"You see, when it comes to money, everyone is equal. I admire the people who invented auctions as a form of trading. He was a great businessman, but also a great wise man. Baron Goya leaned back on a chair carved with rich reliefs, and from the plate on the side table, he took out a golden-red gelatinous object and rubbed it against his nose. It is a gelatinous cigarette made from the finest Awakening Dragon Grass, which can continuously emit a sweet and spicy taste, and when placed in different positions in front of the nose, it can also produce a strange odor change. The baron looked at Xiao Chen and the others with a smile, and pushed the plate in front of them: "Please use it, this is a material that only exists in a good year, and it is also a rare thing for me." ”

"You're so polite. Xiao Chen glanced at the glittering glue, but didn't touch the thing at all. I tried it a few days ago, and it really made him unbearable. He decided to focus on business. Today, the auction was held at Baron Goya's home, where he, Luo Ling and Chen Hansheng all changed into local clothes and sat in a hall of his family mansion with Baron Goya.

The décor of this hall is very low-key and rustic, there is nothing too dazzling, and it seems harmonious and quiet. But Xiao Chen inquired that the ghostly velvet carpet on the floor of the hall alone was half the size of a basketball court, a treasure worth as much as a small villa, not to mention those dull but old portraits and bottles.

The walls of the hall are also painted with magic arrays, which are obviously carefully arranged by the artist, combined with some murals, which are unobtrusive, but make the environment in the room like a forest in early spring, with a suitable temperature and fresh air. Xiao Chen used his small seal skills to recognize runes similar to "light", "wind", and "warmth" in the complex formation.

There are more than a dozen sets of tables and chairs loosely placed in the room, all of which are antiquities, with different shapes, but they complement each other when put together. There were about forty or fifty nobles and merchants who looked like they were worth a lot of money. Xiao Chen looked at them secretly, most of the nobles here wore wide-necked narrow-sleeved tops and close-fitting pants that were easy to move, and the color of these formal clothes was mainly light and dark green. Ciro told him that it was the color preferred by the gods of nature, and that it was initially a gesture of goodwill by the nobles to the powerful Cult of Nature, but that it had become a custom over the years. But fortunately, the merchants were not so exquisite, their clothes were much more gorgeous and fancy, and a lot of embroidery and lace made their fat bodies flowers among the green leaves.

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

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

"You can see them just by sitting?" Xiao Chenqi said.

"That's a man who's been on the battlefield and seen blood, well, just like me. The temperament is naturally different. ”

Xiao Chen laughed and shook his head, as if to say, "It's shameless." ”

"Lao Chen is right. Here, as in medieval Europe, there were constant struggles between feudal lords, large and small. But all the nobles who want to keep their family business and become a bit of a climate have to have some ability to go into battle. Luo Ling interjected, "On the other hand, these nobles have not been corrupted by the erosive life, and they have retained some Gothic toughness, this is the era of sword and blood." ”

"I really don't see any aristocratic temperament in them. Xiao Chen saw that most of these people were sitting with a big grin, and some even put their feet on the table. Instead, the merchants seemed to be much more civilized.

"In our world, the association between nobility and temperament is a post-Renaissance thing. The European aristocracy in the Middle Ages was a rough man in the final analysis, and he may not know a few big characters. The civilization here may be in the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era. Perhaps, because of the relationship between magical civilizations, they are more knowledgeable, but liking to talk with their fists should be the norm. ”

As if to verify Luo Ling's words, a middle-aged nobleman seemed to hear the person next to him say something funny, and laughed unscrupulously while slapping the table. The other nobleman on the opposite side pushed him under the chair in anger. The fallen man roared and got up from under the table, reached out and punched the other. Soon the two scuffled together.

Baron Goya patted his forehead with a broken head and gestured to the waiter. Immediately, several tall guards rushed out of the back room, rushed up and separated the two, and then carried the two out of the room with coaxing and persuasion.

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

————————————————————————

The auction has been going on for a while, and Baron Goya has prepared a number of goodies, which, according to him, are a good complement to the value of the finale.

