1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 336 The Unknown Brings Expectations (Two-part Long Chapter)

Artworks with a starting bid of 1 francs or higher will be auctioned in the afternoon's "Golden Auction," while artworks with a starting bid of less than 1 francs will be auctioned in the morning.

Because of the lower barriers to entry and less competition, morning auctions can accommodate more buyers and artists, roughly half again as many as gold auctions.

Stepping into the auction hall and looking at the densely packed seats, Ronan had the illusion of attending an opera or a stage play. And today's 'actors' would undoubtedly be the auctioneer and the artworks that would appear in the very center later.

But this is Ronan's personal opinion.

He was the center of attention for most people at the scene.

Their gazes darted back and forth between Ronan and the Tibetan family, their eyes filled with terror.

"Yesterday at the morning auction, a winery owner could sit in the front row. The same owner can only stand in the back today, raising his paddle. He didn't even get a seat!"

"When have so many 'big shots' ever come to the morning auction? They must have all been attracted by Ronan's 'Lovebirds', right?"

"Of course! Didn't you see? Even Normand, the director of the Granet Museum, is here. This is the first time the Granet Museum has appeared at an auction. I heard that 'Lovebirds' was recommended by the Granet Museum for the sculpture exhibition at the Gold Centre."

"That's strange. Why isn't Mr. Normand sitting in the very center of the first row? Could it be that an even more distinguished collector has arrived?"

The rules of the Provence-style auctions are unshakeable.

Even popular artist Ronan cannot break its rules.

The popular work 'Lovebirds' was featured at the morning auction. Ronan, participating in an art event for the first time, lost badly in the 'seniority-based' competition and ended up sitting in the very last row of the artists' section, in a very remote corner.

Ronan didn't find it inappropriate; on the contrary, he thought it was quite good, at least he could do some 'small tricks' now.

After greeting the artists he was meeting for the first time, he leaned slightly towards the collectors' section, where several of his "old friends" were, though most of them were unfamiliar to him.

But having done his homework, Cotillard already knew most of the collector's information and quietly introduced it to Ronan.

"You don't need to look at those standing in the back; they probably won't be on stage today. I'll start introducing you from the third row."

Ronan nodded slightly and said, "Okay."

“The buyer number 89 in the third row was the representative of the Swiss watch company who demanded the right to change the name. We refused their request, but they compromised and said they would take back the ‘Lovebird’ to design the latest couple’s series.”

“Buyer No. 131 is an olive grove owner from Italy who wants to give the ‘lovebird’ to his wife.”

"Buyer No. 101—"

Ronan listened silently, memorizing the information of these international buyers and their buyer codes one by one. These numbers would be their unique identifiers once the auction began.

“Buyer number 67 is a representative of the Seibu Group,” Cotillard said, emphasizing. “You should pay close attention to this one; it’s widely believed that they will most likely win the bid for ‘Lovebird’.”

After finishing with the third row, Cotillard began to introduce the second row.

However, Ronan knew more about the buyers in the second row than she did; several of his acquaintances were sitting in that area.

Besides Gabriel, the buyer number 60 who had previously informed him that he would be bidding, Ronan also saw Ines, who was holding number 43.

Indeed, Ronan was quite surprised to learn that the president of the Rosé Wine Association had also participated in the auction of the 'Lovebird'.

Ines has been active in Gold recently, while Ronan only has her office phone number and has never spoken to her about the auction. The organizing committee has also not told Cotillard's buyer number 43 what his purpose was in wanting to bid for the 'Lovebird'.

Besides these two familiar faces, a 'familiar face' that Ronan hadn't seen in a long time was also sitting in the second row—Olivier, who owns several restaurants in Marseille and Nice and has abandoned Lucas.

I hadn't seen him for a few months, and he'd gotten even fatter, sitting on his seat like a mountain of flesh.

At that moment, he was waving his short, stubby hand at Ronan from afar.

“Buyer number 58 also wanted to give the ‘lovebird’ to his wife.” Buyer number 58, as Cotillard mentioned, is Olivier.

