my friend

The annual spring and autumn auctions are the top events in the industry.The men and women of Boleyn's Auctioneers cast aside their gender labels at this moment and devote themselves fully to their work.Contacting the consignor, buyer, media, venue, publicity, etc., everyone performs their duties, busy and orderly.

Marvin walked through the middle of the office area, satisfied with the situation.

On Tuesday afternoon, Manager Fang returned to the office to report, Assistant Qin conveyed the order instead of Marvin, and an emergency meeting was held at the level above the supervisor.

At 4 o'clock, everyone gathered in the conference room and waited, while in Marvin's office next door, the company's capable officers, Manager Fang, Manager Liu, and Manager Lu, were still negotiating.

"Fu Mao really played a good hand."

Marvin collected information from all parties and finally found out the black hand behind the scenes.

Fumao Auction House had been in the auction industry for many years before Bolin re-emerged.Fumao's boss, Zhang Fumao, may not be well-known outside the industry, but his only son, Zhang Zhili, is a frequent visitor to the Peach Weekly.With such an unworthy second-generation ancestor, and Zhang Fumao gradually getting old and weak, Fumao Auction House is losing its vitality and influence.But the tree is big and deeply rooted, and it is indeed in line with Zhang Fumao's old-fashioned style to come up with such a plan to kill two birds with one stone.

Time was tight, and after a short discussion with several people, Marvin and his party came to the meeting room and announced a new decision.

"Besides the largest consignor this time, which other consignors have cooperated with Fumao?" Marvin asked.

All the managers reported to Marvin according to the reports in their hands.

"Although the quantity only accounts for [-]%, the popularity of the lot is concentrated on the largest consignor this time." Manager Fang reminded.

Marvin turned his head to look at him, and said indifferently: "All cooperation is stopped. The contract has not been signed, so it is not a breach of contract."

"The promotional materials have been sent to the major media, and all will be pushed out next week." The director of the publicity department said.

"All withdrawn! Re-produced, focusing on the auction of Lin Dong in England, a new publicity plan will be handed in before Thursday."

Everyone murmured in their hearts when they heard the words, but on the surface they still had to carry out the boss's order.

After the meeting, Marvin and the three managers returned to their offices.

"Boss, our current speculation can be said to be based on the identification of the Pine Cliff Villa map. Is this new expert reliable?"

After hearing this, Marvin cast his eyes on Assistant Qin.

Assistant Qin nodded, "Reliable."

Manager Fang said: "The characters and backgrounds involved are too complicated."

"I know," Marvin said.

"Now implement the new plan first, and I will reconsider other aspects."

"Boss, this operation is tantamount to starting a war."

"Why, can't we afford it?" Marvin said with a smile on his face.

"We are suspicious, and the other party will also be suspicious. In this process, it depends on who will show his feet first. There is still time, so there is no rush."

Marvin spit out these words calmly.

Doing business sometimes depends on intuition, and keen intuition is very likely to be the key to success.

Lin Xiao was also in a meeting at the restoration center of the Qoros Museum on Friday.

Some of the team under him are still young students. After repeated discussions with several senior colleagues, Lin Xiao determined several repair directions and divided the personnel into three groups.

"Careful, steady, and calm." Lin Xiao said: "Antiques can't speak, but each one carries history, and we hope to pass them on in their entirety with our ability."

He took out a small mobile phone from his pocket and put it on the table. "From next Monday, I will be on call 24 hours a day. If you have any questions, you can contact me at any time."

In the old-fashioned studio, because of the busyness of these dozen or so young people, the atmosphere began to become full of vitality.

Lin Xiao put on a thick Oxford cloth vest over his long-staple cotton shirt. It can be seen that the vest has been washed and the corners have been worn white.Different from the plain and casual dress, the owner of the vest is now fully focused and serious.

While operating, Lin Xiao was talking to the two team members beside him.

On the table in front of him, there is a painting heart that has just been separated from the scroll.

Most of the old calligraphy and painting collections at home have the experience of re-mounting. If the mounting is proper, the whole painting should be even in thickness and shake silently.This is very basic work for Lin Xiao, and he still has some slightly more complicated issues to deal with.

