The female employee in the cheongsam stood outside the men's room, listening to the sound of flushing water and running water from the faucet.
After waiting for about half a minute, Zhang Heng walked out of the toilet after washing his hands. The female employee in the cheongsam continued to lead the way, and they walked past the first large conference room.
Zhang Heng's expression did not change, as if he had no idea where he was being led to.
"This is the place." The female employee in the cheongsam took a few more steps and finally stopped in front of the room that was originally the exhibition hall. At the same time, she gestured for Zhang Heng to enter. "The auction will start in about 20 minutes. You can wait here for a while. If you need anything, just tell the staff inside. Fu Lou wishes you a pleasant night."
"Thank you." Zhang Heng did not sense any hostility from the other party, but he did not let his guard down. He tidied up his suit and walked into the room.
Zhang Heng was not the first to arrive. Five buyers had arrived before him, and three of them knew each other. They sat together and chatted in low voices, while the other two sat further away from them.
They did not communicate much with each other. One of them was resting with his eyes closed, and the other was playing with his mobile phone. Like Zhang Heng, everyone in the room wore masks on their faces. This way, Zhang Heng could not observe their expressions, and he could not judge their attitude toward him.
When he entered the room, only two of the five people turned to look at him, but they quickly looked away.
Zhang Heng, on the other hand, chose a seat on the right side of the third row. As soon as he sat down, another person entered the room. It was the man Zhang Heng bumped into in the bathroom earlier. He came out earlier than Zhang Heng, but he did not rush into the auction room. Instead, he finished a cigarette in the corridor next to him.
Judging from his habitual avoidance of others, he should have been married for some time, and he might even have a child.
After entering the room, he did not talk to the others. Instead, he sat in the row behind Zhang Heng, about two seats away from him. As time passed, more and more guests entered the room.
Ding Si was right. There were indeed a lot of buyers who were interested in the Immunity Crystal. There were eight people on the final list from Fu Lou. Other than that, there were several other chambers of commerce. Although the number of people on the list was not as many as Fu Lou, there were almost 20 people in total.
And because the transaction method was a little special this time, the seller was also present. However, he did not come to the auction room. Instead, he sat in the VIP lounge next door.
Zhang Heng looked at the time on his watch. There were less than three minutes left before the auction would begin. Almost all the people who were supposed to come tonight had arrived. Then, an auctioneer in his fifties with half of his hair stepped onto the auction stage.
After a brief welcome speech, the auctioneer quickly got to the point, introducing the only auction item of the night. Zhang Heng had seen the Immunity Crystal in videos and photos, and now, he was seeing it in person.
It was placed in the display cabinet, about the thickness of two thumbs, exuding a lavender luster. The biggest difference between it and ordinary crystals was the strange pattern on the inside. Upon closer inspection, one would see that the pattern was slowly flowing.
After the auctioneer introduced the basic information of the item, he allowed the buyers to come to the front to observe it closely. However, not many people stood up. Fu Lou was a veteran player's chamber of commerce, and they had a good reputation. With their endorsement, it was almost impossible for a D-grade item, even if it was a rare soul item, to be counterfeited.
So, most people sat in their seats, waiting for the bidding to begin. Zhang Heng did not move. Now, the seats next to him were occupied. On his left was a man who kept looking at his watch, looking like he had something to attend. On his right was a girl in a sailor suit, chewing bubble gum. She looked a little impatient since the auction had just begun.
When the last buyer returned to his seat, the auctioneer spoke again, "Due to some well-known reasons, this auction will no longer accept game points as the main payment method. Hence, the usual auction mode is no longer applicable."
He paused for a moment, and seeing that no one had any objections, he continued, "The seller has already given his price in advance. Since everyone is willing to participate in this auction, it is obvious that you have accepted the base price. When you entered the auction hall, you have already handed over the item to our staff. This will also be considered your first round of bids. Now, please take out the iPad under your seat and fill in the item's name, quality, and function.
"Please note that you must not provide false information. If your bid is accepted, we will enter the transaction phase. Fu Lou will also conduct an appraisal of the item. If the item is false, the bid will be canceled. The next part of the auction is as follows."
Seeing that everyone in the auction room had begun to input their information on the tablet, the auctioneer continued, "Your first round of bids will be reported to the seller. The seller will then pick the ten most attractive bids, and these ten buyers will also enter the next round. However, those who are eliminated don't have to be too upset. You can still continue to bid on the basis of the first bid.
"The new bid will also enter the second round of competition. After the second round, there will only be five bids left on the list. After the third round, there will be three bids. In the fourth round, there will be one final bid. At this time, if no bid can surpass this bid in the next round, then congratulations to the buyer for successfully winning the [Immunity Crystal]. Does anyone have any questions?"
The auctioneer waited for half a minute, and no one spoke. He wanted to wait a little longer, but he did not expect the girl in a sailor suit on Zhang Heng's right to run out of patience. "Okay, cut the crap. Hurry up and start! If you have any questions, ask after the first round is over. "
The auctioneer did not wait any longer. He looked at the screen in front of him and said, "I have received all 27 bids, and I have forwarded them to the seller. Please wait for a while. In thirty minutes, the results of the first round of bids will be announced. During this time, everyone can take a break. There are snacks and fruits on your left, and drinks on your right. You can also use the tablet to watch movies and variety shows, or log into the player forum. I wish everyone a good night. "
After saying that, he also walked down the auction stage and went to the staff lounge to take a break.
(End of Chapter)
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