Chapter 7: The Auction of Power
The velvet envelope arrived just after midnight.
Kaito found it placed neatly at his desk at Creative Mindz HQ, without a single camera catching its delivery. He opened it, half-expecting another encrypted threat from Arjun Varma or a prank from Ravi.
Instead, it was a high-gloss invitation embossed in gold:
"You are cordially invited to the Legacy Auction. Location: Confidential – Access granted on RSVP Attendance by Selection Only Dress Code: Elite – Seraphine Elrai, Director, Arton House"
The Legacy Auction. He'd heard the name before.
A hidden playground for the ultra-rich. Where old wealth exchanged more than assets—favors, bribes, land deeds, shell corporations, and votes.
The kind of place that didn't send invitations to young rebels. Unless...
A system notification blinked.
[ SYSTEM EVENT UNLOCKED: HIGH-TIER AUCTION ACCESS ] Reward Path: Asset Takeover / Political Reputation / Passive Unlock Potential
He smirked. "Silver Echo, I assume this is you again."
The reply didn't come from the system. It came from his phone.
A single message:
"Break them where they think they're untouchable."
---
The private island sat in Aryanagar Bay, glowing with underwater lights.
Arton House had converted an abandoned colonial mansion into a fortress of elegance—glass, metal, and silence. The sea air carried the scent of jasmine, imported for the night from a Himalayan nursery.
Kaito stepped out of the cruiser in a dark, bespoke suit. Lyra flanked him in a silver back-slit gown. Ravi came in full contrast—quirky embroidered tux and mirror-shined glasses.
But when Kaito entered the auction chamber, every whisper stopped.
They recognized him.
The billboard king. The media disruptor. The one who had turned Creative Mindz from a scrappy startup into a missile aimed at the wealthy.
Arjun Varma sat three rows ahead, golden tie tight around his thick neck. His jaw clenched when he saw Kaito.
Game on.
---
The auction chamber resembled a tech cathedral: curved walls of transparent crystal, holographic displays showing each lot's legal status, growth projections, and past owners. Silent drones hovered overhead, capturing everything.
Each bidder sat at a semi-circle booth, equipped with biometric authorization pads and silent bidding remotes. Privacy shields could be activated, but few used them. This was a place to be seen as much as it was a place to spend.
A soft chime echoed. The auction began.
Lot 1: Unpublished AI code for traffic data prediction. Sold at 8 crore. Lot 2: Government-used urban planning models. Acquired by a regional politician's son. Lot 3: 17% equity in a pharmaceutical startup with suppressed trials. Bidding war. Settled at 12 crore.
Kaito didn't move.
Then Lot 7 appeared.
"Next item: Blue Tern Holdings—composite real estate and asset management shell."
He blinked. That was the asset Silver Echo had warned him about—the Varma shell company used for crypto laundering and real estate washes.
"Estimated market value: 19 crore rupees. Starting bid: 2.5 crore."
"Five crore," Kaito said calmly.
Murmurs. No hesitation. No theatrics.
Arjun raised his placard. "Six."
"Nine."
People turned to stare.
"Ten," Arjun snapped.
System message blinked.
[ Liquid funds available via credit conversion: 13.4 crore. Risk Profile: Medium ]
Kaito smiled.
"Fourteen."
Gasps echoed.
Seraphine Elrai herself looked up from the auctioneer's table. Kaito met her eyes—grey, unreadable, yet impressed.
Arjun stood. "That's illegal. He can't have fourteen—"
Seraphine raised a hand. "All funds pre-authorized. Sit down, Mr. Varma."
Arjun's face turned scarlet.
"Fourteen crore going once... going twice... Sold. To Mr. Ryuu."
Polite applause followed. Arjun sank in his chair.
---
After the auction, guests were invited to a garden lounge lit by floating lanterns. Champagne flowed. Exotic dishes from six countries rotated on smart trays. Deals were being made in whispers.
Kaito ignored them all. He stood near the koi pond, phone in hand, analyzing the digital footprint of Blue Tern Holdings.
"Smart play."
He turned. Seraphine Elrai, in a dark silk business dress, joined him with a glass of something that shimmered like pearls.
"You do your homework," she said. "Blue Tern's paper trail was buried under five layers of trust proxies."
"I had help," Kaito replied. "And a reason to dig."
"You're not just playing the game. You're changing it."
"You invited me."
"I opened the door. You kicked it in."
A pause. She studied him like an asset.
"Mr. Ryuu… would you be interested in a deeper circle?"
"Define deeper."
"There's another auction. No lights. No drones. Just power. No assets are listed. Because we trade favors, not files."
Kaito met her gaze. "Sounds dangerous."
"That's what makes it valuable."
She handed him a card with no text—just an emblem: a crow perched on a scale.
"Call when you're ready."
She left. Kaito checked his system.
[ Passive Skill Unlocked – Auction Mastery Lv.1 ] +10% insight during live bidding +5% success in persuasion during high-pressure negotiations
[ Relationship Thread Unlocked – Seraphine Elrai (Status: Testing) ]
Ravi wandered up, holding three desserts.
"Bro. Tell me you saw Arjun's face. I swear I thought he was going to flip the auction table."
Lyra joined, arms crossed. "He's going to retaliate. That asset wasn't just about money. It had laundering history."
"I know," Kaito replied. "Which means now I hold something worth more than cash. I hold his crime scene."
---
Later that night, Kaito sat alone at HQ.
The city outside flickered with ads and night traffic.
He leaned back, eyes on the ceiling, when a message blinked open:
[ NEW SYSTEM MODULE – Competitive Arena Mode UNLOCKED ]
This was different. The screen dimmed. A soft tone played.
Details: Elite system users and secret heirs of wealth participate in influence battles. Each challenge tests public manipulation, private strategy, or covert impact.
First Event: Infiltrate the Mahadev Masquerade. Objective: Disrupt a policy deal at the masquerade ball. Gain support from a financial guild. Avoid discovery. Time: 3 days
Reward: Passive Skill (Reputation Multiplier) + Rare Romance Thread (Unspecified)
He stared at it.
"Masquerade, huh?"
---
System Dashboard – Kaito Ryuu
Wealth: ₹2.1 crore (liquid) Assets: Creative Mindz, Blue Tern Holdings New Passive: Auction Mastery (Lv.1) System Module: Competitive Arena Mode Reputation Tier: B-Class (7.2%) Romance Threads: Lyra (34%), Sanaya (Bonded), Seraphine Elrai (Pending Thread) Rival: Arjun Varma – Critical State Flex Points: 10/10
---
End of Chapter 7