flstandardbreds Chapter 1046 How could you be so shameless?
Chapter 1046 How could you be so shameless?
Jiang Chengyu stared at Mu Xiaoji's dark circles, which were lightly covered by concealer. The faint bluish-black circles were like fine needles, making his heart clench.
Andy Colliss's unwavering statement, "You don't love him, do you?"
It felt like a huge rock was pressing on my heart, and guilt surged and tore at my chest.
He even began to doubt whether he was truly unworthy of Mu Xiaoji's unreserved trust and closeness.
Those delicate acts of care and warmth seemed to become a heavy burden for him.
He took a deep breath, his voice unusually soft, with a hint of barely perceptible unease:
"Xiao Ji, those auction items are ultimately just material possessions. Whether you get them back or not really doesn't matter."
It would be better to save that money and use it to buy winter clothes for the elderly and children at the Hongxing Welfare Home, or to improve their meals.
Mu Xiaoji ignored the struggle in his words, and simply smiled and patted the back of his hand.
My eyes were already drawn to the booth in front of me: "Little monster, since we're here, let's make the best of it."
Look, the host is already on stage. Quickly, see what the first item for auction is.
He deliberately changed the subject, not wanting Jiang Chengyu to remain stuck in his dilemma.
Hearing Mu Xiaoji's comforting words, Jiang Chengyu didn't say anything more. He glanced at Andy Coles, who was chatting with Chang Miaomiao not far away.
The number 001 in the other person's hand was particularly eye-catching—clearly, they were the first to sign in.
He subtly pulled Mu Xiaoji closer to him, his voice extremely low: "Don't join in the fun, just watch and think of it as a vacation."
Mu Xiaoji's gaze drifted towards the backstage lounge, where the business owners who had brought their auction items were taking their seats.
Besides the ever-present bodyguards, there were also professional custodians carrying specially made safes.
The boxes were wrapped in shock-absorbing foam, and the combination locks gleamed coldly. Inside were rare treasures that were about to be unveiled.
Everyone sat quietly in the pre-arranged order of appearance, their greetings on the sofas kept extremely low.
Their eyes kept glancing towards the entrance, as if they were assessing each other's cards.
The undercurrents within the meeting hall had not yet subsided, and the power struggles outside the hall were equally fraught with hidden tensions.
On the bow of the deck, a man wearing sunglasses leaned against the railing, his physique as robust as an iron tower.
He wore a sharp, dark gray suit with clean lines, his shoulders and back were sharply defined, and he exuded a natural air of dominance with every move.
The cigar between his fingers was burning brightly, and a long pile of ash had accumulated, but he didn't flick it off.
Jones, the assistant beside him, looked around and leaned down to report in a low voice: "Boss, Andy Coles has entered the auction hall."
His men arrested two people and locked them in a hidden compartment in the corner.
He met Kate this morning; what a coincidence, he lives next door to her.
Would you like to switch rooms with room 51?
“No need.” Andreas took a puff of his cigar, smoke rings slowly escaping from his lips.
His tone was flat and emotionless. "You guys be alert. Report any movement immediately."
Jones leaned closer, lowering his voice even further: "There are other forces on board. Judging from their build and mannerisms, they seem to be military men."
Andreas raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing across his eyes behind his sunglasses. "You've figured out their purpose?"
Jones gave a look to the side.
Andreas followed his gaze and saw Gu Shoucheng chatting and laughing with several noblewomen.
His every gesture was tinged with just the right amount of attentiveness, yet his eyes held a sharp edge, his gaze occasionally sweeping toward the entrance to the mezzanine.
"That kid was outwardly dealing with the ladies, but his real target was the two people Andy Coles had captured."
“Jones, you’ve done a good job lately.” Andreas said, twirling a cigar between his fingers, his tone tinged with approval.
"Choose the one from that batch of weapons that you find most suitable, and consider it a reward."
