My Manor

"Hi, Jiang, welcome! You look really handsome in that suit!" The person in charge of Phillips in Miami greeted Jiang Hai with open arms and pulled him into a warm hug. Jiang Hai only smiled in response, saying nothing to the obvious compliment.

Family members know their own situation. Jiang Hai's face wasn't ugly, but it wasn't exactly handsome either. In terms of traditional standards—thick eyebrows and big eyes, or the modern definition, where flower boys rule—Jiang Hai didn't quite fit the bill. His face was slightly elongated, and his medium-length hair was neither too long nor too short, just very average.

He had single eyelids, and since he used to wear glasses, his eyes appeared smaller. His nose wasn't perfectly straight, and the tip was a bit large. His mouth wasn't particularly big, but neither was it thin. Of course, this had nothing to do with thickness. The one feature that met the standard of handsomeness was his pointed chin, which was naturally sharp, giving him an oval face.

With such a face, if thrown into a crowd, he would blend in. In China, he'd be difficult to recognize unless someone had made a point of remembering him. If someone called him handsome, it could only mean one thing—he was good with words.

"There are quite a few people tonight," Jiang Hai commented, after a friendly hug from the person in charge. He glanced around at the crowd, satisfied.

A large number of people meant that the items were popular, and the popularity of what he was selling meant he could expect a high price.

"Of course! Your item is a real treasure. Most of these people are here for that. Looks like you'll really become a millionaire this time." The person in charge laughed, playfully punching Jiang Hai.

"Of course, we're both making money," Jiang Hai replied with a smile, returning the punch.

"Here's your ticket and badge. If you like something, raise it. I know you're wealthy, not just because of that one thing. By the way, why didn't you bring a female companion?" The person in charge handed him a badge with the number 108 printed on it. "This is your number for the auction. If you like something, just raise your badge to bid."

"Do we need to wear formal clothes?" Jiang Hai asked with a smile. "They didn't want to wear them, so I came by myself." If it wasn't for the fact that he was selling his own things this time, and that he had never attended an auction before, he wouldn't have bothered. Wearing formal clothes was just too much of a hassle.

"Do you need me to arrange a female companion for you?" The person in charge quietly asked, noticing Jiang Hai had come alone. Jiang Hai smiled and shook his head. When he entered earlier, there were many young models and celebrities outside, hoping to use their connections to get close to someone who had access to the auction. But these girls were ambitious. They just wanted to come in, or perhaps spend the night with him. If things went wrong, Jiang Hai would be in trouble—and that was something he couldn't risk.

"No, I'll go in by myself." Jiang Hai patted the person in charge on the shoulder and walked away.

After passing through the front hall, when Jiang Hai stepped into the auction room, he couldn't help but be impressed. The hall was vast—though not the venue for the annual spring auction—it was clearly not just any normal auction room. The 5,000 square meter space had two long tables on either side, laden with snacks like sausages, cakes, and fruits. These cold dishes were meant to keep guests from getting too bored.

The auction seating was also thoughtfully arranged. Instead of small chairs with signs, each group of guests had a small round table. The main seat faced the auction table, and each table had an iPad attached, allowing guests to view the auction items from afar. You could even rotate the items in 3D to examine every detail and read their information.

Of course, everything here was real; otherwise, Phillips' reputation would be at stake.

Jiang Hai scanned the room and had to admit the setup was impressive. The modern atmosphere intrigued him.

His number was 108, which was placed in the second row, directly in the middle. This numbering started at 101, indicating the importance of his seat. Jiang Hai, who was worth over a billion yuan, had no problem being here. He glanced around and realized that most of the guests seemed to know each other, engaged in casual chatter or bragging. Jiang Hai didn't recognize anyone, so he checked his watch—it was still over half an hour before the auction started. He decided to get some food.

When he went to grab a snack, the selection was too small, and it was gone in no time. Just as he was about to get up for more, a voice interrupted him.

"Hello, we meet again." Jiang Hai looked up and was surprised to find the familiar face of the Middle Eastern tycoon who had previously wanted to buy the yacht Jiang Hai had been interested in.

"Hello, I didn't expect to see you here," Jiang Hai said, standing and shaking his hand politely. Jiang Hai believed in returning respect, and the other man's friendly smile put him at ease.

"I had left for Panama, but when I heard there were valuable items for sale here, I came back. How is it? Is the boat still useful?" After shaking hands, the wealthy man asked politely.

"If you don't mind, let's sit down and talk. The boat's not bad," Jiang Hai replied, inviting him to sit.

As the Middle Eastern tycoon took his seat, Jiang Hai noticed he was seated diagonally from him, in position 103. Except for the bodyguard, the rest of the guests at that table were women in black veils. It was the only table with such an arrangement, so naturally, it stood out.

As expected of a wealthy man from the Middle East, his seat was the best.

"Of course, my oriental friend. Let me introduce myself. My name is Du Famen-Weiha-Mohammed-Bin-Rashid-Ayun-Uktum. I know it's a bit long, but my friends call me Du Famen. You can call me that too," the man said with a smile as he sat down.

"Hello, Du Famen, my name is Jiang Hai, from China. You can just call me Jiang," Jiang Hai replied, slightly amused by the long name.

"Alright, Jiang, it's fate that we meet again. I think we'll see each other again." After the introductions, Du Famen smiled and stood up. As the welcoming door gradually closed, it signaled the auction was about to start. It would be inappropriate to continue sitting next to Jiang Hai, so Du Famen returned to his seat.

Soon, Jiang Hai noticed an elderly man and a security team entering from another door. For an auction like this, no video recording was allowed, and security was necessary to ensure the event went smoothly. The wealthy guests, however, paid no mind and kept their attention on the elderly man, who was preparing to begin.

This man wasn't just any ordinary person—he was the best auctioneer at Phillips, specially brought in from Europe for this event.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor to be here with you today, to verify the ownership of these treasures," the auctioneer began, bowing to the guests before proceeding with the opening remarks. The introduction set the tone for the upcoming auction.

Jiang Hai listened carefully as the auctioneer explained that there would be 31 items on the block today. The items, which had originally been meant for the autumn or spring auctions, were being presented earlier due to Jiang Hai's contributions. As the auctioneer spoke, Jiang Hai accessed the auction catalog through the iPad in front of him. Sure enough, he saw that his armor was the final item on the list—the grand finale.

Before his item, there were thirty other pieces, including European oil paintings, gemstones, and modern artworks. The one that caught Jiang Hai's attention was a pair of blue-and-white porcelain vases, which he recognized as one of his own pieces. They weren't particularly high on the list, ranking sixteenth, which suggested they weren't as valuable as he had initially thought. The blue-and-white porcelain from the Wanli period was not extraordinary.

"Now, let's stop the chatter and begin with our first lot of the evening, number 7866547," the auctioneer announced.