Taking advantage of the humidity of the painting heart, he held a thin bamboo blade in his hand and carefully cleaned the debris attached to the rice paper.Every movement of the hand falling seems to have been accurately calculated, and it can land on the target without any mistakes, without hurting the fibers next to it.Lin Xiao was so focused, as if he was performing a delicate operation.

"The humidity is not enough," he said to the people around him.

Then someone took a brush, dipped it in clean water, and evenly sprinkled it on the countertop.

"How is the backing paper softening?"

"Twice more softening, it should be fine."

"It's another half an hour from my side, you master the time well."

Talking shallowly, Lin Xiao and the two colleagues cooperated seamlessly.

The door of the studio was pushed open a crack, and a pretty youthful face poked in and looked around. When he saw Lin Xiao's figure, his eyes stopped involuntarily.

The person who came was Li Shiyuan. She answered the phone call for Lin Xiao. She could have directly transferred it to Lin Xiao, but she made a decision on her own, so she came to the studio to find him in person.Seeing Lin Xiao's concentration now, Li Shiyuan didn't want to disturb him, so she continued to watch.

It's past the off-duty time, and everyone left the repair center one after another after finishing the storage work. Lin Xiao is still finishing today's finishing work.

Seeing that Lin Xiao was the only one left, Li Shiyuan jumped forward nimbly and reported to Lin Xiao:

"Ms. Lin, you called me just now, and you're in our office."

"Thank you, who is calling? Do you have a message?" Lin Xiao smiled when he saw Shiyuan, with a relaxed expression on his face.

"Yes... ah! You bought a mobile phone, it will be much more convenient in the future!" Shiyuan's thinking kept jumping.

Lin Xiao smiled and reminded, "Who came to me just now?"

"Marvin!"

It's him?Lin Xiao was slightly surprised, "Did he say something?"

"Marvin wants to invite you to dinner!"

"Today? I may not have time today, but I still..."

"Go, go, I've wanted to go to the restaurant Marvin mentioned for a long time, it's very hard to book!"

Marvin must be very convincing, and he has obviously persuaded Shiyuan.

"You?" Lin Xiao suddenly thought of Marvin's lingering eyes on Shiyuan that day.

"Yes, Marvin invited me too!"

It was only then that Lin Xiao noticed that Shiyuan no longer dressed as a school girl, but changed into a light yellow dress, with an off-white coat in her hand, and high heels on her feet, looking very pretty .

"Sorry, Sewon, I really don't have time today."

"If Teacher Lin doesn't go, then I have no choice but not to go." Shiyuan seemed a little disappointed.

Lin Xiao couldn't bear to see the brilliance on her little face turn pale, so he could only say, "What time is Marvin's appointment?"

"Seven o'clock! There is still half an hour, which is enough!" Seeing that Lin Xiao's attitude was loose, Shiyuan couldn't help jumping up and down.

Lin Xiao couldn't bear to shake Shiyuan's good mood, so he had no choice but to agree, "Okay."

A small dark gray Mazda sports car slowly pulled out from the parking lot of the restoration center, carrying Lin Xiao and Li Shiyuan, and drove towards the restaurant that Marvin had reserved.

"Hello, Lin!"

In the restaurant, Marvin arrived first and was flipping through the menu. When he saw Lin Xiao and Li Shiyuan coming in, he put down the menu in his hand and greeted them.

"Shiyuan is so beautiful today!" Marvin lingered on Li Shiyuan unabashedly.

"Thank you!" Li Shiyuan was happily seated by Marvin.

"Is this your first time at this restaurant?"

Shiyuan nodded quickly, looked around at the layout of the restaurant, and praised: "Marvin, you really have a vision!"

Lin Xiao didn't make a sound, as if he wasn't particularly interested.

"Then I will arrange the dishes." Marvin motioned to the waiter to arrange the menu.

"Wow...you were so handsome just now!" Shiyuan was very satisfied with everything in the restaurant, and her joy was beyond words.

"I like music too. Teacher Lin, what do you think?"

Lin Xiao turned his head to look at Shiyuan when he heard the sound, and then nodded with a smile on his face.

"Lin, I'll be the host today, and I'll invite you next time. How about it?" Marvin sat opposite the two, looking as excited as Li Shiyuan.

