The price reached a point where almost no one was speaking. After the host finalized the last bid with three knocks, an elderly gentleman successfully took the painting home.
When the old man stood up, everyone present was somewhat surprised. His hair was already white, and his legs were very unsteady even when walking. It looked like conservatively saying he was 70, but he might have already reached eighty or ninety years old.
Despite his advanced age, his eyes still carried a hint of arrogance and disdain.
It seemed to proclaim, "What can you young people do to compare with me?"
One could imagine this person must have been a business magnate in some field during his youth. Now, he was embracing a relaxed lifestyle, entering a consumption mode, and using the money he saved in his younger days to pass his remaining time.
The auction had progressed to this point when Cao Baiming finally woke up. He then began to make his way to the auction.
In a short while, he arrived.
The auction process for the second and third items was extremely swift. As Cao Baiming arrived at the venue, the host was delivering the transition remarks.
"Next up is the fourth item, with a starting bid of..."
Hearing this sentence while still in the car, Cao Baiming's heart filled with joy.
It was exactly as he had guessed, the fourth item. This timing was neither too early nor too late. He could even take a look at the next few items; perhaps there would be something he liked.
Unlike most people present, Cao Baiming himself was attending such an event for the first time. However, despite this, he was very familiar and clear with the entire auction process.
The car he drove today did not attract much attention, which was a good thing.
After parking his car, Cao Baiming walked into the crowd and stood in place.
The people around him didn't even spare him a glance, nor did they notice his arrival. Because even if they had just seen his face, many would have recognized him and let out a gasp of surprise.
"Now, let's start bidding!"
Watching person after person raise their bidding paddles and confidently state their offers, Cao Baiming simply watched from behind, making no move.
The item being auctioned was an ancient porcelain piece, something that collectors of antiques or old artifacts would favor.
Observing the silent yet fiercely competitive crowd, Cao Baiming, as an outsider, found the spectacle very entertaining.
The final price was bid up to more than four times the initial starting bid. It seemed that items like antiques truly lacked a stable price. Whoever bid higher could take the item home.
Items without a defined price range would only change based on the value individuals assigned to them. Perhaps for some, it was truly worth that price, or even more.
Cao Baiming felt no particular interest in the subsequent items and merely observed from the back rows.
It wasn't until the ninth item that his eyes lit up.
When the staff brought the item forward, not just Cao Baiming, but everyone present was stunned.
"This is a pair of socks worn by the great Henry in the Champions League final between Arsenal and Juventus thirteen years ago. Now, with Henry's comeback, the collector has decided to put them up for auction!"
This was an item with a certain aroma. Although it had been preserved for thirteen years, one could imagine that the collector would definitely not have washed it, intending to preserve that scent.
Because if it were washed, then these socks would no longer be the great Henry's socks, but just ordinary socks.
Seeing this, Cao Baiming almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
"This can actually be auctioned? So this is what an auction is like? It's truly eye-opening."
At this moment, he couldn't help but wonder how much these socks would be worth. Henry was currently in his club, and he would casually toss his socks on the ground after every match, possibly ending up in the trash soon. Could it be that these socks were fished out of the trash?
But how could they prove these were the socks the great Henry wore in that Champions League final?
The host continued to speak, but didn't mention any specific proof or present convincing evidence. In the end, he simply announced a starting bid of twenty thousand yuan.
"Twenty thousand yuan?! This can even..." Cao Baiming blurted out involuntarily.
However, no one paid any attention. The auction continued. It seemed these people didn't care about evidence or authenticity. As long as the host said the item was from the Champions League final, they accepted it and began their bids.
Cao Baiming truly understood now. These people might not care about the authenticity at all; what they cared about was face. Perhaps some of the people raising their paddles weren't even Henry's fans, and might not even know who he was, but they treated it as a game, and successfully acquiring the item became a source of great achievement.
Cao Baiming remained silent. He had no interest in his teammate's socks and even felt a bit disgusted.
Ultimately, the socks were purchased for ninety-eight thousand yuan by the same person who acquired the fourth item.
Cao Baiming also applauded, and at the same time, didn't forget to take out his phone to snap a close-up photo of the socks placed on the stage. He would definitely send it to Henry later.
Such a thing would probably make him burst out laughing!
"Look, the socks I wore in a match thirteen years ago are still being collected and have even been resold!"
The atmosphere in the venue then reached its climax, because everyone understood that this was the final moment!
They were all counting silently in their hearts. The ninth item had just been successfully auctioned, which meant the tenth item, the final sports car, was about to appear!
Most of the people in the crowd had come for this car.
These people could no longer contain their excitement and started shouting.
Cao Baiming watched from behind, finding it somewhat amusing.
"Do these people really think they have a chance to take the car home? Is it worth getting so excited just for a glimpse?"