Baron Juno still hadn't placed a bid; he planned to wait until June 30th to make his move. As time passed, the prices of the three stone sculptures rose slowly, because the work of a stone sculpting master was generally valued at around a thousand gold coins, so the bids for these three pieces increased more and more slowly as the days went on.
500 gold coins, 510, 515...
The increments were so gradual that by June 29th, the highest bid was only 625 gold coins.
June 30th.
On this day, Baron Juno made the rare choice not to appear in the morning. He waited until evening to come, as Pruxus Hall didn't close its doors until midnight. Lin Lei's three stone sculptures would also be taken down after the stroke of twelve.
"The bid yesterday was 625 gold coins. I'll wait to bid at the very end," Baron Juno said with a smile as he approached the three sculptures.
"900 gold coins? What kind of fool bid that?" Upon seeing the price, Baron Juno silently cursed in fury.
Yesterday's bid had been only 625. Now it had jumped to this. No matter how angry Baron Juno was, he could only grit his teeth. He decided to wait patiently. After a long while, he glanced up at the clock on the wall.
"It's already eleven o'clock. Just one hour left until closing," a faint smile appeared on Baron Juno's face.
Baron Juno was merely a middling noble in Fenn City. In his youth, he had been quite impoverished. It was through his collection of stone sculptures that his wealth had gradually grown. Now, with assets amounting to several hundred thousand gold coins, he was considered a rather well-off gentleman.
"Baron Juno, you're here too?" A middle-aged man with a mustache, dressed in a tailcoat, walked over with a smile.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Baron Juno's expression shifted involuntarily, but he still managed a light smile. "Oh, it's Baron Demu. What brings you here at past eleven?" Baron Juno felt a sense of foreboding in his heart.
Baron Juno and Baron Demu were two of the more famous collectors in Fenn City's stone sculpting circle.
"Me? Well, for these three sculptures, of course," Baron Demu said, his mustache twitching self-satisfiedly. "Baron Juno, look at them. The unique spirit of these three pieces is simply captivating. A master capable of creating such works must be a truly extraordinary individual."
Baron Juno's heart skipped a beat.
As expected...
Baron Demu had also set his sights on these three sculptures. The fact that Baron Demu had waited until eleven o'clock to arrive likely meant he had the same strategy in mind.
"Miss, could you come here for a moment?" Baron Demu politely called to a nearby waitress, who approached with a smile. He pointed at Lin Lei's three sculptures. "These three works. I'll bid one thousand gold coins for each of them."
The waitress nodded politely. "Please wait a moment."
She took out her ledger, recorded the lot numbers and the bid amount, and then placed a price sticker next to each sculpture.
"One thousand gold coins?" The muscles around Baron Juno's eyes twitched.
Baron Demu smiled at Baron Juno. "Baron Juno, these three sculptures are indeed quite remarkable. Oh, by the way, Baron Juno, it's so late at night. Why isn't a venerable baron like yourself resting at home? Could it be you're also here for these three sculptures?"
Baron Juno was silent for a moment.