236: Chapter 121: Auction 236: Chapter 121: Auction In the afternoon, a fine, drizzling rain began to fall from the sky.
The patter of the raindrops resonated in the air, accompanied by the fresh air, that inevitably intoxicated anyone who experienced it.
Within Wencheen Manor, a steady stream of cars drove in from the outside, parking beside the mansion at the center.
The two brothers from the Wencheen family were now busy entertaining guests.
They had hired help and arranged the venue to display the antiques once collected by the family, hosting a small private auction within the estate.
Most of the guests who ca were wealthy collectors, who, although their eyes betrayed a certain disdain for their surroundings, maintained a polite deanor on the surface.
By the ti Shi Yong and his party arrived, the auction had already been underway for a while.
They showed their electronic invitations to the security personnel at the door and, led by them, found their way to the hall, where they quietly took seats in the back row, each with great interest watching the ongoing auction in front.
“Ladies and gentlen, please look at this auction item.”
On stage, a white man in a suit lifted the cloth in front of him to reveal what was hidden beneath—a wooden clock.
The white man was none other than Damir Karlov, the auctioneer hired by the Wencheen family for the event, well-known throughout Oxford County.
“I believe everyone here participating in the auction must have seen this item before.
Yes, it is the famous Black Forest cuckoo clock!”
Damir moved to the back of the clock to better reveal the piece as he spoke.
“Of course, this cuckoo clock is not like those cheap imitations you can buy just anywhere.
It is a genuine Black Forest cuckoo clock, dated June 16, 1742!
All of its materials co straight from the Black Forest, and combined with exquisite woodcarving craftsmanship, from the internals of the chanism to the external woodworking, all were completed by hand…”
“I can assure you all, in this world, there are no two authentic cuckoo clocks that are the sa; each and every one is a unique piece of art!”
The guests began to whisper to each other upon hearing his words, but from the fragnts that could be overheard, it seed that most were rather doubtful.
From the back of the crowd, a girl of mixed race from the Canglan Expedition Team shook her head and spoke:
“All talk and no evidence, the market is flooded with replicas of cuckoo clocks, who knows whether his piece is real or fake.”
Several of her companions nodded subconsciously in agreent.
On stage, auctioneer Damir seed to have anticipated the audience’s reaction, flashing a charming smile as he pulled out a small box from beneath the display table, opened it, and displayed several docunts inside.
“Ladies and gentlen, I know you may have questions regarding the provenance of the cuckoo clock, but fear not.
The Wencheen family, as a powerful and established household, naturally has very high standards for their collectibles.
In this box I hold, are a series of certifications and appraisals related to this clock, all issued by our auction house’s Master Huo An.”
“In addition, we also provide the unique Vds certification certificate for the Black Forest cuckoo clock.
With the support of the aforentioned docunts, you all can bid with confidence, without fear of purchasing a counterfeit!”
“I declare the opening bid for the Black Forest cuckoo clock to be 30,000 pounds.”
As his voice fell, murmurs spread through the crowd below.
After a brief exchange among the attendees, soone was the first to raise their bidding paddle.
“Number 17, this gentleman offers 30,000 pounds!”
The auctioneer imdiately called out.
Another person raised their paddle, while simultaneously making a hand gesture for four.
Damir’s eyes lit up, and he imdiately declared loudly,
“Number 18, the lady over there, has bid 40,000 pounds!”
…
As the bidding from the audience continued, the item was eventually sold for 80,000 pounds to an elderly man with white hair.
From the look in his eyes, it was clear he was quite fond of the Black Forest cuckoo clock.
The auction was progressing smoothly, with Damir, the professional auctioneer, keeping the atmosphere lively.
However, mbers of the Canglan Expedition Team were sowhat disappointed because among the many auction items, they did not find anything similar to a shield.
“Congratulations to the gentleman at number 7 for acquiring this precious ‘Moab King Misha Phoenician Alphabet Rubbing’!
Let’s give him a round of applause!”
A round of applause imdiately followed from below the stage.
“Now, what we are about to display for auction is an item of equipnt once used by the ancestors of the Wencheen family, a shield that represents the glory of a knight!
So far, the Wencheen family has only preserved two of these shields.
The last one was sold online for 20,000 pounds.
Now, the only one left for auction in the entire world might very well be this last one!
I hope everyone takes this opportunity!”
Upon hearing this, the Canglan Expedition Team mbers were instantly captivated, each of them sitting up straight and looking toward the display case at the shield.
“That’s it!
That’s the one!
It’s just as we saw last ti on the trading network!
The Wencheen family really does have another shield!” soone excitedly said.
“Ha-ha, see?
You see?
I knew it all along!
I knew we’d make a discovery if we ca here!”
“Co on, everyone, how much money do we all have on us?
Let’s pool it together, we’ve got to secure this item no matter what!!”
On the other side, behind the makeshift auction stage, soone also had a look of shock.
It was Dane Winchester, the elder brother of the Wencheen family.
“What, what is this?
Sam, how could you bring it out for auction!?”
Dane looked incredulously at his younger brother beside him.
Sam snorted and said, “Can you stop making such a fuss?
We also sold the other shield last ti, didn’t we?
Since that’s gone out, what does it matter if there is another?”
Dane beca furious upon hearing this.
“This is the last shield of our family!
It is a symbol of our family’s past glory.
If you sell it too, then the Wencheen family will lose its last remaining mory!”
With that, he pushed his brother aside, hurriedly ran onto the stage, took the shield out of the display case, and walked away.
Everyone was sowhat stunned at this scene; it was the first ti Damir, the auctioneer, had encountered such a situation.
Fortunately, he reacted promptly, and after regaining his composure, he imdiately took corrective action.
“Ladies and gentlen, I apologize for the slight mishap just now.
It seems that this shield is not part of the items up for auction today.
Let’s move on to the next item…”
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