bit stealing game

Chapter 10 Auction

As a preparatory archaeologist, I am naturally resistant to auctions of cultural relics.

But at the beginning, I was thinking that if I could have some contact with sellers and buyers at the auction, I might be able to glean some information, so I asked Lao Zhang’s sister to help me get an optional errand through the back door. Lao Zhang gave it to his eldest sister

The reason is that I want to go into collecting and try the waters now.

I immediately said: "Don't smash my sign anymore. I don't have a good reputation. As an archaeologist, I won't get scolded if I start a collection."

Lao Zhang was also unambiguous: "I just asked you if you want to go."

I said go.

So now I am present at the auction venue as a staff member.

This auction was a temporary extra venue, not in a regular location in Sustain, but in a hotel with a century-old architectural history near Covent Garden, London.

When I arrived at the venue, someone led me to the employee lounge. Knowing that I was thrust in temporarily, the person in charge didn't give me any trouble. He told me the layout of the venue, explained my responsibilities again, and then left, leaving only

The next young girl was responsible for guiding me through the process.

After putting on the uniform, I felt awkward all over. The shirt and vest seemed to be deliberately designed to be one size smaller, as if they were tied to my body. It left the fat that I had neglected to exercise nowhere to put, and I was almost out of breath.

Come on. The foreign girl came over to help me loosen my collar, and thoughtfully folded the sultry red handkerchief in my breast pocket into a complicated shape. She folded it and said with a smile: "My name is Amy, and I am Su Shide."

A graduate student at the School of Art. I am here to gain experience. Don’t be nervous, our work is not difficult. Things that are prone to error will not be left to us."

When Amy smiled, her golden eyebrows were arched and she had two dimples, giving her a very cute American girl look. I nodded and smiled at her. I thought to myself that I was just here to gain experience.

Don't be nervous anymore. If the secret is revealed and the security is not intact, will you be kicked out after a while?

After I finished packing and getting familiar with the environment, I stood at my work station.

There are several types of employees here. Amy and I are considered 'waiters', basically responsible for standing in the lobby to welcome guests and give directions. Lao Zhang's sister took special care of me, so I waited for the auction quickly.

At the beginning, I can enter the venue to open my eyes. Otherwise, only a small number of regular employees will have the opportunity to actually contact the sellers or buyers, and I will have no chance to learn any information.

This auction focuses on gold, stone, jewels and jade. When I was looking at the catalog that day, I discovered that the highlight was the [Eye of Eternity]. Although the remaining pieces in the collection are considered to be of high quality, most of them focus on craftsmanship and

In terms of history, the artifacts themselves are really not on the same level as this one.

The theme of the auction is [Treasures in Chaos]. Although the introduction avoids the important things and downplays them, it is described as "many people and things have passed through time and were lost in the flames of war, but the treasures will last forever". Can you describe the plunder and robbery like this?

It’s really the Spring and Autumn style of writing.

No matter how I look at it, I think this theme should be changed to "Taking advantage of the fire", especially since I also saw a golden Buddha from the Song Dynasty collected by a British family in the auction.

I don’t know much about antiques, so I don’t know the origin of this Golden Buddha. I only know that this is another cultural relic that was lost overseas. Since the Opium War in 1840, cultural relics like this Golden Buddha have to be worth tens of millions.

Pieces. Those cultural relics are the footholds of our country's history over the past four to five thousand years, and now their footprints are scattered overseas in a mess. These tens of millions of pieces are only on the surface of museums such as the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States. Among them

It is unknown how many other golden Buddhas like this one are in private collections.

Let’s look at countries such as Afghanistan. This is the 21st century, and those bandits are still sucking blood from these countries. And now, among the people in suits and ties walking into the venue, who are not contributing to this suffering?

Most of the buyers and sellers at this auction were European and American, but there were also many Asian faces among the visitors.

I dutifully stood at the back of the lobby waiting to serve people passing by. As soon as Lao Zhang and his sister entered the door, I saw them from a distance. This time Lao Zhang rarely wore a dark blue suit.

