novelraw Chapter 152 : Chapter 152
Chapter 152 : Chapter 152
Volume 2
Chapter 76 : Stirring Up Trouble
“…”
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes and gave the attendant a long, searching look.
Then he turned his head and gazed out through the one-way glass at the entire auction hall below.
After the brief excitement, the tide had already exposed the weak, and they were steadily dropping away.
Only a few small boats, still riding the last of their momentum, remained desperately chasing a treasure they would never truly reach.
The bidding had reached five million, but for ancient dragon heart’s blood, that price was still far from worth it.
At the normal market rate, five million would probably buy only a single drop of ancient dragon heart’s blood.
But here, there were ten drops.
And something like ancient dragon heart’s blood was always a commodity with a price, yet never any real supply.
“So the price…”
“Naturally, whatever amount you spend to win it at auction will be the price.”
“Heh. Is your boss really that kindhearted?”
Judging by the current pace of the bidding, Lorenzo estimated that eight or nine million would probably be enough to secure the ancient dragon heart’s blood outright.
That was far lower than what he had originally expected.
He had come here intending to demand an explanation, only to realize halfway through that he was the one profiting from the arrangement.
That, in turn, made him uneasy.
“The boss said that when doing business, one should naturally make friends far and wide. It just so happens that your Redfire Gang, as one of the major gangs of the Lower City, is qualified to become his friend.”
The attendant placed a hand over his chest and bowed respectfully.
“Of course, whether you are capable of seizing this opportunity or not has nothing to do with us.”
“Hmph. The Redfire Gang is not so incompetent that it cannot swallow meat already delivered to its mouth.”
Lorenzo sneered, then waved him off impatiently.
“Then help me send your boss my regards. Tell him that the Redfire Gang accepts this favor.”
“That is naturally as it should be.”
The attendant quietly withdrew.
Lorenzo’s trusted subordinate leaned in and said worriedly, “Boss, could there be something fishy about a good deal falling from the heavens like this?”
“And what if there is? We can only take it anyway. Do you dare fail to carry out our lord’s orders? Without ancient dragon heart’s blood, we can only keep kidnapping people. Damn it, where are we supposed to find that many people to kidnap? No matter how chaotic the Lower City is, it is still under the Emperor’s feet!”
Lorenzo picked up the red wine the attendant had just brought in.
After glancing at the label, he gave a cold laugh.
“Red wine from Locke Winery. Hmph. Just as expected—something only those great nobles would enjoy.”
“That rumor… that the true power behind the black market is actually some immensely influential grand noble of Belland… could it really be true?” his subordinate asked uncertainly.
“A rumor? It is not a rumor. It is a secret everyone understands without saying aloud. If the boss who managed to preserve the black market during the previous purge did not have a title like Count, Marquis, or Duke before his name, not even the rats on the street would believe it.”
Lorenzo roughly yanked the cork from the bottle, tilted his head back, and gulped down several mouthfuls. Then he slammed the bottle violently to the floor and cursed,
“Damn it, sour and bitter. I really do not understand what is so good about this prissy wine. I heard it sells for two hundred thousand a bottle too? Damn it, with two hundred thousand, I could hire a sexy woman with a slim waist, long legs, and full breasts and play with her until I got bored!”
He dropped back onto the sofa, sprawling carelessly as he watched the price in the hall continue to climb at a sluggish pace.
His fingers tapped against the armrest, and his expression shifted uncertainly as he went on,
“So even if that boss really does have some scheme or hidden agenda, there is nothing we can do about it. This ancient dragon heart’s blood must be ours!”
“Do not worry, Boss. Just like that man said, since no news about the ancient dragon heart’s blood was released beforehand, the people who came to this auction are probably nothing more than small fry. What do they have to fight the Redfire Gang with?”
“Hmph. That is true enough.”
Lorenzo let out a disdainful chuckle, then smacked his subordinate on the head.
“What are you still standing there for? That slut is already raising the hammer! Bid already!”
“Oh—right!”
His subordinate hurriedly grabbed the number plate, but as soon as he picked it up, he seemed uncertain again and turned back to ask,
“Then, Boss, how much should we bid?”
“What was the last price?”
