Three items were being auctioned simultaneously, with a starting price of 2 million pounds. Many attendees had the means to buy them, but the real question was whether they were willing to pay a price higher than expected and if they believed in the potential appreciation of ancient Chinese antiques.
After a brief pause of about ten seconds, someone raised their paddle.
Seeing the bid, the auctioneer breathed a sigh of relief and happily announced, "2 million pounds, 2 million, bidder number 32 offers 2 million pounds. Anyone else want to place a bid?"
"2.1 million pounds," Daniel Davis glanced at his companions. Seeing them nod in agreement, he raised his paddle.
A few minutes later, the price had risen to 3.6 million pounds, already 20% higher than the estimated value of the three zodiac heads. There were now fewer bidders.
The current price was approaching Daniel's group's limit. They had only brought 50 million yuan for this trip, and if the price exceeded 4.2 million pounds, they wouldn't have enough money.
As the price went beyond expectations, the auctioneer excitedly called out, "3.7 million pounds, bidder number 14 offers 3.7 million pounds. Anyone else?" The average price of antiques at today's auction had already exceeded expectations by 30%, meaning the auctioneer stood to make a substantial commission once the auction ended.
In just a few rounds, as Daniel's team grew increasingly anxious, the price quickly reached 4.3 million pounds. Before they could decide whether to ask for help from their group, the price had already surged to 4.5 million pounds.
"Forget it, no need to ask for permission. Without 5 million pounds, there's no way we'll get it. Over 60 million yuan is way beyond what we can afford," said Mr. Liu, who had been silent until now. He turned to William Devonshire and said, "Mr. Devonshire, it's up to you now. Rather than let someone else get these treasures, I'd rather see them in your hands."
William suddenly responded, "How about we make a deal?"
"What kind of deal?" Daniel quickly asked, sensing a possible turning point.
William didn't answer directly. Instead, he raised his hand, snapped his fingers, and said to the auctioneer, "5 million pounds."
"FK," several of the remaining bidders immediately cursed under their breath. William, who had been quiet all this time, had finally made his move.
Ignoring the sudden commotion in the room, William turned to Daniel and said, "I'm interested in jadeite, bloodstone, Tianhuang stone, mutton fat jade, huanghuali wood, and sapphires. How about you help me acquire them, and I'll give you a 5% commission?"
"Hah, 5%? Do you think this is an auction house? The lowest commission I know of is at least 10%," Daniel glared at William, mocking him. "You're really a capitalist, down to the last penny, trying to squeeze a few hundred thousand in commission from us hardworking folks."
"10% it is," William replied without a hint of embarrassment, "but I only want the best. I'm not interested in anything ordinary. Oh, and if you can find me a top-grade gemstone over 100 carats, I'll give you a 1 million pound commission. I'll also help you secure these three zodiac heads, and we can deduct the cost from future commissions. What do you think?"
"This..." Daniel hesitated. Finding top-grade gems was incredibly difficult. It required connections, and even if they knew someone who had one, what if that person wasn't willing to sell?
"5 million pounds, Mr. Devonshire bids 5 million. Anyone else?" The auctioneer, thrilled by William's bid, called out, "5 million, going once."
One of the previous bidders hesitated for a few seconds before raising their paddle.
"5.1 million."
William immediately raised his paddle again.
"5.2 million pounds, Mr. Devonshire bids 5.2 million pounds. Any other bids?" the auctioneer asked excitedly.
"What do you need a top-grade sapphire for?" Daniel asked.
"You probably know my mother's birthday is coming up. I plan to have a crown made for her, adorned with only the finest gems over 100 carats. I already have the best colorless and pink diamonds and rubies, but I'm missing a sapphire. If you can help me find one, I'd be very grateful."
"My God," Professor Guan exclaimed. "A crown made entirely of top-grade gems over 100 carats? Just the value of those stones alone would exceed 100 million dollars."
He looked at William in astonishment. Seeing that William didn't even flinch at the thought, merely shrugging, he shook his head. "Now I understand how extravagant the lives of top-tier English nobles are. Celebrating a birthday with priceless jewelry and even gifting Premier League football teams. The gifts alone cost hundreds of millions of dollars. I can't imagine how much you'd spend when you get married."
"Alright, enough with the envy," Mr. Liu interjected, stopping the chatter. "People can spend their money however they like. We just don't have the luck to be blessed with a child as wealthy as Lady Lina."
"Haha, Mr. Liu, you're right. Some things just can't be envied," the group nodded in agreement. Still, their gazes toward William grew even more eager.
Spending 700 million pounds to build a stadium, training grounds, and a museum was one thing, but splurging hundreds of millions on a birthday celebration was entirely another.
After a few chuckles, Mr. Liu spoke up. "Mr. Devonshire, we'll help you find the finest gems, no problem, but we won't accept your commission. Instead, we'll do it out of friendship. So, please go ahead and secure the three zodiac heads for now, and we can talk about the rest later."
"Heh," William glanced at the old fox in front of him, both surprised and unsurprised. Internally, he cursed, "Old fox."
He didn't believe there was any real friendship between him and these people, having only met them a few times. Refusing his commission was just a way to make him owe them a favor, which they could cash in later on something else.
But what Mr. Liu might not know was that William could be incredibly shameless when it suited him. Unless it was in his interest, he wouldn't acknowledge any unwritten promises. Even if he did, he'd make sure to get something in return first.
After all, William wasn't planning on doing business in China, so he didn't need these people. If he wanted to buy jade or mutton fat jade, he could always find middlemen, no problem. The saying "no desires, no weaknesses" wasn't just for show.
"No problem," William replied, giving Mr. Liu a meaningful look. "We'll talk later."
Daniel, watching this exchange, regretted not briefing everyone on William's personality beforehand.
As they were speaking, the auctioneer deliberately raised his voice, "5.3 million pounds, going twice. Anyone else? These are three of the twelve remaining zodiac heads in the world. If you miss this chance, it won't come again anytime soon."
William had lost interest in small bids, so he directly called out, "6 million pounds."
"Damn it."
"Oh my God, is he crazy? 6 million is double the actual value!"
When the bid for 6 million pounds was announced, the room filled with the sound of gasps, followed by a clamor of chatter.
"6 million pounds, going once. 6 million pounds, going twice," the auctioneer glanced at the last bidder, who shook his head. The auctioneer then swiftly banged the gavel. "6 million pounds, sold!"
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