Returning from the restroom, Lu Fan chuckled, "How is it, have you all eaten enough? Shall we head back now?"
"There's a painting exhibition tonight. Since you've come to Longdu, it's rare. I'll take you to have a look," Jiang Meili said with a smile. "At the same time, I'll broaden your horizons."
"Really!" Lin Ke exclaimed in surprise, "I'm quite interested in painting exhibitions. It would be a great fortune to see paintings by famous masters."
"This painting exhibition has a significant background and will absolutely not disappoint you," Jiang Meili stated seriously. "Moreover, at the exhibition, if you find a painting you like, you can also purchase it! If you can buy a genuine piece, it's incredibly valuable."
Lin Ke nodded slightly, becoming even more eager.
After finishing their meal, they arrived at the Longdu Art Exhibition. Although it was just an exhibition, it featured many ancient poems and paintings, as well as some antiques, attracting many visitors.
"Is this the Longdu Art Exhibition! How magnificent!" Lin Ke said with admiration. "It's several levels higher than the Chuzhou Art Exhibition!"
"Of course, in every aspect, Longdu is far better than other cities," Jiang Meili said directly. "After all, this is the central region of Longguo!"
"I think the paintings here are quite ordinary," Lu Fan shrugged. "They're not famous paintings, just imitations!"
"This is just the outer perimeter; the truly good paintings are inside."
Jiang Meili shot Lu Fan a look. "From your words just now, someone who doesn't know better would think you understand a lot about art!"
Lu Fan froze, not knowing how to respond. Indeed, beautiful women were not people he could handle or offend.
They arrived at the display stands and gazed at the many famous paintings. Many people began to make purchases, but most were priced quite high, while others were still observing.
This was merely an art exhibition; there were no quality guarantees. No one knew if the paintings were genuine or fake, and there were many antique connoisseurs around.
"I think this painting is quite good!" Lin Ke remarked, "And it's by Luo Boding, it has collection 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 fetch more than this price."
Lin Ke was eager to acquire the painting. Luo Boding's works were always precious, especially at a price of three million. If she could get her hands on it, she could sell it for a good profit later.
"Xiao Ke, this painting is fake!" Lu Fan stated. "Luo Boding's strokes are not this rough. This is clearly an inferior counterfeit, let alone three million, it's probably not even worth three hundred yuan!"
"How is that possible!" Lin Ke was surprised. "This is an art exhibition; fake items rarely appear, especially works by Luo Boding!"
"That's right!" Jiang Meili nodded. "This is the largest art exhibition in Longdu, with the investment of important figures behind it. This painting cannot possibly be fake!"
"Who can tell what's real and what's fake!" Lu Fan smiled. "I have some research in antiques. Judging from the material, this painting is already crude, coupled with the rough brushwork. If it were by Luo Boding!"
Jiang Meili was surprised and took a closer look. She indeed found that the painting before her was not as perfect as she had imagined. Upon inspecting the material, it was clearly a modern craft.
"How unscrupulous to pass off a craft as art at such a large exhibition!" Jiang Meili expressed her displeasure, but she looked at Lu Fan with newfound respect. Being able to identify a fake painting at a glance was enough to show Lu Fan's depth.
"Let's go look over there!" Lin Ke suggested.
Lu Fan did not follow but wandered around at his own pace. The exhibition was not that large, and he wasn't afraid of getting separated from them.
After carefully examining the surroundings, Lu Fan instantly lost interest. There wasn't a single treasure in the entire exhibition, making him wonder if the exhibition was a scam.
Meanwhile, Lin Ke and Jiang Meili arrived at the auction hall in the deepest part of the exhibition. Many people were already bidding, creating a lively atmosphere.
"Dear bidders, next to be auctioned is the 'Exquisite Peacock Painting'. This painting is quite precious, and if purchased, it will have significant appreciation potential in the future."
An elder spoke with a serious expression, looking at everyone present.
At this moment, many people in the auction hall were observing, and they were quite eager for the 'Exquisite Peacock Painting'.
When the auction house staff unfurled the 'Exquisite Peacock Painting', it immediately caused a stir. The colors on the painting were quite vibrant, suggesting a considerable effort.
"If I could bid for this 'Exquisite Peacock Painting', I would definitely make a fortune 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 agreed. "It will likely fetch at least five million!"
As soon as Lin Ke finished speaking, a voice sounded 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.
Many people present were interested in the 'Exquisite Peacock Painting', but after Jiang Meili's bid, they immediately became hesitant.
Being able to increase the bid by two million so directly suggested someone of great background, otherwise, they wouldn't be so extravagant. If they bid against her, offending this person would not be a good thing.
"This lady bids five million, is there anyone higher?" the auctioneer, an elder, asked, looking around the room.
Seeing that no one was bidding further, Jiang Meili showed her joy. This way, she could acquire the 'Exquisite Peacock Painting' at the lowest price and keep it at home as a treasure, which would surely earn her 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 collection value, she would not let it go easily.
"Five million, is there really no one else bidding?"
The auctioneer spoke again, "This is the authentic 'Peacock Exquisite Painting'!"
"I bid five point five million!"
Just then, a man stood up, his expression serious, seemingly having reached his limit.
Seeing that someone had bid, Jiang Meili's expression changed. If someone countered her bid, the price would continue to rise, making it even more difficult for her to obtain the 'Exquisite Peacock Painting'.
"I bid ten million!"
Jiang Meili's voice rang out again, more resolute.
Lin Ke stood by, breaking out in a sweat. In the blink of an eye, she had increased the bid by five million. This was not a usual increment; it was clearly a lavish bid.
The entire auction hall instantly fell silent, and everyone's gaze turned towards Jiang Meili. This was likely someone of great background, otherwise, why would she be so extravagant.
However, Jiang Meili's move was indeed quite effective, deterring others in the auction from bidding further.