Old Harden, can you handle having your vision-shifting abilities on all the time?

The atmosphere of the exchange meeting reached its climax after the celadon-glazed gui-shaped incense burner from Xu Xing was unveiled.

Every collector present looked at the porcelain piece again and again, touching it repeatedly, wishing they could use a magnifying glass to thoroughly study every inch of the glaze.

It wasn't because it was particularly precious—almost all the collectors present had pieces far more valuable than this porcelain—but they rarely saw this kind of deliberately crudely made imitation ritual vessel.

Despite being praised by several bigwigs, Xu Xing maintained a humble smile.

Amidst exclamations of amazement and praise, Wang Benquan spoke up at the opportune moment: "Since everyone recognizes Xu Gong's craftsmanship, please don't forget Chengxinzhai if you need any good items repaired in the future."

Everyone echoed his sentiments, and Xu Xing quickly became the focus of the entire exchange meeting.

Wang Benquan saw this and was secretly pleased.

This is exactly the effect he wanted.

Xu Xing was a member of Chengxinzhai, and the greater Xu Xing's fame, the higher Chengxinzhai's status in the circle.

This is a virtuous circle.

The exchange lasted for more than two hours, during which people continuously brought out their collections for everyone to appreciate and discuss.

Xu Xing also took the opportunity to see many good things.

One of the Western Zhou bronze tripods brought by Zhao Yongchang is dignified in shape and exquisite in decoration. Although there is some rust on the surface, the overall condition is good and the market value is estimated to be at least eight million.

Among the items brought by Chen Jingming is a Han Dynasty jade disc. The white jade is warm and delicate, with natural patina and coloration on the surface. It is a rare and exquisite piece of Han Dynasty jade.

Another piece brought by Kenneth Fok is a Song Dynasty Jian ware rabbit fur teacup. Its glaze is jet black and glossy, and the rabbit fur pattern is clear and smooth. It is a top-quality Jian ware teacup.

As Xu Xing looked through the items, he silently estimated their value in his mind, gaining a clearer understanding of the financial strength of each collector.

Everyone who appeared at this event was extremely wealthy.

Around noon, Zhou Jianguo arranged an exquisite lunch.

The banquet was held in a pavilion in the backyard of the villa, which was well-ventilated and surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens, creating a tranquil and elegant environment.

The dishes were also carefully prepared, including steamed grouper, braised sea cucumber with scallions, crab roe tofu, and matsutake mushroom stewed chicken, each dish being a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

During the meal, everyone toasted and chatted, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

As one of the main characters today, Xu Xing naturally received many toasts.

Fortunately, he had a good alcohol tolerance, and his body, after being modified by the Qingyu Stone, had an extremely strong metabolic capacity, so he didn't change color after drinking several cups of baijiu.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Wang Benquan put down his chopsticks, looked at Zhou Jianguo, and asked, "Old Zhou, is everything ready for the auction this afternoon?"

Zhou Jianguo nodded: "Everything is ready. I have already sent the list of auction items to everyone. There are a total of eighteen auction items, all of which are exquisite pieces collected from various collectors. The quality is absolutely guaranteed."

"good!"

Wang Benquan clapped his hands and said, "Then let's not waste any more time. Shall we go take a look after we finish eating?"

Everyone responded enthusiastically.

After the luncheon, the group moved to the auction hall on the second floor of the villa.

The auction hall was small but professionally decorated.

Ahead was a small auction stage, covered with a deep red velvet cloth, with the lights focused on the center of the stage.

There were more than twenty mahogany chairs set up below the stage, each with a small tea table next to it, on which were placed mineral water and the auction catalog.

Xu Xing sat down next to Wang Benquan and began to carefully examine the auction catalog.

The eighteen lots cover a variety of categories, including porcelain, jade, calligraphy and painting, and bronzes.

Starting bids ranged from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of yuan, and they were all truly exquisite pieces.

Xu Xing flipped through the pages one by one, his gaze lingering on each item for a moment as he silently assessed their value and potential.

His gaze stopped when he turned to the ninth item.

That was a landscape hanging scroll by Wen Zhengming of the Ming Dynasty.

The painting measures approximately 1.2 meters in height and 60 centimeters in width. It is an ink and color painting on paper.

The painting depicts a spring scene in the Jiangnan water towns, with distant mountains like dark eyebrows, nearby waters shrouded in mist, willows swaying, and swallows flying in pairs, creating a vibrant and lively scene.

Above the painting is a poem written by Wen Zhengming, signed "March of the spring of the Renyin year of Jiajing (1522) - Zhengming". Below are two red seals: Wen Zhengming's seal and Hengshan's seal.

The composition of the painting is well-balanced, and the brushwork is clear, elegant, and refined, representing the typical style of Wen Zhengming in his middle and later years.

The starting price listed in the auction catalog is 1.2 million, with an estimated value between 1.5 million and 2 million.

Xu Xing quickly made a mental calculation.

Wen Zhengming was one of the Four Masters of Wu School in the Ming Dynasty, and his position in the art market has always been very stable.

His works have a wide price range, from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions, mainly depending on the subject matter, size, condition, and provenance of the work.

This landscape hanging scroll is of moderate size, in excellent condition, and has a clear signature and seal, making it a relatively standard work among Wen Zhengming's works.

The starting bid of 1.2 million is not high. If you can get it for less than 1.8 million, it is entirely possible for it to appreciate to more than 2 million in the next few years.

More importantly, Wen Zhengming's works are readily available in the market, and antiques at this price point are easy to sell.

For Xu Xing, this is a very cost-effective investment.

The auction officially began at 2 PM.

The auctioneer was a middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing a navy blue suit and gold-rimmed glasses, with a loud and magnetic voice.

"Distinguished guests, welcome to this internal exchange auction. I am your auctioneer today, Ma Hui. I hope everyone can find their desired items."

After a brief opening, the first item was brought out for auction.

It is a large, exquisitely painted famille rose vase with a hundred deer design from the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty. The starting bid is 2.6 million.

It was eventually acquired by Zhao Yongchang for 4.2 million.

The second item is a white jade cicada from the Han Dynasty, with a warm and lustrous texture and exquisite carving. The starting bid is 800,000.

It was eventually acquired by a collector from Shanghai for 1.3 million yuan.

The auction proceeded quickly, with competition for each item and prices fluctuating within a reasonable range.

Xu Xing remained patiently waiting for the ninth item to appear.

About an hour later, the ninth item was finally brought out.

"Next is the ninth lot, a landscape hanging scroll by Wen Zhengming from the Ming Dynasty."

The auctioneer unfolded the painting and displayed it around under the lights.

"This painting is of moderate size and in excellent condition. It has a clear signature and seal and is one of Wen Zhengming's representative works from his middle and later years."

The starting price is 1.2 million, with each bid increasing by at least 20,000. Bidding begins now!

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone raised a sign.

"One million two hundred and twenty thousand!"

"One million two hundred and forty thousand!"

"One million two hundred and sixty thousand!"

Prices have risen steadily, but the increases have not been significant.

Xu Xing eventually acquired it for 1.6 million.

The auction continued, and the subsequent items each had their own highlights. However, Xu Xing did not make any more bids but simply sat quietly in his seat watching the others bid.