Darkstone Code
Chapter 91 - 0090 Making money is just that simple

Chapter 91: 0090 Making money is just that simple

"Have there been any new discoveries these past few days?" A middle-aged man in a worn, hole-ridden short-sleeve shirt stood in front of Wood, shaking hands with him as he quietly inquired.

Wood shook his head and nodded in a certain direction. His superior immediately noticed Lynch standing at the edge of the crowd, along with Ferrari beside him.

Many ordinary people might not be familiar with Ferrari, but Wood’s superior certainly was. He knew almost everyone in the city who required his attention, and naturally, he also recognized the mayor’s personal attendant Ferrari.

Lynch being connected with the mayor made Wood’s superior feel a bit troubled. Before higher authorities intervened, investigating Lynch could potentially involve legal protective statutes.

To ensure that the ruling party is not politically persecuted or pushed out during their term and to prevent having a harmful impact on the region, related personnel are generally not investigated while in office.

If the mayor of Sabin City believes that investigating Lynch is an attack on him, the investigation might have to pause until his term ends before being reopened.

Wood’s superior felt somewhat anxious. If they could collect incriminating evidence against Lynch before he had substantive contact with the mayor, they could charge Lynch first, prompting the mayor to naturally avoid associating with such a criminal.

But all this is contingent upon them having substantive, concrete evidence; otherwise, the court will not approve their subsequent actions.

Wood shook his head, his superior looked a bit solemn, and under Wood’s guidance, took a seat in Wood’s "camp."

Wood used a lake blue color he liked, so all of his hundred-seat covers were in lake blue.

Gradually, more unfamiliar faces holding his leaflets sat in his camp, many of whom were active police investigators. They were there to assist Wood, helping him successfully infiltrate Lynch’s circle.

Originally, Wood’s superior only wanted to make up the numbers, allowing Wood to complete his task smoothly, but given the current situation, time was incredibly tight.

They must ensure Wood gains Lynch’s approval quickly, and the best way to do that is to make him seem like someone who can help Lynch succeed.

As time went on, more and more people arrived on the scene. Lynch had already made the necessary preparations, arranging two thousand seats in a circular fashion around the event to ensure that everyone could see the items on display and the host could hear their bids.

The people Ferrari brought also joined in maintaining order. Reporters would record the entire event, and it would appear on local visual news by tomorrow night at the latest, so some official personnel were necessary on site.

Aside from these people, security guards from the Warehouse District and even a few Blue Vests voluntarily helped Lynch maintain order while also staying to watch the happenings.

In an increasingly sluggish economy, people needed something fresh to stimulate their numbed nerves.

By 2:15 PM, almost three thousand people had arrived, and those without seats simply found a place to stand. Even the rescue team showed up to prevent any sudden accidents or dangers. In short, everyone was very much looking forward to it and very curious.

"It’s starting..." Following Lynch’s words, the host and his assistants took the stage, while a large number of items were brought up. The previously noisy venue quieted down a bit; although some still whispered, the overall atmosphere felt less chaotic.

"I’m pleased to be here on such a day..." The host was hired by Lynch for six hundred dollars from the state capital, covering four hours. Lynch also had to pay an additional one hundred and twenty dollars for round-trip travel expenses and one night of accommodation.

Sabin City didn’t have an official auction house, so there weren’t any professional auctioneers. A good auctioneer could effectively energize the scene, create minor conflicts, and frequently achieve record-high bid prices.

In the Bail Federal and internationally, some renowned auctioneers could even earn a three percent commission on the final price as their bonus!

He quickly introduced the auction process, where the primary interaction for bidders was raising their hands—no paddle numbers, nothing as formal and serious—appearing much like the familiar secondhand goods fairs. In fact, top-tier auctions are also secondhand goods transactions; only those items fetch higher prices.

The whole auction trading session is divided into three stages. The first stage is a fixed-price quick auction, with no distinction between price increases or decreases. The host will announce the price of an item, and those wanting to buy simply raise their hands.

On the central display stage, there are an additional four staff members with small buttons. When they see someone raise their hand, they press the button, and the other three can no longer trigger the button action, confirming the first person to raise their hand.

The items sold during this stage are mostly those that are quite "solid," essential in life. Examples include practical kitchen ovens and six-burner cooking ranges that every household needs.

These goods have stable trade volumes and prices in the secondhand market, and they can be easily sold without needing price hikes or cuts.

After the first stage ends, it enters the second stage, which is the real auction. To evoke that atmosphere, auction prices for each item start at one dollar.

Yes, regardless of the item’s retail price, the starting price here is one dollar, and the final price depends entirely on individual demand.

Most of these items are more for show than substance. Pricing them like the first category would often leave them gathering dust in storage, so instead, letting clients compete might fetch a surprisingly good price.

As for the third stage...

The host claimed it would be an unprecedented surprise that might even change some auction rules worldwide!

Choosing to keep it as a surprise, he didn’t reveal it upfront and started directly with the first category of items.

The first item was displayed by the staff, and the host skillfully introduced or rather exaggerated it: an in-built oven that could fit into a cabinet or be embedded in the wall.

These types of hide-away ovens have been quite popular in recent years, not just for their aesthetics but also for saving space. They are a good choice for families with smaller kitchens that still need a reasonably sized oven.

A brand-new oven of this model typically costs around one hundred ninety-nine dollars in stores, but today at the venue, it’s only seventy-nine dollars!

The auctioneer’s words were somewhat inciting. About ten seconds after he finished speaking, a light on the stage suddenly came on, and then people noticed someone in another camp raising their hand.

The first suburban item had appeared so quickly, and people either regretted or curiously watched the person who raised his hand, with an inexplicable sense of participation slowly emerging.

"Congratulations to this gentleman for buying a nearly new oven for only seventy-nine dollars. If I weren’t the host, I wouldn’t have given you such an opportunity!" He smiled and pointed at the successful bidder, "Let’s congratulate this gentleman..."

Meanwhile, staff members began to approach for settlement—cash or check payments were acceptable. Besides these, they would also request a delivery address for home delivery service.

It seemed like offering home delivery would incur extra costs for Lynch, but this expense wasn’t significant. Instead, it would firmly bind these people to him.

"Seventy-nine dollars, it seems like it’s given away for free..." Ferrari muttered and glanced at Lynch, "How much did you lose on this?"

"Lose?" Lynch’s gaze showed a hint of amusement, "I made at least ten dollars on this thing."

Wood looked at his superior, who was reaching for money, and felt a spreading sensation in his chest that he couldn’t quite describe because he had made a profit of around four dollars.

For the first time, he felt what Study Committee Member Richard described as—earning money while doing nothing at all!