Chapter 20 – Lost
Tae was currently sitting in one of the three enormous rooms at Zian Ming Convention Center. The entire building was reserved for the auction and only a selected few reporters were allowed inside to cover the event. Everyone else had to remain outside for further information. There were approximately sixty people in each of the rooms, but surprisingly, it was dead quiet in the building. Two rows of chairs formed a half circle in the room and each guest was assigned a seat. Everyone was doing their best to gather as many points as possible while scribbling down lists of facts on their note cards. They were allowed fifteen minutes to assess each artifact on display.
Of the three categories, jewelry, paintings, and porcelain ceramics, Tae had decided to participate in paintings first. He was fairly knowledgeable in the subject; therefore, he had been able to easily identify the first two paintings. Now, there was a look of deep concentration on his face as studied the image hanging five feet in front of him.
It was a black ink drawing of a bamboo forest set on a long hanging scroll canvas. It was truly a superb piece of work. Each brushstroke appeared to have been carelessly splashed on, yet the artist was able to convey a subtle presence of peace and the tranquil signs of life. Staring at the picture, one can feel the underlying calmness that the artist wanted to portray. This style was most likely done in the Song period around late 13th century. However, he was not so certain about the origin of the artist. Most like an unknown painter.
Meanwhile, in the ceramics department, Ruby was in a lousy mood. She was messaging her temple with her fingertips as she racked her brain for any idea on the source of materials used to craft the figurine on display. She had been pondering over the one foot tall, porcelain statue of a lion for nearly ten minutes and it was giving her a headache.
This totally sucks! She thought to herself. I feel like a teenager taking a history exam back in high school all over again. I hate taking tests! I hate this contest! And I hate Tae Leung! When is this damn thing going to be over?! I’m sooooo tired. What I wouldn’t give to be able to return home, lie down on my bed, and take a long, restful sleep. Oh my bed… I miss my warm, fluffy, comfortable bed.
An hour later, she could barely contain her excitement as she grinned widely. The last item was finally brought out. Yesssssss! Yesssssss! Another fifteen minutes to go! After the auction, I’m home free! Yippeeee! Yippeeeee! Tehehehehe. Warm bed… wait for me… here I come!
With an abrupt change in disposition, she started to analyze the white ivory plate with interest. It was a fantastic piece of glazed artwork that was still in perfect condition. There were hand painted blue orchids on the rim that served to magnify the delicacy of the plate. Measuring about fifteen inches in diameter, it was a fairly large piece. She decided that it had to belong in the Ming dynasty period around late 14th century. The Ming emperors were well known for actively being involved in the production of ceramics. Most famous was the blue and white underglaze wares that were able to created expressive and naturalistic designs. The end result would be an almost translucent effect.
After several more minutes, everyone was signaled to stop and hand in their cards. The guests were then told to stay in the lobby for the results. “Finally!” Ruby leaped up from her chair and raced out of the room. She stood stretching her back and neck. “My poor aching back,” she grumbled. She grabbed a glass of refreshment from a platter on a nearby table.
“Hmmmm, I wonder what kind of drink this is. Tastes lemony. Not bad.” She continued sipping from her glass, savoring the flavor. Unexpectedly, she heard a derisive voice from behind her.
“This auction really is so low class. Any dog can crawl in and stink up the whole place. I can’t believe you actually want to attend this event, Mimi.” Recognizing the voice, Ruby slowly turned around and noticed Alyssa and Mimi standing several feet behind her. Alyssa sauntered over with a look of contempt on her face.
Not one to take an insult lying down, Ruby responded back in a fiery tone. “Really, Alyssa, you shouldn’t say such things. You may consider yourself to be a dirty canine, but your parents would definitely be hurt to hear that their daughter has suddenly changed species. Besides, this building is fairly large. Not everyone will be able to smell the cheap perfume you’re using to cover up unpleasant body odors.”
