Rebirth 07: Start adding points from elementary school students

Chapter 514 Some Primitive Fun
December 2013, 12, what day is it?
This is the day when Li Yan truly becomes an adult.

It was also Sunday, so Wei Yunzhi was waiting at the gate of Future Technology early in the morning.

Just as Li Yan expected, the girl was wearing the same sports windbreaker as him, but it was white on top and black on the bottom.

"Good morning, Yunzhi, have you had breakfast?" Li Yan said as he jogged forward a few steps.

"Not yet, but I brought it." Wei Yunzhi shook the lunch box in his hand, "I made some small buns, they should still be warm."

"Fortunately, I didn't have breakfast." Li Yan smiled and stopped in front of the girl, "We'll take the subway to Baijiang New City later."

"Eh, subway?"

"Today is Sunday, Xiao Gao is not allowed to work overtime."

"Great!"

I don't know what she is happy about.

The two walked to the subway station while eating the not-too-hot buns.

"Isn't there a fried egg?" Li Yan opened the last layer of the lunch box.

"Ah... well, I don't want to eat it." The little beauty was a little embarrassed. "I was in a hurry to go out, so I thought about cooking it together with the buns, and accidentally burned it."

Li Yan flipped it over and said, "Wow, it looks very artistic. Why do you still have it with you?"

"I feel like I can still eat more, I'm afraid you won't be full..."

Li Yan walked into the subway station trying to hold back her laughter.

This girl is so cute.

While waiting for the subway, Wei Yunzhi whispered, "Yan, your hairstyle today is very special."

"Finally noticed?"

Li Yan didn't use any hairspray today, so her hair naturally formed bangs. Because her hair was relatively hard, it had a natural fluffy feel, and her temperament was very different from her previous elite style.

Wearing sportswear, he looks like a young and handsome college student.

It seems that he is just a young and handsome college student.

"No, I saw it the first time I saw it. I thought you would tidy it up."

"You mean you are less slovenly now?"

"No! He's very handsome, a different kind of handsome. I like it."

The little beauty didn't tie her hair into a ponytail or a bun today. Instead, she let her hair down and pinned it with an ordinary clip at the back of her head, making her look very relaxed and natural.

"It's not over yet." Li Yan suddenly took out a pair of square-framed gold-rimmed glasses from his pocket. "A pair of flat glasses without prescription. How about it? Can you still recognize who I am?"

"No wonder we can't recognize Superman when he wears glasses." Wei Yunzhi took the opportunity to look at Li Yan carefully.

"I think the label of Superman is more concentrated on that suit, otherwise he is just a strong and handsome guy with a bit of handsomeness." Li Yan shrugged.

"What about you?" Wei Yunzhi looked at Li Yan, "Where is your label?"

"With my identity." Li Yan lowered her voice. The subway just arrived, so Wei Yunzhi had to put her ear very close. "Without my identity, I am just one of the thousands of handsome young men."

"That's not the case. You are still exceptionally handsome." Wei Yunzhi said this when they just got on the subway.

The frequent glances from people in the subway proved that what Wei Yunzhi said was true.

But what surprised Li Yan was that it seemed... no one really recognized him as Li Yan.

This is completely different from before when I would go anywhere and a group of people would whisper and then say “It’s Li Yan”.

There are obviously quite a few young people on the subway, some even wearing New Taipei City High School uniforms.

"What's the matter? I thought you wanted others not to be able to recognize you." Wei Yunzhi whispered in Li Yan's ear. The hot and fragrant breath made Li Yan's neck numb.

"I didn't expect the effect to be so good. Hairstyle? Glasses? Or clothes?"

“I think it should be the subway.”

A word awakens me.

Li Yan suddenly realized, and then felt annoyed by her sudden realization.

How could I not have thought of this? “Li Yan couldn’t possibly take the subway” was the core basis for my judgment.

"It seems that I am out of touch with the public's perspective, which is not good."

"What are you doing?" Wei Yunzhi rolled his eyes at Li Yan. "I can't figure out whether you are serious or joking."

"I'm seriously kidding."

