"Don't believe me? Let's see what happens!" The woman in the baseball cap
pursed her lips in disdain, while Dustin and Roderick only smiled back i
n response.
As time went on, the auction neared its end, and the remaining highly pri
zed items were brought up on stage. Among them, was the long–
awaited thousand–year green lotus everyone coveted.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our next item on auction is an extremely rare, pre
cious herb that has thrived for a thousand years. This item is known as t
he thousand–year green lotus!"
With a wave from the auctioneer, a wooden box was brought forward with gr
eat care. As the box opened, one translucent and gleaming green lotus was
revealed. While its petals were colored green, its core shimmered gold.
It appeared to be the epitome of perfection, resembling a delicate work o
f art as its beauty captivated everyone present. Under the illumination o
f lights, its colors shone brilliantly. It was truly a sight to behold.
"It really is the thousand–
year green lotus. I'm taking this baby home for sure!" The woman's eyes s
parkled, and she looked excited. Not only she, but the rest of the bidder
s had a similar look on their faces.
"Now that everyone has seen the precious item, I believe you have a sense
of its value. The
starting bid for the thousand–
year green lotus is 100 million, with subsequent raises of not less than
5 million. Let's begin."
As soon as the auctioneer announced the start of the bidding, the scene e
rupted into a frenzy.
"120 million!"
"130 million!"
"No one gets in my way! 150 million here!"
Bidding calls drowned out each
other as a growing number of wealthy individuals eagerly joined the fray.
Equipped with sizable funds, they had come prepared. That was because it
was widely understood that the thousand–
year green lotus held immeasurable value and that whoever won the bid wou
ld be able to receive substantial returns just from reselling it.
In a world abundant with wealth, precious herbs like these that could pro
long life were highly favored, especially by the elderly tycoons. It didn
't matter, even if that meant staking their entire fortunes.
"500 million here!" A man in a long–
sleeved shirt suddenly raised his paddle. His commanding voice reverberat
ed through the room, instantly overshadowing the voices of the crowd.
"This thousand–
year green lotus belongs to the Stoneray Order. Don't try to take it from
me!" The man scrutinized his surroundings, his gaze menacing.
Those who caught his gaze instinctively
lowered their heads, not daring to look him straight in the eyes. Not man
y dared to offend the Stoneray Order, as they were Millsburg's most influ
ential group. Even though the item on auction was a precious treasure, it
paled in comparison to their lives and wealth.
"Are the Stoneray Order all that? I'm bidding 800 million!" In the face o
f the silent crowd, the
woman in the baseball cap suddenly raised her paddle. Her arrogant demean
or clearly showed her lack of respect for the members of the order.
The man's expression turned grim. "Little brat, who do you think you are?
How dare you challenge the Stoneray Order!"
"My name is Jayla Grant. I'm Tyler Grant's sister!" She declared coolly.