Chapter 4832 — Just Wait for the Humiliation
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
Having watched this round of spectacle, Wei Zhao sighed in some disappointment. He had been hoping the Central Chamber of Commerce might offer secular-world communications the way the Central Isle auction had last time; he would certainly have bid for one then. Yet from beginning to end the matter was never mentioned. It seemed that, just as Si Haitao had said, the Central Chamber of Commerce had discontinued that line of business.
The various merchant guilds took the stage in turn, each giving way to the next. Apart from a few oddities like the Eastern Chamber of Commerce and the Central Chamber of Commerce, nearly every guild attending this grand auction had come for the Academy's partnership, and all of them were pulling out every trick they had. Fine things that could not ordinarily be bought were to be found here in abundance.
Yet the gulf in strength between the guilds was vast. The small guilds could never match the great houses in depth of reserves; to produce a treasure or two was one thing, but to bring out eight or ten at once was simply impossible—and ordinary treasures, plainly, had no place at an auction of this caliber.
And so the guilds whose totals could reach three million spirit jade or more were precious few, while as for the Vantong Consortium's record of seven million six hundred thousand, all the rest—the Haomen Metropolis included—could only look on and despair.
Barring the unforeseen, the Vantong Consortium was destined to be the greatest victor of this merchant-guild auction floor, and from then on the sole supplier to Morning Star Academy. It took no great foresight to see that the title of Morning Star City's foremost merchant guild would soon change hands and fall upon the Vantong Consortium's head.
One had to understand: in Morning Star City, whether or not a guild could win the full backing of Morning Star Academy was decisive for the fortunes of any merchant guild whatsoever.
When every guild had taken its turn, the last to appear was the Hong Clan Merchant Guild—the Academy's only existing partner guild, and by all common sense the natural finale. Yet anyone with eyes could see that the Hong Clan Merchant Guild was not what it once had been; it was, beyond all question, the sacrifice of this Morning Star Grand Auction.
To be granted the closing spot sounded impressive, but in truth it was nothing but a deliberate humiliation. Everyone knew the final lot had to stand a cut above every lot that had come before; the moment it failed to meet the crowd's expectations, the Hong Clan Merchant Guild's reputation would be ruined for good, and it would never again dare raise its head in Morning Star City.
"Hmph. Toil and moil for nothing, and that fellow named Wan picks up the bargain. Good thing the Haomen Metropolis has always been at odds with the Hong Clan Merchant Guild—bringing down one of their branch guilds should count as something to report to the higher-ups." Steward Hao consoled himself from his hiding place in Box Twelve.
"Exactly, exactly. With that meager ability of his, Old Chai Honest can't even scrape together a few Gestation Condensing Pills, and he wants the finale? Heh heh—just wait for the humiliation!" Steward Jin chimed in with a cold sneer.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there remain four final lots, all from the Hong Clan Merchant Guild. Please await them with keen anticipation," the white-bearded elder announced.
At these words, the knowing insiders like Steward Hao, who had been waiting for the joke, all wore expressions of "just as I thought." The Hong Clan Merchant Guild truly had run out of road—at an auction of such importance, only four lots! Every guild was permitted to offer up to ten, and even the Jinyu Merchant Guild had scraped together seven. That such a trash guild could serve as the Academy's supplier was a sheer disgrace to Morning Star Academy!