While they were preparing to bring the first item onstage, Ji-ho leaned in towards Minhyun"s ear. "The first item being introduced is a painting created during the Joseon period. It was actually stolen by j.a.pan during world war two and was kept till now. It is a very rare artifact that technically should be in the hands of the government, but does anyone in this room really care?"Not bad for the first item. Minhyun wasn"t a collector but having an item like this in his stash wasn"t bad. Also, to start bidding at the beginning would linger in everyone"s minds. It wasn"t a bad strategy.
"What are your thoughts on bidding?" He whispered back.
Ji-ho shook his head. "The Ki family wanted a painting added to their collection so I believe they will strike for this. However, when it comes to art, the Moon family shows no interest. If you want it for personal reasons or to boost your status, then go for it. Although this is one of the stronger pieces, there will be something better later."
Just as Ji-ho had said, the painting was brought onto stage by two staff. It was placed in a bullet-proof gla.s.s case with state-of-the-art technology at the bottom to only allow certain persons to open it.
Minhyun raised an eyebrow. He knew how talented Ji-ho was but it always surprised him to see how powerful he truly was. A hidden gem that n.o.body else had acquired. After all, with his childish personality, for a regular person, it was almost impossible to tell that true greatness laid in his brain.
Upon seeing the painting, Yoona was in awe. Using ancient brush techniques, the soft strokes flowed together to create a beautiful tree on a island in the middle of a river. Mountains decorated the background and flocks of birds flew in the sky. To think that such a painting was preserved for so long was a shock. There was not a hint of tear or wear down.
"Price starting from a five hundred thousand dollars."
Voices began to raise and people started to bid. They raised up their signs with their a.s.signed numbers, trying to compete for the win.
"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Five hundred and seventy-five thousand."
"Six hundred thousand."
Someone in the back stood up, waving their sign up in the air. "Seven hundred and seventy-two thousand!"
The amount of money being thrown around made Yoona sweat. Since she had a love for art, she knew how expensive these pieces could become. The painting was absolutely gorgeous and worth all the money that was being offered. However, being surrounded by people who were willing to spend a fortune was different. Even buying strawberries made her wallet feel too light for her liking.
"One million."
The bidder was on the top floor where it was too dark for anyone to see the speaker. The lights on the sign punctured through the darkness for the auctioneer to see.
Yoona was shocked to hear the voice from beside of her. Minhyun had bid one million dollars?!?
Her head quickly turned over to face him. Why did he do that? Her mouth was wide open and she couldn"t control her expression. It was a very beautiful painting but the amount of money it costed was enormous.
"Is there anyone who would like to bid more?" Wendy asked.
Only silence greeted her. Although the painting was possibly worth more than a million, n.o.body wanted to outbid Chae Minhyun. They wanted him to get the piece peacefully. After all, in the end, all of them would lose anyways. There was no point in trying.
"Going once. Going twice. Going three times," Wendy said. She hit the gavel against her stand, signalling that the item was sold. "Blossom of Love painting sold to number one, Mr. Chae Minhyun."
Everyone clapped. Some were astonished by the CEO"s large wallet while other looked with envy. Minhyun calmly leaned his chair. He was satisfied with his purchase. Although it wasn"t the best purchase for the plan, it was for her, and that made it worth every penny.
Yoona lightly hit him in the shoulder. "Why did you do that?"
"I saw it in your eyes. I bought the painting for you."
"I-I-uh-argh." She couldn"t even speak. n.o.body in this entire planet had bought her something so expensive. After all, was she even worth a million dollars? Although she wanted to retaliate saying that she didn"t mean to make him compelled to buy it, the purchase was already made. The painting was officially hers. If she were to complain then that would ruin the kind heart behind the purchase.
Plus, it wasn"t like she didn"t want it either. The painting was very nice. She was worried how an expensive painting would fare in her home, especially since she wouldn"t top security when she moved back, but nonetheless she was grateful.
She let out a deep sigh and warm smile crept up on her face. "Thank you."
"No problem," Minhyun said. "It was a bargain too. A small amount compared to how much I was willing to spend."
One million dollars is a small amount? Yoona rolled her eyes. "Clearly a small amount. Wow. So cheap."
Minhyun chuckled. "For a small bit of your happiness, anything is possible."
"Gross. Too cheesy," she teased.
"But you like it," he mumbled. The deep timbre of his voice arose gooseb.u.mps up her skin.
Yoona stayed silent before shaking her head with an embarra.s.sed smile. "I do."