Chapter 615: Chapter 615

Fatty Wang rubbed his hands. "Let’s take a look at the finale of today’s auction, the Dried Blood Mushroom. What do you think? Have you heard of it?"

It was the same old trick. The Dried Blood Mushroom had been placed at the bottom previously, causing many people to overlook it. Those who did find it were all seasoned veterans who wouldn’t announce their discovery, resulting in many careless people not paying attention. Otherwise, given its nature, this item would have been picked for the most popular list long ago.

So, when Fatty Wang mentioned it was the finale, everyone understood.

"But what is Dried Blood Mushroom? Weren’t we told Blood Mushrooms couldn’t be dried?"

"I’ve heard of Blood Mushrooms. If I’d known they would have Blood Mushrooms today, I would’ve brought my goods to sell! That cunning merchant."

"Only now they tell us there are Blood Mushrooms... Hmph."

"They just want us to borrow money. But it’s been more than a year since Blood Mushrooms last appeared, right? This time... Master Long is also here; it’s likely they’ll all end up in his hands."

"Why fear Master Long just because he’s rich? Don’t you know people from higher up have also arrived? This is going to be fun, watching the two big shots compete."

Some spectated while others eagerly prepared, but only Jing Shu was counting her plentiful gains for the day. Exchanging just some Bees and farmed Blood Mushrooms had gotten her so many scarce supplies. This filled Jing Shu with happiness. Shopping really can make one feel joyful and also provide a sense of security.

Fatty Wang cleared his throat and personally brought out ten boxes. He first gently ran his hand over a wooden box, inhaling its scent with an ecstatic expression, then opened it to reveal the Dried Blood Mushrooms, mounted with gold silk, inside.

The screen also zoomed in, and music—serene yet with an underlying dynamism—began to play, immediately heightening the atmosphere and pushing the sense of prestige to its peak. Even Jing Shu thought, Damn, this feels like appraising an ancient relic worth hundreds of millions!

After the Dried Blood Mushrooms were displayed from every angle, Fatty Wang explained, "What’s different about these Blood Mushrooms from previous ones is that they are specially processed into Dried Blood Mushrooms. After our professional verification, the nutritional value and unique properties of these Dried Blood Mushrooms are exceptionally well-preserved. Next, please take a look at our inspection report and compare its data with past Blood Mushroom reports. You’ll see for yourselves; their nutritional value is almost double that of ordinary Blood Mushrooms."

On the screen, two inspection reports were displayed. The data was detailed, and key unique properties were highlighted, making them clear at a glance.

"Moreover, the most important thing is that these specially treated Dried Blood Mushrooms can be stored for several years without any change in their properties, which is particularly rare."

Only then did the crowd begin to murmur in amazement, and some even started to feel a strong temptation.

"Also, as you can see, these are much larger than ordinary Blood Mushrooms. So, after discussion, we’ve decided to auction these ten portions of Dried Blood Mushrooms by the gram. The supply is limited, and the opportunity is rare. Oh, and to ensure everyone can bid to their heart’s content this time, I’ve used my authority as director to apply for a free credit limit increase for you—three times your usual amount! So, don’t worry if you don’t have the cash on hand this time, haha..."

"Knew he’d pull this stunt."

"Damn it! Looks like I’ll have to sell a kidney this time." Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✶𝓷𝓮𝓽

The crowd erupted in curses, yet despite this, everyone obediently applied for the credit increase. In this era, money itself wasn’t worth much, but everyone had supplies. No matter how fiercely they cursed, they all possessed valuable goods. It was just a matter of bleeding a bit when it came time to liquidate them.

Everyone had now seen the items, and they were genuinely impressive. Fatty Wang gave everyone a minute or two to arrange their Trading Coins, then announced, "Alright, the showstopper of this auction is about to begin! The countdown is still two minutes, and this time, bidding starts directly by the gram. As you can see, the weight in grams is marked on each Dried Blood Mushroom."

The Dried Blood Mushrooms varied in size, so bidding by the gram was indeed very fair.

Jing Shu comfortably leaned back on the plush leather sofa, feeling a little expectant. If this channel proves viable, I’ll be able to exchange for many useful and scarce items through Qian Duoduo in the future.

In her previous life, Jing Shu had been truly traumatized by hunger. Consequently, after her rebirth, the resource she’d stockpiled the most was food. Her storage space could also be used for cultivation and storage, so now she had food in abundance. However, she was gradually running low on other supplies. These weren’t major problems, though.

The warm lighting, flamboyant music, and the luxury of the five-star hotel contrasted with the sudden silence that fell upon the venue, broken only by the continuous sound of fingers tapping on screens.

At that moment, Fatty Wang was calmly caressing the Blood Mushrooms, occasionally remarking, "A miraculous blood tonic, promotes longevity! Especially good to keep in reserve for emergencies. Which noble house in ancient times didn’t stock up on some ginseng...?" His words directly tantalized the crowd. Nowadays, what wealthy and established family wouldn’t keep some ’insurance’ items in reserve?

The numbers, tsk tsk, were climbing crazily.

If it weren’t for the trading house’s regulations to stabilize prices and restrict excessive markups—limiting bidding to a two-minute window and capping final price increments within a certain range—some of the big shots would probably have started by throwing down bids of several million.

Yes, the trading house was, after all, the public face of the Imperial Capital, representing the price levels of the entire Imperial Capital. With ongoing inflation, it was necessary to limit price hikes and suppress excessively high auction prices.

Thus, the ten Dried Blood Mushrooms ultimately sold at the maximum capped price.

Strangely, midway through, Fatty Wang was called away for a moment. When he returned, his face bore an inexplicable expression. Those not in the know merely thought Fatty Wang had gone to the restroom, but insiders knew something significant must have just transpired.

After all, the value of some truly fine items could no longer be measured by price alone.

Jing Shu, naturally, wasn’t concerned about these matters. Xiao Zhang, whom Fatty Wang had assigned to her, was very perceptive and brought Jing Shu two more "648 set meals." Tan Ke was quite regretful. By the time the finale items were auctioned, he hadn’t been able to afford anything. Coming here, perhaps I’m just destined to be a porter, he thought with disappointment.

Tang Tuo said with an impassive face, "Your items were subject to unspoken rules."

"Hmm?" Jing Shu was initially confused, then realization dawned. That’s normal, isn’t it? I’d be surprised if they *weren’t* subject to unspoken rules. But it’s not about the world being dark; this is just part of how things work.

"This is my specialized service contact. Interested in a collaboration?" Tang Tuo picked up his phone and continued, "I am dedicated to serving you. Entrust your affairs to me, and we’ll proceed in a ’managed service’ mode."

Jing Shu’s sharp eyes caught sight of the orders on Tang Tuo’s phone—he had managed to snatch two Dried Blood Mushrooms!

Just seconds ago, my electronic slate suddenly showed an additional seven million! That’s an absolutely sky-high price!

"You’re even more impressive than those ’unspoken rules.’ I could give collaborating with you a try."

Tang Tuo, an expressionless man, yet surprisingly a little interesting, she thought.

"I only secured these for Master Long," Tang Tuo explained. "He has access to many things. If there’s an opportunity in the future, I can help you connect with him."