Gu Yufeng opened the storage compartment in the car and casually pulled out a jacket for Xie Ci, grabbing one for himself as well. He had made arrangements in advance for a staff member from the Gu Corporation who had obtained bidding qualifications to take them into the auction venue.

To avoid any trouble, both of them wore masks, and with their hats pulled low, they were well concealed.

As Xie Ci entered, he noticed that quite a few people had already arrived at the venue. He quickly spotted several familiar faces—people from the business circle of Lanhai City whom he had interacted with to varying degrees in his past life, including Xie Cheng from the Xie family.

Aside from that, most of the faces were unfamiliar. Xie Ci recognized only a couple of seasoned art collectors and the director of the public art museum in Lanhai City.

Lei Qiliang had arrived earlier and was chatting with a few peers in a corner, looking quite pleased. When he saw the two young men enter, he immediately recognized the tall boy in the loose denim jacket as the “immortal” he had encountered at the temple that day.

At first, he thought the kid was brimming with confidence, resembling his younger self. But after successfully signing the contract with the Gu Corporation, he felt differently; this kid was more composed and strategic than he had been back then, not just relying on luck to charge forward.

Thinking of the message the kid had sent him, Lei Qiliang decided not to go over and greet them.

Once the time came, everyone took their seats under the guidance of the staff. Xie Ci glanced through the auction catalog and saw that his father’s painting was listed as number 51.

Most of the items being auctioned that night were antique calligraphy and paintings, with only two oil paintings. Xie Ci and Gu Yufeng were seated towards the back, allowing them to observe the atmosphere in the room during the bidding. Most of the time, only three to five people raised their paddles.

Neither of them was particularly interested in the items, so they sat and waited until ten o’clock.

“The next item for auction is an oil painting by the young artist Jian Yan…”

Xie Ci looked around the venue and noticed that many people who had been leaning back in their chairs sat up straighter, whispering to their companions, clearly showing some interest.

After the auctioneer introduced the piece, the bidding began with a starting price of five hundred thousand, with a minimum increment of ten thousand for each paddle raised.

At least half of the attendees participated in the bidding, with the price quickly escalating from ten thousand to fifty thousand, then to one hundred thousand.

Before long, it reached three million.

Xie Ci paid attention to the bidders, most of whom were business owners from the circle, but there were also eight outsiders participating in the auction.

Just like Lei Qiliang, who had no interest in art, they were simply spending big bucks to buy paintings for profit. In plain terms, the paintings were just tools; it wouldn’t matter if they were replaced with anything else. The business owners had come to tonight’s auction mainly to curry favor with Gu Yongnian, not for the sake of the oil paintings themselves.

So, even if these people could afford high prices, they weren’t the true clientele for his father’s work; at most, they were just wild fools with money to burn.

In contrast, those eight outsiders were the real quality customers.

With this wave of publicity, Xie Ci had already met his expectations by raising the market value of his father’s work from the hundred-thousand level to the million level.

“Five million.”

Hearing the staff member sitting next to Gu Yufeng raise the paddle, Xie Ci was taken aback and shot Gu Yufeng a warning glance.

They were just there to observe tonight; he hadn’t expected Gu Yufeng to participate in the bidding and become one of those fools.

Gu Yufeng didn’t say anything, simply flipped his phone screen around to show Xie Ci.

The screen displayed a chat window.

Lao Deng Gu: [Xiao Feng, Dad has something to do tonight and can’t make it. Since you’re going, help Dad bid for Jian Yan’s painting.]

Lao Deng Gu: [You must get it!]

Xie Ci: “……”

Dad’s number one fan?

After the price reached five million, five of the outsiders stopped raising their paddles, while the business owners remained enthusiastic. Perhaps encouraged by Lei Qiliang’s one million dollars, five million was still within their budget.

“The current bidding price is six million eight hundred thousand. Any more bids? … Seven million! … Seven million once … Seven million five hundred thousand! …”

Xie Ci’s attention was focused on the remaining three outsiders.

Their last high bid was six million, and they hadn’t raised their paddles again.

Gu Yufeng’s fingers, resting on the table, slightly lifted, and the staff member beside him understood, raising the paddle to bid: “Ten million.”

