144: "Landscape Painting" Begins Filming

Lei Jun took the business card, scanned the information on it, and spoke indifferently, "Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Zhang?"

Zhang Li, sensing her aloofness, quickly explained, "Please don't misunderstand. I know you might think we're in film and television entertainment... but we're not. Our company focuses on game development, especially in the mobile gaming sector."

"Coming to the auction today, one reason was to see if there were any suitable cultural IPs for collaboration, and the second... I noticed your extraordinary temperament and figured you must be a capable investor, so I wanted to talk to you about our latest mobile game."

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow, understanding his intent.

So he wasn't here to bid, but to use the venue to find someone.

This man certainly knew how to pick a spot; everyone who could come here was either rich or noble, making it a perfect place to scout potential investors.

She set the business card down and asked calmly, "Tell me, what's so special about your mobile game?"

Zhang Li's eyes lit up, and he immediately began a non-stop introduction: "Our mobile game is called 'star universe era.' It's a sci-fi themed open-world game developed using the Unreal Engine 5. The graphics are absolutely top-tier for the industry."

"For the plot, we invited a well-known sci-fi author to write it, so the world-building is grand."

"Moreover, we've innovated the 'Player-Customized Planet' gameplay. Players can design their own planetary terrain and ecology, offering an extremely high degree of freedom."

"The game is currently in the closed beta stage, and the data is looking excellent. Once it's launched, it's guaranteed to be a hit!"

"I'd like to invite you to invest. With just an investment of 50 million yuan, you can acquire 10% of the company's shares. The future returns will definitely be double!"

Lei Jun listened quietly until he finished, her fingers lightly tapping the tabletop as she quickly calculated in her mind.

Investing in mobile games?

It certainly sounded like a hot field right now, but for her, it wasn't very attractive.

Firstly, the return on investment cycle was too long.

Game development, launch, promotion, and profitability took a long time. She was used to things that provided quick feedback and had no patience to wait that long.

Secondly, the risks were uncontrollable.

The mobile game market was fiercely competitive. Even if the beta data was good, it could still flop after launch due to operations or competition. Whether it could even turn a profit was an unknown, and she never made uncertain investments.

Thinking of this, Lei Jun looked up at Zhang Li and said frankly, "Mr. Zhang, I'm sorry, but I have no interest in investing in mobile games."

The smile on Zhang Li's face instantly froze.

He had done his homework before coming.

The jewelry Lei Jun was wearing indicated she had substantial financial strength.

Furthermore, she looked young. Conventionally, young people would be more interested in games, so why would she refuse so directly?

He pressed on unwillingly, "Miss Lei, won't you reconsider? Our game really has great potential; it would be a shame to miss out!"

Lei Jun shook her head again.

Zhang Li was clearly unwilling to give up on this seemingly high-potential financier so easily. He leaned forward slightly, his tone even more earnest as he made a final effort: "Miss Lei, please give me just one more minute!"

"I know you might feel the game industry is high-risk, but our team is truly different!"

"Our core members all come from top-tier domestic companies and are highly experienced!"

"Plus, we hold three core technical patents, which is unheard of among independent game teams in China!"

"As long as the funding is in place, we have absolute confidence in completing the open beta quickly and achieving profitability immediately!"

"Miss Lei, this really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

He reached into his briefcase, pulled out a tablet, and quickly tapped on a game demo video.

"Look at this quality—interstellar scenes rendered with Unreal Engine 5. We've even done dynamic simulations of light and shadow changes in planetary atmospheres."

"Players can experience interstellar travel, planetary colonization, and even customize spaceship weapons. This level of freedom is unique among domestic mobile games."

Lei Jun was getting a bit annoyed and interrupted Zhang Li's chatter.

"Mr. Zhang, my decision will not change. Please don't waste any more of our time."

Zhang Li wanted to say more, but he met Lei Jun's cold eyes. There wasn't a hint of hesitation in her gaze; she clearly had no intention of relenting.

He felt a wave of disappointment. He had thought he'd caught a potential big fish, but the other party was completely unmoved.

However, he didn't dare to pester her. This Silver-haired Beauty's background was surely not simple, and offending her would bring more harm than good.

He sighed helplessly, put away the tablet, and forced an awkward smile: "Then... I've disturbed you, Miss. I wish you luck in bidding for what you like tonight."

With that, he turned and left with a trace of reluctance.

After dismissing Zhang Li, Lei Jun focused her full attention back on the auction.

Before the landscape painting made its appearance, she made moves to bid on several other antiques that caught her eye.

A mid-Qing Dynasty white jade Ruyi carved with Lingzhi patterns, symbolizing good fortune with its warm jade quality, was hammered down at 8.2 million.

An early Ming Yongle blue and white 'intertwining lotus' pressed-hand cup, with rich glaze and exquisite brushwork, was a masterpiece among tea vessels, finally selling for 11.5 million.

A set of Qing Dynasty red sandalwood stationery boxes inlaid with various treasures, featuring extremely sophisticated craftsmanship and precious materials, was acquired by her for 9.6 million.

This succession of large purchases caused many people present to cast even more focused gazes her way.

The surrounding people saw her raising her paddle from time to time, and with each bid being crisp and decisive without the slightest hesitation, they couldn't help but be surprised.

This young lady didn't look very old, yet she spent so lavishly, and her eye was good too—everything she chose was a high-quality treasure.

"Whose family is this girl from? She's so wealthy."

"I don't know which family she belongs to. I've never seen such a figure in the collector circles before."

"You can tell from the jewelry she's wearing that her family background is extraordinary. Probably some wealthy heiress here for a bit of fun, right?"

"This lady is truly a hidden gem. Looking at the way she spends, she doesn't care about money at all."

"Her eye is quite good; the pieces she bid on are all high-potential items."

Time passed slowly.

Finally, it was time for the landscape painting to go up for auction.

The auctioneer held the microphone, his voice tinged with excitement: "Distinguished guests, the next item is the highlight of our evening—the 'landscape painting' by the famous modern painter, Mr. Fu Baoshi!"

"This painting was created in 1956 and is one of Mr. Fu Baoshi's representative works from his prime."

"As you can see, the painting utilizes the 'Baoshi texture' technique. The textures of the mountain rocks are clearly layered, the ink tones are perfectly balanced, and the swirling mists fully reveal the artistic conception of the landscape. Furthermore, after appraisal by several authoritative experts, it is absolutely authentic!"

He raised his voice.

"The starting price for this landscape painting is 10 million yuan, with each bid increment no less than 500,000 yuan. Let the bidding begin!"

"11 million!" As soon as he finished speaking, someone below immediately raised their paddle.

"12 million!" another followed closely behind.

"15 million!" Someone in a private box directly added 3 million, clearly determined to win.

The price soared all the way, quickly breaking through 30 million.