After introducing several more buyers in the second row, Cotillard looked at the stern-faced Ines and said:
“Buyer No. 43 was very active from the third day of the auction. She was a dark horse that emerged from among the well-known local collectors. Everyone guessed that she might be defending the dignity of local buyers. Pay special attention to her in the second row. She is very capable.”

"How could the editor-in-chief of Michelin Magazine be incompetent?" Ronan thought to himself.

As Mr. Jacques once said, in Provence, no matter what happens, don't panic. Call Inès and she can take care of everything.

However, Astrid's 'halo' in the association was so great that it overshadowed some of Ines's brilliance.

She may be a rising star in the art world, but in the fashion world she is definitely a 'big shot'.

If the rules of the Provence auctions were not based on auction history, but rather on economic strength or social status, Ronan believed that Inès would absolutely be qualified to sit in the front row.

However, thinking about this, Ronan suddenly had a question:
“Buyer No. 43 only started to be active on the third day of the auction, and certainly doesn’t have the extensive auction history of the Seibu Group of Japan. Why was she able to sit in the second row, while Seibu Department Store could only sit in the third row?”

Cotillard lowered his voice and said:

"Because she's a local collector, didn't you notice? Even the numbers on the license plates follow a pattern. The first few numbers represent established local collectors, the middle numbers represent ordinary local collectors, and the numbers for international collectors are quite large. The seating arrangement is also based on this order."

Ronan covered his mouth, afraid that his laughter would be heard by others:

“Being an artist and collector in Provence must be so wonderful; you can outdo international conglomerates.”

Cotillard gently patted Ronan, reminding him that this was not the time for jokes:
"Alright, now let's introduce the most important first-row collectors."

Ronan immediately sat up straight, like a well-behaved student listening attentively in class.

“I won’t go into too much detail about buyer number 25, Mr. Rodrigo. He contacted me privately twice, asking if we could sell ‘Lovebird’ to him privately without going to the auction, and he would definitely give us a satisfactory price.” Codia said seriously, “Of course not. Going to the auction is not just about money; it’s an opportunity to gain reputation and countless attention. That’s something that money can’t buy.”

Ronan nodded slightly.

Every time Mr. Rodrigo approached Cotillard, Cotillard would tell Ronan that it was also his idea.

"In short, he cares a lot about the 'lovebird'." Cotillard tapped the armrest twice.

“Buyer number 17, Ms. Sanson, is also a very capable local collector. She hopes to bid on the ‘Lovebird’ to commemorate her late husband,” Godard continued.

Ronan was first moved, then frowned and asked:
"That woman looked to be only in her forties, and her husband had already passed away?"

Cotillard awkwardly adjusted her hair:
"She was 82 when her last husband passed away, and 78 when her husband before that passed away. She is a woman who succeeded through marriage. I heard that she is getting married for the seventh time this year, and her husband is the old shipping magnate of Marseille."

Ronan pondered for several seconds before commenting:
"The old shipping magnate is really confident."

“Shipping magnate, he’s seen it all—” Cotillard shook his head, shaking off the strange thoughts in his head, and continued, “I don’t need to introduce buyer number 8, do I? Miss Patricia, an old friend of ours.”

Ronan looked at the cute girl who was yawning:

"She actually came to watch the fun? I thought she was joking."

Patricia only had one artist in her eyes when she came to Gold: Zoe.

But the battle at 'Lovebirds' was too exciting, and young people don't have much self-control. They had to come and see for themselves, so she also expressed interest in 'Lovebirds'.

However, when bidding on Zoe's second piece, Patricia told Zoe that she wouldn't really be involved in the competition for 'Lovebirds' and was just a bystander today.

Cotillard's voice suddenly became serious:

"Mr. Normand, who has paddle number 2, doesn't need an introduction, does he? The organizing committee told me that he was the first person to bid on 'Lovebird'. He actually came to the auction in person today."

