Chapter 700 - 700: Gilded Mask
After the system scan, Luo Feng’s gaze settled on around ten red dots. Among these red dots, only three to four were large and had a deep hue, suggesting that these were the main attractions of the auction.
Luo Feng didn’t pay much attention, instead, he just sat and awaited the commencement of the auction.
However, Blake kept glancing over at Luo Feng, seemingly eager to see what Luo Feng would bid on, likely to challenge him for the same item.
Luo Feng effortlessly discerned Blake’s intentions.
Several of the auctioned items were fairly ordinary, and Luo Feng showed no interest. However, noticing Blake’s persistent fixation on him, Luo Feng decided to playfully tease him.
Next up was a porcelain item. Although this porcelain piece was ancient, it was mass-produced, and hence, not particularly rare.
It definitely had some collectible value, but it was far from being considered a high-end artifact.
With the system’s assistance, Luo Feng quickly estimated its maximum value to be around five hundred thousand.
Thus, as soon as the starting bid was announced, Luo Feng immediately raised the bid to five hundred thousand.
Typically, in an auction setting, bids would incrementally rise. Yet, Luo Feng had more than doubled the starting price.
Most people could discern that the porcelain’s value wasn’t that high, and they were puzzled by Luo Feng’s behavior.
However, Blake seemed to be missing the point.
Blake only noticed Luo Feng immediately placing a high bid on the item, indicating his keen interest. Thus, even if the porcelain wasn’t highly valuable, even if he would incur a loss by purchasing it at a higher price, Blake didn’t care.
A small monetary loss to vex someone he disliked seemed a profitable venture to Blake.
“I bid six hundred thousand!”
Blake’s bid turned heads. After all, the porcelain’s value was capped at around five hundred thousand. The higher Blake bid, the more he stood to lose.
While a hundred thousand wasn’t a significant amount for them, who would willingly waste money?
“Six hundred fifty thousand!”
Luo Feng bid again, but this would be his last bid. If Blake bid again, Luo Feng would simply concede.
“I bid seven hundred thousand!”
After declaring his bid, Blake provocatively stared at Luo Feng, anticipating another counter bid.
Blake wasn’t foolish. After being reminded by his father earlier, he became aware of the porcelain’s real value.
If he bid any higher, even if it meant causing Luo Feng some discomfort, the tangible loss would be on him.
So, he shifted his strategy: inflate the price outrageously, hoping to burden Luo Feng with a lofty purchase.
However, much to his surprise, after his seven hundred thousand bid, Luo Feng remained silent.
The room became awkwardly silent. Realizing he had been duped, Blake wished he could retract his bid, but that would be a major embarrassment.
Finally, amidst Blake’s evident discomfort, the gavel fell.
“Congratulations to Mr. Blake for acquiring the porcelain piece for seven hundred thousand!”
As the deal concluded, the room erupted in applause.
Yet, to Blake, it felt as if everyone was mocking him.
Frustrated, he looked to his father for guidance, only to find his father’s gaze filled with anger.
Reluctantly, Blake swallowed his emotions, silently vowing to retaliate against Luo Feng.
The auction continued, with a series of unremarkable items.
Though some of the items had their own value, Luo Feng remained uninterested. Among them was a valuable ancient samurai sword from the Cherry Blossom Nation, but Luo Feng remained indifferent.
To Luo Feng, anything from the Cherry Blossom Nation, regardless of its value, was mere junk.
During the wait for the main event, Luo Feng, out of boredom, tried to provoke Blake by bidding low on some inconsequential items.
Unfortunately, Blake seemed to have become wiser, no longer hastily bidding.
Left with no other choice, Luo Feng waited patiently.
Half an hour later, Luo Feng finally set his eyes on his desired item.
It was a gilded mask.
The mask showed a significant red dot on the system scan, indicating its importance, and its color was profoundly deep.
This gilded mask was used by emperors during ancient ceremonial rituals.
Conservatively estimated, it was at least a thousand years old..