She certainly hit a nerve. Alyssa was usually the one throwing derogatory remarks at people. With her family’s wealth and status, she could pretty much get away with verbally abusing others. Therefore, she did not take kindly to be on the receiving end of the stick. “How did you get in here?! This is an invitation only event.”
“For your information, I have an invitation card too.”
“How could you possibly get one? The items up for auction are all priceless artifacts. You can’t even afford a decent wardrobe, let alone bid on any of items here. You probably stole the card!” Alyssa maliciously declared.
“Who are you calling a thief, you flat chested squid! Unless you personally handed out the invitations, don’t assume things you don’t know. Otherwise, you’ll only make an *** of yourself. Whether I can afford to bid on any of the artifacts or not is none of your damn business. Anyway, even if I did steal the card, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to run and tattle on me?” She observed the enraged look in Alyssa’s eyes and guessed her intention. “Go ahead. Hit me,” she taunted. “I’d be more than happy to pick up where we last left off.”
Alyssa made a move to strike Ruby, but Mimi blocked her hand and held her back. She had been feeling very tensed as she witnessed the battle of wills between the two women. Not wanting to make a scene and risk the possibility of being asked to leave, she tried to pacify Alyssa.
“She’s not worth getting mad over, Alyssa. Why argue and cause a commotion in a public place? There are reporters here eager to catch a story. It won’t be good to have your name besmirched by someone so insignificant.”
Alyssa grudgingly listened to the advice. Before leaving, she turned her head and spoke through gritted teeth, “It’s not over yet. You better watch your back.”
“Hmpf! Yeah, well, same goes to you!” Ruby tossed her hair over her shoulder and strutted back to the refreshment table. Rich people can be such a pain in the ***. Their parents should stop the pampered treatments and show them some real hardships in life. That should kick a few ounces of humility into their huge egos. She resolved not to let a snobby airhead gain the upper hand and spoil her good mood. She spotted mini delectable sausages lying on a dish and licked her lips hungrily. Before tossing the sausage in her mouth, she caught a glimpse of a person crouched behind the table. Curious, she took a closer look and recognized the beige hat and long, stringy hair. She rolled her eyes. “You can come out now.”
Tae stuck his head above the table and peeked over the edge. “Is she gone?” he asked in a whisper.
“If you’re referring to Mimi, then yes. She just left.”
“Phew! That was a close call.” He straightened up and smoothed out the creases in his coat. He rearranged his hat and patted his beard into place.
She regarded him in a pitiful manner. “How long have you been hiding here?”
“Just a couple minutes. I saw Mimi and Alyssa wandering around. It was best for me to stay out of sight.”
“I can’t believe you witnessed me being harassed and didn’t even have the decency to offer any assistance.”
“If I remember correctly, the last time you had a confrontation with Alyssa, you stated very clearly that you didn’t need my help. I thought you could handle this all by yourself. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of her.”
She was amazed that he could even suggest such a thing. “Me afraid of her?! That is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. I can whoop her *** and rearrange her face any day. But she’s not worth it for me to dirty my hands.”
“I was thinking the same thing. With your intelligence and speedy reflexes, you can outsmart and outfight her without even trying. She can’t possibly hold a candle to you.”
That statement instantly brought a sunny smile to her lips. She was reluctant to admit it, but Tae was pretty good at this flattery thing. No wonder women drop like flies at his feet. “I’m not being arrogant or anything, but you are so right. See, there lays the difference between you and me. I don’t let anyone intimidate me. Unlike you, terrorized by a mere woman.”
“You think I like this? I’d do anything to make her leave me alone, but nothing seems to work.” He gave a dispirited sigh. “It’s difficult to be so dashing and suave. Women can’t help but love me. Still, how can I blame them for having such good tastes? It’s not easy being a top celebrity.”
She started making gagging noises at his descriptions. “Talk about exaggeration. You’ll have to excuse me if I puke. Dashing and suave? Hah!” she scoffed. “I bet most of them are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.”
