With that, Hao Liang walked at an unhurried pace toward the presidents of the Three Major Merchants' Associations in the front row.
When Hao Liang reached them, all three presidents activated their personal Conversation Shielding in tacit unison.
No one paid much attention. This was a simple bargain purchase with no competing buyers, so the process should have been quick. After all, Professor Hao Liang hardly looked like someone who could offer an astronomical sum.
Yet time ticked steadily away.
One minute, two minutes, five minutes...
A full ten minutes passed, and they still had not finished.
In the efficiency-minded Core Venue, especially for a seemingly unpopular auction item, this felt unusually long!
Quiet murmurs began spreading through the venue, and many people looked puzzled.
Did an antique meant for research really warrant such a long discussion? What were they discussing? Just the price? Or additional conditions?
At last, the Conversation Shielding shut off. The four had reached an agreement.
"The deal is concluded," Jiang Hao said slowly.
Professor Hao Liang approached the display platform and removed the heavy double-barreled shotgun from its mount.
Qin Siyang's gaze followed Hao Liang closely the entire time.
Was Professor Hao really just researching the technology? Or was he using that as cover to slip something else into the deal?
Recalling those unusually long ten minutes of private negotiations, Qin Siyang's heart sank.
When he saw Hao Liang calmly take the shotgun while the presidents of the Three Major Merchants' Associations frowned slightly-particularly Kyle Warren and Zoff Fan-Qin Siyang felt almost certain his suspicions were correct.
Hao Liang must have raised other conditions during the deal, perhaps even somewhat troublesome ones.
*Was he asking the Three Major Merchants' Associations about this item's origins? Or was he using this opportunity to seek out or verify