Chapter 1050 George II's Rubies
The men in the room were relatively immune to jewelry, but the socialites and celebrities couldn't help but gasp in amazement when they saw the diamonds and jewels. Even Julie, who had just been chatting with Zhuang Rui, was no exception; her pretty face was full of intoxication.
However, Zhuang Rui was extremely disappointed when he saw these jewels. Although they were quite valuable, they had no cultural relic value. Buying them would only serve as a way to preserve and increase the value of the jewelry. Moreover, Zhuang Rui didn't think much of them. The exquisite pieces of jewelry he already owned were far more valuable than these jewels.
"Mr. Zhuang, these are just appetizers. There's something more to come... that will surely interest you..."
Danny appeared behind Zhuang Rui at some point. After speaking, he handed Zhuang Rui a number plate with the number eighteen on it, which was the same number on the tag Zhuang Rui wore on his chest.
Looking around, Zhuang Rui noticed that many waiters were holding these number tags and distributing them according to the numbers on the tags of the guests in the room. This was probably used to identify each person during the auction later.
"Oh? Danny, do you know what I'm interested in?"
Zhuang Rui raised an eyebrow and said with a half-smile, "From the time I agreed to Fourth Aunt to participate in this charity auction until now, only one day has passed. There isn't much time left for Bona Dette to verify my identity."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Danny smiled and said, "Mr. Zhuang, you are a renowned antique collector and appraiser in China. Rest assured, Mr. Bonadette's collection will surely contain items you may like..."
"Hehe, I'm really looking forward to it too, but Danny, do you know what that is?"
Danny's words gave Zhuang Rui a new understanding of the power of these world's top billionaires. If Danny could find out about the Ouyang family behind him, how could he not know about his hobby of collecting antiques? Since Danny could say that, there would probably be some antiques or similar items appearing later.
However, Chinese and foreigners have very different perspectives and aesthetic views on appreciating objects. Since China was originally famous for exporting porcelain, foreign collectors still prefer to collect ancient Chinese porcelain, so the price of porcelain is relatively high abroad.
Although there are many fine porcelain pieces in the hands of foreign collectors, Zhuang Rui is not particularly interested in porcelain. He prefers to see antique treasures that are not available in China at such events.
Danny seemed to want to keep some suspense, and said with a smile, "Mr. Zhuang, I heard it's something from your country five hundred years ago, but as for what it is, I'm not entirely sure..."
"Something from five hundred years ago?"
Zhuang Rui frowned upon hearing this. It should be an item from the Ming Dynasty, but apart from porcelain and calligraphy and paintings, there didn't seem to be anything particularly noteworthy to Zhuang Rui.
However, since there were Chinese antiques, Zhuang Rui calmed down and decided that if he found any he liked, he would bring them back to China. After all, he had gained a lot from this trip, and contributing to the American people would be a great merit.
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, welcome to this charity auction. All the items in this auction were donated by Mr. Bonadette. Let's give Mr. Bonadette a warm round of applause..."
By this time, all the items for the first batch of auctions had been brought into the venue. A very famous talk show host in the United States served as the emcee for the auction, and the atmosphere in the room was quickly stirred up by her words.
"Alright, the ladies are all looking at the jewelry, and the gentlemen are all looking at the ladies. I think... no one is looking at me anymore. So, let's begin the auction of our first item today, by the renowned auctioneer, Mr. William..."
The female talk show host's words made the audience laugh. A white man in his fifties with slightly graying temples, wearing a tuxedo, stood in front of the temporary auction table and bowed slightly to the audience. His excellent gentlemanly manners drew a round of enthusiastic applause from the crowd.
"The first item to be auctioned is a ruby from the scepter of George II of Hanover. It is a natural Sri Lankan ruby, weighing 65.6 carats. It is a precious six-rayed star ruby, much heavier than the famous Carmen Lucia ruby, and can be said to be a unique ruby in the world..."
The first item Bonadette brought out for auction shocked the entire venue. For the people in the room, rubies were not rare. What was rare was that this ruby had once been an inlay on the scepter of King George II of England!
