“Chalcedony, one of the oldest types of jade in human history. As early as five thousand years ago, it had already appeared as an ornament, passed down through generations. Among them, Carnelian, a gemstone with deep religious significance, has been widely accepted. It has a delicate texture, a pure and rich color, and considerable hardness. When lightly struck, it emits a crisp and melodious sound. Its name originates from the Latin word ‘carne’ (flesh), symbolizing its dazzling orange-red hue. In China, it is known as ‘Red Chalcedony’ or ‘Blood Chalcedony’!”
The crowd listened intently.
A piece of chalcedony was neither as valuable as jadeite nor as dazzling as diamonds. Its price was relatively modest. Logically, such an item should not appear in an auction of such high caliber.
Unless—this piece of chalcedony carried a significant provenance that transcended its inherent material value, elevating it to a higher level of collectible significance.
Sure enough—
“It is said that the royal seal of Muhammad, the ruler of the Arab Empire, was an intaglio Carnelian set in a silver ring! And the Red Chalcedony before us was excavated from Muhammad’s tomb!”
Jiang Fuyue peered through the specially designed glass of her private room, looking toward the auction stage.
“Starting price: three million U.S. dollars. Each bid must be no less than three hundred thousand. Bidding—begins!”
Before the hall had a chance to warm up, a red bidding light flashed in a private room on the second floor. Lou Mingxin was the first to raise her paddle.
No one in the hall had expected the private rooms to act so quickly, let alone Lou Mingxin, who was famous for her love of last-minute surprises.
Normally, if she was interested in an item, she would observe coldly from the sidelines, waiting until the bidding was about to be finalized before suddenly stepping in to overturn the outcome. But today, she was in a hurry…
Inside the private room, Jiang Fuyue asked Liu Sisi, “What do you think?”
Liu Sisi glanced at the item and hesitated for a moment. “It’s beautiful, but since it came from a tomb… wouldn’t that be unlucky?”
Jiang Fuyue nodded. “It is a bit unlucky. But…” It didn’t matter.
Competing with Lou Mingxin for something was a joy in itself, regardless of the item or its auspiciousness.
“Prepare the paddle.”
Liu Sisi: “Huh?”
Jiang Fuyue twitched the corner of her mouth.
Noticing movement in another private room, the crowd in the hall gave up their bids. Who would dare compete with Lou Mingxin?
No one had more money than her, and attempting to bid against her would only end in humiliation.
Moreover, chalcedony itself had little inherent collectible value. Its significance lay more in its historical and cultural connotations. Compared to investing in a premium jadeite set, chalcedony seemed less practical.
So, no one else raised their paddle.
But just because others didn’t dare, didn’t mean no one would.
For example—the private room with the purple light.
“Four million.” The purple light flashed, and a clear female voice placed a bid.
It was Liu Sisi.
Lou Mingxin responded, “Five million.”
“Six million… pounds.” Liu Sisi casually raised the bid.
To outsiders, her tone was impossibly lazy, as if she were tossing away a napkin rather than millions in currency.
The crowd gasped.
Lou Mingxin: “Seven million.” Unhurried and composed.
The outcome remained unpredictable.
Everyone was stunned.
Liu Sisi: “Ten million.” She omitted the unit, transitioning from the presumed U.S. dollars to pounds, instantly doubling the bid.
“Eleven million.” Lou Mingxin’s tone dipped slightly.
Both private rooms had entered the fray, but there was only one chalcedony seal.
Jiang Fuyue signaled to Liu Sisi. She was determined to secure this item. Money was not an issue—her wealth was practically limitless!
“Twenty million!” Liu Sisi called out directly.
Clearly, they had no patience to keep tangling with Lou Mingxin and opted for a swift, decisive bid, leaping from eleven million to twenty million in one go.
The audience gasped. All this for a mere chalcedony seal?
This was true wealth—
A piece that started at three million U.S. dollars had skyrocketed to twenty million pounds, more than ten times its original price.
Lou Mingxin’s expression darkened. Her male secretary stood beside her, barely daring to breathe.
Until the auctioneer prepared to finalize the bid—
“Twenty million pounds, once… Twenty million pounds, twice…”
Lou Mingxin gritted her teeth. Her secretary saw the hesitation in her eyes, clear as day.
But in the end, Lou Mingxin conceded: “Forget it.”
It wasn’t the only item up for auction tonight.
“Twenty million pounds, three times! Sold!”
Bang—
The gavel fell.
“Congratulations to Yufeng Group for winning the silver-rimmed intaglio Red Chalcedony seal!”
Thunderous applause erupted and continued for some time.
Lou Mingxin clenched her teeth, her eyes flickering with unwillingness. She instructed her secretary, “Find out who Yufeng Group sent to this auction…”
It was as if someone was deliberately opposing her!
…
Inside the purple-lit private room.
A server entered, bowing as they presented a tray.
On it lay the intricately carved Red Chalcedony seal.
“This is the item you just won. Please inspect it.”
Ignoring the white gloves offered by the server, Jiang Fuyue directly picked up the seal and toyed with it for a moment before casually handing it to Liu Sisi. “You take a look too. Seems rather unremarkable.”
The server’s eyelid twitched. Seeing such a priceless treasure being treated like a mere toy, then casually tossed to another person—
This… They weren’t treating money as money at all!
Even as an outsider, the server felt their heart race. What if it dropped?
That was twenty million pounds! My goodness!
Regardless of Jiang Fuyue’s casual attitude, the server could only silently complain internally while maintaining a smile and humbly asking, “Is everything satisfactory?”
“It’s alright.”
“Will you be paying by card or check?”
Before Jiang Fuyue could respond, Liu Sisi had already handed over a prepared check for twenty million, the signature under “Payor” flowing elegantly—Jiang.
“Understood.” The server bowed and retreated.
The first auction item had been sold for an astronomical price, and the audience had just witnessed an intense battle between two private rooms.
Whether or not they made purchases tonight no longer mattered. Watching the “tigers fight” was entertainment enough.
Jiang Fuyue reclined on the leather sofa in her private room, overseeing the entire hall while remaining unseen herself—a naturally accepted, unquestioned inequality.
“Should we continue bidding?” Liu Sisi asked.
“Let’s see.”
Just then, the second auction item was presented.
Perhaps due to the staggering price of the chalcedony, the auctioneer’s voice trembled with excitement: “Next, we present the second item…”
The moment he finished speaking, a beautiful hostess in a qipao brought forth a tray.
“As we all know, porcelain is China’s national treasure, with blue and white porcelain as its pinnacle. Among them, Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain is the most prized. The item before you has been authenticated by seventy-two international experts as an original Yuan blue and white ‘Gui Guzi Descending the Mountain’ jar.”
A Yuan blue and white porcelain!
The majority of the audience were Chinese, and upon hearing this, they collectively gasped.
No wonder this was a top-tier auction. The first two items alone were exceptional, each capable of commanding the spotlight.
“… The base price is twenty million pounds, with a minimum bid increment of five hundred thousand!”
“Now, bidding begins—”
“Twenty-one million.” The first bid came from the third row in the hall.
The high starting price deterred many potential bidders, leading to a slow and cautious bidding process.
Until the price reached over thirty million.
“Thirty-two million, once. Thirty-two million, twice. Thirty-two mil—”
“Forty million.” The voice came from Lou Mingxin’s private room.
Wow—
“She’s bidding again!”
“Missed out on the chalcedony, now she’s making a comeback.”
“She seems determined this time…”
“Do you think Yufeng Group will bid again?”
