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Chapter 413
Only now the times are different, and auction houses can't do business as easily. In addition, over these years the Ji Family has been developing outward and has started doing sales of jewelry.
So Shi Xia had been very suspicious all along that this charity auction holding up the banner of philanthropy could very well be a covert jewelry auction for the Ji Family, since the auctioned items were all provided by the Ji Family.
Moreover, under the name of charity, many people were no longer particular about the intrinsic value of the jewelry. Anyway, no matter how much they spent, the money ultimately went to charity. They got the goods and a good name.
When Shi Xia and Su Ying first walked in, the person in charge of the Ji Family came over to greet them.
The two of them ate the dividend of the times and belonged to the first batch of businessmen to develop in Jin City. Although they might not compare to those foreigners who had come back from abroad, they were sufficiently impressive.
Shi Xia and Su Ying's seats were in the middle. Since they came together, they were also arranged to sit together.
Soon, the auction started.
But unlike last time, this auction didn't only have jewelry, it also had some jadeite and antique calligraphy and painting. Even the ink treasures of some currently famous calligraphers and painters in the literary world were included.
Since they took the trip here, they certainly didn't come just to watch. Even if only for their own and their company's face, they had to bid on one or two items.
Su Ying bid on a large gold bracelet right at the start. It was inlaid with gemstones and was said to be an antique. It cost her four to five thousand.
They didn't know much about antiques, but gold and gemstones couldn't be fake. Plus the style was quite beautiful. Bringing it back to wear for fun wouldn't be excessive.
Shi Xia also bid on a jade pendant and a rough stone. A so-called rough stone was an uncarved piece of jadeite. On the outside it looked similar to a rock, but according to the introduction, this was extremely popular for rock gambling in a certain place. With good luck there could be superb jadeite inside, with bad luck it was purely a rock you bought.
Su Ying urged her not to gamble, but Shi Xia felt it didn't matter. Anyway, it was for charity. She hadn't tried this before and wanted to give it a shot.
Even if she lost, it was only a little over a thousand.
Seeing her casual attitude, Su Ying didn't continue persuading her.
After the two of them made a symbolic bid, they stopped paying attention. Instead, they whispered quietly to each other.
But occasionally they also noticed the items on stage. If they liked it, they could bid again, nothing wrong with that.
Until an enormous oil painting was carried up on stage, Shi Xia's expression instantly turned cold.
"This oil painting uses a Western style. It's also a work by Mu Yang, a painter with a little fame here in Jin City. He painted it for his fiancée. I heard this charity auction to support students in mountain areas was his idea, and he specially donated this work. The opening bid is five hundred, going up by increments of one hundred..."
Nobody had heard of this painter called Mu Yang, but this painting caused quite a stir.
The painting depicted a woman, presumably Mu Yang's fiancée. The woman appeared to be in her twenties. She leaned sideways on a couch. Her upper body was completely covered by her long hair. Her lower triangular region was covered by a thin layer of gauze, vaguely discernible. Her flat belly, slender legs - everything made the ladies avert their eyes and the gentlemen salivate.
The previously quiet auction suddenly became noisy. Those more knowledgeable called it "art." Some gentlemen called it indecent.
"Shi Xia, the woman in this painting..." Su Ying stared blankly at the front, almost unable to believe it. She secretly swallowed and didn't dare look at Shi Xia's expression.
The price rapidly went up to one thousand, two thousand...five thousand...
It kept soaring until it stopped at seventy-five hundred.
Right before the auctioneer's gavel fell, Shi Xia raised her paddle and shouted out a bid. "Ten thousand."
She practically gnashed out this number. She hated that she hadn't come to this auction today. But she thought, if that really happened, the consequences would be even harder to predict.
If this painting got out, their reputation would surely be ruined.
A bid of 10,000 wasn't the highest bid of this auction, but it was the least worthy item. Moreover, the painter was a complete no-name. Even the people present hadn't heard of Mu Yang.
For men, buying it could satisfy their private desires. They could call it a visual feast. But aside from Su Ying next to her, probably no one could guess why Shi Xia, a woman, would bid on such a painting, pointlessly sullying her own reputation and giving rise to speculation.
Seeing the auctioneer announce she had won the bid, and the painting be covered up and carried to the back, Shi Xia finally relaxed. She completely lost interest in the rest of the auction.
She whispered to Su Ying beside her, "Sister-in-law, I'm going back first."
"I'll go with you. I already bid on a couple items, so that shows goodwill. Leaving now, nobody will say anything." Su Ying didn't feel assured letting Shi Xia leave alone.
Shi Xia nodded. The two of them left their seats.
Naturally others would come to handle the remaining matters.
In principle, Shi Xia could directly leave, but she didn't. Instead, she and Su Ying found the person in charge of the auction and requested to take the painting first.
This wasn't exactly rude. After all, her status was clear. A company that huge, they wouldn't dare welsh on payments afterward.
But her lack of composure still drew others' attention.
Ji ChengFeng was the person currently responsible for his family's development in Jin City. He had heard of Shi Xia's famous name long ago, just lacked a special opportunity to interact.
At this time, he couldn't help but come over and ask, "Chairwoman An, pardon my rudeness for asking, but do you recognize the woman in this painting?"
According to the painter Mu Yang, the woman in the painting was his fiancée. But they just smiled without replying.
After all, the painting was so explicit. If she was a lover it could be explained, but which normal person would paint their own fiancée like this? Moreover, donating it to a charity auction for sale without asking for a cent?
They could understand Mu Yang's approach.
Although he didn't ask for anything for the painting, a painting like this was already enough to attract attention. As long as it sold for a decent price at auction, his own fame would rise, and naturally his later works would also gain value.
Many celebrities in the arts world originally built their names this way.
"My apologies Manager Ji, I can't answer that question, but I have an imposition to ask. I hope you can help." Shi Xia spoke those words very prudently and politely. After all, this was a major issue. If handled improperly even she and Pei Jing would get implicated.
"Chairwoman An, please go ahead." Ji ChengFeng was several years older than Shi Xia. He went abroad very young and after being polished by those years and his family background, his every action showed refined manners.
"I want to take this painting now. Please Manager Ji, could you do me this favor?" Shi Xia said, "I'll have someone come tomorrow to handle the payment for the other items I won."