194: There is a ghost in the painting

No one at the auction could have imagined.

A Gilded Buddha Statue was acquired by a young man at a relatively low price.

Many bosses greatly admired this young man's judgment, while the juniors who had come to gain experience felt quite resentful in their hearts.

Especially Liu Yuanhua, who simply couldn't bear this outcome.

"That young man is good; his timing is excellent. Although a Gilded Buddha Statue can't be anything too great, the chance of making a profit is much higher than buying a lottery ticket!"

"Whose junior is that? Even if he doesn't profit from the auction, being remembered by so many people is quite an achievement. I think he's sure to make something of himself!"

"That person is indeed good, worthy of being emulated by the younger generation."

"Boss Liang is impressive, quietly finding such a capable junior. Did you bring him here to show off?"

"It's just a Gilded Buddha Statue that no one was interested in; most likely, it's a loss!"

"It's merely opportunistic cleverness. Who knows what will become of him in the future?"

...Hearing everyone discuss Qin Yun, Liu Yuanhua felt even more sour in his heart.

He complained unhappily, "If only I had bought it, how great would that have been?"

Zhang Deben beside him instantly grew furious.

What was wrong with Liu Yuanhua?

How could a big boss like him be compared to a junior like Qin Yun?

"If you're not up to it, don't complain. Am I supposed to fight a junior for candy?"

Liu Yuanhua immediately realized he had spoken wrongly.

He nodded and forced a smile.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong."

Even as he apologized, his resentment toward Qin Yun deepened.

It was all this kid's fault; otherwise, he wouldn't have offended Boss Zhang.

Liang Lejia also hadn't expected the Gilded Buddha Statue to be acquired so easily by Qin Yun.

"Beginners just have good luck; they get preferential treatment."

"If I had made a bid, it would have taken at least four or five million to secure it."

"No matter how much the Buddha statue is worth, you'd better not take it too much to heart."

Fearing that Qin Yun might not handle the blow of a loss well, Liang Lejia tried to cushion him in advance.

Qin Yun felt like laughing inside at that moment.

What Boss Liang said was true; without rivals, the competition would be much less intense.

But he was no beginner, nor was he without opponents.

In U.S. Warehouse Auctions, he could practically command the wind and rain; it was just that people didn't know him well.

It wasn't that he had no enemies; it was just that Liu Yuanhua wasn't formidable enough.

He simply didn't even have the qualification to participate in the auction.

The Gilded Buddha Statue he bought wasn't as everyone speculated.

It was the best among this batch of antiques.

"It's fine. My mindset has always been good. Whatever the outcome, it doesn't affect me much."

Qin Yun suppressed the urge to laugh and spoke calmly.

Julia knew Qin Yun's prowess.

Whenever he made a move, it was highly likely to be something good.

Moreover, the challenge and difficulty of the auction here were much lower than in Belgium.

What was a high-difficulty auction for other appraisal Experts was nothing special to Qin Yun.

The seventh auction item was a Blue-green Porcelain piece.

As soon as the auction began, it attracted many bidders.

Qin Yun knew this porcelain piece was the second best in this batch of antiques.

He had initially considered bidding for it.

But seeing the price quickly soar to eight million and showing a trend of rapid increase,

his desire to bid instantly faded.

"This porcelain piece looks good to me; it would be just right for you to acquire,"

Qin Yun, noticing Liang Lejia's hesitation about whether to bid, reminded him in a low voice.

The Expert accompanying Liang Lejia was taken aback upon hearing Qin Yun's words.

Who was this kid?

How come they had never seen him before?

If he was a junior from some family, how dare he suggest to Boss Liang whether to buy something or not?

Was this person an Expert or what?

Boss Liang's attitude toward this young man was also quite strange.

During the bidding for Zhao Ji's painting, because of this person's single remark, Boss Liang decisively gave up bidding.

Afterwards, he didn't seem to blame the young man at all.

For a moment, the Experts couldn't figure out Qin Yun's background.

They weren't sure what attitude to adopt.

In this kind of appraisal where they couldn't physically handle the items, they actually didn't have much confidence themselves.

They were happy to see this young man shoulder the risk of uncertainty for everyone.

So, they all remained silent.

"Is that so? Since you say that, I'm now interested in this porcelain piece."

Liang Lejia also didn't know where Qin Yun's confidence came from.

