"Oh look! The auction is about to start." Fan Zhu Xia exclaimed as she stared at the person who had come on to the stage.The person was an old man who had his shoulders slightly hunched over and had his hands clasped behind his back as he slowly made his way to the front and center of the elevated stage with sure steps.
The initial murmurs and whisperings of the seated guests in the hall ceased as more and more people noticed the man who had entered the stage. Every single one of the people present had their attention drawn as looks of antic.i.p.ation showed on their faces and a restless excitement filled the air.
The old man barely paid attention to the eager and curious looks that were shot in his direction, instead, he calmly stood in the middle of the stage before clearing his throat.
"To our esteemed guests, the Thousand Treasures Pavillion welcomes you to today"s auction! As many of you have realized, this old one will be responsible for conducting today"s auction since a personal friend of the owner of Thousand Treasures Pavillion has brought a very valuable item to be auctioned today and as a personal retainer of the owner, it is this old one"s job to ensure that today"s auction goes smoothly, thus this old one implores everyone to cooperate and not cause a fuss or else they will be escorted out and will no longer be allowed to set even half a foot in any of the Thousan Treasures Pavillion branches."
The speech that had originally started with a welcoming and cordial tone ended with cold and sharp warning that it made everyone fill a chill in their hearts. Those that had initially underestimated the old man couldn"t help but feel an overwhelming respect as they stared at him.
Who knew that this old man with hunched shoulders and a head full of white hair was actually a personal retainer of the mysterious owner of Thousand Treasures Pavillion.
Many of the guests below and even in the private rooms all thought the same thing; If they could somehow befriend this personal retainer, how great would that be? If they are lucky and heaven wills it, they may even get the chance to meet this mysterious, yet powerful owner!
It can be said that people who had these thoughts were many and most are already speculating on the best way to approach the old man.
Curious, Fan Zhu Xia kept quiet and just stared at the old man with a pondering look when the old man who was scanning the crowd with his gaze suddenly looked up and actually shot a glance towards their private room.
To Fan Zhu Xia, she immediately realized that this person wasn"t just a person with extraordinary background but also someone who is quite powerful. With just that mere glance, Fan Zhu Xia knew that the old man could see her despite of the mirror that was supposed to hinder people from seeing those on the other side.
This made the corner of Fan Zhu Xia"s lips lift slightly as she gave a nod of respect towards the old man which to her surprise was returned with a small, almost imperceptible nod of his own.
Encouraged by this, a smile bloomed on Fan Zhu Xia"s face that it made both Chun Hua and Min Sheng who was in the same room and saw her sigh in admiration. Truly their new young miss had a beauty that no one could possibly compare to. While the two were thinking this, they were surprised when the originally quiet Fan Zhu Xia suddenly opened her mouth and called out to the old man at the stage in a strong yet respectful voice.
"Many thanks for welcoming words and advise. We, as guests of the Thousand Treasures Pavillion will no doubt follow your instructions. If senior wouldn"t mind, this junior would like to ask how we can address this senior?"
Startled, many looked up to the room where Fan Zhu Xia was in. Not only were people surprised about the bravery of the speaker, but they were also drawn to the voice!
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The voice was filled with respect yet each word was spoken with a calm and undeniable confidence in a voice that was incredibly soft yet filled with power, not only that, the mere sound of her voice was undeniably appealing that it really made one want to pay attention.
This made everyone incredibly curious, coupled with the fact that the voice seemed to be coming from a private room in the third floor which immediately made everyone pay attention, after all, there was only a handful of people who were qualified to get a room there, and apparently the lady who spoke was someone with a very powerful background and just like the old man, was worth befriending.
Hearing Fan Zhu Xia"s voice, a suprised glint flashed in the old man"s eyes before he quickly suppressed it before replying with a mild voice and a small smile making him look like a very amiable elderly grandpa.
"This old one is flattered by this esteemed lady"s courtesy! Please just refer to me as Old Ma."
Glad that the old man answered, Fan Zhu Xia"s lips curled and with a satisfied nod, she replied, "Very well, then this miss will not delay the auction any longer. This miss just hopes that Old Ma will join this miss for a cup of tea after the auction is done."
"But of course! This old one will be honored." Old Ma cupped his hand with a slight bow as he replied.
In a span of a few minutes, two powerful figures had arranged a meeting just like that!
The speed of the events made some people feel dazed. Those that had thoughts of inviting the two couldn"t help but shake their heads while smiling bitterly at the lost opportunity while the two people concerned; Fan Zhu Xia and Old Ma just ignored everything and treated it as if nothing happened, especially Old Ma who immediately gestured for an attendant to come on stage, signalling the start of the auction.
"Now our esteemed guests, please direct your attention to our first item! This is just one of the many items that we have prepared for today"s auction, if you please..."