Some people in the room turned their heads in surprise, wanting to see which big shot was willing to spend dozens of times the price to buy a piece from this not-so-famous young painter.

“The current bidding price is ten million! Any more bids?”

When the auctioneer called for the second time, someone from the business circle raised their paddle again.

The price skyrocketed to thirteen million, and Xie Ci noticed that Gu Yufeng was about to raise his paddle again, so he quickly covered his hand.

“Thirteen million once … Thirteen million twice … Thirteen million three times, sold!”

Gu Yufeng glanced at the hand covering his and pulled it back unhappily, turning to Xie Ci: “This is your doing.”

Xie Ci casually replied, “If you buy it back at such a high price, your dad will be unhappy.”

Gu Yufeng: “He has money; why should you care?”

Xie Ci: “If he wants it, he can just ask my dad to buy it and give him a fan price.”

Gu Yufeng: “……”

Xie Ci wasn’t trying to save money for Gu Yongnian; tonight’s painting was just a test. If it sold for too high a price, it would deter some people from the business circle.

For now, they still needed these wild fools to keep the atmosphere lively and continue raising his father’s profile.

As the event wrapped up, Lei Qiliang was chatting with a few friends while heading towards the exit.

The CEO who won the oil painting looked pained: “You’re still so lucky; you only spent one million dollars. Look at me!”

“It was so competitive tonight; you’re lucky to have won it.” Lei Qiliang feigned helplessness, but inside he was secretly pleased.

When he had spent one million dollars on a painting before, he had cursed himself countless times for being a fool, but compared to tonight’s auction prices, he felt like he had made a killing.

Thinking of this, Lei Qiliang searched the crowd for that tall boy, only to see him already leaving the venue with his companions.

He needed to find a time to chat with that boy again to see if there was a chance for a second collaboration.

Xie Ci followed Gu Yufeng out the door and brushed shoulders with someone nearby. He slightly nodded in apology, not thinking much of it as he walked on.

The person who was bumped into stopped and looked thoughtfully in the direction Xie Ci had left.

“Xie Zong?” his companion called out to him.

Xie Cheng waited for Xie Ci to enter the elevator before retracting his gaze. This familiar feeling instantly reminded him of the boy he had seen at the club that day.

It was quite strange for a boy who looked like his older brother to appear at the auction.

But before Xie Cheng could ponder further, he ran into Lei Qiliang.

The two were competing for a project in the tech park, but Xie Cheng had never taken Lei Qiliang seriously. He hadn’t expected the other party to pull a fast one, winning Gu Yongnian’s favor with an oil painting and defeating the Xie family to secure the project.

Ironically, the painting Lei Qiliang used was actually his older brother Xie Qian’s work.

Lately, his older brother’s works had been quite popular, and Xie Cheng was genuinely frustrated. He wanted to see how much the work that had once been scorned by his father as trash could sell for.

He hadn’t expected it to fetch such a high price, which truly surprised him.

“Xie Zong, are you also interested in Jian Yan’s painting?” Lei Qiliang took the initiative to greet him.

Xie Cheng’s expression was cold: “Not interested; I came to accompany a friend.”

Lei Qiliang nodded, smiling sarcastically: “Good thing Xie Zong isn’t interested; if you were, I wouldn’t have a chance.”

Xie Cheng almost lost his composure and turned to leave.

Lei Qiliang felt a sense of relief and walked out of the hall with a spring in his step.

Once he got into the car, he thought for a moment and said to the secretary in the driver’s seat: “Didn’t you say that painting couldn’t be reimbursed without an invoice? Even if I bought it privately, it doesn’t need to be reimbursed.”

The secretary paused: “…Huh?!”

Lei Qiliang: “What do you mean, huh?”

The secretary turned to look at him: “It’s already been reimbursed.”

Lei Qiliang frowned: “Why are you so quick with your hands? I’ve never seen you so proactive in your work before. You didn’t even need my signature for the reimbursement?”

The secretary: “Didn’t you sign it? You signed it last week, and you looked quite happy doing it.”

