The guests held their breath as Klaus presented an unexpectedly high bid. Their reactions were a mix of surprise, especially from Olivia. The exotic-skinned woman couldn't help but let her jaw drop. Just moments ago, she had advised Klaus not to bid, but he had gone against her advice.
"Wow! A substantial offer! $200,000! Anyone else interested in bidding?" Julia exclaimed enthusiastically.
However, the room remained silent. Then, Julia quickly brought down the gavel.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
"'Peace Within the Forest' is sold to number 98! Congratulations, Mr. Klaus Lee!"
As Klaus resumed his seat, Olivia tugged at his sleeve.
"What were you thinking, Klaus!? Didn't I tell you not to buy that painting? It's just the work of an amateur artist. These people know nothing about art!"
"I know," Klaus replied nonchalantly.
"What?!"
Art is one form of investment instrument. However, artwork doesn't appreciate in value like gold over time. A piece of art becomes valuable if it gains popularity and historical significance.
What Olivia said was true. In this room, only a handful truly understood art, like Isabella Wilson or Jonathan Thompson. But these individuals were the elite among the elite.
The rest were wealthy individuals looking to elevate their status. By purchasing a piece of art, they could show the elite circle that they shared the same hobby. After all, birds of a feather flock together.
In other words, they came to this auction not for charity or a genuine interest in art, but to expand their network.
And Klaus understood this fact.
"Don't worry, Olivia. Everything is under control. I've planned it all out. Just sit back and watch."
He smiled at Olivia, and she could only furrow her brow in response. She could never quite figure out what was going on in his head.
At the same time, three guests kept their eyes on Klaus.
"This is just the first round and money is already flying. Interesting," murmured Jonathan.
"He claimed he didn't know art and brought in an expert. Yet, he bought that mediocre painting. Hm, what is he thinking?" Isabella said, narrowing her eyes.
And the last person, Liliana, said nothing but stared at him with a sharp gaze.
The spotlight returned to Julia.
"Alright. Let's move on to the next item."
The noise echoed through the air as the red curtain opened. The second auction item was a picture of a beautiful woman dancing in an empty room. The guests' eyes sparkled, showing their interest in the painting.
"This is a painting titled 'Beauty in Solitude' by Shahinaz Syaffie Halim. Anyone who gazes at this painting for a while will feel a sense of tranquility." Julia elaborated on the painting's details at length. "Since this painting is from the Ottoman Dynasty, we will start at $50,000!"
Bam! Julia brought down the gavel.
"Sixty-five thousand!"
"Seventy thousand!"
"One hundred thousand!"
The guests raised their number paddles, competing to offer the highest bid. The price of the painting continued to rise over time. When the painting's price reached $300,000, Klaus stood up from his seat.
"One million dollars!" Klaus suddenly exclaimed firmly. The other guests were taken aback, some even stopping mid-conversation. A brief silence replaced the usual buzz in the room.
"Wow, that young man is really serious," someone whispered in the crowd. All eyes were on Klaus, who remained calm and resolute in the midst of everyone's attention.
"No other bids!" Julia struck the gavel. "'Beauty in Solitude' is sold to number 98! Congratulations, Mr. Klaus Lee!"
As Klaus ultimately won the second painting with a spectacular bid, the room's crowd seemed to receive a bitter slap. Some furrowed their brows, while others shot sharp glances. Nevertheless, Klaus remained unfazed and unaffected by their reactions.
He didn't care about them. His attention was on his three competitors in the bet—Jonathan, Isabella, and Liliana. They hadn't placed a bid at all.
As the auction went on, Klaus continued his streak. He won one painting after another with astonishing bids, leaving the other guests increasingly frustrated and irritated. His presence disrupted the auction atmosphere. In total, he acquired 8 paintings.
"Klaus! Have you lost your mind? You've spent $10 million at the start of the auction. There are still 25 items left, Klaus!"
Olivia couldn't contain her frustration. For half an hour, she had watched Klaus squander his money. What made her angry was that none of the paintings he bought held significant value.
"You should have saved your money for the later paintings. They have higher value. Look! Jonathan and Isabella haven't placed any bids at all. What were you thinking, Klaus!?"
