Chapter 3: Auction
The autumn wind was bleak, but it couldn't cool Xu Shen's wildly pounding heart.
More than two months of tumultuous events had come to an end.
Looking at the 10-digit balance in his card, Xu Shen truly wished he could give up his boring cultivation life right then and there, move directly to the Demon City, and live the life of a rich person, drunk with pleasure and without shame.
In this life and his previous one, he had never been so wealthy.
Of course, there were also some minor hiccups during this period.
In this life, the cooling of the futures market came almost a week earlier than in his previous life, catching Xu Shen off guard and directly evaporating over a hundred million. Fortunately, he acted decisively, immediately selling the levee stones and shorting water-element materials, which surprisingly yielded an even higher return.
Looking at the 1.3 billion in his card, Xu Shen chuckled foolishly.
"Smack!"
He slapped himself hard.
How pathetic! It's just 1.3 billion!
Mu Bai looked at Xu Shen's reddened forehead with a hint of pity.
During this time, because Xu Shen had borrowed money, he had also been following the futures market.
He had to admit, this guy's luck was truly terrible; when everything else was skyrocketing, he just happened to buy levee divine stones, which only rose a little compared to other materials.
However, it was a blessing in disguise. Recently, various materials had begun to plummet, but the levee divine stones, which had little room for price reduction, didn't drop much, barely breaking even.
But this guy was like a Scrooge; he seemed utterly unable to accept losses. He had been glued to his phone during this period, his eyes red every day, and his emotions extremely unstable.
Still, it was understandable.
After all, he almost became a millionaire, only to return to square one step by step. This was truly cruel for a poor man.
Recalling this guy's nouveau riche face from half a month ago, the arrogant way he transferred 500,000, Mu Bai suddenly felt no pity for him. He truly deserved to be poor!
Considering the extra 100,000 he returned, he advised, "Why don't you just pull out and cut your losses?"
"Hmm, you're right, I should pull out," Xu Shen nodded, much calmer.
The market at this time was no longer something a novice like him could control. Knowing when to quit while ahead was the wise move.
...
November 11th, Saturday, good for travel.
Xu Shen, carrying a large sum of money, took a car to Xiamen Island, the closest to Bo City. While buying water at a small shop, he casually bought a few lottery tickets.
A sudden fortune needed a reason, right? Heaven gave him the opportunity, and winning the lottery was also very reasonable, wasn't it?
Casually stuffing the lottery tickets into his pocket, Xu Shen took a high-speed train from Xiamen all the way to the Demon City, Shanghai...
After Bo City was destroyed in his previous life, Xu Shen was also relocated to the Demon City, Shanghai.
Stepping onto familiar ground again, the sense of nostalgia was truly inexpressible.
Who said flowers could bloom again, but youth never returned?
"I'm still that young man, without a single change..."
Humming a tune, Xu Shen followed the navigation to the Global Building, where every inch of land was precious.
The towering skyscrapers, the grand and solemn entrance, all spoke of its luxury.
The Miss at the entrance, accustomed to young men who had just awakened their magic, wore a professional fake smile and stopped Xu Shen at the door.
Without an access card, it was always like this; you'd be questioned wherever you went.
Unlike the low-to-mid-end areas where the doorkeepers were usually retired old men in their 60s, places like this wouldn't dare claim to be high-end without several beautiful Misses standing guard.
Xu Shen had reserved a spot for this auction a few days ago. He opened his phone and showed his electronic pass. The Miss at the door, whose fake smile was initially perfunctory, became enthusiastic, her eyes so fervent they almost seemed to be dripping.
Auctions of this caliber always had a capital verification process; you couldn't get in without 100 million in cash flow.
She really hadn't expected that this simply dressed young man, who looked no more than 16 or 17 and was merely handsome, was actually a rich and handsome guy. Even the old-fashioned, several-versions-behind, screen-cracked phone in his hand now seemed understated and dignified in her eyes.
