"Just go ahead and bid, if you offer more than sixty-six thousand, I'll let you have it."
As Bada Bruce hesitated, Lynn, waiting below, was growing impatient. He didn't want to engage in a drawn-out bidding war and simply revealed his bottom line to his competitor.
However, the more nonchalant Lynn appeared, the more insecure Bada Bruce felt.
He was concerned he might have encountered a bigshot disguised as a fool...
Oh, no, he wasn't even pretending to be a fool. He was openly hoping to lure a tiger into his trap, rather like a dragon waiting for the tiger to leap into its mouth!
Being able to survive into adulthood in Celestial Destiny City without getting killed meant Bada Bruce wasn't your average brainless noble. Although he was usually somewhat of a wastrel, his mind was sharp when it mattered.
He'd rather take a small loss than risk his life—a rule he set for himself.
"I'm withdrawing from the bidding."
After a moment of reflection, Bada Bruce decided not to continue bidding. Although the Succubus Collar was a good item, it wasn't worth the risk of overpaying.
Moreover, it was already overpriced. Previous auction prices for the succubus collar ranged from thirty to thirty-five thousand gold coins, and it was now up to fifty thousand. Withdrawing now wasn't embarrassing.
"Then... fifty thousand gold coins, going once!"
"Fifty thousand gold coins, going twice!"
"Fifty thousand gold coins, going thrice!"
"Bang! Sold!"
After both Miss Jones and Bruce withdrew from the bidding, Lynn easily acquired the Succubus Collar for the high price of fifty thousand gold coins.
Once this transaction was completed, the auction lost interest for Lynn, as nothing else on offer piqued his curiosity.
The occupants of boxes 3 and 5, who had occasionally bid, also fell silent, leaving one to wonder what they were contemplating.
Only when the finale—the premium weapon usable up to level 490—appeared did the atmosphere reignite with excitement.
But to Lynn, it was merely an orange item under level 500, not even fit for a backup weapon, since it didn't even carry Demonic Qi.
In the end, Bada Bruce won what was described as premium but was, in fact, just an ordinary Sacred Artifact sword, with a bid of one and a half million gold coins.
At one point, the Jones Clan's young lady also entered the bidding, but she clearly had no genuine interest in the sword, which she couldn't even wield. Her purpose was to trouble Bada Bruce, to increase the price, forcing him to spend one and a half million rather than the million he initially planned.
Unfortunately, he had no choice but to accept the loss as he intended to gift it to his elder brother, worried Vivian Jones might indeed outbid him, as those extra hundred thousand gold coins meant little to her.
After all the items were auctioned, the hall started to clear. Patrons gradually left, and after Lynn paid backstage and collected his winnings, he prepared to leave.
But just as he stepped out, he was suddenly bumped into by a ginger cat.
Rather than fleeing, the chubby ginger cat rubbed its fluffy head against Lynn's pant leg.
Even without words, Lynn could tell it intended to brush away the fault for bumping into him.
And for such a self-delivering little kitty, Lynn, of course, was ready to pet it heartily.
He put away his things, picked up the plump ginger cat, and gave it a good pet, then took the chance to ruffle its fur the wrong way.
And just like that, the once-docile ginger cat turned restless, meowing indignantly in Lynn's arms, its round body struggling to break free.
"Guji, where have you run off to?"
At this moment, a girl's anxious voice sounded from the side. It seemed familiar, but before Lynn could recall who it might be, a youthful and graceful figure appeared before him.
An elegant princess dress, a golden hairpin atop her head, and silvery, smooth hair cascading over her shoulders like a river of stars.
She wore black round-toe little leather shoes, and a black skirt with a white blouse.
Delicate features on a face as tender as dew, her skin as pale as if it were translucent.
Vivian Jones...
Lynn recognized her instantly. It was knowing that it was her arguing with that Bruce something-or-other guy that made him step in to dampen that noble kid's arrogance.
The girl named Vivian was indeed an acquaintance of Lynn's, though not a close one—a few brief encounters only.
She was an NPC in Celestial Destiny City, known for giving out simple tasks, which was how Lynn crossed paths with her.
Typically, her tasks involved finding cats, finding cats, and finding more cats.
Her ginger cat constantly went missing, so any task from her was likely to involve finding it.
Given the decent rewards, Lynn, in his early days in Celestial Destiny City, helped her find that cat eight times, with his potion money mostly earned from her tasks.
Sadly, it seemed she, like Little Youli, didn't remember him, judging by the way she looked at him.
"Hello, that's my cat, could you return it to me?"
Vivian meekly asked, her delicate fingers pointing to the ginger cat in Lynn's arms.
"The cat is adorable, but it could use some weight loss."
Lynn replied as he handed over the ginger cat, not forgetting the phrase he had told Vivian no less than five times before.
On hearing Lynn, Vivian's face showed distress, suggesting the cat's weight was indeed a worrying matter.
Meanwhile, the ginger cat glared fiercely at Lynn with a loud "meow," as if to say, "Stay out of cat matters!"
"Guji just can't lose weight. I've tried controlling its diet and increasing exercise, but it gains weight even drinking water," Vivian said, taking the ginger cat, smoothing its ruffled fur, and pouting a little as she vented to Lynn.
"Then just don't give it water," Lynn naturally replied.
"Huh?"
Vivian was taken aback, and the ginger cat bristled with alarm. If not held tightly by its owner, it might have made this cheeky acquaintance feel the power of its cat paws!