“Seven million five hundred thousand.”
“Seven million five hundred thousand…”
Lorenzo rubbed his chin, then grinned broadly.
“In that case, let us make things interesting. Bid ten million straight away and let those bumpkins see what real money looks like!”
…
…
“This feels… absurdly cheap.”
Watching the prices called out one after another below, Muen could not help but feel the surreal suspicion that something this cheap had to be fake.
Several million for a full ten drops of ancient dragon heart’s blood?
Could there really be such a good deal in this world?
If anything, goods sold at an auction were supposed to carry a premium.
Unless it was some treasure that even the auction house itself could not appraise, how could anyone possibly be allowed to pick up a bargain?
“And now that I think about it, the sudden appearance of ancient dragon heart’s blood at an auction of this level, with absolutely no warning, is strange in itself.”
After the initial excitement passed, Muen gradually calmed down.
Among the earlier lots, even the highest-priced one had only been those ten sets of magitech armor, which sold for three million.
Compared to the ancient dragon heart’s blood before him now, however, even that was still the difference between heaven and earth.
Even if the auction house wanted the earlier lots to serve as foil for the main attraction, those supporting pieces were far too shabby.
And were they really sure that this crowd below—paupers who trembled even when bidding a few hundred thousand—could truly appreciate something of this level?
Muen looked down toward the floor below.
Thanks to the special vantage point of the private booth, he could see that many gazes were constantly sweeping across the entire auction hall, tracking those who called out bids.
Like paparazzi chasing celebrities, they were determined to catch a glimpse of the true faces hidden beneath the disguises.
“This really is the black market.”
Muen stroked his chin and smiled.
Compared to the silent contest within the auction hall, the real excitement would probably begin only after this auction ended.
“If that is the case, then to stay safe, I cannot directly bid on the ancient dragon heart’s blood either.”
Money was not the issue, but he was alone.
If so many people set their sights on him, it would be extremely dangerous.
Risking himself for something that could ultimately be bought with money alone was simply not worth it.
“Still… watching someone else snatch up such a bargain is a little irritating.”
A wicked smile suddenly spread across Muen’s face.
Watching someone else make money felt even worse than losing money himself.
In that case, he had to stir things up a little.
…
…
“Ten million! Guest Number One from the private booth bids ten million!”
The fairy lady’s seductive voice, amplified by the magic amplifier, spread throughout the entire venue, instantly rekindling an atmosphere that had just begun to cool.
Everyone could not help but suck in a breath of cold air, inwardly marveling that this big shot in Booth One was truly terrifying, directly raising the price by two million five hundred thousand in one stroke!
That was two and a half Tears of True Love!
Countless curious eyes turned toward the booth as people began wondering which great figure this could be.
Someone this lavish had to be a prominent person of real status.
But the dark one-way glass blocked all prying gazes, so in the end they could do nothing more than make limited guesses.
“Guest Number One bids ten million. Will any other guests continue?”
The fairy lady’s gaze swept across the room, only to discover that the renewed excitement had lasted for merely an instant.
Or rather, this kind of excitement, born not from the item itself, was utterly useless.
On the contrary, most of the crowd had been intimidated by that overwhelming aura of wealth and did not even dare to bid anymore.
“Is this really the end?”
The fairy lady bit her lip, unwilling to accept it.
Although before the auction had begun, the boss had already instructed her that the ancient dragon heart’s blood did not need to be sold at too high a price.
Yet for a professional auctioneer, selling an item for less than its normal market value was something she absolutely could not tolerate.
It was practically an insult to her entire career.
But she had no choice.
She knew that this auction had been specially arranged from the beginning for the sake of a particular transaction.
If they were reduced to handing out flyers in the streets, how could they possibly attract guests of genuine strength?
She had the will.
But not the power.
The fairy lady let out a soft sigh and raised the auction hammer in her hand.
“Then, ten million once…”
“Ten million twice…”
“Ten million thr—”
“Wait.”
Just as the hammer was about to fall, a familiar voice rang out through the auction hall once more—a voice that made her heart tremble ever so slightly, brimming with the arrogance of a noble and the sheer overbearing grandeur of a tycoon.
“Number Eighty-Eight bids…”