Klaus paid her no mind. His gaze was fixed on the stage.
"Klaus!" Olivia snapped.????????????????????????????????.????????????
He finally paid her attention. "It's not your money. So calm down."I think you should take a look at
"Damn it, Klaus. I can't. I feel like I'm watching someone scam my friend right now, and I'm not doing anything to stop it. You feel me?"
Klaus could see the frustration in her eyes. She genuinely cared about Klaus now.
"Relax. I know what I'm doing," he said in a gentle tone.
But Olivia had enough. "No, forget it. I shouldn't have interfered."
She crossed her arms and looked away.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Julia hammered her gavel repeatedly.
"Ten paintings have been sold for fantastic prices. But we still have more beautiful paintings. Let's move on to the next item!"
The guests buzzed with excitement as they laid eyes on the eleventh item. It was a painting of a knight battling a dragon inside a cave. Many of them seemed to recognize the artwork.
"Before you is a painting by Thomas Willem, 'Siegfried the Dragon Slayer.' It was once lost during the first dungeon break, but we managed to recover it."
Julia explained the painting's value to the guests, and they seemed to agree with her assessment. Some clenched their fists, secretly desiring the painting.
"Siegfried the Dragon Slayer starts at $100,000!"
As Julia announced the price, several number paddles quickly shot into the air. The sound of bidding filled the room. However, as Klaus stood up from his seat, the atmosphere shifted.
"One and a half million dollars," Klaus calmly stated, his voice cutting through the other bids.
Astonished looks and puzzled expressions appeared on the faces of the other guests. Some tried to formulate higher bids, but Klaus quickly responded to each offer, continuing to raise the bidding price.
Four million dollars... five million dollars... Klaus advanced with dominant bids.
Some initially enthusiastic guests started to feel desperate. They sensed defeat looming as Klaus appeared unshaken. Some even began to look at Klaus disapprovingly, seeing him as someone trying to spoil their enjoyment of the auction.
"Twenty-five million!" one guest exclaimed with a flushed face. He held paddle number 110.
Julia pointed to the man. "Number 110 bids twenty-five million dollars! Any other offers!?"
The guests grumbled. They expected Klaus to counter with a higher bid. However, the opposite happened.
Klaus remained silent.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Julia struck the gavel repeatedly.
"Siegfried the Dragon Slayer is sold to number 110! Congratulations, Mr. Adam Walls!"
Instantly, whispers echoed throughout the room. For the first time, Klaus didn't raise the bid. The guests discussed it as they looked at him. Some chuckled, while others sneered.
"Heh, look at that boy. Seems like he ran out of money."
"Pocket money from his dad must not be enough. So, his limit is twenty-five million dollars, huh? This will be easy."
"If he wasn't so greedy, he might have had it. But he wasted it on those junks. Typical fool."
They were satisfied to finally see Klaus lose. Meanwhile, Olivia felt quite the opposite. The woman clenched her teeth, frustrated hearing the guests mock Klaus.
"Arrogant jerks. They know nothing about art, yet act all know everything. Tch!"
As she was about to console Klaus, she twisted her face. Instead of seeing Klaus annoyed or distressed, he was grinning broadly. Of course, this raised questions for her.
"What's with your face? Why are you laughing, Klaus?" Olivia asked in puzzlement.
"Because my plan worked."
Olivia narrowed her eyes. "Plan?"
Klaus turned to Olivia, revealing a cunning smile. "I got a job from your mother to spice up the auction."
Naturally, Olivia was surprised.
It turns out Klaus struck a deal with Julia. She agreed to help Klaus introduce the candidates to him, in exchange for Klaus assisting her in raising the bids at the auction.
Klaus purchased all the initial auction items to provoke the guests. He dominated the bidding, making them irritated and frustrated. And undoubtedly, some guests had malicious intentions towards Klaus because of it. These individuals would bid on items solely to inflate the price, hoping Klaus would buy an overpriced painting.
Of course, Klaus wasn't naive. He was aware of this scheme. So, when they thought Klaus would keep raising the bid, he stopped bidding right at the peak. As a result, it was the guests who ended up buying the paintings.
From the beginning, the guests were dancing in his hands.
