At a quarter past two in the afternoon, an auction was going on at Goode Auction House in Shenzhen City.
Displayed on the booth is a landscape painting from the Qing Dynasty.
"750,000," the auctioneer said with the gavel, "Is there any increase in price? 750,000 for the first time... oh... 800,000... is there any more?"
At the bidding seat, a man in a blue suit raised a sign and said: "1 million!"
"Okay, this enterprising gentleman bids 1 million, 1 million for the first time, 1 million for the second time," the auctioneer shouted, "1 million for the third time, deal done!"
With the sound of the gavel, the man in the blue suit successfully photographed the landscape painting.
He raised the corners of his mouth, smiled slightly, and then turned his attention to the next lot.
As a result, at this moment, his assistant suddenly appeared next to him and whispered a few words in his ear. The man in the blue suit's expression darkened, and he had no choice but to leave.
After walking out of the auction hall, under the guidance of his assistant, he went straight to the VIP lounge next to it.
In the lounge, Miao Ying, Cui Lizhu, Wu Xiumin, and several Yunzhou agents were all in plainclothes.
"Why..." The man in the blue suit sighed and said unhappily, "Can't we wait until the auction is over?"
"Mr. Bao," Miao Ying said generously and gracefully, "there are two more lots later with a starting price of only 500,000 yuan. Presumably, they will not be able to catch the eye of Mr. Bao, right?"
"This..." The man known as Mr. Bao was stunned for a moment, then smiled and asked sitting on the sofa next to him, "Police officers, what do you do with me?"
"Wow..." When he saw that Miao Ying, Cui Lizhu and Wu Xiumin were all policewomen, he immediately showed a surprised expression.
"Your name is Bao Yucheng," Miao Ying said, "Then Bao Yicheng is..."
"My cousin," the man replied cheerfully, "he works for an airline company. Why... you come here to find me, is it related to my cousin? Nothing happened to him, right?"
"Mr. Bao," Miao Ying said, "We are here this time for Zhang Qile's case, and we want to consult with you on some matters."
"Oh... Zhang Qile!" Bao Yucheng said, "What a pity for a great painter..."
"We heard," Miao Ying asked straight to the point, "Zhang Qile once painted a painting of a red bathtub. You bought that painting, right?"
"Yes," Bao Yucheng nodded, "I have been talking about this for many years and for a long time!"
"Oh?" Miao Ying asked hurriedly, "Why are you talking about it so much?"
"My vision?" Bao Yucheng said, "At that time, I could tell that Miss Zhang Qile was talented.
"I originally spent 200,000 yuan to buy several of her works. In just a few years, these paintings have been worth tens of millions. You think, why don't I talk about it?"
"I want to know," Miao Ying asked, "Do you still have the red bathtub painting painted by Zhang Qile? Can we take a look?"
"Hmm... Well..." Bao Yucheng thought for a while and said, "The painting is at my house, you can go see it at any time...
"But... why do I suddenly feel that you are here with bad intentions?"
"Mr. Bao likes to use idioms very much," Miao Ying said, "Don't get me wrong, we just want to investigate the truth, and we hope you can cooperate with us!"
"Cooperation is natural, but... this case..." Bao Yucheng asked alertly, "Does it have something to do with that painting? This..."
"Don't be nervous," Miao Ying said, "I would like to ask, how is your personal relationship with Miss Zhang Qile?"
"Ms. Zhang... um..." Bao Yucheng said, "Since buying her paintings a few years ago, she has contacted me many times through connections. Generally speaking, the relationship is pretty good!
"In the past few years, we have had meals several times. I have also gone to her art exhibitions and recommended her in magazines, but that's it..."
"Then..." Miao Ying asked again, "Do you know that Miss Zhang Qile has an affair with your cousin Bao Yicheng?"
"I know, I've heard a little bit, it's probably just rumors!" Bao Yucheng said, "If you have a wife in this city, you still hope that the police officers will show your respect!"
"During this period..." Miao Ying asked again, "Have you bought any paintings by Zhang Qile again?"
"No..." Pao Yucheng replied affirmatively, "Her later paintings were too utilitarian. To be honest, I don't like her hype mode!
"When a painter only focuses on how to package and promote himself, he has lost his artistic vitality!"
"Then... let me ask you a personal question?" Miao Ying said, "Seven years ago, Zhang Qile was just a student who had just graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts. Why did you spend so much money to buy all her paintings?"
"Haha, many people have asked me this question," Bao Yucheng said with a faint smile, "If I say that there is no reason, I am afraid many people will not believe it, but to be honest, there is really no reason, I just like it! "
"I like..." Miao Ying put away her smile and asked extremely seriously, "Do you particularly like that red bathtub!?"
"You..." Bao Yucheng's expression changed when he felt Miao Ying's dazzling gaze, "Your words seem to be misleading!"
As soon as these words came out, Bao Yucheng's assistant immediately came forward to ask for instructions: "Mr. Bao, do you want to call your lawyer over?"
"No," Bao Yucheng waved his hand and said, "I have never done anything wrong, so what do I call a lawyer
"Police officer, you are absolutely right. The reason why I bought Zhang Qile's painting was because I fell in love with this red bathtub. I think Zhang Qile's painting is very good and has a strong sense of realism!
"You will understand it later when you see that painting," said Pao Yucheng. "There is a depressing beauty in the painting. This is the perfect interpretation of the Morgan School. Seeing that painting, You can even smell the blood..."
When speaking, Bao Yucheng seemed to be immersed in it, always keeping his eyes closed.
"As... a Yunzhou native, I naturally know about the red bathtub case," Bao Yucheng said. "It is really rare for Miss Zhang Qile to be able to draw such a realistic effect.
"Furthermore, from a value perspective, that painting definitely has room for appreciation. As long as it is properly hyped, it may be able to fetch a higher price in the future!"
"Hey, let's be honest..." Cui Lizhu murmured, "Now that I have got my wish, after Zhang Qile's death, will this painting still be sold at a sky-high price?"
"This..." Bao Yucheng suddenly opened his eyes and said with trembling lips, "I... I didn't mean that! I mean, no one in Yunzhou dares to paint a red bathtub. So many people have died. It's ominous!"
"Also, if the victim's family knew about it, they would definitely come out to protest. In this case, the painting would be quite valuable! I... I didn't say anything about Zhang Qile's death... this..."
At this time, Bao Yucheng finally realized that he had actually tripped himself up, and he was naturally depressed and anxious.
"Mr. Bao," his assistant was even more anxious. He held the phone and said, "I think we should contact your lawyer as soon as possible!!"
(End of chapter)