Chapter 193 The Hunter and the Prey
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to attend this banquet!"
"I believe that the reason why we gather here is not only because of our devotion to Saint Sis, but also because we have warm hearts!"
In the center of the main stage of the venue, a middle-aged gentleman announced the opening speech of the auction in a loud and decent voice.
In the conference hall below the main stage, the boiling applause was like a blazing fire in the fireplace, cooking the quiet atmosphere of the venue into a pot of hot soup.
Sitting at the auction table, Andes applauded politely, then smiled and looked towards the stands in the venue.
Although there were still many empty rooms in this manor, the "uncrowned king" of Thunder City still chose to sit in the middle of the crowd.
He did this not because he liked to be lively or intended to show how "people-friendly" he was, but because it was the way of life passed down from generation to generation in the Andean family.
As an ordinary citizen without a title, he kept a low profile.
All the guests who were nobles with actual titles were arranged in the box by him, even the barons who came from remote areas.
In contrast, those guests who had no titles but were equally important like him would not feel that they were being treated differently or neglected when they saw him sitting next to them.
Punk, who was sitting not far away, secretly glanced at Mr. Andes in the crowd. While he was secretly surprised, he was also learning silently.
Maybe these experiences will be useful in the future.
After reading the opening remarks, the middle-aged gentleman standing on the main stage clapped his hands gently, and a maid in an evening gown walked onto the stage.
In her hands she held a box made of black walnut, and on the velvet cushion lay a golden pocket watch, like a pearl in a shell.
The moment it appeared at the auction, the entire venue fell silent, with everyone's attention focused on it.
Including Princess Irene Campbell, who was sitting in the second-floor box.
From the moment the pocket watch was put on the main stage of the auction, her eyes had been fixed on the screen projected by the magic crystal, and she even spoke in a lower voice unconsciously.
Sitting opposite the tea table, Luo Yan carefully looked at her profile for two seconds, only to see that the dignified and elegant smile did not change much.
But he could still feel that those eyes were slightly touched, three parts of loneliness and seven parts of relief.
It can be seen that the pocket watch is very precious to her, not just in the sense of property, but more in terms of emotion.
On the main stage on the screen, the auction host was introducing the story behind this pocket watch in an impassioned yet solemn tone.
"This pocket watch was made by a famous dwarven craftsman. Its exquisite mechanical structure can be said to be the crystallization of dwarven craftsmanship! Thirty years ago, in order to thank the Principality of Campbell for lending a helping hand to the dwarven kingdom in crisis, the dwarven king presented this commemorative pocket watch to our respected Grand Duke Aaron Campbell. Later, our respected late king presented it to his beloved daughter...our Royal Highness Princess Irene Campbell."
"For more than a decade, its owner has not wound it up once, but its hands have remained as accurate as ever, reporting the most accurate time for its owner and keeping every minute and every second of its owner's life in order."
"... Ladies and gentlemen, this is not only a precious work of art, but also a piece of history whose value cannot be measured in money!"
The host continued in a solemn tone, "Grand Duke Campbell gave it to his daughter out of love for her. Now our beloved Princess Irene has donated it free of charge to countless people displaced by the war out of great love in her heart."
"In the name of Saint-Sis, please let us applaud this kind-hearted princess! Let us applaud the great Campbell family!"
The venue was filled with thunderous applause.
Looking at the venue filled with thunderous applause, Erin Campbell's eyes were slightly touched, and the last three points of loneliness and reluctance in her eyes turned into relief.
"I think the spirit of Grand Duke Campbell in heaven will be pleased with your choice today." Luo Yan said in a very light voice, "That respected gentleman not only left a strong principality to the people of this land, but also left them a kind and respectable princess."
Princess Irene looked away from the screen and looked at Luo Yan in surprise, a bright smile appearing on her face with sparkling eyes.
"Thanks."
I didn't expect that Mr. Colin, whom I only met once, would speak out his true feelings. He is such a considerate gentleman.
“It’s just what I feel.”
Luo Yan nodded slightly.
In fact, he didn't think that Grand Duke Campbell really thought so, but he happened to know what the young princess wanted to hear most at this moment.
At the same time, Punk, who was sitting in the venue, was rubbing his index finger that was holding the sign, leaning forward slightly, looking eager to try.
Finally, the middle-aged gentleman standing on the main stage announced in a loud voice the starting price of one thousand gold coins, and each increase in price must not be less than one gold coin.
