On the stage, Wassily’s eyes lit up as he heard Vasco’s new bidding. He couldn’t be happier to see such competition for three decayed seeds which he knew has no actual use.
In his private booth, Vasco laughed as he heard the shocked gasps from the audience. The female staff, Marita, started servicing him for real.
What better time to make him happy then the present when he was bidding?
The auction house made it mandatory for female escort team to service guests from important factions. It was a cheap but time tested method to get better profits.
Besides, the glass walls could restrict sound. The technology in the booth allowed sound to pass outside only if it was intentional. It gave complete privacy to the patrons...
"Sophia must have used most of her wealth in earlier rounds," Vasco thought of a possible reason why she didn’t bid further despite her stubborn personality. "I’m definitely going to win and gift those seeds to her."
He couldn’t wait to get her favor. In the meantime, he enjoyed the female servant.
Outside, in another private booth, Sophia clenched her fist.
"He is indirectly helping that scoundrel," Sophia was agitated. "What a useless pig."
The middle-aged woman beside her forced a smile.
In the premium seating zone, Kiba didn’t know whether to be offended or amused. He has ensured Sophia would not trouble him in the future rounds, but now a young master has taken her stead.
"He is here to impress her," Kiba thought with a smile. "So I should help him."
In his own ways, Kiba would always try to help others. He was just too kind for his own good.
"$40000, Cherrymist, Echinacea, 20 Elemental Energy Gems," Kiba made another bid. All items were of grade I.
Vasco smiled in disdain.
Kiba was seating in premium seats which were just slightly better than ordinary seats and since he was far from private reserved booths, he most likely has no background to speak of.
Also, there was another fact. He only won one item so far after which he repeatedly lost to Sophia.
This left no doubt on his capabilities. He was just a well-off commoner with no ability to deal with the powerful scions of aristocrat families.
"That commoner is trying to embarrass himself!" Vasco smiled contemptuously.
Maynard agreed with his friend.
"I’m doubling the bid," Vasco declared his new bid.
He was rich but nowhere near Sophia. Sophia was the only daughter of an important person in her family. Vasco, on the other hand, has multiple siblings and his father didn’t have high status. Still, Vasco felt the money he was spending on the auction was an initial investment for a better future.
"$200000 and the items from before," Kiba gritted his teeth and made a high bid.
"$400000 and the items he mentioned earlier," Vasco felt bittersweet but he knew he was winning. He could feel it from that commoner’s tone and expression.
"$700000, Cherrymist, Echinacea, 1000 Elemental Energy Gems, and crimson mist mushroom," Kiba loudly made a sky-high bid. His nails were clawing on the armrests as he made this bid.
The crowd was dumbfounded. They looked at Kiba in disbelief and wondered why was he betting so heavily on some decayed seeds.
Could the seeds be some treasure?
People started having doubts. Regardless, the atmosphere in the auditorium was filled with excitement.
Thousands of eyes became focused on Vasco’s private booth. They wanted to know if he would challenge the bid or let Kiba win.
The young miss from another private booth has stopped bidding earlier. Would the young master follow the same suit?
This question was running through everyone’s mind as they glanced at the glass walls that restricted their vision and hid the young master from the eyesight of others.
Vasco’s face fell in anger as he felt countless gazes upon his booth.
He was sure that the commoner would not bid again. But not only did the commoner made a bid, he even increased the bid by a very high amount.
Vasco looked out through the glass walls and brought his eyes on Kiba. Kiba’s expression was heavy just like his breathing. He was sweating and looked on verge of collapse.
"This is definitely his limit," Vasco clenched his fists tightly. "And I can’t back now and lose everything."
He took a deep breath and said, "$1000000! Plus the items mentioned earlier!!"
Immediately, auditorium started to buzz with excitement. They never expected the young master to increase the bid by such a high amount.
On the stage, Wassily and Yasmine looked at each other and smiled in joy. They felt the auction couldn’t get more fun for them. They didn’t even have to rely on Yasmine to seduce the patrons.
Every pair of eyes arrived on Kiba to look at his reaction.
"I lost again," Kiba said with a heavy sigh.
Vasco snickered at Kiba’s response. His heart was bleeding by such a high bid but the shocked reactions from the audience calmed him a bit.
He looked at the stage as Wassily proceeded to call out the bid. There was no doubt he was going to be the winner.
But just then, Kiba said something which stunned everyone.
"For the first time, I’m happy I lost," Kiba wondered aloud. "Earlier I thought the seeds have some essence left but now... Phew~ The final bidder saved me from going bankrupt for nothing."
What?!
Vasco didn’t dare believe his words.
"Sour grapes," Vasco clamed down as he thought of the fox and the grapes.
In a loud voice, he said, "Don’t try to deceive us. The seeds are precious otherwise there is no way Sophia would bid for them."
In her private booth, Sophia facepalmed. She couldn’t help but shout, "Idiot! Those seeds are worthless! Otherwise, why do you think I stopped bidding?!"
Everyone in the auditorium was shell-shocked. They didn’t dare trust their ears.
Could she be right? The seeds are really worthless?!
If so...