The neat clothes made him look good. Lao Zhang’s eldest sister, Zhang Min, wore a lake green skirt. She had a perfect temperament and was talking to her friend while walking. Lao Zhang followed obediently.

My sister acts like arm candy, like an overgrown quail.

The first time I met Lao Zhang was in a more formal occasion, and it has been two years since I came here. I was in a daze for a moment. Then I suddenly heard someone say "borrow me for a moment" in my ear. I subconsciously turned around and looked

Here comes Chris Arno.

To be honest, I was a little caught off guard when I met Chris Yano here.

It can be said that Lao Zhang and I did come for him, or the [Eternal Eye] in his hand. But we just wanted to have a sneak peek, measure the magnetic field and then leave. We didn't want to meet him face to face. Although

I am an unknown person, but after all, it is related to the 'magnetic field', and I am sure that Ciano will find me. If I am recognized here, I don't know if I will go on a business trip.

I said sorry to Arno and turned sideways to get out of the way. The Italian left in no hurry and began to look at me with a smile.

I was afraid of causing trouble, but fortunately I had my job as a shield. I lowered my head slightly and asked politely: "Sir, is there anything I can do to help you?"

Arno smiled playfully: "Maybe there will be."

I secretly scolded this person for looking for trouble, but I still had a dedicated smile on my face: "If you have any questions, you can always come to me or my colleagues. I will be happy to help you."

After hearing this, Arno narrowed his eyes as if he was thinking about how to make my work more colorful. I was afraid that he would really know me and would like to bury his face. Fortunately, as the [Eternal Eye]

The collector Arnaud is now a famous person. He stood next to me for a while and many people said hello to him.

I took the opportunity to escape quietly because of the call of duty. When I left Arno, I saw Lao Zhang gesturing from a distance and asking if he wanted help. I waved my hand, but he didn't insist anymore. He was actually the one chatting with his sister.

The woman who was wearing a red suit and had a strong presence glanced at me. I was afraid of attracting attention so I had to pretend not to see her and quickly ran away.

As soon as I walked to a deserted place, I immediately abandoned my professionalism, took out my phone and took a look at the messages in the group. The first message was from Lao Zhang, and he said: "You are so stupid." Followed closely by Ah

Damn it. She couldn't sneak in, so she waited for us at a cafe not far away. A Tian said that the magnetic field sensor on my body started to react as soon as Lao Zhang entered the door, and asked me what I was doing at that time.

I thought for a while, wasn't that when the slut Arnold appeared next to me? It turned out that the dizziness just now was because of this.

But to put it this way, the feeling brought by Arnold's approach is similar to that of picking up the stone I brought back from Sichuan some time ago. I can probably feel the connection between myself and this magnetic field now, although I still don't know the reason.

.

It seems that I really have to go to Egypt for some reason. At least I have to figure out why I react to the magnetic field.

At two o'clock the auction started on time.

Unlike most auctions where the windows are bright and clean, the lights of the venue this time were concentrated on the booth. I used the shadows to blend into the corner near the auction items. Thanks to the uniform, no one noticed me. Everyone was waiting for the collection.

Appearance.

The first auction item was the golden Buddha.

The Golden Buddha is in the style of Tibetan Buddhism, less silky and more dynamic. At the beginning, many people bid, and I don’t know whether they were sincere or just trying to create excitement. Later, as the price increased, only two people were left competing.

, one of them is an Asian face. I don’t have access to the list, so I can’t be sure whether this person is Chinese, but I think it’s almost the same. Although the Japanese have always coveted Chinese cultural relics, they are more willing to be like Europeans.

Yuan Gou, determined not to spend a lot of money to buy it back. The only person bidding against this Asian was a Frenchman. It was obvious that he saw that this person was destined to win, and he held on to it. I even suspected that he was the seller or Su Shide

I'm a shill, here to maliciously raise prices.

