On the Seven Towers

"You see, in the face of money, everyone is equal. I admire the person who invented the transaction method of auction. He is a great businessman and a great wise man." Baron Goya leaned against a table full of flying dragons and clouds. On the chair, he took out a piece of golden-red jelly from the dinner plate on the side table and rubbed it in front of his nose.

This is a piece of glue smoke made from the best Awakening Dragon Grass. It can continuously emit a sweet and spicy smell. Putting it in different positions in front of the nose can also produce strange smell changes.

The baron looked at Xiao Chen and others with a smile, and pushed the plate in front of them: "Please use it, this is an ingredient only available in good years, and it is also a rare thing for me."

"You're too polite." Xiao Chen glanced at the crystal glue, but didn't touch it at all. He had tried it a few days ago and it was really too much for him to bear. He decided to focus on business. Today, the auction was held at Baron Goya's home. He, Luo Ling and Chen Hansheng all changed into local clothes and sat with Baron Goya in a hall of his mansion.

The decoration of this hall is very low-key and simple, with nothing too dazzling, making it appear harmonious and quiet. But Xiao Chen found out that the dim velvet carpet on the floor of the hall, which was half the size of a basketball court, was a treasure worth as much as a small villa, not to mention those dim but ancient portraits and bottles.

There are also magic circles painted on the walls of the hall. They are obviously carefully arranged by the artist and combined with the murals. They take into account both beauty and practicality. They appear unobtrusive, but make the environment in the room feel like a forest in early spring. The temperature Suitable and fresh air. Xiao Chen used his minimal skills in Xiaozhuan to identify runes similar to "light", "wind" and "warmth" in the complex formation.

There are more than a dozen sets of tables and chairs scattered loosely in the room. They are all antiques and have different shapes, but they complement each other when put together. There were about forty or fifty nobles and businessmen who seemed to be wealthy and sat there. Xiao Chen secretly looked at them. Most of the nobles here wore wide-collared narrow-sleeved tops and tight-fitting trousers that were easy to move around. The color of these formal clothes was mainly light and deep green. Siro told him that this was the color favored by the God of Nature. At first, it was just a way for the nobles to show their favor to the powerful Temple of Nature, but after many years, it has become a custom. Fortunately, the merchants are not so particular. Their clothes are much more gorgeous and fancy, with a lot of embroidery and lace, making their fat bodies look like flowers among the green leaves.

"Most nobles wear swords, but almost none of the merchants." Xiao Chen observed for a while and said to several others.

"Well, many of these people with swords are good players." Chen Hansheng said.

"You can tell by just sitting there?" Xiao Chen asked curiously.

"That's right! People who have been on the battlefield and seen blood, well, just like me. Naturally, their temperament is different."

Xiao Chen laughed.

"Old Chen is right. This place is just like Europe in the Middle Ages. There are constant struggles between feudal lords, large and small. Any noble who wants to keep his family business and gain some status must have some ability to fight." Luo Ling interrupted. He said, "On the other hand, these nobles have not been corrupted by the corrupt life and retain some Gothic toughness. This is the era of swords and blood."

"You can't see any aristocratic temperament from them." Xiao Chen saw that most of these people were sitting carelessly, and some even raised their feet on the table. On the contrary, those businessmen looked a lot more civilized.

"In our world, the connection between nobility and temperament is something that happened after the Renaissance. The European aristocrats in the Middle Ages were all rough people in the end, and they may not even know a few big words. And the civilization here may be in the middle ages. The transitional stage of modern times. Perhaps, because of the magic civilization, they are more knowledgeable, but it should be normal to like to talk with their fists. "

As if to verify Luo Ling's words, a middle-aged nobleman seemed to have heard someone next to him say something funny, and he laughed unbridled while slapping the table. Another nobleman opposite him pushed him under the chair in anger. The man who fell on the ground roared and got up from under the table, stretched out his hand and punched the opponent. Soon the two were fighting each other.

Baron Goya patted his forehead nervously and gestured to the waiter. Several tall guards immediately rushed out from the back room, rushed up to separate the two of them, and then coaxed and persuaded them out of the room.

He lamented softly in an angry tone: "Although I am also a noble, I hate entertaining certain nobles. You never know what kind of stupid things these rough things will do."

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The auction has started for a while, and Baron Goya has prepared a lot of good things. According to him, they can well set off the value of the final lot.

After the previous seven or eight lots were sold at good prices. Ines, the housekeeper, began to introduce today’s protagonist—the vase that survived the car crash—in a calm and professional tone. This "treasure" represents the highest level of supermarket glass shelves.

