Chapter 284 The Luminous Pearl
Chapter 284 The Luminous Pearl
Watching her family heirloom officially sold at auction, Wendy could barely contain her excitement. After soaking up all the praise, she lifted her chin proudly and said to those around her, "I wonder if anyone else's item today will fetch a higher price than mine?"
By now, most of the participating members had already auctioned off their items. Only Philip's side remained.
From what she'd heard earlier, the auction item Philip was providing had apparently been supplied by Ivy. If Ivy's item turned out to be worth less than hers, it would definitely draw more of Mr. Philip Green's attention her way—which was exactly what she wanted.
At Wendy's pointed reminder, someone nearby suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, I think Mr. Green's side hasn't provided their auction item yet."
"Right, right! Mr. Green hasn't brought out his item yet. I bet whatever Mr. Green provides this year will be amazing too. Even though he doesn't usually come in person, he always has his assistant bring something to auction off to support the charity. Every year, his items fetch the highest prices at the event."
"I'm not so sure about this year, though. Lady Wendy's fossil just sold for seventy million—that's higher than what Mr. Philip Green's items have gone for in previous years. Plus, I heard this year Mr. Green's auction item is being provided by another lady, meaning it's not from the Green family itself. That makes it hard to say."
"Come on, don't talk like that. Ms. Cooper is pretty impressive herself. She's never lost at any of those gatherings or banquets before."
...
The auctioneer seemed to pick up on the restless murmuring below and announced, "Now, let us present the final auction item of the evening, provided by Ms. Cooper on behalf of Mr. Philip Green. Everyone, please give her your full attention!"
Instantly, every neck in the room craned toward the stage. Staff members slowly wheeled out a cart carrying an object. Gasps rippled through the crowd. "What is that? It's all dark and lumpy—looks like just a glass bead."
"Good grief, what even is that thing? Looks completely ordinary, and it's only about fist-sized. Doesn't look like a gemstone, or a pearl, or jade either."
"Wow, I'm starting to think Mr. Green letting this Ivy person provide his auction item was a serious mistake. This is embarrassing for the Green family. I mean, look at that thing!"
"Ugh, what a letdown. I was expecting something earth-shattering, and we get 'this'?"
...
After seeing what Ivy had brought out, Wendy let out a cold laugh and said smugly, "Ha! And here I thought this Ivy person might actually have something worthwhile. Turns out the Cooper family is nothing special after all. Bringing an ordinary piece of glass to an auction like this—are they seriously expecting people to bid high prices on it? Ivy, what were you even thinking?"
Wendy's tone was openly mocking, but Ivy remained silent. Then the auctioneer's voice rang out: "Initially, our appraisal team also believed this was just an ordinary glass bead. However, after Ms. Cooper's guidance, we discovered it is in fact a genuine 'Luminous Pearl.'"
The moment those words left the auctioneer's mouth, shocked exclamations erupted. "The Luminous Pearl? How is that possible? The Luminous Pearl only exists in legends. No one's ever actually found one. Years ago, there was supposedly one discovered, but it turned out to be a hoax. This thing has never appeared in public—how could it possibly be real?"
"Exactly! Organizers, did you even verify this properly? The Luminous Pearl is a fairy tale. How could something like that actually exist?"
Wendy jumped in arrogantly. "Ha! Some people can't produce anything worthwhile, so they take a worthless bead and spin fairy tales, trying to pass it off as the Luminous Pearl. This is ridiculous.
Even if there were rumors about the Luminous Pearl years ago, that's all they were—rumors. If something this miraculous actually existed, someone would've discovered it by now."
Ivy calmly observed the chaos unfolding around her. Meanwhile, online at the virtual auction, the appearance of the 'Luminous Pearl' sparked fierce debate.
[OMG, is this bead real or fake? It looks so ordinary—doesn't seem authentic at all.]
[Are you kidding? How could the Luminous Pearl actually exist? This is obviously a fake. The Luminous Pearl is pure legend. It's supposed to be small but able to illuminate dozens of meters around it, glowing with a unique white light even in pitch darkness.]
[The Luminous Pearl is just a myth. This thing is fake. And it's being presented by the Green family? What's going on? This Ivy person totally screwed over the Green family. Putting this up at an auction like this is downright embarrassing for them.]
...
Amidst the flood of online commentary, one voice stood out.
[The Luminous Pearl does exist. The legends exist precisely because it's real. It's just so incredibly rare that ordinary people have never seen it—even most aristocrats haven't. Only the ancient King of Hamar ever possessed one. After Hamar's kingdom fell, the Luminous Pearl vanished. Rumor has it that it was hidden in a treasure trove called 'Anso.']
[Oh please, stop talking nonsense. What Anso? What treasure trove? Now you're just spinning fairy tales. Don't spread misinformation.]
Back at the venue, Wendy stared at the dark, murky glass bead and said loudly, "If it's called the 'Luminous Pearl,' why don't we turn off the lights right now and see its magical effects? I've heard that when the lights go out, the Luminous Pearl can illuminate an area dozens of meters wide in total darkness."
"Ivy brought this bead here claiming it's the Luminous Pearl and deceived the organizers. Well then, let's verify it on the spot."
As Wendy spoke, a cold smirk tugged at her lips.
There was no such thing as the Luminous Pearl in this world. Even if there were, it would just be some novelty trinket—nothing like what the legends described.
Once they proved the bead was fake on the spot, Ivy would humiliate the Green family. After all, the Green family had always provided exceptional items in the past, but this year they'd brought out a counterfeit. Mr. Philip Green would definitely be disgusted with Ivy afterward.
Wendy could barely suppress her excitement. She pressed further, "Hurry up! Let's all see whether this 'Luminous Pearl' is real or fake."