The Lost Mermaid [Zhongyingmei]

However, until Doris was seated in the reserved seat, she also failed to see the man in the crowd.

The auction hall was crowded with people, the sofas covered with red velvet cushions formed three circles inside and outside. Rich American businessmen in standard suits sat in the front row, chatting loudly with the gentlemen in twos and threes.The wives and daughters of the country gentry and nobles are dressed in gorgeous dresses, standing beside the host with a smile, looking openly at the wealthy businessmen who came to "digging for gold".

Doris sniffed, and this place smelled like money again like New York.

However, the single rich man who would become the focus of the audience did not appear. Doris felt strange. He clearly showed that he was bound to win the heart of the ocean that day, but it was about to be auctioned, so why hadn't he showed up yet? ?

Suddenly, a waiter came from the crowd, he hurriedly saluted 1900, and whispered something in his ear.Doris was puzzled to see that 1900's expression quickly changed.

"What's the matter?" Doris turned sideways and asked quietly after watching 1900 give the waiter some tips to send away.

1900 frowned. He stood up and scanned the rear.The guests in the back seats were blocked from seeing, noticed his abnormality, and whispered together.

"He told me just now that Mr. Prior decided temporarily to change the bidding method of 'Heart of the Ocean' to a secret auction." 1900 suppressed his slight anger and explained to Doris in a low voice.

Doris opened her eyes wide: "Sneak shot?! Is that Carl Hockley playing tricks? He found him that day, and I—" Doris was speechless. She hurriedly covered her mouth and accidentally missed something. Mouth, she was about to change the subject when she heard 1900's meaningful words.

"Mr. Hockley has already come to the door? I don't even know? Doris, could you be..."

"No!" Doris stammered, her face flushed red, "I don't have a crush on him! I just don't want you to worry too much. He seems to be eyeing the Heart of the Ocean. I..."

Her voice became smaller and smaller, looking at 1900's playful smile, she couldn't say anything anymore.Doris was a little annoyed, but she would never admit that she had special feelings for that arrogant guy!It's nothing more than... It's nothing more than because he was so angry that he wanted to bribe the mermaid princess with a small gift!This is nothing short of insulting.

1900 snorted inexplicably, but didn't say anything else.At this moment, the door on the side of the high platform of the auction hall was opened, and Mr. Prior and the auctioneer walked in under the eyes of everyone. 1900 had no time to ask someone for more information, so he sat down and patted Doris's hand reassuringly.

All the gentlemen and ladies in the audience stopped chatting consciously and took their seats one after another.The waiters rushed in from both sides, poured hot tea for them, and delivered snacks, desserts, auction lists, and essential wooden signs.Doris rolled her eyes, her gaze swept across the auctioneer on the high platform, and she listened intently to the conversation of the guests.Until the auction was about to start, she still didn't find the bastard who threatened to snap up the heart of the ocean.

Mr. Prior finally put down the brochure in his hand, stood in the middle of the high platform, looked around, and addressed all the guests loudly, thanking them for their visit.He gave an overview of the day's auction items and rules.

"This auction house will adopt the English auction method, and the auction will be conducted from low to high, and the highest bid will win." Mr. Plier announced blankly, "Today's big axis-the heart of the ocean will adopt a 'secret auction' Before the auction, I will collect bids from all potential bidders, and then the auctioneer will announce them uniformly."

This news caused the scene to explode.

"Isn't that fair?"

"Dark shot? What's that?"

"I don't know what kind of high price someone will bid for it. Mr. Prior is really..."

"I dare say that the person who won the auction in the end must have a deal with Mr. Prior." A young man said angrily, but he was immediately scolded by his dignified father.But everyone knows that such words are not groundless.

"Patrick, are you going to try it too? Mary will definitely like the heart of the ocean." Doris heard a young man behind her say this to his companion.Then, a gentle male voice responded: "Of course I want to try, but...Mary is different from ordinary ladies. I can't guarantee that she will be happy."

"How can there be a woman who doesn't like jewelry?"

"That's not what can make her truly happy." The man replied, obviously he didn't want to say anything more, and changed the subject, "Don't mention my Mary anymore, how about you? Miss Elizabeth is not easy to be perfunctory."

The young man let out a long sigh: "Hi...my sister is always whimsical, but I have taken a fancy to the emerald necklace, I think it may make Elizabeth give up suing me in front of her mother. She has been inexplicable these days I am so angry, I am afraid that I have another conflict with Miss Buckett's family."

Doris looked back in surprise when she heard the familiar name.When the young man saw her exquisite and beautiful face, he was stunned.Doris cleared her throat and asked, "I've heard of Miss Buckett, do you know her too?"