Ronan followed Cotillard's gaze to the elderly man near the center of the Tibetan seating area.

Without Mr. Normand's help, Ronan's trip to Gold would have ended at the end of January. It can be said that he made Ronan who he is today.

Ronan quickly exclaimed "Huh?" and asked Cotillard:

"The Granet Museum should be one of the largest museums in Provence. Logically, Mr. Normand should be sitting in the middle of the first row, right? But why is someone else sitting in the middle? A representative from another museum in Provence?"

Cotillard grinned and said:

“You are a representative of the Princess of Monaco. The Provence auction was originally an internal royal event. Now that the royal family is present, they should naturally sit in the most central position.”

Ronan exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?"
"Are you here to photograph 'Lovebirds' too? The Princess of Monaco wasn't on our list of potential clients, was she?"

Would the Princess of Monaco be interested in artworks priced under 1 francs?
There is absolutely no other possibility than a 'lovebird'!
Cotillard shook his head and said:

"The organizers informed me very late yesterday that the royal family does not need to submit an application of intent and is eligible to attend all auctions. It just goes to show that we do not have a comprehensive and thorough understanding of the rules of the Provence auctions. There are too many rules waiting for us to discover."

The unexpected arrival of a representative from the Monaco royal family further excited Ronan:
"Isn't it the unknown that creates anticipation? If you knew everything, you could roughly predict how things would turn out. It's because the Provence auction, which has been around for hundreds of years, always has new surprises that makes people want to know how it ends."

The first step in the morning auction is still the auctioneer explaining the auction rules in the Provençal dialect.

Perhaps because of the presence of royalty, or perhaps because today's morning auction was so special, Cotillard introduced Ronan to the auctioneer, saying that he was the most senior auctioneer currently active in Provence, and that he was over sixty years old and that he usually only participated in the 'gold auction' within the gold auction.

The fact that we invited him out today is enough to show how much the Provençal art world values ​​this auction.

Many people present recognized the old man. Although they were already very familiar with the rules, everyone listened very attentively, and even Patricia, who was yawning, sat up straight.

Dad said that Grandpa Siscoa's future appearances at auctions could be counted on two hands, and each appearance would be one less. It was such a pity that Dad couldn't come to witness it this time. Patricia murmured to herself.

She mustered her strength and decided to stay focused from the very beginning and not let her mind wander again!
The rules for the morning auction are basically the same as those for the gold auction, with only one difference: the increment is lower.

Siskoya's aged yet solemn voice carried clearly to every corner of the auction hall:
"This auction is based on the franc, with each bid increment being 1000 francs, and the equivalent value can be used at the time of settlement—"

The international buyers in the collectors' section erupted in 'wailing' and 'protest'.

Other works might not sell even if you add 1,000 to 1,000, but how long will it take to add 'Lovebirds' to 1,000?

The special auction rules in Provence are utterly outdated!
The noise drew the ire of many local collectors, who turned around and glared at them in disapproval.

Didn't you see the auctioneer explaining the rules?!
Patricia clenched her fists angrily.

This is disrespectful to Grandpa Siscoa!

Cissor didn't need anyone to speak up for him. While explaining the rules of the exchange, he suddenly stopped, tapped his wooden mallet, and pointed to a certain spot in the collectors' section, saying:
“157、121、143、86、90、139号买家警告一次！”

Along with the authoritative voice, a sign placed in front of them by a waiter read, "Please respect the silence of the olive tree."

Siskoya said with an air of authority, without being angry:
"If anyone continues to talk and disrupt the auction after a warning, they will be forcibly removed and will have to drink 1 liter of rosé wine as an apology. During the auction, if anyone disrupts the order of the auction and causes chaos, they may be fined up to 5% of the hammer price!" After the second hammer fell, Cissoria continued to explain the barter rules as if nothing had happened.

But no one dared to speak at the scene.

Ronan and Cotillard exchanged a glance and gave each other a thumbs-up in admiration.