Jones's eyes lit up, his face beaming with delight, and he jokingly added, "Thank you, boss!"
"Don't be too happy yet," Andreas interrupted him, his tone suddenly turning cold.
“Kate and Mu, if anything goes wrong under our noses—you know I’m always fair in my rewards and punishments.”
Jones's smile vanished instantly, and he straightened his back ramrod straight: "Understood!"
The sea breeze, carrying the scent of cigars, swept across the deck. Andreas raised his hand, pinched the cigarette butt, and flicked it towards the vast, boundless sea.
The sunlight hung high overhead, gleaming coldly through his sunglasses, obscuring the emotions churning in his eyes.
Andreas swaggered off the top deck, mingling with the passing crowd, his steps leisurely.
As if they were just there to join in the fun, they walked nonchalantly to the entrance of the auction hall on the second floor.
When he pushed open the door to the exhibition hall, quite a few people were already seated. He didn't move to the front row, but went straight to an empty seat in the corner and sat down.
His long legs were crossed and rested on the horizontal bar in front of him, his posture as casual as if he were in his own living room.
His gaze casually swept across the room, passing over the solemn-faced bidding heavyweights in the front row, finally settling on the third row—
The view from there was expansive, offering a clear view of the entire auction stage, where Jiang Chengyu and Mu Xiaoji were sitting, whispering to each other.
Andreas's gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment before disappearing into the shadows.
He tapped his knee lightly with his fingertips, as if confirming something, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.
The auctioneer, dressed in a custom-made black suit, stood as straight as a ruler.
He held a titanium alloy auction hammer in his left hand, the black agate inlaid in the hammerhead gleaming under the overhead light.
He cleared his throat, and his voice, amplified by the microphone, became a standard baritone, carrying a penetrating power that pierced the entire venue:
"Distinguished guests, the 'Sea Shark Rare Treasures Auction' is now officially open."
This auction will use an ascending-bid auction format, with the reserve price set by the client.
Bidding increments are 5%-10% of the starting price; special items will be explained separately.
"The first item in today's auction is a hairpin made in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, made of Hetian white jade and inlaid with pigeon blood rubies."
The jade is warm and smooth like grease, without any flaws or cracks, and retains its pearly luster even after three hundred years.
The hairpin head features a relief carving of intertwined lotus flowers, with a five-carat pigeon blood ruby inlaid within.
Its color is as rich and vibrant as blood, and its purity is flawless; it is undoubtedly a masterpiece of the imperial workshops.
Jiang Chengyu looked in the direction of the voice and saw the auctioneer standing in the center of the brightly lit exhibition hall.
With a light tap of the fingertips on the edge of the tray, the sound was clearly transmitted through the microphone to every corner of the venue, carrying just the right amount of intonation.
He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over the breathless crowd below, and announced the starting price:
"The starting price for this item is 800,000, and each bid must be at least 50,000 higher. Bidding now begins!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone in the back row raised a sign: "Eight hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Nine hundred thousand!" A lady in a cheongsam followed closely behind on the left, her delicate fingers gesturing lightly.
"One million!" A steady voice came from the private room on the second floor, instantly raising the price by a notch.
The atmosphere inside the venue heated up, and prices climbed like steps: "One million one hundred thousand!"
"1.2 million!"
"One million three hundred thousand!"
...The sounds of bidding rose and fell, and the shadows of hands raising paddles crisscrossed under the lights, filling the air with a silent contest.
The auctioneer's eyes sharpened, and his speech quickened: "One million five hundred thousand! This gentleman has bid one million five hundred thousand! Any higher bids?"
He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, "One and a half million for the first time... one and a half million for the second time..."
"One million eight hundred thousand!" A clear female voice suddenly rang out from the right, and the entire room fell silent for half a second.
A glint of amusement flashed in the auctioneer's eyes as he raised his voice and announced, "One million eight hundred thousand! This lady has bid one million eight hundred thousand! Is there anyone else willing to raise the bid?"