The young man opened his eyes wide after hearing her hoarse voice, showing a surprised and disgusted expression, very rude.Then he was bumped hard with an elbow by a friend beside him.

"Miss, are you from the United States?" The young man named Patrick showed her a gentle smile, "I hear your accent, you are not British."

Doris nodded, and 1900 looked back at the two of them, explaining: "We just came to London not long ago, and we are not familiar with the high society here. My sister is very curious about the noble ladies here. offend……"

"No offense, no offense." Patrick stretched out his hand and kissed Doris, "Girls always stay at home, of course they hope to have friends of the same age. But, Miss Bucket is very Personality', I'm afraid the lady..."

"Doris, my name is Doris."

"I'm afraid it will be difficult for Miss Doris to be friends with her." Patrick had a strange expression.

"why?"

Patrick choked. 1900 sighed quietly in his heart. Doris didn't understand those people's ways of the world, and frank words were always difficult for people to deal with.He was about to smooth things over as usual when he heard Mr. Prior announce the start of the auction.

Patrick smiled apologetically and pointed to the auctioneer on the stage.His friend also came back to his senses, lowered his head and began to study the auction book attentively.

1900 patted Doris on the shoulder and turned around.Doris immediately forgot about the two of them, and watched with great interest as the items on the stage were displayed one by one.

Today's auction sells all the former royal collections. At first, some exquisite oriental porcelain, embroidery, gold-plated knives and forks came to the scene; followed by the ladies' favorite - red agate inlaid with gold earrings, emerald-coated silver necklaces, emerald-rimmed and diamond-studded rings... Ladies and ladies competed for bids. And self-satisfied. 1900 asked her in a low voice if she wanted to take a picture or two, but Doris shook her head and refused.

Although she also has the shining hobby of dragons in ancient times, the gems inlaid on these jewelry are just ordinary small stones to her, and the bigger and brighter ones in her collection are Bibi. both.

But she shook her head and refused in the eyes of others, but it was too much to do.

Carl Hockley leaned against the window of the private room on the second floor and squinted his eyes to look at all kinds of guests in the venue. He broke open the door of Mr. Plier with a large check, and used a ticket for the Titanic , bribed him to change the auction of the heart of the ocean to the hidden auction mode.

He wanted to buy the auctioneer directly with gold and sell the Heart of the Ocean to him privately, but who would have thought that the auctioneer was an upright person and refused his bribe—of course, this is for Carl Hockley , is nothing more than a slight increase in some small risks.He is confident that no one else can offer the price he can offer.

As for the pianist who claimed to be filming Heart of the Ocean for his sister, Hockley wasn't worried.

Although his father liked his talent and potential commercial value and was willing to support him, Carl Hockley didn't think he was capable—no matter how powerful "Danny Boardman" was, he was just a young man A famous musician, he may be a little clever, but there are such people everywhere in the United States.Hockley couldn't afford to save him.

Cal Hockley looked at the people in the field with satisfaction, with a faint smile on his lips.

At first, when all the insignificant items were auctioned off and the ladies began to enter the arena, his eyes were caught by the familiar figure in the wheelchair.Unlike the deep or shallow greed in the eyes of those crazy women when they looked at the precious gems, Miss Boardman was still eating sweets and drinking hot tea carelessly.

She didn't put her eyes on the stage for a moment, but looked left and right, curiously watching the women who raised their cards again and again.

'Mr. Boardman is not willing to buy her jewelry? Carl Hockley frowned, sneered, and thought to himself, "He said that the heart of the ocean must be photographed. Could it be that he couldn't even afford an emerald ring that only cost a few thousand pounds?" '

Relying on the fact that no one could see him, Hockley looked at the slender figure unscrupulously.She didn't have extra accessories on her body, if she wasn't wearing a decent dress, she could be called shabby.He looked at her extremely white and slender neck and small earlobes under the full head of black hair, and thought that the set of cornflower sapphire jewelry he just bought in the hotel matched her perfectly.

Suddenly, those clear and sensitive blue eyes turned around, Hockley was startled, took a step back in panic and hid behind the curtain, and stepped on a protruding foot.

"Hiss—" the entourage Joeylov gasped in pain, and half-bent down.

"Sorry." Hockley casually apologized.

Chouilov shook his head, gritted his teeth and reluctantly retreated, and Hockley waved his hand to signal him to leave.Just as Joey Love was about to walk out the door, Hockley called to him: "Go and get that cornflower jewelry set."

Chouilov was stunned: "You have an appointment with Miss Ruth Bucket today?" He has always been in charge of Mr. Hockley's schedule, why didn't he know?

As soon as the words fell, Hockley's movement of opening the curtain stalled.

"No, you don't have to bring it here."

Hockley turned around, picked up the glass of red wine on the table, and drank it down.The alcohol washed his face, and his face became red and hot.He placed the empty wine glass on the table so hard that the fragile glass almost broke in two.

