The Raven Auction Method

"I have an average face; many people say they've seen me before," Roland said vaguely.

"Really?" Mario felt something was off, but couldn't quite place where he had seen Roland before.

"Next up is the etching of 'The Supper at Emmaus,' meticulously crafted by Rembrandt in 1634. It presents a restrained yet intimate atmosphere, depicting a Christianity story: Jesus, shortly after being crucified and resurrected, encounters two believers in a small Cross in a village near Jerusalem called Emmaus in the evening."

The Auctioneer scanned the room. "Starting bid: $6 million. Please place your bids now."

"It's a pity it's not Caravaggio's 'The Supper at Emmaus,' otherwise I would definitely take a picture of it," Mario muttered, then asked Roland, "Is the Priest interested in this painting?"

Roland smiled and shook his head. With such a high starting price, he might as well just buy a replica and hang it in the Church.

Bruce sat in the VIP section at the front, flirting with the blonde beauty next to him while holding up a sign. He seemed uninterested in the painting, just spending a little money to reinforce his image as a spendthrift.

"Mr. Wayne has offered $12 million, $12 million in one go!"

"12 million twice! Please place your bid quickly."

"12 million, three times! Sold!" The Auctioneer brought down the gavel.

"The next lot is quite special; it's an Ancient Blade from Arabia, but this unique shape is the first of its kind to be discovered, and it remains sharp even after so many years... It's an exceptional piece of craftsmanship." The Auctioneer then used it to cut several items, demonstrating the Ancient Blade's sharpness.

"This entrance is so relatable..." Roland muttered.

"Because we cannot determine the exact provenance of this knife, we cannot set a suitable starting price. With the seller's permission, this will be a rare zero-starting-price auction," the Auctioneer said with a smile.

"Now it feels more familiar. If I sold seven knives, it would be just right..." Roland's lips twitched, and he held up the sign, "$1!"

"One hundred thousand dollars." Bruce held up the sign.

"They're not playing by the rules."

Bruce ignored Roland and continued whispering with the woman beside him.

"110,000."

"One hundred and fifty thousand."

Someone started bidding higher, but Bruce didn't hesitate at all, raising his paddle again, "Two hundred thousand dollars."

"Three hundred thousand." A few seconds later, someone raised the bid. It was a young girl wearing an Islamic embroidered robe. She wore a veil, so her face could not be seen, but her figure was outstanding.

"This guy's surname isn't Saket, is it...?" Roland couldn't help but mutter.

"Five hundred thousand." Bruce raised his paddle to follow suit.

"Seven hundred thousand." The Islamic girl continued to raise the price, while also making a few sarcastic remarks about Bruce.

"Seven hundred thousand... and one hundred." Bruce smiled.

One million five hundred thousand.

"One million five hundred thousand... and one hundred."

Three million!

Three million and one hundred dollars.

The room fell silent; no one wanted to join the bidding, and everyone watched as Wayne's occasional tantrums from the sidelines.

Often, occasionally.

"Young Master Wayne, this puts us in a difficult position," the Auctioneer said, somewhat embarrassed.

Roland's eyes lit up. He placed his hand on the table in front of him, waiting for Bruce to flip the table so he could follow suit.

But Bruce was clearly not Raven; instead of flipping the table, he lit a Cigar and said, "Then, ten million."

Bruce successfully won the bid for the Ancient Blade, and everyone applauded. The atmosphere at the auction remained lively, and Bruce also snapped up many other items.

"Next up is the grand finale of this auction, the Wanderer Pearl, La Pérégrina, also known as the Pilgrim Pearl," the Auctioneer began introducing the final item.

"It may have first been discovered in the Panamanian region in the early 16th century, and then presented as tribute to its then-suzerain state, Spain, by the Panamanian governor Temez. The name La Pérégrina comes from Spain and means pilgrim or wanderer."

"The first owner of this Pearl was Philip II, the future King of Spain, who gave Pearl to his two first wives: Princess Maria of Portugal and Queen Mary I of England, also known as Bloody Mary."

"For the next 200 years, it was a family heirloom passed down through generations of Spain monarchs, and one of the most beloved pieces of jewelry among the Spain queens."

"Until the 19th century, when Napoleon swept across Europe, his brother Joseph once ruled Spain, and the Wanderer Pearl fell into his hands. After his death, it was inherited by Napoleon III."

"Later, during his exile, Napoleon III sold the Wanderer Pearl to the politician James Hamilton... And now, this Pearl, which has wandered for so many years, may finally find its true owner."

The Auctioneer spoke passionately while glancing furtively at Bruce, as if hinting at something.

Bruce rolled his eyes. Just hearing the awful name of this Pearl was enough to give him PTSD; he didn't want it at all.

However, for other wealthy individuals in Gotham City, this piece of jewelry was top-tier in terms of both its historical significance and intrinsic value. They began a fierce bidding war, quickly driving up the price of the Pearl.

Roland's smile grew increasingly unrestrained, Bruce noticed. He quietly asked him, "Did you put this here for auction?"

"Yes."

"Where did you get this?" Bruce asked, somewhat puzzled. He had never noticed that Roland was so wealthy.

"It's a secret."

"You didn't steal the Taylor family, did you?" Bruce muttered.

"Hey, how can you slander someone out of thin air?" Roland whispered to Bruce while keeping an eye on the situation in the hall.

At that moment, a wealthy man in the VIP seats suddenly rushed onto the stage and shoved the Auctioneer aside.

"Broad robbery, huh?" Roland suddenly swung the table and jumped in front of the tycoon, smashing him into a puddle of mud.

"Clayface, is that you?" Roland was taken aback.

"Damn it, it's you again, Priest. Why are you always picking on me?" Clayface cursed.

"You want to steal my things, and you're asking me why I'm messing with you?" Roland was also furious, swinging the table in his hand, leaving a shadow, and smashing the Clayface mangled beyond recognition.

"It's no use!" Clayface kept conjuring mouths from various places. "You can't hurt me."

"Hmph..." Roland continued to stop the Clayface figures from forming a clump, while searching for a water source in the Auction Hall.

"How annoying!" Clayface suddenly produced a Drill and smashed the Wooden Table in Roland's hand.

But this also affected the Auction Hall's display stand, and the Wanderer Pearl rolled to the ground.