UPWR1BY **Chapter 606: Promised to Bid Together, But You Secretly Backed Out**
**Chapter 606: Promised to Bid Together, But You Secretly Backed Out**
"Next up, the second auction item," Ye Xiu announced. Another elegantly dressed woman in a cheongsam approached, holding a wooden tray covered with a red cloth. The shape underneath suggested it was a bowl. With a smile, Ye Xiu unveiled the item, revealing its true form: "This is today's second auction piece, the Ru Kiln Sky-Blue Glazed Sunflower Wash Basin!"
Ye Xiu continued, "Those familiar with ceramics know that Ru Kiln represents the pinnacle of Chinese porcelain. There are only 79 known pieces in existence worldwide. This particular piece dates back over 900 years to the Northern Song Dynasty. It has a diameter of 13.5 cm, with six sunflower-shaped petals, slightly flared rim, shallow belly, and thin walls. The contours are delicate, with a foot ring slightly flared outwards and three small sesame-ding marks on the bottom. In 2012, a similar piece sold for HKD 207.86 million at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong. However, that was eight years ago. You can imagine the current value. The starting bid is 2 billion yuan, with minimum increments of 10 million yuan. Let the bidding begin!"
The crowd gasped in amazement. "It's a Ru Kiln! And from the Northern Song Dynasty!" exclaimed one person. Another added, "I was at the Sotheby's auction in 2012. Zhao Yuancheng bought it for 2 billion HKD, and it hasn't been seen since. I can't believe it's here in the Yuanwen Museum!" The excitement grew as everyone anticipated what other treasures the auction might hold.
Bidding started immediately. A man in his thirties, Zhao Chenghu, known for his wealth and influence in Beijing's high society, opened with a bid of 2.1 billion yuan. He was clearly trying to show off his wealth. Ye Xiu acknowledged the bid and asked if anyone else wanted to offer more.
Just then, Dong Pingwei raised his paddle, bidding 2.2 billion yuan. Zhao Chenghu's confident demeanor faltered as he looked over at Dong Pingwei, who was the vice president of a major company and not someone to be underestimated. Despite his irritation, Zhao Chenghu raised the bid to 2.3 billion yuan, hoping to end the competition. However, Dong Pingwei calmly countered with 2.4 billion yuan.
The two continued to bid against each other, with Dong Pingwei always slightly outbidding Zhao Chenghu. Frustrated, Zhao Chenghu eventually shouted, "Four billion!" He thought to himself that this was well above the Ru Kiln's actual value and hoped to scare off any further competition.
Dong Pingwei, smiling, put down his paddle and said, "You win."
Stunned, Zhao Chenghu watched as Ye Xiu confirmed the sale: "Four billion once, four billion twice, four billion three times, sold! The Ru Kiln goes to Mr. Zhao for four billion yuan!" As the crowd murmured their admiration for Zhao's boldness, he felt a mix of anger and regret. The flattery from others felt more like mockery, and he mentally vowed to get back at Dong Pingwei for pushing him into such an exorbitant purchase.