Chapter 677: Arms Dealing
Chapter 677: Arms Dealing
September 25, 2017
Lu HaiKong, this guy, really has a knack for business. A few days before the artifact auction, he sent out the process and rules of the auction to every force and Outsider.
This auction was held in a specially constructed auction hall by Lu HaiKong, and not just anyone could enter this venue.
To enter the auction hall, one needed to buy a ticket. There were two types of tickets: hall seating tickets, with a total of five hundred, originally priced at fifty gold each, but Lu HaiKong increased the price to five hundred gold after seeing the large number of attendees.
In addition to the seating tickets, there were also private boxes, a total of fifty, which didn't have a set price but required an invitation. Only those who received an invitation from Lu HaiKong could enter.
On the day of the auction, the Immobile Army directly guarded the auction hall, and the Bandit Guards were responsible for maintaining order.
Over the past few days, these Outsiders had a detailed understanding of Lu HaiKong's power, and since they knew his strength, no one caused trouble when the auction started. Everyone entered the auction hall in an orderly manner, following the arrangements of the staff.
After more than an hour of preparation, the artifact auction finally officially began.
The auctioneer was not anyone from Lu HaiKong's command but a female Outsider from the "Unusual Individuals' Home" chosen by Lu HaiKong, a woman skilled in graceful dancing.
As the auction began, a beautiful female Outsider in traditional Han clothing, Lu Luo, gracefully walked onto the stage.
"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the artifact auction hosted by our Governor of Bing Province, Lu HaiKong. Everyone here is an Outsider, and we all come from the same place and are fellow countrymen. It is a kind of fate to be able to gather in this world in this way. Lu Luo sincerely hopes that everyone will have a wonderful memory today."
Looking at the graceful Lu Luo on stage and listening to her modern-style speech, coupled with the modern architectural style throughout the auction hall, many in the audience felt a strange sensation.
After living in this world for so long, many had completely immersed themselves in it. Suddenly experiencing this modern atmosphere made them feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but soon everyone adapted, and this intentionally created atmosphere even made them more relaxed.
After the woman on stage created this atmosphere, the auction began.
This auction, called an artifact auction, actually had more than just artifacts when it truly started. The Outsiders discovered that, in addition to artifacts, there were other unique items up for auction, such as equipment, secret manuals, and mechanical beasts.
As the auction proceeded, a question that had been puzzling some people was gradually answered.
Many were confused as to why Lu HaiKong suddenly held such an artifact auction. This situation was very abnormal. Did Lu HaiKong have so many artifacts that he was feverishly selling them? Or was Lu HaiKong's economy unable to develop, and he needed to sell artifacts to raise funds for development and construction?
It wasn't until the auction was underway that they realized Lu HaiKong was playing a strategic game, turning this artifact auction into his product launch event.
On stage, an exquisitely crafted set of armor was presented, and many people's eyes lit up at the sight of this full set of armor.
"The next item up for auction is something I believe everyone here has already noticed. Yes, it is a set of Exquisite-grade armor, and it has been specially modified for fellow Outsiders. This type of armor has been enhanced in defense while its weight has been reduced. Wearing this set of armor will greatly assist fellow Outsiders in dungeon runs or large-scale group battles. Let's demonstrate the defensive capabilities of this set of armor for everyone."
After introducing the set of armor, Lu Luo randomly selected a few Outsiders from the audience to test its defensive capabilities from all angles.
Under various testing methods, this set of Exquisite-grade armor displayed astonishing defensive capabilities and practicality. Many Outsiders' eyes gleamed with desire, wishing they could directly grab the armor and hold it close without letting go.
With such a great start, this set of Exquisite-grade armor eventually fetched a high price of three hundred and forty-eight thousand gold. In reality, this set of armor was crafted by the Gongsun Elder, and its production cost was also substantial, but it couldn't possibly exceed three hundred thousand gold. Lu HaiKong, with this auction, made more than ten times the profit.