Many people present were very familiar with George II, a British king who loved war. It can be said that it was from him that Britain laid the foundation for its maritime dominance. During George II's reign, Britain carried out military expansion and colonial rule around the world, conquering Canada, India and the Caribbean islands one after another.
However, what makes George II memorable to posterity is not his military achievements, but rather the unique and undignified manner of his death. George II suffered from constipation for many years, and on the morning of October 25, 1760, he strained too hard while defecating, triggering a sudden heart attack. The unfortunate King George II of Great Britain died on the toilet.
“Mr. William, if what we were auctioning today were George II’s toilet, I think… everyone would be even more interested…”
A voice suddenly rang out from the crowd. Clearly, this person was very familiar with British history. His words made many people who knew this history laugh. In this kind of setting, everyone's status was similar, so they spoke very relaxedly.
However, it is undeniable that this ruby is an extremely precious item, both in terms of its intrinsic value and its historical value. It should be noted that since the 18th century, Britain has been the undisputed maritime hegemon, and has always been the one to plunder the wealth of other countries. The treasures of the British royal family have been preserved in an orderly manner, and it is extremely rare to hear of anything being circulated outside the country.
Therefore, this ruby, which was once set in George II's scepter, is an absolute rare treasure for gem collectors.
Zhuang Rui also carefully examined the ruby. The gem was hexagonal with a smooth back and a very vibrant color. Under the light in the display case, it shimmered with an endlessly alluring and seductive luster. Its quality was comparable to the best "pigeon blood red" rubies. In the international gem market, bright red rubies are usually called "male rubies," while pale red ones are called "female rubies." This ruby, which was once set in George II's scepter representing power, was a "male ruby." A wisp of spiritual energy emanated from Zhuang Rui's eyes and silently passed through the crystal glass display case, touching the ruby. Instantly, a rich red spiritual energy appeared before Zhuang Rui, enveloping the ruby's released energy and making Zhuang Rui's eyes feel warm and comfortable.
Zhuang Rui didn't know much about diamonds or gemstones other than jade, but upon seeing this ruby, he couldn't help but feel a strong urge to possess it. Of course, there was also a touch of nationalistic sentiment involved. Back then, Britain had taken so many antiques from China, so he wanted to get a British treasure to annoy them in return.
"The starting bid for this ruby is $8.8 million, with increments of $100,000. Ladies and gentlemen, you may place your bids now..."
After William gave a brief introduction to rubies, he finally opened the curtain on today's auction. The price of $8.8 million caused some of the celebrities in the room, whose wealth was not so great, to let out a chorus of sighs.
"Nine million dollars..."
In such a setting, there's never any worry about the items the host brings out failing to sell. As soon as William raised his voice, someone raised their paddle.
"Ten million dollars..."
"Ten million and five hundred thousand dollars..."
"Ten million US dollars..."
Seemingly flaunting their wealth, each bid was almost always increasing by $500,000 or $1 million, while the minimum starting bid of $100,000 was never made. Nobody could afford to lose face like that.
"Oh, Pete, I want that ruby, oh my god, it's so beautiful..."
A voice rang out from beside Zhuang Rui. Looking to the side, he saw that it was Pete, the handsome man who had successfully transformed Julie from a mistress into a wife. He had entered at some point, and Julie was whispering in Pete's ear with her fiery red lips.
No matter how much money a man has, he can't resist the ravages of a spendthrift wife. Pitt's resistance to Jolie was clearly not as strong as his first wife's. He directly raised his bidding paddle and shouted, "I bid thirteen million..."
"Fourteen million US dollars..."
"Sixteen million..."
"Twenty million US dollars..."
However, Mr. Pitt clearly underestimated the economic strength of the people in the room at that moment. In particular, his gesture of holding Jolie's waist made many older men's eyes burn with rage. Just as Pitt finished speaking, the bidding soared, and in just twenty or thirty seconds, it climbed directly to a high price of twenty million US dollars.
"This...this is too outrageous!"
"Twenty million US dollars... does anyone else want to make an offer?"
This sudden turn of events not only left the handsome Pete speechless, but even the auctioneer William on stage was momentarily stunned. Before he could even demonstrate his superb auctioning skills, the price had already climbed to his target price.
