The lost Budda

The auction had been underway for two hours, and it was now 9 PM.

"Thirty-six million? Noted." The Buddha head, the star of the show, had gone through several rounds of bidding and reached a price of 36 million euros. The massive screen behind the auctioneer displayed a large image of the Buddha head. Peter Eisenmann, the auctioneer from Auktion, was a legendary figure in the auction world, known by all. With his sleek white hair combed back, he wore a blue formal suit, a small white floral bowtie at his collar, and held an oak gavel in one hand. With a commanding voice, he announced each bid while smiling faintly, constantly raising the stakes. Eisenmann was like an expert hunter, skillfully toying with every participant, baiting them like prey and waiting for them to take the hook.

"Thirty-seven million! Will you go higher?"

Song Jie and another bidder were locked in a tight contest. Yet, Song Jie remained composed. No matter how high the opposing bidder raised the price, he followed calmly, always staying one step ahead. Though the price had already far exceeded his expectations, with the "unlimited resources" promised by his superiors, he had no cause for concern. He understood that auctions were psychological battles. Even if his mind was turbulent, he needed to maintain a façade of serenity. At such a critical moment, he knew the pressure on his opponent was undoubtedly greater than his own. Song Jie's demeanor exuded determination—not just for the auctioneer to see but also to unnerve his competitor.

"Thirty-eight million!" Song Jie said in an unruffled tone, raising the bid to an unprecedented height.

The auctioneer, Eisenmann, was visibly thrilled by the unprecedented bid. He repeated the amount loudly, then asked if there were any higher offers.

The entire room fell silent, and even the phone bidders remained mute.

"Thirty-eight million, going once… thirty-eight million, going twice… third and final call. Congratulations, sir!"

In the end, Song Jie emerged victorious. For the first time, he turned his head and nodded toward the distant rival bidder who had been competing against him. Thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.

"It's finally over!" Song Jie exhaled a deep sigh of relief, pumping his fist in triumph. The joy in his heart was almost overflowing.

But just then, the lights in the venue abruptly went out. What had been a brightly lit hall turned pitch black in an instant, so dark that one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face.

As the crowd sat in bewilderment, a blinding white flash suddenly lit up the hall, accompanied by a thunderous explosion. Several dark figures rushed through a small door behind the auction platform under the cover of the flash. Just as suddenly as it appeared, the white light vanished, plunging the hall back into pitch blackness. In the dark, rapid, fragmented footsteps echoed, followed by the loud, splintering crash of breaking glass near the auction platform.

A piercing scream shattered the air. The sound was sharp, like a steel needle cutting through the dark night. Fleeting and chilling, it came from nowhere and vanished just as quickly.

The scream sent chills down everyone's spine, and the room erupted into chaos. Some people cowered under their seats, trembling, while others fumbled toward the exits. A few pulled out their phones to call for help, and others screamed, "Help!" In seconds, the hall was filled with shouts, jostling, and panicked cries, a cacophony of disorder.

"Stay seated and don't move. Let's assess the situation first," Song Jie immediately instructed his assistant, Xiao Li.

"Got it," Xiao Li responded, calming down considerably at the clear command.

Song Jie, though far from calm, knew that the best strategy in such a moment was to stay still and observe. Acting rashly would only increase the danger. He forced himself to remain composed, steadying his breathing.

A few tense seconds later, the lights came back on, restoring brightness to the hall. The sudden return of light caused pupils to contract sharply, leaving Song Jie's vision blurry for a moment.

Then came a shriek. A blonde woman seated in the front row near the auction platform pointed at the stage. The Buddha head was gone, its place now an empty void surrounded by shards of broken glass from the display case. Around the platform, several security guards lay motionless on the ground, and the auctioneer was nowhere to be seen. The small door beside the platform was ajar. On the stage, only the oak gavel remained, smeared with fresh blood.

Everything happened too quickly. Just moments ago, Song Jie had been as steady as a mountain, but when his vision cleared and he took in the scene, he leapt from his velvet chair and exclaimed, "Something's happened!" In the next instant, he dashed onto the stage, with Xiao Li close behind.