Countless eyes looked in Vasco’s direction.
"Damn!!" Vasco shattered the table in front of him.
He pushed Marita away and jumped on his feet.
"I wasted so much for nothing?!" Vasco couldn’t take the possibility.
He took another breath of air and said, "I wish to cancel my bid."
Outside, many people couldn’t help but smile.
Cancel bid?! Impossible!
The auction house only took bid from those who had the capability to bid. While bidding, a person would place the bid in front of his seat. The hidden sensors would inform the auctioneer that the person in question has the right to bid.
As for going back on words by trying to cancel bid?
Such action wouldn’t be allowed otherwise who would respect the bidding process? No one was forced to make a bid and similarly, the auction house could not be forced by a patron to cancel bid.
The auctioneer obviously could not allow anyone to break the rules, not even those from the nine aristocrat families. If the rules were broken and his authority was challenged, then who would take the auction house seriously?
Wassily looked in Vasco’s direction with a stern expression. His expression was more than enough to make his intentions clear.
Vasco gritted his teeth. Despite his upbringing and his dislike for commoners, even he knew the ancient proverb - strong dragon cannot repress a local snake.
Even a dragon (from the outside) finds it hard to control a snake in its old haunt. In simple words, powerful outsiders can hardly afford to neglect local bullies.
Vasco understood this simple principle no matter how he hated it. He knew he couldn’t afford to offend the auction house but Kiba was a different matter.
He turned towards Kiba’s direction to vent his frustration. If not for Kiba none of this would happen.
He has to let the commoner know the difference between them.
"You," Vasco called out.
Kiba looked in the direction of private booth and said, "Me?"
"Yes, you," Vasco nodded. Then, in a thundering tone, he asked, "Do you know who am I?"
As his voice moved forward, a pressure unique to the nine aristocratic families enveloped the surrounding.
This was innate suppression that originated from those who shared the bloodline of the Nine Sovereigns.
Those in the normal seating rows and premium zones shuddered. They gasped in fright while wondering about Kiba’s fate.
Kiba, in the meantime, has a serious expression on his face. He put a hand over his chin, and said, "No, I don’t know who you are but I think I have a good guess."
Vasco sneered.
He could imagine just how shocked and frightened Kiba might be after he thundered loudly with the bloodline suppression.
Vasco looked at Kiba’s serious pondering expression and said, "Why don’t you let others know of your guess?"
"You wouldn’t get offended, right? I have heard people of great heritage don’t like...." Kiba trailed off.
"Relax. While we of noble blood don’t like commoners talking about us, I’m giving you special permission," Vasco said like a merciful king. "So feel free to share your guess on who I am."
"Thank you for your permission," Kiba said in a very polite tone. "I guess you are a guy with a small penis."
The entire auditorium turned pin-drop silent. Even the sound of heartbeats disappeared as Kiba shared his guess.
Many women blushed and closed their ears at the embarrassing guess. A few men, especially those in the front row and premium booths, openly chuckled.
Vasco’s entire body turned stiff and rigid.
He didn’t dare believe what he has heard. He was sure Kiba’s guess would be about his superior background, his rich heritage, and his noble influence.
This should have been obvious given the way he used bloodline suppression on Kiba and others.
And yet, what he heard was something he never expected even in his worst nightmares.
He could see the suppressed smiles, hear open laughter and feel the mockery among the audience. Even his friend Maynard was barely hiding his smile.
The veins on his body protruded out and the blood inside him boiled.
"What did you say?!" Vasco barked like a vicious dog.
Vasco expected Kiba to be frightened, horrified or in the worse case, sarcastic and amused. Yet, his expression was something he never expected.
Bewildered.
It was like Vasco’s question has perplexed him.
Kiba looked in Vasco’s direction and said, "Why are you angry at me? Didn’t you give me permission to share guess without any worry?"
For a moment, even the audience felt Kiba was right.
Why was Vasco angry at Kiba for doing what he wanted?
Vasco’s eyes turned red. He was trembling and barely able to stand but he suppressed his raging emotions, and pressed on a switch.
The glass walls retraced and he became visible in the auditorium. Marita hurriedly covered her body with clothes and hid in a corner.
"Bastard! I don’t have a small cock!" Vasco shouted loud enough for his response to ring in the auditorium. In his entire life, he has never faced such humiliation.
"Really?" Kiba said with a doubtful expression. "But I made my conclusion based on what trespassed between you and that woman."
No one said a single word in response. They didn’t even ask how he knew such a thing given private booths restricted all forms of surveillance.
Kiba pointed to Marita before continuing, "While servicing you, she looked so bored that she might as well read some book and relieve her boredom in the process. Her fake moans couldn’t have any more obvious---"
"Son of a bitch!" Vasco threw a glass at Kiba and interrupted him.
Kiba easily ducked the glass and said, "I don’t understand why you are getting so angry at me. First, you told me to share my guess about you. Then you said you are not a guy with a small penis so I explained my reason."
Vasco’s entire face was a dark shade of crimson. He grabbed Marita and said, "This bitch couldn’t get enough of my cock!"
"That’s another indication you have a small cock."
"............"