Lin Kong provided the auction items and was arranged to have a standard single private room. The room was exquisitely furnished and had a wide view, facing the auction stage below, so he could see everything that was happening in the room.
The auction soon began.
Those in the know understand that the first item auctioned often plays a crucial role in setting the tone for the entire auction. If it's a hit from the start, creating a lively atmosphere, subsequent items will attract enthusiastic bidding. However, if the opening is unsuccessful and the auction fizzles out, the total revenue for the day will be reduced by at least half.
This principle is simple and easy to understand, Heaven Dou City Grand Auction House was naturally well-prepared, bringing out its best treasures right from the start.
Two staff members in uniform carefully pushed a huge box onto the stage. The box was covered with a thick red cloth, completely concealing its contents, making it impossible to see anything inside.
However, many of the guests in the audience wore knowing smiles, their eyes revealing an indescribable lewdness.
"Distinguished guests!" The auctioneer, gavel in hand, strode to the front of the stage, his booming voice echoing throughout the hall, "The first item for auction is an absolutely unexpected surprise! Please take a look—!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand and ripped off the red cloth!
Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that what was on the stage wasn't a box at all, but an iron cage! Curled up inside was a young girl, covered only by a few thin pieces of cloth, revealing large expanses of delicate, fair skin. She looked timid and trembled, startled by the sudden commotion in the hall. Her fluffy cat ears drooped, and a thin tail swayed nervously behind her.
Catwoman!
She's an extremely rare catwoman!
It's obvious that something went wrong during the Martial Soul Awakening, causing the Martial Soul to completely fuse with the body, which is why such extraordinary features have appeared.
Seeing this, the auctioneer's smile widened, and he introduced the catwoman with great enthusiasm, "Ladies and gentlemen, please look! We've carefully nurtured this catwoman for a full three months! She's so fair and delicate, so fresh and beautiful! More importantly, our tests show that her Soul Power has reached level ten! As for her age—"
He paused deliberately, looking at the increasingly heated gazes of the crowd below, and said, word by word, "Ten years old!"
These words caused a sensation throughout the venue!
This is no mere "toy" to play with; it's clearly a Soul Master with limitless potential!
Level 10 Soul Power means that as long as you absorb your First Soul Ring, you can immediately become a true Soul Master. If you're lucky, your Soul Power will soar to level 15 or higher after absorbing the Soul Ring, which would be a huge win; of course, it's also possible that you'll only reach level 11, which would be a loss.
But this gambler's thrill was exactly what everyone present was most obsessed with!
"Starting price: 10,000 Gold Soul Coin!" the auctioneer shouted, slamming his gavel down heavily.
I'll offer 20,000!
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, someone in the audience eagerly raised their paddle and made a bid, their voices filled with a determined fervor.
"Forty thousand!"
"One hundred thousand!"
Bidding intensified, prices soared, and the atmosphere in the auction hall reached its first climax!
According to auction convention, the ordinary guests in the hall should take turns bidding first, driving the price up to a certain level, before the VIPs in the private boxes leisurely open their doors and throw out a price that is enough to crush the entire room.
What is the purpose?
It's nothing more than experiencing the thrill of being high above others and having everything you want.
But this time, the rules were broken.
The bidding in the hall had only gone through three rounds, with the price soaring from ten thousand Gold Soul Coin to one hundred thousand, when a cold voice suddenly rang out from a private room, drowning out the clamor of the entire hall:
One million Gold Soul Coin!
Each word was spoken slowly and deliberately, with a firm and resounding tone.
The entire room fell silent. Everyone was stunned by the sudden exorbitant price and turned to look in the direction from which the sound came—it was an inconspicuous standard single room, not a luxurious VIP room reserved for top guests!
Who's making such a big move?
Inside the private room, Lin Kong leaned back in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest. His expression was not pleasant; he couldn't stand this farce of auctioning off living people like commodities. He was seething with anger and decided to speak up and disrupt the proceedings.
"Heh, interesting." After a moment of silence, a soft chuckle came from one of the VIP boxes, followed by an arrogant voice that immediately joined the bidding. "One million two hundred thousand!"
This is openly challenging each other!
All eyes were once again focused on the standard private room where Lin Kong was, their eyes filled with anticipation—would he dare to accept?
Lin Kong remained silent, as if his earlier offer of one million was merely a casual joke.
"If you don't have money, don't try to act big here. You're making a fool of yourself!" The sarcastic voice, full of disdain, clearly came from the VIP box.
Lin Kong ignored him completely, not even lifting an eyelid.
Subsequent bidding was sporadic, with a few other VIPs in the other boxes raising the price a few times as a token gesture. However, the atmosphere, which should have been lively, was strangely quiet, lacking the previous fervor.
Lin Kong listened to the weak bidding from below the stage, his gaze darkening slightly. He quickly lost interest in watching the spectacle, got up, and pushed open the door to the private room—his purpose in coming here had always been to find Ning Fengzhi.
As Lin Kong stopped in front of a luxurious VIP box, two guards appeared, one on each side with outstretched arms, their eyes narrowed and sharp as eagles, and they shouted in a deep voice, "Halt!"
One of the guards looked Lin Kong up and down before asking, "Are you Lin Kong?"
"Junior Lin Kong requests an audience with Uncle Ning." Lin Kong's tone was humble and polite.
"No need to announce your arrival, you can go straight in."
The two guards exchanged a glance and stepped aside to make way for each other. One of them even reached out and slowly pushed open the carved wooden door of the private room.
Lin Kong stepped into the private room and glanced around. He saw Ning Fengzhi sitting upright in a soft chair, playing with a white jade wine cup in his hand. Standing beside him was Sword Douluo Chen Xin, and there were no other people around.
" Uncle Ning!" Lin Kong greeted first.
" Xiao Kong, you're here." Ning Fengzhi put down his wine glass, a gentle smile on his face, his tone as familiar as if he were entertaining a junior.
" Lin Kong greets Your Sword Douluo." Lin Kong then turned to Chen Xin and bowed respectfully.
"Hmm." Chen Xin nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over him briefly before offering no further comment.
The courtesies on both sides were impeccable, and there was absolutely no sign of anything amiss because of the previous disagreement over the recommendation letter.
Ning Fengzhi started the conversation first, his tone slightly teasing. "What, was it you who just shouted out one million Gold Soul Coin? Don't tell me you have any designs on that poor catgirl."
"I don't want to waste time dawdling around; I just want to see Uncle Ning as soon as possible," Lin Kong said bluntly.
Ning Fengzhi personally quoted the price, so Lin Kong naturally knew which private room was available and could simply go there.
Upon hearing this, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but give him a thumbs up, his eyes full of admiration, and praised with a smile, "Smart!"