webnovelfull Chapter 505 A Gentleman Does Not Take Away What Others Love
Chapter 505 A Gentleman Does Not Take Away What Others Love
Gu Mobai kept a stern face and said nothing, and the fat man didn't dare to ask any more questions.
As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, the audience erupted in excitement.
People around were holding up signs and raising the price, each one louder than the last.
But Gu Mobai just sat there without moving, not even touching the bidding card.
The fat man rubbed his hands together anxiously and nudged him with his elbow. "Brother Bai, look at that bronze sword! The patterns on the blade are so beautiful. It's definitely worth it to buy it for 70,000 or 80,000!"
Gu Mobai stared at the sword on the stage and said in a cold tone, "It's fake, made to look old."
"What?" The fat man almost jumped up from his chair:
"That's impossible! I took a magnifying glass and looked at it for a long time. The rust on the sword was layered over layer upon layer. Even the Taotie pattern on the hilt was exactly the same as the one in the book!
The gold wire wrapped around the hilt is frayed, how could it be fake?"
He clung to the front seat, eager to rush onto the stage for a closer inspection: "How about we take a closer look? I think this rust color..."
"The rust is made with strong acid corrosion. Real rust will seep into the grain, but this surface rust can be scraped off easily."
Gu Mobai leaned back in his chair, tapping his knees with his fingers. "Also, ancient bronze swords were all cast in sections, so there would be obvious seams where the blade and the hilt meet. Take another look at that one?"
The angle of reflection on the sword body and the distribution pattern of rust are completely different from the real ones I have seen in museums before. After careful consideration, it is indeed a fake made with modern technology.
Although the counterfeiting technique is quite sophisticated, fake is still fake.
At this moment, the buyer nicknamed Wang Quezi shouted at the top of his voice: "Eighty thousand! I want this sword!"
When the fat man heard this, he sneered and raised his bidding card: "One hundred thousand!"
Wang Quezi glanced at the fat man and snorted, "One hundred and twenty thousand! What? You want to rob me? I won't let you succeed!"
He leaned forward on his crutches, his face full of provocation: "Keep adding if you can!"
Gu Mobai replied calmly: "Fifteen thousand..."
Wang Quezi's expression froze as he said, "Where did you come from, little brat? How dare you snatch something from me?"
Gu Mobai looked at him and said, "Why? Isn't this auction open to anyone with money?"
The auctioneer shouted back, "Our auctions here are fair and just."
Wang Quezi laughed sinisterly and said, "18..."
Gu Mobai said without hesitation: "Two hundred thousand..."
The auctioneer was overjoyed. He never dreamed that the first lot would be sold at such a high price.
Originally, this fake sword could only be sold for around ten thousand yuan, but now the price has skyrocketed to over 20 yuan.
Wang Quezi's face flushed with anger. He glared at the fat man and shouted, "You're deliberately going against me, aren't you? 25!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole place erupted in laughter. Some people whispered, "How can a fake sword be worth 25 yuan? Boss Wang must be mad as hell."
Others shook their heads: "They must be displeased with that young man and are deliberately raising the price! I wonder if this young man dares to follow suit."
Looking at Gu Mo Bai again, he had a sullen face and didn't say a word the whole time.
The auctioneer glanced at him several times, hoping that he would bid to disrupt the situation, but Gu Mobai was like nailed to a chair, and he did not move an inch from beginning to end despite the heated discussion on the scene.
Wang Quezi was anxious: "Hey! What do you mean, pretty boy? Weren't you very anxious at the beginning? Why aren't you bidding now?"
Gu Mobai glanced at him calmly and said, "A gentleman doesn't take away what others love. Since you like it so much, I'll give it to you!"
The fat man almost died of laughter: "Ouch! Wang Quezi, look carefully, this is my boss."
"You call yourself the boss, but you're just a kid. Fatty, you're really going backwards." Wang Quezi said sarcastically.
The fat man chuckled and said, "Yeah! I like to recognize him as the boss. It's none of your business. Are you worthy enough to compete with my boss?"
"Okay, very fine, don't even think about buying anything today." Wang Quezi said angrily.
Gu Mobai stared at Wang Quezi and said slowly, "Okay, let's continue playing."
At this time, the staff carried an object covered with red silk onto the stage. When they lifted the cloth, they saw a large tripod half a person's height.
The tripod was covered in rust, with three thick legs supporting its round belly, which was engraved with strange patterns and looked very heavy.
The auctioneer shouted loudly with the microphone:
"Everyone, look carefully! This is a bronze tripod from the Shang Dynasty, a ritual vessel used in sacrifices back then!
Look at the shape and the patterns, they are all authentic things passed down from our ancestors!"
Everyone in the audience stretched their necks to look and whispered about whether it was true or not.
The fat man leaned close to Gu Mobai's ear and whispered, "Boss, is this thing real or fake?"
Gu Mobai didn't say anything, but just stared at the tripod with narrowed eyes.
The auctioneer banged the gavel: "Reserve price: fifty thousand! Bidding begins!"
Wang Quezi immediately raised his hand: "Eighty thousand!"
Others also followed suit and raised the price. You asked for 100,000, and I asked for 150,000. In a short while, the price soared to 200,000.
At this moment, Gu Mobai suddenly said, "Two hundred and fifty thousand."
The sound was not loud, but it made the whole audience quiet down for a moment.
Wang Quezi sneered and slammed his crutch on the ground. "Two hundred and eighty thousand! Boy, you're too young to fight me!"
Wang Quezi's hand holding the sign dropped heavily, and as the auction hammer struck, he raised his eyebrows at Gu Mobai proudly.
Gu Mobai just lowered his eyes and turned the ring on his thumb without even raising his eyes. His aura was so calm that it seemed as if he was watching a farce that had nothing to do with him.
"Is this kid depressed?" Wang Quezi rubbed his chin with a suspicious look.
The guy next to him immediately smiled apologetically:
"You don't know these young guys yet?
If you are halfway through charging your wallet and find that it is empty, you will be in a dilemma!
How can I compare with an old man like you!"
Hearing the compliments, Wang Quezi threw his head back and laughed, his laughter was particularly harsh in the auction hall.
The third item was wrapped in red silk and pushed onto the stage. The moment it was opened, the whole room was in an uproar.
A dazzling piece of pastel porcelain, the bottle is painted with intricate peonies, flowers and birds, and the glaze is so bright that it seems to be dripping with water.
Lin Panpan's eyes lit up instantly, and she leaned forward unconsciously: "This lotus pattern is really exquisite, and this rouge red glaze..."
Gu Mobai caught a glimpse of the unconcealed fondness in her eyes and leaned over to whisper, "Are you so fond of her?"
Lin Panpan's cheeks flushed slightly and she nodded gently:
"It's so beautiful! If it were the real thing, it would cost at least 700,000 or 800,000 yuan.
I’m afraid it will increase more than tenfold in the future…”
Before he finished speaking, a staff member walked up to them carrying porcelain.
Gu Mobai took the magnifying glass and squinted his eyes to scan the bottle inch by inch.
When my fingertips brushed the mouth of the bottle, I suddenly stopped - the glaze looked lustrous, but at a certain angle it had an unusual, stealthy sheen.
He turned the porcelain sideways again, looked at the inscription on the bottom carefully under the light, sighed, and stopped talking.
Lin Panpan asked in his ear: "Isn't this another fake?"