After the successful auction of the Exquisite-grade armor, Lu Luo didn't rush to the next item.
"Lu Luo has something to say at the request of our boss, Lu HaiKong. This Exquisite-grade armor..."
The difficulty in crafting armor of this grade made mass production nearly impossible. However, a simplified version of the Elite-grade armor could be produced in large quantities. If any of you are interested, you can contact our boss. Additionally, a large equipment shop will soon open in Beifeng City, offering a wide range of high-quality gear. We hope you'll grace us with your presence when it opens."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the auction hall, whether in the private boxes or the main hall, seemed to realize something.
It was clear that Lu HaiKong had shifted his focus from the livestock industry to the arms trade. It appeared that he had made significant progress in blacksmithing, and many were now eagerly anticipating the opening of the equipment shop.
During the subsequent auction, Lu Luo introduced various equipment, each time showcasing high-quality items to warm up the crowd. She successfully and flawlessly completed her task, effectively promoting the soon-to-open equipment shop.
By this time, the auction had been going on for nearly two hours.
For the entire two hours, the auction hall saw hardly any impressive items, only advertisements for equipment. This situation had already caused discontent among many of the attendees in the main hall.
They felt that this so-called item auction was nothing but a gimmick, and Lu HaiKong never intended to auction off any valuable items. They believed he had lured them there solely for advertising purposes.
As a result, voices of protest began to emerge in the hall, especially from those who had purchased tickets, who felt cheated and angry. One of them stood up and shouted:
"What kind of item auction is this? It's just a product launch! You're all too shameless, using gimmicks to deceive us, and then you have the nerve to charge us! Five hundred gold for a ticket, you might as well rob us!"
A burly, hot-headed man stood up and yelled, and his friend beside him couldn't stop him.
As his roar echoed through the hall, everyone's attention turned to him. The burly man showed no fear, but his friend was startled and quickly pulled him back, trying to silence him.
"Let go! I paid for my ticket, so why can't I speak? This is clearly consumer fraud! What's so special about Lu HaiKong? Does he think he can do whatever he wants? What a joke!"
His words stunned the entire hall into silence. Lu Luo, who had been smiling gently on the auction stage, immediately turned cold. Her gentle voice became as icy as frost: "Take this ignorant fool out of here and feed him to the wolves!"
As Lu Luo's chilling words rang out, numerous bandit guards emerged in the hall, ready to surround the burly man.
This situation made many of the attendees frown, and although they didn't dare speak up for the burly man, they felt that Lu HaiKong's behavior was unfair. The burly man and his friend seemed ready to fight, but just then, a voice rang out.
"Stop!"
A clear and resonant voice echoed through the hall, and the window of Box 1 opened. Lu HaiKong stepped out.
Seeing Lu HaiKong, Lu Luo was startled, and the bandit guards halted their actions.
The outsiders in the hall turned their heads, craning their necks to see who this young man was.
"My apologies, everyone. Today's incident was indeed a mistake on our part, wasting two precious hours of your time. Please keep your tickets, as on the day our equipment shop opens, you can exchange them for gear worth five thousand gold. It's a small token of our appreciation, and we hope you'll accept it."
Everyone was taken aback by Lu HaiKong's offer, as it meant a total expenditure of two million five hundred thousand gold for the five hundred attendees. Such a gesture was indeed surprising.
Those who had been annoyed by the two hours of advertising now felt their anger dissipate. Of course, there were also those who saw through Lu HaiKong's clever scheme, but who would dare to openly offend him at this moment?
However, everyone now realized that this item auction was likely just a gimmick, and Lu HaiKong had fooled them all.
Just then, Lu HaiKong turned to Lu Luo on the stage and said, "That's enough, Lu Luo. Continue the auction and bring out all the items at once. Don't keep our friends waiting."
"Yes!"
Lu Luo nodded and clapped her hands. Shortly after, over a dozen followers brought out more than ten items...
(End of Chapter)
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