Older gingers are more spicy!
He truly deserves to be called the most prestigious auctioneer in Provence!

However, Ronan soon sighed in worry.

The punishment for collectors who disrupt the order is to drink a liter of rosé wine. It seems that rosé wine has had a bad reputation since ancient times.

He turned to look at Ines again and found her expression even colder.

Is the president also angry about the unfair treatment of the rosé wine?
Ronan stroked his chin and fell into deep thought.

At the latest, he should begin preparations to take over Jerome's Rosé winery by the month after next; all the tough battles ahead are yet to come.

He needs to utilize every available resource to change the treatment of rosé wine in Provence.

Could Inés, who has considerable influence in the fashion world, help him?
Ronan's work is in position number three, which is relatively close to the front.

As soon as filming for entry number 02 began, the atmosphere on set became lively.

Gabriel snapped out of his idle state and sat up straight, looking serious.

"The next one is Ronan's work," he muttered to himself.

Gabriel tried to send Ronan gifts multiple times, but Ronan refused each time. Later, whenever Gabriel called to say he was going to Lourmarin for dinner, Ronan would use the excuse of "going into the mountains" to avoid it.

But this time, I'm giving you money legitimately, so you can't escape it now, can you?

Perhaps because everyone was so eager to see a 'big show,' or perhaps because Ciscoa was so experienced, the auction of the first two works went very smoothly. Gabriel was still thinking about something when the second work was sold out. In the blink of an eye, the artists were already giving their thanks.

"Ah, if only the auction for 'Lovebirds' could be this fast." Gabriel picked up his paddle number 60, wishing he could acquire the piece right now.

"Thank you for your remarks. The next item for auction is lot number 3, from the artist Ronan!" Auctioneer Cissor's words jolted everyone awake.

Gabriel raised his paddle almost instantly, but auctioneer Cissor pointed the gavel in another direction:
"Buyer number 58 raised the bid by 1000, bringing the final price to 8000 francs!"

Gabriel turned his head in surprise and looked at a fat man in the same row as him.

Olivier is delighted to be the first to raise his paddle in the 'Lovebirds' campaign.

What happened to being fat?
I'm a flexible fat guy.

But his sense of pride didn't last a second before the spotlight shone on someone else.

"Buyer number 60 has raised their paddle!"

Olivier looked over with displeasure, seemingly complaining:
Hey buddy, what's the rush? Can't you give me a little more time?
But with signs being raised one after another, the transaction price reached 20,000 in less than a minute.

Ciscoa's hammer danced through the air, his mouth moving as fast as a jet engine, accompanied by his thick Provençal dialect, sounding like a priest chanting some kind of exorcism spell:
“53号，2万1！60号加到2万2！现在的价格是2万3，出价人是58号卖家！让我们看向60号的先生，他又举牌了！”

The curse at the scene did not keep the demon away from everyone's bodies; instead, it made them even sicker, especially Gabriel and Olivier.

For a work with an estimated price of 20, people can raise their paddles without any hesitation, since the real 'battlefield' is still a long way off.

But my arms were getting sore, and since so many people were interested in this collection, it wouldn't matter if I lifted it up a few less times.

Gabriel and Olivier seemed to be locked in a battle of wills, neither willing to admit defeat, and started playing a game of who was faster.

The accelerated version of the exorcism spell that Siscoa mentioned is their melody and rhythm.

Gabriel & Olivier: "Let's see who gives up first!"

The international buyers in the third row chuckled and started whispering among themselves again.

However, the auctioneer was busy calculating the amount and had no time to pay attention to them.

"The pedantic art world of Provence."

"A perfectly good auction has turned into a game of speed, is that fun?"

"Would it kill you to change the rules?"

Many Tibetans in the front row gave them a look that warned them to 'keep quiet'!
These international buyers have already caused a lot of trouble at the auction a few days ago, frequently challenging the rules that have been passed down for centuries!

However, the warning glances from everyone had no effect; the collectors in the third row became even more nonchalant, which was a way of expressing their attitude.