This golden Buddha was finally sold for 4.16 million pounds. Although I didn’t know who the buyer was in the end, I saw on the news not long after that he donated cultural relics back to China. Every time I see this

With all these reports, I'm thinking about how great it would be when we don't need to spend money to buy looted cultural relics and go home.

The auction is still going on.

With the high price of the Golden Buddha, the atmosphere at the scene became lively. Later, collections from Burma, Africa and other places were sold one after another, many of which were exquisite. However, none of the transaction prices exceeded the Golden Buddha. When it came to the "Eternal Palace"

When Eye] appeared, everyone held their breath and concentrated. I hid in the shadows without showing any trace and moved closer, hoping to receive more information about the magnetic field.

The auctioneers in this event are all beauties. Maybe they know that everyone likes to see beauties wearing jewelry. As the finale of the collection, many people came just to see the [Eternal Eye], and the auctioneer also matched it.

It was highly anticipated.

In this tacit and silent expectation, a beauty with green eyes and wheat-colored skin walked onto the stage. She did not stand behind the auction table like the previous people, but instead walked to the case where the collection was placed in the center of the booth.

He stood still. Then the staff brought up the tray containing the last piece of the collection. The auctioneer took the tray, let it rest steadily on his hand, and then used his other hand to lift the lid on it gracefully.

Blue velvet. When the satin slipped, her graceful body twisted into a soft posture.

Everyone held their breath, half because of the clear color of the gemstone under the light, and partly because of the beauty holding the gemstone.

The [Eternal Eye] is placed in a glass cover. It should have a refractive angle, which can make the gem appear brighter and larger. In fact, without these blessings, the gem is already shining brightly.

[Eternal Eye] The exquisite touch of gold in the ruby ​​​​jumps with the change of light, just like the pupils of a cat that shrink in the sun.

The auctioneer's green eyes first glanced at the ruby ​​that seemed to have frozen light, then glanced at the audience, and then brought everyone's attention back to the gem. She never put the tray on the case,

Instead, she held it lightly by her side and turned around on both sides of the booth. As she walked, the golden light flickered in and out with the swing of her body. The beauty and the gems complemented each other, which attracted a lot of admiration.

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When she returned to the center of the booth to put on the final look, the carefully designed light made the gem shine, and the auctioneer's graceful figure was shadowy. The group of people in suits and ties began to boil from the bottom of their hearts.

However, this is not the real climax.

Because Chris Yano suddenly stepped onto the stand.

Everyone's exclamations turned into whispers after seeing clearly that it was Arnold. He put his arm around the beautiful auctioneer's shoulders, lowered his head and gently said to her, "Leave it to me later." Then he gently took it away [

Eye of Eternity].

After being killed on the way, the auctioneer was calm. After seeking the approval of her superiors with her eyes, she curled her red lips towards Arno and turned around swayingly. The heavy tray was in her hands.

The effect of a famous brand handbag dangled in my hand.

Arnold is really unconventional. Not only did he boldly disclose his identity as a collector, but now he has also choked the auctioneer's business.

Jarno then turned the auction into his personal show.

The self-proclaimed collector told how he wanted to go to Afghanistan because of "The Kite Runner". Then after some thrilling and interesting adventures, he finally got the "Eye of Eternity" by chance.

In Arnold's narration, he is like a perfect species with a halo of the protagonist above his head and a second male character in his hand. Everyone can't help but exclaim and laugh along with his performance.

Everyone was fascinated by him. This enthusiastic Italian could snipe a crowd of young, middle-aged and old people with a flick of his curly hair and a heartless smile.

Arno did not elaborate on how he obtained the [Eternal Eye], but only talked about his own experience. But everyone just accepted this. Moreover, this gem is not like an antique, and there is no need to explain its origin. What's more,

Needless to say, there are twists and turns in the things pried out of Afghanistan.

Endless cheers and applause poured in to Arnold.

