School flower's personal master

Chapter 13014

The former only represents status and treatment, while the latter represents real top-level power.

Even among elders, ordinary high-ranking elders like him are treated with respect when people are happy, but as nothing more than passersby when they are not.

Unless he gives up entirely, he can only rage in a fit of impotence.

However, if it were an elder in the decision-making level, they would be a real force capable of determining the overall direction of the God of Wealth Academy. With a single word, they could decide whether you lived or died.

That's true, extraordinary skill.

Anyone with a sound mind would never dare to show the slightest disrespect.

Qian Tongtian had exhausted all his resources and connections to secure this opportunity.

However, this level of promotion cannot be achieved simply by having connections; he must demonstrate outstanding performance to silence others.

This auction was a crucial battle in which he staked his entire fortune.

Regardless of his initial intentions, Lin Yi's series of actions resulted in a visible surge in transaction volume for Qian Tongtian.

Even according to the most optimistic predictions, the value has at least doubled so far!

These are real, tangible results!

The more crucial point is that it wasn't just the items Lin Yi participated in bidding for that saw a surge in sales; the sales of the other items also far exceeded expectations.

This is a classic example of the "catfish effect."

If this trend continues, the final transaction amount of the entire auction is very likely to triple!

Once this number is revealed, it will absolutely dazzle all the high-ranking members of the God of Wealth Academy!

With his extensive network of connections, his position as an elder in the decision-making body is practically guaranteed!

"Lin Yi can be considered my lucky star."

Qian Tongtian sipped his tea contentedly and casually asked, "Go and find out who introduced him to this special member?"

Someone nearby immediately replied solicitously, "Reporting to Elder Qian, he is a special member introduced by Elder Zhao Gongming."

"Zhao Gongming?"

Qian Tongtian's face darkened instantly: "They're actually his men?"

This time, there is a rare vacancy among the senior decision-makers, and he and Zhao Gongming are the two most popular candidates.

There's only one spot available; either he or Zhao Gongming will take it.

As for the other senior elders, they were basically just there to make up the numbers.

Qian Tongtian looked disgusted, but his tone carried a hint of schadenfreude: "The person Zhao Gongming introduced is now trying to boost my sales at such a critical juncture."

"Tsk tsk, I wonder what kind of expression Zhao Gongming would have if he knew about this?"

Those around them chimed in, "It must be quite a spectacle."

The auction is still ongoing.

Aside from occasionally raising the price, Lin Yi was silently keeping track of the transaction amounts of his five main competitors.

After all forty items had been auctioned, Lin Yi did some calculations and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Goal achieved.

At this moment, the chips held by those five core competitors have all shrunk to less than 180 coins.

Three of them have only a little over a hundred left.

Even so, their bargaining power still far surpasses that of Lin Yi.

Even if the catfish tactic has exceeded its target, if things proceed normally, Lin Yi's chances of snatching any of the five immortal divine equipment pieces from them are still slim.

However, given Zhang Baiyu's strategy, this preliminary work was more than enough.

After all, today's auction is different from the past.

The auctioneer announced on stage: "Ladies and gentlemen, according to the previously announced rules, the next five pieces of immortal divine equipment will no longer be auctioned in the conventional manner, but will instead be subject to a secret bidding process."

"The specific rules are as follows: all customers present may submit a secret bid for the five pieces of immortal divine equipment, and the highest bidder wins."

"Please prepare yourselves, the auction is about to begin."

There was a buzz of discussion in the audience.

They naturally already knew this rule, but why the God of Wealth Academy suddenly did this was still a matter of much debate.

Some people applauded it, while others criticized it.

As the proposer and initiator of this reform, Qian Tongtian sat behind the scenes with an air of composure and confidence.

He has only one goal.

To maximize the final transaction amount.

For high-value items like the Immortal Divine Gear, ordinary customers simply don't have the qualifications to compete. Only the core big customers in the top-tier private rooms have the confidence to ask for a price.

However, there is a problem: these major clients have a lot of overlap.

According to the normal auction process, even if they both want the same piece of immortal equipment, they will eventually reach an agreement and stop, and will never fight to the death without regard for the cost.

In fact, including the forty items auctioned today, if Lin Yi hadn't suddenly appeared like a catfish, they would have all been dividing the spoils among themselves, one for each of them.

The final transaction amount may not be that bad, but it certainly won't be that high either.

If it were a regular auction, Qian Tongtian might have turned a blind eye, since these were all familiar faces he had dealt with for a long time, and it would have been fine as long as they could save face for each other.

But this time is different.

Qian Tongtian has put in all his effort and is determined to achieve an unprecedented and astonishing transaction volume to oust the position of the decision-making elder in one fell swoop!

The first forty lots, in particular, had laid an excellent foundation for him, so he naturally wanted to press his advantage and finalize the deal with a single hammer blow!

The auctioneer smiled and looked at the crowd: "The bidding forms have been prepared for you. You may now write down your bids for any piece of immortal divine equipment."

The crowd below the stage was buzzing with discussion.

They all had a bidding form in their hands, but none of them wrote anything down, nor did they show any intention of participating in the bidding.

A moment of silence.

One of the hot-blooded young men couldn't resist and picked up the bidding form.

Then a customer next to him taunted, "Young Master Chai, it seems your Chai family has really prospered. You actually dare to compete with these god-like figures for immortal divine equipment?"

The young man sneered, "Even if our Chai family isn't as wealthy as them, they just spent so many bidding coins. Maybe they'll run out of steam and I'll snag a bargain."

"Finding a bargain?"

A burst of laughter erupted around them: "How could you possibly have such a good opportunity?"

"How can you compare their financial resources to yours?"

"Exactly. At today's rate, even the worst piece of immortal divine equipment will fetch over a hundred coins. Even if you really want to snag a bargain, you'll have to be able to afford it!"

After being ridiculed by everyone, the young man had no choice but to put down his bidding form.

At the same time, several clients who shared the same idea also stopped their pursuit.

They were destined to miss out on the immortal divine equipment today. Rather than rashly participating in the bidding and becoming a laughingstock for overestimating their abilities, they were better off accepting reality and remaining spectators. (End of Chapter)