After Transmigrating as the Northeast CEO's Pampered Little Husband - Chapter 81

The time before the opening of the Brilliant Auction was purposefully long, as the various industry elites attending would not arrive punctually like at a small social gathering. The big bosses needed time to adjust their schedules, and the auction used this period for last-minute checks and preparations.

Gu Jiaoyang chatted happily with several parents, and Dai Gucan occasionally spoke with the older parents nearby. Their topics inevitably revolved around children and family content perfectly suited for the occasion.

By the time the pot of tea was empty, the audience seating beneath the main stage was mostly full. The venue suddenly became crowded and lively, with a cacophony of discussions rising and falling. Gu Jiaoyang’s hearing was excellent; he could even accidentally overhear a few people not far away commenting on the appearance of the attendees. Although they spoke quietly, the centre of their conversation was him and his man, which made it impossible to ignore.

Various small incidents flashed by, and the auction’s opening show began precisely at the time marked on the programme.

As the wealthiest entity in the entire university city, the Business School, which had managed to organise the colossal Brilliant Auction, certainly didn’t skimp on decorating the venue or providing lively entertainment. The opening act featured a performance by a celebrity alumnus, and the Arts and Physical Education departments also contributed several engaging acts, keeping the audience thoroughly entertained.

Once the venue was warmed up, the Brilliant Auction officially commenced. As the host, who had a gentle, pleasing voice, stepped onto the stage, the first painting to be auctioned was carefully carried by a waiter in a black tuxedo and white gloves and placed on the display stand.

“Distinguished guests, we now present Auction Item Number 1. The theme of this artwork is Qinghai (Azure Sea), by the Oil Painting Department of the Art Academy…”

The host, wearing a qipao embroidered with gold ginkgo leaves, elegantly introduced the painting on the display, detailing the basic information of the work, including the artist’s background and creative intent.

Gu Jiaoyang listened earnestly, but unfortunately, he couldn’t adopt the appreciative expression of understanding that others were showing. After all, the first painting was created by his own classmate. While the audience members might imagine the story behind the art without knowing the artist, Gu Jiaoyang, who saw the artist every day in class, couldn’t help but occasionally laugh when the host’s interpretation became wildly exaggerated.

Similarly, Dai Gucan, whose taste differed from the usual ‘dominant CEO’ aesthetic, had a limited appreciation for art. Compared to the host’s art-infused, professional speech, he was far more interested in what his little darling was laughing about. So, Dai Gucan leaned in close and whispered in his ear, asking his little precious wife to share the fun.

Gu Jiaoyang then told him the true character of the artist whose work was being lauded to the heavens by the host as being deeply thoughtful. “…Pfft, it’s seriously like doing reading comprehension, but even more ridiculous. Actually, using the colour azure wasn’t because of a deep, melancholic mood or seeing through the inherent restlessness of society, blah, blah, blah…”

“It was simply because he scrubbed his brush too hard and knocked over the water bucket, splashing everything out, leaving only the azure colour at the bottom corners.”

“He originally wanted to paint a twilight ocean, and the line work was all ready, but he was forced to use only the azure colour.”

Gu Jiaoyang whispered into Dai Gucan’s ear. The warm breath on the rim of his ear was amplified, instantly sending a tingling sensation down Dai Gucan’s spine, causing his expression to darken slightly.

His little precious wife continued to quietly describe the subsequent paintings, including the true stories behind the creation of works by artists he knew. Dai Gucan’s thoughts had already drifted far away, beginning to imagine what they should do after the auction ended and they returned home.

Gu Jiaoyang, who had been chatting happily for a while, gradually noticed his partner’s absentmindedness. He reached out and touched Dai Gucan’s slightly warm cheek, immediately blushing himself, and playfully pinched the chest of his naughty, daydreaming CEO.

Pinched painfully, Dai Gucan paused in surprise. He quickly realised what had happened, and seizing the opportunity while everyone’s attention was fixed on the stage, he swiftly kissed Gu Jiaoyang’s cheek, then straightened up, pretending to adjust his suit.

“Mwah!”

The soft, quick kiss was indistinct in the noisy environment, but the crisp sound resonated loudly for Gu Jiaoyang. He blushed a rare sight for him feeling thoroughly flirted with.

Their seats were close, and their small, intimate actions were obvious, but those around them were tactful enough not to disturb them, focusing instead on the host’s presentation on stage and the bidding below. Since it was a charity event, the bidding among buyers wasn’t overly aggressive. Everyone understood the principle of facilitating a good cause, and after a few back-and-forths, they could usually gauge the intent of the other bidders, smiling politely at each other after the bidding concluded. Cameras were careful to capture the face of every bidder, and the name of the organisation they represented was displayed in the subsequent captions.

Donating money and gaining exposure was a way for these powerful figures to boost their reputation, especially since this auction was associated with the capital’s university. The elites and big bosses were more than happy to spend money for fame and attention. One after another, they were quick to purchase the art. The entire auction, so far, hadn’t had a single piece go unsold.

Whether the buyers understood the host’s description or truly appreciated the art didn’t matter. Quickly donating money for exposure and to demonstrate their wealth was the unspoken objective shared among these upper-class members of society.

The auction was proceeding smoothly and enthusiastically, with no lull in the energy. Everyone was having a good time, but in the storage room where the auction items were kept, some people were not feeling so cheerful.

“I’m sorry, I’ve already told you that under no circumstances are you permitted to privately inspect the works.”

The security guard standing at the storage room door sternly rejected the student’s request, even rolling his eyes in annoyance. No matter how urgent the student claimed his reason was, the rules were clear: no one was allowed in without direct orders from management. If he made an unauthorised decision and caused damage, he would be punished. If he stuck to the rules, any mistake would not be his fault.

The guard was completely uncompromising, refusing the student who claimed he needed to swap out a mistakenly submitted artwork.

Xi Chuanbai stood at the door of the storage room, his face dark, forcing a strained, half-smile that barely concealed the grinding of his teeth. The plot in the novel included scenes where the antagonist snuck into the prop room to ruin the protagonist’s costume before they went on stage.

However, an event as large as the Brilliant Auction, where entry tickets alone cost hundreds of thousands, would naturally have guarded storage. Xi Chuanbai had managed to find a gap in the patrol routes using his Strategy System’s analysis, but he couldn’t bypass the single, steadfast security guard planted directly at the door. He was forced to brazenly confront the guard, attempting to use various excuses to enter the storage room and achieve his goal.

Unfortunately, the security guard was seasoned and utterly unmoved. Xi Chuanbai, enraged, screamed at the Strategy System in his mind. “You told me to tamper with Gu Jiaoyang’s painting, so give me a chance to get into the storage room! If that guy hadn’t kept his artwork with him and only brought it here when he finished, I would have been done already!”

Xi Chuanbai was anxious. The Strategy System remained silent until the security guard grew increasingly impatient, almost reaching for his walkie-talkie to call for backup to remove him. Only then did the Strategy System give in.

My energy is restricted. Every use of a Halo depletes my reserves. If you use it now, you must ensure you don’t make any mistakes during the subsequent cooldown period, or it will be an even greater loss for both of us.

The Strategy System was also frustrated, but to get into the storage room to interfere with the painting, it agreed to Xi Chuanbai’s demand for the Halo. Xi Chuanbai resentfully consented mentally. Just before the guard could pick up his walkie-talkie, he activated the Halo, boosting it to maximum power, and pressed his hand onto the guard’s arm.

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