bestfiction Chapter 228 Wang Dingzhou, who was frightened
Chapter 228 Wang Dingzhou, who was frightened
As Zhong Ming listened to the price being bid higher and higher, he suddenly realized something.
I'm probably not the only shill here. There are likely inside agents among these people who are banging on the table and bidding so aggressively.
His gaze kept drifting towards the female host, but he forced himself to calm down and think about things that mattered to him.
Making money... no, protecting the auction!
The host clearly set a very low starting price on purpose, making some people feel that they had a chance to compete.
Of course, the outcome won't fall into their hands, but even if they don't contribute money, they can still show their support. If they shout loudly and create some grudges, their enemies might bid on the items in the later auctions, even if they don't need them, they might still bid to snatch them up in the heat of the moment.
This means... we have to make sure they don't start fighting during the auction.
Zhong Ming tried to turn his head to observe the surroundings, but no one appeared to be holding a weapon.
"Six hundred taels,"
"Eight hundred taels! I'll fight anyone who tries to take it from me!"
"One thousand taels! I'll put the land deed right here today!"
.....
In the end, a rather arrogant and robust young man acquired the treasure. Of course, it wasn't for his own use; it must have been a powerful figure who didn't want to reveal his shortcomings in that area, so he sent his servant to buy it.
The auction house fell silent again, but the atmosphere among the guests was already tense.
The woman, having failed to snatch the treasure, glared fiercely at her husband, who felt like hanging himself on the spot.
The auction then became a lively affair, with many treasures being bid up to unusually high prices.
By midway through the day, everyone gradually calmed down, and prices kept dropping until they finally hit rock bottom.
The female host took out a small box containing a row of bone plaques with some patterns engraved on them.
"This was taken out of the ancient tomb along with the previous treasure. It is a set of twenty-eight dominoes, engraved with many mythical beast patterns."
She wanted to continue, but the appraiser didn't provide any more information. It seemed more like the tomb owner was playing cards during his lifetime and the cards were buried with him.
"Twenty-eight taels of gold. Each increment must be no less than one tael."
"Young lady, give us some more information! How are we supposed to buy if we don't know anything?" Some people below started to jeer.
A dead pig isn't afraid of boiling water. I've already told you, what are you going to do to me?
The female host chuckled lightly, "The appraiser did say some things, but he wanted to speak with the buyer privately. If I were to say everything today, wouldn't that be putting the buyer at a huge disadvantage?"
She tried to create suspense to raise the price, but everyone here was shrewd and nobody bought it.
Twenty-eight taels of gold isn't a lot, but it's not a small amount either. If you just throw it into the water and hear a splash, it's still a bit of a waste.
Seeing that the host had counted down to the last few, Zhong Ming was about to speak.
"Second, those of you who previously purchased other items from the same tomb, don't you want to collect the complete set? First..."
"Twenty-nine taels." The two voices shouted almost simultaneously.
Zhong Ming looked over there, instinctively wanting to cup his hands in greeting, but as soon as he moved, he was afraid his wig would fall off. So the others saw him stiffen, mechanically turn to another bidder, and slowly say, "If you want it, take it."
What he said sounded perfectly normal, but to outsiders, it sounded like a threat.
The man, wearing a mask, first glanced at the guard beside him, almost shouting, "Guard, look at him!"
Knowing that Zhong Ming was one of their own, the female host followed up, saying, "Since this distinguished guest is willing to relinquish the treasure, then twenty-nine taels will be the twenty-first bidder. Is there anyone else bidding? This is..."
"No, no, no, it's a general, isn't it? I just bought it to play with since no one seems to want it. If the general wants it, you can have it." The man felt a little guilty. It wasn't appropriate to make an enemy over this thing; the other party looked like someone not to be trifled with.
Zhong Ming was speechless. He said in a deep voice, "I don't like to take what others like. Since you've taken a liking to it, then buy it." His tone was very much in line with his persona, almost like he was giving an order.
Upon hearing this, the man gritted his teeth and stamped his foot.
buy.
He paid for the item on the spot, gave the order to the waiter, and had it delivered directly to Zhong Ming.
"Hmm? Who bought it? Why was it delivered to me?"
“That gentleman asked me to pass on a message to you,” the servant who delivered the treasure was clearly trained and knew some rudimentary methods of sound recording. He leaned close to Zhong Ming’s ear and said, “He is Wang Dingzhou, son of Wang Ling of the Wang family in Yunlu City. He hopes to present this item to you, General, to establish a good relationship.”
Zhong Ming: ......
You're really bold. You don't even know who I am, yet you dare to try and make a good connection with me, huh?
For the Wang family, losing twenty-nine taels of gold into the water was naturally painful, but maintaining a good relationship with a certain general was a worthwhile trade-off.
In Wang Dingzhou's view, this is not a question of whether or not to form a good relationship, but a necessary measure to bring negative goodwill back to positive goodwill.
Zhong Ming nodded to the person, accepted the gift, and casually placed it beside him.
Seeing that Zhong Ming had accepted it, Wang Dingzhou breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and leaned back in his chair with peace of mind.
This little incident went largely unnoticed, because the next treasure was of great importance: an item once worn by the first prime minister of the Chen dynasty.
Even immortals have a younger age when their cultivation level is low, and this is one of their garments.
The competition was exceptionally fierce. Zhong Ming leaned back comfortably in his chair, watching as various parties made bids. Some big shots in the private rooms on the second floor also joined in, with waiters offering increasingly outrageous prices.
Just as the price quotes were being finalized, with only the three waiters remaining, Zhong Ming's ears twitched as he heard some noise.
The ceiling shook slightly, but it didn't escape his ears.
He raised his head high, looking at the magnificent glass chandelier above, which swayed slightly in the air.
Is that an auction for cultivators up there? The two places must be separated by a very solid barrier.
The Yunlu City Auction House has learned its lesson. The previous auction for cultivators was held on the ground, but someone shattered the floor and used earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic) to escape, leaving no trace for others. Therefore, when the auction house was rebuilt, the auction for cultivators was moved upstairs, with a composite area made of various high-quality materials. It shouldn't happen again.
Just as Zhong Ming was thinking this, a huge tremor suddenly struck. Even people sitting in chairs could not maintain their balance, and many people fell to the ground along with their chairs.
The ceiling suddenly shattered, and the huge chandelier instantly lost its tension, crashing heavily towards the guest seating area.
Crystals, glass, luminescent gemstones, and polished rubies used as mirrors collided with each other, producing a series of crisp sounds.