This arrogant man was enjoying it contentedly. When people's attention returned from the war-torn and unique Afghanistan to the auction, he spoke again: "It was my fate to get the [Eternal Eye]. However,

My life is not good and I cannot let her suffer with me. Now I want to leave this little beauty in the hands of someone who can treat her well and understand her needs."

Arno said, blinking his eyes and looking around the audience.

This exhibition hall is very large, but there are only four tables in the first row.

Before running to the stage, Arno sat at the leftmost table in the front row. Now it was empty, and no one else was sitting there. Lao Zhang, his eldest sister Zhang Min, and the woman in the red suit sat in the middle.

At the table on the right, there is a young foreigner sitting at the same table. The remaining tables in the first row are occupied by a table of Arabs and a table of British people.

From my angle, I could only see Arnold's half-stretched body, and I didn't know who he was looking at just now.

In short, after seeing enough, Arno withdrew his gaze. He held the [Eternal Eye] and shook it slightly up and down: "Although it is fate that I got her, fate will always make us suffer. So in addition to the routine

In addition to the bidding, I also have a merciless request, and I hope the person who wants to get her from me will agree."

He didn't say it was an 'unkind invitation', but turned back to the auctioneer and said, "Next, I'll ask you to help me find a good home for my baby."

The bidding scene was very fierce. No one seemed to care whether Arnold would talk about additional conditions, and the price kept rising. The starting price of [Eternal Eye] was 3 million pounds, and it changed to 3 million pounds after about six rounds of bidding.

Sixteen million. Even the auctioneer couldn't help but slightly widen his eyes, adding a hint of coquettishness to the endless charm.

Arnold seemed to have expected this scene. The smile on his face did not change at all, and he still had the same character of sitting firmly on the Diaoyutai.

At this point in the bidding, the people sitting at the tables in the first row have not spoken yet.

Except for Arnold, the remaining three tables were all occupied by buyers. Although they were sitting in the front row (this venue only has one floor, so the weight of sitting in the first row can be imagined), they only had the Arab table on the right.

The costumer bought a camel studded with various gems in the rounds that just ended.

Lao Zhang’s eldest sister came here because of us, so naturally she didn’t intend to participate in the bidding. But the woman in the red suit who was friends with her didn’t just come to see her. In addition, the British person at the middle table also looked quite powerful.

You must win, and Arnold is not tempted by the crazy soaring price.

It looks like [Eye of Eternity] is a targeted auction. The real buyer is waiting for Arno to speak and tell the price he has set long ago, and Arno is choosing who will offer it.

The chips he wants.

In this lively venue, there is an indescribable undercurrent, and maybe a fatal magnetic field. I really hope that this auction will end soon, and I am very happy that Arnold also thought of going with me.

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After whetting his appetite, he finally spoke again. "Thank you all for your support."

As soon as Arnold's words left his mouth, the bidding temporarily stopped. By this time, the price had soared to 27 million pounds.

"I'm glad that everyone likes [Eternal Eye] so much. She is indeed worthy of this. However, I don't plan to give her away with just pounds. I just said that I hope the person who wants to take her away will agree to a merciless offer.

Please. I met this unparalleled gem in Afghanistan, thank you to fate." As he said, Arno picked up the cross pendant on his chest and kissed it. When he kissed the cross, he was like a devout believer in St. Peter's Church. He attracted the audience.

There was another burst of emotional commotion. "However, this is not the end of my journey. There are still many unknowns waiting for me to discover. Destiny guides me to go on the road again. This time I want to go to Egypt to explore the long-awaited ancient civilization. But I

I don’t have an expedition team, so I hope that people who want to get the [Eternal Eye] can accompany me to go to that mysterious desert. Maybe we can meet more interesting people and discover more incredible treasures.”

It was obvious that the person who wanted the [Eternal Eye] could not refuse his price, but Noah had the ability to appear frivolous and sincere. After that, he winked at the auctioneer again.

