Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
While everyone else started bidding for the Escape Dagger, Zhang Heng and Ding Si unlocked the tablets that were placed in front of them. This was his first time seeing so many game items all at once. There was a total of 80 pages, where a photo of each game item was displayed followed by its name, grade, and a short description.
By showing all the items on tabs, the buyers would at least have some knowledge about what they were about to pay for. Of course, the auction house would not reveal every single detail. The value of Dreamland of Death, for example, would significantly drop if anyone knew the way to trigger it and killing someone with it. It was a risky business after all when one bid for items in an auction.
When it came to risks, the Escape Dagger, for instance, was an item that came to scrutiny. It’s description mentioned everything except for the distance it could teleport. The buyers had to make an educated guess by themselves and would have to accept that it was all fair game if eventually, the Escape Dagger did not live up to their expectations.
Zhang Heng noticed that Ding Si did not look at the merchandise that was listed on the first few pages of the catalog. Instead, he went all the way to the last page. Ding Si put on a smile when he realized Zhang Heng peeking at his tab.
“There are around 200 unidentified game items in this auction. Astute observation is required when checking out the stuff listed at the end of the catalog. Take a look if you’re interested. These items are all set at a minimum reserve of 100 game points. However, most of them are F-grade, where only a small portion of them are of E-grade. And if you are extremely lucky, you might be able to spot a C or even B-grade item or two. Two years ago, a guy bought an unidentified game item. To his shock, it was a B-grade item when he identified it! That is what I call by a one-in-a-million exception! Usually, players would make a loss when purchasing unidentified items. It’s all a gamble, you know. The players who have listed their items here in this category have done a lot of research themselves. They have to be very sure that the items that they sell here actually cost less than 100 game points each!”
Zhang Heng then flipped to the last page, coming to a list of items with serial numbers written beside them. Players had put down their bidding prices beside some, but most were still available, having nobody bidding on them yet.
“For some people, they have a real hard time deciding on which item to bid on. So, they would usually bid for items that others had bid for. To be honest, this is definitely an unwise move. The bidder wouldn’t know when to stop since they have no prior knowledge whatsoever about the item. Say you manage to find the item you really wanted, there is still the option to wait up until the last second and bid on it right before the system closes.”
Zhang Heng then thanked Ding Si for sharing all these tips with him. Though information like this was hardly a trade secret, it showed that Ding Si had lots of experience in maximizing profit during an auction. It was kind of him to share all those pointers with Zhang Heng, although it wasn’t necessary for him to do so.
“Don’t sweat it. Consider it as my long-term investment in you. Next time, if you wish to purchase a game item, you won’t have to wait until the end of the year to do so. You can always come to Fu Lou and look for us. Our prices are always reasonable!”
Zhang Heng did not impulsively scan through the unidentified items, instead, checking out the game items that were already identified first. He wanted to know how they priced all those items. Basically, an E-grade item would cost around 80 to 100 game points. D-grade items were around 300 to 600 game points. The gap grew wider when it came to C-grade items, usually costing thousands. Of course, prices of C-grade items varied depending on function. If it was an extremely useful item, the prices could go way beyond thousands.
In the end, the Escape Dagger was sold at 2,050 game points.
“That’s overpriced. No doubt, the item is useful, but it definitely does not cost 2,050 game points. I think 1,500 is a more reasonable price. I suppose items that could save lives are usually in high demand. Maybe the person bidding for it needs it urgently.”
After that, the auctioneer presented the second item. He opened up a box made out of Tule wood and displayed the piece of bone inside for everyone to see.
“Moresby Bone. Grade: C. It can be used to cycle time. Remaining use: 2. You can get more information about it after you receive the item. The starting price is at 1,900 game points. Every bid increases the item’s price by 50. The deal will be sealed when the hammer knocks three times. Let the bidding begin.”
There was total silence, where not a single soul placed a bid for at least half a minute. The Moresby Bone was different from the Escape Dagger. Judging by the provided description, it was hard figuring out what it could be used for, and besides, a 1,900 starting price was undoubtedly a princely one.
However, the starting prices of all these items sent to auction house tonight were actually determined by professional appraisers from the committee. That was why no one doubted its value. Their only concern, however, was that they would be unable to fully utilize the item after purchase. After all, these items all cost billions after a yuan conversion. To make matters worse, it was only left with two remaining uses. Even the wealthiest person here would think twice before purchasing it.
“This item is actually quite interesting…” muttered Ding Si while rubbing his chin.
“You mean?” asked Zhang Heng.
Amongst all present here tonight, Zhang Heng was the only one who knew how to fully utilize the bone because he was the one who had asked the bartender lady to identify it. He was also the one who entrusted her to auction it off. Although sifting through the entire catalog, he didn’t see the item listed anywhere. So, he suspected that this must be of the 12 valuable items which required other players to bid on it with their paddles.
“Time-series items are extremely rare, though their starting prices can still be reasonable. However, the phrase ‘cycling time’ does not carry too much information.”
“Are you trying to say that there might be no bids?”
“No. No. No. That is impossible. The rarity of this item itself ensures that someone will eventually bid for it. Right now, nobody is raising their number paddles because they are trying to estimate its value!”
Right after Ding Si finished talking, someone raised their paddle. Soon, there was a second and then, a third person bid for it. However, the atmosphere this time was was different from the Escape Dagger bid. Only a few people placed their wagers, dragging on until a few moments before the hammer came down for the third time before bidding on it.
The situation gradually turned awkward as the bidding went on and on, seeming to be a never-ending process.
Ten minutes later, the auctioneer frowned and made a new announcement.
“From now on, every bid costs 100 game points!”
All the bidders had to think twice now. As time went on, fewer and fewer people placed their bids, though the bidding speed had increased. Notably, there were only three people bidding for it right now.
It appeared that the three were determined to get their hands on this item, come what may. When the price had reached a staggering 2,600 game points, one of them decided to quit. Then, when it reached the 2,900 game point mark, another hesitated for a moment before he threw in the towel.
In the end, the hammer price for the Moresby Bone was 2,900 game points.
“This sure is an excellent price for a C-grade item,” Ding Si exclaimed.
This time, he did not give an estimated price for the Moresby Bone. Even a professional like him could not determine its value without looking at its full report. However, Zhang Heng knew that whoever bought the Moresby Bone made no losses.
This item was actually an extremely handy one, being able to create a continuous 60-second time-loop. Within this 60 seconds, no matter what the user did, this 60-second time frame could be rolled back! Technically, its user could stay in a 60-second time-loop forever until somebody deliberately broke it.