The two of them were joking quietly as the subway arrived at the station.

Wei Yunzhi thought they were going to get off at Baijiang New City Station and then go to various high-end shopping malls to shop.

But Li Yan got off at the previous stop.

"Where... are we going?" As far as Wei Yunzhi knew, there was nothing special here except a big bank and a famous five-star hotel.

The only activity can't be going to the bank to withdraw money or deposit money, right?

That...hotel?!

"Yan, um, today is your birthday, and I still have two days to go before I become an adult..."

Li Yan was confused, "There is no age limit where we are going."

"Eh?" The girl was a little embarrassed. "Just pretend I didn't say anything."

But Li Yan was clearly pulling her towards the hotel.

Just when Wei Yunzhi couldn't help but ask, Li Yan suddenly turned into the alley between the hotel and the bank building.

What caught the little beauty's eye was a passage leading to the underground. There were no signs on it, but judging from its location and the bold glass materials used... it should be a place that ordinary people could not go to.

After passing through the two automatic doors of the underground passage, the lights became brighter and Wei Yunzhi saw a revolving door that was rare even for her.

There are thick stone walls on both sides of the revolving door, and the door frame has exaggerated Baroque carvings, but there is no information about "where this is".

There was a security guard standing upright inside, looking at Li Yan and the others.

"This is?"

“The largest underground auction house in New Taipei City.”

"Is it...legal?"

"Of course we have all the necessary formalities." Li Yan said with a smile, "But the things sold here are a bit borderline. And there are often some muddled transactions. For example, several very famous old masters in the treasure appraisal world jointly guarantee a piece of junk that is obviously fake, and then experienced collectors rush to bid high prices... Do you think the existence of this auction has some special significance?"

"Then you come over?"

"It just so happens that there are some rare items here that are hard to find at other auctions. It's a bit like going to a chaotic antique market. There are good items, but they are not guaranteed to be authentic. It all depends on your eyesight."

"No wonder I didn't know about this place."

Li Yan looked at Wei Yunzhi's serious expression and said helplessly, "Your dad will be sad to hear this."

Doesn't this mean that Wei Yili doesn't have good eyesight and doesn't dare to come...

"Let's go." Li Yan said and walked into the revolving door.

As expected, the security guard, who was standing upright in a suit, glanced at the two people's attire, and his mouth finally drooped because of the same pair of sneakers on the two young men's feet, which were worth no more than 400 yuan:

"Are you two here to visit an art exhibition? There is no art exhibition today, only an auction. And the auction requires capital verification..."

"Is this enough?" Li Yan took out a black card from his trouser pocket.

"Lifetime VIP of China Guardian Auctions?!" The security guard's pupils shrank suddenly. He instantly chose the correct option of "not checking" in the choice of "checking the calibration code or not". His expression immediately became friendly, "Two VIPs, please come this way!"

If we don't check the code, since these two young men have no money and won't cause any losses to the auction; if we check and it's true... then we'll offend the guests and the security guard will most likely lose his job.

Wei Yunzhi couldn't help but quietly ask, "Is this the style of the script today?"

"Are you happy?"

"……Cool."

"That's all." "Where did you get the card?"

"It was given to me by the head of Guardian. He insisted that I attend more often. But this is my first time here."

"Cool."

As they were talking, the two walked to the security check. Li Yan didn't have anything with her, so she went through directly; Wei Yunzhi had a small canvas bag and took the initiative to let the security personnel scan it.

Then I remembered the sharp alarm sound.

"Is this your female relative, sir?" the security officer asked.

"It's not nice to be a female relative. She is my good friend."

"Then ma'am, please open it and let me see it."

...It was an insulated box, and inside it was a greasy fried egg with a little soy sauce on it, and it was burnt.

When Li Yan and Wei Yunzhi walked into the venue, the security inspector cast an extremely puzzled look at the security guard.

"He has a lifetime black card. Maybe the son of a big boss wants to come and play."

The security guard said so.

The venue was very large, with many items to be auctioned placed in glass cabinets on both sides, and a list of items to be auctioned tonight was placed on each seat - of course, a few of the finale items were covered with red cloth, so their lineup could not be seen for the time being.

