After getting the two small safes, Xiao Ran fell silent.
In the subsequent auctions of several antiques, cultural relics and works of art, he was just a spectator, watching other buyers fight to the death there.
Although he occasionally raised his cards, he only showed his presence and did not really participate in the competition for a certain item.
From the perspective of other professional treasure hunters, it was probably because he was not very interested in those items, rather than because he had no money.
While talking, nearly twenty minutes passed.
Xiao Ran, who was chatting quietly with Elaine, suddenly felt his phone vibrate.
He took out his cell phone, glanced at Lai Xian, and then answered the call.
The next moment, David's voice came over.
"Sean, we're here, right at the door of this top-notch mansion."
"I brought two bodyguards here, both retired Delta Force soldiers."
"They are professional bodyguards, armed with automatic rifles and other weapons, enough to ensure your safety."
Xiao Ran secretly took a deep breath and relaxed a little.
After a pause, he whispered back:
"You guys stay in the car first, David. The security check at this auction is very strict, and guns are strictly prohibited."
"The auction is almost over. When the auction ends, I will go out and pick you up."
"As for the two bodyguards, they cannot enter this top-notch mansion."
"Understood, Sean, we'll wait in the car."
David responded.
After ending the call, Xiao Ran looked at the auction table again and explained the situation to Elaine in a low voice.
Hearing their conversation, the guys in the live broadcast room were very excited.
"I'll go! Xiao Ran, you actually hired two bodyguards. You're not going to have a street shootout in Los Angeles, are you?"
"If that were the case, that would be so exciting!"
"This game is getting more and more interesting. There may be more exciting dramas to watch next!"
Xiao Ran was very helpless towards these guys who just watched the fun and didn't think it was a big deal.
The auction continues.
Next, several more items were auctioned one after another, and the transaction prices were quite good.
Finally, it was the turn of the Cubist oil painting.
As soon as this Cubist oil painting without the author's signature appeared on the big-screen TV, Elaine became excited.
"Sean, you must take a photo of this Cubist oil painting, maybe you will get a huge surprise."
"Of course, there is also the possibility of losing money."
"But the quality of this Cubist oil painting is very good, you can keep it yourself!"
Just as she said these words, Sylvia looked back here seemingly inadvertently.
In addition to this old friend, Kevin, who always kept a low profile, also looked here.
Seeing their performance, Xiao Ran's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he felt like something was wrong.
These two guys have sharp eyesight, wouldn't they fall in love with this Cubist oil painting?
If that’s the case, it’s not good news!
Although he thought so in his heart, Xiao Ran didn't show anything strange on his face.
He smiled and nodded at the two guys, acting very friendly.
When the bidding starts, that will no longer be the case!
Under the cover of the mask, Xiao Ran whispered:
"Calm down, Elaine, I will bid for this Cubist oil painting and try to capture it."
"But if you act so excited, it will expose my true intentions and make the bidding more difficult."
"So you have to try to be calm, don't be too impatient, and don't take off your sunglasses."
"Wow! I'll pay attention."
Elaine exclaimed in a low voice.
Fortunately, she was also wearing a mask and sunglasses, and her face was small, so she didn't show much expression, so there was no need to worry too much.
In the live broadcast room, everyone was discussing enthusiastically.
"Is this unknown Cubist oil painting really a valuable top-notch work of art? Is it really a masterpiece?"
"Perhaps this is really possible. Don't forget, Elaine grew up in the Louvre. Her appreciation level is not bad and her eyesight is trustworthy!"
While everyone was talking about it, Claude had already given the starting price for this Cubist oil painting.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the starting bid for this Cubist oil painting by an unknown artist is US$15,000. Which buyer should bid?"
As soon as the quotation was given, there was a small commotion at the scene.
Many people thought they had heard wrongly and were surprised.
"The starting price for a Cubist oil painting by an unknown artist is $15,000. Is it true?"
"I'll go! This starting price is so unexpected. It seems that the quality of this oil painting is good, otherwise the auction industry would never offer such a high starting price."
Most people believed that the starting price offered by the auction house for the painting was too high.
However, some people don't think so.
As soon as Claude finished speaking, an old lady sitting in the front row raised her bidding number.
This old lady was the first buyer who successfully purchased the landscape painting of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Seeing the old lady take action, Xiao Ran's eyes couldn't help but become more solemn.
Other buyers interested in this oil painting also became nervous.
The reason why everyone behaves this way is very simple.
This old Jewish lady is very strong, unfathomably strong!
The fact that she can sit in the first row of the venue and hold the bidding number plates at the top of the queue speaks for itself.
In previous auctions, she had already bought a lot of good things, and her spending was very generous.
And she was not bidding alone, there was a middle-aged white man in his forties beside her.
Through Sylvia's previous introduction, Xiao Ran knew that this guy was one of the best art dealers in Los Angeles and a top professional.
Such a top art dealer, yet respectfully accompanied the old lady.
It can be seen from this that the identity of the old Jewish lady must be extraordinary, maybe she is the wife of a nearby Jewish financier.
Following the old Jewish lady, several more professional treasure hunters left the field one after another and joined the competition.
Among them was Sylvia, but Kevin was not in a hurry to leave and was still observing the situation.
Xiao Ran also sat firmly on the Diaoyutai, not in a hurry to raise his sign, but watching the show with great interest.
In the blink of an eye, the bidding price for this Cubist oil painting has exceeded US$30,000, which is fully double the auction price!
This price was beyond the psychological price range of several competitors, and they all shook their heads and quit the competition.
But some people just joined the competition at this time, and they are powerful predators!
When the quotation reached $32,000, Kevin finally gave up and raised the price to $35,000 as soon as he made the move.
Upon hearing this offer, everyone turned to look at this guy who was always low-key.
Among them were the old Jewish lady and Sylvia.
At the same time, the offer eliminated one competitor.
However, Xiao Ran immediately came in as a substitute.
"$40,000"
As soon as he made his move, he raised the price significantly again, successfully attracting everyone's attention.
Seeing that he also joined the fight for this Cubist oil painting, those buyers who were still competing could not help but frown slightly.
Without exception, they all felt strong pressure from Xiao Ran and had a feeling that something was wrong.
The other outsiders' eyes were shining with excitement.
"Wow! This crazy guy actually fell in love with this Cubist oil painting, and he raised the price significantly as soon as it came up. Now there's something exciting!"
"Is this guy attracted to this oil painting? Or is he itchy and just wants to join in the fun? But this guy is really rich!"
In the live broadcast room, everyone was also talking about it.
"What's so good about this Cubist oil painting? Is it really worth $40,000? Why can't I see it?"
"Perhaps this oil painting is truly a masterpiece. Otherwise, why would it be priced so high and attract so many people to compete for it?"
Everyone is still discussing that the price of this Cubist oil painting has reached US$45,000.
It was the old Jewish lady sitting in the front row who made this offer.
The next moment, Xiao Ran raised his bidding number again.
"Fifty thousand dollars, Claude"
