Chapter 411

It seemed Felicia had arrived too early. In hindsight, she should’ve come later, just before the final item made its appearance.
Thinking of that, Felicia scanned her surroundings again to distract herself. Her gaze landed on a VIP room on the second floor with an excellent view. Behind the screen in that room, she
noticed a tall and slender silhouette.
The moment she looked over, the silhouette shifted slightly as if the person had made a small
movement.
Given the considerable distance between the first and second floors, combined with the screen and the room’s doors and windows blocking the view, it was impossible to make out the person’s appearance
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the figure was looking in her direction. It had to be her imagination, right?
Felicia withdrew her gaze and couldn’t help but let out another yawn. Just as she wondered whether to take a walk to clear her head, the lighting in the auction hall suddenly changed.
Following that, an item was brought out from backstage.
At the same time, a large screen displayed a photo and description of the auction item–the map donated by the Fuller couple!
The host began with an introduction, explicitly mentioning the donors‘ names in gratitude. Then, in a dramatic tone, he recounted the legend surrounding the map.
It truly sounded like a legend–for Felicia, at least.
Even though it was just a map, the host’s storytelling skills were so vivid and engaging that the legend seemed almost real.
Felicia noticed that many participants adjusted their posture when this item appeared. That was a signal . It meant that a considerable number of people were interested in acquiring the
map.
She pondered whether Stephan might be present. If the map truly belonged to him and he still allowed the auction to proceed, there was
Feeling a surge of interest, Felicia’s drowsiness was somewhat dissipated.
The starting price for the map was modest, at a mere ten thousand.
The sound of the bidding bells barely stopped as the price rose, mostly driven by those seated at the back of the first floor. They were the people with some financial means.
The real heavyweight remained still, calmly sipping their tea. They would wait for the price to rise sufficiently so that the smaller players could no longer compete before taking part.
In just ten minutes, the price went from ten thousand to ten million, and it kept climbing. Some bidders began to drop out while a few persisted.
As more participants were eliminated, the real battle began. By this point, the price had soared. to 50 million!
Listening to the commotion in the hall, Felicia couldn’t help but feel her eyebrow twitch. Only the wealthy could afford to spend 50 million on a map linked to an uncertain legend.
After a few more rounds, the first–floor bidders hesitated to continue. That was when the bells from the second–floor VIP rooms began ringing.
She watched silently and noticed that the one room she had observed earlier–the one with the silhouette–had yet to make a bid.-
Finally, when the price rose up to a hundred million and most participants dared not go higher, the host raised his gavel and asked with a smile, “Any higher bids?”
After the gavel struck twice, the bell for an additional bid rang out.
Felicia looked up. The sound had come from the VIP room where she had seen the silhouette earlier.