The first seven or eight lots were sold at good prices. Ines, the butler, begins to introduce today's protagonist in a calm and professional tone, the vase that survived the crash. This "treasure" represents the highest level of the supermarket's glass shelves.

The corner where Xiao Chen and the others sat was inconspicuous, but they could see the movements in the hall at a glance. As Ines introduced, the servants held trays and placed envelopes on the table in front of each participant. There were a few rough-looking aristocrats who interrupted Ines from time to time and asked stupid questions, while a few merchants, listening to the introduction, had already picked up their pens and seemed to be ready to write down the next number.

"There is one thing I don't quite understand, Monsieur Baron. Xiao Chen asked softly, "Why do you want to use the method of secret bidding? In our hometown, the auction method of public price increase is more common." And it seems that the final bid will be higher?"

"Hah, this one......" The baron snorted a little embarrassedly, and then whispered, "Since the last time a respected Mr. Magician summoned a bone dragon at the auction of the Basque House because of a failed bid, we are not very willing to use that kind of method that can easily provoke anger. Seeing the long scar on the old Basque's face, it was scratched by the dragon's fingernails that popped out when the brave slashed the bone dragon. ”

"Because of the big fight at the auction?" Luo Lingqi said.

"Some strong people are not as good-tempered as the two of them. Baron Goya took a deep puff of his cigarette and sighed.

In this way, each bid is written in an envelope and bid together at least to weaken the conflict. Xiao Chen nodded.

"That's right, everyone is a civilized person, there is no need to grudge because of business, a bid, the highest bidder wins, abide by the rules, willing to gamble and lose, isn't this very good. You can rest assured that we have the momentum of the previous few days to make everyone have a reserve price in their hearts. Ines's introduction is even more impressive, and the transaction price will not be low. ”

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

"Isn't that a small amount of money? Wait...... No!" The baron squinted his eyes and pondered for a moment, then stroked his palm, "Good, good! What a good idea, it's a pity that you didn't become a merchant." ”

The baron immediately ordered one of his attendants to go to Ines' side and whisper a few words.

Xiao Chen saw that Luo Ling and Chen Hansheng were both looking at him suspiciously, and said mysteriously: "Don't be impatient, in the stands, you will understand in a while." ”

"Pretend. 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 really made him scratch his head these days, he said a few words to him for a while, ignored him at all for a while, and stabbed him twice in and out of the words for a while, which made him really a little confused.

By this time, Ines had finished introducing the vase. He suddenly said with some mystery: "It is a great blessing that this superb royal Gaviria sun glass vase can appear in the auction of the Diaz family, so the Baron is ready to give it to you." In the following auctions, the highest bidder wins, but only pays the next highest price. ”

What does this mean? Many of the nobles were confused, and the merchants' eyes were shining.

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

"I can analogy that Lord Ramos has made the highest price of five thousand gold coins, and another master has made the second highest price of four thousand eight hundred gold coins. Then this beautiful vase is yours, but you only need to pay 4,800 gold coins. ”

"Ah, I see, Baron Goya made me pay two hundred gold coins less. But you have such a good heart? The fox-like Baron Goya actually let me take advantage. Is it really pie falling from the sky?" said Baron Ramos.

"Alright, alright, Baron Goya is a rare time to show kindness, so let's seize the opportunity. An old Bacchus family master interrupted the big man, "I've already paid a thousand gold axes for another damn vase, but I'm still fascinated by this one, Ines, less nonsense, let's get started." ”

"Xiao Chen, which play are you playing?" asked Chen Hansheng with some puzzlement.

"Isn't it just a sealed auction at the second price, which is mysterious. Luo Ling looked at the buzzing crowd in front of her and muttered.

Xiao Chen glanced at Luo Ling in a daze, and said to Chen Hansheng: "Old Chen, you see, if you are a bidder, you think that the transaction price is calculated according to the bid of the second place. Will you play more or less than you used to?"

"It's definitely more, anyway, if I win, I'll pay less than I bid. ”

"yes, what if everybody thinks so?"

"Ahh

"That's right! Let's see how many coins we can earn at the end. Xiao Chen smiled and looked at the people who were calculating the price, his heart was full of anticipation.