The man turned his green eyes and understood. "The current price of [Eternal Eye] is 27 million. Is there anyone who can come up with a higher price?" The auctioneer added cleverly: "Maybe more

The last expedition?”

The crowd was excited again.

My eyes widened in shock.

Sure enough, this guy knew about these stones, and even knew that someone was going to Egypt. Although I don’t know for what purpose Arno wanted to join in, but judging from his ability to control this [Eternal Eye], this "tourism"

"Blogger" is by no means a good person. What's more, he also appeared in the Antarctic incident. It is still unknown how deep the Italian's water is, and the whole thing becomes more and more confusing with his high-profile operations.

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I subconsciously looked at Lao Zhang, and he looked at me in surprise. After looking at each other, I made a steady gesture to him. After all, he was sitting in a very conspicuous position, and he might be in trouble if Arno saw him.

Seeing his sister, Lao Zhang nodded and looked away.

We all know that this is when the real competition begins.

As expected, the people at the table who had been struggling with each other until the end were the British and Lao Zhang's table, but it was the young man with blond hair and blue eyes who was in charge of bidding. When the price was finally bitten, you could see that the young man's face was a little red.

, but the other party always lowered his offer. Then the woman in red at the table held his hand and made her own offer.

"Double."

The woman's voice was not loud and crisp, but she had the composure to win. She was the kind of beauty with a strong edge, and she was probably not too young, but the years had obviously left her more than they had taken away.

Arnold clapped his hands and praised "beautiful" repeatedly. He didn't know whether he was talking about the price or the person who made the offer.

The British didn't hesitate and added another ten million. The woman in red still said it was a simple "double". That means the auctioneer's multiplication calculation was pretty good, otherwise the price wouldn't even be bid.

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After going back and forth like this several times, everyone could see that the two parties were determined to win, and they did not hide anything from each other. In the end, Arno stopped the fight.

"It is an honor for me to be favored by Miss Rhea. However, if a beauty like you wants gems, I will give them to you, so there is no reason for you to spend money?" The Italian frowned, "If you like it,

, I also have high-quality gems here. If they catch your eye, it will be a good story to give a gem to a beautiful woman."

After saying that, he walked to the auction table and took the small wooden hammer from the green-eyed auctioneer's hand, and repeated the price that the British had just offered. This time the beauty in red, now I know her name is Rhea, did not increase the price.

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In the end, the stone was sold at an absurd price, and the buyer was a wealthy Turkish businessman among the British people at the table. Even if the Italian was penniless at the beginning, he is now extremely rich. As for what he mentioned

By attaching conditions, the buyer said he would keep his word, and Arnold would always get what he wanted.

After the whole auction, I couldn't understand more and more what was going on with this Chris Arnold.

At first, I thought he might know that this [Eternal Eye] was a hot potato, so he wanted to take action in public in an attempt to divert trouble. Who knew that this guy had other plans, not only did he not choose himself out?

, but he went to Egypt to get riches.

It seems that the people who currently know the information about "ores with magnetic fields" are not only Project 279 and those who came back from the Antarctic, but also this Italian (who also came back from the Antarctic), and perhaps the forces behind him, who took the photo.

The British who got the [Eternal Eye] and Rhea, the beauty in red. There may be some overlap between these forces, but I can't tell them clearly.

The reason why I think there may be other forces behind Arno is because it took 279 sixty years to find a piece of ore, and he actually sold it easily.

Now the staff had begun to guide the guests to the banquet hall to continue the social activities after the auction. Arno and the woman named Rhea also followed the crowd.

It seems that today will not end so soon. Then I still have a chance to see Arnold's true face in Lushan.

As the culprit of the Opium War, Britain has the largest collection of Chinese cultural relics, followed by Japan, which invaded China. Needless to say, the United States, France, and Russia, Canada has moved all the clean relics there. Regardless of whether these countries rely on guns

, cultural relics obtained with money or with the shovel of an 'archaeologist' are not just and cannot change their essence.

(End of chapter)