The disk was flipped over, revealing numerous grooves arranged in a circle.
Beneath the grooves, I spotted a gear.
I was taken aback, my suspicion solidifying that this was definitely not a Western Zhou artifact. Judging by its patina, it was at most a hundred years old.
"Is this thing functional?" I asked.
The bald man chuckled. "That I don't know. If you're interested, friend, you can buy it and study it at your leisure."
After stepping off the stage, Liu Zai Xi eagerly asked, "Mr. Xiang, how was it?"
I replied, "That thing is at most a hundred years old. As for its exact era, I can't be sure."
I expected her to be disappointed, but instead, a hint of joy flickered in her eyes.
"Is this what you were looking for?" I couldn't help but ask.
"En..." Liu Zai Xi confirmed, "This is the 'Kan Pan'."
"What do you need this for?" I inquired.
A flicker of hesitation crossed Liu Zai Xi's eyes. After a moment, she said, "Mr. Xiang, this item is very important to me... I'll tell you more about its use later."
Seeing her resolve, I mused, "It seems you're determined to get this item?"
Liu Zai Xi nodded.
"I can help you acquire it..."
Her eyes lit up. "Really?"
I nodded, then asked her for the bowl. Approaching the table with the disk, I declared, "This item doesn't look like Western Zhou work. It's likely an artificially aged piece, but its condition is quite good. It'd make a decent decorative item."
With that, I placed some beans inside and covered the bowl with it on the table.
Following my comment, the interest of everyone else who had been eyeing the item instantly waned, leaving only one person.
The man looked to be in his thirties, with a sharp, monkey-like face and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He gave me a slight smile and covered the bowl on the table.
I returned his smile and said no more.
The bald auctioneer, one by one, lifted our bowls to inspect them, then pushed my bowl back.
I was stunned.
What was going on?
I had just asked Liu Zai Xi that one bean was equivalent to five thousand yuan.
The beans I'd placed in my bowl numbered ten, meaning it was worth fifty thousand yuan.
I felt that fifty thousand yuan was already an inflated price for such an item.
But unexpectedly, the other bidder had gone higher.
Liu Zai Xi, from a distance, glanced at me with a worried expression.
I considered this and retrieved my bowl, adding another ten beans.
This meant my bid had now reached one hundred thousand!
Just as I thought it would be enough this time, my bowl was once again pushed back.
I blinked and glanced at the bespectacled man beside me. He maintained his smile, appearing very composed.
Just how many beans had this fellow put in?
With only the final round remaining, if my bid was still lower than his this round, then...
With that thought, I took a deep breath.
I added twenty more beans to my bowl, bringing the total to forty beans!
Two hundred thousand!
Liu Zai Xi had told me earlier that she had only brought one hundred and fifty thousand yuan. Now that I had added fifty thousand more, it meant I would have to cover that amount myself later.
It wasn't that I was concerned about the money, but having promised her I'd help her get this item, I didn't want to break my word.
Another point was my own curiosity about the item's purpose.
Just as I was about to place the bowl back on the table, I noticed the bespectacled man's smile widen further.
Momentarily hesitant, I retrieved the bowl and added another ten beans.
Two hundred and fifty thousand...
With so much money, it was more than enough to buy this disk, even a genuine antique.
As I pushed the bowl forward, the bald auctioneer lifted it halfway, glanced at the beans inside, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He then smiled at me and pushed the bespectacled man's bowl back.
The bespectacled man seemed unfazed!
I frowned. Did he not want the item?
There was no trace of disappointment on his face, which puzzled me.
If he didn't want it, why bid so high?
Although I didn't know the exact number of beans he'd placed, judging by the first two rounds, it was at least over a hundred thousand!
Why bid over a hundred thousand if he didn't want the item?
Just then, the bespectacled man exchanged a glance with the bald man. It was in that exchange that I understood.
It dawned on me that the bespectacled man was a plant!
He was trying to lure me into biting the bait, making me a fool.
With that realization, as the bespectacled man was about to retrieve his bowl, I grabbed his hand. "Can I see how many beans you put in?"
The bespectacled man frowned. "Don't you know the rules?"
I smiled. "I put in fifty beans, so I'm curious, how many fewer did you put?"
Hearing that I'd bid so much, everyone present became curious.
At that moment, I abruptly lifted the bespectacled man's bowl. It was empty, not a single bean inside!
Instantly, not only I but everyone else was stunned.
The bald man intended to stop me, but I was faster.
Perhaps he hadn't expected me to lift the bowl so directly.
A commotion erupted, and the people in the warehouse began whispering amongst themselves.
"What is this?" someone shouted. "Double-crossing? Damn it, does that mean everything we bought earlier was also a rip-off?"
The bald man shot me a fierce glare and then forced a smile. "Apologies, it's a misunderstanding. These two are my friends, they were just playing a joke..."
"A joke? I don't think so!" someone retorted. "This place isn't clean, and the goods are probably no good either. I don't want what I just bid on anymore..."
Whispers grew louder, and several people even left.
Seeing this, I quickly went to Liu Zai Xi and urged, "Let's go..."
But just as we prepared to leave amidst the chaos, the bald man, accompanied by several men, blocked our way. "You can't leave!"
"Oh really?" I smiled. "Looks like you really want to pull off a double-cross?"
The bald man gritted his teeth, cursed in a dialect, and then more people surrounded us.
By now, the other auction attendees had departed. In the warehouse, besides Liu Zai Xi and me, only the bald man's entourage remained.
Seeing their formation, I remained remarkably calm.
Because when I lifted the bowl earlier, I had already planned my escape route.
"What do you want?" I fixed my gaze on the bald man.
"You ruined my business, what do you think I want?" the bald man glared at me fiercely.
"So, you want me to compensate you for your losses?" I inquired.
The bald man sneered. "If you don't buy all these items tonight, I'll throw you into the river to feed the fish later!"
I calmly responded, "Fine, I can make a phone call, can't I?"
"Who are you calling?!"
"Of course, I'm calling someone to send you the money. I don't want to be fish food," I said with a smile.
Seeing my composure, the bald man seemed somewhat uncertain.
"Don't worry, I'll make the call right in front of you," I assured him.