Chapter 20: The Clown
Hearing Ethan's words, Clara was a bit surprised deep down.
But out of absolute trust in Ethan, she didn't hesitate to put down her paddle. She didn't even glance at the necklace again, completely ignoring Harlan who was still holding up his sign.
The auction quickly drew to a close.
As the final clearance item, a hostess brought out a black stone that looked like it had just been dug out of a coal mine.
The starting price was extremely low—just fifty thousand dollars.
The venue immediately filled with jeers. Nobody was interested in this broken rock.
But the instant this stone appeared, Ethan's pupils sharply contracted!
He could clearly sense that beneath that rough black stone skin, there was some kind of terrifyingly powerful and pure energy fluctuation!
"Buy it," Ethan ordered Clara directly.
Hearing this, Harlan beside them immediately burst into piercing, wild laughter.
"Hahaha! Trash can only afford to buy trash! Clara, this so-called boyfriend of yours has taste that really matches his lowly status!"
Clara completely ignored Harlan. Although she couldn't understand what value this stone had, and even though Ethan had studied physics at MIT, not geology, she didn't hesitate at all. She raised her paddle and bought the stone for a hundred thousand dollars.
After buying it, Clara deliberately leaned her whole body softly against Ethan's broad chest.
Her red lips were almost touching Ethan's lips as she said in an extremely loud, sweet voice, "Honey, forget just one stone—as long as you make me happy in bed, even if you wanted to buy all of Manhattan, I'd listen to you!"
These words were like a loud slap across Harlan's face!
Watching the goddess he'd been desperately pursuing act like this in front of this poor guy, Harlan was about to die of anger!
The auction ended.
Everyone came to the backstage collection area to pick up their items.
Harlan, holding the "sapphire necklace" he'd bought for five million dollars, once again blocked Ethan and Clara's path.
"You broke loser, take your broken rock and get back to the slums!"
Harlan arrogantly waved the necklace in his hand. "This is a real priceless treasure! A lowlife like you could never in your entire life..."
Before Harlan could finish, Ethan let out a cold laugh.
He casually picked up a glass of high-proof vodka from a passing waiter's tray and, without even looking, splashed it directly onto the sapphire necklace Harlan was so proud of!
"Are you crazy? How dare you dirty my..."
Harlan's cursing instantly got stuck in his throat!
Under the horrified gazes of everyone present, the originally dazzling "sapphire" began to rapidly melt and peel away as the blue chemical coating dissolved in the strong alcohol!
In just three seconds, the so-called "sapphire necklace" had turned into a murky, extremely low-quality industrial plastic residue!
The entire venue fell silent.
Harlan stared blankly at the plastic mess in his hand that reeked of chemicals, his mind completely blank.
Five million dollars for industrial garbage?
The extreme humiliation and rage made him completely lose his mind. Like a mad dog, he pointed at Ethan's nose and roared frantically.
"You bastard! So what if I got scammed?! That broken rock in your hand is still garbage from the sewer!"
Ethan glanced at him coldly, raised his long, strong right hand, pinched the pitch-black stone between two fingers, and applied slight pressure.
With an extremely crisp cracking sound, the black stone skin instantly fell away!
The next second, an incredibly brilliant, even dazzling crimson radiance burst forth from between Ethan's fingers, instantly illuminating the entire backstage hall!
It was a flawless blood diamond the size of a pigeon's egg, without a single impurity!
The crimson light it emitted, its breathtaking beauty, instantly made all the socialites present gasp, their eyes practically glued to the gem!
Even the well-traveled wealthy people all widened their eyes, their jaws nearly hitting the floor!
"My God! Is this... is this the legendary 'Satan's Blood'? With this purity, this size, it's worth at least two hundred million dollars!"
From the crowd, a highly respected jewelry appraiser let out an incredulous scream, trembling all over.
The entire venue erupted!
A broken rock bought for a hundred thousand dollars had instantly turned into a priceless treasure worth two hundred million!
And Harlan, who had spent five million dollars on a piece of plastic garbage, now looked like a complete clown!
Harlan stared fixedly at the brilliant blood diamond in Ethan's hand. His face, already flushed red with anger, now looked like it was about to drip blood!
His chest heaved violently, and extreme jealousy and humiliation made him completely lose his mind.
"Cheating! You despicable poor bastard definitely pulled some trick!"
Harlan shrieked hysterically like a shrew, pointing at Ethan and cursing.
"This is impossible! How could a broken rock hide something like this? You must have used some sleight of hand to switch it!"
After cursing Ethan, Harlan suddenly turned and roared at the auction house staff.
"It's you! You frauds conspired with this lowlife scum to scam me! Selling me a piece of plastic for five million dollars, then selling the real treasure to this poor bastard for a hundred thousand! I'm going to sue you! I'll make sure your broken auction house closes down tomorrow!"
"Harlan, watch your language!"
At that moment, an extremely authoritative voice came from behind the crowd.
The auction house director, a silver-haired elder with a powerful presence, walked out with an ashen face.
The elder stared at Harlan with the look of someone regarding a dead man.
He spoke mercilessly, "Our auction house has built its reputation over many years on absolute integrity! You were blind enough to buy yourself a five-million-dollar lesson, and now you dare to bark around here like a mad dog? Even if your father were standing here, he wouldn't dare yell at me like this!"
"Someone!"
The elder waved his hand sharply, his voice extremely cold.
"Harlan is drunk and has lost his mind. Throw him out!"
"Also, put the Moore family on our auction house's permanent blacklist. From now on, anyone from the Moore family, even their dog, is not allowed near our auction house!"