Lei Qiliang: “……”

Xie Ci and Gu Yufeng walked out of the hall and waited by the roadside for the staff to bring the car over.

They heard many people around them discussing his father’s oil painting.

“I really liked that painting when I saw it at the preview; I thought I could definitely get it for under three million.”

“I liked it too. I originally came to see the calligraphy, but unexpectedly fell for this oil painting. Unfortunately, my budget isn’t enough this time. I wonder when I’ll be able to see his work again.”

“This painting really caught my eye, but I hadn’t paid much attention to this artist before.”

“I hadn’t heard of him either; he might be doing well abroad but isn’t well-known domestically.”

“Since it can fetch such a high price, it shows that Jian Yan’s paintings are appreciated by a wealthy niche audience. It’s normal for us ordinary folks not to pay attention.”

Gu Yufeng watched as these people got into their cars and left, then turned to Xie Ci, who seemed to be deep in thought: “So, how do you feel? Happy?”

Xie Ci: “What’s there to be happy about?”

Gu Yufeng: “The auction price has a certain reference value for the work’s market value. If your dad becomes a ten-million-level painter, then you’ll be a rich second generation. Isn’t that something to be happy about?”

“Even if I become a rich second generation, I still have to run in the morning and write exams every day.”

Xie Ci watched as the car stopped in front of them and opened the back door, “Still have to share a bunk with you.”

Gu Yufeng: “……”

Is the resentment about sharing a bunk even heavier than the morning runs?

Not long after the car drove off, Gu Yufeng received a call from Gu Yongnian: “The painting? Didn’t get it… I fell asleep waiting…”

Gu Yufeng listened for a few moments, glancing at Xie Ci sitting beside him, and switched to speakerphone.

Gu Yongnian’s voice came through the speaker.

“Why didn’t Xiao Chen wake you? Who bought the painting?”

Just hearing his voice, Xie Ci could imagine the old man’s pained expression, resting his chin on his hand and silently looking away.

Gu Yufeng leisurely looked at Xie Ci and smiled: “It seems to be someone from the circle. Many people like Jian Yan’s paintings. That piece sold for thirteen million tonight; the price is a bit high—”

“Thirteen million?!”

Hearing Gu Yongnian’s surprise, Xie Ci turned his head slightly, wanting to hear his opinion.

Gu Yongnian could be considered a serious collector, knowledgeable about calligraphy and paintings, and he had the money to spend lavishly on things he liked. His attitude largely represented the audience’s perspective on his father’s work.

Was it still too high?

Xie Ci thought, was he being too impatient, raising the work’s market value in such a short time? If no one bought it, it would all be for nothing.

“Then how high must the quality of this painting be!”

Gu Yongnian lamented, “How could you fall asleep?”

Xie Ci: “……”

It seemed his concerns were unnecessary.

Gu Yufeng: “…… Don’t you think it’s expensive?”

Gu Yongnian: “Of course, there’s a reason for its high price. If I had known, I would have canceled the meeting and gone myself.”

Gu Yufeng and Xie Ci exchanged glances, both speechless.

After hanging up, Gu Yufeng said nonchalantly: “I told you, you don’t need to save him a few bucks.”

Xie Ci: “……”

By the time the car reached the school, it was almost eleven o’clock.

They couldn’t enter through the school gate, so they had to climb back the way they came.

The two of them sneakily searched for a secluded corner, and Xie Ci took a couple of steps back to jump up and grab the wall to climb over.

It was already dark inside, and with the trees blocking the view, visibility was poor. Xie Ci glanced around but didn’t see the paint bucket he had stood on earlier, wondering if he had climbed the wrong place. Hearing Gu Yufeng urging him from behind, he didn’t think much and jumped down.

With a thud, his feet landed in something soft and squishy, and when he looked down, he realized he had landed right in a puddle.

He took a step back, preparing to turn and warn Gu Yufeng, but suddenly met the security guard’s ghostly expression.

In the dead of night, being stared at by someone standing three steps away with wide eyes startled Xie Ci. The guard’s face was splattered with mud, and it was easy to guess how it got there.

The air froze for a moment.

There was a rustling sound behind him, and the next moment, Gu Yufeng jumped down.

Another splash echoed.

