Malicious Bidding (Part 2)  

"Brother Man, if you can't acquire that painting, you could always purchase something else…" 

Noticing the look of disappointment on Man Jun's face, Fang Yi felt a spark of inspiration and said, "I spotted a fragment of the 'Yongle Dadian' up on the stage, Brother Man. That is truly a remarkable item! In my opinion, the 'Yongle Dadian' is worth far more than the paintings of the Eight Great Mountain Man…" 

Fang Yi's statement was partially correct and partially misguided. The original version of the 'Yongle Dadian' had long been lost; the copy he had seen was a reprint from the Jiajing era. Although only a little over eight hundred copies exist worldwide, making it exceedingly rare, the price of this single volume might not necessarily surpass that of the Eight Great Mountain Man's artworks. 

However, when it comes to the cultural significance and historical value of these two items, the paintings of the Eight Great Mountain Man pale in comparison to the 'Yongle Dadian.' As the saying goes, treasures should be sold to those who recognize their worth. If this particular 'Yongle Dadian' were to come into the possession of Sun Lianda from the local faction in Jinling, he would likely spend his entire fortune to acquire it. 

"A fragment of the 'Yongle Dadian'? Those are everywhere in the market; how could any be authentic?" 

Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, Man Jun did not even lift his head as he replied, "I can believe there are old versions of the Kangxi Dictionary, but the 'Yongle Dadian' has been tarnished by fakes; no genuine copies have surfaced in the market…" 

While other cities might not have many opportunities for counterfeit 'Yongle Dadian' editions to appear, Jinling is where Zhu Di compiled the 'Yongle Dadian,' and thus the local collectors harbor a hope of unearthing an authentic copy. 

Antique dealers have exploited this sentiment to engage in rampant forgery. A few years ago, they sold numerous printed and engraved editions of the 'Yongle Dadian,' and Man Jun was no exception; his shop had received over a hundred copies, and he regularly showcased one, earning himself a tidy profit of over ten thousand yuan. 

Therefore, upon hearing the words 'Yongle Dadian,' Man Jun immediately associated it with counterfeit items. He had indeed seen that book on stage, but he never truly believed it to be genuine. 

"Indeed, authentic 'Yongle Dadian' copies are scarce in circulation; most have been collected by museums across various countries…" 

Listening to Fang Yi and Man Jun discuss the 'Yongle Dadian,' Yu Xuan interjected. He had also noticed the book earlier, but he was preoccupied with examining other items, and his thoughts aligned closely with Man Jun's, leading him to disregard the book entirely. 

"Brother Man, I genuinely believe that book appears to be authentic…" 

Fang Yi understood that as a newcomer, his words carried little weight. However, he resolved that if Man Jun did not bid on the ancient texts later, he would ask to borrow money to secure it. Knowing it was a valuable item, he could not allow it to fall into someone else's hands. 

"A batch of eight miscellaneous antiques, starting price ten thousand. Is there anyone willing to bid?" After half an hour, the ancient jade and rare texts had yet to be auctioned, while the miscellaneous items that Su Shilun had previously examined were now at the forefront. 

"Fifty thousand…" Su Shilun raised his paddle without hesitation. For him, money was merely a number; it was the exchange for something he cherished that mattered, regardless of the cost. 

Naturally, Su Shilun's bold bid of fifty thousand struck others as extravagance. However, he was well aware that even if the cricket gourd belonged to Yu Xuan, the sole genuine snuff bottle among the items was already valued at over one hundred thousand in the current market. 

"Fifty thousand! Bidder number twenty-seven has offered fifty thousand. Is there anyone else willing to raise their bid? Alright, fifty thousand for the first time, fifty thousand for the second time, fifty thousand sold!" 

After calling out for a while without any competitors for Su Shilun, the host decisively brought down the auction hammer. He knew these items had been acquired cheaply from abroad; even selling them for ten thousand would still yield a profit. 

"Twelve ancient texts from the Ming and Qing dynasties, starting price twenty thousand, with increments of two thousand. Is there anyone willing to bid?" 

Fang Yi was taken aback when, following the sale of the miscellaneous items, the next auction featured the ancient texts, and he felt a pang of anxiety upon realizing that the starting price was a staggering twenty thousand, double that of the previous items. 

However, Fang Yi did not rush to bid. He had limited funds, only enough for a single bid, so he planned to wait until no one else was offering before the host announced a failed auction, believing that would minimize competition. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, after our examination, we have determined that within this batch of ancient texts, there is a set of reading notes by the Qing dynasty scholar Cai Xin, which is exceptionally valuable…" 

Noticing the silence from the audience, the host began to elaborate further, causing Fang Yi to feel a twinge of frustration. If this talkative host refrained from elaborating so extensively, he could have made a more confident bid when the auction neared its conclusion. 

