Returning from the restroom, Lu Fan smiled and said, "How about it, have you all eaten enough? Shall we head back now!"
"There's a painting exhibition tonight. Since you've come to Longdu, I'll take you around," Jiang Meili said with a smile. "At the same time, I'll broaden your horizons."
"Really!" Lin Ke exclaimed with delight. "I'm quite interested in painting exhibitions. If I can see the works of famous artists, it would be a great fortune."
"This painting exhibition is quite significant and will definitely not disappoint you," Jiang Meili stated seriously. "Moreover, at the exhibition, if you like a painting, you can also purchase it at a price! If you can buy an original piece, it would be incredibly valuable."
Lin Ke nodded slightly, her anticipation growing.
After finishing their meal, they arrived at the Longdu Painting Exhibition. Although it was just a painting exhibition, it featured many paintings with ancient poetry and calligraphy, as well as some antique pieces, which attracted many visitors.
"Is this the Longdu Painting Exhibition! It's so grand!" Lin Ke said enviously. "It's several notches higher than the Chu Zhou Painting Exhibition!"
"Of course. In every aspect, Longdu is much better than other cities," Jiang Meili said directly. "After all, this is the central region of Long Country!"
"I think the paintings here are rather ordinary," Lu Fan shrugged. "They are not famous paintings, just imitations!"
"This is just the outer perimeter. The truly good paintings are inside."
Jiang Meili shot Lu Fan a glance. "From your words just now, anyone who didn't know you would think you know a lot about paintings!"
Lu Fan stood frozen, unsure how to respond. Indeed, beautiful women were not people he could handle or offend.
They arrived at the display stands, looking at the many famous paintings. Many people began to make purchases, but most of the prices were quite high, and many were still observing.
This was merely a painting exhibition, with no quality guarantee. No one knew if the paintings here were genuine or fake, and there were many antique experts around.
"I think this painting is good!" Lin Ke said. "And it's a painting by Luobuding, it has collectible value!"
"I also think it's quite good!" Jiang Meili agreed. "And the price is reasonable. If this painting were sold on the market, it would likely be worth more than this."
Lin Ke was eager to acquire the painting. Luobuding's paintings were always precious, let alone at only three million. If she could get her hands on it, she could sell it for a good price.
"Xiao Ke, this painting is fake!" Lu Fan said. "Luobuding's paintings are not this crude. This is clearly an inferior product, let alone three million, it's probably not even worth three hundred yuan!"
"How is that possible!" Lin Ke exclaimed in surprise. "This is a painting exhibition, and fake items rarely appear here, especially Luobuding's paintings!"
"That's right!" Jiang Meili nodded. "This is the largest painting exhibition in Longdu, with major figures investing behind it. This painting cannot possibly be fake!"
"Who knows what is real and what is fake!" Lu Fan smiled. "I have extensive research in antiques. Judging from the material, this painting is already crude, coupled with rough brushwork. If it were Luobuding's work!"
Jiang Meili was surprised and looked closely. She indeed found that the painting before her was not as perfect as she had imagined. Furthermore, upon examining the material, it was clearly a modern craft.
"This is truly despicable, to pass off a craft item as a genuine work at such a large painting exhibition!" Jiang Meili expressed her displeasure, but she looked at Lu Fan with newfound respect. Being able to identify the fake painting at a glance showed Lu Fan's depth.
"Let's go look over there!" Lin Ke suggested.
Lu Fan did not follow, but instead wandered around casually. The exhibition was not that large, and he was not afraid of getting separated from them.
After carefully examining the surroundings, Lu Fan instantly lost interest. There was not a single treasure in the entire exhibition, which made him suspect if the exhibition was a scam.
Meanwhile, Lin Ke and Jiang Meili arrived at the auction hall at the deepest part of the exhibition. Many people were already bidding, and it looked quite lively.
"Esteemed bidders, next to be auctioned is the Exquisite Peacock Painting. This painting is quite precious, and if you can acquire it, its future appreciation potential is immense."
An elder spoke, his expression serious as he looked at everyone.
At this moment, within the auction hall, many people were observing with great anticipation for the Exquisite Peacock Painting.
When the auction house presented the Exquisite Peacock Painting, it immediately caused a stir. The colors on the painting were quite vibrant, suggesting a significant effort.
"If I can bid for the Exquisite Peacock Painting, I will definitely make a substantial profit in the future!" Jiang Meili said seriously. "I wonder what the final price will be!"
"This Exquisite Peacock Painting is indeed quite good," Lin Ke nodded. "It will likely fetch at least five million!"
As soon as Lin Ke finished speaking, a voice rang out from the main stage: "The Exquisite Peacock Painting starts at three million, with no upper limit!"
"I bid five million!"
Just as everyone was preparing to bid, Jiang Meili suddenly stood up, looking determined to win.
Many people in the hall were interested in the Exquisite Peacock Painting, but upon hearing Jiang Meili's bid, they instantly backed down.
Being able to increase the bid by two million directly suggested someone of great influence, otherwise, they wouldn't be so extravagant. If they were to bid, offending the person before them would not be a good thing.
"This lady bids five million, is there anyone higher?" the auctioneer, an elder, asked, looking at everyone present.
Seeing that no one was bidding, Jiang Meili also showed joy. This way, she could acquire the Exquisite Peacock Painting at the lowest price and keep it as a treasure at home, undoubtedly earning a lot.
Although she was a company executive, her earnings were not substantial. Most of her savings came from her research into antiques. Now that she knew the Exquisite Peacock Painting had significant collectible value, she would not give it up easily.
"Is there really no one else bidding five million?"
The auctioneer spoke again, "This is an original work of the Peacock Exquisite Painting!"
"I bid five point five million!"
Just then, a man stood up, his expression more serious, as if he had reached his limit.
Seeing someone bid, Jiang Meili's expression changed. If someone else bid, the price would continue to rise, making it increasingly difficult for her to obtain the Exquisite Peacock Painting.
"I bid ten million!"
Jiang Meili's voice rang out again, clear and powerful.
Lin Ke stood by, her heart in her mouth. In a blink of an eye, the bid had increased by five million. This was not a normal increment, but a millionaire's increment.
The entire auction hall instantly fell silent, and everyone's gaze turned towards Jiang Meili. This person was likely of great influence, otherwise, why would they be so extravagant.
However, Jiang Meili's move was indeed quite effective, deterring the people in the auction hall from bidding further.