Chapter 66

Special Features

The building hosting the auction was itself an antique!

Sitting in the auction hall, Juan surveyed the spacious domed room.

It was an enormous room, reportedly able to accommodate around 680 people. Crimson velvet curtains draped from the floor to the ceiling, and antique paintings were symmetrically hung above them. From the auction area in the front, the audience section fanned out in all directions, with each tier of seating gradually rising to ensure everyone had a clear view of the auction items.

“There sure are a lot of rich people,” Ped whistled as he looked around at the nearly full audience. “But… are all rich people this artsy?”

“Not necessarily,” Old Briatch replied. “Art auctions only make up a small part of Sunchill’s auctions. They auction many other things here. The people sitting here are both buyers and sellers, and sellers can become buyers too. This place is actually the highest-grossing weapons auction in the world, though they never advertise that—they only claim to deal in art auctions.”

“You wouldn’t know that unless you came to one of the auctions. The items they auction are never just art; it’s everything, from A to Z. People just don’t know about it. Most of the attendees never mention this to outsiders. For example, Brownie and the others still think this is just a place for art auctions, while all the things I buy are actually artworks!”

“Huh? Really?” Ped looked at him, confused.

Looking ahead, Old Briatch glanced at Ped and slowly said, “Actually, when I first came here, I didn’t come to buy art. I’ve bought mining machines, weapons, people… I’ve bought many things here.”

The human heart is greedy.

When Old Briatch first learned about this place through his social circles, he had only intended to buy more advanced mining machines. However, once he acquired the machines and saw the dramatic increase in mining output and profit, he began to consider purchasing other things.

“People?” Ped blinked in surprise.

Old Briatch nodded and continued looking ahead, but answered Ped’s question, “When Briatch City had a shortage of miners, I once bought miners here.”

“They were homeless people from other regions. The sellers gathered them together, claiming to help them find jobs and housing, but in reality, they were sold to me and became miners. If someone else had bought them, they might have been put to work in other areas…”

“When I was younger, I thought it was a good thing, even convinced myself I was doing something noble. But now that I’m old, I can’t help but feel that I was wrong back then.”

“If there’s a buyer, there will always be a seller. If no one buys, would those people have been sold? With that thought in mind, I’ve decided that from now on, I’ll only buy artworks here.”

“Not only that, but I try to buy them at higher prices. Even though many people think I’m just a fool with money, maybe they believe it’s easy to take money from an old, rich man like me. Over the years, more and more people have been bringing artworks to auction, and fewer people bring other things. This place has increasingly become a dedicated art auction.”

“In the meantime, the value of artworks has skyrocketed. The pieces I was once told were a waste of money have all appreciated, and because art prices keep rising, many people have started treating art as an investment, like people once hoarded gold.”

With that, Old Briatch raised an eyebrow at Ped.

“Impressive!” Ped said, clapping his hands in admiration.

The symphonic music that had been playing in the hall grew quieter, and as the spotlight illuminated, the auctioneer, smiling broadly, stepped up to the center of attention and announced the official start of the auction.

At the same time, Old Briatch handed the paddle for bidding to Juan.

“The price doesn’t matter, nor does the artwork, but it’s best if it’s something that will surprise everyone after the auction. If not, just bid on the most expensive one.”

He briefly outlined his request, then turned his attention back to the competition around them, smiling at his fellow bidders. He then focused on the auctioneer, who had begun introducing the items for auction.

The butler, sitting beside him, shot a look at Juan with an indescribable expression—

The old master had subtly entrusted his long-held wish to Young Master Scott, to be fulfilled…

Well, in the past, the old master attended auctions just to bid on other things. Back then, art auctions were not taken seriously, and he had bought quite a few counterfeit pieces. Later, to drive up the price of art, he spent large amounts on art with little value, leading to a reputation in the circle where people often referred to his art collection as lacking taste.

He had always been labeled as a nouveau riche who made his fortune through mining, with no artistic sensibility, his blood running with energy and money rather than an appreciation for art. When he was younger, he didn’t care about art. But now, as his collection grew, the old master had developed a genuine passion for art. So, when people still accused him of having no appreciation for it, he felt a lingering frustration. Now that Young Master Scott was here, he hoped to turn this perception around.

But, ultimately, it was because the old master was satisfied with Scott, right? Because he was satisfied, he entrusted this opportunity to him. The question now was whether Young Master Scott would seize this chance to further impress the old master, or…

Thinking this, the butler couldn’t help but feel curious about Juan’s next actions.

