Chapter 132
Chapter 132
Tobias faced an even stricter security check this time.
His heart pounded with the anxiety of carrying a hidden camera, and only when the guard coldly said "Go in" did he let out a barely visible sigh of relief and step into the venue.
Back in the hotel room, Mona sat close to Damien, both of them glued to the computer screen, watching Tobias navigate through layer after layer of security checks.
The venue looked plain from the outside, but once through the entrance and past a narrow corridor, it opened up into something else entirely — the interior was lavishly decorated, with money practically oozing from every corner.
Tobias had been placed in a section toward the back, which actually worked in his favor, giving him a clear view of the whole venue. He played the curious newcomer, turning his head slightly from side to side, letting Damien take in the entire room through the camera.
Soon, bidders began streaming in — clearly well over a hundred people, including quite a few locals from Crescent City.
About half an hour later, everyone was seated and the auction officially began.
The lights around the stands dimmed by half, a sharp spotlight hit the center stage, and the items started coming up one by one.
The opening lots were high-quality herbs and materials — rare, but nothing truly extraordinary.
Tobias watched with detached eyes and didn't raise his paddle.
Then a stunning woman with long flowing hair walked gracefully onto the stage carrying an elegant tray. She parted her red lips and announced, "Our next item is a flawless, crystal-clear premium gemstone. Bidding starts at ten million dollars."
The room erupted. Paddles shot up everywhere. Tobias jumped in too, and the price rocketed all the way to sixty million before he finally secured it.
The next item was an antidote developed by a certain doctor. It sparked an equally fierce battle and was eventually taken by a wealthy businessman for a staggering one hundred million dollars.
The final item was a mysterious herb. The beautiful host smiled with an air of intrigue and said, "This month we're doing something new — a blind auction. What's inside? Even I don't know."
"How are we supposed to bid on something we can't see? What if you throw in some worthless junk to fool us? We'd be throwing our money away!" someone in the crowd called out immediately.
Several people nearby chimed in, clearly sharing the same concern.
"I give you my word on Crescent City's thousand-year reputation — whatever is in that box is absolutely worth every penny," the host replied without missing a beat.
"As always, highest bid wins. No reserve price." She smiled brightly and held the box up high.
At first, the crowd hesitated and watched. But soon someone made a tentative opening bid. Starting from a few hundred thousand dollars, the price shot up like a rocket.
Tobias joined in, and in the end, he walked away with the mysterious herb for a jaw-dropping two hundred million dollars.
The long-haired beauty glided over with a sweet smile. "Please inspect your purchase, honored guest."
Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto him.
Tobias had planned to take a quiet peek, but she opened the box right there in front of everyone — and inside was a Summer Nethergrass, a plant that comes along once in a hundred years.
The moment the crowd saw what was inside, a collective gasp swept through the room. Countless eyes turned bloodshot in an instant, burning with envy, as if they wanted to tear Tobias apart on the spot.
The host spoke up at just the right moment. "That concludes tonight's auction. Please exit in an orderly fashion. Your purchases will be escorted to the entrance by robots and handed over during the final exchange when the antidote is distributed."
With that, she turned and walked away, box in hand.
Tobias's expression shifted. An exchange at the entrance meant that once you stepped outside Crescent City, you were on your own — getting robbed on the way out was entirely your problem.
He made a quick gesture toward the camera, signaling Damien to send backup immediately.
He then made his way to the entrance, took the antidote, and had barely turned to leave with his purchase when someone stepped into his path.
Tobias was about to force his way through when a robot suddenly walked over, its cold mechanical voice cutting through the air: "No conflicts permitted at the entrance of Crescent City. Violations will result in a permanent ban."
The two men blocking his way went pale but didn't dare push further.
Tobias clutched his prize and walked away quickly. The two men tailed him closely, and further back, several other groups were lurking, each waiting for the perfect moment to swoop in and take what someone else had just fought for.
Meanwhile, the moment Damien caught Tobias's hand signal, he sent Ironclaw to meet him and told him to bring plenty of capable men — one look at the crowd in that auction house told him these were not people to take lightly.
By the time Ironclaw found Tobias, he was locked in a tense standoff with a group of people who had their eyes on his prize but hadn't yet dared to make the first move. Ironclaw didn't hesitate — he led his men straight in and beat the group back.
But that was like setting off a spark in a powder keg. The other groups that had been hanging back realized it was now or never, and without any coordination, they all piled in at once, turning it into an all-out brawl against Ironclaw and his men.
In the chaos, the camera on Tobias's chest was smashed. Damien immediately sensed something had gone wrong and drove to the scene himself.
But when he arrived, he found Tobias, Ironclaw, and the others all unconscious on the ground. The auction item was gone without a trace.
All that remained were scattered footprints and signs of a struggle. Everyone else had long since vanished.
Damien had no choice but to get them carried back for treatment, then ordered a full investigation. Someone had dared to steal from him — he was going to find out exactly who had that kind of nerve.
At Dragon Society headquarters, Pax returned triumphant with the spoils.
"Boss, look what I brought back! With these as leverage, you think Damien won't hand over that painting?" Pax dropped everything in front of Rhett and stood there beaming with pride.
Dragon Society's leader Rhett was well into middle age, long past his hot-blooded years, but even he couldn't hold back the rush of excitement at seeing Pax return with the goods.
"Well done! Go collect your ten-million-dollar bonus!" He gave Pax a firm clap on the shoulder, grinning from ear to ear.
"Thank you, Boss! I won't let you down!" Pax shouted with a burst of excitement.
"Pax really came through — you've brought back our pride! Having Pax on our side makes Dragon Society unstoppable!" Bryce stood nearby, looking at Pax with open admiration, the gloom that had been hanging over him completely lifted.
"I'd love to see the look on Damien's face right now. Let him keep acting so high and mighty!" Bryce sneered with undisguised satisfaction.
"Alright. Take these things to Damien and find a way to get that painting back," Rhett said, his expression turning serious. "Ideally, keep these items safe — but if you can't, it's not the end of the world. What matters is this time — don't come back having gotten beaten up again!"
His face darkened slightly at that last part. The heir to Dragon Society had gone out with a crew and still managed to get thrashed. It was an embarrassment he didn't want to think about.
"Don't worry, Father. This time I'll make Damien pay for it," Bryce declared with full confidence.
On the other side, Damien pulled up the surveillance footage from the scene and found that several different groups had indeed attacked Tobias and the others — though most of them were just opportunists trying to grab something in the chaos.
One group stood out from the rest. They were the ones who had knocked everyone out and made off with the auction item. Damien recognized one of them right away — it was Pax, the same person he'd encountered before.
Dragon Society had been causing trouble again and again. Damien had written them off as a minor nuisance not worth his attention. He hadn't expected them to pull a move this bold.
Fury burned inside him.
"Didn't see this coming, did you? You thought Dragon Society was nothing to worry about, and they just pulled the rug right out from under you." Mona leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, her voice carrying just a hint of amusement.