“Say what you want. You’re just envious of my Greek god features and alluring personality.”
“Yeah, you keep on thinking that.” She went back to the delicacies on the table.
Tae opted to use the time fixing his disguise to make sure no one could recognize him. He shivered at the very idea of Mimi finding him. Since her arrival at Shanghai, she had been following him wherever he went. Even when he tried his best to avoid her, she still managed to discover his whereabouts. He was starting to believe she had the sense of a bloodhound.
At that moment, there was an announcement over the loud speakers for everyone to gather in the large conference room at the rear of the building for the results of the contest. The fifteen top teams with the most points will be allowed to enter the auction. Hearing the news, Tae immediately grabbed Ruby by the shoulder. In his haste to get to the conference room, he made her drop the last slice of strawberry cheesecake on her plate.
“Hey! My cheesecake!” She dropped down on her knees and attempted to pick it back up. “It’s still good. It’s still good. There’s just a little dirt.” Unfortunately, he dragged her away before she had a chance to touch the cake. There was a woeful expression on her face at the waste of good food. “I didn’t even get one bite.”
Tae and the other guests anxiously wait to hear the team numbers called out. Ruby, on the other hand, was still mourning over her cake. She had always been a lover of sweets, especially cakes. She made a mental note to ask Annie to bake one later tonight for dinner. Her mouth started to water just thinking about Annie’s cooking.
“Team nineteen… eight… thirty… seventy-five.” The list of teams was slowly announced as Tae nervously glanced down at the number seven on the label in his hand. “Come on, say number seven,” he whispered.
It was down to the remaining two teams. “Number one hundred… and last but not least… team number seven.”
A sense of exhilaration surged through Tae as he grabbed her by the shoulders. There was an ecstatic grin on his face. “Ruby! Did you hear that?! We made it!” he exclaimed. “I knew with you on my team we’d be able to score high enough! ”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m not deaf. You don’t have to holler in my ear. Of course, we made it. I didn’t spend three years working at Mantcore Antiques for nothing.”
**********
“Next up is the emerald encrusted ring worn by the one and only female emperor of China, Wu Zetian. The ring is made of twenty-four carat gold with a five-carat emerald. It dates back to the late 600 b.c. and the starting amount is three hundred thousand.”
Ruby was trying her best to stay awake, but the long day plus consuming so much food had made her quite drowsy. Her head kept tilting forward and she almost fell off her seat several times. Even the excitement of the auction wasn’t enough to interest her.
“Do I have any other offer? Five hundred thousand going once… going twice. Sold for five hundred thousand dollars!”
The loud conclusion to the valuable ring jolted Ruby from her sleep. Appearing rather dazed, she questioned, “Is it over? Can we go home now?”
“No, the auction is not done yet,” Tae replied. “There are a couple more items coming up.”
Hearing the disappointing confirmation, she yawned and placed her elbow up on the armrest. She settled her chin comfortably in her hand and went right back to the task at hand, sleeping. Meanwhile, a pair of eyes was glaring dangerously at Ruby’s back. Sitting toward the far left side of the room were Alyssa and Mimi. Apparently, they were also among the top fifteen teams to win the contest.
“I can’t believe she managed to enter the auction. What is the world coming to that people on the pit of the social ladder can be associated with us? It’s simply detestable,” Alyssa sneered as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Mimi attempted to ignore the discriminatory comments. She had never been particularly fond of Alyssa even though they had known each other for several years. Alyssa interacted fine with people of her own social status, but she can be quite mean to those with less prestigious backgrounds. She was also very opinionated in a hurtful way. Mimi tried not to associate too much with her, but she didn't want to be impolite when she does run into Alyssa. They had met a couple days ago at a boutique store and after some prying on Alyssa's part, she found out Mimi was attending the auction. Mimi couldn't find a good excuse not to go together. She was too timid to say no and face Alyssa's wrath.