At this point, the auction officially began! "Two thousand gold coins!" Punk was the first to raise his sign and opened his voice so loud that his voice was almost out of tune because he was speaking too loudly.
But at that moment, everyone was immersed in the touching story that brought tears to their eyes, and no one noticed his gaffe.
The host struck the gold-rimmed gavel in his hand and spoke loudly to the guests in the audience in an impassioned tone.
"The offer from the distinguished Mr. Colin is two thousand gold coins per time! Is there a higher price?"
"Two thousand five hundred!"
The person holding up the sign this time was also a servant of a nobleman. Judging from his arrogant look, his master should be of a high status.
Recalling Master Colin's instructions, Punk calmed down and ignored the provocative look from the guy who took advantage of his master's power.
What he wants to do is to grab the first and last baton, instead of chattering in the meeting hall like a parrot that has just learned to talk.
Seeing that Mr. Colin's servant did not respond to the challenge, the nobleman's servant showed a slightly disappointed expression on his face, as if he had punched cotton.
But he didn't feel proud for long.
Because it wasn't just his master who wanted to show off in front of Her Royal Highness the Princess, there were many such people in the entire venue.
Before the host on the stage could even bring down the hammer in his hand, another servant came to his senses and raised the sign in his hand.
"Three thousand!"
The atmosphere on the scene was pushed to a climax, and the host excitedly knocked down the hammer in his hand and shouted loudly with an enthusiastic voice.
"Baron Amante offers three thousand gold coins! Three thousand! Is there any gentleman or lady willing to offer a higher price?!"
The price tripled in just three bids! Many of the guests present were slightly moved, and some young men and women held their breath involuntarily.
That’s three thousand gold coins!
Not a silver coin, nor a copper coin!
In the continent of Oss, most of the gold mines are in the hands of the empire that monopolizes the colonies. Therefore, even though the empire has been using gold coins to reap the wealth of the world, the purchasing power of gold coins is still quite amazing.
Most of the time, the nobles of the continent of Os mainly use silver coins in their daily lives, and only use gold coins when making large payments or calculating family assets.
Even though the citizens of Thunder City fought over a few mattresses, the highest price they fetched was actually only 20 gold coins.
The horizontal comparison of this thing is not between the high-end graphics cards and Audi of the 21st century, but between the Santana and color TV in the era of material scarcity.
The 200,000 copper coins mattress is definitely a premium, but the premium is obviously acceptable to the citizens of Thunder City. After all, people in this world don't have short videos to watch, nor so much gossip to talk about, and the biggest entertainment scene is in bed.
As for the pocket watch that was worth a house in Queens…
The value of this can no longer be described by a premium. Its true value can be said to be worthless or it can mean everything.
After all, those who are qualified to bid at this auction do not need to keep their time accurate to every minute and every second to coordinate with other people's schedules, and a pocket watch with precise needle movement is of course worthless to them...it is something that only the people who serve them need.
But on the other hand, the reason why this pocket watch can be so accurate is that the clock tower of Thunder City follows the owner of this watch.
The importance of this cannot be measured by money.
However, not many people can see this point. After all, there are many guests present who don't care about a pocket watch, but those who truly "own everything" are rare.
Baron Gus, who was about to let his servants join in the fun, hesitated for a while, but finally controlled his hands.
The income that Silver Pine Town contributed to him was only a few thousand gold coins a year. It was true that he was rich, but his daily expenses were not small. He couldn't afford to pay for a house in Queens just to make himself familiar to Her Royal Highness the Princess.
Besides, the real ruler of the Principality of Campbell is Grand Duke Edward. The cost-effectiveness of currying favor with Princess Irene is not as good as currying favor with the Andes family. He must consider whether it is worth it.
The same goes for other nobles.
In particular, the higher the status of the nobles, the less interest they had in participating, and most of the people competing there were small nobles and wealthy people without titles.
But for Princess Irene, this was enough.
As the price rose from three thousand gold coins to four thousand, the amount of each price increase began to slow down, from four digits to three digits or even double digits.
But even so, this price was far beyond Princess Irene's expectations. After all, according to her original calculations, a piece of bread weighing one pound only cost 5 copper coins.
She specifically instructed her trusted followers to conduct a thorough investigation on every street in Leiming City and confirmed that this was the price in Leiming City, with a fluctuation of one or two copper coins at most depending on the region.
