Zhu Qiliang was instantly enraged by Li Chonglou's words.
His face twitched, and he roared, "Kid, you dare call me a useless good-for-nothing?"
"What do you think you are? Relying on the name of your dead illegitimate father, you're utterly clueless."
"You just wait, if I don't make you suffer today, then my name isn't Zhu!"
Even Lu Xuan, standing beside Li Chonglou, felt that Li Chonglou's words were a bit too harsh.
Setting aside Zhu Qiliang's status in the antique and cultural relics circle, he was almost sixty years old and deserved some respect.
However, Zhu Qiliang had initiated the confrontation first, so Li Chonglou's counterattack was faultless.
She tried to mediate, "Teacher Zhu, you're quite advanced in years, please don't argue with us youngsters."
"I apologize to you on behalf of my friend."
Saying this, she was about to bow to Zhu Qiliang.
But Li Chonglou grabbed her arm, "Sister Xuan, respect is mutual. Some shameless old fossils don't deserve your bow."
He deliberately raised his voice so Zhu Qiliang could hear him clearly.
He then winked at Lu Xuan.
Lu Xuan looked at him in astonishment. Although she didn't understand his intention, she could tell Li Chonglou was doing it on purpose.
So, she decided to drop the matter.
It wasn't out of being a saintly person, but business fundamentally relied on harmony. Unlike Li Chonglou, making enemies everywhere was not a wise move.
Moreover, she was a woman who had managed to build such a large enterprise, requiring considerable tact and smooth dealing.
This was precisely why she liked and admired Li Chonglou, because he possessed a kind of strong spirit that she lacked.
Furthermore, she was well aware that Li Chonglou was on her side.
Zhu Qiliang was helping Zhong Liang, so at this moment, he was an adversary. While it wasn't a complete falling out, she couldn't possibly oppose Li Chonglou for Zhu Qiliang's sake.
"Zhu Qiliang, I've made myself clear. If you have the capability, continue bidding. If you're a coward, go home and retire early." Li Chonglou said with a smile, his tone casual.
He was becoming more arrogant with each passing moment.
That was right, he was doing it intentionally.
In the eyes of others, especially his enemies, he was wild and lawless.
But no one knew that it wasn't arrogance, but contempt from a superior.
In the antique and cultural relics circle, apart from the late Li Shiyuan, everyone else was nothing more than a "muddy chicken and broken dog."
Zhu Qiliang was not even worth mentioning.
In terms of true age, Li Chonglou was much older than him. What was respect?
It didn't exist.
As for provoking him, the purpose was obvious: to prevent him from competing with him any further.
Because he only had about a thousand to ten thousand yuan cobbled together.
Anything more, and he would have to borrow it.
But he was determined to win this rectangular seal, so he could only resort to this tactic.
"You..." Zhu Qiliang's body trembled with anger, his face ashen.
"Teacher Zhu, please calm down. Don't fall for this kid's trick," Zhong Liang said with a strained expression, advising him in a low voice. "Can't you see he's deliberately provoking you?"
"The bystander sees clearly what the participant misses. He must know that you and your father, Li Shiyuan, had a conflict, which is why he's treating you this way."
"I suspect his goal is to make you bid for those two seals regardless of the cost."
"Think about it... what kind of seals are worth so much money? They aren't made of Tianhuang stone..."
Zhong Liang, after all, was a businessman, and a characteristic of businessmen was calmness and constantly weighing pros and cons.
Some might say not all businessmen are like this.
No, a businessman who can persist for more than five years, having weathered numerous storms and crises, is forced to learn how to weigh pros and cons.
Perhaps some people dislike such pragmatic approaches, like Lu Xuan. But when necessary, she still had to do it.
Otherwise, she would face the consequences of acting on impulse.
Such as bankruptcy or leaving with nothing.
Therefore, as Li Chonglou provoked Zhu Qiliang, Zhong Liang's mind was racing, analyzing Li Chonglou's intentions.
Raising the price of the rectangular seal from two hundred thousand to ten million.
Any normal person with a modicum of sense wouldn't do this. Even he, a pure enthusiast, knew the principle of keeping a low profile and accumulating wealth quietly.
Li Chonglou's uncharacteristic behavior clearly indicated he was looking for a buyer.
Zhu Qiliang was his target buyer. The old man had a bad temper; if he got agitated and bid fifty million or a hundred million, he would be utterly humiliated and laughed at by everyone present.
Winning would be bullying a child, and losing would be ruining his reputation in his later years!
Unable to defeat his father, he couldn't even defeat an illegitimate son.
This logic was easily grasped by Zhong Liang.
Zhu Qiliang was no fool. Upon hearing Zhong Liang's advice, he suddenly realized he had almost fallen into Li Chonglou's trap.
"This kid is deeply cunning, truly venomous!" Zhu Qiliang's face paled slightly, clearly contemplating the consequences, his eyes filled with intense hatred.
He thought to himself that he had come to see Li Chonglou make a fool of himself, and he absolutely could not let Li Chonglou turn the tables on him.
Although he found the rectangular seal extraordinary, he hadn't finalized his assessment. He didn't believe Li Chonglou could discern anything definitive.
Being so far away, and Li Chonglou being so young.
Combined with Zhong Liang's words, he must be trying to provoke him.
He absolutely could not let him have his way!
He gritted his teeth and said, "Kid, the mountains are high and the rivers are long. We'll settle this later!"
With that, he turned his head and paid Li Chonglou no further attention.
