Preparing for the Auction

The next day.

Inside the Profound Heaven Auction House.

Gu Fan stood in the main hall. Before him were the auction house's steward, maids, auctioneers, appraisers, and other staff.

The steward was named Feng Xu, and he treated Gu Fan, the new owner, with relative respect. At least he had not made trouble for him.

They introduced themselves to one another.

Then Gu Fan waved everyone off to attend to their duties, but kept Feng Xu behind.

"Steward Feng, I'd like to know about this auction house's past operations."

Hearing this, Feng Xu immediately assumed a serious expression.

"Sir, the Heav... Profound Heaven Auction House used to hold an auction every fortnight. After years of operation, it has earned a modest reputation, and around half the seats were filled each time."

"As for the auction lots, most were middle-grade and high-grade first-tier treasures. In good years, though, we did auction supreme-grade first-tier treasures..."

"What about second-tier ones?"

"Second-tier! Sir, to be honest, if we had second-tier treasures to auction, this auction house's name would have resounded far and wide long ago!"

Gu Fan nodded slightly at Feng Xu's words.

From the sound of it, second-tier treasures were extremely precious even in Yanshan Commandery City!

But what deserved the most attention was that this auction house had an established clientele and a steady supply of auction lots!

Most were middle-grade and high-grade first-tier treasures... that essentially guaranteed second-tier treasures from the system's returns!

With good luck, he might even trigger a critical return and receive more precious treasures!

And once second-tier treasures went up for auction and the Profound Heaven Auction House's name resounded far and wide...

The endless stream of precious treasures would surely give Gu Fan a great surprise.

With a clear picture in mind, Gu Fan immediately had Feng Xu take him to the auction house's storeroom.

"Sir, because Owner Yan was eager to sell the auction house, he hurriedly held an auction three days ago, so..."

Walking along the passage to the storeroom, Feng Xu spoke somewhat sheepishly.

That burly man had been eager to recoup his funds.

So he had put every auction lot up for bidding three days earlier.

Naturally, only a paltry two or three odds and ends remained in the storeroom now.

Gu Fan nodded lightly at his words without speaking.

Soon.

The two opened the stone door, which weighed a thousand jin, and entered the storeroom.

Feng Xu walked ahead, explaining as he went, "After three days of preparation, the auction house currently has four auction lots. But by the auction twelve days from now, we should more or less be able to gather ten."

Reaching the treasure cabinet that held the auction lots, Gu Fan looked ahead.

All four auction lots were middle-grade first-tier treasures!

In Guangyang City, middle-grade first-tier treasures were rarely seen.

Yet in Yanshan Commandery City... they had gathered four in just three days?

And this was only a small auction house. At a large one, wouldn't they come with a mere wave of the hand?!

Perhaps even supreme-grade first-tier treasures were commonplace!

And after the system's critical return, what precious treasures would treasures like these yield?

At this thought, even Gu Fan's breathing quickened involuntarily.

Then, under Feng Xu's astonished gaze, he ordered, "Then we'll hold our first auction tonight and test the waters!"

"Tonight?"

Hearing this, Feng Xu shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Sir, absolutely not!"

"Why?"

"Sir, the auction house only has four auction lots right now. That's nowhere near enough for an auction!"

"If I say it's enough, it's enough."

Gu Fan spoke calmly.

Based on his experience in Guangyang City, auction lots had never been measured by the number of treasures.

But by their quality!

Even low-grade first-tier treasures could yield second-tier treasures through the system's returns.

Now that they were middle-grade first-tier treasures, could the results possibly be worse?

Since he knew there would be second-tier treasures, Gu Fan naturally had to strike while the iron was hot and raise the auction house's profile!

He would strive to... make its name resound far and wide!

"Sir, have you truly decided?"

Seeing Gu Fan's firm attitude, Feng Xu could not help staring at him blankly as he asked.

He suspected this man was mad. Despite knowing there were not enough auction lots, he still insisted on holding an auction, and even declared he would test the waters?

Was that something a person would say?

"Make the preparations. Set the time for tonight."

Gu Fan patted him on the shoulder, then left the storeroom.

An auction required not only treasures, but publicity as well!

So how should he publicize it?

The most direct and efficient method was to proclaim throughout Yanshan Commandery City... that the Profound Heaven Auction House would auction second-tier treasures tonight!

Of course, the most important point was this.

This Profound Heaven was not that Profound Heaven.

"Second-tier treasures? Could the Profound Heaven Auction House be holding an auction today?"

By the roadside, a passerby looked at the sheet of paper he had just picked up off the ground and murmured to himself.

Naturally, everyone in Yanshan Commandery City knew the name "Profound Heaven Auction House."

However.

As he recalled, the "Profound Heaven Auction House" seemed to have held an auction just half a month earlier.

That auction had been extraordinarily lively, and its grand finale had even featured a middle-grade second-tier treasure, sparking fierce bidding.

Why was it holding another auction after only half a month?

The passerby automatically ignored the Linnan Street address noted on the paper.

It could not be helped. The Profound Heaven Auction House was so famous that he simply took it to mean the one on Vermilion Bird Street.

Shaking his head, the passerby put the sheet of paper into his storage ring.

When he looked up, he saw that most of the people around him were also putting the sheets into their storage rings.

Gu Fan's publicity method was just that direct.

He had simply printed the news that second-tier treasures would be auctioned on paper, then distributed the sheets throughout Yanshan Commandery City.

He believed everyone who read it would remember it vividly because of the words "Profound Heaven Auction House."

And in fact.

Gu Fan was borrowing the reputation of the "Profound Heaven Auction House" to spread his own auction house's name!

Yet even Gu Fan, who had accounted for everything, had not anticipated this.

Precisely because of the Profound Heaven Auction House's reputation, these passersby instinctively assumed it meant the one on Vermilion Bird Street.

As for Linnan Street, it was so remote.

Presumably, the "Profound Heaven Auction House" had simply printed the wrong address!

Moreover.

Gu Fan's publicity method this time was truly formidable.

Densely scattered sheets of paper occupied all of Yanshan Commandery City. Unless someone never stepped beyond their inner or outer doors, they already knew before nightfall that the "Profound Heaven Auction House" would be holding an auction.

Most people.

Naturally planned to attend that very night.