Three thousand gold coins equals six million kilograms of bread, which is enough for the refugees outside the city to eat for a year, and even more! And now, the price of this pocket watch has reached five thousand gold coins! How many loaves of bread would that be? ! "Great, Theresa! With this huge sum of money, we will definitely let the refugees outside the city spend this winter safely!"
Seeing the prices getting higher and higher, Princess Irene, who was sitting in the box, showed a happy expression on her face, so much so that she subconsciously returned to her usual self.
Before tonight, she had been a little nervous, worried that no one would support her idea, but she didn't expect that just one item would achieve her fundraising goal for tonight.
The female guard standing behind her also showed a smile of joy from the bottom of her heart, and was sincerely happy for Her Royal Highness the Princess and the refugees outside the city.
"Thanks to your generosity, Your Highness, I believe that those who are spared from dying of cold and hunger will be grateful for your kindness."
"Whether they thank me or not is secondary. I am not doing this for their thanks. This is the responsibility of the Campbell royal family."
The corners of Princess Irene's lips rose slightly, and she suddenly looked at Mr. Colin, who had been silent, and said with a sweet smile.
"Thanks to Mr. Colin for his support."
"It's my honor to be of service to you, even though I didn't do anything."
Looking at Her Royal Highness the Princess who winked playfully, Luo Yan smiled and nodded slightly. He just replied modestly and then quietly watched the performance of the "chess pieces on the stage".
In fact, he was quite envious of this carefree princess, who could naively treat this auction as just a simple auction and let the rising prices affect her every move.
But it seems too early to use her smile here, after all, the real show has just begun.
His chess pieces have been laying the groundwork for so long.
It’s almost time to take action.
As the price competition entered a tense stage, Mr. Andes finally raised his sign and raised the price to five thousand gold coins.
Seeing Jan Andes holding up the sign himself, some people who were eager to try hesitated for a while and then put down their bids.
On the one hand, five thousand gold coins have far exceeded the value of the pocket watch itself. On the other hand, the owners behind them have to consider the position of the Andes family.
Although Mr. Andes puts himself in a low position, it does not mean that the nobles sitting in the box on the second floor can ignore his energy.
There is no doubt that this auction was organized by the youngest daughter of the Campbell family, but everyone knows who the real organizer is.
Looking at Mr. Andes sitting in the auction booth, the host standing on the stage's excited voice sounded like singing.
"Five thousand gold coins twice!! This is the offer from Mr. Yan Andes! Thank you to this generous gentleman, and may the great Saint Sith bless his noble soul... Is there any lady or gentleman willing to pay a higher price to sponsor the kindness of Her Royal Highness the Princess and save those who are freezing in the snow?!"
Punk was sweating under the warm fire.
He remembered every word that the distinguished Mr. Colin had told him before coming here.
Keep an eye on Mr. Andes's reaction after the first bid. If no one bids when the auctioneer strikes the hammer a second time, double Mr. Andes' bid.
He didn't know why the gentleman made such arrangements, but he knew that now was the time for him to take action, so he raised the sign decisively.
"Ten thousand gold coins! A tribute to the kindness and goodness of Ms. Irene Campbell!"
When he finished speaking, the atmosphere at the scene was like a burst of firewood, with thunder resounding in silence.
All eyes were focused on him, like countless red-hot horseshoes, making his back feel as hot as fire.
Sweat slid into his collar. Punk swallowed and tried his best to withstand the pressure, maintaining a calm look on his face.
He was sure that Mr. Colin must be watching him at this time! If he had any inappropriate behavior that embarrassed that gentleman, he would lose everything he had now! Fortunately, his performance was pretty good and there were no omissions.
Apart from subconsciously looking at him in surprise, people did not pay too much attention to this insignificant figure.
Ten thousand gold coins! The guests at the auction exchanged glances, whispered and discussed quietly, and looked towards the second floor from time to time.
“Ten thousand gold coins to buy a pocket watch? Even if it’s for saving poor people… Saint Sith, how much wealth have you bestowed on the Colin family! Have they ever saved the world?” A wealthy priest couldn’t help but cross himself on his chest, his pious face full of emotion and shock.
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Not far from the priest, a man who looked like a businessman couldn't help but let out a mixed sigh.