Xu Shen didn't have to wait long. Soon, an even more beautiful Miss respectfully led him into the auction hall.
Someone of Xu Shen's wealth couldn't enjoy the luxury of a private box and could only sit in the main hall.
The massage chair kneaded him so comfortably he was almost falling asleep. Finally, the auction began.
Xu Shen opened his eyes, looking expectantly at the stage.
A spry, silver-haired old man, dressed in a well-tailored suit, slowly walked onto the stage.
Xu Shen was greatly disappointed not to see the beautiful auctioneer he had imagined, wearing a qipao slit up to her thighs, high heels, and swaying her slender waist as she gracefully appeared. He slumped into his chair like a salted fish who had lost its dream.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I won't waste time with pleasantries. Let's start with an appetizer," the old man smiled slightly, and with a flash of silver light from his fingertips, an indigo battle armor appeared on the display stand.
Xu Shen was extremely curious about the almost lifelike 3D virtual projection displayed on the small table in front of him.
This was a case of textbook knowledge coming to life.
If he remembered correctly, the textbook mentioned the principle of this technology. Achieving this level of projection required extremely high Light System magic attainment.
He reached out and waved his hand, only to confirm that what was so close was merely air.
Xu Shen listened to the old man's explanation, marveling.
Armor-type magic tools were second only in value to soul-cultivating magic tools like Star Dust magic tools, which aided cultivation.
This set of armor-type magic tools, named Clear Wind Dragon Armor, was made from the scales of a wind-attributed sub-dragon. It was incredibly sturdy and possessed considerable elemental magic resistance. Moreover, with the added wind attribute, it became even more agile and lightweight. Overall, it was considered a top-tier armor-type magic tool for intermediate mages, and its price was expected to be quite high.
"Starting bid, 50 million!"
A continuous chorus of shouts rose and fell, and ultimately, this set of armor-type magic tools was sold for 150 million.
Xu Shen clicked his tongue. There were truly many rich people in the Demon City.
Subsequently, a few more items appeared that seemed to be within Xu Shen's purchasing power.
During this time, a Spirit-level Star Dust magic tool also appeared. It looked like an ancient pottery-colored ring, very simple and unadorned, which was Xu Shen's ideal type.
Unfortunately, this item ultimately sold for 45 million, far exceeding Xu Shen's psychological expectation, so he reluctantly gave up.
Slowly, Xu Shen began to understand. Most of the magic tools appearing at this auction were not of high grade, but they were all top-quality items within their respective grades, targeting the second generation of magic families.
To be honest, he felt his "economical" consumption philosophy was quite out of place here, like a chicken among cranes.
However, he wasn't necessarily here to buy anything.
He just thought it was a rare trip to the Demon City. What was the saying? Since you're already here.
Whether he bought anything or not, the main thing was to participate. In any case, it was an eye-opener and a worthwhile trip.
The auction had been going on for over an hour, and everyone was getting a bit tired. Finally, it was time for the much-anticipated segment.
Next up were some damaged artifacts or ancient items with a strong sense of history.
Most of these items were things that even senior appraisers couldn't figure out, or had already been identified as junk but were brought in to mix with the good ones. They were put here just for fun, a regular feature of all kinds of auctions.
Of course, there were also genuine treasures that appeared, allowing some previously mediocre mages to soar to prominence...
The stories of these legendary mages made this segment even more captivating.
According to custom, the starting price for all these items was uniformly 5 million. As for how much they would ultimately sell for, and at what price they would be sold, depended on the auctioneer's skill and the prodigality of the second-generation rich kids.
To make these items sell for a good price, auctioneers would usually exaggerate wildly. Clearly, this task was not suitable for the seemingly dignified old man on stage.
Soon, a graceful Miss with an alluring figure replaced the old man on stage.
When she stood up straight, with her charming and captivating smile, Xu Shen saw several young men beside him already completely smitten.
Oh no!
This auction didn't play fair; it was using military tactics!