I trade in both worlds

Auctioneer Chen Ling, wearing a well-tailored cheongsam, walked onto the stage gracefully.

Her eyes revealed a calmness and confidence, as if the entire auction venue was under her control.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our auction. I am Chen Ling, a nationally registered auctioneer. I will be hosting today's auction. I hope it will bring you good luck."

Chen Ling's voice was clear and magnetic, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

She began to announce the auction rules: "This auction will be conducted in accordance with the Auction Law of the People's Republic of China and follow..."

"The auction will be conducted in an ascending price manner. It should be noted that there is no reserve price for the items in this auction, and the highest bidder will win."

Everyone in the audience nodded, expressing their approval of the rules.

Chen Ling continued, "After the auction begins, I will announce the starting price. Anyone who responds to the starting price, please raise your number plate to bid..."

She paused, looked around the venue, and continued, "When the highest price appears in the venue, I will express it in the form of 'first, second, and last time'..."

As Chen Ling finished her words, warm applause broke out in the auction hall.

Chen Ling bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your cooperation. The auction will start now."

“The first item for auction today is a string of belt buckles with dragon patterns from the Ming Dynasty,” Chen Ling introduced.

She gently lifted the red silk covering the auction item, revealing a string of exquisite dragon-patterned belt buckles before everyone’s eyes.

The large screen behind him then showed high-definition photos of the front and back of the dragon-patterned belt buckle.

“This belt buckle is carved using the multi-layered openwork technique from the early Ming Dynasty. The dragon pattern is lifelike, with the dragon looking sideways, its beard stretched forward, and its hair flowing backward and upward.”

"Thin neck, thick limbs, hairy elbows, pinwheel-shaped claws, and clouds carved around the dragon's body."

"The starting price is five hundred thousand. Please start bidding." As soon as Chen Ling finished speaking, bidding sounds came one after another from the audience.

Sitting in the front row was a man in his fifties with a calm face. He stared at the dragon-patterned belt buckle with a fiery light flashing in his eyes.

He raised his hand and said in a steady and powerful voice: "Six hundred thousand!"

Then, a lady in a gorgeous long dress and elegant temperament also joined the bidding. She smiled slightly and said in a gentle but firm voice: "Seven hundred thousand."

Sitting in the corner was a young man, holding the number plate tightly in his hand, and speaking in a slightly nervous voice: "Seven hundred and fifty thousand."

As the bidding continued to rise, the atmosphere in the auction hall became increasingly tense.

In the end, the dragon-patterned belt buckle was sold at a high price of 1.2 million and fell into the hands of a young wealthy man.

Next, the auction continued. Precious items were presented one by one, and every bid made people's heart beat faster.

Xu Ziqing stood backstage at the auction house, nervously and expectantly watching every detail of the auction through online video.

"Finally, it's my turn." Xu Ziqing muttered to himself, his palms sweating from nervousness.

The staff carefully moved the red sandalwood desk and placed it in the center of the auction table. Under the light, the desk exuded a faint luster, looking simple and elegant.

Chen Ling introduced softly: "Next, it is a red sandalwood desk from the Southern Song Dynasty. Its dimensions are 192.8 cm long, 102.5 cm wide, and 83 cm high.?"

She paused, glanced at everyone present, and continued, "It is made of precious red sandalwood, with a mortise and tenon structure, showing the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient craftsmen."

"The lower end of the legs is decorated with square cloud patterns, and the teeth on the upper end of the feet are rolled up like clouds, revealing delicate holes. Every detail reveals the elegant aesthetics of the Southern Song Dynasty."

After the introduction, Chen Ling smiled slightly and raised her voice a few notches: "The starting price of the rosewood desk is 10 million. Now, please start bidding."

As soon as the words fell, someone began to shout out the first price impatiently: "Eleven million."

The person bidding the price was a middle-aged man, his eyes revealing a strong interest in the case.

The price was quickly refreshed, bidding sounds continued, and the atmosphere gradually became heated.

Li Mubai also joined the bidding. He sat in the front row with sharp eyes, as if he could see through the secrets behind every antique.

"Twenty-eight million!" Li Mubai shouted, with a hint of determination in his voice.

He is well aware that the value of this rosewood desk lies not only in its material and craftsmanship, but also in the historical culture it carries.

Zhao Wenxuan, Li Mubai's old rival, was also unwilling to be outdone. He sat not far away with a sneer on his face, as if declaring war on Li Mubai.

"Thirty million!" He shouted out the new price without hesitation, his eyes full of challenge.

The two of them chased each other, neither of them gave in, and the bidding soared.

Others present also cast their attention, and this bidding war has become a major highlight of the auction.

Lin Yifei, a young collector, sat in the corner, observing everything silently, his eyes fixed on the rosewood desk.

When the price exceeded thirty-five million, Lin Yifei took a deep breath and decided to take action.

He raised the number plate in his hand and said firmly and forcefully, "Thirty-six million!"

As soon as the price was announced, the entire auction venue fell silent.

Li Mubai and Zhao Wenxuan were also stunned. They didn't expect that someone would be willing to pay such a high price to bid for this desk.

Chen Ling glanced at the whole audience and shouted, "Thirty-six million, first time."

After a pause, the whole place was silent. Chen Ling continued to shout, "Thirty-six million, the second time."

Finally, Chen Ling looked at Lin Yifei with a smile and announced, "Thirty-six million, sold! Congratulations to this young collector, Mr. Lin Yifei."

Lin Yifei walked up to the stage with a happy look on his face and completed the handover procedures with Chen Ling.

Xu Ziqing watched this scene in front of the video and almost jumped up.

She waved her fist excitedly and muttered to herself, "It really is true that if you don't open the shop for three years, you can make ends meet for three years. Now, I can continue to lie flat."

The rosewood Wan Zi Fu rotating treasure box was not put on the auction site until the afternoon.

Next, we have a special item for today," Chen Ling's voice was clear and infectious, "This is a Wan Zi Fu rotating treasure box from the Northern Song Dynasty."

"This treasure box is made of red sandalwood, with vivid bat and swastika carvings on the top and delicate waving patterns on the rest of the surface, showing exquisite craftsmanship."

"It has two drawers on each side, but only the left one can be opened. The right one is just for decoration."

"There is an ingenious rotating shaft between the drawer and the base, which allows the entire treasure box to rotate 360 degrees freely, greatly facilitating access to the contents of the box."

"In addition, the internal structure of the treasure box is even more ingenious. The lid contains a box, which is embedded in the box, and the box is equipped with drawers, one layer after another, and each layer is equipped with a special wooden base."