"What on earth does he want to do? Compete with the Andes family to see who is richer?"
Of course he could come up with 10,000 gold coins, but with this extra money, he would rather add two more cargo ships to his ocean-going fleet!
"Perhaps it is to please Her Royal Highness the Princess..."
The guest sitting next to him couldn't help but express his guess, and this sentence soon caused ripples like a stone thrown into a calm lake.
When it comes to gossip, rich people are no different from poor people, especially when it may be closely related to their own interests.
"Come to think of it, I seem to have heard a rumor... It is said that the respected Mr. Colin is an admirer of Her Royal Highness the Princess!"
“Is this true?!”
"But why do I feel that... he didn't show any special enthusiasm when he met His Highness? Instead, His Highness invited him to sit at the same table."
"I don't know! Does that mean they have feelings for each other?"
"When did it start?!"
"Maybe they had correspondence before... This kind of thing is not uncommon. Haven't you heard that he is the eldest son of the prince and will inherit the entire duchy in the future? He is a good match for the Campbell family."
"I think the Campbell family is marrying up to a duchy granted by the empire...if we don't consider the bloodline of heroes."
"If that's the case... then 10,000 gold coins really are nothing."
Thinking that Mr. Colin might have been in a relationship with Her Royal Highness the Princess for a long time, many gentlemen present showed envious expressions on their faces.
The smiles on the faces of those ladies and young ladies who had shown great interest in Mr. Colin since the beginning of the party were a little lost, stiff and sad.
However, they are not jealous of Her Royal Highness the Princess. At most, they just sigh at the "reality" of the world. People always fall into the clichés of identity and family background and cannot faithfully choose beautiful love... It is as if they represent beauty and love.
Looking at Punk holding the sign, Andes smiled slightly, and his face once again showed that expression that every man understands. He nodded slightly politely and gentlemanly, and put down the sign.
No one will hold up a sign anymore.
The host standing on the candlestick had sweat in his palms and could hardly hold the gavel in his hands, and almost dropped it several times.
"Ten thousand gold coins once! Ten thousand gold coins twice!"
"Praise to the honorable Mr. Colin! Coming from a distant continent, he still cares about the suffering people of Saint Sith in his old land! The third time! Deal! Please let us applaud this generous gentleman!"
The gavel slammed heavily on the tray, and the host threw away the gavel that seemed to weigh ten thousand pounds with a sense of relief, and excitedly started to applaud.
The audience burst into applause.
Including Mr. Andes, countless prominent figures in Thunder City sent their sincere blessings and applause.
This is not only a tribute to the generosity of that act, but also a tribute to the story that was created tonight and a hope for a bright future for the Principality of Campbell.
The significance of this auction has long surpassed the items themselves and the tens of thousands of poor people waiting to be saved.
In fact, these are just incidental.
The host, feeling relieved, looked at the maid holding the wooden box and put the remaining pressure on her.
Closing the wooden box in her hand, the maid bowed slightly and walked towards the stage tremblingly. She felt her calves shaking, afraid of making a wrong move.
Ten thousand gold coins!
Even if she subtracted a zero, it would still be an astronomical figure for her! At the same time, in the box on the second floor.
Looking at the thunderous applause in the conference hall, Irene Campbell stood there in a daze, her rosy lips slightly open, unable to utter a word for a long time.
Ten thousand gold coins is a huge sum of money, not to mention for ordinary people, but even for her who was born in a royal and noble family.
Maybe her two brothers could reach it, but it was too much for her.
How many pounds of bread does this take?!
Her mind went blank and she couldn't calculate at all.
Maybe...she could even let the people outside the city have a bite of cake? Admiring the cuteness that was slightly out of control due to surprise, Luo Yan picked up the teacup, took a sip of black tea, and then gently put it back on the tray.
It seems that compared with the vampire princess Vivian, the pocket money of the quasi-hero Irene is still too little. One hundred million is shocking.
But it’s normal if you think about it.
The Duchy of Colin is not the Duchy of Campbell, it is at least at the level of the Kingdom of Ryan in hell. And the Magic City is the Holy City of the Empire, not a "countryside place" like Thunder City.
Coupled with the fact that Hell is a place where daily necessities are scarce and extremely unevenly distributed, and there is serious inflation, high-level demons have long been numb to the string of zeros on the card.
