As the organizer, Lin Tian was unable to participate in the auction, and he had no control over what prices others decided to bid.
But now, had soone really just offered one million? Who would be willing to pay one million for a flawed red coral bracelet? Could it be that soone was truly acting out of kindness, willing to spend such an amount? Lin Tian looked towards the bidder and saw a middle-aged man he did not recognize.
"Brother Lin, I know this man; our Zhou Family has had a few dealings with him. But as far as I know, he’s usually very stingy, like a miser, yet today he’s willing to bid one million for this flawed red coral bracelet," Zhou Botong said, puzzled.
Lin Tian initially thought the man was responding to Shi Feifei’s statent, bidding with the purpose of donating, but the man’s expression was conflicted, reluctant to part with the one million, yet determined to bid.
"Brother Zhou, a person’s nature doesn’t change overnight. If this man has deviated from his miserly ways to bid one million, he definitely has an ulterior motive," Lin Tian said with a smile.
At that mont on the auction stage, Shi Feifei, relying on her keen hearing and eyesight, also locked her gaze on the middle-aged man in no ti.
Her voice steady, she said, "Number sixty-six has bid one million. We thank him for his generosity. Does anyone wish to bid higher?"
During an auction, the wait for bids cannot go on indefinitely. After Shi Feifei finished speaking, no more bids ca.
It’s said an auctioneer’s commission is linked to the sale price of the items; the higher the final bid, the more money they make.
Sotis, in order to auction for a higher price, auctioneers deliberately delay the process. Generally, as long as it’s not excessive, no one will point fingers at them for this.
However, Shi Feifei did not dawdle on this matter and declared resolutely, "One million for the first ti..."
She paused for a few seconds to give people ti to think. During such monts, greedy auctioneers would often deliberately stretch the ti, pausing longer than required.
Yet Shi Feifei firmly continued, "One million for the second ti!"
No more bids were placed, and she decisively rang the bronze bell, raising her voice to announce, "One million for the third ti, congratulations to gentleman number sixty-six for winning item number one, the red coral bracelet! Please follow our staff after the auction to complete the transaction procedures."
Once the bell signaling the sale rang, the result could not be changed. However, this was not an important item, and there was no scene of multiple people raising the price in a bidding war.
The middle-aged man, assured that he had won the red coral bracelet, breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, he stood up, looked up at the private seats on the second floor, and then bowed in the direction of one.
Lin Tian followed his gaze and saw that the middle-aged man was bowing to Li Zhengyang.
"So that’s how it is," Lin Tian laughed.
Zhou Botong asked in surprise, "What, is this man a shill hired by the Li Family to drive up the price and save face for them?"
"No, although I’ve only t Li Zhengyang once, I can tell he’s not soone with such a small mindset. Besides, who would blatantly reveal themselves as a shill? The middle-aged man is definitely trying to curry favor with the Li Family by driving up the price," Lin Tian said coolly as he analyzed the situation.
"Damn, that’s so tacky. Plus, with Li Zhengyang’s personality, he will definitely not fall for that. There’s a good chance he’ll see right through any attempt at flattery," said Zhou Botong with disdain.
Lin Tian tapped on the table, smiling lightly, "Brother Zhou, you’re wrong to think that way. Li Zhengyang, as the head of a family, indeed won’t bother with such a trivial person. But when other mbers of the Li Family hear about this, they will naturally have a favorable impression of the middle-aged man. As long as soone from the Li Family looks out for him a bit, the benefits the middle-aged man receives could be several tis, even ten tis the one million. That’s the way of doing business. Do you understand now?"
Zhou Botong was left stunned by these words, then raised his thumbs in approval towards Lin Tian.
"Brother Lin, I’m impressed. Ignoring your age, just listening to you talk, anyone would think you’re one of those seasoned veterans of the business world. I truly have no idea where you learned all this from," Zhou Botong said with genuine admiration.
"There’s gold to be found in books, and beauty too. Our ancestors invented books for us to learn from, of course, provided that we don’t just read them without understanding," Lin Tian said with poise.
"Once out of school, who still has the patience to read? The many temptations of the world outside make one restless," Zhou Botong said with a sense of resignation.
He clearly understood these principles, but knowing them and acting upon them are two different things. Many can talk the talk and know the principles, but few can walk the walk.
Lin Tian couldn’t understand why Elder Zhou, such a learned person, had a grandson like Zhou Botong who disliked studying so much. Nevertheless, Zhou Botong seed happy with his life, and that was what mattered. Each person has their own way of living, and there’s no need to force change. However, given Zhou Botong’s current lifestyle, winning over Ou ngng would be tough, especially with the approval of the elder mbers of the Ou family being a significant hurdle.
With the auction of item number one complete, another attractive server ca out, still holding a tray covered with a red cloth.
As usual, it was placed on the glass display case, and upon lifting the red cloth, the item up for auction was revealed—a dzi bead bracelet.
This was a gift from Yun Xiaotian, now being auctioned off, and positioned in the first two spots alongside the Li Family’s red coral bracelet, it was naturally compared by the bidding guests, even without any competition behind the scenes between the two families.
Once the server arranged the red coral bracelet and stepped back, Shi Feifei struck her bronze bell again.
"Ladies and gentlen, many friends here have already seen this string of dzi beads. This morning, Master Zhou has already appraised it and confird it to be authentic," Shi Feifei began, invoking the authority of Elder Zhou—an appraiser of repute, his affirmation of authenticity was beyond doubt.
Confident in a dzi bead appraised by Elder Zhou, the guests were more inclined to bid without hesitation. Shi Feifei’s aim was to dispel any doubts from the minds of the audience. Without uncertainty, they’d be more willing to raise the stakes. This is the role of an auctioneer—a good one can guide the mood of the room, subtly driving the price up.
Her remarks obviously had a significant impact. Those who hadn’t seen the dzi bead showed surprised delight in their eyes—authentic dzi beads rarely appear on the market, no wonder they were excited.
"Many understand the benefits of dzi beads, they nourish the body and promote good health. The most valuable thing in the world is health because without it, all the money in the world cannot be enjoyed," Shi Feifei continued.
"Moreover, and most importantly, it is said that dzi beads blessed by living Buddhas possess Spiritual Power, offering protection and bringing good fortune to the wearer."
"Luck is intangible, unseen and unfelt—but if you believe in it, it will be there by your side. Missing out on this dzi bead bracelet that can bring you good luck might an losing it forever," she concluded.
Shi Feifei’s words struck a chord with these businessn, as they were the ones who believed most strongly in Buddha and luck.
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