Chapter 476: Barnaby
Max was genuinely surprised to hear that. He knew how hard it was to get a business permit in Metropolis. "Wow. He must be extremely talented to earn a sub company from father."
"I’m not part of the Vanderbilt business," Michael corrected him. "Reborn has no affiliation with the Vanderbilt company."
Max’s eyes showed confusion, not expecting to hear that coming from Michael. After all, in his eyes, the only way that a Vanderbilt could have a company of their own was if Yze gifted it to them. That was how he got the Vanderbilt branch here in Metropolis.
"How is that possible?" he asked genuinely.
"He built the company all on his own," Bart explained. "He didn’t receive any help from father."
After hearing about this, Max couldn’t help but look at Michael in a completely different light.
Building a company from the ground up was one thing. But building a company that was able to pass the permit test in Metropolis was a completely different thing entirely!
Michael was only the same age as his son, yet he had already accomplished something that adults couldn’t even accomplish. It was unbelievable.
"I’ll admit that I’m not that talented when it comes to business, but if you want any help or need any questions answered, then I will do my best to help you. I have a lot of wisdom about Metropolis that can surely help you."
Max’s offer was genuine. Michael felt it. The man seemed truly proud that a Vanderbilt as young as Michael was able to accomplish this much.
It made Max feel good that there was someone in the Vanderbilt family lineage that wasn’t a disappointment to Yze’s legacy.
"You’re from the Kings region, right? That place isn’t ruled by Duels so when you get challenged into one, you should be careful before you accept. Some people have...talents...that can’t be explained by physics or magic.
And if you need any help, then you can ask for some assistance in the Association building which is South from here. You can ask for Claudia Montgomery. I know that my name no longer carries any weight in Metropolis, but hopefully the Vanderbilt name will be enough for her to pay attention to you.
And then you should..."
Max started talking about all the do’s and don’ts of Metropolis. He was spouting warnings and tips to Michael knowing that he had only recently gotten his permit.
"As for your territory, you should find a good spot as soon as possible. We have lost a lot of our land, but we still have a tiny little land on the outskirts of the wall. If you want, I can give it to you as your starting territory."
Michael was genuinely touched that Max was offering land to him. Despite being buried in debt and slowly losing his territories, Max was still kind enough to offer Michael a piece of land in Metropolis. Now, the land was very small and not at all that valuable, but it was the thought that counts.
"It’s okay, uncle Max. I got it all covered."
Bart tapped Max’s shoulder. "Don’t worry. My son knows what he’s doing."
Max eventually relented. He realized he got too excited about sharing his knowledge because he didn’t want Michael to repeat the same mistakes he made that led to their eventual downfall.
"Uncle Max, why are you here?" Michael asked.
Max remembered what he was here for and immediately fixed his formal suit and tidied his hair.
"I’m here for a meeting with Barnaby. He’s the owner of this auction house," Max said, sitting down in a chair and subconsciously tapping his foot on the ground to ease his anxiousness.
"You want to join the auction?" Michael asked.
Max nodded. "Not as a buyer, but as a seller. I need the money desperately so that I can keep my house. That’s why this meeting with Barnaby has to go well."
"Why are you so nervous? Isn’t it just an auction?" Bart asked.
"The problem is that Barnaby’s auction is a prestigious organization. They don’t just let anyone enter the auction. Whether they be a seller or a buyer, they have to be in a high enough ranking to participate."
"But we’re Vanderbilts," Bart reasoned. "Shouldn’t that be enough?"
"I used to be one of the top companies in Metropolis. But that is a thing of that past. Our ranking has gone down ever since I took control of this branch.
And now, I’m not even sure if Barnaby will allow me to sell an item in the auction."
Michael understood why Barnaby required a certain ranking to participate in the bidding. What he didn’t understand was why they also put that limit on the people that were selling items. The item itself should be the criteria, not the company selling them.
"As long as it’s valuable enough, why won’t they accept it?" Michael asked.
"Barnaby is very particular in his items," Max explained. "He only wants the best of the best. He doesn’t just auction items because they’re valuable. They have to be unique, strange, and something that cannot be bought just anywhere else.
He requires a high rank for the sellers because he also sells the brand of the item. People will pay a higher price if they know that a certain item came from a prestigious company."
And right as Max was explaining all of this, they suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.
"Oh, here he comes," Max whispered.
The footsteps got heavier until the man himself arrived on the second floor.
"Mister Barnaby! It’s good to see you," Max greeted, bowing almost in a 90 degree angle.
Barnaby was a large man. A very plump man.
He was obese—plain and simple.
His hair was balding and he had a certain limp on his gait that made him walk a little funny. He even needed a wooden cane to help him walk normally.
"Max!" Barnaby greeted him. "Listen, I know that you made an appointment for me today, but I think I’m gonna have to cancel.
I would love to talk to you about that item you want to sell, but unfortunately, something has come up that demands my entire attention."
Max’s eyebrow raised. Barnaby never cancelled appointments. He was always punctual to his own schedule. Something really important must have happened for him to act like this.
"Is something the matter?" Max asked Barnaby.
"As a matter of fact, yeah. I just found a gem! A true treasure that Metropolis has yet to see.
You don’t understand, Max. I want this thing for my auction! It’ll be the talk of the town. It’ll attract the attention of everybody and anybody that has eyes and ears."
Max was intrigued. "Oh really? This will be good for your auction then."
Barnaby bit his lips. "It will be. But that’s if I can find the owner! Max, if you hear anything about a strange metal carriage that runs faster than a horse, then you should tell me immediately and I will reward you handsomely.
That thing is fast and from what I can tell, needs no horse to pull it forward. The possibilities for this are endless, especially in the courier business!"
Max shook his head. "Sorry. I don’t know anything about that."
Barnaby snapped his fingers in disappointment. He knew it was a long shot, but he was just that desperate to find an answer.