The auction platform was completely empty. Wasting no time, Song Jie led Xiao Li through the open door into the backstage area. There, they found the auctioneer sprawled on the ground, blood streaming from his head and staining his silver-white hair. He lay curled up and unconscious. Another door in the room was ajar, leading to a corridor. Song Jie and Xiao Li raced down the hallway, which ended at an emergency exit.

Bursting through the exit, they emerged outside. Song Jie spotted a motorboat in the distance, already untethered and roaring away from Lindau's harbor. Like a needle threading through the night, the boat shot across the dark expanse of Lake Constance, its engine noise fading as it disappeared into the distance.

"Should we give chase?" Xiao Li asked anxiously, glancing around in search of a vehicle.

The two men ran to the dock, but despite the marina being packed with sailboats and yachts, they found themselves at a loss. They exchanged helpless glances. For one, neither of them had any experience operating a boat; for another, all the vessels were docked and unmanned.

Song Jie couldn't help but think, This isn't like the hollywood movies, where you can just conveniently commandeer a speedboat and chase after the bad guys.

Song Jie carefully surveyed the surroundings. The dark waters of the lake resembled the gaping maw of a giant beast, vast and boundless, seemingly capable of swallowing everything. In front lay the lake, behind were the mountains, and beyond the waters stood the towering, snow-capped peaks of the Alps. On this dark and windy night, in an unfamiliar land, the terrain of mountains and water created a perfect escape route. Even if the police arrived promptly, switching from land to water to continue the pursuit would be extremely challenging.

Song Jie realized he couldn't act impulsively. It was obvious that the gang who had stolen the Buddha head must have devised a meticulous escape plan in advance. Though this was the first time Song Jie had encountered such a situation, he knew he needed to stay calm and avoid reckless actions.

"Don't act rashly. Let's go back and check on the auctioneer first," he said, pulling Xiao Li along. Together, they retraced their steps through the emergency exit and back into the building. Following the corridor, they returned to the backstage area.

By now, the room was crowded. In addition to staff, a few guests had come to assist. Some were checking on the unconscious security guards, while others surrounded the bloodied auctioneer, attempting to stop the bleeding. The floor was littered with blood-soaked tissues. The scene was chaotic yet grim, with everyone doing their best to respond to the emergency.

A few minutes later, the wailing sirens of police cars and ambulances grew louder as they approached from a distance. Meanwhile, the auctioneer, Peter Eisenmann, gradually regained consciousness under the care of those around him. The crowd in the room gathered closer, relieved that he seemed to be out of danger and eager to hear what had happened.

The auctioneer, still weak, held his head and spoke slowly, "When the lights went out, I saw a group of people rush in. They took the Buddha head. I grabbed one of them, trying to stop them, but then I was hit by something, and I don't remember anything after that."

Unfortunately, Eisenmann's account offered little useful information. Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed as police officers and paramedics entered the venue, quickly making their way through the side door near the auction platform to the backstage area.

At that moment, an idea struck Song Jie. He immediately asked Eisenmann in English, "Who was the mysterious consignor of the Buddha head?"

Hearing the question, Eisenmann frowned, whether from pain or reluctance to answer, and slowly closed his eyes again.

Song Jie gently shook the auctioneer and pressed, "Who was the mysterious consignor?"

Seeing Song Jie pressuring an injured man, the police and paramedics hurried over to separate him from Eisenmann.

Just then, the elderly auctioneer muttered a few words weakly: "The England Museum."

Song Jie was about to ask more, but the police surrounded the auctioneer and sternly signaled for him to stay silent. The paramedics began administering urgent care, and the scene descended into chaos.

Realizing the futility of pushing further, Song Jie wisely stepped back. He understood that in the current confusion, there was no chance of extracting more useful information from the auctioneer. Turning around, he prepared to leave the room.

At that moment, Xiao Li tugged on his suit jacket from behind and asked, "Dr. Song, what should we do now?"

" Hold on, I'll step outside to make a call," Song Jie replied. His mind was a tangled mess, but the mention of the England Museum felt like a lifeline, a vital clue in a sea of uncertainty.

He walked down the long hallway once again, heading toward the lakeside. While the city lights still shimmered in the distance, the lake stretched out before him, pitch-black and boundless. The cool breeze from the water seemed to clear his racing thoughts. Taking out his phone, he dialed the number to report the situation.