Mimi had planned on coming to the auction to meet Tae and spend more time with him. He was constantly busy with one thing or another. Of course, she knew that he had a packed schedule and unable to find the time to be with her. She was more than willing to forgive him. After all, if she was going to be the future Mrs. Tae Leung, she had to get use to his hectic working hours and lifestyle. She knew he was a big supporter of antiques and he was especially enamored with swords. She was positive that he would show up at the auction today. Thus, she had gone out of her way to hire two people to enter the contest with the intent of winning the sword for him. He would definitely be thrilled. Oh, she can hardly wait to see the look on his face.
Her eyes kept drifting to the man sitting next to Ruby. He seemed very familiar. She didn’t have a chance to inspect him at a close range, but there was something about him that she couldn’t quite place her finger on. She felt like they had met before, but she was positive she would remember someone like him. She mentally critiqued his poor tastes in fashion. Evidently, the long trench coat, oversized hat, disheveled hair, and bushy beard were not making a good impression on her. Oddly, his physique reminded her of Tae, the same height and build. Mimi, you must really be losing it, she chastised herself. How can that hairy, unkempt man be Tae? She once again returned her attention to the auction.
Tae scratched his beard while he impatiently waited for the end to draw near. The waiting and anxiety he felt had been worth it. General Zu Shang’s sword finally came into view. It was placed inside a large glass container and carried out by two people. It was more striking than he had imagined. Measuring at thirty-eight inches in length and four inches in width, it was not a large sword, yet there was a rustic, powerful aura that surrounded it. A very distinct carving of a phoenix painted in blue wrapped it around the handle of the weapon and extended five inches down to the blade. The scabbard was laid out next to the sword on a red silk pillow. It was hand made from a famous Chinese hardwood called Hua Li W. The colors appeared faded and parts of the wood were eroded. However, the beautiful golden designs of a two phoenixes soaring toward the rising sun still vibrantly stood out. The painstaking work that went into forging the ancient weapon was reflected clearly in its timeless appearance.
“Ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to present the last item up for bid, the renowned Blue Phoenix Sword that once accompanied General Zu Shang during the early Tang Dynasty. This hand forged combat sword is still in great condition and the starting amount is at five hundred thousand dollars.”
Tae nudged Ruby’s shoulders to wake her. After several jabs, he got her attention. “Hey, Ruby, wake up. Look, my sword is here. Isn’t it magnificent?”
With her chin still cupped in her hand, she peeked out through half closed lids. “You woke me up for this?” She yawned and halfheartedly decided to check out the remaining item. She hated to agree with him, but the sword really was one of kind. It must have been a splendid sight to view its original form.
She had always held an appreciation for history and ancient artifacts. With her great memory and past working experiences, she had a diverse knowledge on antiques. However, she was not a supporter of people setting prices on these timeless pieces of history. They were valuable parts of the past and should not be so callously bought and sold. Plus, it was ridiculously wasteful to splurge on such unnecessary goods.
Her eyebrows shot up as the amount kept increasing. People were placing obscene amounts on the sword. When the bid neared its peak, she was astounded by what people were willing to pay. “One million dollars?!” she quietly uttered in complete shock. “Dang, the rich sure know how to squander money.”
At that moment, Tae raised the tag with his team number on it and called out, “One point five million.” Mimi chose that moment to also enter the bidding war. She tapped the shoulder of the man sitting next to her and he raised his tag. “One million five hundred twenty thousand.”
They continued back and forth, willing the other person to back out. Neither was giving in. Mimi’s actions were frustrating Tae as he kept raising the price by increments of twenty thousand. “Damn that woman! What the heck is she trying to do?! Steal my sword?! Over my dead body!”
Ruby was not the least bit entertained by the whole situation. She wanted to put an end to all this so she can go home. She decided to voice her advice. “You don’t have to outbid her for the sword. Just let her win. I’m sure with a couple sweet words she’ll hand it over to you on bended knees.”