Chapter 1051 Overpriced
It's important to understand that while this ruby is quite valuable, it's currently valued at between 13 and 15 million US dollars on the international ruby market, far below 20 million US dollars. This price already exceeds the highest price ever paid for a ruby at auction.
"Honey……"
A sickeningly sweet female voice rang in Pete's ears again. This time, Pete's face turned bright red. It wasn't that Pete was unwilling to spend the money or couldn't afford it. He could also see that if he were to bid again, the price of this ruby could very well double from $20 million.
Especially when Pete saw an Arab man with what looked like a white towel wrapped around his head staring at him, he immediately gave up the idea of continuing to bid. What a joke, trying to steal something from an Arab oil tycoon? He must have too much money to burn.
“Oh, sweetheart, this ruby is too big. You don’t have a suitable setting for it. Besides… it’s a masculine ruby, so it’s not appropriate for you to wear it…”
The handsome guy's skills in picking up girls are truly impressive. With just a few words, he dispelled Julie's desire to possess him. Although her eyes were still fixed on the ruby in the crystal glass case, she didn't use her ultimate weapon to urge Pete on.
If Pitt was feeling a bit frustrated about not having enough money, the Arab crown prince who offered $20 million was also somewhat displeased. He had offered $20 million hoping Jolie would pay more attention to him, but the woman didn't even glance at him. Could it be that his outfit wasn't stylish enough? But... in Arab countries, this was the most fashionable and trendy outfit!
"Especially this beard of mine, it makes me look like I'm forty instead of thirty. Do women these days not like mature and successful men anymore?"
The Arab Crown Prince kept glancing at Julie, puffing out his chest, but the two of them, lost in their affections, didn't even glance at him again, which made the Crown Prince's beard stand on end.
Those around him seemed to have seen through the prince's thoughts and were secretly laughing to themselves. Hollywood bigwigs are all rich and handsome men. Although they are not as wealthy as the top billionaires in the room, they are still well-off and have no worries about food and clothing. With your appearance, a big beard makes you look like a man in his fifties or sixties. It would be strange if Jolie would be interested in you.
"Mr. Abdullah, bidder number 38, has offered $20 million, breaking the record for the highest price ever paid for a ruby. This will be a record in the history of ruby auctions. Are there any other friends who want to break this record? Are there any others?!"
After Abdullah called out a high price of $20 million and no one in the room responded, William immediately put his professional skills to use. This auctioneer must be a master of psychology and well-versed in Sun Tzu's Art of War. In the shortest time, William found a way to get other super-rich people to challenge the so-called record.
However, no one responded after William's words. He had clearly underestimated the intelligence of these super-rich people. They were not nouveau riche or young lads. They had long passed the age of youthful passion. In this world, only things that were worth more than their price were worth the money they would spend to fight for.
Unfortunately, the price of this ruby is only around ten million. When it comes to charity auctions, these wealthy people are surrounded by people who know its value, so William's encouragement was clearly a waste of breath.
"Is there any other gentleman or lady who is interested in this precious ruby?"
William was somewhat unwilling to give up and tried to raise the price a few more times, but the effect was not good, which made him a little frustrated. From the starting price to the final price, it did not reflect his value as a world-class auctioneer at all.
"I'll offer 21 million!"
Just as William was about to bring down the gavel, a voice suddenly rang out. William was overjoyed and looked towards where the hand had been raised. He saw an Asian face holding up a number eighteen. This left William somewhat bewildered. He quickly looked down at the book containing the names of the guests, but he couldn't find the name of the person holding number eighteen.
Actually, it's no wonder William didn't do his homework well. The auction had been planned for months, and all the guests had confirmed their schedules a month in advance. Only Zhuang Rui was an uninvited guest, so his name hadn't been added to the prepared list yet.
"This...this gentleman offered 21 million, the record has been broken, this is the new price for a ruby..."
Not knowing Zhuang Rui's name did not affect William's control over the auction process. He reacted quickly and pointed at Zhuang Rui, which drew everyone's attention to Zhuang Rui. Many people whispered among themselves, asking about Zhuang Rui's name.