There was no further response from inside the room; only the light reflected from the crystal chandelier flowed across the exhibits.
"One million eight hundred thousand for the first time... the second time..." the auctioneer drawled, raising the gavel high, "The third time! Sold!"
With a crisp "thud," the gavel fell, and the dust settled. "Congratulations to this lady on winning this precious item!"
Mu Xiaoji watched intently, occasionally whispering a few comments to Jiang Chengyu, her tone relaxed.
Hearing his voice, Jiang Chengyu's earlier guilt was quickly dispelled by the tense bidding, and he silently tightened his grip on his hand—
Perhaps, as Xiao Ji said, we should focus on doing the things in front of us well first, and make up for the rest later.
The auctioneer cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping across the room, and his voice suddenly rose through the microphone, carrying the excitement unique to a grand finale:
"Distinguished guests, after several hours of intense bidding, tonight's prized items have been sold one by one."
Now, I am very honored to announce that the final two lots of this auction will soon be presented!
The auctioneer walked to one side of the display stand, gestured for the showcase behind him to slowly open, and the spotlight instantly focused on the final item—
An ivory fan lay quietly in a velvet tray, its ribs translucent like solidified fat, gleaming with a warm, milky-white luster under the light.
"Distinguished guests," the auctioneer's voice held a touch of solemnity, "this final item is the highlight of the auction."
This is an old ivory folding fan, passed down through generations in the family of Mr. Shuyazi. Please, Mr. Shuyazi, explain it to us in detail.
As the auctioneer pointed, everyone's eyes turned to the backstage, where an elderly man walked out steadily, accompanied by a waiter. It was none other than Mr. Shuyazi.
He wore a faded, plain-colored long gown, the cuffs slightly rolled up, revealing his slender yet steady wrists.
Although lacking ornate decorations, its calm and detached demeanor is like a gentle breeze, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance.
"Clap clap—" The whole audience spontaneously burst into enthusiastic applause, and many people looked at him with admiration and longing—such a temperament is truly rare in the impetuous world of fame and fortune.
Shu Yazi bowed with his hands clasped in a smooth and flowing gesture. Just as he was about to lean closer to the microphone to speak, a commotion suddenly arose from the audience.
"You shameless old geezer!" Mu Xiaoji suddenly broke free from Jiang Chengyu's grasp.
He darted out like a gust of wind, rushed to the front of the stage in a few steps, pointed at him, and shouted angrily.
"How dare you put something belonging to a monster up for auction?!"
Jiang Chengyu's heart tightened, and he immediately chased after him: "Xiao Ji! Don't be impulsive!"
Upon seeing this, the surrounding security guards quickly surrounded them from both sides, reaching out to try and stop Mu Xiaoji.
Shu Ya Zi's composure vanished instantly upon recognizing the two approaching figures.
Without saying a word, he closed the brocade box containing the ivory fan, grabbed it, and ran backstage.
"Huh? Mr. Shuyazi!" The auctioneer's voice changed in surprise.
"Today's auction is over. See you next time!" Shu Ya Zi's voice was somewhat flustered, but his steps were not slow. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the backstage passage.
Mu Xiaoji shoved aside the security guard blocking his way, used the momentum to jump onto the stage, and then chased after him backstage.
"Xiao Ji, wait for me!" Jiang Chengyu followed closely behind, his voice full of anxiety.
The entire venue erupted into chaos as guests rose to their feet to watch, their voices rising and falling in a cacophony of exclamations and murmurs.
Feng Yan suddenly stood up and shouted sternly, "Catch those two troublemakers! We can't let them get away!"
The security guards were on high alert and rushed towards the backstage passage, instantly plunging the once orderly auction into chaos.
Jiang Chengyu watched Mu Xiaoji rush into the backstage area, then looked at the people surrounding him.
His eyes sharpened, and he quickly chased after her—no matter what, he couldn't let anything happen to Xiao Ji.