Chapter 079: The Grand Auction
It had to be said that after Ella’s lesson a few days ago, the little girl Dongfang had indeed become much more enlightened.
Now, the small garden was filled with colorful flowers, arranged in a scattered yet orderly manner, which was truly pleasing to the eye.
Perhaps due to this improvement in the atmosphere, Dongfang’s mindset had also calmed down a lot. Her shamanistic meditation seemed to have progressed faster than before for this reason. It seemed that it wouldn’t be long before she could comprehend the most basic shamanistic energy.
When Ella left that day, she was quite fond of the little girl Dongfang and planned to go home and make a complete tutorial for her. When she had time, she would come and teach Dongfang some things that a girl needed to learn. This couldn’t help but solve a difficult problem for Chen Ran. As a former veteran otaku, if he were to teach Dongfang, it would be a complete mess.
Fortunately, Dongfang liked that big sister very much, not only because she was capable and beautiful, but most importantly, the fruit candies she brought were too delicious.
For Chen Ran, that important day was also getting closer and closer.
The weekend at the end of this month was one of the liveliest days of the year in Xilan City. On this day, most of the high-end and wealthy customers from the neighboring cities or those passing by would participate in this annual grand auction.
Due to the influence of the auction, the flow of people on the streets had obviously increased these few days, which promoted consumption. The auction house in the rich district was decorated with lanterns and colored banners, making the whole street look like a festival. A long, bright red carpet was even laid out outside the auction house.
Not just anyone could enter this auction. Apart from specially invited figures, at least those with a gold card were qualified to enter. So, most of the people who could enter were either rich or noble families. There, you could generally see the famous nobles and rich people of Xilan City and the neighboring cities.
More than a dozen young and beautiful girls stood at the entrance of the auction house to welcome guests. The swaying waves of flesh on their chests were breathtaking. There were charming, mature, flirtatious, and pretentious pure types, their postures alluring and their fragrance intoxicating.
You had to know that those who could enter were all wealthy customers with a net worth of more than ten thousand gold coins. These girls had specially dressed themselves up beautifully, hoping that they might be chosen by someone and become a well-fed and well-clothed rich man’s wife.
Of course, there was another row of male receptionists inside. Most of them were decent-looking, and their purpose was similar to the girls outside, specifically for those who wanted to latch onto a rich woman…
As a “successful person,” Chen Ran also entered this grand event where the rich gathered.
Upon entering the luxuriously decorated auction hall, a wave of wealth and nobility washed over him. It was indeed well-arranged. Among the crowd, everyone was dressed in fine clothes and had an extraordinary status. They were either the president of some grain company or the head of some trading firm. These people were always surrounded by beautiful women of all shapes and sizes.
Because it was an auction house, there wasn’t too much noise. The well-behaved crowd sat in their seats, quietly waiting for the auction to officially begin. Real networking could be done at a more luxurious ball that was routinely held tonight. At least after the auction ended, everyone here would receive an invitation to the ball.
Over the years, countless items had been sold for sky-high prices here. It seemed that the highest bid had once reached a high price of four hundred thousand gold coins, but this record was very likely to be broken on this day.
After consigning “Light’s Defiance” to the seller, Chen Ran also found his seat and sat down, quietly waiting for the auction to begin.
When the time came, with a gesture from the female host to quiet down, all the sounds ceased at that moment.
On the stage, the female host’s sweet voice announced the official start of the auction. After a habitual explanation of the most basic rules, she began to present the first auction item.
The first item displayed was a beautiful piece of jewelry, with a starting price of three thousand gold coins. Those with a special fondness for jewelry began to bid against each other. The price shot up in an instant, and when it reached eight thousand gold coins, no one raised the price any further. The first deal was thus completed.
Chen Ran sat in his seat, flipping through the list of items for sale this time. After a rough look, there was indeed nothing particularly exciting. Jewelry, antiques, and magic equipment were mostly things he could make with a casual effort.
And just at this moment, a low sigh came from beside him.
“It seems there’s nothing particularly interesting at the Xilan City auction this year. But the two-handed sword on the last page seems a bit interesting. It seems that this city rarely sells things with such a high starting price.”
Chen Ran habitually turned his head and saw a man in a brown-black leather coat sitting next to him. Just from the bright, rare fur on his clothes, this person’s net worth was certainly not small. And his calm temperament was even more impressive.
This man was about forty-something, perhaps even older. Every movement exuded the calm and capable air of a great merchant. He had a specially grown goatee, with a slight curl, which was quite individual. His shiny hair was neatly combed back, and his eagle-like eyes were exceptionally clear.
Seeming to notice that someone was looking at him, the man with the goatee turned his head. Seeing Chen Ran’s gaze, he couldn’t help but smile. “What is it, little brother? Do you have something to teach me?”
Chen Ran said casually, “It’s nothing. I’m just a little curious. You don’t seem to be from this city?”
“Heh, indeed. I’m just a passing merchant, traveling north and south, occasionally doing some reselling. I mainly operate in Diya City, which is known as the Demon Capital.”
“Oh?”
Hearing this name, Chen Ran also seemed to have some impression.
Diya City was an important major coastal city, connecting the large-scale trade of several coastal cities. It was also an important trade port with the sea nation of Ikadan. It could be considered a first-tier city, a super city on the same level as the Imperial Capital. Perhaps, apart from the culture and military power of the Imperial Capital, in terms of the people’s living standards, the Imperial Capital’s living standards were not even as good as Diya’s, which was known as the Demon Capital.
Looking at the man’s proper behavior and powerful speech, and the lack of the usual stench of money that merchants had, Chen Ran couldn’t help but ask, “I wonder if you could explain some of the differences between the Demon Capital and here, brother? I’ve never been to a super city like Diya, and I’m very curious about the living conditions there.”
“Heh, since you’re so curious, and since there’s nothing to do now, I’ll tell you a little. Let’s start with the difference between the auction houses in the two places,” the man with the goatee said, raising a finger and pointing at the host woman on the stage, who was scratching her head and acting coquettishly. “There’s still a gap in the class of the auction houses here and in Diya City. Not to mention the decoration, just the female host alone. The woman on the stage is a bit too old, not to mention how many men she’s slept with. The female hosts in Diya City are mostly beautiful young girls of eighteen or nineteen who have undergone strict training, and they are all virgins. Every time an auction ends, that virgin female host will also sell her precious first night, and those rich masters will often just take her back and keep her.”