"Zhuang Rui, what are you doing? This ruby is worth at most fifteen or sixteen million. Why did you buy it?"
The person making the bid was Zhuang Rui. Huangfu Yun, who was standing next to him, couldn't understand it. Zhuang Rui had just told him that the market price of this ruby was at most around 16 million, but unexpectedly, this guy turned around and bid a high price of 21 million US dollars, which is more than 100 million RMB. Moreover, Zhuang Rui has always been a low-key person, and he rarely does things that attract attention in front of everyone.
"Just because it's not worth that much now doesn't mean it won't be worth anything in the future..."
Zhuang Rui's words were somewhat insincere. In fact, he had just been fantasizing about acquiring the British royal family's treasures, and in a moment of excitement, he added a million. Although he regretted it afterward, what's said can't be taken back.
"Pshaw, if it goes up to this price in ten or eight years, the dollar will probably depreciate again..."
Huangfu Yun shook his head, disapproving of Zhuang Rui's actions.
"$21 million, gentlemen and ladies. This ruby is not only of great historical significance, but also incredibly valuable in reality. Does anyone else have an offer?"
After William shouted his heart out on the stage, seeing that it had little effect, he looked at the Arab crown prince and said, "Mr. Abdullah, would you like to make another bid?"
"Name your price, damn it, you oil bastards have so much money. Give me another 100,000, and I'll let you have it..."
Zhuang Rui's eyes were also on Abdullah. To be honest, of all the deals he had made since he gained spiritual energy in his eyes, this ruby was the worst. If he had actually bought it, he would have lost as much as five or six million US dollars.
"Since this friend from the East likes this ruby, then as a gentleman, I should not take what others cherish, so I will refuse it..."
Abdullah suddenly laughed and said the above sentence in Chinese, which almost made Zhuang Rui vomit blood. This guy is too shady. Could he be a shill hired by Bonaparte? If you don't want to buy, fine, but you actually used Chinese to provoke me, and you used the proverb so smoothly.
“Mr. Zhuang, Crown Prince Abdullah is fluent in six languages and was once a student at Tsinghua University in your country…”
Danny, standing next to Zhuang Rui, quietly introduced the bearded crown prince to Zhuang Rui.
Most of the current generation of Arab royalty have received higher education in Western countries. For example, Abdullah studied at Harvard University in the United States and Tsinghua University in China, and many of his brothers in this generation have done so as well.
Although Abdullah was somewhat lecherous and had more than twenty wives, he was very shrewd when it came to other matters. After realizing that he couldn't attract Julie's attention with money, he immediately passed the hot potato to Zhuang Rui.
"Alright, if no one else bids, this precious George II ruby will belong to Mr. Zhuang from China. We would like to thank Mr. Zhuang for his contribution to charity..."
After asking several questions, William on the stage finally brought down the auction gavel. Someone had already handed over Zhuang Rui's information, and he knew Zhuang Rui's name and country.
"Damn it, I've hunted geese my whole life, and in the end, I got pecked in the eye by one..."
Hearing the thunderous applause from the audience, Zhuang Rui didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Perhaps his mindset was really affected by the environment. When he was bidding, he couldn't help but want to attract the attention of many beautiful women.
Now that he'd achieved this effect, Zhuang Rui felt somewhat uncomfortable. Putting aside everything else, the intense gazes from the slender blonde women nearby were already overwhelming him. Moreover, the majority of those staring at him were men, making Zhuang Rui wish he could just quit the auction.
Fortunately, the people in the room were all quite well-mannered. After glancing at Zhuang Rui, they immediately looked away and began the auction for the second item.
The second item was a pink diamond from South Africa. Its color was very beautiful. Although it wasn't very heavy, it still fetched a high price of $6.8 million. This time, it was bought by the handsome Brad Pitt, allowing the wealthy people in the room to witness the spending power of Hollywood stars.
The next few pieces, all considered top-tier international jewelry, were sold one by one. In this setting, the auctioneer's presence was indeed somewhat superfluous. Apart from demonstrating some skill in the auction of the first ruby, William failed to successfully provoke any further bidding among the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the items to be auctioned next are several treasures from the ancient Chinese civilization, provided by Mr. Bonadette..."