As the auction progressed, Brandon found himself increasingly bewildered by the items on offer.
Rare artifacts, priceless jewels, even what looked suspiciously like classified government documents changed hands with alarming casualness.
The auction unfolded like a fever dream, each lot more outrageous than the last. Brandon's sense of reality blurred, the line between the possible and impossible growing increasingly faint.
Suddenly, the auctioneer's voice sliced through his daze, sharp as a razor.
"And now, a beautiful beast car collectors cannot turn away from~"
The woman snapped her fingers, and a shimmering hologram materialized center stage. Brandon's jaw dropped.
'That hologram looks so real, is this hidden tech? ? Or just another variation of this parallel world?'
The hologram rotated slowly, showcasing every angle of a sleek, futuristic car.
"The Bugatti Mistral," the auctioneer announced, her voice dripping with excitement. "8.0-liter W16 engine, 1,600 horsepower, 0 to 60 in 2.4 seconds. And gentlemen, this is number 13 out of only 99 ever produced."
Brandon locked eyes with Pierre across the table, holding up six fingers before pointing to the stage. Pierre nodded, a slight smirk playing at his lips.
"The bidding starts at 5 million dollars," the auctioneer declared.
Pierre stood, his voice ringing out clear and cold.
"Six million."
His eyes swept the room, daring anyone to challenge him.
The auctioneer's eyes widened slightly as she registered Pierre's bid. Her gaze swept across the room. The silence stretched.
"Six million dollars," she repeated, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.
"Going once..."
"Going twice..."
"Going three times..."
The auctioneer paused, giving one last opportunity for someone to outbid Pierre.
The room remained still.
"Sold!" she declared, her voice ringing with finality.
"To Mr. duPont for six million dollars!"
A smattering of applause broke out across the room. Brandon let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
He turned to Pierre, a smile of gratitude spreading across his face. He nodded, conveying his thanks without words.
Pierre caught Brandon's eye and winked in return, a smug grin playing at the corners of his mouth.
The auction continued, each item more extravagant than the last. Brandon's eyes widened as a sleek, futuristic personal submarine rolled onto the stage. Its gleaming hull promised underwater adventures beyond imagination.
"Capable of depths up to 3,000 meters, with a top speed of 30 knots," the auctioneer boasted.
Next came a collection of meteorites, their otherworldly origins sparking fierce bidding wars. One particularly rare specimen, rumored to contain traces of extraterrestrial organic compounds, fetched an astronomical sum.
Brandon's head spun at the casual display of wealth around him. He leaned back, trying to process it all, when the auctioneer's voice cut through his thoughts.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a truly special offering."
Four large, unmarked cases were carefully carried onto the stage. The room fell silent, an air of anticipation settling over the crowd.
The auctioneer's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.
"What we have here are four cases of the most advanced weapons of our time. Cutting-edge technology, some still in the prototype phase."
She paused, her eyes scanning the room.
"I assure you, these items are completely unused, unmarked, and utterly untraceable. We guarantee safe delivery anywhere in the world, no questions asked."
Brandon's breath caught in his throat. His mind raced, he thought of the team of mercenaries turned bodyguards his father had assigned to protect him.
A chill ran down Brandon's spine as a thought crystallized in his mind:
'In this world, talent alone might not be enough. Maybe I should prepare building my own force, loyal only to me.'
He glanced at Pierre, then at Elise. The stakes in this new life were higher than he'd imagined. Brandon realized he might need more than just his musical talents to navigate this treacherous world.
Brandon called out to Pierre, "Fatty!"
Pierre turned to face Brandon, tilting his head inquisitively. His eyebrows raised slightly, silently asking what Brandon wanted.
Brandon's lips curled into a sly smile.
He gestured subtly towards the stage, where the cases of weapons still sat.
Then, he blinked at Pierre, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Pierre's face contorted, doubt etching itself across his features. His brow furrowed, and he pursed his lips, clearly uncertain about why Brandon wanted to buy weapons.
Brandon caught Pierre's expression and nodded firmly in response. His eyes held a determined gleam, silently communicating his resolve.
Pierre leaned in, his bulk belying his grace as he whispered urgently,
"Are you sure about this? These aren't toys we're talking about. There are lines that even we need to take seriously—"
He left the sentence hanging, his eyes searching Brandon's face for any sign of doubt.
Brandon nodded, his eyes never leaving the stage. "Trust me."
As Pierre raised his hand to bid, Brandon felt a prickle on the back of his neck. He turned slightly, catching Elise's gaze fixed on their interaction.
Her face remained impassive, but Brandon noticed the slight quirk at the corner of her mouth. A smile tugged at her lips, almost imperceptible to anyone who wasn't looking closely.
Elise's gaze flickered between Brandon and Pierre, her ice-queen facade cracking just enough to reveal a spark of intrigue. She raised an eyebrow, silently questioning their hushed conversation and sudden interest in the weapons.
Brandon held her gaze for a moment, offering a small shrug and a wink.
Elise's smile grew a fraction wider before she quickly schooled her features back into neutrality.
Pierre's hand shot up, and after a few moments the auctioneer's gavel fell with a resounding crack.
"Sold! To Mr. duPont for $300,000."
As the night wore on, the auction continued to showcase increasingly outrageous items.
A private island in the Caribbean, complete with a luxury resort and helipad, went for a staggering sum.
Space travel tickets aboard the latest commercial rocket were snatched up by eager billionaires, each vying for a chance to touch the stars.
A superyacht, longer than a football field and equipped with its own submarine dock, sparked a fierce bidding war.
Brandon watched in awe as the price climbed higher and higher, eventually settling at a figure that could have funded a small country.
When a pristine, fully majestic green Myanmar jadeite came up for auction, Brandon felt a pull he couldn't explain. The stone's deep, rich color seemed to call to him. With Pierre's help, he won the bid for 1.5million.
As Brandon leaned back in his chair, admiring his new acquisition, he noticed the auction was winding down.
The auctioneer tapped her microphone, drawing everyone's attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached our final item of the evening. But before we reveal it, I'd like to thank you all for your participation."
Without warning, the room plunged into darkness.
A hush fell over the crowd, anticipation crackling in the air like static electricity.
A single spotlight pierced the gloom, illuminating the auctioneer. Shadows danced across her face, lending her an almost otherworldly appearance as she leaned into the microphone.
"What we have next is truly special," she said, her voice low and enticing. "A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, available only to those present tonight."
Brandon leaned forward, intrigued.
The auctioneer paused, building the tension.
A murmur rippled through the crowd.