Chapter 15
Maveris was a land of freedom, where money reigned supreme,
The Khaos Auction House was backed by one of the top ten financial conglomerates in Maveris. The items brought here for auction–regardless of their origins–were judged solely by their value.
The auction was scheduled for the next evening. Loretta spent an entire day preparing, and the next day, she accompanied John to the auction.
The auction took place at the King Club, a building that resembled a castle, grand and opulent.
The security team was fully armed with the latest weapons, and from one end of the street to the other, the area was under strict surveillance. Neither passersby nor reporters were allowed and no vehicles without an invitation were permitted to
pass
Businessmen attending the auction all arrived with entourages of bodyguards. Their vehicles, surrounded by escort cars, pulled up one by one.
They were all big shots one could only see in financial magazines. As they stepped out of their cars, they were immediately flanked by their bodyguards and escorted toward the club.
In contrast to the grandiose displays of these tycoons, John and Loretta, with just two bodyguards, appeared much more low–key.
However, as soon as Loretta, dressed in a gown, stepped out of the car, she instantly drew attention from all
black evening directions
John, concerned about his daughter’s safety, had been giving her instructions since they got in the car. As he felt the eyes on them after stepping out, he continued, “Don’t go off on your own. Even if you need to use the restroom, let me know.”
Loretta smiled and obediently replied, “Got it, Dad”
She took his arm, and together they walked inside.
“If you see anything you like, we’ll bid for it. Money’s not a problem, John said.
“Alright, Loretta said.
Just as they entered, another car pulled up.
Malcolm and Ruben stepped out of the car. Malcolm had an icy expression while Ruben wore a smile. Their equally. handsome faces made for a striking contrast.
“Michael and Eduard are here today as well,” Ruben told Malcolm. They don’t know you’re here. Since you’re not interested in the auction items, just sit and watch. Our main goal is to meet with Mr. Schippers.”
Ruben, unable to tolerate the cold look of Malcolm, complained. “I brought you to the auction, not for a fight. Can you tone down the chill a bit? With you like this, I can’t even chat with the pretty girls.
Malcolm responded indifferently, “We’re here for an auction, not a brothel.”
Ruben took a deep breath and, after a few seconds, said, “Fine, you win.
He quickened his pace toward the club entrance, pretending not to know Malcolm.
Malcolm, with his hands in his pockets, followed Ruben nonchalantly. His long legs and commanding presence made him stand out. Even without a single bodyguard, he was every bit as imposing as any of the big shots surrounded by their
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The auction took place in a circular, tiered venue. The space was livided into several sections, with the auction stage at the
very center.
Loretta and John found their seats based on the numbers on their invitation. Once seated, they noticed a small crystal table in front of them, with a booklet and some drinks placed on it.
The booklet contained the list of items for today’s auction. Lorena quickly flipped through it and, as expected, found the familiar item toward the middle of the list.
John saw it too. He hurriedly took the booklet from Loretta’s hands, his eyes wide with disbelief and shock. “The Nine Dragons Goblet! I can’t believe this stolen national treasure is here!”
Loretta looked at her father, who was clearly overwhelmed by a mix of shock, surprise, and excitement. She subconsciously clenched her hands to suppress her own emotions before calmly asking, “Dad, do you want to bid for it?”
“Of course we have to,” John replied seriously. “The Nine Dragons Goblet is a national treasure of Zyntara. It has significant historical value. Now that we’ve come across it, as a Zyntaran, I have to find a way to bring it back to our country.”
Seeing the determined look on her father’s face, Loretta lowered her gaze briefly. When she looked up again, her eyes reflected agreement. “You’re right, Dad. This is our country’s treasure. Now that we’ve found it, we should bid for it.”
John was thrilled that his daughter agreed with him, so he began discussing how much they might need to spend to win the bid for the item.
“The starting price is 60 million dollars. This piece has widespread appeal, so there will definitely be plenty of bidders. And other Zyntaran companies will likely try to bid for it, too. Not to mention the Lindsey Group–they’re our biggest rival. I’d estimate the final price will be somewhere between 300 million and 500 million dollars. Looks like I’ll be making a big financial sacrifice this time,” John sighed.
“But don’t think of it as a waste,” he added enthusiastically. “It’s actually worth it. Once I win the bid and donate it to the government, our company will gain the government’s backing. Plus, the Broderick Group will gain social influence and prestige because of this national treasure. Our jewelry business will definitely reach new heights.”
As her father confidently outlined his plans, Loretta couldn’t help but think back to the previous life, when the Nine Dragons Goblet was shattered. She never wanted John to experience that despair again.
Loretta nodded. “Yes, I think the final price might go even higher Like you said, donating this treasure to the government would greatly enhance social influence. The Lindsey family definitely won’t let an opportunity like this pass… How about we raise our budget to 700 million dollars?”
In the previous timeline, John had only budgeted up to 500 million dollars. When the bidding war with the Lindsey family intensified, he had to grit his teeth and push the bid to 600 million dollars to secure the item. And then it ended up broken.
Loretta couldn’t help but suspect that the Lindsey family had something to do with that.
Thinking of the Lindsey family, her mind drifted to Malcolm. But she quickly cleared him from her thoughts. This wasn’t the time to think about him; she needed to focus on how to guard against the Lindsey family.
John considered her suggestion and, realizing it made sense, took out his phone. He called the finance department and instructed them to prepare 700 million dollars within the hour.
At this point, it wasn’t just John and Loretta discussing the Nine Dragons Goblet. Other Zyntaran company heads were also having similar conversations-
Particularly, Michael Lindsey and his son Eduard were already aking their plans.
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Michael said, “We have to win the bid for the Nine Dragons Goblet. I’ve heard Mr. Anderson mention it before. If we gift it to him, the Lindsey family will certainly gain his favor
Eduard asked. “But John is here, too. He’ll definitely be bidding for it. How much should we prepare to go head–to–head with him? Also, our liquid assets are limited. Even if we increase our budget, we might not have enough to outbid him.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make a call back home and tell them John is trying to outbid us for the treasure. I’m sure everyone will back me up to secure it. Michael said.
“Malcolm, take a look at this antique. Michael and the Broderick Family are definitely going to bid for it. Should we get involved?” Ruben asked.
Leaning back in his chair, idly toying with his phone, Malcolm didn’t even bother looking up. “Not interested.”
Ruben, surprised by his indifference, tilted his head to sneak a peek at Malcolm’s phone. But just as he leaned in, Malcolm immediately turned the screen off.
Ruben shot him a suspicious look. “You’re not watching porn, are you?”