He hadn't yet acquired a single item.

Might as well test Qin Yun's ability to see what it was really like?

Was it just boasting or did he truly have skill?

He nodded and agreed.

During the auction, Liang Lejia displayed a domineering side.

No matter who raised the bid, he didn't hesitate; he directly added another million!

When the price reached thirteen million, no one bid any higher.

In the end, the seventh auction item was acquired by Liang Lejia.

"Boss Liang is truly wealthy and powerful; I can't compare."

"If it's a fine piece, I'll definitely take a good look at Boss Liang's handiwork."

"Boss Liang is so confident; he must have made a big fortune in business again!"

"If you have any good projects, do share them with us. Don't forget us poor brothers."

...Facing the flattery and teasing from the many bosses, Liang Lejia beamed with delight and cupped his hands in salute to everyone.

"You all are too modest. After the auction ends, I must have a good exchange with everyone."

After sitting down, Liang Lejia half-jokingly said to Qin Yun, "After the auction, whether I have a good time or not depends entirely on your discerning eye."

Qin Yun remained calm. "Don't worry, it's definitely better than the painting Boss Zhang bought."

The remaining three items didn't cause much of a stir.

Their prices were 3.9 million, 4.2 million, and 5.3 million respectively.

After the first batch of antique auctions concluded,

melodious music began to play in the auction hall.

Ten models came on stage.

They presented the antiques to their new owners.

Most of those who had bought antiques were quite excited.

Many bosses gathered around them.

Everyone wanted to know what treasures had been acquired at the auction.

How was the luck of the buyers?

Whose item was the best?

Before the Experts could carefully examine the Painting by Zhao Ji that Zhang Deben had acquired,

Liu Yuanhua couldn't wait to praise Boss Zhang.

"No need to look; the painting Boss Zhang bought is definitely the best."

"A Painting by Zhao Ji is worth at least over twenty million. Nothing in the first batch of antiques can compare. The Gilded Buddha Statue Qin Yun got is even more laughable; it's just filler from the auction house."

Everyone felt Liu Yuanhua's words were a bit arrogant, but they largely agreed with his viewpoint.

They hadn't seen anything exceptionally precious; the top prize of the first batch should have been taken by Zhang Deben.

"Old Zhang's strength and courage are both commendable!"

"It's just that I lack Boss Zhang's boldness, which is why I missed out on Zhao Ji's painting!"

"Hurry up and open it. Zhao Ji's painting is sure to be a huge surprise."

"Just seeing Zhao Ji's 'Slender Gold' calligraphy is refreshing to the heart. I wonder what the painting depicts."

...Zhang Deben, with an excited expression, spread Zhao Ji's painting out on the table.

The bosses craned their necks to see what was so miraculous about Zhao Ji's painting.

"The mountains and water are painted well, vivid and lifelike, possessing a unique grandeur!"

"Majestic and imposing, truly a fine painting!"

"It radiates a royal dignity, refreshing to the mind and spirit."

"A fine painting, a truly fine painting! Boss Zhang, you've struck gold!"

...Many bosses couldn't see anything particularly miraculous. Scrambling for words of praise, they blurted out whatever came to mind.

The first round of appreciation didn't even involve the Experts.

The Experts waiting in line behind couldn't help but frown upon hearing the bosses' appraisals.

Zhao Ji's painting was not at all in the style the bosses described.

They were also curious about what was really going on with this painting.

The bosses cared more about the fame; after the novelty wore off, they stepped back.

It was the turn of the treasure appraisal Experts to appreciate and evaluate.

They carefully examined the seal and inscriptions with magnifying glasses.

They couldn't help but nod.

It matched Zhao Ji's characteristics.

When it came to appraising the specific painting itself,

the five Experts recognized as the most skilled in ancient paintings took turns examining it.

After viewing it, the five of them discussed for a while.

An older Expert formally announced, "The painting is authentic!"

"The seal and inscriptions are genuine. The painting style isn't very distinct, resembling Zhao Ji's early work. Overall, we estimate the value of this painting to be around twenty-three million."

Qin Yun was also very curious about this painting.

It clearly bore Zhao Ji's seal and inscriptions, so why was its treasure aura blue?

His eyesight was extremely sharp. When observing up close, he immediately spotted something suspicious.

"There's a ghost in this painting!"