Chapter 139: Very Good Eye for Talent
Chai Wei’s playful demeanor caused many of the auction guests around him to laugh.
Some people who knew him even said, “Mr. Lu, Young Master Chai is being so pitiful, why don’t you give him a break?”
“Yeah, the Lu family already got the Zhao Mengfu, don’t fight over the Zeng Gong.”
Despite hearing these voices around him, Lu Jingyao remained unmoved and said, “Good things always go to the highest bidder.”
Chai Wei replied, “Then we’re really just burning money, aren’t we?”
He feigned a helpless expression, but deep down, he was cursing Lu Jingyao for not giving him face.
“Four hundred million.” Lu Jingyao spoke directly with his financial power, and the price almost killed the competition.
Chai Wei wanted to continue bidding, but someone beside him stopped him. “Young Master, any further increase won’t be worthwhile.”
Chai Wei glared at Lu Jingyao, who was seated in front of him, and said, “The Lu Group just spent hundreds of billions on technology, where does he get all this money from?”
The person beside him whispered, “It’s said that besides the Lu family assets, Lu Jingyao also has a small fortune from his entrepreneurial days. He’s very skilled at investing, and over the years, it’s reportedly worth hundreds of millions, separate from the Lu Group’s finances.”
Chai Wei grew angrier. Both of them were second-generation rich, so why was it that Lu Jingyao had so much money while his own father didn’t even dare let him touch the family business? People like him just made Chai Wei feel frustrated.
“Congratulations, Mr. Lu, on successfully acquiring the Zeng Gong family letter,” Lin Yashu said with a smile.
This time, Xu Youyou didn’t even wait for the funds to be processed before handing over the precious item to Lu Jingyao.
“This price is higher than I expected, I’ll take care of the tax myself,” Xu Youyou said.
Lu Jingyao, however, shook his head. “In our transactions, it’s always calculated after taxes. Don’t break the rule.”
Xu Youyou couldn’t do anything about this. Even if she wanted to stop him, Lu Jingyao’s people were already faster than her, probably already at the tax office paying the taxes. Within half an hour, she would receive the tax receipt.
The Zeng Gong family letter had sold for a higher price than Xu Youyou expected because of Lu Jingyao’s bidding, which left her pleasantly surprised.
What she didn’t expect was that the camel skin scroll with the map of the Qing Dynasty and the portrait of Emperor Qianlong heated up the entire room.
“Four hundred million.”
“Five hundred million!”
Xu Youyou watched as the price skyrocketed from the starting price of one hundred fifty million to five hundred million.
Others were just playing around with the bidding, but the real contenders were Jin Shanhe, a descendant of the Manchu royal family, and a fanatic admirer of Emperor Qianlong. The two were battling fiercely over the item.
“Five hundred fifty million! Are you still bidding?” Jin Shanhe asked, clearly annoyed.
The person he was questioning hesitated for a moment before shaking his head in defeat.
Jin Shanhe won the camel skin scroll at a high price and eagerly sought out Xu Youyou to complete the transaction, keeping a watchful eye on the others as though afraid someone would try to compete with him.
While some were pleased with the high price Xu Youyou fetched for the camel skin, the price for the Qianlong-era enamel bowl fell far below expectations.
The enamel bowl with the design of “Apricot Grove in Spring” from the Qianlong era eventually sold for one hundred fifty million, only thirty million more than the starting bid. The buyer was a fanatic admirer of Emperor Qianlong, who also purchased He Zhilian’s small seal featuring Qianlong’s “Clouds” design.
The seller of the enamel bowl slammed his thigh in frustration. “If not for the interference, this bowl could have sold for much more!”
Xu Youyou felt like he was cursing her, but she simply ignored it. After all, with nine hundred million in earnings for the day, what was there to be upset about?
Later, at the auction for the large Ming dynasty phoenix crown, Xu Youyou hesitated several times but didn’t raise her paddle. She felt that with the money she had, she wasn’t at the level to casually purchase such a high-end item.
Unexpectedly, the final buyer for the phoenix crown was Lu Jingyao.
“You really like it?” Xu Youyou asked in a quiet voice.
“Just a coincidence, I don’t have a phoenix crown in my personal collection,” Lu Jingyao casually replied.
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but be stunned. The difference between her and top billionaires like Lu Jingyao was that he could spend three hundred million on something not out of affection, but simply to enrich his collection.
After the small auction ended, many people handed Xu Youyou their business cards. Most of them were looking for something, like the Qianlong fanatic, who directly told Xu Youyou that if she acquired any more Qianlong-era items, she could contact him. The price was negotiable.
