The auction hall was already quite crowded, with socialites, renowned appraisers, and security personnel mentioned by Ren Yuanhao filling the space outside. Some young ladies were dressed in simple and elegant attire, reminiscent of plum blossoms.
Ren Yuanhao got out of the car with the painting he was carrying, neat and decisive. The driver almost forgot to collect the fare and leave, but fortunately, Ren Yuanhao was not one to haggle over small amounts.
Carrying the painting on his back, he dusted himself off and was about to head towards the auction hall when he was stopped by a security guard and a young lady.
"Hey, hey, stop there! What are you carrying on your back?"
"I've come here to sell something, of course." Ren Yuanhao was imposing and handsome, but with wealthy people everywhere at the auction, he was merely a bit more attractive in the eyes of the security guard and the young lady.
The young lady, with a hint of professional courtesy in her smile, said, "Since you're here to sell something, please follow me. We need to register you and handle the relevant procedures."
She gestured for him to follow. To her, a young gentleman like Ren Yuanhao was probably just a man whose family had fallen on hard times, coming to sell off items that weren't very valuable or were perhaps fakes, and could be dealt with quickly.
"Please."
If it weren't for Ren Yuanhao's handsome and dashing appearance, the young lady would have been too lazy to even guide him.
Ren Yuanhao, however, paid no mind to the disdain that occasionally flickered in her eyes. He followed her through a dimly lit corridor to the registration room.
"Miss Huang, can't you see we're busy? Don't bring just any Tom, Dick, or Harry in here."
The man speaking was holding a magnifying glass and meticulously examining a piece of calligraphy with great focus.
"The brushstrokes are seasoned and bold, but the ending seems too rushed. The writing flows well, but lacks spirit. This is definitely not a genuine work by Yan XX."
He was pointing and critiquing an older man than himself, his expression one of disappointment.
The outcome was obvious. As the man was about to leave with his calligraphy, the appraiser grabbed him. "Alright, since you're a regular customer, let's put it up for auction later. However, this auction house will charge an extra forty percent, meaning sixty percent goes to you. See?"
"As long as it's appraised by Brother Li Yi, it's guaranteed to fetch a good price. I'm naturally willing."
The man happily put down his calligraphy, expressed his thanks multiple times, and then left.
At this moment, Li Yi finally noticed the painting Ren Yuanhao was carrying.
"Miss Huang, please be more discerning with people in the future, alright? Don't just pull in anyone who's handsome. What good could a man like that have, besides his looks?"
Li Yi seemed to have an innate hostility towards handsome men. He was only about forty years old but was already balding.
Miss Huang stood there with some difficulty and tentatively asked, "Brother Li, perhaps you could take a look if you have a moment?"
"I have time? Don't you see how many items are displayed here? I can't possibly look at them all. The auction starts in half an hour, and you want me to be distracted by him? There's nothing to discuss. Get lost."
Li Yi's gaze fell upon the composed Ren Yuanhao, fueling his anger further. Miss Huang's face flushed slightly, and she said softly, "Sir, how about we attach a tag to your item, and if time permits later, I'll try to get your collection sent up for auction?"
Ren Yuanhao nodded, about to leave, but then remembered something. He added, "Miss, if the auction is successful, I'll give you a ten percent commission."
Miss Huang was attaching the tag, preparing to put it up for auction. Upon hearing Ren Yuanhao's offer, she was quite touched. After all, she had never encountered a client who would give a ten percent commission to an usher.
In fact, the reason she had spoken those words earlier was truly due to his temperament and appearance. If it were someone like Li Yi, she might not have bothered to help.
After thanking him, Miss Huang began to assist with the arrangements.
"Miss Huang, when will you ever improve? This kind of fallen young master has likely pawned off all his family's valuable possessions. If you keep going out of your way for him like this, you'll probably end up with nothing."
Li Yi sighed, lamenting the decline of societal morals, where beautiful women could not resist handsome men, speaking of the current situation.
Miss Huang had been teased and belittled by this man numerous times, remaining silent each time. But this time, she decided to fight back a little. After all, they were both employees, and his arrogant demeanor was irritating to everyone.
"Who knows, it might be another masterpiece. You might regret it deeply later."
"Oh? Miss Huang, I'm just kindly reminding you. I've seen plenty of men like this. They put on airs of being wealthy, but mostly they want to trick young girls into bed. Just you watch, he'll reveal his true colors later."
"Fine, I'll wait for him to reveal his true colors."
"Hmph."
Li Yi smoothed his few thinning strands of hair, and everyone went back to their tasks.
Meanwhile, Ren Yuanhao had also taken his seat with the auction attendees. Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
The auction hall was very well-attended, and with Ren Yuanhao's keen observation, he had already identified several notable families with distinguished backgrounds.
However, the items at the auction were mostly ceramics and calligraphy, none of which Ren Yuanhao needed (mainly because he didn't have the money). After more than an hour, it was finally time for items that had not yet been appraised to be put on the block.
In fact, the high attendance at this auction wasn't entirely due to Li Yi's discerning eye. Sometimes, it was precisely because of Li Yi's eccentric personality that rare and unique items would occasionally be overlooked. However, those who held on until the end were the true connoisseurs.
However, Li Yi seemed unusually diligent this time. He waited another half an hour, but none of the anticipated masterpieces appeared.
The crowd was losing hope and about to leave when Miss Huang suddenly saw Ren Yuanhao. She immediately remembered his item and quickly grabbed the microphone, saying, "May I ask everyone to stay a moment? I just recalled an item and would like to present it for everyone's appraisal."
"Pah, appraise? You're about to be utterly embarrassed, all the way to the Pacific." Li Yi snorted disdainfully and, along with a few insiders beside him, sat back to watch her make a fool of herself.
"Hey, hey, hey, Li Yi, what's your beef with this girl?" an associate asked.
"No beef, it's just that this silly woman promised a man who wants to trick her into bed that she would exhibit his collection, and she even offered a ten percent commission."
"Damn, that's clearly a move to pick her up! Such a high commission."
"Isn't that the truth? Ah, let's wait and see her embarrass herself."
The crowd buzzed with discussion. While Miss Huang's professional knowledge wasn't on par with Li Yi's, many were drawn to her beauty and were willing to stay.