Chapter 528: Land back
The auction continued, but Michael found no item that struck his fancy. Either they were completely useless to him, or something he already had plenty of.
Michael continued to play Uno with the others to pass the time.
"Our next item is something that I’m sure all of you will appreciate. We’ll be auctioning up a prime location in the Barronds District, 42nd street!"
Max immediately stiffened up as soon as he heard that. He looked back at his wife, Tracy, who showed him a regretful expression. Hearing those words again felt like a stake pierced directly through his heart.
Michael noticed this immediately. "What’s wrong?"
"That used to be one of our territories," Max confessed, sighing with regret. "We were going to use that land to build our family home, but we ended up selling it to pay off our debts."
Contrary to Max’s expression, Michael was hopeful. "Then why are you all gloomy? This is a chance for you to buy them back. Didn’t the Duchess give you your money?"
Max steeled himself. He had been wallowing in sorrow for too long that he completely forgot that his whole life had changed because of Michael. They were no longer the Vanderbilts that were in the very bottom of the bottom.
"You’re right, Michael. We can bid for this," Max said with resolve.
Michael walked up to the glass and knocked on it for the first time in the auction.
KNOCK
Barnaby looked up, realizing that the bid came directly from Michael’s VIP suite. His eyes flared. The Dark Horse had finally entered into the fray. He couldn’t wait to see Michael completely overturn the auction on its head with his overwhelming talents.
"We have our first bid at 4 million gold coins, courtesy of the Reborn company!" Barnaby announced with gusto.
A few seconds passed before another knock echoed coming from one of the lower rooms.
"4.01 million is the next offer! Is there anyone going to top that?"
And just like before, a few seconds passed before another knock resounded in the auction.
"Okay, 4.05 million! Keep them coming!"
Despite Barnaby’s encouraging words, there weren’t that many bids for this item at all. The price only went up slowly at a snail’s pace.
Michael was surprised. He would have thought that a piece of property in Metropolis would be coveted by a lot of people.
"Why aren’t there people bidding?" Michael asked Max.
"It’s not really a good commercial property. It’s surrounded by other buildings, so it’s quite hidden from the customers. However, it would be really good for a residential building, that’s why we wanted to move there.
Someone tried to put a store there, but they ended up becoming bankrupt. That’s probably why it’s in the auction right now. If it was a good location, then it wouldn’t have been sold at all."
The people that participated in this auction were businessmen. Of course they were going to be thinking only of profits.
They must have calculated that the value of the property wouldn’t exceed more than 4 million, which was why the bidding had nearly stalled on that mark.
But of course, one man’s trash was another man’s treasure.
Michael was in dire need of property in Metropolis. It didn’t matter if they weren’t profitable today. With his skills and his advantages over other companies, he could turn the whole territory into a multi-million real estate property in the future!
"This is good," Max rejoiced. "I only have a budget of around 5 million coins, so this means I can get my land back!"
However, as if his words had brought in bad luck, one of the upper rooms knocked into the tinted glass and submitted their bid.
"What an amazing bid! 6 million coins, coming directly from the Pyramidic Cuisine!"
Max’s hope was immediately shattered upon hearing that dreaded name come up in the auction. That was way out of his price range!
Their bid was like a hammer that sounded out a warning signal to everyone.
Immediately, everyone stopped bidding. The knocks that had been ringing out in the venue turned into muted silence.
At least before, the bids came slowly but surely. This time, there was no other bid. They weren’t willing to fork over that kind of money for some unprofitable land.
Michael looked down at the Pyramidic Cuisine’s room and wondered why they would bid so much for a land so unsuitable for their type of business.
They dabbled in restaurants and fine dining. It was essential for them to establish their business where people could see them.
This territory was the exact opposite.
Michael saw no reason for them to buy this land.
Why? he asked himself, peering through the glass and seeing the Light mana signatures of everyone inside.
By the tiniest of margins, he could see a woman sitting in her chair, moving her mouth up and down as she talked.
ChatJK4, can you read lips?
[Certainly....creating closed captions for you now...]
And just like that, subtitles appeared on the bottom of his vision, just as if he was watching a movie on a television screen.
[Miss Beau, why are we buying this land? It’s of no use to us,] said one of the attendants next to the woman in the chair.
[Why? Because we can. Real estate is still real estate. One man’s trash is another woman’s treasure. I have a few million coins to spare anyway, so might as well get a land for me to store our inventory in.]
The reason why the Pyramidic Cuisine wanted the territory was purely because of a whim!
They didn’t need it. They could just afford it.
Hearing this lit a fire in Michael’s eyes. He walked up to the tinted glass and knocked.
"Oh, we have another bid from the Reborn company, and it’s a whopping 7 million gold coins!" Barnaby said, smiling. He knew exactly who made this bid.
The audience began to wonder about this unknown Reborn company. They’d never heard it before, but clearly, they were big enough to afford 7 million gold coins!
"Who are they? I don’t remember them being a part of the Minor Factions."
"They should be in the high rankings if they can afford that...but I don’t see them anywhere at all in the list."
"Nevermind that, but are they really going to go against the Pyramidic Cuisine?!"
Beau sat in her seat, twirling her blonde curly hair while she was in deep thought. Like the others, she’d never heard of this Reborn company before.
After contemplation, she knocked on the door and submitted a bid.
"The Pyramidic Cuisine makes a counter offer of—"
But before Barnaby could even finish his sentence, Michael knocked on the glass wall again.
"Oh my goodness! Ladies and gentlemen, the Reborn company now offers 8 million gold coins for the land!"
Gasps and looks of shock permeated through the crowd. They never expected the Reborn company to take such a leap in the bidding!
Their perception for the Reborn company went from being mildly amused at their confidence, to simply at awe at their boldness.
KNOCK
"The Pyramidic Cuisine—"
And before he could even finish his sentence again, Michael knocked on his tinted glass wall.
"10 million gold coins!" Barnaby exclaimed.