Fang Yi was familiar with Cai Xin; he was a scholar during the Qianlong era, known for his work 'Collected Poems of the Jizhai.' Historically, he was the true director of the 'Siku Quanshu,' not the legendary Ji Xiaolan. 

Moreover, Cai Xin lived a long life, having been born in 1707 and passing away in 1799 at the age of ninety-two, making him a highly esteemed elder in the Qing dynasty. 

"Twenty thousand, I bid twenty thousand. We could certainly learn from Cai Xin's reading notes…" 

As expected, upon the host announcing Cai Xin's name, someone immediately raised a bid, and Fang Yi recognized the bidder as none other than Xie Qingyang, who had just competed with Man Jun for the painting of the Eight Great Mountain Man. 

"Damn it! He didn't bid until Cai Xin's name was mentioned…" 

Man Jun cursed under his breath, though he chose not to raise his own bid. The ancient texts, apart from the 'Yongle Dadian,' which was relatively intact, were largely in poor condition, and even if they bore Cai Xin's handwriting, they wouldn't fetch much. 

"I bid twenty-two thousand…" To Man Jun's surprise, Fang Yi suddenly seized the paddle from his hand and declared, "I'll raise it, twenty-two thousand…" 

Fang Yi had brought with him a total of twenty-three thousand yuan; this was his only opportunity to bid. After stating this price, he found himself silently praying for divine intervention, for if Xie Qingyang raised his bid again, he would have to ask Brother Man for a loan. 

"Twenty-two thousand? Brother Man, when did you become so miserly?" 

Seeing Fang Yi raise the paddle, Xie Qingyang, unaware of their relationship, instinctively assumed it was Man Jun bidding and promptly responded, "Since you've raised it by two thousand, I'll add another two thousand—twenty-four thousand…" 

As a businessman, Xie Qingyang was meticulous with his finances; he would never escalate his bid out of spite. On the contrary, he was prepared to withdraw as soon as Man Jun countered, eager to avenge his earlier defeat over the painting. 

"Old Xie, don't speak too confidently; if I dare to raise, will you dare to follow?" 

Having been irritated by Xie Qingyang's earlier interference, Man Jun could no longer contain his frustration. He snatched the paddle from Fang Yi's hand and whispered, "Fang Yi, I'll win this book. Damn it, Brother Man will sell his child to buy a steamer, not for the buns, but for pride…" 

As they were all operating in Jinling, Man Jun had already been bested by Xie Qingyang once; if he were to be defeated again, it would be utterly humiliating for him. 

"Forty thousand!" Man Jun raised his paddle and declared, "I bid forty thousand for these ancient texts. Old Xie, what do you say? Care to raise your bid?" 

Man Jun cast a sidelong glance at Xie Qingyang, secretly plotting. If Xie Qingyang dared to raise his bid by two thousand, Man Jun would withdraw, leaving him with forty-two thousand for a pile of worthless paper—a joke that would only be on Xie Qingyang. 

Of course, if Xie Qingyang did not bid, then Man Jun would have spent forty thousand on something far from worthless; it would also allow him to maintain his dignity, as he believed it worthwhile to spend this money to uphold his pride. 

"Forty thousand? Ha! Old Man, do you truly believe these items are worth that much?" 

Upon hearing Man Jun's bid, Xie Qingyang burst into laughter, waving his hands dismissively, "Even if that volume were restored, it wouldn't be worth three thousand. It seems you genuinely have an affinity for it, so I shall refrain from bidding…" 

Having outmaneuvered Man Jun, Xie Qingyang genuinely laughed, knowing that as long as the painting he had just acquired was authentic, he would not incur a loss; it was merely a matter of how much profit he would make. In contrast, Man Jun's forty thousand for those ancient texts was a guaranteed loss. 

"Not worth three thousand? Hmph, perhaps some are simply too blind to see the treasures within!" 

Man Jun, unwilling to concede defeat, recalled Fang Yi's earlier mention of the 'Yongle Dadian' and stubbornly countered Xie Qingyang's remarks. 

"Those treasures are yours to keep; I shall pass…" 

Xie Qingyang was unconcerned with Man Jun's retorts, sitting back with an air of triumph, his paddle resolutely remaining unmoved. 

"Is there anyone else willing to bid? Forty thousand! This batch of ancient texts belongs to bidder number twenty-eight…" 

After several inquiries and seeing that no one else was willing to raise their bid, the host decisively struck the auction hammer on the table.