The Lost Tomb Vol. 7

Chapter 6: Auction Part II

I lived in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, so I honestly didn't have a lot of chances to meet acquaintances in Beijing. At this moment, my mind was stuck, and I couldn't remember who this man was, but I smiled reflexively. The man had obviously stopped like me, and was looking at me with a very surprised and puzzled expression on his face before he also smiled.

Fatty looked at the both of us in surprise. He claimed to be a local celebrity all the time, and we all hung out with him, so he obviously didn't expect that I would be recognized here.

The both of us smiled pervertedly [1] at each other for a long time, but neither recognized the other. Honestly, when I looked at him, I felt as if I had seen him somewhere before. But on closer reflection, that was all it was. I simply felt that he was familiar.

This had happened to me before. In the past, there was an elder sister in our circle, known as Sister Six, who often appeared in the newspaper's Jianbao and Guqu columns. I didn't know her and only saw her picture on the internet. When I saw her sometime later at a party, I was stunned and asked where I had seen her before. I really couldn't remember, but her husband eventually became angry.

But this guy didn't look like he often appeared in the newspaper. I couldn't even be sure if what I was feeling was really a sense of familiarity.

The two of us shared a look, but we really couldn't remember, and were both a little embarrassed. The old fellow with glasses was amused. These old Beijingers were slick and had seen all kinds of things. He gave us a roundabout: "Do the two young masters know each other? Let's not stand here blocking the elevator door. When you meet someone you know, you'll remember."

As he said this, he invited the other party in. Pink Shirt shook his head as if it was inconceivable, looked at me thoughtfully, and then turned and walked into the inner hall. He had only taken a few steps when he looked back at me again.

After that, the old man came back to greet us again and took us in the other direction. It was the norm in these old circles to have us sit further away from that man. He took a seat, so it made sense to be polite and not commit any taboos. If I really couldn't think of it no matter how hard I tried, then there was no use worrying about it. It wasn't like I'd have to fight him immediately if I discovered that he was a creditor or an enemy who killed my father.

All the rules had to be followed at the foot of the Imperial City, because no one knew all the ins and outs of the other party. It was only by following the principle of seven points for flattery and three points for success that one could be in an invincible position. The same was true for officials and waiters.

When I entered the inner hall, I found that this really was a restaurant that had been converted from a theater. There were two floors in the hall: the lower floor had loose seating and the upper floor had private rooms. The middle of the hall was hollowed out up to the ceiling, and there was a stage there. I could tell that not only was Peking Opera performed here, but more traditional programs were usually performed as well. Many old Beijingers here liked to listen to these things in such an environment. In the old days, the streets were filled with money to spend on such things, but now they had become something that the newly rich often enjoyed.

The stage was empty right now, but I noticed that there was something on it. Fatty glanced at it and said, "It's better to meet up with Granny Huo sooner rather than later. It looks like there will be an auction today."

"An auction? Auction of what?" I wondered.

"What else can be sold in this place? This is the most high-end place in the northern capital city of Beijing. Compared with this place, Hong Kong Jiaxide is a stall!" Fatty grinned. "But there are a large number of items here that you generally can't see on the market; the kind of things we can only hear about. I guess this Granny Huo is also here for the auction today, and meeting with us won't delay her other business."

Fatty's tone had changed completely. He had been speaking in a very strong Beijing accent ever since he entered the door just now, as if he were in a movie. What was even more strange was that my tone had changed as well. No wonder my tongue felt so weird. I said to myself, this place and the guys here are really fucking strong. It was probably because it smelled like old Beijing as soon as you came in. You got sucked into the plot before you knew it, and when you were held up by others, you really regarded yourself as a dude in Beijing city from that time.

I was afraid this was also a learning experience. When the auction began, the Beijing host would pick up a sheet and hold it, and the bidders would be unable to resist raising their hands, even if they didn't want to.

The three of us were taken to the nearby window and sat down. I looked over subconsciously and saw that Pink Shirt had gone straight upstairs, which looked different from our level. Fatty asked me, "What's up with you and him? Love at first sight?"

I shook my head. I couldn't figure out why. Where the hell had he and I met? I would have to think about it when I got back home. Fatty ordered the cheapest tea, which cost eighteen hundred yuan per pot, with a ten percent service charge. Fatty turned the cup upside down, saying that this wasn't tea at all, but Yang Guifei's [2] saliva. Shit, the tea dregs should be packed and taken back to soak in wine.

Poker-face was quiet and seemed like a very competent bodyguard, but for some reason, the more I looked at us, the more I felt that we looked like goons working for a big boss.

We chatted while we waited there, and unknowingly smashed three plates of sunflower seeds. Fortunately, they were free. As we looked at the groups of people coming in the door, I found that Fatty's face was a little uncomfortable and he looked a little distracted. His eyes often glanced away and he looked strange, so I asked him what was wrong. "Damn it, this is an interesting day," he said.

"What's wrong, did you see a beauty?" I asked. I had only seen a few middle-aged women, although they were well maintained.

He glanced at those in the upper box and the others at the lower tables and said: "Do you know who I saw just now?"

"Who?"

"Liuli Sun," Fatty whispered.

"Who's Liuli Sun?" It didn't sound familiar.

"You've never lived in Beijing, so you don't know. It's a big family that runs an investment company overseas. In the past, he used to trade liuli beads but then mysteriously became a wealthy master. His home is full of treasures, so in his eyes, ordinary things are completely despicable. He only appears when there's a genuine high-level treasure, and he's recently become a trend indicator in Beijing City. When he goes to any auction now, it basically means there are top notch goods. Damn it, he hasn't shown up for two or three years. Why is he here?" The fact that Fatty couldn't sit still in his seat piqued my interest.

I turned to look, and saw that Liuli Sun was over sixty years old. He had a white head of hair and was playing with two walnuts in his hand as he strode to the second floor. I couldn't help but feel a slight yearning for that second floor.

Fatty continued, "It's not only him. During the entire time I've been watching, all key members of this industry have arrived. We were right, there's bound to be a good show today. It may even be a rare one-in-a-hundred years event. No, I can't stand it anymore, I have to find an auction brochure to see what the fuck is being auctioned today." With that said, he was about to get up again.

I was just about to remind him that our business wasn't to watch the auction, but the man who had shown us our seats came over and whispered, "You three, Madam Huo is here. Please go upstairs."

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Notes:

[1] The author legit put "pervertedly" in there so it had to be included of course. Wu Xie always cracks me up.

[2] She was the highest ranking imperial consort during her time and known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years.