Chapter 113: Grand Entrance!
Chapter 113: Grand Entrance!
Roland watched as Jenny disappeared into the crowd and lowered his head to look at the purple sachet in his hand, lost in thought.
He had already seen information about this girl long ago. Although there were rumors that she was quite flirtatious, the reality was different. Those playboys who tried to pursue her never gained any advantages.
But what was the meaning of this sachet?
Could it be that she wanted to play with him?
Normally, Roland didn't enjoy attending such crowded parties, but due to the needs of family affairs and representing the family, he had no choice but to participate.
Over time, he gained a reputation as the Abyss's number-one socialite.
He always adhered to gentlemanly manners and spoke with impeccable grace, managing to navigate through many situations.
However, today, Jenny's actions left him a bit uncertain.
Back when he was studying at Calva Medical College, he often received love letters from cute schoolgirls. But those girls were shy and would blush and run away after handing over the confession letter.
In contrast, Jenny was different. She bit her ear and said she wanted to be with him, even inviting him to meet under the giant lanterns tomorrow.
What was the meaning behind all this?
Was she planning something more than a mere encounter?
The Abyss was nothing more than a squeezed city, barely surviving in Calva's shadow. The so-called Four Great Families of the Abyss were nothing in the eyes of true power in Calva.
Roland had already understood this clearly during his time at Calva Medical College.
Calva was guarded by several Level-10 powerhouses, not just one.
In contrast, the top pillars of the Four Great Families in the Abyss were only Level-7 powerhouses.
The Abyss was deprived of resources, lived in darkness, and was chaotic and disorderly, making it an unappealing and tasteless piece of chicken ribs that nobody desired.
Jenny was the niece of President Hadrow, and her father was also the Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, so her status was self-evident.
If he could form a relationship with this Miss of the Carol family, it might bring great benefits to the Duru family.
However, Roland had always kept his distance from such notorious women.
Besides, the idea of inheriting the Duru family was already a last resort. He only wanted to manage the small market in the Abyss and make it a better place.
As for using his charm to exchange for a brighter future for the family, he wasn't that great. He just wanted to be a simple doctor, seeing patients at regular times, and then going home to read and sleep comfortably.
He even thought about having a child.
These past few days, getting along with Dora had been enjoyable, and the cute girl made him consider becoming her godfather.
Having a child like that would be fantastic.
"Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this banquet," just then, a loud voice rang out.
The music stopped abruptly.
In the center of the dance floor, a small platform about one meter high was raised, and a middle-aged man with a sturdy figure and a square face, dressed in golden attire, stood on it with a smile.
Roland calmed his thoughts and looked at the powerfully built man on the platform; this was Hadrow, the chairman of the Calva Chamber of Commerce, a renowned businessman on the Isor Continent.
Moreover, he was an 8th-level powerhouse.
The Carol family had moved to Calva when it was first established, and after a thousand years of operation, with the influence and wealth of the Calva Chamber of Commerce, they had become a major force in Calva.
Hadrow was in his prime, and under his leadership, the Calva Chamber of Commerce had grown stronger over the past century.
As the host spoke, the guests stopped their conversations one after another.
The ball was just a warm-up; most of the people had come today for the auction.
The auction hosted by Hadrow always presented some good items, and from the preview of this one, both the scale and the quality of the auction items surpassed the previous ones.
Therefore, the attendees' status and positions were not low.
Even Diana, who disliked attending balls, came for the thousand-year ginseng.
"Since you are all old friends of the Chamber of Commerce, I have prepared quite a few good things for you today. Many of them are my treasured possessions, and it hurts me to part with them," Hadrow said with a hearty laugh.
"Things that can make Chairman Hadrow hurt will surely make my wallet hurt even more," Marcus Barf quipped.
The guests burst into laughter.
The atmosphere was quite pleasant.
"Do you see that? That's my dad," Grover said, standing in the corner, with his arm around a heavily made-up young woman, looking very pleased.
The girl, who had been a bit resistant before, immediately stuck close to him, her face blushing as she said, "Master Grover, you are so young and promising, and so wealthy and talented."
A few words of warm-up instantly attracted the attention of the guests, and the atmosphere was set.
Hadrow announced the start of the auction!
"This first auction item is a vial of Life Water I purchased from an old friend of the Elven race. It can detoxify any poison, heal most injuries, and to some extent, extend one's lifespan. The starting bid is 15 gold coins, with each subsequent bid increasing by 1 gold coin," Hadrow stood on the platform, showcasing the blue liquid in the vial presented by a maid.
"16!" an orc raised his hand and shouted.
"18 gold coins," a human aristocrat raised his hand.
"19 gold coins."
...
The bidding voices echoed one after another, and the small vial of Life Water was finally sold for a high price of 260,000 copper coins to the slender human aristocrat.
"To start the auction with Life Water, this auction is truly luxurious," Roland met Diana again and sighed softly.
Among the Four Great Families of the Abyss, only their two families sent representatives. The Jardson and Danielle families did not attend.
"Yes, to open the auction with Life Water, I'm curious about what precious item will be the grand finale," Diana also expressed her anticipation.
The following auction items did not disappoint the guests. Rare-grade weapons, thousand-year ginseng, renowned artworks, high-level magic barriers, high-grade spatial rings...
The high-quality items kept coming, and the guests' bidding intensified, with some even showing signs of becoming irrational.
Fortunately, Hadrow managed to keep the situation under control; otherwise, it might have turned into a brawl.
Diana successfully bid for the thousand-year ginseng for 2,880,000 copper coins, which was higher than she had expected.
The atmosphere was exhilarating, with guests eagerly raising their paddles to bid. Even those who had been defeated during the bidding for the blue gem still had surplus funds and wanted to see what the grand finale was worth investing in.
"Next up is the precious item that will be the grand finale of today," Hadrow smiled mysteriously, seemingly satisfied with the enthusiastic atmosphere and the guests' eager expressions.
"However, this item may be slightly different from what you all expect. Its price is not as high as the blue gem, and it may not be as high as many other items auctioned earlier.
But I believe it is a groundbreaking item that will change the world and make it a better place. Being here today, you will witness a historic moment." Hadrow's smile disappeared, replaced by a solemn expression.
"Change the world? Chairman, what kind of treasure is it?"
"To be able to witness history, I'm itching with curiosity. Chairman, show us the item."
"Make the world a better place? I'm intrigued!"
The guests urged him on.
They had been tantalized.
Diana and Roland exchanged glances, both looking somewhat surprised and puzzled.
"Really?"
"I have no idea."
She genuinely didn't know. Charlotte had only informed her last night that his associates would be promoting the Magic Aversion Elixir today.
But she didn't know who his associates were and where the promotion would take place.
However, listening to Hadrow's introduction, the more she listened, the more it seemed off.
Changing the world, making it a better place, witnessing history...
Could it be...
No, it couldn't be. If Charlotte's associate was Hadrow, given his status and position, even if he didn't want to offend the Physician Association, he could easily find a small town outside of Calva where Charlotte could live comfortably without going through the hardships of the Abyss.
Unless...
Did Charlotte request it himself?
Wanting to stay closer to Calva and then seize the opportunity to stage his triumphant return?
While Diana was lost in her thoughts, Hadrow clapped his hands under the urging of the crowd.
A female servant walked forward with a crystal potion bottle inlaid with gold edges on a golden tray, displaying it around the dance floor before walking up to the platform and standing beside Hadrow.
"Could it be the Magic Aversion Elixir?" Diana's mouth hung slightly open, her face full of astonishment and disbelief.