"Thirty pounds once... Thirty pounds twice... Thirty pounds! Congratulations to Mr. in private room No. 7. Mr. Scott will report to your ship in three days. I hope you get along well."
Lorraine saluted Ramos from a distance.
He heard the implication of Ramos. Ramos, or the piddick family, will stand in front of him and create a good atmosphere for his meeting with Karen Scott.
This is the power of friendship.
The auction continued.
Because Lorraine, a private class, accidentally joined the lower class competition, the heat field originally estimated at 12 to 15 pounds came to a climax.
This is good for the auction house.
The next auction was smooth and enthusiastic, with 14 transactions in an hour and no flow auction.
Lorraine has three pieces of tin ware on the stage one after another, with an average transaction price of £ 12. The premium is the same as today's environment, about 20-30%.
Lorraine also made another attempt, and bought an old octant for five pounds and twelve shillings.
Octant is a professional ranging tool for pilots and the predecessor of sextant. The difference is that the angle measurement of the former is only 45 degrees (one eighth of the circumference), while the latter is 60 degrees (one sixth of the circumference), and the longitude and latitude measured by the latter is more accurate.
There is no doubt that although the sextant is expensive, it is better than the octant, but for Lorraine, the octant is at least better than the protractor, and everyone is happy.
After another half an hour, the atmosphere of the auction house became colder and colder.
Lorraine's fourth tin ware was only ten pounds, and the fifth was only six pounds and fourteen shillings. During the whole process, there was no sign at the top of the private room.
The most important auction this morning will be on stage
Ramos cleared his throat.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Rabbi hook is a top offshore businessman. He has traveled all over Northwest Europe and is famous in the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Dover Strait and Cantabrian sea."
"Last month, he had a double happiness, his 60th birthday and a grandson, so he decided to retire." Ramos took a deep breath. "He entrusted the auction house to deal with his retirement, including his own northwest European chart and brigantine merchant ship Meiyu, which will be listed for auction today and tomorrow."
"Today, let's see Captain Hook's chart!"
With his passionate voice, the two workers slowly pushed a wooden box covered with sea blue velvet.
When the flannelette was opened, more than a dozen folded charts were obliquely inserted in the middle of the wooden box. They looked insignificant, but they were invaluable to black market sea merchants.
Lorraine inquired about Captain Hook's past these two days.
This is a Dutchman. He went to sea at the age of 23 and has been in the sea for 37 years. He has been a captain for 24 years. His main activity area is in the North Sea, followed by the Cantabrian sea area at the border between France and Spain.
He didn't choose to sell his charts separately, which shows that the value of these charts is high and low, but considering the scope of his comfort zone, Lorraine still has a strong interest in this chart.
With a deep breath, Lorraine took the sign from Haina.
Ramos announced on the stage: "Captain Hook draws his own chart by hand. The starting price is 50 pounds, and each increase is 10 pounds!"
"A hundred pounds!"
Private room No. 4 is the first to bid, followed by No. 3, No. 9 and No. 11.
The price of chart rose like a rocket, and soon broke through 200 pounds and rushed towards 250 pounds.
There are only a few private rooms in the whole venue.
For most businessmen in the lower class, two hundred pounds may be all their assets, or even go bankrupt, and they may not be able to withdraw two hundred pounds in cash.
The composition of maritime merchants has always been a pyramid structure with a great gap between the rich and the poor.
Two hundred and twenty pounds, private room 9 withdrew from the competition.
The gentleman opposite Lorraine stood up, bowed regretfully and gracefully to all the private rooms and left immediately.
Two hundred and seventy pounds, and the gentleman in private room 11 stood up and bowed out.
The gentlemen in rooms 3 and 4 talked and laughed across the fence, and took turns to raise their cards lightly, quickly raising the price of the chart to £ 400.
This has exceeded all of Lorraine's cash, and Lorraine hasn't had a chance to sell yet.
Frowning, he asked Mr. piddick, "Sir, will the auction house settle after the closing in the morning or after the closing tomorrow?"
Piddick smiled: "it's the end of tomorrow."
Lorraine nodded gratefully to him and gently raised his card.
"Four hundred and ten pounds! Four hundred and ten pounds in private room No. 7! Will you give up your love to Mr. No. 7, Mr. No. 3 and No. 4?"
The gentleman in private room 3 looked up at Lorraine, turned his head again, exchanged eyes with piddick, stood up with a smile, bowed with his girlfriend and left.
Lorraine was surprised at the sight for a long time.
Pidic whispered, "Sir Fermi is one of the three members of the management committee and my good friend."
"I see." Lorraine suddenly realized, "Mr. piddick, does Sir Fermi like tea?"
"Very much, very much."
As a result, only number four was left to bid with Lorraine.
It was a fat French gentleman. They liked to decorate colorful feathers on their tuxedos, just as the English would replace short sticks with umbrellas, which were special for others to identify.
Fermi's exit brought him great pressure. He began to sweat on his forehead and raised his cards no longer so firmly.
Lorraine asked softly, "Mr. piddick, what's opposite?"
"The elgen exchange manager of the Desai family. He is not a big man. I remember that the Desai family gave him an authorization of £ 520."
"Really..."
Lorraine was more relaxed. She crossed her legs, crossed her fingers and smiled.
They shouted at each other for four hundred and fifty pounds. Lorraine suddenly said, "five hundred pounds."
The audience was amazed.
Mr. Desai in private room 4 stared at Lorraine for a long time, trying to see the reality of the strange young man he met for the first time.
Lorraine just smiled and raised a glass to him.
Mr. Desai gave up.
He could not see the truth of Lorraine. Instead of being at the end of his tether and becoming a laughing stock, he might as well leave the stage like a qualified gentleman with humility and room for a smile.
He also raised his tea cup: "Sir opposite, may your voyage be smooth!"
Lorraine stood up and saluted: "thank you for your humility and generosity. French gentlemen have heartbreaking virtues."
The dust settled.
Five hundred pounds, Lorraine won Captain Hook's full set of charts.
Lorraine breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Mr. Desai leave.
Mr. piddick came up with a smile: "unfortunately, Desai's authorization is not enough. I wish Vermeer could stay and let me see how much authorization your family has given you."
"Where's the authorization? I told you, I'm an abandoned son."
"The nobles of England are always old-fashioned. There are several abandoned children like you in every family. In other words, your family can maintain a decent life only by the efforts of abandoned children?"
"I can't hide anything from you." Lorraine couldn't help smiling bitterly. "Anyway, thank you for helping me today. Please take the trouble to introduce Sir Fermi to me. Thank you."
"Are you ready to go back?" piddick stretched out his hand and shook Lorraine. "I'll ask Ramos to deliver today's auction in person in the evening. As for the meeting with Fermi, next week, you'll be more busy this week."
Lorraine smiled and nodded, "I sincerely look forward to it."