C7 The Auction Continued.!

The first lot was an instant favorite among the attendees.

It quickly fetched a price of $100,000, with the room awash in a sea of lights.

"$160,000 for the third time!" Mike called out with fervor, "Congratulations to the lady on winning our opening lot!"

The crowd responded with a wave of applause.

The lights then converged on the previously mentioned alluring woman.

She playfully threw a wink at the crowd below.

"Wow!" they exclaimed, their drool practically flooding the floor.

"Now, please turn your attention to the second lot," Mike announced as the excitement from the first sale subsided, presenting the next item.

It was a black stone!

"As you can see, this is merely a lustrous black stone," Mike said, noting the puzzled looks from the crowd, and he took a breath before continuing, "However, it appears to have the ability to absorb a significant amount of energy all at once and then slowly release it into the surrounding area..."

Room No. 7

In stark contrast to the other well-lit rooms, this one was shrouded in darkness, save for the intermittent flashing of a pair of green eyes.

"Ha! There it is! I've been searching for this! It must be mine!"

...

Room No. 1

"Is this a large piece of obsidian crystal?"

"Miss, shall we place a bid?" Uncle Li inquired.

"Just go ahead and bid. If we don't get it, no big deal—I'm not short on these," Kong Lingyue replied, nonchalantly crossing her legs and enjoying the fruit on the table.

...

Room No. 3

"Scan it!"

"Beep! Scanning in progress..."

Name: Obsidian Crystal (origin...)

Function: Balances conflicting elements, slowly absorbs and releases energy, and is an ideal core for formations like arrays.

Lin Yih's eyes sparkled. "This is quite the find."

...

"Surely everyone has their sights set on the second lot by now! Let's get right to it and start the bidding!" Mike cut to the chase, plunging the room into darkness once more.

Silence fell over the hall again.

"Two hundred thousand!"

Snap! A spotlight illuminated the bidder.

It was the same enchantress who had won the first lot!

"Two hundred and ten thousand!" a lanky man called out.

Meng Ting Er raised the stakes: "Three hundred thousand!"

"Three hundred and ten thousand!"

"Four hundred thousand!" she declared, tossing another coquettish glance his way.

"Four hundred and ten thousand!"

The tall, thin man remained stoic.

Meng Ting Er cursed under her breath, "Insufferable man!"

As she prepared to bid again, the lights in a previously darkened room suddenly blazed to life.

A dazzling orange glow bathed the bustling crowd below, drawing all eyes to it.

The illuminated room was on the third level, at the seven o'clock position.

"One hundred thousand!"

Those in the know realized a heavy-hitter had entered the fray.

Predictably, the spotlight found Mike.

"Room No. 7 jumps in with a bold bid of one hundred thousand—impressive!"

Mike took a brief pause.

"Any other takers?" he thought, feeling a sense of relief, confident that tonight's records would be shattered and his pockets well lined.

The tall and thin man seemed ready to bow out after the price surge.

Meng Ting Er bit her lip in frustration but managed to offer, "One hundred and ten thousand!"

"Wow, we have a high roller!" the crowd erupted in cheers.

"One hundred and fifty thousand!" came a slightly raspy voice from Room No. 7, adding a chilling threat, "Don't compete with me, or I'll kill you."

The mood turned heavy, the palpable pressure bearing down like a wild beast, leaving the crowd breathless.

Mike on stage frowned; this was against the rules.

But he was powerless to intervene, especially considering the influence of those who could afford Room No. 7.

Meng Ting Er's face flushed with anger, yet she could only seethe in silence.

"Oh? Who dares to be so bold? I bid two hundred thousand!"

A languid voice effortlessly shattered the tension.

Snap! The familiar orange glow made the auction hall as bright as day.

Room No. 1 was making its move, sending ripples through the audience.

"Who are you?" the gruff voice from Room No. 7 demanded.

"I'm your daddy!" Kong Ling Yue retorted fearlessly.

"Scoundrel!" The man in Room No. 7 seethed with rage, wary yet not overly intimidated by the woman in Room No. 1, trusting in the auction house's confidentiality for its patrons.

Room No. 3

Lin Yih shook his head, having considered joining the bidding.

But with the price now inflated to 300,000 yuan and his wallet looking rather lean, he abandoned the thought.

...

"Three hundred and ten thousand!" Room No. 7 called out.

"Three hundred and ten thousand and one!" Room No. 1 countered.

"...Three hundred and twenty thousand!"

"Three hundred and twenty thousand and one!"

The battle was on between Rooms No. 1 and No. 7.

"Damn it! Three hundred and fifty thousand!" the hoarse voice from Room No. 7 bellowed, "This is my final offer. Take it if you dare bid again!"

Kong Lingyue in Room No. 1 scoffed, "Is that all? I have more than enough obsidian crystals. Since you're so keen on paying a premium of 350,000 for this little piece, it's all yours."

Her voice, dripping with disdain, thrilled the onlookers.

"Cursed be!" The man in Room No. 7 realized he'd been played.

...

Lin Yih remarked, "She's quite the character, isn't she?"

...

A minor hiccup occurred, but it was nothing serious.

Mike's gift of gab was impressive, likely buoyed by the success of the first two auctions, keeping the mood in the auction hall upbeat throughout.

Each item fetched a price well above the norm, much to Mike's delight.

After the fifteenth item went for a whopping seventy thousand, Mike had all the lights in the auction hall turned on.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Mike adjusted his bow tie and loosened up his tense frame.

He was about to speak when...

The crowd suddenly chorused, "We know!"

"Shoot!" Mike rolled his eyes with flair, brushing off the crowd's jests, and proceeded with the agenda.

"Mike, we get it. You all are as eager as ever, but now—the showcase auction is over, and it's time for intermission..."

With that, Mike unceremoniously plopped down on the floor, tilting his head back to guzzle a bottle of water.

"Haha, Mike, you could even make that look cool."

"Haha, same old you, never changing..."

"Big bro Mike, the floor's filthy. You could sit on my lap instead..."

During the break.

The audience engaged in playful banter, some resting with eyes closed in their chairs, others stepping out of the auction hall in search of a bite to eat.

Lin Yih, from private room number three, also exited the auction hall.

It must be acknowledged that the fifteen items showcased had consumed a full three hours of Lin Yih's time.

Truth be told, Lin Yih was starting to feel peckish.

His goal in stepping out was twofold: to grab a bite and recharge, and to flip some Strength Pills on the side.

Having not made a single purchase in the first half of the auction, Lin Yih had come to a sobering realization.

He was, quite frankly, broke!