Jin Shanhe also approached her, but his interests weren’t limited to just Emperor Qianlong’s items. He was open to anything from the Qing dynasty.
Others had different requests: some liked Huang Tingjian, others liked Su Shi, and some asked Xu Youyou to find silver coins, specifically the “Zhongwai Tongbao.”
Xu Youyou accepted all the business cards and marked each one with the person’s specific request.
The next day, Lu Jingyao and his entourage returned to Hucheng.
Xu Youyou didn’t rush to leave, as her sightseeing in the capital wasn’t finished. She stayed with her group but had an unsettling feeling that she had forgotten something.
She couldn’t remember what it was, so she decided to dismiss it, thinking it probably wasn’t important.
It wasn’t until she had finished visiting all the famous tourist spots in the capital that the thing she had forgotten came back to her.
“Boss, have you all returned to Hucheng?” Xie Ran asked.
Xu Youyou smacked her forehead, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t heard from Xie Ran in a while. When they were staying at the hotel, he had always been coming and going, and she had forgotten he was part of her entourage.
“We haven’t returned yet. I actually signed a new artist. If you’re in the capital, you can meet him,” Xu Youyou said.
At that moment, she was in her villa in the capital. He Zhitin had found out she had a villa filled with cats and dogs, and had been staying there ever since, rarely going back to his own place. He was currently cuddling a cat and petting it frantically.
Xie Ran arrived quickly, and within half an hour, he was in the villa, looking carefully at the cats and dogs running around.
Xu Youyou asked, “Are you allergic to cats and dogs?”
Xie Ran shook his head. “When I was homeless, I had to fight stray dogs for food. How could I be allergic?”
Xu Youyou was relieved.
Xie Ran immediately shifted to a work report, telling Xu Youyou everything he had done during his time in the capital.
Xu Youyou was glad she was the boss, as listening to Xie Ran’s busy schedule felt exhausting even to her.
“Xiao Song’s TV series has passed review and will air in a month. I’ve already contacted several video platforms in the capital. Although Xiao Song is a newcomer in the TV drama world, the quality of the show is solid, and Xiao Song has had some success with short dramas, so they are all eager to buy it, though the price is low.”
Xu Youyou immediately responded, “If the price is too low, I won’t accept it. I have high hopes for this TV series. If it really can’t sell for a high price, then let’s sell it to multiple platforms.”
Xie Ran understood her meaning. While distributing the series to several platforms might lower the price, the broad exposure would be very beneficial for Song Zhi Bai’s career. As long as the quality was solid, he would become a top star in no time.
The benefits of having a top star far outweighed those of a single TV series.
“Boss, I’ve almost finalized deals with two platforms. They’re signing distribution contracts and using a revenue-sharing model, not a one-time buyout,” Xie Ran added.
Xu Youyou, thinking Xie Ran was indeed a professional, smiled and said, “I trust you to handle things.”
Xie Ran continued talking about signing artists.
“Before, I didn’t really believe when people said global aesthetics were declining, but now I’m starting to see it’s true,” he said. “During my visits to some big film companies in the capital, the proportion of students getting cosmetic and plastic surgeries is shockingly high.”
Xu Youyou frowned. “Why are students getting plastic surgery so young?”
Xie Ran replied, “It’s because of the bad social atmosphere. Once they get into this industry, they’re exposed to all kinds of temptations. Some parents even go bankrupt supporting their children’s surgeries.”
“How many people have you signed? Did any of them have surgery?” Xu Youyou asked.
Xie Ran replied, “I’ve signed three, two of whom didn’t have surgery.”
Xu Youyou was surprised. “I thought you wouldn’t sign anyone who had plastic surgery.”
Xie Ran said, “The one who had surgery has a high beauty quotient. Her aesthetics are on point, and the surgery improved her looks and temperament significantly. The surgeon was very skilled, and it’s hard to tell she had surgery. She’s a very goal-oriented person, and people like her tend to succeed.”
Xu Youyou, hearing Xie Ran’s assessment, became intrigued by the girl. “I’d like to meet her. Actually, the reason I had you come over today was so you could meet the artist I’m planning to sign.”
Xie Ran immediately asked, “Is it Madam Li? Boss, although she’s older, her face is peaceful and has great audience appeal. I think you have a great eye for talent.”
Xu Youyou froze when she heard this. With someone as prominent as He Zhitin beside her, how could Xie Ran think of an elderly lady?