All the men were dressed in suits and the women were all dressed up.

And they all lean towards Western style. Many middle-aged men with big bellies still wear tuxedos and tight vests, which is very awkward. What's worse, some of them are supported by inexplicable crutches and hold pipes in their mouths. The only thing missing is a Western hat.

After all, some ladies wear cheongsams, not all of them wear Western-style dresses.

At first glance, Wei Yunzhi thought he had traveled through time.

However, the two youthful figures in the reflection of the glass were indeed out of tune with the surroundings. Li Yan's fluffy bangs were really too loose, and the plastic luster of the plastic hairpin on the back of Wei Yun's head was also very special.

So they also received a lot of curious and puzzled glances from people.

"Hey, this hairpin is said to be a relic of a concubine from the Tang Dynasty. It was passed down in the royal family until a prince in the Qing Dynasty confiscated his property and it was then circulated among the people... huh?"

Wei Yunzhi was stunned after reciting it silently, "Is it really that powerful?"

Li Yan leaned closer to the glass cabinet and took a look, frowned and said nothing. He noticed that the staff in the venue who were wearing suits and carrying walkie-talkies were staring at him.

Wei Yunzhi probably had not participated in this kind of auction before. She walked around excitedly and even pointed to a corner with shining eyes and told Li Yan that "there are very exquisite little cakes."

The key is the flavor of white peach and lychee.

"This is better than those in many star-rated hotels, yet no one wants to eat it." Amid the surprised looks of the staff in the dessert area, the beautiful girl took away two small pieces of cake and finished them, taking a bite each.

It took a long time for two empty paper plates to be thrown away - all of this was seen by the staff.

As the show was about to start, some of the exhibits were moved to the front of the stage by the staff and their glass covers were opened.

The relatively popular ones were immediately surrounded by people, while the so-called Tang Dynasty jade hairpin only attracted a few noble ladies.

So Li Yan and Wei Yunzhi also moved closer to the jade hairpin to take a closer look, and then they heard the voice of a man in sunglasses and a suit:
"Sir, Madam, non-VIP customers of our auction are not allowed to come close to view."

Wei Yunzhi took a step back awkwardly. Li Yan smiled and asked as she walked towards her seat:

"What are your rules?"

"Yes, our company has formulated rules for this auction, and Article 35 stipulates the difference between VIP and non-VIP customers."

"This game?"

"Yes, if you need to re-apply for VIP for this event, you can go to the service area to apply for it. It only costs 2999 per person."

"No need." Li Yan said, "Then are there any rules for seating?"

"The first four rows are for VIP customers, please feel free to move on to the rest." The man in sunglasses spoke in a gentle tone, and he probably knew that most people who could enter the venue had passed the capital verification and should not be offended.

As for why he had to come over and say this...

Working as a security guard in such a high-end venue, it is rare to find someone who seems to be able to exercise some management power. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

The highlight of the auction was about to begin, and Li Yan and Wei Yunzhi found a seat in the fifth row.

The beautiful girl was not affected by what happened just now. She was flipping through the auction list on her seat and counting the zeros.

Exhibits on public display are not auctioned publicly. Instead, guests who are interested in purchasing can directly enter the price using the bidding machine on their seats, and the highest bidder wins after the auction.

Those who could properly go on stage were all covered with red cloth.

The lights gradually went out, leaving only two spotlights on the stage. The first two exhibits were a calligraphy and painting and a clock. Although they were both authentic, they were not of much value and were ultimately sold at a mediocre price.

It was so bland that it didn't live up to the auctioneer's passion.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this next item is truly extraordinary. I will just say two words, 'blue and white', which should arouse your interest."

The small cheers from the audience were considered very positive feedback.

A blue-and-white porcelain vase was brought onto the stage by two staff members wearing white gloves. Details of the porcelain were displayed on the big screen. The auctioneer wearing gold-rimmed glasses was explaining in a rhythmic tone: "This is an official kiln from the Jiajing period, Ming blue-and-white porcelain—"

"At first glance, the glaze on this porcelain vase has a very strong glass texture. It is probably made of kaolin. It looks like an imitation from the mid-Qing Dynasty."

