Everyone was stunned, their faces full of surprise as they looked at You Xianchao, not expecting him to bid again!
Feeling the foolish stares from the crowd, You Xianchao wished he could disappear into a crack in the floor.
However, Chen Fan did not continue bidding. Instead, he looked at You Xianchao with a playful smile, cupped his hands, and said, "Mr. You is truly wealthy, I am impressed."
"It's just an extra 210,000 yuan, I can still afford it," You Xianchao glared at Chen Fan angrily.
He did all this, naturally, to prevent the middle-aged man beside him from underestimating his capabilities.
Chen Fan smiled without a word. At this moment, the auctioneer's hammer fell, and the Song Dynasty Jizhou kiln carved porcelain dragon-patterned celestial vase was finally sold to You Xianchao for 1.31 million yuan.
"You're too wicked," Qin Shuran only then understood why Chen Fan had bid, and she covered her mouth, giggling.
Chen Fan whispered in response, "It's a rare opportunity, of course, I have to make him bleed a little."
"Next, the second item for auction, a classic silk scroll by Li Sixun of the Tang Dynasty, with a starting bid of 1.5 million, with increments of no less than 20,000. The bidding begins now."
"1.52 million!"
"1.54 million."
...
As the bidding commenced, calls echoed throughout the auction hall, with prices soaring to 1.8 million yuan, and still showing signs of further increase.
"2 million!" Just as the bidding reached a stalemate, Chen Fan's voice rang out again.
This time, Chen Fan's face held a hint of suppressed excitement, as if he were deliberately trying to conceal it, but his eyes, fixed on the scroll on display, betrayed his inner thrill.
This "Classic Silk Scroll by Li Sixun of the Tang Dynasty" was of immense collectible value, with significant future appreciation potential, far exceeding 2 million yuan.
"2.02 million," a collector from Jiangcheng bid, his voice cautious.
"2.6 million," Chen Fan once again declared a high price.
The hall erupted in a commotion. This was an auction, not a vegetable market; this was 2.6 million yuan, not 260 yuan!
Chen Fan, still suppressing his excitement, gave off an air of determination to win.
Qin Shuran and Qin Minmin exchanged glances, both looking surprised that Chen Fan had bid so high again.
Qin Shuran knew Chen Fan wouldn't actually buy this item, but she couldn't understand why he was bidding so high. If he actually won, wouldn't it be a waste of money?
"Chen Fan, your bid is too high," Qin Shuran whispered a reminder.
"Mr. Number 66, bidding 2.6 million for the first time. Are there any further bids?"
"2.6 million for the second time. If there are no further bids, this classic silk scroll by Li Sixun of the Tang Dynasty will belong to Mr. Number 66."
Hearing this, Qin Shuran's heart leaped into her throat.
"3 million." Just as the auctioneer was about to bring down the hammer, You Xianchao's voice sounded again.
"Mr. Number 26 has bid 3 million! 3 million for the first time, are there any further bids?" The auctioneer's face turned red with excitement.
Everyone in the hall turned their attention to You Xianchao. They all knew this was You Xianchao deliberately targeting Chen Fan.
"This kid is out of luck. 3 million yuan is far beyond the original value of this item."
"It's mainly because this kid doesn't know how to bid. Look, he can't even hide his emotions. How can he not be targeted?"
"Who told him to provoke Mr. You earlier? This is what they call 'reaping what he sows'."
"He made Mr. You pay an extra 200,000, and this time, he probably won't be able to get this item without bleeding."
Many people were discussing in hushed tones, all believing Chen Fan had shot himself in the foot.
You Xianchao also gave Chen Fan a mocking glance, his eyes full of smugness.
"Mr. Number 26, bidding 3 million for the second time. Are there any other gentlemen who wish to bid? Mr. Number 66, do you wish to continue bidding?" The auctioneer directly asked Chen Fan.
He could tell that Chen Fan seemed very eager to obtain this item.
"No, since Mr. You likes it, I'll let him have it," Chen Fan waved his hand in response.
A gasp!
The entire hall was in an uproar, everyone was dumbfounded.
You Xianchao was also bewildered, his previous expression frozen on his face.
"If you don't have money, don't attend auctions. Aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourself in front of two beautiful ladies?" You Xianchao said, suppressing his anger and looking at Chen Fan.
The previous excitement on Chen Fan's face vanished, and he smiled calmly, "Mr. You, I'm not an idiot. Why would I spend 3 million yuan to buy this item?"
You Xianchao suddenly realized that Chen Fan had been playing him all along!
"Bang!"
The auctioneer's hammer fell again.
This sound shattered You Xianchao's heart. He hadn't expected to be tricked by a young brat! He had spent three million yuan on a worthless painting!
For the subsequent items, You Xianchao remained completely silent, his face dark throughout, not bidding a single time.
He now wished he could rush over and strangle Chen Fan to death, and he vowed that after dealing with Sun Xiao's matter, he would make Chen Fan pay for offending him!
In the following auctions, Chen Fan would occasionally make a bid, each time showcasing his acting skills to the fullest.
Especially when Xu Yaolin was bidding on a cut ice-type imperial green jade rough, Chen Fan drove the price up to an outrageous level.
This led to Xu Yaolin purchasing the item at an extremely high price.
Although there was still profit margin, it was almost negligible, which almost drove Xu Yaolin to death on the spot.
And when facing Xue Changrong of Zhenbao Pavilion bidding on a piece of porcelain, Chen Fan showed no mercy, driving up his prices to the maximum each time.
The reason Chen Fan could accurately grasp their psychology was all thanks to his eyes. Every time he bid, Chen Fan would hold his breath and observe the fluctuations in their heartbeats, gaining insight into all their psychological activities instantly.
"Damn it, could this kid be a shill?"
"He always bids the highest, but he hasn't actually bought anything."
"I think he's a shill. Look at his clothes, they're probably not worth as much as my socks, yet he's sitting in a VIP seat. How is that possible?"
"This auction is disgusting, they actually hired a shill to trick us. I must complain to the Auction Association!"
Chen Fan's behavior had already aroused the resentment of many people.
Soon, the rumor that Chen Fan was a shill spread throughout the entire venue.
As a result, anything Chen Fan bid on would not receive any counter-bids. In just a few minutes, Chen Fan had acquired two valuable antiques at extremely low prices.
This caused the auction house's management considerable pain, and even the auctioneer wished he could go up and beat Chen Fan severely.
"Next, item number 74, a box of Ming Dynasty gold thread, starting bid 5 million, with increments of no less than 20,000. Bidding begins now!"
"5.02 million."
"5.04 million."
Bidding sounds once again echoed through the hall.
Upon seeing this item appear, Qin Minmin's eyes lit up with excitement. This was precisely why they had come here!
"5.1 million," Chen Fan's voice rang out, his eyes also burning with intensity.
"This kid is trying to trick others again."
"Kid, we've seen through your and the auction house's tricks. Don't expect us to bid, not a chance."
"No one bid. Let's wait for the auctioneer to bring down the hammer, and then let him pay. If this kid can't afford it, these items will naturally go unsold, and then we can offer a reasonable price and still get them." Many people started shouting, especially Lü Shaowen, who seemed to have seen through Chen Fan's ploy and was cleverly calling out.