Suddenly, one of the buyers in the row moved.

Auctioneer Cissor finally slowed down his speech, making sure everyone could hear him clearly:

"Player number 25 exercised his buyer's privilege, and every time he raises his bid, it will be 20% of the latest transaction price, until he withdraws from the competition. At this point, the transaction price reached - 48000 francs!"

Rodrigo glanced seriously at the whispering international buyers in the third row.

Hehe, is it slow?
A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.

Buyer privileges are back!
However, the exclamations quickly rose to the top like waves.

Because a second dried lavender flower has appeared!
"Buyer number 17 also exercised her buyer's privilege; every subsequent bid she raises will be 20% of the latest selling price, until she withdraws from the competition. The current selling price is—"

Siskoya looked at the recorder below the stage. After two rounds of 'price jumps,' even he, with his extensive experience, couldn't figure it out.

Prompted by the audience recorder, Cissoria raised the hammer:
57600 francs!

Many artists and local collectors have already stood up excitedly.

The markup increments at Provence auctions are generally not high.

But now the price has increased by almost 1 in one round of bidding!

But is that enough?
Ms. Sanson gracefully placed the dried lavender flowers down.

How dare those outsiders challenge the traditions of Provence?
She spoke casually to Rodrigo, who was standing not far away:

"Prices have indeed risen a little too slowly, Rodrigo. Shall we show our friends from around the world what proper acceleration looks like?"

Rodrigo burst into laughter, reaching for the dried lavender in his hand:
"That's exactly what I was thinking, but I'm determined to get this piece. Don't get angry if I add it later."

Sangsong touched the dried lavender flowers in his hand and said firmly:
"I'm willing to go all the way."

The next five minutes were the longest and most important five minutes in the history of Provence auctions.

Rodrigo and Ms. Sanson took turns holding dried lavender, and no third sign dared to be raised.

The price of the 'lovebird' rose rapidly within just five minutes.

Because the 'jumping price' figure is difficult to calculate, Ciscoa needs to keep stopping and waiting for the audience to calculate the figure for him.

And with each moment of waiting, everyone's hearts would clench with tension.

"82944!"

"99532!"

"119439!"

"143327!"

"171992!"

"206391!"

"247669!"

Each time Siscoa's aged and solemn voice was heard, it was accompanied by a deafening roar of cheers.

It would be historic if only one buyer exercised the privilege, but it is absolutely unprecedented in the history of Provence for two different buyers to exercise the privilege simultaneously, and even more so, for two different buyers to exercise it consecutively!
Even the elderly Siskoya's hands, which had held a hammer all his life, began to tremble.

Being able to serve as the auctioneer for this auction is the greatest honor of his life!
I would have no regrets even if I retired tomorrow.

Because his last dance was so dazzling and magnificent!
Some local collectors, unable to contain their emotions, shouted at the international buyers who had just been chattering away:

"A work with a starting bid of 7000 francs reached 24 in just five minutes—that's the magic of a Provence auction! This only happens in the sacred Provence, not in Paris, not in New York, and not in Tokyo!!"

However, when the price reached 24 francs, Ms. Sanson's hand holding up the flowers was not so firm.

She needs to mentally calculate whether a 20% increase is still within her means.

All eyes in the room were focused on this woman.

Backstage at the auction.

Simmons clapped his hands excitedly twice and said to Mareccal:
"Another hot item has appeared! We finally have a hot item at our exhibition!"

Marechar crossed his arms and stared blankly into the stadium:
"Don't be too happy yet, let's wait and see."

Simmons immediately stopped smiling.

Marechal proved to be a competent 'behind-the-scenes manipulator,' and he deserves at least half the credit for the success of 'Lovebirds.'
Did Marecchal discover something wrong?
“A sale price of 24 francs is not low; it’s enough for you to explain to the Provence Art Association,” Simons reassured him.

Mareccher suddenly chuckled:
"I told you not to get excited so soon; the auction has only just begun."

(End of this chapter)