If some idiot spends 100 million Keira Knightley to pursue Princess Vivian, I'm afraid that not only will the latter be surprised, but she will probably just laugh.
This is also where the two people are different.
"This gift is so precious... I really don't know how to thank you." As if she had finally recovered from the shock, Irene looked at Mr. Colin sitting opposite her and sighed sincerely.
She almost subconsciously believed that the mysterious gift that Mr. Colin promised to give her was these ten thousand gold coins.
She also admitted that she was frightened by the surprise and forgot to control her facial expression for a moment.
However, her rank was still too low.
After all, the demon sitting in front of her was a graduate of Demon King Academy, he just happened to look like a human.
The extraordinary power is actually where the gap between the two sides is the smallest.
Luo Yan smiled without answering, nor did he admit that his gift was so superficial. He just cast his gaze towards the screen projected by the magic crystal.
After a period of warm-up, the host on the stage quickly took advantage of the opportunity to introduce the next item, and pushed the entire auction from one climax to another.
"The next lot to be auctioned is a special treasure..."
At the same moment he finished speaking, a maid in an emerald green dress walked up to the stage holding a walnut box.
The moment the wooden box was opened, the emerald green sheen on the velvet cushion caught the attention of all the guests like a magnet.
surprise.
stunned.
Even shock and desire...
Those faces with different expressions were filled with thousands of different emotions.
If an unknown pocket watch shines entirely because of the glory of the Campbell family, then this treasure does not need anyone to support it.
It just stays there quietly, emitting an incomparable brilliance that makes people unable to help but be fascinated by it.
That is the magic of wealth itself.
Even Jan Andes, who had already considered it a sure thing, couldn't help but hold his breath again after seeing it under the spotlight.
As for Baron Gus, who was sitting in a box, his palms were so excited that they were burning.
If his strength allowed it, he would have snatched it into his pocket without caring about his manners and passed it down as a family heirloom.
The host standing on the stage suppressed his excitement and continued in an impassioned voice.
"This diamond is nearly five centimeters in diameter, weighs about 100 grams, and has 76 facets. Its emerald green luster is unique and beautiful beyond description, like a miracle left by Saint Sith in this world... Please forgive my usurpation, I believe your first reaction after seeing it must be the same as mine! In addition to interpreting the word beauty itself, it is also an excellent material for magic devices... But if it were me, I would never put this beautiful thing in such a dangerous place!"
"This precious item comes from the respected Mr. Roxel Colin! His family discovered this treasure in a distant land and decided to give it as a gift to Princess Irene and the Duchy of Campbell!"
"Starting price! One hundred thousand gold coins! Each bid increase must not be less than one thousand gold coins!"
This is no longer a competition that ordinary people can participate in.
After hearing this number, most people had given up the competition. Instead, the nobles who had been sitting on the sidelines showed expressions of interest.
Whether it is practical or not is not important at all. They need to use this kind of heirloom to decorate their scepters and show their prestige.
At the same time, this deal would not be a loss for them, as the gold coins would always increase in number, but this rare treasure would not.
Looking at Princess Irene who had fallen into a trance again, Luo Yan smiled gently and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Among all my treasures, I fell in love with it at first sight. It seems to have a special charm for me, making it difficult for me to ignore it."
"It is indeed... so beautiful." Irene replied subconsciously, not immediately waking up from the dazzling light.
Everyone loves beauty, it is not a vulgar feeling, and she is no exception. What she did not expect was that Mr. Colin, who had only met her once, would actually take out this heirloom to support her wish.
She had no doubt that he was a kind gentleman, but this was not something that could be explained by kindness or mercy.
Just when she didn't know what to do and could only use surprise to hide her inner panic, a light word floated into her ears like the evening breeze that rippling the lake water, and in an instant the quiet and elegant lake water was dyed with a vast red glow.
"Indeed, but what attracts me most is not its beauty, but its resemblance to your eyes."
Looking at those eyes that suddenly became panicked like a deer lost in the forest, Luo Yan could even hear his pounding heartbeat.
Perhaps he really did have vampire genes in his body. For a moment, he even thought that she must be delicious at this moment.
But he is not a vampire after all, and he does not have such superficial purposes.
With no ripples in his heart, he took half a step back with a smile on his face, leaving space for his prey to breathe and imagine, instead of continuing to press forward.
"...Please forgive my intrusion. I have no intentions. I just want to give you this gift."
(End of this chapter)