“I can’t do that. I refuse to be indebted to her. Besides, Tae Leung does not spend women’s money.”
“Great! A womanizer with principles. At this rate, we’ll never be able to leave.” She unhappily slouched back in her seat with her lips pouting out.
Tae was determined not to be defeated so easily and stated an amount he knew Mimi could not top. “Six million.” A loud audible gasp vibrated within the room and people started talking among themselves. Many wondered about his identity and his financial background.
Even Ruby shook her head in dismay and muttered, “I’m sitting next to a moron. Who else would spend six million dollars on a rusty piece of metal?” She clearly did not believe that any artifact was worth that price. Being frugal by nature, she preferred to consider the practical side of things. Sure, the weapon was nice and all, but what can one possibly do with it? Most likely for display purposes anyway.
Mimi considered her dilemma. Her father had recently placed a cap on her spending and she can’t gain access to her trust funds until two more years. She didn’t even know how much the other man was willing to pay, but if she continued to increase the bid, her father would go berserk once he found out. She listened with a sinking heart.
“Six million going once… going twice…”
Just when everyone thought no one could beat that price, a voice hollered out, “Six million five hundred thousand dollars.” Everyone turned to the owner of the voice. Alyssa sat with a smug smile on her lips. She was the one who motioned to man sitting next to her to enter the auction.
“Alyssa, you don’t have that much money,” Mimi pointed out.
“Daddy will pay for it.” In a way, she was getting her revenge. She can’t strike directly at Ruby, but a friend of her enemy was also considered to be her foe. So she decided to win the sword just to spite them.
Tae pretty much had enough. He was used to getting whatever he set his mind to, so he was not about to let two women snatch away what was rightfully his. “Ten million dollars.”
There was a stunned look on Ruby’s face. “Are you crazy?! You’re throwing away ten million on a chipped sword? You’re letting yourself get too emotional to think clearly.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m getting that sword no matter the cost. Money is no object to me.”
“Okay.” She shrugged and leaned back against the seat. “It’s your money. Just trying to help.” If he chose to be an idiot and act frivolously, then it was his problem. She wasn’t about to stick her nose where it didn’t belong.
Alyssa’s annoyance knew no bounds. She could hardly believe she was beaten by a shaggy, long-haired, unidentified loser. Where did Ruby find him? If he was really that wealthy, she would surely have heard about him before. Well, there was plenty of time for payback in the future. Plus, she wasn’t too interested in that ugly sword anyway. With nobody left to counter Tae’s offer, he was announced the winner. Irritation surged through Alyssa as she stood up and straightened her dress.
“This event is so overrated. I should have known. It’s so beneath me to even step foot in here.” Seeing Mimi still in her seat, she questioned, “You coming, Mimi?”
“You go on ahead. I want to check out some of the other antiques.”
“Whatever.” Mimi stared after Alyssa and noted that even her walk emitted an air of haughtiness.
Meanwhile, the winners of the items up for auctions were asked to fill out paperwork in the office on the second floor. After Tae finished signing all the paperwork, he went into the adjoining room where his precious sword was temporarily kept. Ruby was too busy checking out the decorations in the room to pay much attention to him. She suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder. A quick turn of the head and she noted the person beside her. “What are you still doing here? And where’s your *****y friend?”
“She already left. And technically, she isn’t my friend. Sorry about earlier. I didn’t want to make a scene, so I kinda backed her up.”
“Eh, no offence taken. I should be the one apologizing for placing you in the crossfire. If you didn’t pull her away, I might have resorted to real violence and remove a couple of her organs.”
Mimi giggled good-naturedly. “By the way, I don’t think we have been formally introduced.” She extended her right hand. “I’m Mimi Lo.”
“Ruby Lin. Nice to meet you.”
As they shook hands, Mimi inquired, “Where’s your friend?”
