pjbooks Chapter 250 Auction: The Core Crystal of the Fountain of Life
Chapter 250 Auction: The Core Crystal of the Fountain of Life
The dizziness subsided, and I found myself standing on solid ground.
The air was filled with the aroma of high-end incense mixed with spirits.
The stench and bloodshed outside were gone.
Chen Yifan opened his eyes.
The first thing you see is a magnificent, golden hall.
The ground was paved with solid white marble slabs, and a huge crystal chandelier hung from the dome, illuminating the place as if it were daytime.
Armed guards, all dressed in black and gold uniforms, stood around the hall.
This is the headquarters of the Black Gold Merchant Guild, the actual venue for the "Ash Auction".
Several people stood on the teleportation array in the center of the hall.
Old K leaned on Wang Fugui's shoulder, his arms hanging naturally, and took the blow from Patton's axe, which broke both of Patton's arms and rendered him unable to fight.
Lin Xiaoyu was busy using her newly learned healing techniques to set his bones.
Their team wasn't the only one in the hall.
Several teleportation arrays were nearby, and people were emerging from them one after another. Those who could reach this place were all ruthless characters who had fought bloody battles.
Some teams were full, while others had only two or three members left.
Everyone's eyes held a wild, wary look.
"What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out."
Wang Fugui waved his fist at a bald, burly man next to them who was sizing them up.
He had been holding back his anger the whole way, but once he reached the safe zone, he felt much more confident.
The bald man sneered, turned his head away, and ignored him.
Clearly, there are separate rules here, and the cost of taking action is extremely high.
The crisp sound of leather shoes clicking could be heard.
An elderly man dressed in a tailcoat and wearing white gloves walked down the stairs on one side of the hall.
The old man had gray hair but was in good spirits, and his every move exuded a calmness that came with the passage of time.
"Welcome to headquarters."
The old man stopped in front of the crowd and bowed slightly.
"I am the chief auctioneer for this auction, and also a deacon from headquarters. You can call me Uncle Fu. First of all, congratulations on surviving the 'Outpost Battle'."
He clapped his hands, and several waiters carrying trays walked to each queue.
The tray contained brand-new clothes, healing potions, and a black card.
"These are gifts prepared by headquarters for you all. The black cards serve as your identification and transaction vouchers during the auction. Your rooms have been arranged. The auction will begin promptly at 8 PM tonight."
Uncle Fu's tone was polite but distant.
Mu Wanqing picked up the black card and looked at it.
"Check my ranking."
Uncle Fu opened the miniature terminal in his hand and glanced at it.
"Ms. Mu, representative of the Jiangcheng branch. Your chip collection is currently ranked second."
"Second?" Mu Wanqing frowned. "Who's first?"
Uncle Fu did not answer, but simply maintained his professional smile.
"Sorry, client information is confidential. You can confirm it yourself at tonight's auction."
Chen Yifan stroked his chin, looking around at his surroundings.
Everything here seems too normal, so normal that it feels unreal.
"Boss, should we find a place to rest first, or go gather intelligence?"
Chen Yifan asked.
"Go rest first. Old K's injury needs time to heal. We've secured a top-three position with our chip count, and we've already got the manager's job. There's no need to cause any unnecessary trouble."
Mu Wanqing calmly issued the order.
Led by a waiter, the group walked through a long corridor to a luxury suite on the top floor of the building.
The suite is extremely spacious and fully equipped, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the headquarters' bustling nightscape.
This city is like a bright pearl in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, protected by a massive energy shield.
After settling in, Chen Yifan pulled Wang Fugui to the balcony.
"Fugui, are you alright with your injuries?"
"It's just a superficial wound, nothing serious."
Wang Fugui patted his chest and grinned.
"Fanzi, we've really learned something new this time. This chamber of commerce headquarters is damn rich."
"The money of the rich is often stained with the blood of others."
Chen Yifan gazed at the neon lights outside the window.
"Tonight's auction isn't that simple. What is that old man hiding?"
He recalled the subtle change in Uncle Fu's eyes when Mu Wanqing asked about the ranking.
The first place winner is definitely not an ordinary candidate.
Inside the suite.
Mu Wanqing changed into a clean black evening gown, her temperament as cold as frost.
Old K, with both arms in casts, stood beside her.
"Young Miss, the first place is very likely to be Li Yuantu from the Beijing branch."
Old K reported in a low voice.
"Li Yuantu is a madman. If he gets the managerial position, the Jiangcheng branch will have a very difficult time from now on."
Mu Wanqing held the wine glass, her knuckles clearly defined.
"We have enough chips in our hands. We must get that item at tonight's auction to turn the tide."
Chen Yifan walked in from the balcony and happened to overhear this conversation.
"Boss, what kind of good stuff do you want to film? Can I get my commission in cash first?"
He grinned and moved closer.
"I told you, as long as you help me get the manager's qualification, I'll keep all the conditions I promised you. Let's wait until tonight's business is over."
Mu Wanqing glanced at him.