Hockley took a deep breath, and the blue veins on his neck slowly calmed down.

English auctions are always very complicated. After watching the whole process of several jewelry being bid again and again, Doris finally lost interest and even yawned. 1900 asked the servant to fetch the back blanket in a funny way In case she catches a cold in a daze.

Although she found it boring, almost everyone in the venue fell into an undercurrent of madness. This madness lasted until the finale Chinese-style snuff bottle was auctioned off at a super high price, and the staff of the auction house worked together to lift it up from the side door. A box covered with black cloth.

Everyone held their breath at this moment, they knew that the "Heart of the Ocean" was right in front of them.

Mr. Prior stood on the stage again. He didn't say much, as if he knew the urgency of everyone in the audience, he quickly walked behind the black box.His face was flushed, as if he had drunk a whole bottle of strong white wine offstage.He turned to face the audience, his hands trembling slightly, and together with the auctioneer, he tore apart the black cloth forcefully.

"Shh-"

At this moment, it seems that all the lights are gathered here.The pure black velvet base is rolled into a ball, softly supporting today's only protagonist - "Heart of the Ocean", its blue is deeper than the sea and cleaner than the sky.

There was an uproar.When faced with such treasures, noble nobles and wealthy businessmen cast aside the etiquette bound by their noble status.They all stood up one after another and leaned forward, wishing they could get closer.

The base rotated at a constant speed, and under the sunlight, the cut surface of the heart of the ocean flashed with purple, green and blue light sharply, stabbing everyone's eyes.

Doris woke up instantly, and she felt a strong and painful tearing feeling, which dragged her emotions to the stage.Every time its light shone in her eyes, her heart beat temptingly faster.

This is not only a throbbing of the body, but also a tremor of the soul.

The waiters silently delivered a piece of paper and an envelope to all the tables, and left quietly.

Mr. Plier looked at the obsessed eyes of everyone with satisfaction, and proudly introduced: "This is the heart of the ocean. She now weighs 45.52 carats. The raw material comes from Tanzania in East Africa. After the rough stone was polished, it was dedicated to it by French explorers. From Louis XIV, its previous owners were members of the French royal family."

Just the word "royal" is enough to drive everyone crazy.

"We will adopt a secret auction method. If you intend to bid, you can write down your bid and code on paper and put it in an envelope. Everyone can write down the most suitable price in their minds, and we will announce the highest bid on the spot ——I think this is the most 'fair' way to bid."

As soon as the words fell, the glass box of Ocean Heart was gently covered again.

The audience was suddenly silent, and 1900 quickly reacted and wrote an "astronomical figure" on the paper. He did not expect the "secret auction" model, and all previous psychological preparations were meaningless. Mr. Prior was extremely cunning, and he clearly wanted them to write down the highest price they could accept.

No one can be [-]% sure that the heart of the ocean will be in their pocket.

Looking around, the faces of the rich people who had threatened to take pictures of the heart of the ocean were not very good: the bean-sized sweat on the forehead of Mr. Ashto in the first row was gently wiped away by his young wife; Earl Rose easily wrote a number and then closed the paper; Ms. Margaret Brown, whose husband became a rich man in one fell swoop because of the gold rush, had no intention of bidding at all, and lacked interest.

Doris felt relieved, and it seemed that her competitors were not as many as expected.Although before today, there were countless people claiming to bid for the heart of the ocean, but in the "secret auction" mode, they calmed down instead.

She turned sideways and glanced at the note written by 1900. The number on it made her slightly stunned—he had put down all his income for the year.

Doris suddenly felt that her heart was blocked, and her nose was sour.She lowered her head and took a few deep breaths, trying to force the tears back into her eyes.There was the rustling sound of the pen tip across the paper, and the suppressed low cough of the elders, and the young people talked easily, without hope for the auction.

After she eased her mood, she added another stroke to the paper—she pressed all the deep sea pearls she brought onto it.Although those pearls are far less than the value of the heart of the ocean, they are all round and round like jade. If they are sold on the black market, they will be enough to buy most of the items in this auction.

1900 watched her movements, but did not stop her.

Envelopes were collected from all sides of the hall and delivered to the stage.At this time, the door of the private room on the second floor was slowly opened, and several men in pure black velvet suits came down talking and laughing.

Everyone watched Mr. Prior and the auctioneer unhurriedly sort out the actions on the stage. The plain envelopes carried completely different and terrifying numbers.Only Doris sensitively sensed something was wrong, and suddenly looked back.

Hockley was ordering something with the entourage behind him, but he glanced into the hall from the corner of his eye, and met Doris's eyes for an instant.

In his black eyes was a depth that Doris could not see through.