The room fell dead silent, every eye turning toward him in shock. Even the auctioneer was momentarily stunned, his hand frozen mid-air.
Vira's mouth parted slightly in surprise, but she quickly recovered, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Well, that certainly turned some heads."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd—a mixture of shock, awe, and perhaps envy.
"Did he say a billion?" one man whispered.
"Who is he?"
The auctioneer quickly regained his composure, clearing his throat. "We have an opening bid of 1 billion Union Credits from the gentleman in the center."
No one else dared to raise their paddles. The sheer audacity of the bid, combined with the overwhelming amount, left the crowd in stunned silence.
The auctioneer lifted his hammer. "Going once... going twice..." He paused for effect, scanning the crowd to confirm there were no challengers.
Of course, there weren't!