Lin Xiao smiled again, but did not respond.He began to regret agreeing to Shiyuan to come to the dinner. Marvin's purpose was very clear, which made him feel very bad.

When the dishes arrived, they really looked good, which was very suitable for Li Shiyuan's appetite.

Marvin noticed that although Li Shiyuan was very excited, her dining etiquette was still very decent, and she knew that she should have a good family background.

"Sewon, your parents are teachers, right?"

"How do you know? Did Teacher Lin tell you?" Shiyuan looked at Lin Xiao with bright eyes.

Lin Xiao gently moved the knife and fork in front of him, his face was sullen, and he didn't answer.

"I guess." Marvin looked at Lin Xiao, then at Shiyuan, with a smile still on his face.

"It's not a complete guess. My mother is a music teacher, and my father is the dean." Shiyuan had no worries at all, and said what she had to say.

"It's amazing, how did you guess it?"

Marvin's question successfully attracted Li Shiyuan's attention, and hit Marvin's arms, he said, "Let's have a drink, and I'll tell you the answer."

"Well, then you must tell me."

Before Lin Xiao could stop him, Li Shiyuan had already agreed.

Seeing the twinkle in Lin Xiao's eyes, Marvin felt a sense of complacency for no reason.He called the waiter and ordered three dozen cocktails.

"Three dozen rainbows, one dozen made alcohol-free."

"You've been so busy recently, it's better to stay sober." Marvin said to Lin Xiao, with no disturbance on his face, as if everything was in order.

"Thank you." Seeing what he said, Lin Xiao could only nod obediently.

When the waiter served the wine, Shiyuan continued to exclaim: "It's so beautiful, it really looks like a rainbow!"

As he spoke, he took a drink by himself.

"Sweet, it doesn't smell like alcohol at all. Teacher Lin, where's yours?"

Lin Xiao seemed to be in a trance, Marvin caught Lin Xiao's emotions, and then raised his glass: "Lin, Shiyuan, cheers!"

The three clinked their wine glasses together.

"Cheers!" Shiyuan drank it in one gulp.

"Drink slowly." Lin Xiao instructed in a low voice.

"Oh..." Following Lin Xiao's instruction, Shiyuan obediently put down her wine glass, her cheeks were already flushing.

Of course Lin Xiao knew that it was the fruit juice and sugar that covered up the taste of the wine, so if he drank it like this, there would be half a bottle of whiskey.

Marvin seemed very happy to see Lin Xiao's worried expression, so he decided to continue teasing Shiyuan.

Under the influence of lights and alcohol, Shiyuan's joyful mood was continuously amplified, and her whole body glowed pink, making her look more attractive than before.

"I'm so happy today, I really want to play the piano, can I?"

"That's really an honor for this store." Marvin was very supportive.

"Let me go and explain." Marvin got up and said something to the waiter, then turned back and accompanied Shiyuan to the piano.After a while, the whole restaurant resounded with joyful music.

Lin Xiao looked sideways at Shiyuan who was playing the piano, and the gentlemanly Marvin who was guarding beside her, and sighed softly.

Shiyuan played two songs in a row, and got rounds of applause led by Marvin, and returned to her seat contentedly.

"I can't play well. I haven't practiced for a long time, and my hands are jerky." Shiyuan said modestly.

"Mr. Lin, why don't you eat?"

Lin Xiao raised his glass and took a sip, then said, "I'm waiting for you."

"To you, I hope we can cooperate in the future." Marvin also raised his glass.

"And me and me!"

Three wine glasses clink together.

Time flies by as Se-won and Marvin chat happily.

After finishing the last dessert, Lin Xiao took the initiative to say, "Okay, Shiyuan, it's time for me to take you home."

As he spoke, he looked at his watch, it was almost 9 o'clock.

"I'll finish the last one." Li Shiyuan wanted to reach for the last purple cocktail on the shelf.

"Next time." Lin Xiao stopped her.Then he stood up and thanked Marvin at the same time.

"Thank you for your hospitality today."

Marvin stared at Lin Xiao and Shiyuan calmly, and said with a decent smile, "You're welcome."

"Then let's say goodbye."

