klisemfg Chapter 1302 Sotheby's Auction House
Chapter 1302 Sotheby's Auction House
Zuo Mingyue doesn't go out at night. Her pregnancy and delivery period are around this time. Giving birth in her spatial dimension would be the safest option, but that wouldn't be discreet enough, so she plans to give birth at St. John's Private Hospital.
Da Bao'er is so nervous that she has already bought the entire St. John's Private Hospital, so that the entire obstetrics and gynecology department will serve only one pregnant woman.
The little tiger carried Nuannuan on its back, and the white wolf carried Niu Niu on its back. They sauntered in from the garden. As soon as Niu Niu saw Arthur and Susanna, she whistled in fright. The little tiger and the white wolf turned and ran away, which made everyone laugh.
……
The Dorchester Hotel, London's most luxurious hotel, is hosting a grand auction tonight, a time for the wealthy to flaunt their riches. The auction, originally scheduled for 7:30 PM...
People arrived as early as six o'clock, holding invitations. These were all wealthy individuals who skirted the edges of legality, hoping to make more friends and explore more collaborative projects. All the newcomers came with this purpose in mind.
Those top billionaires don't need to discuss this kind of thing in this setting, so they just arrived right on time.
Da Bao was late tonight. Niu Niu kept pestering him to come and see her too. Da Bao tried to coax and persuade her, but nothing worked. Even Lu Xiu'e's intervention was in vain. Da Bao had no choice but to take his little sister and ask Uncle Qing to come along.
The servants in Da Bao's household were all Chinese, including the cook and the old maid. The so-called old maid was actually a self-combing woman. These women were not only clean, but also diligent and quick, and they rarely spoke much.
However, the butler and driver outside had to be local Londoners, so Arthur sent over several of his own servants.
The driver, in his brand-new Bentley Continental R-Type, gently glided the car to the front of the Dorchester Hotel. A doorman rushed up, opened the car door, and...
Da Bao and Niu Niu got out of the car. Uncle Qing took out a ten-pound note and handed it to the doorman. The doorman was overjoyed. He usually tipped ten or twenty pence, almost never pounds. He never expected to be so lucky today. He got a ten-pound tip just for opening the car door.
Da Bao led Niu Niu by the hand, followed by Uncle Qing, into the hotel...
The hotel's banquet hall has been converted into an auction room tonight, hosted by Sotheby's. Founded in 1744, Sotheby's earned six million pounds in profit last year alone, firmly establishing itself as the largest auction house in Europe.
Today's auction features twelve items, the most famous of which is the Heart of the Ocean necklace, a gift from the King of Denmark to the Queen, featuring a blue gemstone the size of a pigeon's egg.
Although this wasn't the most valuable item, appearing as the third lot in the auction, its starting price was still over £500,000, with each increment being no less than £10,000.
John Davis, the largest shareholder of HSBC Holdings, inherited his father's fortune and became one of the richest people in Europe. He owns 21 percent of HSBC Holdings and is currently the president of HSBC Holdings Limited.
John Davis is currently pursuing European supermodel Normasab. To win her favor, he specially invited her to attend this auction. It's said that three items at this auction are capable of driving women crazy: the Heart of the Ocean from the Danish royal family, the Star Tear from the French royal family, and the grand finale—the wheat tiara once worn by Empress Josephine of Napoleon.
The Heart of the Ocean was the third item to be auctioned, not because it was inferior to the other two, but because the organizers deliberately arranged it to create one climax after another. The aim was to stimulate the competitive mentality of these wealthy individuals, and once they started competing, all the items auctioned that day would surely break records.
John Davis, looking like a proud little rooster, refused to go on a date with Normasa unless he won one of the three items in the auction that day.
Therefore, John Davis is determined to win today's auction items.
However, although John Davis is rich, there are people who are more powerful than him. Today, Prime Minister Harold McMillan's son, Henry McMillan, is also at the auction. Although he doesn't have much money, everyone is concerned about the Prime Minister, so as long as he speaks, others will not follow suit.
Henry Macmillan was a womanizer. He was also drooling over Norma Sub's pair of weapons. He knew he wasn't as rich as John Davis, but he wasn't stupid. He immediately agreed to arrange for his father to meet with Van Rijk, the son of Standard Chartered shareholder Van Rijk, as long as he paid for the jewelry to be auctioned off.
Standard Chartered Bank is currently facing extremely fierce internal competition, with several major shareholders constantly raising funds, causing Van Ries's shareholding to be repeatedly squeezed. If he does not take action soon, he will be kicked out of the Standard Chartered Bank board of directors.
So Van Reese wanted to win over the Prime Minister and become his advisor. All he needed to do was meet the Prime Minister, present him with a gift, and the deal would be done. But was the Prime Minister someone anyone could just see whenever they wanted? Van Reese was so desperate that he was willing to offer a reward of one million pounds to anyone who could introduce him to the Prime Minister.
Anthony and Henry Macmillan had known each other for a few days, and Anthony had spent a lot of money on him. But Henry Macmillan, like a seasoned veteran, accepted all the good food, drinks, and entertainment. He was showered with sweet talk, but he only accepted the sweetness and threw the bullets back at Anthony.
He just wouldn't agree to anything with Anthony, making Anthony as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Today, he followed Henry McMillan to the auction, and only then did Henry McMillan agree to anything with him, which made him so excited that he punched himself.
Having received a clear answer from Anthony, Henry McMillan began to oppose John Davis.
The Heart of the Ocean had just been placed on the table when the auctioneer announced the starting price and then gently tapped the golden bell in front of him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the third item to be auctioned is the Heart of the Ocean from the Danish Royal Family. It was a token of love given by the King of Denmark to the Queen 150 years ago, symbolizing their everlasting love."
I now announce at Sotheby's auction house that the third lot, the Heart of the Ocean, has a starting price of £500,000. Please raise your paddles if you are willing to bid £500,000.
John Davis was the first to raise his placard.
“I’ll offer five hundred thousand pounds.”
Henry McMillan followed suit by raising his sign.
"Five hundred and fifty thousand."
John Davis glanced at Henry McMillan, his brow furrowed, and then he raised the sign again.
Six hundred thousand pounds.
"Six hundred and fifty thousand pounds."
"Seven hundred thousand pounds."
……
One million and one hundred thousand pounds.
Now they're testing their patience, each adding up to ten thousand at a time.
Suddenly, a clear, childlike voice rang out.
Two million pounds.