Chapter 585 - 550: Auction at the Restaurant
As the sound of a hammer rang out, all the lights at the party came on, and the curtain of the dance floor was drawn back, revealing an auction stage inlaid with gold and jade. A dwarven host, dressed in flamboyant attire, shouted from the stage, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Moladin Auction House, held on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th of every month here in Moradin! At Moladin Auction House, credibility is supreme, quality is guaranteed! There are no fakes among the items auctioned here!"
Applause filled the venue.
Da Fei and Skyshattering Thunder, after staring at each other for a long time, turned their eyes to the stage. I don’t believe it, with one billion Gold Coins in hand, how can Skyshattering Thunder compete with me? I just don’t believe that a broke fool who’s been selling Divine Artifacts to pit me could earn one billion in three days. If it keeps up like this, everyone will be trillionaire Gold Coin tycoons after playing for just six months. What’s the point then?
Calm down! They must be deliberately raising the price to annoy me. But the auction rules say that you can only bid as high as the amount of money you have, and the Prince has already borrowed 30 million Gold Coins from me, meaning that he believes the restaurant can be sold for at most 30 million. If Skyshattering Thunder wants to outbid me, he also needs 30 million Gold Coins. But does he have 30 million Gold Coins?
No matter how well-connected he is, his production capacity can’t keep up; he can’t possibly have that much money! Right, my opponent is an NPC. How could a fool possibly understand my level? But what if he was instructed by the Prince? Also unlikely! My identity hasn’t been exposed, and it seems the Second Prince selling the restaurant is also a secret... In short, it seems the Prince is not wealthy. What does the Prince have to compete with the Second Prince?
At this time, the host got straight to the point, "The first item up for auction today is the masterpiece ’Queen’s Jewelry Box,’ contributed by the grand jeweler Pierre during the human Falcon Dynasty to the Queen. The starting bid is one million Gold Coins!"
As a female attendant presented a glittering jewelry box, exclamations filled the air. Immediately, an NPC raised a paddle, "Add 100,000!"
The host shouted enthusiastically, "Number 24 adds 100,000! 1.1 million!"
Then someone else raised a paddle, "Add 100,000!"
"Number 17 adds 100,000, 1.2 million!"
Oh, come on! What good is an antique? Get the main items up so I can crush this fool Skyshattering Thunder and leave! Just as Da Fei was getting impatient, the jewelry box gleamed brightly, and a golden flash appeared on Da Fei’s radar!
—System Prompt: You’ve had the privilege of admiring a rare treasure and received Expert Level Treasure Appraiser information!
Damn! Da Fei’s eyebrows twitched—he actually received Treasure Appraiser information!
Well, yeah, under normal circumstances, a Treasure Appraiser learns from books in a library, watching diagrams and studying history to gain information, but now an actual antique is right here in front of me. This is way better than reading in a library! So, attending auctions has this benefit? Ha-ha, ha-ha-ha!
All right, I want to see what level the treasures here can upgrade me to!
Now, the host excitedly and slowly announced, "1.5 million once, 1.5 million twice... 1.5 million! Third! Sold! Congratulations to Number 11 for acquiring the ’Queen’s Jewelry Box’!"
As the hammer fell, applause resounded throughout the venue.
The host continued to shout excitedly, "Next, we auction the second treasure, the Frost Coral Tree from the Ice Ocean Deep Sea. Even placed in the hottest forge workshops, it will make you feel a touch of incomparably cool chill. It is an essential treasure for master forgers of divine weapons who must maintain focus and concentration next to blazing fires!"
Meanwhile, several dwarves clad in thick winter clothes hauled in a large basin containing a Frost Coral Tree, and a sudden chill spread throughout the auction venue!
An uproar erupted throughout the hall! A block of golden light flashed wildly on Da Fei’s radar!
—System Prompt: You’ve had the privilege of admiring a rare treasure and received Expert Level Treasure Appraiser information!
Sure enough, more information has appeared! Da Fei’s jaw dropped in surprise. So, there really are all sorts of strange treasures in the game, other than just weapons and equipment?
The host proclaimed, "Starting bid at one million Gold Coins!"
In no time, everyone began raising their paddles!
The host, waving the hammer excitedly, shouted, "1.1 million! 1.2 million! 1.4 million! 1.7 million! 1.8 million! 1.9 million! 2 million! Number 44, 2 million! Anyone want to continue bidding? 2 million once—Number 34, 2.1 million! Number 44, 2.2 million!"
Da Fei’s eyebrows twitched. This freezing thing seemed to be an air conditioner for blacksmiths. Was it really reliable? The key was, could players use it? When I repair Titan’s Grasp in the future, can the God-level blacksmith use it?
Damn it! Speaking of Titan’s Grasp, I just remembered I haven’t asked Elena about it since I rescued her! I’m such a goner for beauties that I completely forgot about Titan’s Grasp! All right, it’s not too late to think about it now.
Da Fei glanced sideways at Skyshattering Thunder, who was standing expressionless, seemingly not affected by the auction atmosphere.
Fine, let’s see if you outbid me. If you don’t, I’ll take it; after all, it’s just over two million. The money I use to gift my subordinates is about the same. If you bid, I’ll let you; let’s see how much money you’ve got to burn against me!
Da Fei also raised a paddle!
The host was overjoyed and announced, "Gentleman from Number 78, 2.5 million! 2.5 million once! Anyone else want to increase the bid? 2.5 million twice!"
No way? No one else is bidding? Not outbidding me? Da Fei looked at Skyshattering Thunder in shock, only to see him give a cold smile and say, "2.5!"
Damn!
The host hammered down, "2.5 million, third time! Sold, congratulations to the gentleman from Number 78 on winning the Frost Coral Tree!"
—System Prompt: You won the Frost Coral Tree at auction for 2.5 million Gold Coins, and you’ve gained 2,500 reputation in Moladin City.
Oh, come on! Smiling like a watermelon, I came to the auction to buy things just to enjoy it! What? It seems he also knows this isn’t the main event. Fine, I’ll play the main event with you! Let’s see how you outbid me!
What Da Fei didn’t know, however, was that Skyshattering Thunder was video broadcasting live to Star’s Eternal Star. Since Star agreed to collaborate with Skyshattering Thunder on the city-building project, Skyshattering Thunder finally became friends with Eternal Star, one of the three chairpersons of the China Region.
Indeed, Skyshattering Thunder didn’t have that much money, but Star did! There wasn’t much to the live stream; it was just for Star to enjoy the show. If something piqued Star’s interest, they might outbid Da Fei from the shadows, or even directly sabotage his efforts.
...
Now, the auction continued item by item, and Da Fei feasted his eyes, gaining expert information with each bizarre item that appeared.
Finally, the host spoke again, "Ladies and gentlemen, the next thing up for auction is the Red Ruby Restaurant, located at the intersection of 23 Commercial Street in Moradin City, complete with business and property certificates, starting at 30 million Gold Coins!"
The whole place was abuzz!
Da Fei’s jaw dropped further! Damn it, so 30 million was the starting price! Prince, you sly bastard!
Meanwhile, Skyshattering Thunder and Star’s Eternal Star, who was watching from the shadows, were stunned as well! No wonder Da Fei could enter this auction; all the skulduggery beforehand had to do with this restaurant! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)