Chapter 296: This Thing Is Enough to Change the World!
Can 2 Billion Even be Considered Expensive? (1)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“1 billion as the starting bid?” someone exclaimed in disbelief.
“Is it really that amazing?
“Isn’t it just a pile of old metal? Are they really worth 1 billion?”
“This is a set of chime bells from the Qin Dynasty. It is no exaggeration to say that these percussion instruments have rewritten the history of music. 1 billion is not expensive at all.”
“This is even more intricate than the Zeng Yihou chime bells, and they can play several more notes. Foreigners are currently raving about it, saying that over 2,000 years ago, China already had such a perfect and complex musical instrument?”
“Yes, this is a heavyweight cultural relic. 1 billion is a price befitting its status!”
Lin Yide chuckled and made the first bid, “The Jiangnan Museum bids 1.01 billion!”
“1.02 billion!”
Everyone immediately recognized the situation.
They knew that the fierce competition among museums had begun.
A few days ago, there had been some smaller items, although some museums were involved.
But those were merely minor skirmishes.
Today, they were all heavyweight cultural relics.
There was bound to be an intense, yet smokeless, battle.
Suddenly, a voice with a regal feminine tone rang out from the back row.
99 percent of the wealthy people present turned to look at the source of the voice.
After all, museum representatives were usually seated in the front rows.
Those who bid from the back row had to be private collectors.
But could a private collector really bid on such an item? “Wow! Who is that beautiful woman? She’s stunning!”
“Don’t you know her? That’s the famous singer, Liu Hanyan!” “It’s really Liu Hanyan? The diva who won awards three years in a row?”
“A big star is here to participate in the auction? Doesn’t she know the rules? This is a national treasure-level item. Can it even be sold to a private collector?”
“Do singers make that much money? Can she really afford 2 billion?”
Everyone was astonished.
How could an actress afford to bid so much?
It seemed that the entertainment industry was indeed a lucrative sector.
“Miss Liu Hanyan, may I ask if you are aware that this is a national treasure-level cultural relic?” Qin Rubing politely inquired, her face full of warmth.
“Hello, Miss Qin. Of course, I know this is a national treasure-level item. Private bids are not allowed, but… I am representing the top music university in the country. I want to purchase it and donate it to my alma mater!” Upon hearing Liu Hanyan’s explanation, everyone suddenly understood.
If that was the case, it was entirely possible.
After all, the top music school, the Zhongyang Music School, was officially sanctioned by the government.
“2.01 billion! This item belongs to the Shanghai Museum!” Sun Daozhen cared not of the singer’s alma maters; he immediately raised the bid.
The highest bidder would win.
This was not a place for sentimentality.
If you wanted an item, you had to pay for it.
This complete set of chime bells could not be acquired for a mere 2 billion. Little girl, you are too naive.
If it were “incomplete,” the value of the chime bells would not be so high. But an entire set of the musical system was absolutely priceless.
2 billion to acquire a bargain?
Such naivety from a little star.
“2.2 billion!” Liu Hanyan smiled faintly and continued bidding.
“2.25 billion!” The Guangdi Museum countered.
“2.26 billion!” The Shanghai Museum raised their bid.
“Heh, Mr. Sun from the Shanghai Museum, it seems you’ve prepared quite a bit of funds this time, haven’t you? You’re even more ruthless than usual!” Lin Yide inquired about the situation.
“Of course, I can afford tens of billions easily!” Sun Daozhen nodded confidently.
“Heh, 2.27 billion!”
“2.3 billion!” Liu Hanyan bit her seductive red lips, appearing somewhat delicate but resolute as she raised her bid again.
“2.31 billion!” Lin Yide continued to bid.
This subtle display of power was truly intimidating.
It was evident that the museums present today had abundant funds.
“How much money does Lin Yide have this time? Is he not planning to participate in the later national treasures?”
“He’s probably just going all out to secure this one piece!”
“That’s right; he won’t have any money left for the subsequent items!”
Taking into account Lin Yide’s cunning from the previous auction, the crowd deduced his strategy.
The Jiangnan Museum was good at calculating.
They did not have much money, but they spent it wisely.
At the last auction, the Guangdi Museum had tried to save money for the final dragon robe but ended up missing out on earlier treasures. In the end, the dragon robe was snatched away by the Long Jianfei from the Palace Museum.
However, today, the old man seemed to be quiet.
“It’s a pity. I don’t have much money left. I’d better not follow up!” Liu Hanyan lamented as she glanced at the auction table.
She had been naiVe to think that with billions, she could definitely secure the item.
But the museums were just too formidable.
“My goodness! It’s already at 2.4 billion?”
“The transaction amount for this single cultural relic is already half the total amount from the past four days!”
“Yeah, it’s terrifying!”
“Give me a heart-relief pill! I can’t take it anymore!”
Soon, Qin Rubing approached the storage area for the terracotta warriors. There were too many of them, making it difficult to move, so they were not brought onto the stage.
“These terracotta warriors, numbering at 99 of them, have been appraised by experts. In terms of design and craftsmanship, they are almost identical to the terracotta warriors of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s, which is normal since they come from the same era! The key is that the colors on these terracotta warriors are well preserved!”
“Moreover, you should all know that there are no auction records for terracotta warriors in the market! So this may be your only opportunity to bid on terracotta warriors! Representatives of major museums, do not miss this chance!”
“The starting bid for each warrior is 30 million!”
Upon hearing the starting price of 30 million, no one looked down on it.
After all, such an unprecedented cultural relic had never appeared on the market before..
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