Joseph frowned and he seemed to be trying to puzzle something out.
The auction was starting to bore me, so I chatted with Stacey.
Stacey’s gaze had swept the entire auction area and took in all that there was to see.
She introduced all the artifacts to me and sighed in awe. “Wow, these are all worth tens of millions. These collectors are hoarding all these riches. Some of these items are priceless.”
I looked around and agreed with her. “If someone stole one of these, the money they would make off of it would last them for a lifetime.”
Stacey’s lips twitched and she deadpanned, “See? The items are being protected by diamond containers, and there’s two highly skilled personnel assigned to each item. There’s no way a regular person could dream of getting close to any of the items. A professional comes to do a check every five minutes as well.”
It was tough.
“The sandalwood box is here. Look!” Stacey said as she pointed towards the stage and patted me.
I turned to see. On the stage was the exact replica of the box that Grandma had given me.
The host was enthusiastically introducing the sandalwood box. “All of you must be curious to know why we’re auctioning off this seemingly unassuming sandalwood box, right?”
The audience members nodded.
The host continued speaking, “To tell you the truth, this box has unbelievable meaning. Although it looks plain, if you take a closer look, you’ll see that it was made from hundred-year-old sandalwood. You can’t find such wood anymore. It’s completely extinct. Moreover, I have to point out the box’s workmanship. I know it looks ordinary from the outside!”
The host turned the box for the audience to see.
A commotion broke out amongst the audience. The host spoke again, “From this noise, I can tell that you’re having the same reaction as I did. This is actually a box. The special part of this box’s design is that it looks like it can be opened. However, upon closer inspection, you’ll realize that it can’t be opened. Actually, this box has a pair that comes with it. As of now, we have no idea where its partner is. You’ll only be able to open this box if you find its pair.”
“See, I told you!” exclaimed Stacey excitedly.
I nodded and looked at the sandalwood box on stage. As I peered closer at it, I could see no difference between it and the box Grandma had given me.
However, there must be something special about them.
The host continued to speak, “The bid for this sandalwood box starts at two thousand. You may begin bidding.”
With such a low price, there should be bidders. However, the bid only reached a hundred thousand and stopped there.
I was confused and asked Stacey, “Why aren’t they bidding for the box?”
Stacey said to me in a hushed tone, “It’s simple. No one knows if there’s anything inside the puzzle box. You have to find its pair in order to open it. If the pair can’t be found, there’s no point in owning the box.”
“But it’s a precious collectible. Even if you can’t find the other box, it has great workmanship. If they keep it as an artifact, the value is sure to increase after a hundred years.”
Moreover, compared to the items that were worth tens of millions, a few hundred thousand were peanuts.
Stacey chuckled. “Many people know this box belongs to Robert Murphy and that he treasures it. The young master of the Murphy family must have slipped up by putting it up for auction. He wouldn’t dare to sell it off.”
I was curious about the son of the Murphy family. I looked around the auction area and asked, “Where is Mr. Murphy? I don’t see him.”
She pointed at several places around the area and replied, “The place is filled with surveillance cameras. The young master of the Murphy family is watching everything from the shadows.”
I pursed my lips. He sure liked to waste his time.
I looked back at the box onstage and said after a moment’s pondering, “Are you sure the Murphys won’t auction it off?”
She shrugged. “I can’t say for sure.”
“Okay. The current bid is four hundred and fifty thousand. Are there any more bids? Four hundred and fifty thousand going once, four hundred and fifty thousand going twice…” announced the host.
“One million!” someone yelled out, cracking the calm atmosphere.
The bid had come from Joseph. I was appalled and asked in befuddlement, “Mr. Campbell…”
He looked at me solemnly and replied, “Mr. Featherstone has requested that I buy this box. It might be able to open your box.”
I was stunned. “The thing in the box belongs to Grandma. I just want to take a look inside. But, it doesn’t matter whether I’m able to open it or not. I’ll always keep it.”
He smiled a small smile. “Mr. Featherstone hopes that you’ll be able to find out what’s inside.”
The host continued calling for one million…
Stacey leaned towards me and whispered, “It’s not a huge loss to buy it for one million. You have both boxes now, which means double the value. They can become family heirlooms.”
I thought her words over. It seemed like a good idea. I could not open the box on its own. It was a good idea to open it. They also had value as collectibles.
The host called the bid thrice and was about to bang the gavel. I was sure the box was mine.
Suddenly, a deep voice bellowed, “Ten million!”
A roar erupted amongst the crowd. The bid had far exceeded the box’s value.
Joseph frowned. He was about to bid a higher price, but I stopped him. “Don’t do it.”
It was fine if the box was never opened. If we really wanted to open it, we could always try asking the eventual buyer of the box.
It was not worth it to spend so much money on this box.
I looked around curiously until I found the person who had called out the bid.
From the front seat of the VIP section, Stacey sighed. “This must be the assistant. The boss is still hiding!”
I looked at the man who had raised the paddle. He was dressed in a black suit and his hair was immaculate, giving him a stern aura.
I asked Stacey, “How do you know he’s not the boss?”
Judging from his charisma, he had to be a successful person. He seemed like a boss to me.
Stacey glanced at me and shook her head. “You’re not observant enough. Take a closer look at his clothing choices. His clothes are all branded and must cost at least a million. He’s very well put together.”
She looked at Joseph and said, “Now take a look at Mr. Campbell. Do you think his clothes cost less than one million?”
I furrowed my brow. “So expensive clothes aren’t a sign?”
She slapped her forehead and whispered into my ear, “I mean that the man and Mr. Campbell are of the same level. They’re above ordinary people but not elite enough to be bosses. Think carefully about what Anthony wears. What does he usually put on?”
I had never paid attention to the brands of Anthony’s clothes. “Anthony’s clothes are all custom made. Moreover, he only wears one color. There isn’t anything particularly special.”
It was true. He always wore black. This was probably the reason why he needed to have his clothes custom-made.
She scoffed and replied, “Do you think custom-made clothes are worse than branded clothes? The clothes he wears come from designers that charge earth-shattering prices. They’re also handmade and made from the best materials. Additionally, his clothes seem to be limited edition. The designers are prohibited from selling the rights to the design. As such, the clothes are one of a kind.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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