“Jason, you and Helen should stay out of it for now since this bet is between Hannah and me,” Fabian advised.
Helen then grumbled unwillingly, “Okay.”
Then an idea flashed in Jason’s eyes. “Wanna make a bet with me?”
Helen instantly perked up at this suggestion. She cautiously leaned closer to Jason and asked, “I’m down, but what are we betting on? Do you intend to play the same guessing game?”
“Pfft, I’m not as skilled a guesser as Fabian. Let’s bet on who will win instead—Fabian or Hannah, what do you say?” Jason proposed.
His beady-eyed gaze locked on Helen, who responded with, “Sound’s good.”
At this moment, Fabian dialed a number on his phone and instructed in a low voice, “Tell the auctioneer to put the event on hold. I’m at table 15, come over. I have something to discuss.”
The auctioneer waved to command the audience’s attention. Right when she was about to reveal what the mystery item was, Bluebird’s general manager approached the stage and muttered, “The boss wants to see you backstage.”
“My apologies, everyone please give us a moment.” The auctioneer bowed politely before turning to leave.
“What the devil is going on? Why did she leave?”
“Yeah! Even if they’re trying to pique our curiosity, there’s no need to leave us high and dry like that.”
“They’re really going all out in building suspense.”
…
The room was in a state of chaos as the audience complained from every corner of the room.
In the meantime, the boss of Bluebird’s establishment stood before Fabian’s table and bowed. “What can I do for you, Mr. Norton?”
The boss was not typically such a lily-livered man. However, it was only natural for him to tread cautiously around a powerful man like Fabian.
His blood ran cold just from looking at Fabian. Being the nightclub’s boss, it was needless to say that he knew all about the influential figures in Baykeep city. Apart from the two women at Fabian’s table, everyone in the room came from notable and distinguished backgrounds.
Fabian briefly stated his request in a lowered voice, and the boss immediately understood.
Although the boss didn’t fully understand Fabian’s motive for making that request, he still hurriedly obeyed.
Of course, Fabian was not one to abuse his superiority. So he slid out a card from his wallet and gave it to the Bluebird’s boss.
The boss gaped at the sleek sheen of the premium black card, knowing all too well that the card held at least a million.
Fabian spoke up after seeing the boss’ hesitation, “Take it. Consider it as compensation for troubling you.”
The boss thanked him graciously before accepting the black card and scurrying backstage.
Hannah instantly regretted betting against Fabian. She assumed that they would wait for the auctioneer to reveal the mystery item, but Fabian had unexpectedly spent a million and took their bet to a whole other level.
Not long after, the auctioneer returned to the stage once more. She blushed profusely at the outraged audience. “I’m sorry to keep everyone waiting.”
Truth be told, she didn’t know how to proceed. Normally, it would be acceptable for her to interrupt auctions as her fluent improvisation skills could easily reignite the audience’s enthusiasm. However, this time…
Her boss informed her that the mystery item would undergo a special auction procedure. The item would remain unrevealed until it is handed over to the highest bidder. She had worked in the auctioneering industry for quite some time, but this special procedure was a first for her.
At the same time, she couldn’t help but brim with curiosity. This item’s market value is extremely high, and he’s just going to auction it without showing the audience what it is? Isn’t he afraid of sustaining losses if no one bids for it?
Little did the auctioneer know, Fabian had promised to purchase the item for a hundred and five percent of its market price, should his bid not meet the market price.
The boss considered that he would profit regardless of whoever bids for the item, so he decided it was better to sell the item to Fabian as a favor.
Meanwhile, the auctioneer hesitated for some time before sheepishly announcing, “Because of the item’s special significance, we’ve decided to do a blind bidding.”
