章 164: "Farewell to a Guest"
The auctioneer began, "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe many of you are already familiar with this artwork. Our auction house has promoted it extensively. This piece is by the renowned artist Li Suzhi and is considered one of his masterpieces. It is highly regarded in the world of calligraphy and is the most famous work by the artist. Originally, this piece was believed to have been lost, causing great disappointment to many. It would have been a tremendous loss for the literary and art world. Fortunately, it has not been lost, and it is now up for auction. For those of you who appreciate calligraphy, this is an exceptional piece that you shouldn't miss." The audience listened intently to the auctioneer's introduction, with their eyes fixed on the calligraphy, trying to discern its details.
"If any of you are interested, you can come up and take a closer look," the auctioneer continued.
Soon, Jake noticed that at least more than half of the attendees had left their seats and were making their way to the stage. This was the highest number of people going on stage at any point during the auction tonight.
"It seems our item is quite popular," Jake said, feeling excited.
"Naturally," Dirk replied. "Li Suzhi's works have always been highly sought after in the world of art collecting. Due to their rarity, his works always command high prices whenever they appear. Even those who don't typically collect calligraphy would want to witness such a masterpiece in person."
Jake nodded and said, "I hope it fetches a satisfactory price."
"Being chosen as the final highlight by the auction house shows their confidence in this piece. It should also fetch the highest price of the night. However, because of the rivalry between me and Jude earlier, the 'Spring Landscape with Flying Birds' painting was sold for an inflated price. So, it's uncertain if this piece will reach the highest price," Dirk remarked.
Jake nodded, keeping his eyes on the stage. Soon, everyone had taken a close look at the artwork. Many appeared eager to bid, as this piece had been heavily promoted as the evening's highlight. People had come prepared for it, and now that the genuine article was before them, they were growing impatient.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, since you've all had a chance to examine it, we will begin the auction for 'Farewell to a Guest'!" the auctioneer announced loudly, his expression filled with anticipation. "We'll start with a minimum bid of 30 million, and each subsequent bid must be at least 100,000!"
Thirty million! Upon hearing this starting price, many in the audience involuntarily gasped. It was undoubtedly a high starting price. To put it into perspective, the highest starting price before this had been for the painting that Dirk and Jude had fought over, which began at 10 million. Now, the starting price had tripled.
Despite this, some individuals with the means to compete still engaged in the bidding. However, many who had initially been eager to participate were now reconsidering. The starting price was indicative of a high final sale price, one that they might not be able to afford.
"30,010,000!" Though some had abandoned their intentions to bid after hearing the starting price, there were still several bidders with the financial strength to compete. And it was clear that the price was still rising.
"30,020,000!" "30,050,000!"
The price continued to climb, easing Jake's concerns about the possibility of the piece going unsold. Regardless of the final price, he stood to gain over 10 million from the sale, and it was evident that the price was still on the rise.
"Antiques are truly a game for those with deep pockets," Jake remarked, feeling a sense of wonder.
However, the higher and more enthusiastic the bids, the happier Jake became. After all, this directly impacted his final income. The price for "Farewell to a Guest" continued to rise, quickly surpassing 40 million, and the upward momentum showed no signs of slowing down.
"48 million!" declared a middle-aged businessman who appeared to be quite wealthy.
This price had already exceeded the price of Li Suzhi's previous calligraphy piece sold at auction. However, the bids continued to escalate.
"48.5 million!"
"48.7 million!"
The price soon exceeded 55 million! Even after deducting the auction house's commission, Jake would receive enough money to cover his storefront expenses, which had been a concern for him for some time. The issue of the storefront costs, which had troubled Jake for a while, was now being effortlessly resolved.
Jake even felt a surreal sense of accomplishment. He could only attribute it to the remarkable and practical art appraisal technique he possessed. As Jake marveled at the situation, the price continued to rise. In no time, it had surpassed 60 million, making Jake's "Farewell to a Guest" undoubtedly the auction's top performer, regardless of the final selling price.
However, once the price exceeded 60 million, Jake noticed that there were significantly fewer bidders, and the intervals between bids grew longer. It seemed like the 60 million mark acted as a threshold that deterred many from continuing.
"61 million!" Although there were fewer bidders at this point, there were still participants, and the price continued to climb. Those still bidding were individuals with substantial financial capabilities who genuinely desired to acquire the artwork.
"65.5 million!" At this juncture, a familiar voice reached Jake's ears. The latest bidder was none other than the elderly gentleman, Bob.
Previously, Bob had been merely observing, and Jake assumed he had no interest in this particular piece. To Jake's surprise, Bob entered the bidding after many had withdrawn, making a strong push to acquire the artwork.
"What a wealthy individual," Jake thought to himself.
Previously, this elderly gentleman had nearly spent 800,000 on a porcelain plate at a flea market, even though it turned out to be a counterfeit. Nevertheless, it demonstrated his financial capability. Now, he was openly bidding 65.5 million for a piece of calligraphy, showcasing his substantial wealth.
"66 million!"
However, Bob's bid did not intimidate others into withdrawing. While there were fewer bidders than before, some were still unwilling to concede.
Jude watched the bidding with envy, wishing he could participate. He knew that acquiring such a piece of calligraphy was a rare opportunity. Unfortunately, he had already spent all his money in the earlier competition with Dirk for the ink painting. Now, he could only watch from the sidelines.
"However, being able to win Dirk's affection by force tonight is still a worthwhile achievement," Jude thought to himself as he glanced at Dirk in the distance.
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