Holding the bidding paddle, Juan remained still at first, taking time to observe and understand the auction process. Once he had grasped everything, he started to participate in the auction properly.

The art pieces being auctioned were genuinely numerous, and the styles varied greatly. There were finely designed antique garments, well-preserved antique jewelry, but mostly, there were paintings and calligraphy. Juan was keenly interested in each of these artworks, listening attentively to the auctioneer’s explanations. Whenever a piece was brought up for close inspection, he made sure to personally examine it.

Several of the pieces were quite popular. The old master’s rivals immediately raised their paddles, making the butler anxious. However, Juan remained calm, seemingly there just to appreciate the art, never raising his paddle once.

Old Briatch, however, was quite composed. He even went up with Juan to inspect some pieces. His commentary was engaging, discussing the artist’s style, use of color, composition, and light and shadow analysis. It was clear that he had a unique perspective on art. For instance, he deemed a painting that had been bought by one of his old rivals at a high price as “well-preserved, with lively colors, and a dignified beauty in the woman portrayed. However, the technique lacks originality, and I believe its value as a collectible is low. Even though it’s an antique, it’s more of an amateur’s work.” On the other hand, a painting another rival had bought as an antique was, in his opinion, “not an antique, but the artist’s brushwork is distinct, already showing a unique style. I think this piece has more collectible value.” In fact, Juan recognized the style, having seen the modern works by the same artist in his school’s studio, which helped him identify the painting’s faux-antique nature.

Perhaps because he knew that all his old rivals had made the “uncultured” mistake, Juan, despite not having bid on a single piece of art yet, did not seem anxious at all. Old Briatch, however, remained unbothered.

Finally—

The 24th art piece was brought out.

Like several of the previous pieces, it was an antique oil painting centered around human figures. The focus was on a couple embracing, the man on the left, the woman on the right. The man’s side was bathed in sunlight, while the woman’s was shaded. However, whether due to the proportion of the shadows or something else, the composition of the painting felt cramped. This subtle imbalance was something anyone with even a bit of aesthetic awareness could notice, and it was precisely for this reason that the painting had been left on display for a long time without much attention.

Not including Juan.

Standing in front of the painting for a while, Juan sniffed the canvas and then raised his paddle.

“Huh?” Old Briatch, expecting his grandson to comment on the painting, was surprised when it was Juan’s first time raising a paddle. However, he did not make a scene; he simply sat back, waiting for the other bidders.

It seemed this painting, which was immediately off-putting, wasn’t particularly popular. Only one of his long-time rivals raised his paddle, adding just a small increment to the price. For them, it was practically negligible. Juan raised his paddle once more, and after three confirmations from the auctioneer, the bidding was settled.

The painting, which had been priced low from the beginning, was ultimately sold for its original price, becoming the cheapest piece of art at the auction.

When Old Briatch brought his grandson, everyone expected his grandson to have keen taste. But what did he bid on? This piece? And at such a low price?

Was this some sort of deliberate attempt to appear frugal, to impress the old man with his thriftiness? But attending an auction wasn’t exactly a thrifty activity. Was the young man simply too petty?

As soon as the grandfather and grandson returned to their seats with the painting, several of Old Briatch’s familiar competitors came over.

They were not only rivals but also business partners, well acquainted with each other. When they saw the painting Old Briatch had won, they immediately came over to see what was going on.

The auction didn’t prohibit this kind of behavior. In fact, the venue was spacious, with plenty of space between each group of bidders, and they could easily sit together. The hosts had even prepared small, elegant coffee tables for them!

After finding their seats, the prominent figures eagerly looked at Juan, who was holding the painting with Ped.

“What’s so special about this painting? I noticed your grandson was remarkably calm. He never raised a paddle before, but now he raised it right after getting down from the stage. Is there something special about this piece?” One of the elders, supported by a cane, asked Old Briatch. He was slightly younger than the old man, still able to walk but had replaced one of his eyes with a mechanical one.

The question from the old man was something Old Briatch himself wanted to know too! But before he could ask his grandson, these old fellows had already gathered around. Without answering his question, Old Briatch turned to look at Juan.

Seeing his expression, it was clear he didn’t know the answer either, so he didn’t bother asking further. All eyes shifted to Juan.

Juan placed the painting on the floor and said to the crowd, “There’s nothing special about it for you, but there is for me.”

“This painting is a fragment—it’s only part of a whole. The other part, I just bought yesterday.”

He then looked at Old Briatch: “It’s the one I gave you yesterday.”