Chapter 165: The Auction [5]

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: The Auction [5]

Exclamations of interest immediately rippled through the lower floor.

"A Frost-Vein Lotus?"

"Even for a Tier 2 herb, the preservation on that specimen is incredible!"

"It’s a foundational ingredient for basic mana restoration elixirs and cold-attribute pills!"

"Starting off with a rift herb... they aren’t holding back tonight."

Up in the private VIP booths overlooking the stage, Alexander Jade glanced down at the holographic projection with a calm, indifferent gaze, while Iris watched nervously, her eyes occasionally darting towards Derrick’s table below.

Over at his seat, Derrick casually swirled his glass, his eyes inspecting the detailed structure of the projected herb.

’Not bad for an opening item,’ Derrick thought, a faint smirk playing on his lips behind the mask. ’But that only means that the products that will be coming from now on will be more valuable or of similar quality.

Vanya leant forward over the podium, the suggestive cut of her dress drawing more than a few distracted stares from the corporate crowd.

"This pristine specimen serves as an excellent catalyst for fundamental cold-attribute elixirs and recovery formulas," Vanya purred, tapping the podium’s digital screen.

"We will start the opening bid at a modest 100,000 social credits, with increments of 10,000. Do I hear 100,000?"

"100,000!" a representative from a mid-tier guild near the middle section immediately raised his digital paddle.

"110,000 over here!" another voice chimed in.

"120,000!"

"120,000 to the gentleman in row three," Vanya smiled smoothly, her tone playful and encouraging. "Do we have 130,000 for this icy treasure?"

Derrick leant back in his leather seat, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the numbers quickly climb, curious to see who among the smaller players would fight over the opening item.

"150,000 credits!" a representative from a regional alchemy house called out, raising his paddle with a smug look.

"160,000!"

The price was climbing steadily past the market value of a standard Tier 2 herb, driven purely by the thrill of the opening bid and the flawless preservation of the specimen.

Derrick sat quietly, his fingers lightly tapping the arm of his leather chair.

Initially, he had no intention of participating.

There is no point in wasting money here...

Through the system, he could acquire herbs of similar or even superior quality at a fraction of the cost, completely bypassing the inflated markup of high-profile auctions.

No... wait, Derrick suddenly froze, his eyes narrowing slightly as a sharp thought crossed his mind.

If Myriad Pill Palace is producing world-disrupting pills and products, people are going to wonder where the raw materials are coming from.

And If I sit through the entire night without placing a single bid on alchemy ingredients, it’ll look suspicious. I need to play the part of a high-end buyer building up a supply chain.’

A faint smirk touched his lips behind the mask. He reached out and tapped the digital bidding interface on his table.

"200,000 credits," Derrick called out, his voice smooth and steady, cutting through the incremental ten-thousand-credit jumps like a razor.

The sudden leap in price made a few surrounding bidders flinch. Heads snapped towards the front table, murmurs rising instantly.

"The Myriad Pill Palace representative is bidding?!"

"Jumped straight to 200,000..."

"Does he need it for a new formula?"

Up in the private VIP booth, Iris Jade leant against the glass, her brow furrowed. "Grandpa, look! He’s going after the Frost-Vein Lotus! Is Myriad Pill Palace planning to release a cold-attribute elixir line?"

Alexander Jade didn’t react immediately.

He took a slow sip of his warm tea, his sharp, experienced eyes fixed on Derrick below.

"Patience, Iris," Alexander said calmly, setting his teacup down. "A single Tier 2 herb isn’t enough to run a production line. You have a lot to learn."

He slowly turned his head to face her and asked, "and why did you assume that the Myriad Pill Palace or even have the slightest chance to even stand near our feet, let alone compete with us?"

"Um? "What do you mean, ’Grandpa’?"

"Just watch." Instead of answering her question, the old man only smiled mysteriously.

Back on the floor, the representative from the regional alchemy house gritted his teeth. He couldn’t let an upstart company bully him on the very first item. Grinding his teeth, he slammed his paddle down.

"220,000 credits!"

All eyes turned to Derrick, expecting the Myriad Pill Palace representative to crush the competition with another massive leap.

Even the man who had made the bid looked at him with a condescending look on his face. Come on, go ahead and raise the price. Let me see how deep your pockets are.

Instead, Derrick simply leant back, a relaxed smile on his face as he casually let his hand fall away from the bidding interface.

He didn’t even lift his glass to signal another raise.

Vanya scanned the floor, her eyes lingering on Derrick for a brief, suggestive second, hoping to coax another bid out of him.

When he gave her a faint, unbothered nod, she smoothly transitioned back to the crowd.

"220,000 credits going once... going twice..."

Gavel slam!

"Sold to the gentleman from Apex Alchemy for 220,000 credits!"

Whispers broke out once more in the upper booths.

"He gave up just like that?" a guild leader in an adjacent VIP booth muttered, watching Derrick. "He jumped to 200,000 like it was pocket change, only to back off over a twenty-thousand difference?"

"He wasn’t serious," another noble scoffed with a laugh. "He just wanted to mark his presence and probe the room’s appetite. Smart guy... or maybe Myriad Pill Palace isn’t as wealthy as the rumours suggest."

Up in the Jade family booth, Alexander Jade let out a quiet, knowing hum.

"See?" Alexander murmured to Iris, a cold light flickering in his eyes. "He placed a single bid to draw everyone’s attention, established his presence, and bowed out the moment the price exceeded reasonable value."

"He isn’t reckless. That makes him far more dangerous than a simple big spender."

Down on the floor, Derrick took a comfortable sip of his champagne, entirely amused by the silent scrutiny focused on his back.

I wonder if there will be anything worth buying in this place or not. Derrick thought, his eyes fixing on the stage as Vanya waved her hand in the air, causing a new image to appear before the eyes of the mass. The auction has just started; I should be more relaxed.