Bill Buffett said with a smile, "You should have heard that in South Asia, there's a kind of malevolent witchcraft that works through little demons to complete some inconceivable transactions. For example, it can improve your luck, bring misfortune to your enemies, or cast some kind of subtle curse. It's quite incredible, isn't it?"
"But the more fame or benefits that thing brings you, the more it takes from you in some other way. It often demands your life."
"Yet even so, people flock to it; perhaps it's just human nature."
At this point, Bill Buffett spread his hands with a sigh, "Dealing with demons, it's very likely to end in ruin. Otherwise, why would its owner put it up for auction?"
"How intriguing! But do such things really exist in the world?"
"Of course, you see that one in the glass cabinet—don't you find it... somewhat peculiar?"
After a fierce bidding war, the golden statue sold for 220 million yuan.
The auctioneer seemed not too pleased and took his time before finally bringing down the hammer.
"Bang!"
"Congratulations to Mister 302, this collectible is now yours for the winning bid of 220 million."
Mister 302 stepped forward, seemingly well-prepared.
After swiping his card, he signaled to his bodyguards and left with the cabinet.
Wang Hao gave the item in the cabinet a few glances: a golden object, like a sculpture. It was hard to describe... perhaps like a premature infant?
It always felt strange in a game setting, as if it should be pixelated to make it a bit more harmonious.
It was covered with a layer of gold dust, only its hollow, pale eyes were exposed.
In the instant their gazes met, Wang Hao's heart began to pound fiercely, as if a crying voice echoed in his mind, "Waah—Waah."
It vaguely conveyed a sense of "hunger."
"Do you wish to face the lash of justice?" The hardcore player was itching to try, vigorously shaking his head.
But he restrained himself. The mission was more important; he could deal with that guy later.
The crying ceased.
The host continued, "Let's proceed to the auction of the 1372nd item. The starting bid is 200 million US dollars, with each increment not less than 10 million."
Finally... Item 1372 had arrived!
The collectible was a huge blood-red ginseng planted in a pot—this was the very thing he needed to destroy for the mission!
It hardly looked like a ginseng, more like a tree over a meter tall.
Seeing it, Wang Hao even held his breath.
Luckily, "Xiaobai" in the game was not affected by his emotions and continued to chat merrily with the man next door.
The blond man kept glancing over from time to time.
The ginseng's appearance was exceedingly bizarre; its various roots were tangled into a mess. More precisely, it had taken on a humanoid shape, with structures on the head resembling eyes, and even... the faint sound of a heartbeat "thump thump"?
Endure, endure!
Just a few more seconds!
The thought of nearing the game's completion turned Wang Hao red with excitement, his entire being aflame with anticipation!
It wasn't easy.
He decided that once he finished the game, he would check out some salacious pictures in the group to calm his startled heart.
Bill Buffett continued to boast, "It may be a ginseng... I don't know what it is, exactly, only that it comes from the East, and perhaps it could grant longevity? The person who had it has lived a very long time, no one knows why they decided to auction it."
"Of course, I don't know the specifics, but it must be the product of something truly evil, Longevity... it certainly comes at a higher price."
"The vast East, as the only ancient civilization that has sustained through time, holds the most historical secrets."
"Unfortunately, so much history has been buried in the river of time."
Wang Hao was completely focused on the intense auction, which concluded with a small ginseng being sold to an old man for a whopping 620 million!
Several black-clad bodyguards entered the inner area, carrying away the pot with the large ginseng. It seemed to weigh several hundred pounds.
"The third relic then?" Xiao Bai flashed a brilliant smile, quietly pulling out a perfume bottle.
At this moment, the tension was palpable!
The buyer of "Blood Ginseng" was an elderly man with graying hair.
After buying this item, the old man was so excited that his face turned red, and he hurriedly wanted to board his helicopter and go home.
But the moment they brushed past each other, the cap of the C-9 bottle was opened, and a roaring flame burst forth!
The flame, upon contact with the Blood Ginseng, burst into intense flames, as expected!
The next second,
An even more unbelievable scene unfolded!
In front of the stunned onlookers, the Blood Ginseng began to struggle wildly like a human being, breaking free from its pot and emitting cries like those of a baby.
A surge of crimson mist gushed from its body, and the first to come into contact with it were the black-clad men, who bled from all orifices and collapsed on the ground, writhing in agony.
The pot shattered with a "snap," and the red ginseng, like an animal, burned and screamed as it squirmed towards the living.
Yet Wang Hao was thrilled to the extreme, "Damn, this monster can really be set on fire!"
"This... is terrifying!"
"Just wait and I'll reload and burn that little devil... ahaha, just you wait, justice is never absent…"
The screams of the Blood Ginseng grew louder, its roots flailing everywhere, setting everything they touched ablaze.
After being scorched, the red mist seemed corrosive, making the freshly painted walls look as though they had decayed for decades, immediately covered with black spots, peeling off, spreading a smell of decay.
These wealthy attendees had never witnessed such a horrifying scene and immediately started fleeing in panic.
Looking back, the colorful commentator, Bill Buffett, had disappeared, having run away quickly—clever people do flee fast.
The old man in the front, seeing his newly acquired treasure burning fiercely, became red-eyed, stripped off his clothes, and tried to put out the fire.
But as he approached the ginseng, a thrashing root pierced directly through his heart. In less than a second, the old man looked as if he had been drained of all his blood, his body withering, weak and powerless, unable to utter a single sound from his throat.
The fire spread further, soon setting the old man ablaze as well.
The scene slowly dimmed.
The mission ended.
...
[Congratulations! You have completed the newbie scenario!]
[Score: 600 (500 for completing the objective of destroying 1,372 relics, 100 for rescuing the hidden mission of Li Qingshan)]
[Completion: 100%]
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