Rong Yu finished the shoot with Minister Zhu quite quickly.
The car arranged by Ji Yanting was waiting at the entrance. She got in and scrolled through her social feed, where Min Jianshen had just posted a set of pictures.
They were photographs of items from an auction exhibition.
Nine images, all in a grey, cool tone, featured modern historical artifacts, books, documents, photographs, and objects from various countries around the world.
The original draft paper for cracking the Enigma code, the sunglasses worn by Princess Diana during her visit to Australia, a KGB lipstick pistol from the Cold War era...
Rong Yu's gaze swept over them one by one. When she opened the last picture, her breath caught in her throat.
A black and white photograph, its edges browned and curled as if licked by flames.
On the deck of a cruise ship stood a large group of intellectuals. In front of them were soldiers in Chinese military uniforms, forming a semi-circle to protect the intellectuals, their guns aimed outward at the enemy.
A wounded officer, blood streaming from his chest, was kneeling on one knee. The insignia on his collar was stained crimson. In his left hand, he clutched an empty pistol, while his right hand desperately gripped the wrist of a pregnant woman, pushing her back.
The woman held a booklet in her arms. One could vaguely make out that it was a roster of personnel returning to the homeland.
In the corner of the photo, it read: 1947, photographed by Antonio.
Large tears fell from Rong Yu's eyes.
That pregnant woman was her.
And the soldier, shot and kneeling on the ground, was her husband, Yingbao's father.
So, someone had actually captured the final moment of her husband's life.
She raised her hand to wipe away the tears and opened Min Jianshen's chat: "The auction you posted about on your feed, when and where is it being held?"
Min Jianshen: "Today at 3 PM, Beijing No. 8 Auction House. If you're setting off from Haicheng now, you might not make it in time."
Rong Yu: "I'm already in Beijing. See you soon."
Beijing No. 8 Auction House was quite far, and there was traffic on the way. She arrived at 2:56 PM.
Min Jianshen walked over and opened the car door for her: "This is a charity auction. The items themselves aren't extremely valuable, but they carry special historical significance. It's rare to see someone as young as you interested in such weighty subjects. Here's the catalog; take a look."
As they talked, they walked inside.
The auction hall was spacious, its walls adorned with various photographs from modern history. Men in suits gathered to discuss historical events, while women chatted about the latest jewelry trends. The atmosphere was pleasant.
Once the time came, the auction officially began.
The crowd took their seats.
On the ebony auction podium, the first item of the day was displayed.
It was the original draft paper for cracking the Enigma code.
The starting bid was ten thousand.
The object itself held little intrinsic value, but the historical weight it carried was immeasurable. In collecting circles, such artifacts represent the pinnacle of cultural taste. The attendees began bidding without hesitation.
"One hundred thousand."
"One hundred and fifty thousand."
In the end, a single yellowed sheet of draft paper sold for one hundred and fifty thousand.
Item after item was placed on the display stand.
The highest price for one item was bid up to over a million.
Min Jianshen, however, noticed that the girl beside him remained composed throughout. She had been so eager to attend this auction, yet since arriving, she hadn't uttered a word, as if none of the items could capture her interest.
He spoke softly, "There's another high-profile auction tonight, featuring mainly European medieval royal jewelry. Would you like to go..."
Before he could finish his sentence,
he saw Rong Yu's expression suddenly change.
Her previously calm eyes instantly sharpened with focus.
"The final lot: a precious surviving moment from the attack on the Zhenhua in 1947." The auctioneer's voice rang out slowly. "At that time, aboard this cruise ship, there were over a hundred ordinary passengers, thirty-seven students studying abroad, and several soldiers. To protect this precious group of intellectuals, all the soldiers sacrificed their lives, their blood staining the ocean..."
"The ordinary passengers on the cruise also took up the crucial task of protecting the intellectuals. In the end, out of the thirty-plus students studying abroad, twenty-one survived. Among these twenty-one returnees, seven later appeared on the list of contributors to China's 'Two Bombs' project, and three doctors pioneered the river of modern medical techniques in our country..."
Rong Yu's fingernails unconsciously dug into her palm, but the pain felt distant, as if veiled by a fog.
"Are you alright?"
Min Jianshen handed her a tissue.
Rong Yu hadn't realized she had started crying again.
She took the tissue, her voice hoarse. "Thank you."
"This photograph, starting bid, ten thousand."
As soon as the auctioneer's words fell, the attendees began competing with bids.
"Fifty thousand!"
"Two hundred thousand!"
The price climbed bit by bit.
Although a photograph like this carried heavy historical significance, in the collecting world, its price wouldn't reach astronomically high levels. Five hundred thousand would be considered very high.
Min Jianshen raised his paddle and called out directly, "Five hundred thousand."
He could tell Rong Yu had come specifically for this photograph.
Seeing her tears, for some reason, he felt a suffocating, painful sensation.
"One million."
Right after his bid, another person called out a higher price.
He frowned.
One million for a historical photograph was somewhat inflated.
Furthermore, the Min family had been a family of scholars for generations. Their financial foundation wasn't poor, but they weren't among the super-rich either. Spending over a million on a photograph was a bit of a stretch for him.
Just as he was hesitating,
Rong Yu suddenly stood up.
She was already strikingly beautiful with an elegant demeanor, but now, immersed in the emotions of the past, a somber aura radiated from her. The gaze of everyone in the room involuntarily fell upon her.
Rong Yu raised her hand and made a gesture.
The entire room was first stunned, then erupted in murmurs.
"Is... is that the 'Lighting the Sky Lantern' gesture?"
'Lighting the Sky Lantern' was auction house slang, meaning that no matter how high others bid, she would double the price, continuing until no one dared to compete—this was the most regardless of cost method of bidding.
"I haven't seen anyone light the sky lantern in many years."
"Lighting the sky lantern for a historical photograph really seems unnecessary."
"The person who just bid one million is the Sheng family's Young Master. The Sheng family is determined to get this photo. Is this girl challenging Young Master Sheng?"
"This girl looks somewhat unfamiliar. I wonder which family's young lady she is?"
"..."
Sitting in the front row was precisely the Sheng family.
The Sheng family of Beijing was one of the top-tier prominent families.
Young Master Sheng was seventeen this year, still bearing a youthful appearance with very fair skin. Following the crowd's gaze, he turned to look at the girl who had stood up.
He was immediately taken aback.
Wasn't this Rong Yu, whom he had met at the national physics finals?
He had won the gold medal.
She had also won the gold medal.
They had even exchanged contact information.
He never imagined that their next meeting would be as bidding opponents.
"Young Master," his assistant whispered beside him. "No one said you can only light the sky lantern once per auction."
