Chapter 31 - Auction
The sky had just started to light up when Lan Anran returned home. She took off her night clothes, but didn't rush to bed. Instead, she turned on her computer and looked up the Liu Xiang Pavilion.
She had heard about it before, but had never been there. It was said to be a mysterious place.
It was a place only the wealthiest people in Rong City could enter and they had to be a member. There wasn't much information about the Liu Xiang Pavilion, most of which wasn't accurate anyway…
Ding-Dong!
Lan Anran received a text.
"Boss, Liu Xiang Ge's auction is being held tonight at 8pm. I have copied the invitation card. Your name is Zhao Lei, the son of Zhao Gang, a nouveau riche in Rong City. He started his business excavating coal. No one knows anyone in the Liu Xiang Pavilion, they only look at their invitation card. To be on the safe side, you should prepare a veil or a mask so that others won't recognize you. Tomorrow, I will pass you the invitation card near the Lan Family Villa, so keep an eye out for me."
"Mmh, I understand."
Lan Anran switched off her laptop after receiving the news and went to sleep.
The alarm rang thrice before Lan Anran woke up. To prevent her family from suspecting anything, she said that she would be going to a classmate's house to play.
Lan Tingyun and his wife didn't suspect anything, as they thought that their child had grown up and should have her own social circle, so they didn't stop her.
Lan Anran carried a backpack, seemingly dressed like an extremely well-behaved female student, but what others didn't know was that inside her backpack were cosmetics and her outfits for today's auction.
She walked out naturally towards the sunshine, emitting a youthful aura.
Suddenly, a thin man touched her and while nobody was paying attention, he placed a stiff magnetic card in her hand.
Lan Anran took the card and slipped it into her pocket as though nothing had happened, continuing to walk forward.
….
From the outside, the Liu Xiang Pavilion looked like a huge teahouse and the people inside were all patrons. The Liu Xiang Pavilion was at the top of the teahouse.
Lan Anran walked into the teahouse's bathroom, removed her backpack, took out the clothes, and started transforming her face to look like a man. She wore men's clothing, put on a black mask, and a baseball cap. She stored her bag at the front desk and strode out.
She took the elevator to the top floor. The two burly security officers at the door stopped her.
"I'm sorry Sir, it is not convenient for you to enter here."
Lan Anran didn't speak, but took out the invitation card. The security guard took the invitation card and placed it on the machine in his hand.
A blue light appeared on the magnetic card and there was a beep. The security guard looked at Lan Anran, returned the magnetic card to her, and said in a deep voice, "Sir, please take off your mask. We need to scan your face."
Lan Anran's heart tightened, wondering if she had been caught already.
She kept her calm and slowly took off the mask with her slender fingers, revealing an exquisite face.
The security guard took a camera and scanned Lan Anran's face carefully. These five seconds were extremely long. Lan Anran's heart was beating rapidly, but there was no flaw in her face.
"Sir, please enter!"
The two security officers gestured her in, pushing open the doors for Lan Anran.
Lan Anran heaved a sigh of relief and took large strides in.
After entering, she realised that the Liu Xiang Pavilion lived up to its name. It didn't seem like a large room, but it was extremely spacious inside.
At the bottom was the auction table, which was actually a small pavilion. The audience seats were developed like steps. There were private rooms at the top that only the most distinguished guests, VIP guests, were eligible to enter.
Lan Anran's identity was that of someone from the middle class, so her position was neither high nor low. It was right under the private room and had a clear view. In fact, it didn't matter where she sat, the most important thing was to get what she wanted.
She couldn't see the people in the private rooms, but she remembered almost everyone else. Everyone present was well known and the higher they were seated, the richer they were. Even the least wealthy person was carrying a bag that cost hundreds of thousands, which demonstrated the kind of money in this auction.
Before the auction started, she observed everyone and roughly remembered their traits. This was her habit. Every time she arrived in a place, she liked to remember the details. She felt that it would come in handy one day.
Suddenly, her gaze focused and she smiled. She didn't expect to meet one of her classmates here. It could mean trouble… She glanced around and once she was certain there wasn't any danger, she sat down slowly.
Lan Anran's every action could be seen clearly by the people above in the private room.
"Master Rong, what are you looking at?" Mo San asked softly.
"Who is that person in the baseball cap downstairs?" Mo Jinrong asked slowly, his voice icy cold.
Mo San took out the roster and looked at the seating arrangement. He said, "He is Zhao Lei, son of Zhao Gang, the nouveau riche. Zhao Gang isn't feeling well so he couldn't come to the auction today, so his son is here to replace him. Is there anything wrong?" Mo San asked.
Mo Jinrong didn't reply, but stared at the person closely.. He found the person's back a little familiar, as if he had seen it before.