Li Yan's voice was not loud, but clear enough, and just one sentence attracted the attention of many collectors in front and behind.

Obviously, the auctioneer heard it too - but he seemed to be waiting for a question, "This item has been jointly appraised by three national experts and is clearly a unique piece from the Jiajing official kiln..."

Li Yan's voice became louder. "The blue and white porcelain of the Jiajing official kiln was made of Macang clay. Its body is white with a hint of gray, and the glaze has a unique foggy texture. You can find some real Jiajing blue and white porcelain in the Huaxia Museum and see if the glaze looks like a layer of icy fog."

Discussions began to break out at the scene.

One of the “national treasure appraisers” sitting in the front row, a white-haired old man, laughed and said, “Young people nowadays don’t even know basic etiquette.”

Li Yan just smiled and said, "I wasn't planning to say it, but I didn't expect that treasure appraisers nowadays don't even have the basic dignity to care about."

There was an uproar.

"Then why don't you tell me?" The white-haired old man stood up and looked towards Li Yan.

What’s funny is that this stupid venue even gave them tracking spotlights like they were filming a movie.

"Expert, do you think this thing is made from Asakura clay?"

"You don't understand? It must be the Jiajing official kiln, of course."

Li Yan shrugged. "The bodies of porcelains fired with Macang clay have obvious pores and gaps, but Macang clay basically disappeared after the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. The bottle on the table does not have the texture of being rough but not dry, moist but not astringent. Instead, it is as transparent as glass. It could have been a Qing blue-and-white porcelain of good quality, but they insisted on calling it a Ming official kiln product. Putting aside such obvious differences, how dare you say that it is guaranteed by national experts?"

"You are just talking nonsense. What you said is rough but not dry, and what is glass-transparent? It's all your feeling. I think this porcelain is just the feeling of Asakura soil." The white-haired old man was obviously angry. "You are so young, how many things have you seen and yet you are so shameless?"

"Show me the bottom of the bottle. The iron content of Asakura clay is high, and the bottom of the porcelain fired from it will be a natural and obvious flint red..."

While the argument was going on over there, the manager backstage was already busy as hell.

"I'll talk to him in person!" The manager grabbed the phone. "You said it's a lifetime black card. Have you verified the number on it?"

"I don't have it... but there is a photo record showing that he swiped the card. Manager Zhao, please wait a moment..."

“How come there is no information after I swiped the card?”

"We all know the customers of the Lifetime Card, and we have never asked them to swipe their cards. I don't know... Manager Zhao, the card number is 011215."

"1215? What a coincidence that it happens to be today..." Manager Zhao felt that this string of numbers was strangely familiar, but he didn't have time to think about it and quickly entered it into the system.

"Mr. Liang's personal card?!" The Mr. Liang he mentioned is Liang Chongyuan, the boss of China Guardian Auctions.

In other words, this mysterious lifetime membership card was given out by the auction house boss in a personal capacity.

All the chaotic information in Manager Zhao's mind suddenly came together: a young, tall and handsome man holding a personal card given by General Manager Liang, who had never participated in an auction before, and the number 011215.

He stared at Li Yan in the surveillance video and suddenly slapped his head in annoyance.

Damn, how come a giant Buddha suddenly appeared!
When Manager Zhao saw the girl next to him wearing the same couple outfit, his mind was filled with all kinds of messy possibilities.

Li Yan, a billionaire who is now in his prime and a darling of all walks of life, brought the academically gifted only daughter of the CEO of Yili Group to the auction. He directly pointed out the problems of the auction exhibits and was confronting the "experts"...

If Li Yan got pissed off, it would be a huge mess!

Manager Zhao rushed out of the backstage at high speed and interrupted the white-haired old man loudly before he could say something that would not end the situation:
"Teacher Wang! Mr. Li is right! This thing is from the Qing Dynasty and we got it wrong!"

(End of this chapter)