Mud splattered all over the security guard, startling him so much that he turned to look at Gu Yufeng in disbelief.

“Damn.”

Gu Yufeng cursed under his breath as he stepped out of the puddle, “Why didn’t you warn me?”

Xie Ci silently nodded towards the security guard.

Gu Yufeng turned to look, and the air fell completely silent.

Before the guard could say anything, Xie Ci grabbed Gu Yufeng and turned to run.

“Hey! Don’t run!” The guard took off after them, but he couldn’t catch up at all.

Gu Yufeng followed Xie Ci as they sprinted across the campus, laughing in disbelief: “I just signed up for the sports meet, and now I’m getting some practice.”

Xie Ci: “If we can run this fast during the competition, we’ll definitely win.”

The next morning, the two were called to the office.

Xiang Haibin had a stern expression as he looked at the two tall boys standing in front of him: “I heard someone climbed over the wall last night and caused a ruckus. Do you have anything to say for yourselves?”

Xie Ci/Gu Yufeng: “……”

Xiang Haibin slammed the table in anger: “Why climb over the wall?! Can’t you just behave for a day?!”

Gu Yufeng stuffed his hands in his pockets, standing like a candle, as if the sky had fallen and Xie Ci should take the blame first.

Xie Ci expressionlessly explained: “I couldn’t sleep, so I took him out for a night run and practiced for the relay event for the sports meet.”

“A night run, practicing for the relay event?”

Xiang Haibin was so angry his teeth were grinding, “So, should I commend you for this?”

Xie Ci: “No need for that; you can commend us after we win a prize at the competition.”

Xiang Haibin: “Xie Ci!”

A few teachers nearby couldn’t help but laugh.

After listening to Xiang Haibin scold them for half an hour, the two received a thousand-word reflection to write.

On Friday afternoon, Xie Ci returned to the studio after school.

Xiao Fang was waiting for him at the door as usual, wagging its tail and whining, looking a bit anxious.

Xie Ci quickly understood the reason for its anxiety.

As soon as he entered the yard, he faintly heard voices arguing coming from the second-floor reception room, one of which was Yang Le, and the other voice was familiar to him as well.

In the reception room, the agent from Mingjian sat across from Yang Le, looking quite displeased: “Why did you hand the painting over to the art auction without even giving us a heads-up?”

Yang Le had a stern face: “Why should I give you a heads-up?”

The agent was seething with anger, speaking in a low voice: “I need to talk to the teacher; please call him over.”

Yang Le: “The teacher is busy; whatever you need to discuss can be done with me.”

“The painting was sent to another institution, and the person didn’t even show up.”

The agent’s tone grew increasingly aggressive, “What, does the teacher know he’s in the wrong and doesn’t dare to meet me?”

“Watch your mouth!”

Yang Le raised his voice, completely unbothered, “What gives you the right to come here and act all high and mighty? What do we owe you?!”

The agent: “We went out of our way to promote the teacher’s work, and you just turn around and send the painting to Yishu. Is that appropriate?”

Yang Le: “Who the painting is given to is the teacher’s freedom; what’s appropriate or not? Our contract with Mingjian has expired, and we are no longer bound by it.”

The agent suppressed his rising anger and nodded: “Fine, let’s put this matter aside for now. Since the teacher’s painting sold for ten million, it shows our promotion was effective. According to our previous agreement, let’s sign the renewal contract today.”

Yang Le: “Sorry, the teacher has no intention of renewing the contract. Please leave.”

The bad premonition came true, and the agent’s face immediately fell: “How can you violate the agreement?! We trusted the teacher and helped promote his work without any written agreement. You’re going back on your word; isn’t that too much?!”

“Going back on your word?”

Xie Ci pushed the door open and walked in, glancing indifferently at the agent as he tossed his backpack onto the sofa, “What did we agree on?”

Seeing Xie Ci, the agent became even angrier: “Last week, it was right here where you said we would promote the teacher first and then renew the contract, wasn’t it?”

“I said that if I was satisfied with your promotional work, I would consider whether to renew the contract.”

Xie Ci spoke slowly, “From start to finish, I never agreed to sign this contract.”