Chapter 92: The Auction Begins

Liu Hao glanced at Lin Xiao’s nonchalant demeanor and could more or less guess that, to Lin Xiao, these items were truly nothing out of the ordinary. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have handed them over so casually.

Sun Bin and the others were also unfamiliar with the things Lin Xiao had produced. However, judging by Liu Hao’s tone during appraisal, they could surmise that these objects were certainly not common goods.

“Sir, we’ll handle the auction of these items for you, and I guarantee they’ll fetch a price you’ll be satisfied with. Our Treasure Pavilion won’t take any commission at all,” Liu Hao said.

Once again, Sun Bin and his companions were stunned. It was already surprising enough that buying items here gave them a massive discount, but to sell things without the Pavilion taking a single cent in commission—just what kind of relationship did their new roommate have with the Treasure Pavilion?

Hu Yu was the quickest to pick up on the clues. Thinking about Lin Xiao’s background, he could already form a guess: the mysterious owner behind the Treasure Pavilion was likely also a member of the retirement home.

Once the items were counted and recorded, Liu Hao took his leave. By then, the guests in the grand hall had begun entering, signaling that the auction would soon commence. Liu Hao dearly wanted to linger by Lin Xiao’s side to increase his presence, but he was also afraid that if he didn’t handle Lin Xiao’s auction items with the utmost care, he might leave a poor impression. In the end, he left only a business card before hurrying away.

Lin Xiao watched the steady stream of people entering the venue. Hu Yu sat next to him, quietly introducing the notable figures he recognized among the arriving guests. Lin Xiao listened in silence—this auction had attracted the most illustrious individuals in the capital. Many of those in attendance were chairmen of various conglomerates. Yet, such people didn’t even qualify for access to the private boxes. This revelation gave Lin Xiao a much deeper understanding of the power dynamics in the capital.

Hu Yu also explained the situation concerning the private boxes outside; most belonged to prominent families rooted deeply in the city—families whose foundations far surpassed those of the corporations gathered below. Through this, Lin Xiao finally grasped just how valuable his own VIP card truly was. He had a whole stack of such cards on hand. Truth be told, he hadn’t thought much of them before, but now he realized his perspective had been far too narrow.

The hall quickly filled, and apart from the four tickets Hu Yu had managed to obtain, not a single seat remained vacant. Glancing at the four empty seats, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but look skyward in exasperation. Why hadn’t he thought to sell those four tickets earlier? He could have made a tidy profit. Little Hu really didn’t know how to make the most of things.

Among the crowd, Lin Xiao naturally spotted Ji Boxiao and Liu Ruoyan. What left him feeling helpless was that these two just happened to be seated directly below their private box. All Lin Xiao had to do was look down, and he’d see them. Fortunately, the glass of their box was one-way; those outside couldn’t see in. Otherwise, who knew what Ji Boxiao might think.

As all the guests took their seats, the lights of the auction hall suddenly dimmed, leaving only the stage illuminated. Liu Hao stepped directly onto the platform.

“Welcome, everyone, to the Treasure Pavilion’s auction. I hope each of you finds what you desire today. Now, I declare this auction officially open. Let us proceed to our first item!”

Most people in attendance were figures of note and recognized Liu Hao. Seeing him personally host the auction surprised many, as he had not taken the stage as auctioneer in recent events. This signaled that tonight’s auction would be anything but ordinary, stirring a sense of excitement among the guests. If even Liu Hao took it so seriously, perhaps some rare treasures would indeed make an appearance.

The first auction item was soon brought out by a woman in a cheongsam—a transparent jade bottle containing a single pill. All eyes focused on the pill. Alchemists were exceedingly rare in this world; though pills could be found for sale, their efficacy was usually mediocre. For the Treasure Pavilion to offer a pill as the very first lot at such a high-profile auction, it had to be extraordinary.

Lin Xiao didn’t think much of it at first. He noted that this wasn’t the bottle he’d given Liu Hao; his own pills were always packed ten to a bottle. It must have been consigned by someone else.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our first item tonight is the Rejuvenation Pill. After thorough appraisal, we have determined that this Rejuvenation Pill is of supreme quality. I’m sure everyone here knows its effects—at a critical moment, it can save a life. While there are healers in the world, who can guarantee one is always by your side when you’re injured? Carrying such a pill could be the difference between life and death. This top-tier Rejuvenation Pill starts with no reserve price. Each bid must increase by no less than ten thousand. Interested guests, please place your bids.”

Lin Xiao was caught off guard—he hadn’t expected the first lot to be his own pill. The bottle had been swapped, but he recognized the pill itself. Only he could have supplied a Rejuvenation Pill of such supreme quality.

He quickly understood why Liu Hao had chosen to auction the pills individually. Rarity commands value; selling them one by one would highlight their importance, whereas selling them by the bottle might diminish their perceived effect. The Rejuvenation Pill was undoubtedly a remarkable item, and bidding commenced swiftly.

“Bidder 86 offers five hundred thousand!”

The very first bid was half a million, and Lin Xiao couldn’t help but smile. It looked like he was in for a windfall tonight.

“Bidder 73 offers six hundred thousand!”

“Private box 5 offers one million!”

“Private box 3 offers one million one hundred thousand! Any higher?”

The price soared rapidly, and Lin Xiao’s smile grew harder to suppress. Though he wasn’t an alchemist himself, he knew the cost of producing a Rejuvenation Pill—hardly more than ten thousand. This was pure profit. Old Song was so generous to him; his own spatial ring was filled with such pills.

Song Mingze: o(′^｀)o

Was that a gift from me? You snatched it for yourself, didn’t you!

The Rejuvenation Pill finally sold for two million one hundred thousand, claimed by private box number six. Lin Xiao recalled that this box belonged to the city’s top-ranked mercenary group. Given their frequent encounters with spirit beasts and constant danger, it made sense for them to stock up on such life-saving pills.

It was an impressive price, and Lin Xiao was more than satisfied.

During the auction, Sun Bin and his friends watched Lin Xiao with longing in their eyes. More than once, they considered bidding. But knowing that the pill belonged to Lin Xiao, they held back. Still, they wanted it badly.

Lin Xiao caught on to their thoughts.

“All right, don’t look at me like that. I have plenty of these pills. I’ll give each of you a bottle later.”

The three were overjoyed. Meeting this young master truly was a stroke of luck!