Chapter 1 Emerald Seal

The jade seal that Su Yehao had his eye on wasn't up for auction yet, but he happened to come across a painting by Zhang Daqian called *Summer Mountain Hermitage*.

After the price exceeded four million, only two people continued to raise their paddles.

After they bid it up to four million seven hundred and fifty thousand, and one of them started shaking his head, Su Yehao suddenly raised his paddle and added another fifty thousand.

Another middle-aged man, who thought he had it in the bag, pushed up his glasses and turned to look at Su Yehao. As he raised his paddle, he asked his advisor, "Who's that kid? He looks so young, and he dares to compete with me."

On the stage, the auctioneer was calling out four million eight hundred and fifty thousand, and Su Yehao raised his paddle again, chatting and laughing with Grandpa Tang.

The advisor beside the middle-aged man didn't recognize Su Yehao, but he knew his grandfather.

Instantly realizing something, the advisor hurriedly said, "That must be the young master Su from Sihai International. Rumor has it his family has assets of over ten billion."

"Ah? Never mind then, I can't compete, I can't compete..."

The middle-aged man hurriedly retracted his hand holding the paddle. Although he didn't recognize Su Yehao, the words "assets of over ten billion" were enough to explain many things, such as the fact that he simply didn't care about a few million.

Similar exchanges were happening all over the auction house.

There were plenty of rich people in attendance, but those as wealthy as Su Yehao were few and far between.

Bidding against a young master whose family wealth was knocking on the door of ten billion required immense courage. Even if you succeeded in buying something, you might end up paying extra.

It was just a landscape painting by Zhang Daqian, and this painter was quite "prolific." There were quite a few of his works circulating on the market.

So after Su Yehao raised his paddle a second time, no one competed with him. Mainly because there was no room for profit anymore. The market price was only around four to five million, and after adding commissions and handling fees, that was about it.

After the auctioneer brought down the hammer, Su Yehao felt a surge of satisfaction.

It wasn't so much that he felt he had gotten a bargain, but more that he rarely came across things he wanted to buy. It was his first time attending an auction, and he had bought a piece worth four million nine hundred thousand in the blink of an eye, which made him feel great.

Su Yehao didn't bid on the next few lots until the jade seal appeared on the stage. Then he continued to raise his paddle, again and again, until the price reached two million two hundred thousand, and once again, no one competed with him.

The person who also wanted the seal could only smile wryly to himself.

Trying to compete with Su Yehao's pocket money using your savings was a lost cause. No matter who bid, he would immediately raise his paddle, obviously determined to win. It was quite bullying.

Not long after.

Su Yehao bought a bracelet, a platinum bracelet镶嵌着粉钻的白金手链(set with pink diamonds). He had originally planned to give it to Nong Qingying tonight, but then he realized that Jiang Yu was also there.

Considering the relationship between Jiang Yu and the little girl... in order to avoid a fire at home, he probably had to wait until the little girl came back to give her this bracelet. It was just a "small trinket" worth more than a million, so there was no need to dwell on it.

Then he came across a blue diamond necklace of more than ten carats, and the competition became noticeably fiercer. In the end, it was bought for more than three million.

Jiang Yu wasn't interested in antiques. She lowered her voice and said to Su Yehao, "After you get that bracelet, can you let me experience being a rich woman for a while? Don't worry, I wouldn't lose it even if I lost my head."

Glancing at Jiang Yu, Su Yehao chuckled, "How ambitious. You're living in my house worth hundreds of millions, and you're still not as good as this little stone? Your dad has tens of millions in assets, and it's still bewitching you."

"My dad has never given my mom such expensive jewelry. Just let me wear it for a bit. I'll go wash my hands first..."

Jiang Yu continued to negotiate with him.

Next to them, Zhao Yimeng was much calmer. She had received many diamond gifts since she was a child, some from parents and friends, and some birthday gifts bought by her parents, which she kept as collectible jewelry that would appreciate in value.

The two had a good relationship, but Zhao Yimeng's family was indeed several levels above Jiang Yu's.

Having even said "wash my hands first," how could Su Yehao refuse? He agreed to let her try it on later.

It must be said that jewelers and diamond merchants were very clever. They first attracted women, and then had men pay for it. Fortunately, large colored diamonds were indeed scarce, and with the added value of luxury brands, they also had some room for appreciation.

On the stage.

A painting by Monet was successfully auctioned off for twenty-six million.

The size of the painting was so small that Su Yehao could only see the content of the painting through the projector.

In his opinion, it wasn't as beautiful as the work of his high school classmate, Vera Andrade. Her painting, *Blooming Peach Blossoms*, was still hanging in the penthouse of the Shangfeng Shangshui neighborhood.

Thinking of Vera Andrade, Su Yehao felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

Suddenly remembering this slightly strange white girl, he leaned over to Jiang Yu's ear and asked, "There was a Vera who painted oil paintings at school, do you remember her?"

"I remember her. She's my friend, how could I not know her? Didn't we go to her art exhibition together? Why are you asking about her? Did Vera's paintings go up for auction too?" Jiang Yu's ears were very sensitive, and the airflow from Su Yehao's breath made her feel itchy all over.

She inconspicuously pulled away a little, staring at the screen on the stage, avoiding Su Yehao's gaze.

Su Yehao shook his head and said to Jiang Yu, "No, I just suddenly thought of her. I haven't seen her since leaving middle school. Is she still painting?"

"Yes, I haven't seen her in a long time either. She went back to Portugal with her parents, I think she said she was going to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris." Jiang Yu suddenly remembered something and joked, "You have so many old flames. It's a pity that Vera is a good girl and doesn't pay attention to you at all."

"So only bad girls like me? How can there be someone like you, digging a hole for yourself like a silly girl?"

After Su Yehao finished speaking, he didn't forget to wink at her.

Jiang Yu instantly thought of that drunken night, and enduring the mortification, she said, "Hmph, you heartbreaker, you'd have to be brain-dead to like you..."

An hour passed, and the first half ended.

There was a short ten-minute break, giving the guests time to go to the restroom.

Su Yehao pushed his grandfather's wheelchair to take a look at the small cup. During that time, he also took a fancy to a pair of mammoth ivory carvings. They were large and imposing, suitable for decorating the entrance hall.

At this moment.

He said to the old man, "I thought the auction would be very intense, but now I feel like it's just okay."

Grandpa Tang laughed and scolded him when he heard this,

"You kid just makes money too easily. You're too rich. I still remember the first time I bought an antique, I only had five million in my account, and I spent more than one million to compete with someone. I felt bad about it all night when I got home. Now that you have tens of billions, you certainly don't think these things are expensive. Wait until the autumn auction and you'll see treasures worth hundreds of millions. Every time you bid, you won't feel confident."

Su Yehao asked, "What did you buy for more than one million back then?"

"That was my Qianlong jade seal. Now it can sell for about forty million. Fortunately, I gritted my teeth and bought it."

"...Grandpa is amazing."