Chapter 37: A Waste of Precious Things

"Elaine, what treasures have you discovered in this top-tier mansion? Tell me, I am very curious," Xiao Ran whispered as he walked into the luxury estate.

Elaine began her assessment. "First, the furniture. This mansion is filled with French court-style pieces, all of which are genuine antiques. Both the craftsmanship and the quality of the wood are exceptional."

"Many professional treasure hunters have their eyes on these pieces. The bidding will likely be fierce, though I suspect you might not be interested."

Xiao Ran smiled and nodded. "Indeed. Until I establish a company and a proper sales channel, I generally avoid bidding on large furniture. It takes up too much space and is difficult to handle. Unless, of course, it's a truly rare and highly valuable antique."

After a brief pause, Elaine continued, "Beyond the furniture, there is a significant collection of fine porcelain, including the famous Meissen ware. There are also antique timepieces; just in watches alone, I’ve spotted three vintage Patek Philippes, along with several pieces from Vacheron Constantin and Glashütte."

"There are also unsigned paintings and sculptures of very high quality. Judging by their caliber, they could be works by masters, but their lack of signature is likely why they ended up in this auction."

"Furthermore, there are various antique artifacts, miscellaneous artworks, and even unopened small safes up for auction!"

Hearing this, Xiao Ran’s eyes gleamed with growing excitement.

In the live stream, those who could understand English were already in an uproar.

"Wow! As expected of a Jewish billionaire’s estate auction—the inventory is incredible! We might actually find some massive scores today!"

"Forget everything else, Xiao Ran—if those three vintage Patek Philippes are real, you must bid on them for me! They are incredibly rare back home!"

Xiao Ran responded immediately. "I can't make any promises, I can only do my best. Everyone knows Patek Philippe; everyone wants them. They never have trouble selling."

"As for the other items, I’ll wait until I’ve seen them in person. You guys can take screenshots and have them appraised yourselves."

As he communicated with his fans, the professional treasure hunters standing outside the mansion eyed him with curiosity. Through previous auctions, a few already recognized him, but most were seeing him for the first time. Seeing him walking with Elaine and whispering, they were filled with envy.

"Who is this kid? Is he a new treasure hunter? That pretty girl looks like his employee—he’s got it good!"

"I’ve seen this Chinese kid before. He is definitely new. His eye for value is mediocre, but he’s got deep pockets. He bought a few storage units before and mostly lost money!"

***

While they muttered among themselves, Xiao Ran nodded politely to them as he walked.

Upon entering the mansion, he spotted several familiar faces. Among them were old acquaintances like Sylvia and Garcia, as well as rivals and enemies like Leon and Parsons. Some were busy examining items and formulating their bidding strategies, while others stood in small groups whispering. Every professional hunter there was brimming with excitement, ready to fight for a profit.

When Leon and his cohorts saw Xiao Ran, they froze, looking flabbergasted.

"F*ck! Why is this annoying bastard here? How unlucky!"

"I hope this idiot doesn't lose his mind and drive up the prices like he did at the airport," Leon cursed in frustration.

Parsons and his group were also cursing under their breath, though they had seen Elaine earlier and were somewhat prepared for Xiao Ran's arrival. Still, they were on edge, fearing that Xiao Ran might seek revenge by aggressively bidding against them.

Sylvia and Garcia gave Xiao Ran a polite nod of acknowledgment, but everyone was too busy evaluating the massive collection of items to engage in small talk. Xiao Ran, for his part, treated Leon and Parsons as if they were invisible.

After greeting Sylvia, he turned his attention to the interior of the mansion and the dazzling array of auction items.

The mansion was designed in a French Mediterranean style with bright, rich colors and a sense of depth, with hints of lavender-like hues throughout. The furniture, while not perfectly uniform with the architecture, complemented it beautifully. These classic French court pieces were timeless, well-preserved, and held significant value.

The furniture was covered in various objects, many of which were valuable antiques and artworks. To Xiao Ran’s eyes, these items radiated different colors—some bright, some dim. Through these colors, he could accurately determine their era and whether they were genuine antiques.

The brightness of the colors told him their potential value. As he scanned the colorful display, a look of delight flashed in his eyes behind his sunglasses, though his expression remained perfectly composed.

Just then, Elaine whispered, "Sean, what you see now is only a fraction. Almost every room in this mansion has items on display, and some are of excellent quality. Take your time, and when you’ve decided what you want, you can jump into the bidding."

Xiao Ran nodded. "I understand. But before I start, I need to check with the auction house to see if they allow live streaming. We need to be clear on this before the auction starts, or we might run into trouble."

"Understood. I'll take you to the auction manager; the office is just next door."

As they moved to leave, Xiao Ran suddenly stopped and turned toward two blue lamps on a nearby table. To be precise, they were two sacrificial blue-glazed celestial globes converted into lamps. They were vibrant and seemed to emit a captivating, precious luster.

Xiao Ran paused for a moment. Simultaneously, the live stream exploded.

"Whoa! A pair of sacrificial blue celestial globes! They’re beautiful! They must have been taken out of the country—they could be worth a fortune!"

"What a waste if those foreigners drilled holes in the bottom to make lamps!"

Xiao Ran sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't see any cords on the outside. There is only one possibility: the bottoms have been drilled to thread the wires through."

The live stream was filled with groans of disappointment. "What a tragedy! These foreigners are absolute barbarians!"