"Okay, as long as you keep your word. I don't have many other strengths, but I am patient."
Chen Yifan shrugged.
7:50 p.m.
Auction venue.
This is a huge circular theater.
At the very center is a circular display stand, surrounded by concentric circles of private rooms arranged in an upward tiered manner.
Each private room is equipped with one-way glass and soundproofing arrays to ensure absolute privacy for bidders.
Mu Wanqing and the others entered VIP box number two, guided by a waiter. This represented their ranking in the qualifying round.
The private room was decorated in an extremely luxurious manner.
Chen Yifan leaned back on the leather sofa and casually picked up an expensive fruit from the table and took a bite.
It's really sweet; it's not a synthetic industrial product.
With a clear chime, the auction officially began.
Uncle Fu stood in the center of the display stand, the lights shining on him.
"Distinguished guests, welcome to the triennial Ashes Auction. As you all know, the rules are: highest bidder wins, no returns or exchanges. Now, let's get straight to the point."
"The first item up for auction."
Two fully armed guards pushed a cart covered with a red cloth onto the stage.
Uncle Fu lifted the red cloth.
On the trolley was a specially made transparent hibernation pod. Inside lay a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, her eyes closed and her face haggard.
"Number 1037. Possesses the A-grade mutated talent 'Mental Manipulation'. Headquarters has determined that this talent has extremely high growth potential. Starting bid: 10 million credits."
Uncle Fu's voice echoed in the hall.
Live animal trading. Openly and openly conducted.
Wang Fugui dropped the fruit in his hand to the ground. He swallowed hard and turned to look at Chen Yifan.
"Fanzi, this..."
Chen Yifan stared expressionlessly at the hibernation pod below.
The rules of this world are more cruel than he imagined.
There are no laws here, only pure power and capital.
Thirty million.
The sound from the loudspeaker in VIP box number one announced that the price had tripled.
An uproar erupted in the hall. Everyone knew who was sitting in VIP box number one.
Li Yuantu of the Beijing branch.
"That's a psychopath," Mu Wanqing coldly commented. "None of the people he bought survived more than three months. They were all used for gene fusion experiments."
"Forty million."
A person sitting in the back row of the hall is holding up a sign.
"Fifty million. Anyone who dares to compete with me is going against me, Li Yuantu."
A chilling voice emanated from VIP Box Number One, carrying an undisguised threat.
The audience was silent.
No one wanted to offend Li Yuantu for an A-level talent.
Ultimately, the girl was photographed by Li Yuantu.
The next few items included rare ores, lost dungeon passes, and even high-level professional equipment.
Chen Yifan wasn't interested in any of them.
He had been observing the activity in VIP box number one.
Through his "Mind's Eye," he could visualize the distribution of psionic energy among all the items and people in the hall.
He discovered that the psionic fluctuations in Box Number One were extremely abnormal.
Besides a powerful and chaotic psionic energy, there was also a scent that he found very familiar.
Li Yuantu carries the energy reaction of a strange beast.
"interesting."
Chen Yifan stroked his chin.
The auction was in its second half.
Uncle Fu struck the auction gavel.
"The next item is one of the three highlights of this auction. I believe many of you have come here specifically for it."
Uncle Fu took out an exquisite metal box from a hidden compartment behind him. The box was opened, and inside lay a crystal the size of a fingernail, emitting a faint green light.
The moment Chen Yifan saw the crystal, his pupils contracted.
[The core essence of the Fountain of Life].
His ultimate goal for this trip was to appear directly on the auction stage.
"Starting bid: 100 million. Each bid must be at least 10 million higher."
Fu Bo had just finished speaking.
"Five hundred million."
Mu Wanqing pressed the bidding button without hesitation.
The price was increased by 400 million.
The entire hall erupted in cheers.
They're not here to buy anything, they're here to cause trouble.
"Six hundred million."
Li Yuantu from VIP Box No. 1 followed up, his voice laced with mockery.
"Miss Mu, why are you in such a hurry? This is something I absolutely must have."
"Seven hundred million."
Mu Wanqing remained unfazed.
This money is the working capital for the Jiangcheng branch for the next three years.
She pressed it all down.
"One billion."
Li Yuantu casually announced an astronomical figure.
"Mu Wanqing, you can't beat me. I'm taking this crystal."
Mu Wanqing clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh.
One billion was beyond her bottom line.
Chen Yifan stood up, walked to the one-way glass, and looked at the crystal below.
"Boss, we're running out of money?"
He turned and asked.
Mu Wanqing remained silent, her face ashen.
"No money? No problem."
Chen Yifan stretched, his bones cracking.
He walked toward the door of the private room.
"Leave it to me."
Where are you going?
Mu Wanqing asked warily.
"Go and reason with them."
Chen Yifan pushed open the door and disappeared at the end of the corridor.
The group of people left behind looked at each other in bewilderment.
There are many ways to reason with someone in this world.
Chen Yifan's greatest strength is taking things and then talking about them.
Li Yuantu, whether you're human or ghost, I'll take this tonight.