After dinner, Niu Jinfeng led Yang Podi to the Heaven Dou Auction House.
Upon arriving at the auction site, what Yang Podi saw was a massive circular building, resembling the venues for large-scale sports events in future generations. The auction house had a diameter of nearly 500 meters, and its highest point was over 80 meters. The entire building was white, giving it a luxurious yet solemn appearance.
Standing at the entrance were four beautiful girls, each with striking looks and tall, graceful figures, standing at around 1.75 meters. They wore long dresses that showcased their exquisite curves. Their faces were youthful, likely no older than 20.
Their movements were both capable and elegant, clearly the result of long-term training.
One of the girls approached Yang Podi and his mother, bowing slightly, "Is there anything I can assist you with?"
Niu Jinfeng casually pulled out a black card and handed it to the approaching girl. The card had the auction's logo on it.
The girl examined the card carefully, then handed it back promptly, "Honored black card members, welcome to our auction house. Would you like to sit in the main hall, or should I escort you to a private room?"
"Arrange a private room for us," Niu Jinfeng instructed.
"Very well, esteemed black card member. Please follow me."
The girl led Niu Jinfeng and Yang Podi inside without further delay.
Upon entering the auction house, there was no overwhelming sense of grandeur. The floor was made of milky-white marble, and the surrounding walls were adorned with various reliefs. The reliefs were simple, with minimal colors, lending an elegant and lively atmosphere that showcased the high quality of the establishment. The girl leading the way was highly professional, stopping every ten steps or so to gesture with a "please" motion, guiding them smoothly to their destination.
Of course, there were also many guards stationed throughout the venue, likely to maintain order and prevent any potential disturbances or robberies.
After a short walk, the three arrived at a private room. The girl said, "Esteemed black card member, this is your private room. The auction will begin shortly."
Niu Jinfeng nodded, and the girl quickly exited the room.
Yang Podi took a moment to observe the private room. The interior decor was quite simple, with only eight seats in total. Each seat was placed behind glass panels that faced the center of the auction floor, providing a clear view of the entire venue. Obviously, the glass was one-way, preventing those outside from seeing inside the private room.
Looking out from the room, Yang Podi saw that the auction hall was divided into five sections. The three rows closest to the auction stage were red, radiating outward in black, purple, yellow, and white. Each area had both private rooms and seating, seemingly based on personal preference.
After a while, there was a knock on the door, and a beautiful attendant entered, bringing tea and snacks for the two of them.
Through careful observation, Yang Podi noticed that all the attendants in the auction house were women, and they were similar in height to the four girls at the entrance. However, their figures were even more striking, and their clothing was more revealing. Their dresses emphasized their chests and the shortness of their skirts, giving off a subtle sense of seduction.
"Mom, how do you have a black card for the auction house?" Yang Podi asked curiously.
"Son, who do you think your mother is? Of course, I have a black card. I just haven't visited recently, so I didn't apply for a red card. Your grandfather even has a red card," Niu Jinfeng replied proudly.
Yang Podi ignored her bragging and focused on observing the venue. Just like how Ning Fengzhi had described it in the original story, the waitresses, though beautiful, seemed somewhat emotionless, even a bit vacant. According to Ning Fengzhi, these beauties had lost their souls and were now simply tools at the mercy of others.
When Yang Podi first heard this idea in his past life, he found it somewhat reasonable but felt something was off. The second time he heard it, he concluded it was pure nonsense. After all, if a person has no soul, what's left to be controlled? These women, though appearing numb now, could very well recover if given hope and freedom. Their current state was likely more the result of their circumstances than any loss of soul.
After a while, the auction officially began. The host was a strikingly beautiful woman in a red dress. She had an impressive figure, height, and appearance, and her eloquence was top-notch. Her ability to excite and control the crowd far surpassed that of any so-called "excellent" hosts Yang Podi had seen in his previous life.
As the auction got underway, each item was presented on the central stage, with a large screen overhead magnifying the item so that everyone in the audience could see it from all angles.
The host gave detailed introductions of the origin, function, and value of each item, using some exciting and persuasive language before announcing the starting price. The attendees bid based on their knowledge of the items.
The scene was quite lively, with some people discussing the actual value of the items, others lamenting their lack of gold soul coins, and even more people talking about the final prices of the auctioned goods.
The auctioned items were quite diverse, ranging from inexpensive ancient swords and antiques to high-value soul tools and precious herbs. There was even an auction for a cat-eared girl, just like in the original story. Additionally, there were auctions for some rare metals.
Suddenly, a particularly intriguing item appeared.
The beautiful host in red began introducing it: "Distinguished guests, our next auction item is an incredibly rare treasure."
The auction plate displayed a black, fist-sized object with faint lines etched into its surface, resembling glue.
"As you can see, this item is a piece of whale glue, and not just any whale glue—it's over 10,000 years old. For men in need, it serves as a powerful tonic, able to restore one's strength and vitality."
As soon as the host finished, many men in the audience became visibly excited.
"The starting price for this 10,000-year-old whale glue is 10,000 gold soul coins," the host announced.
"Eleven thousand gold soul coins!"
"Twelve thousand gold soul coins!"
…
Very quickly, the price of the whale glue soared to 30,000 gold soul coins.
"Mom, we should bid on that whale glue!" Yang Podi suddenly said.
Niu Jinfeng looked at her son in confusion, "You're just a kid. What do you know about whale glue?"
"Mom, I've been doing a lot of reading lately. Whale glue has other potential uses. If you buy it for Dad, it might come in handy."
Though Niu Jinfeng hesitated, she ultimately couldn't resist her son's request and successfully bid for the whale glue at 50,000 gold soul coins.
The entire room fell into silence. This was likely the first time a woman had ever bid on whale glue. Could her husband really be in need?
Even Niu Jinfeng felt awkward for a moment. A mother and son bidding on whale glue—what a strange sight. If anyone else found out, they might laugh themselves to death.