Henry sang a few lines and gradually became immersed in the music, singing with all his heart. He had always loved singing and even participated in a campus singing competition during his school days. Who would have thought that after graduation, he would become an auctioneer? Although he was still on stage, holding a microphone in one hand and a gavel in the other, only saying “first call, second call, third call” felt entirely different.
At antique auctions, even if there was sound, it was mostly low whispers introducing the characteristics and background of the antiques. No one would do it like Leo, turning it into an open-air concert with a man in an ill-fitting suit on stage.
Tourists were gradually drawn to the Spirit Moon Antiques booth, gathering below the stage to watch Henry sing passionately. They whispered among themselves, asking, “What is this antique shop doing?” Most of them saw the banner above Henry’s head, laughing and raising their phones to take pictures of it.
At this moment, Leo jumped onto the stage. Henry stepped back, wiping sweat from his forehead and naturally stopping his singing. However, Leo gestured for him to continue, so Henry reluctantly picked up the microphone and started singing again. This time, Big Al adjusted Henry’s voice to background level while Leo’s voice took the lead.
“Ladies and gentlemen, don’t miss out as you pass by. This is the joint auction of Spirit Moon Antiques and Triple Element Commerce Association…” Leo’s first words caused both Henry on stage and Arlene and others below to stumble.
Don’t miss out as you pass by? Is this a trade fair?
This bizarre antique auction quickly caught the attention of the tourists, gathering more and more people. Leo described the features of the Western Xia Treasury artifacts one by one, exaggerating as if he had just transported them from the Western Xia Treasury.
The audience below was just there for fun, having never seen such an auction format before. They were curious but not many actually looked at the items on display. To be honest, the antiques on the booth didn’t look appealing, and most people’s impression of antiques was limited to jade, calligraphy, and paintings. Items like Iron Hawk Warrior, Foot Soldier Figurine, Ox-Head Ocarina, Water Dropper, Plain Earthenware, and White-Glazed Porcelain Vase were unknown to anyone who hadn’t been immersed in the antique business for over a decade.
There were many onlookers but few inquiries; everyone just treated it as a show. Henry continued singing behind Leo, noticing a camera filming the stage not far away with a female reporter conducting a live interview. “Oh no! If this gets on TV, we’ll be laughed at by our peers!” Henry’s face immediately turned bitter as he tried to hide behind Leo.
In the control room, Quentin watched the scene on the big screen, laughing so hard he couldn’t stand up straight. Spirit Moon Antiques’ antics were nothing but clownish tricks. “Film it. Let’s make Christine and her sister lose face!” Quentin eagerly watched his arranged reporter.
“Good news everyone!” Leo raised his voice and gestured to Henry. Henry sighed in relief, stopped singing, and shrank to the edge of the stage, praying to stay out of the camera’s view.
The music stopped completely. Leo looked at the crowd below and continued, “The Western Xia Treasury artifacts will be sold at half price today until 5 PM. After 5 PM, prices will return to normal, so don’t miss out!”
Arlene rolled her eyes below the stage; this had become his catchphrase! The audience buzzed with discussion. Some approached the booth to look at the Foot Soldier Figurine, Ox-Head Ocarina, Water Dropper but no one seemed genuinely interested in buying; they were all just watching.
The main reason was that the items on display were not appealing at all. They looked like scrap metal with terrible presentation. The few people who checked them out soon left.
Leo observed these changes from the stage without any disappointment. He snapped his fingers, signaling Henry to continue singing while he stepped off the stage. Henry, feeling like a slave forced to perform, walked to the front with a heavy heart and started singing again.
Arlene watched the dispersing crowd with a heavy heart and grabbed Leo’s arm, asking, “What now?”
“Wait,” Leo simply said, then looked towards the large screen in Zone E. Arlene and Christine followed his gaze; it was currently showing advertisements.
The large screen was present in every zone of Spring Dawn Garden and broadcasted major events live. This time was no exception; after the ads, the screen switched to Zone A, where Ethan’s Bonham Auction House was located.
Arlene and Christine knew what Leo was waiting for but wondered if the news would come on time. As they pondered, they suddenly heard light laughter filling the venue.
“Mr. Dan, which antique are you most confident about in this auction? Can you introduce it to us?” The large screen showed a female reporter interviewing Ethan.
Ethan wore black-rimmed glasses for a scholarly look. He smiled at the camera and said, “Bonham Auction House invited industry peers and antique enthusiasts to Spring Dawn Garden mainly to showcase a rare treasure called The Dragon Pearl.”
“There have been many rumors about The Dragon Pearl; it’s said to be a Great Liao treasure. What makes it special?” The female reporter played along perfectly.
Ethan glanced at her alluring figure, suppressing certain urges to maintain his refined demeanor. He smiled and said, “The golden dragon inside The Dragon Pearl will come to life… if…”
Ethan paused for effect, smiling without answering directly. The female reporter and viewers were intrigued; even Arlene waited curiously for his next words.
Ethan enjoyed their reactions and continued, “You just need to drop a single drop of fresh blood on The Dragon Pearl.”
The screen showed a close-up of the reporter’s astonished face. The tourists immediately buzzed with excitement.
“A golden dragon coming to life?”
“Let’s go see it; we might witness a legendary dragon!”
“If you buy this treasure, won’t you own a dragon? Such a good deal!”
“Two for one deal! Hurry up!”
“Yeah right! As if you could afford it.”