Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 370 (Patreon)

Chapter 370: Beginning the Looting

The so-called Master Zelas gave an appraisal of one million, regardless of whether it was genuine or fake, this price might not necessarily reflect the market value.

When Luo leisurely raised the bid, the other bidder followed suit, raising the price in increments of ten thousand.

The starting price of the Greed Pot was fifty thousand, so the minimum increment was ten thousand, allowing Luo to play the game slowly.

"1.06 million."

"1.07 million."

"1.08 million."

"…"

"1.52 million."

"1.53 million."

"2 million."

"2.01 million."

No matter how much the other bidder raised, Luo only added ten thousand each time, making him appear as if he was intentionally driving up the price in the eyes of the crowd.

Slowly, the price of the Greed Pot reached 3.32 million.

The surrounding guests looked at Luo and the other bidder with eyes as if they were watching lunatics. After all, it was a supposedly fake item appraised by Master Zelas, yet the bidding was so intense—if they weren't crazy, what were they?

On stage, the middle-aged man was almost dizzy with happiness. He had originally thought it would sell for 650,000, but now it had reached 3.32 million—a dramatic turn of events.

Master Zelas, who had been indifferent to the auction, seemed a bit restless. Though his face remained calm, he subtly observed Luo, beginning to suspect that Luo was deliberately causing trouble.

The tan-skinned woman maintained a smile as gentle as a spring breeze. Even as the bidding reached a stalemate, she showed no unusual reaction.

This was a scam they had set up, but due to an outsider's interference, the situation had evolved into what it was now.

Although they weren't clear about the background of the young man, they were determined to acquire the Greed Pot.

The bidding for the Greed Pot climbed slowly like a snail, causing the audience to grow increasingly impatient.

One thing became clear to the perceptive onlookers: both bidders were determined to get the Greed Pot.

"A fake item attracting such determination—either they have incredible insight or can't bear to see their hard-earned gains taken by someone else." Luo sneered inwardly.

He wasn't sure how Master Zelas earned his reputation, but this was obviously a scam. Even if the Greed Pot wasn't genuine, its value far exceeded a million.

Initially, the item was appraised as a fake to lure the owner into a live auction, then a planted bidder would buy it at a low price.

The 500,000 appraisal fee was just to enhance the master's prestige. After all, nothing in the world is free. If no fee was charged, the appraisal results would be less convincing.

In any case, Luo was determined to get the Greed Pot to absorb nen, but he didn't want to waste money unnecessarily.

"5 million."

Luo called out the price with a smile, causing those around him to step back, creating a large space.

Five million was nearly four million above the initial estimate; continuing to bid would be unwise.

The tan-skinned woman smiled and said, "This young man bids five million."

She switched from "sir" to "young man" and looked at the other bidder, asking, "Will this gentleman continue to bid?"

The sudden change in address was a subtle hint.

The bidder didn't raise the price but instead questioned, "Judging by your voice, you're young. Do you really have five million?"

The crowd parted, leaving Luo and the bidder facing each other.

The auction itself lacked formality, allowing bidders to question each other.

On stage, the tan-skinned woman pretended to be at a loss, abandoning her previous composed demeanor.

The bidder's words cast suspicion on Luo, irritating the already impatient crowd. If Luo was maliciously bidding, it would provoke public anger.

Luo ignored the bidder and instead glanced at the woman on stage and Master Zelas. Then he sneered, "Why wouldn't I have five million? I have eight million!"

The surrounding guests' gazes changed, and the bidder was amused.

Master Zelas withdrew his gaze from Luo, and the tan-skinned woman subtly frowned. Eight million was within an acceptable range, but Luo's sudden appearance made her uneasy.

"What is this guy up to?" the woman wondered silently.

From the crowd, the bidder coldly said, "8.01 million."

Luo showed a look of disbelief, pointing at the bidder, seemingly speechless but actually scheming.

The opponent's persistence, coupled with their questioning to minimize losses, clearly showed they intended to acquire the Greed Pot without interference.

Seeing this, Luo didn't want to attract more attention, so he set a small trap for the opponent, allowing the owner of the Greed Pot to make an extra three million.

One thing was certain: the Greed Pot was worth more than eight million.

"Young man, will you continue to bid?" the tan-skinned woman asked.

Luo didn't look at her, his face filled with pain and hesitation, perfectly acting out the struggle of spending money, but he had no intention to bid further.

After the tan-skinned woman confirmed thrice, the Greed Pot was sold for 8.01 million, and the audience breathed a sigh of relief, wondering how far the two fools would go for a fake item.

This showed that almost everyone trusted Master Zelas' appraisal, not knowing the Greed Pot's true value was beyond their imagination.

The bidder immediately produced gold worth eight million jenny, paying the owner of the Greed Pot before taking it and blending into the crowd.

As the next antique was brought on stage, the guests' attention shifted, allowing the bidder with the Greed Pot to leave quietly, while the middle-aged man who received the gold had long since disappeared.

Moments later, Luo re-entered the crowd, a black cat perched on his shoulder.

"I'll browse the stalls. You handle the pot," Luo said, glancing at the stage where another person brought an antique for Master Zelas' appraisal.

"It should've been done this way from the start. Why bother buying when you can steal?" The black cat didn't refuse, jumping to the ground.

"If you don't get the pot, don't come back to see me," Luo said, heading toward the stalls.

"Tch," the black cat snorted, following the bidder.

Master Zelas' presence attracted most people to the display stage, but there were still plenty of people lingering around the stalls.

Luo casually browsed. The Vulture Street stalls sold a variety of items, and before long, the white smoke font was frantically alerting him.

"Seems like... I'm going to make a fortune."

The vast Vulture Street surely had many treasures. He didn't need to buy them, just pretend to look and stealthily touch them.

After all, the Kendia Desert had a deep heritage. Even though there were many fakes, genuine items shone through.

Luo was ready to loot, starting at one stall where he found two items.

Just this stall alone had two treasures!

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