tell me, how much is this bottle worth?"
Li Mu looked at the first lot on the list, thought for a while and said:
"The actual value is around 800,000 at most. If it is higher, it will exceed the price of the bottle itself."
"Since this is the top auction in the Forty-Nine Cities, everyone's eyesight should not be too bad."
"Except for the vindictiveness, the final transaction price of this bottle should be less than 880,000."
After hearing what Li Mu said was complete and serious, Shen Mange seemed a little doubtful.
Soon, when the price was called around 700,000, there were obviously far fewer bidders.
There were only one or two people here and there who were still bargaining with each other.
"On the 20th, bid 780,000, once."
"On the 20th, bid 780,000, twice."
Li Mu smiled and said:
"It's a deal."
Seeing that this vase was indeed within the valuation range mentioned by Li Mu, Shen Mange couldn't help but be a little surprised.
Just as she was waiting for the final word, Li Mu suddenly raised a sign and shouted:
"790,000."
Shen Mange said doubtfully:
"Xiao Mu, what are you doing?"
Li Mu held up the sign, winked at Shen Mange, then shook the number plate No. 128 in his hand at the box opposite, and whispered: