The bidding for the painting reached a shocking amount of 280 million dollars and it was still increasing.
"We are at 280 million dollars from the gentle at the back. Can someone give me 285?" The auctioneer stared at the billionaires and the representatives of those not present.
Suddenly, someone increased the bid and he directly increased it by 10 million dollars.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are at 290 million dollars for the Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci."
"295 million dollars!"
Peter also raised his hand and bid 300 million dollars which shocked Arlan. He learned from Krizia that although Peter was rich, his net worth was only over 1 billion dollars. 'He shouldn't have enough liquid assets to bid for the Salvator Mundi. It looks like he is bidding for someone...' Arlan thought while looking at Peter.
The Salvator Mundi painting was a rare piece of art and it has a high collection value. That's why many billionaires were interested in keeping it.
"315 million dollars!" Arlan raised his hand to bid for the painting.
The eyes of everyone present moved towards Arlan. When he won the bid for Meng Tian's spare battle sword, it didn't cause a great commotion, but it was different this time. The bidding for the painting had already exceeded their expectations. Even billionaires would feel a pinch to lose that much money.
"Who is that guy? He can actually bid 315 million dollars for the Salvator Mundi!"
"I don't know who he is, but the person beside him is Peter Bacari, the President of Louis Vuitton. We can interview them later."
The reporters and media personnel memorized Arlan's face. Some of the guests present also became interested in him.
Soon, only a few people were bidding for the painting. Even Peter Bacari had already stopped bidding.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are at 380 million dollars from the man in the front row seats. Is there anyone else who wants to bid?" The auctioneer stared at all the notable bidders and when he saw no reaction from them, he grabbed the gavel and was about to drop it when a representative of a billionaire raised his hand and added 20 million dollars to the current bid.
"400 million dollars for the Salvator Mundi. Can someone give me 405 million?" The auctioneer asked while moving his gaze to Arlan. He felt that this young man could still offer a bid.
"420 million dollars." Arlan shouted. His voice stunned everyone present. The amount he bid was already almost half a billion dollars, but it seemed like he could still offer more.
The eyes of some Hollywood actresses flashed as they stared at the confident Asian man in the front row seats.
Thelma who was sitting beside Arlan was already clapping her hands excitedly as she stared at her boss.
After receiving no response from the other bidders, the auctioneer dropped the gavel and congratulated Arlan for getting the painting. The other guests also congratulated him.
"Congratulations, Arlan!" Peter clapped his hands with a smile. He never thought that the person he invited from a small country was actually a hidden tycoon.
Arlan politely replied to everyone who offered their congratulations. He then went to claim his items with Peter.
Meng Tian's spare battle sword was called Silver Dragon. It was definitely worthy of its name and just by holding it in his hand, Arlan could somehow feel his heart pumping vigorously. The Silver Dragon followed the design of a Miao Dao sword, a Chinese two-handed saber with a narrow blade, long hilt, and an overall length of 1.2 meters.
Arlan put the sword back in its sword case.
The original Salvator Mundi painting was sealed in glass since its material was already very fragile. This was also done to prevent more damage to the painting and to maintain its appearance.
"Hello! I am Harry Pinault, the owner of this auction house. Congratulations on getting the Silver Dragon and the Salvator Mundi. May I ask for your name, Sir?" An old man in his sixties walked towards Arlan and introduced himself.
Arlan was a bit surprised when he heard that the old man was the owner of the auction house. "Hello, Mr. Pinault. My name is Arlan Dominic Roa. It's a pleasure to meet you." He shook hands with the old man.
"Arlan, is it? There will be a party later and all the guests who joined the auction are invited to the party. I hope that you can grace us with your presence. Young people like you should get to know more people." Harry chuckled.
Arlan couldn't decline the offer and Peter was also giving him some hints to accept the invitation. As someone who had just stepped into the business world, he knew how important connections were so nodded his head after a moment of hesitation. "Since Mr. Pinault has personally invited me, how could I decline your invitation?" He smiled at the old man.
"Great! We will talk later. As for your items, just give me your address and I'll have my people send them to your doorstep." Harry laughed heartily. He was a clever old man and he knew his way with words. He chatted briefly with Arlan before he excused himself.
"That old man is quite the character." Arlan muttered.
"You're right. His family is quite famous here in France. They also have a long history that dates back to the late 18th century." Peter whispered into his ears.
"That awesome?" Arlan was surprised by this. For a family to survive that long, one could already imagine how strong their foundation was.
"With Mr. Pinault's personal invitation, many people will be interested in you. I think those Hollywood actresses might even try to get to know you." Peter winked mysteriously at him.
Arlan smiled sheepishly at his words.
Suddenly, Khalon moved closer to him and whispered something shocking. "Boss, there's someone who has been keeping an eye on you. I secretly took a picture of him and his facial features matched Leandro Manzano."
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