Ruby scanned around her and couldn’t find any traces of Tae. “That’s funny. He was here just a minute ago. Oh well, he can take care of himself.”
Mimi hesitated before going forward with her request. “I know this may sound rude, but when you do see him, could you please ask him if he’s willing to sell the sword to me? I will definitely compensate him well. I just need some time to gather more money. I really want to get that sword for Tae. It would make him so happy.”
Ruby felt bad for not revealing the truth to the poor, lovesick girl. Her pursuit in the name of love was quite applaudable in a scary, psychotic sort of way. Ruby decided not to give her false hope. It would only hurt her more in the long run. “I don’t think my friend will sell his sword. Yup, you’ll have to pry it out of his cold, dying hands.”
Mimi was extremely disappointed. “In that case, I guess I’ll have to look for another gift. Thank you anyway,” she said in a dejected voice.
“No problem. You take care.” When she was out of sight, Ruby glanced around the room one last time. Since she didn’t see Tae anywhere, she headed toward the exit. Just as she stepped out of the building, she heard a sound around the corner.
“Pssssssst, over here!” It was coming from behind the trashcan. She saw a head gradually poked out and furtively glanced around.
“How did you get out here so fast?”
“I took the back exit.”
“Must you be so scared? You’re in a disguise for goodness sake. She can’t recognize you. Even if she could, she’s not going to eat you alive.”
“You don’t know that for a fact.” After verifying that it was safe, he stepped out of his discreet hiding spot. “Okay, I think we can leave now.”
She shrugged and walked toward one of the taxis parked along the streets. He tapped her shoulder. “Where are you going?”
“Take a taxi home. You don’t need me anymore, so there’s no reason for me to ride with you.”
“Says who? Mimi might be following us. I need you as my barrier.”
“You’re nuts! I’m not getting on that motorcycle again. If you’re a paranoid freak, then that’s your problem.” She made an effort to run away. Alas, her fate was sealed. She barely took two steps before he easily hiked her over his shoulder. She was kicking and yelling obscenities in his ears.
“Tae Leung! I demand that you put me down this instant!” she cried out. “I don’t want to go on that motorcycle anymore! Let me go, you brute! Help!” He was totally oblivious to her screaming and casually walked on.
************
“Are we almost there yet? I’m tired, I’m hungry, and my feet hurt.”
It was nightfall and Ruby was bone-weary as she slumped along behind Tae. In an attempt to get home faster, he had taken a detour from the normal streets through an unpaved road. She was not familiar with the streets of Shanghai and depended on him for directions. She assumed he knew where he was doing. The ride on the bumpy road was making her queasy so she had her eyes closed most of the time. When she finally opened her eyes, she was astonished to see that they were in some kind of forest. As luck would have it, the motorcycle broke down and neither of their phones had receptions in the dense forest. They ended up ditching the vehicle. One good thing was that Tae had a working flashlight in the trunk of the motorcycle. At least they weren’t completely in the dark.
“Where on earth are we going? We have been walking around in circles for hours. We’re lost, aren’t we?! I knew it!”
“We are not lost,” he confidently refuted. “Quit worrying. I know exactly where we are.” Shit! We’re lost. Maybe I should have turned left at the last corner. I could have sworn there was another road somewhere around here. This is not a good sign. Damn! Where’s a phone when you need one?
“We’re in the middle of nowhere, you blundering fool!”
“I don’t see how yelling at me will help our situation,” he calmly responded.
“We wouldn’t have a situation in the first place if you had acted like a rational human being and taken the regular streets,” she irately accused. “I told you to let me take a taxi home. Now, we’re lost in the woods and probably going to be half eaten by wild wolves!”
“There are no wild wolves in this part of China.”
She refused to set aside her worries. “How do you know? They could be lurking behind some bushes, waiting for the right moment to leap out and attack us. We’ll be devoured with nothing left but a few scraps of meat and a couple of bones. That is unless they decide to swallow us whole. Oh, no one will ever see us alive again!”