The corner where Xiao Chen and the others sat was inconspicuous, but they could see everything going on in the hall. While Ines was introducing, the servants held the trays and placed envelopes one by one on the table in front of each participant. There were a few rough-looking nobles who interrupted Ines from time to time and asked stupid questions, while a few businessmen, while listening to the introduction, had picked up their pens and seemed ready to write down a number.

"Mr. Baron, there is one thing I don't quite understand." Xiao Chen asked softly, "Why use a secret bidding method? In our hometown, auctions with open bid increases are more common. And it seems that the final bid will be more high?"

"Ha, this..." The baron laughed awkwardly, and then said in a low voice: "Since the last time, a respected magician summoned a magician at the Basque family's auction because he failed to bid. Skull Dragon, we are not willing to use a method that easily arouses anger. Seeing the long scar on old Basque's face, it was scratched by the dragon's nails when the hero killed the bone dragon. "

"A fight because of the auction?" Luo Lingqi asked.

"Some strong men are not as good-tempered as the two of you." Baron Goya sighed as he took a deep breath of his glue cigarette.

"In this way, each writing his bid in an envelope and bidding together at least weakens the conflict." Xiao Chen nodded.

"That's right. We are all civilized people. There is no need to have grudges over business. One bid, the highest bidder gets it, abide by the rules, and be willing to admit defeat. Isn't this good? You can rest assured that we have the first few in this auction. The momentum created by the sky made everyone have a reserve price in mind. Ines’s introduction was even more impressive, and the transaction price will definitely not be low.”

Xiao Chen rolled his eyes and said to Baron Goya: "If that's the case, I have a way, maybe it can add fuel to this auction." He whispered in Baron Goya's ear for a while.

"Huh? Won't this make less money? Wait...that's not right!" The Baron squinted his eyes and thought for a moment, then said with his hands: "Okay, okay! What a great idea. It's a pity that you didn't become a businessman."

The baron immediately ordered an attendant to go to Ines and whisper a few words.

Xiao Chen saw Luo Ling and Chen Hansheng looking at him in confusion, and said mysteriously: "Don't be impatient for a moment. We will understand in a moment in the stands."

"Pretending." Luo Ling snorted and turned her head to ignore him. Chen Hansheng put on a curious expression and looked at Ines seriously.

Xiao Chen bit his nails helplessly. Luo Ling was really confusing him these days. Sometimes she would talk to him a few words, sometimes she would ignore him at all, and sometimes she would hit him twice both inside and outside her words, which made him really confused. Somewhat at a loss.

By this time, Ines had finished introducing the vase. He suddenly said mysteriously: "It is a great blessing that this top-quality royal Gavilia sun glass vase can appear at the Diaz family's auction, so the Baron is ready to give the profits to you. In the next auction, bid The highest one gets it, but only pays the second highest price.”

What does this mean? The bidders below started talking. Many of the nobles were confused, while the eyes of the merchants shone with light.

"Hey, Ines. Can you say it again in human language? We don't understand." A burly middle-aged man shouted loudly.

"I can make an analogy. Mr. Ramos, you offered the highest price of five thousand gold coins, and another adult offered the second highest price of 4,800 gold coins. Then this unique treasure is yours, but You only need to pay four thousand eight hundred gold coins."

"Ah, I understand. Baron Goya asked me to pay two hundred gold coins less. But, are you so kind? The fox-like Baron Goya actually let me take advantage of him. Is it true that things fall from the sky?" Baron Moss said in a loud voice.

"Okay, okay, it's rare for Baron Goya to show kindness, let's seize the opportunity." The old head of the Bacchus family interrupted the big man, "I already paid a thousand for a broken vase. It’s a golden ax as compensation, but I’m still fascinated by this one. Ines, stop talking nonsense and let’s get started.”

"Xiao Chen, what kind of fun are you doing?" Chen Hansheng asked with some confusion.

"Isn't it just a second-price sealed auction? See what you get." Luo Ling looked at the buzzing crowd in front and muttered.

Xiao Chen glanced at Luo Ling and said to Chen Hansheng: "Old Chen, look, if you are a bidder, the transaction price is calculated based on the second place bid. Will you pay more or less than before? ?”

"It must be more. Anyway, as long as I win, the price I pay will definitely be lower than the bid."

"Yes, what if everyone thinks so?"

"Ah! Then everyone's bids will definitely be higher than before!"

“What if an ambitious person anticipates that his opponents will raise their bids?”

"Then his bid will be further raised!"

"That's right! That's it. Let's see how many gold coins we can earn in the end." Xiao Chen looked at the people who were calculating the price with a smile, and his heart was full of expectations.