NOVEL WEB chapter 153
78. Mighty
“The auction continues.”
Three minutes later, as the fairy lady promptly restarted the auction, and it seemed that the auction house had made no arrangements regarding that number eighty-eight, Lorenzo crushed one side of the sofa armrest once more.
“What’s going on? Does that country bumpkin really have the money to keep going?”
He looked at the confidant beside him:
“Can we check his identity?”
“Well… I’m afraid not.”
The trusted aide shook his head with a pained expression:
“After all, this is a black market auction; no one’s identity is checked upon entry. Unless we can drag him out of the private room to see his face, there’s basically no way to do it.”
“Useless!”
Lorenzo cursed angrily, his face pale with rage.
He had thought he had stumbled upon a great opportunity, spending eight or nine million to acquire something worth tens of millions—the essence of the ancient dragon. But unexpectedly, a meddlesome bumpkin had suddenly emerged, throwing all his plans into disarray!
He had even intended to use the money he expected to save from this deal to buy a large batch of new equipment to strengthen the Crimson Fire Gang!
“Have those two previous groups been kept an eye on?” Lorenzo suddenly squinted his eyes.
“They’ve been monitored!”
The aide shivered and said seriously:
“We’ve already dispatched personnel; it’s absolutely foolproof!”
“Good.”
The grievances suffered here had to be compensated for elsewhere.
This was a lawless black market; here, even if money was spent, it didn’t mean the goods were yours!
“Boss, don’t be angry. Actually, the current price is still far below the market value. If you calculate it, we’re still making a profit. A clown like that won’t be able to jump around for long!” the aide consoled.
“I know that, I just can’t swallow this anger!”
Lorenzo sat back down.
The estimated market price for ten drops of ancient dragon essence was around fifty million, and such rare items usually had a severe premium. To be safe, he had brought a full one hundred million this time!
And now the bid was only twenty million; no matter how you looked at it, it was still a huge profit.
“Continue.”
Lorenzo’s cold gaze swept over the private room number eighty-eight, sneering disdainfully.
I want to see where you get the qualifications to compete with my Crimson Fire Gang!
……
“Fifty million!”
“Fifty million… zero one thousand.”
“b*stard!”
More than ten minutes later, after enduring dozens of rounds of “intense” bidding, Lorenzo could no longer look down on that bumpkin; at this moment, he was utterly unable to sit still.
Fifty million!
It was already fifty million!
Fuck, still bidding a thousand more against myself!
I thought that if I kept going, that Number Eighty-Eight would back down.
But he actually followed all the way up to fifty million!
There’s no profit to be made now, and looking at the relaxed demeanor of that Number Eighty-Eight, he might even have some room left!
Who knows how much further he’ll go?
“Could it be that he genuinely wants to buy Gu Long’s hard work, rather than just raising the price on purpose?”
Lorenzo’s mind raced; the angrier he felt, the calmer he became.
Having come this far, Gu Long’s hard work must not be lost!
He stood up, disabling the sound disguise of the private room, and spoke seriously to the Number Eighty-Eight room in his true voice:
“Sir from Number Eighty-Eight, how about we become friends? I am Lorenzo from the Red Fire Gang in the lower city. This Gu Long’s hard work is very important to me, and I hope you can bear the pain of parting with it. There will surely be a generous reward in the future.”
“Red Fire Gang?”
“Lorenzo?”
As soon as he said this, the audience, who had been lulled into a stupor by their plain and unadorned bidding, erupted into noise once again.
“He actually came to participate in this auction himself?”
It’s important to note that the Red Fire Gang is a notorious large gang in the entire lower city of Belrand, controlling dozens of docks along the Gu Laien River and holding several smuggling routes, amassing countless riches.
As the leader of the Red Fire Gang, Lorenzo is infamous for his ruthlessness and cunning, said to have extended his reach to those lords. Just recently, a baron made an offhand remark that offended him, and the next day, that baron’s mistress was found stripped and hanged under a bridge.
One could say that Lorenzo’s notoriety has reached a level that could silence a child’s night cries; anyone mingling in the lower city basically had to give him face!
So his words were not only a friendly signal but also carried a hint of threat.
But the premise is, only for those in the lower city.
In the private room, Mu En paused slightly upon hearing that name.
Lorenzo?
Who is that?
He had some impression of the Red Fire Gang, which seemed to be a cannon fodder gang that appeared in the original story only to be slapped down by the protagonist, Ariel, within just a couple of chapters.
Is it really that impressive?
“Sorry, as the son of Duke Raymond, I’m not interested in being friends with you.” Mu En spoke, his processed deep voice echoing, still so indifferent.
As if he really were the son of a duke.
But this time, the audience was not shocked; instead, they emitted low chuckles.
Lorenzo was even more amused by the anger.
The son of Duke Raymond?
You?
If you’re the son of a duke, then I’m definitely a prince!
Look at the place, okay?
Where is this? It’s the black market of the lower district!
It’s a place where those big noble lords wouldn’t even want to step foot because it’s too dirty!
The dignified son of a duke would come to a place like this?
Are you kidding me?
“So, this gentleman intends to go against me, does he?”
Lorenzo gritted his teeth and stared at Room 88. If it weren’t for the dark one-way glass blocking his view, his glare could probably kill right now.
“Go against? Where does that come from? I’m just making a normal bid, is there a limit to bidding in this auction house?”
As he spoke, Mu En looked at the fairy lady:
“Is there?”
“Of course not. Everything that Mr. 88 does is in accordance with our auction house rules.”
The fairy lady smiled charmingly.
She didn’t care whether these two would end up fighting; after all, no matter how much fire there was, it could never reach the auction house.
As a professional auctioneer, she only cared about the transaction amount of this item.
Fifty million! Can it go any higher?
Thinking this, her gaze towards Room 88 was so alluring it seemed like it could drip with water.
Come on, big brother in Room 88!
“See, even the fairy lady says so.”
Mu En said lightly, “Mr. Lorenzo, the only reason you can’t win the bid is that you’re just not capable, so how can you blame me?”
“Not… capable?”
As Mu En’s seemingly casual words fell, the venue instantly fell silent.
It was as if they sensed a storm was about to arrive.
Everyone dared not even breathe, only looking at Room 88 with reverent gazes.
In the lower district, no one has dared to say such a thing to Lorenzo!
“He… said I… can’t?”
Sure enough, in Room 1, Lorenzo’s face twisted in rage, his eyes bloodshot, looking as if he were consumed by anger.
It was like a sensitive nerve had been touched.
“I hate it most when others say I can’t!”
“Today, I’ll tell you myself, am I capable or not!”
He snatched the number plate from his confidant’s hand, his deep voice instantly sweeping across the entire auction hall.
“I bid one hundred million!”