Seeing this, Lu Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Chonglou, why did you have to provoke him so much? It's not worth the loss."
"Sister Xuan, I have my reasons," Li Chonglou replied with a slight smile, offering no explanation.
Some things couldn't be said until the very end, lest joy turn to sorrow.
However, he had carefully observed Zhong Liang and Zhu Qiliang, roughly understanding their personalities—one gloomy and the other hot-tempered and arrogant.
Knowing their weaknesses allowed him to exploit them.
He wasn't afraid that Zhong Liang wouldn't fall for it because if Zhu Qiliang made a fool of himself, it would reflect poorly on him as well.
Li Chonglou was not adept at using schemes, but he didn't need complex stratagems to deal with such businessmen; simplicity and hitting the core point were enough.
"Alright." Lu Xuan nodded and stopped meddling. She shifted the topic back to herself. "This is the last bid. How much should I bid?"
"We were outbid twice. This is our last chance."
Her heart was pounding.
She had come to Chang'an specifically to acquire this treasure as a gift for that person.
But there were more than one obstacle in her path. If she didn't bid wisely this time, her trip would have been in vain.
"That textile piece could fetch tens of millions at an auction house, but this isn't Sotheby's. Its maximum value here is only eight million," Li Chonglou analyzed. "If I were you, and I was determined to get it, I'd bid eight million and one."
"But anything can happen, and I can't rule out the possibility of someone losing their mind or making a misjudgment and bidding even higher."
"So, the final bid is up to you to decide."
This was a clear enough statement.
Everyone had their own insights into any given item, whether it was following the crowd or possessing a unique and profound understanding.
He couldn't possibly grasp so many people's hearts simultaneously.
Some matters were beyond human control.
"Do your best and leave the rest to fate" perfectly described this situation.
Lu Xuan understood this principle, but while it didn't concern her, it was chaotic when it did.
After nodding, she still decided to rely on Li Chonglou's advice and bid eight million and one, doing her best.
As for Li Chonglou, he wrote down his bid of ten million on a piece of paper, not a cent more, and submitted it into box number four.
Then, they waited for the results.
First, was the first auction item.
Because of the prior commotion between the two, it became the focus of the entire venue.
Others paid less attention to the other items.
The first item, a blue-and-white porcelain brush pot depicting a story from the Three Kingdoms, finally sold for a high price of six million.
As announced by the host, a middle-aged man stepped forward, paid, collected his item, and left with a proud smile.
Li Chonglou shook his head. Indeed, there was a reason why people in the antique business were "slaughtered like sheep with half a jar of vinegar."
A Republic of China imitation blue-and-white brush pot was worth a maximum of fifty thousand at the market, yet someone paid six million for it and was still delighted.
This was the gap in understanding.
Of course, no one would shatter his joy; that was basic etiquette.
Next was the second item, a white jade goose with spring water patterns, which became an accessory for a woman in her forties for one million.
This was reasonable, as gold had a price, but jade was priceless; jade was a special item.
This jade piece was indeed an authentic antique, but unfortunately, ancient jade was not as valued as new jade. Its actual market price was around twenty thousand.
However, for the lady, one million was not a large sum to purchase a unique item she desired, not for medicinal purposes.
The third item, a carved lacquer bowl with dragon and phoenix patterns, was also genuine, but because it was lacquerware and had areas where the lacquer had chipped off, its value was diminished, and it finally sold for thirty thousand.
An elderly gentleman acquired it, and this price was considered reasonable, with no significant loss.
When it came to the fourth item, the green stone rectangular seal, a glint flashed in Li Chonglou's eyes, and he listened intently.
"As for this pair of green stone rectangular seals... because their value exceeded our initial estimate, we, the organizers, discussed and decided to announce them last!" The host's words caused a stir throughout the venue.
"Tch..." countless people expressed their disappointment.
Li Chonglou secretly shook his head.
These museum marketing personnel were truly ingenious. Knowing this was a hot topic that could capture most of the attendees.
It might even be used to create another wave of publicity, forcefully holding onto this pair of seals until the very end.
But they were the organizers and held the final right of interpretation.
He could only wait helplessly.
"Next, the fifth item, a peach pit carving of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, done by a master craftsman, the pit has been polished to a sheen like glass or agate, the highest bidder is fifty thousand!" the host continued to announce.
A young man wearing a peach pit carving bracelet paid and went onstage to claim it.
It turned out he wanted it to match the master-crafted bracelet he was wearing, which was reasonable.
"The sixth item is a Kesi silk painting. The highest bid is... eight million and two, awarded to Mr. Zhong Liang!" The host, upon announcing the "bargain" that was released, uncharacteristically announced the name of the winner directly.
The venue erupted in an uproar.
Suddenly, most people realized that this unremarkable textile piece was the actual bargain this time.
At that moment, the sound of people slapping their thighs was heard everywhere.
Lu Xuan's expectant expression froze on her face, her body trembled, and she almost fell.
Her face turned pale, her eyes filled with loss and disappointment.
Li Chonglou quickly supported her. "Sister Xuan, are you alright?"
"Things are unpredictable. Doing your best is all that matters. Not getting it here doesn't mean you've lost everything. I will definitely help you sort out the gift within three days!"
"Believe me."
Li Chonglou's expression was extremely serious; Lu Xuan's failure was something he did not want to see.
He just hadn't expected Zhong Liang to be so astute and accurate. Zhong Liang's focus was on the rectangular seal, which had distracted him.
This was his responsibility, so he had to make amends.