Then, Lin Xiao helped Li Shiyuan put on her coat, and walked out of the restaurant side by side.

"Bye!"

Marvin sat without moving, watching the two of them leave the restaurant.

"Yeah." He stretched his waist, smiled playfully, recalling Lin Xiao's actions during the meal just now.

Li Shiyuan, this little tender lamb, still lacks the taste.

The waiter approached and began to clear the tableware.

"Sir, is this left by the gentleman just now?"

The waiter picked up a small mobile phone from the sofa where Lin Xiao had been sitting.

"I'll hand it over to him."

Marvin took the phone and played with it in his hand.

"Stay with this drink." He picked up Sewon's last remaining cocktail, which he was far from drinking.

Marvin entered his number on Lin Xiao's mobile phone, the mobile phone in his pocket vibrated, he smiled with satisfaction, drank the wine in his hand, and found that it was completely different from what he had just drunk.

"What's going on?" Marvin wondered.

Then I sniffed the wine glass I drank just now, the fruity smell receded, and the smell of alcohol was very obvious.

"Wait!" Marvin stopped the waiter.

"Is this the wine glass that gentleman used just now?"

"Yes."

Marvin took it from the waiter, sniffed it carefully, and immediately understood that it must have been replaced by Lin Xiao when he accompanied Shiyuan to play the piano.

"Damn it!" Marvin cursed, took out his mobile phone, and found that Li Shiyuan's private number was not there, and Lin Xiao's mobile phone was also in his hands now.He immediately called Assistant Qin, asking him to find out the addresses of Li Shiyuan and Lin Xiao immediately, leave a few big bills behind, and chase them out of the restaurant in a hurry.

Assistant Qin didn't answer the call yet, so Marvin had no choice but to drive his silver-gray Mercedes Benz around the street, feeling more and more irritable.

By the time Assistant Qin called Marvin back in the bathtub trembling with foam in his hands, half an hour had passed.

Marvin got the address and drove quickly to Li Shiyuan's house.

At this time, Li Shiyuan had already taken a shower, and was happily talking to her roommate and best friend Tan Jialin in the small rented apartment, when she suddenly heard a rapid knock on the door, Tan Jialin frowned and said, "Can't you even ring the doorbell?"

Li Shiyuan wrapped the bath towel tightly around her body, and said in a daze, "Who could it be so late?"

"Don't move, I'll go and have a look." Tan Jialin just came back, hadn't changed her clothes yet, walked to the door with bare feet and asked, "Who is there?"

"Excuse me, does Miss Li Shiyuan live here?"

Tan Jialin curiously opened the door a crack, then closed it again, exclaiming in a low voice to Li Shiyuan: "Shiyuan, there is a handsome guy looking for you outside the door!"

"Really?" Li Shiyuan walked over pulling her slippers.

"Marvin! It's you!" She opened the door.

Marvin first said "excuse me" in a gracious manner, and then noticed that there was another tall beauty standing behind Li Shiyuan, and Li Shiyuan had obviously finished washing.

"When did Lin Xiao leave?" Marvin asked eagerly, ignoring the two beauties, one big and one small.

"Ms. Lin sent me downstairs and then I will go back."

"He... what does he have... did he say something?" Marvin didn't know how to speak to Shiyuan.

"Mr. Lin told me to take a good rest. In fact, I'm not drunk at all!" Li Shiyuan didn't know why.

"What can you do with Mr. Lin? You can call his mobile phone."

"That's the thing..." Marvin finally found an excuse, "His mobile phone was left in the restaurant."

"Give it to me! I'll send it to him tomorrow!" Li Shiyuan reached out to pick it up.

Marvin didn't pay attention, but said: "You go to bed early, I'll send him there now."

After saying goodbye, he turned around and left.

Tan Jialin closed the door after watching Marvin's back disappear, and said to Shiyuan, "Is he the Marvin you mentioned?"

"That's right!" Sewon untied the towel that wrapped her long hair.

"Is it the boss of Boleyn Auction House?"

"Yes." Shiyuan replied honestly.

"Oh!" Tan Jialin nodded, and couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"But how does Marvin know the address of Teacher Lin's house? I don't understand." Li Shiyuan rubbed her hair, still full of doubts.