Chapter 24: The Auction Starts

Chapter 24: The Auction Starts

As soon as Arix walked into the auction, the first thing that caught his eye was a luxurious corridor.

The wide corridor was adorned with a crystal chandelier every five meters, casting a soft, gentle light.

On either side of the corridor, the walls were embedded with a row of glass cabinets filled with exquisite antiques and limited-edition luxury items, and most surprisingly, rare mecha materials.

Arix looked calm and collected, but inside, she was dying to press her face against the glass for a better look at these rare mecha materials.

"Here we are, everyone," said the kimono girl named Ame, as she gently pushed open the door to a private room.

She then bowed slightly, making a welcoming gesture with her hand.

’So soon? I’m not ready to say goodbye to the materials yet,’ Arix thought, disappointed.

Arix looked mournfully at Ame, her heart storming with silent cries.

Feeling the intensity of Arix’s gaze, Ame tightened up, anxiously lowering her head. She wondered what she had done wrong to upset the guest and worried about a possible complaint that could cost her this hard-earned, well-paying job.

Arix, who had worked part-time jobs in her past life, understood the girl’s feelings all too well.

Feeling a bit guilty, she quickly pretended to start a casual conversation with Cirilla, "Cirilla, let’s come back after the auction and take another look at these collections. I haven’t had enough yet."



"Huh? Okay," Cirilla agreed, a bit confused but nodding obediently.

"Arix, I’ll come with you too," Cassian said sweetly.

"Thank you, Cassian," Arix said, pinching Cassian’s cheek before taking her hand and walking into the room.

Just as Ame was about to close the door, Arix turned and smiled at Ame, "And thank you too, Miss Ame."

As the door finally closed, the previously anxious Ame stood frozen for a moment before her eyes softened and she whispered softly, "You’re welcome, miss."

The VIP box was on the second floor of the auction house.

As Arix stepped inside, the first thing she noticed one of the four walls was a massive one-way window.

In front of the window, there was a couch and a low coffee table.

On the coffee table, besides some fresh fruits, there was an opticomputer that introduced the auction items. Guests could simply sit on the couch, click on an item on the opticomputer, and the item would appear as a holographic projection, displaying its details in mid-air.

At that moment, a young man was lounging on the couch, boredly watching the bustling auction scene outside the window.

He turned his head towards Cirilla and Arix as they entered. "Sis, is she the friend you mentioned earlier?" he asked curiously, looking at Arix.



"Yes, this is Arix, she’s the daughter of Uncle Thaddeus, and this little guy next to her is her cousin, named Cassian," Cirilla introduced.

"So you are Uncle Thadeus’s daughter? Hi, I’m Adrian Rinn, Cirilla’s twin brother. It’s an honor to meet you," Adrian said as he stood up and reached out his hand, his smile radiating like a morning sun.

"Thank you," Arix replied, smiling back as she shook his hand.

Seeing their hands shake, Cassian, who had been left aside, suddenly felt unhappy and stared intently at their clasped hands.

His eyes twinkled for a moment before he pretended to be weak, swaying Arix’s hand, "Arix, I’m so tired, my legs hurt."

Thinking Cassian was just tired from walking, Arix let go of Adrian’s hand and lifted Cassian onto the couch, gently massaging his calves.

"How’s that? Feeling any better?" Arix asked with concern.

Looking into Arix’s caring eyes, Cassian’s face heated up a bit, and his voice turned sweet, "It doesn’t hurt anymore, thank you, Arix."

Adrian, observing the adorable interaction between Arix and Cassian, couldn’t help joking with Cirilla, "Sis, my legs hurt too, why don’t you give me a massage?"

"The kind where I break your leg?" Cirilla replied with a cold smile.

Adrian’s smile froze, and he sheepishly pulled his head back. Then he quickly changed the subject, "The auction is starting."



The lights over the auction stage downstairs suddenly brightened, and the noisy auction hall quieted down in an instant.

Everyone, from the VIPs in the private boxes to the masked ordinary attendees below, turned their attention to the stage.

The sound of high heels clicking echoed through the hall, and as the footsteps drew nearer, a spotlight shone on the backstage area, revealing a beautiful and curved woman stepping forward.

With a proper smile and graceful movements, the woman approached the small lectern at the front of the auction stage.

She scanned the crowd and spoke with an elegant voice, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today’s auction hosted by the Lasair Corporation. My name is Amara. I’ll be your host today. Without further ado, let’s present the first auction item."

As Amara finished speaking, a kimono girl approached from backstage, carrying a wooden tray to Amara’s side.

She then presented the item to the audience below.

Amara turned on the giant screen behind her, and it displayed the item being auctioned. Simultaneously, the coffee table in the private boxes started playing a holographic image of the auction item.

As the auction went on, Amara introduced the first item with elegance, "Our first item up for bid is a Star-Class Insectoid Crystal. This Insectoid Crystal is a primary material for Psychic Wares. Its excellent condition makes it highly likely to succeed in crafting Psychic Ware. Interested Psychic Ware Masters should be ready to bid. The starting bid is 500,000 astrocredits, with increments of at least 50,000."

After her introduction, Amara began to call out the bids as customers in the hall raised their placards to show their offers, and prices appeared on the floor-to-ceiling window of the second-floor private box.

"Number 82 bids 550,000. Do we have a higher offer? Good, Number 79 bids 600,000... Number 62, 900,000. Any further bids? Good, 900,000 once, 900,000 twice, and a bid from VIP box number 8—1 million. Any higher? Going once at 1 million, going twice at 1 million, and sold for 1 million astrocredits to the guest in VIP box number 8. Congratulations! The item will be delivered to your room shortly."

With the successful bid concluded, Amara then moved on to introduce the next item up for auction.