The auction was still in progress.
Regarding the preceding pieces, although each one caused the attendees to gasp, Su Yu wasn't particularly interested in them.
His goal was clear: he was here to bid on "The Scream."
"Jin Chengxian, aren't you bidding on a painting?"
Sean and the others were seated in the latter half of the auction.
Despite Jin Chengxian's influential connections, there were too many industry bigwigs present, and as an outsider, he could only sit in his designated spot.
Unless he could, like Su Yu, have a recognized master arranging a few seats for him.
"Of course, I came to this exhibition specifically to bid on paintings," Jin Chengxian's gaze kept returning to Su Yu, intentionally or not.
He felt that wherever Su Yu was, the spotlight would be stolen.
It was like that everywhere.
His greatest relief was that at the previous jewelry auction hosted by Master Charlie, Ting Yu hadn't attended, allowing him to show off properly.
Even though the mysterious individual who bought the "Meteorite" diamond for a billion stole his thunder, Jin Chengxian still shone brightly at that auction. Later, after gifting the bracelet to Park Yoon Min, other members of the Korean girl group found out, and many women discreetly sought him out for deeper interactions.
This was Jin Chengxian's joy.
"Then why aren't you making a move? Isn't it boring just watching?" Losov asked.
"Nothing here has caught my eye yet. Why would I bid? I have money, I'm not an idiot, buying everything?" Jin Chengxian was starting to get annoyed with Losov. This person's brain and mouth were truly detestable.
"I thought you'd buy anything casually..." Losov scratched his head and chuckled good-naturedly.
Just then.
A staff member brought out a painting titled "Running."
Jin Chengxian's eyes lit up!
The others also wore expressions of a certain understanding.
"This is it!" Jin Chengxian laughed heartily, preparing to place a bid.
This was also an oil painting, depicting a Western woman running in a field. What was special about this woman was that she was completely nude. The painter's skill was evident, with abundant detail.
"As expected of you!" Sean silently gave a thumbs-up.
Everyone present was involved in the art circle, and most possessed a degree of "prim and proper" demeanor. Even if they liked this kind of painting, they would keep it to themselves.
But Jin Chengxian directly stated that he liked this painting, "Running."
As expected of a playboy who had seen countless women, he didn't care how others viewed him.
"Seventy million!"
However.
The first bid wasn't from Jin Chengxian.
It came from the master-level painter Chang Yu from China.
"It seems you came to this exhibition specifically for this painting, Chang Yu," Milo said with a smile.
Anyone familiar with Chang Yu knew that his specialty was painting this type of subject. This painting, titled "Running," was a representative work by a very famous Western artist.
"It's not that I must acquire it. If I encounter something I like, I naturally have to make a move," Chang Yu explained with a smile.
Of course.
Many people in the hall desired this painting.
Chang Yu's bid of seventy million was far from everyone's psychological expectation.
Soon, after multiple rounds of bidding, the price broke the one hundred million mark.
This auction was the most top-tier on the entire Blue Star, so it wasn't strange for the auctioned pieces to reach one hundred million.
"One hundred and ten million," Chang Yu said after raising his paddle. He then placed his bidding number down.
Clearly signaling to his opponents that 110 million was his limit, and he wouldn't bid higher.
"One hundred and ten million..." Jin Chengxian, who had been considering a bid, hesitated.
In his opinion, this was slightly beyond his expectations.
After all, he wasn't in this industry. Paintings, to him, were just artworks; even their effect on the women he gifted them to wasn't as strong as a handbag or a piece of jewelry.
Spending so much money just to show off felt a bit not worth it to Jin Chengxian.
"Keep going! They've given up. A little more and you can definitely get it!" Losov nudged Jin Chengxian with his shoulder.
The latter's face was covered in black lines.
You're saying it so easily! That's over a hundred million US dollars, not just a bunch of cheap cabbages!
However, when he saw the other producers staring at him with expectant eyes, even Sean watching him.
This display of wealth was proving to be a bit painful...
"One hundred and fifteen million!"
He was going all out.
To get the praise of these few guys, he'd splurge today!
Moreover, Ting Yu was present, so he couldn't let Ting Yu steal all the limelight!
With this thought, Jin Chengxian looked towards the front row where Su Yu sat among a crowd of industry elites. Seeing Su Yu actually look back at him, his pained expression abruptly changed, followed by a surge of ecstasy.
Being able to attract Ting Yu's attention made him feel that this money spent today was worth it!
Although in music he no longer wanted to compete with Ting Yu, he still cared about other aspects, especially regarding money. He hadn't managed to show off with his previous expenditure, but this time he truly had!
"Alas... it seems I have no fate with this painting," Chang Yu shook his head.
For everything, no matter how much one liked it, there was a psychological price. Beyond that psychological price, for people with such strong self-control, it was rare for them to get carried away.
Thus, Chang Yu chose to give up.
"What a pity..." Su Yu also shook his head with a hint of regret.
...
Ultimately.
The painting "Running" was acquired by Jin Chengxian.
He also managed to attract the attention of many industry insiders with this bid.
"As expected of Jin Chengxian, a top-tier magnate!" Losov was always supportive.
If he hadn't known Losov's straightforward nature, Jin Chengxian might have thought he was being sarcastic. However, given Losov's personality, his praise was genuine; he never concealed anything.
"Seen something new!"
"Jin Chengxian, your life is the envy of all of us!"
"We all have to be mindful of our image, even when dating, we do it discreetly. Jin Chengxian doesn't have to; his persona is like that, everyone knows it. Honestly, I'm quite envious."
The producers sincerely envied Jin Chengxian's life.
His initial impression was that of a playboy, someone who didn't need to care about others' opinions. The more flirtatious he was, the more women liked him because it gave them a chance.
"Haha, I'm just paying for my hobby," Jin Chengxian said, his gaze sweeping over the painting. Although his heart ached a little, his face remained beaming.
Upon hearing this, everyone gave him a knowing look.
Art has value only in the hands of those who understand it.
Jin Chengxian understood this painting.
As the auction continued.
Finally, it was time for the ultimate prize, "The Scream."
This was the most valuable and most famous painting of the day, and most people were interested in it.
"It's starting. This is the real battle between the magnates!" Jin Chengxian suddenly became serious.
This painting was truly worthy of the phrase "paying for a hobby."
This painting's value ranked among the top ten on the Blue Star. When an artwork reached such a high value, unless there was genuine love for it, few people would be willing to spend so much money to buy a painting!