"You wouldn't recognize him even if he stood right in front of you," Murphy said with a cryptic smile, her gaze drifting towards Christopher's back.
"Three hundred billion!"
Alex's booming bid cut through their conversation.
Every eye in the hall widened in sheer horror. The Master of the South had finally entered the fray!
"Aunty Murphy, if you want that orb, we can combine our resources and try to acquire it," Chaya suggested, her voice filled with determination.
'These two are already deadly solo... Now teaming up, who can defeat them?'
This was the general thought in everyone's minds.
"I don't think we stand a chance, dear. There's someone here who wants it desperately. No matter how high we bid, he'll simply outbid us. So, what's the point?" Murphy said, placing her hat back on the table with a sigh.
"It's that arrogant guy, Christopher, isn't it?" Chaya asked, her brow furrowed in annoyance.
"Oh? Are you upset?" Murphy turned to her niece, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"A little," Chaya admitted, her voice tight. "He's just flaunting his wealth like he's the god of money himself! What a scoundrel."
'Oh pitiful child, He is the god of wealth, and the man in your heart for years now,' Murphy thought, a gentle smile playing on her lips as she observed her niece.
"Five hundred billion."
"Did you hear that! He is at it again!" Chaya muttered, then sighed dramatically. "This is way beyond my league."
"Shhh... Let's just enjoy the show... I have a feeling Alex won't let this go without a fight," Murphy murmured, a knowing smirk on her face.
"Five hundred billion?!"
Alex whipped his head around, his eyes locking onto Christopher. He hadn't expected anyone to challenge him so directly after he had made his intentions clear.
Ethan and the other family heads turned towards Christopher, their expressions a mixture of awe, disbelief, shock, and pity.
"What are you doing, son? We can't afford to antagonize him further," Ethan whispered urgently.
"Don't worry about that, Father," Christopher replied with a confident smile.
'No Matter what happens, I won't back down... I must obtain this orb,' Christopher vowed silently.
"Young man, are you certain about this?" Alex asked, his voice laced with a hint of menace as he stared over his shoulder.
"You're only a few years older than me, perhaps four... So don't presume to act like an elder," Christopher retorted flatly.
"You!!" Alex's face contorted in barely suppressed rage.
"Good... Very good!" he said, forcing a semblance of composure. "Six hundred billion!" he bellowed.
"Whoa! Master Alex is incredibly wealthy!" someone exclaimed in astonishment.
"So cute... Seven hundred billion!" Christopher countered with a disarming smile.
"Kid! This is Sky Auction! You must have the full amount before you can bid! You've already spent over five hundred billion today! Are you saying you have another seven hundred billion readily available?" Vincent demanded, his voice sharp with disbelief.
"Who asked you, old man? Now I understand where you youngsters get it from—speaking even when no one has addressed you," Christopher retorted with a dismissive frown.
"You!"
"This brat!"
Both Mariana and Adrian were enraged, but could only sit still, no one was allowed to fight or disrupt the peace in Sky auction, or you will be thrown out... So the two took a deep breath and calm themselves.
"How dare you?!" Vincent roared, turning to Alex. "Master Alex... I know you possess the resources to crush this arrogant upstart! Please, accept this fifty billion as a contribution!" He stood up and hurried towards Alex, presenting a bank card with a deep bow.
Alex stared at the card for a moment, a slow smile spreading across his face as he accepted it.
"Head Vincent is most thoughtful."
The other family heads, Boris and Kelvin, quickly followed suit.
Boris: "Master Alex, here is one hundred billion!"
Kelvin: "Master Alex, this is sixty billion. And congratulations in advance on your victory."
Alex nodded with a hearty laugh, pocketing the cards before turning back to Christopher. "You are nothing," he sneered.
Christopher merely rolled his eyes, pointedly ignoring him.
"Son, you need—"
"—Don't worry, Father... I will win," Christopher interrupted Ethan with an unwavering smile.
"Really? Don't get too arrogant," Alex sneered. "Eight hundred billion!" He announced loudly.
"...?!"
Silence descended upon the hall, a heavy, suffocating silence.
'Wow... When did Alex become so incredibly rich?' Murphy mused, her eyebrow arched in surprise.
"Auntie, is that guy really that powerful?" Chaya asked, her voice hushed, gaze fixed on Alex.
"Well... He is the Master of the South, so his wealth is understandable," Murphy replied thoughtfully.
"Does that mean Christopher will lose this time?" Chaya pressed.
"I didn't say that... Well, the outcome is still unclear," Murphy said with a knowing smirk.
_
[In the office.]
'Shit! If Alex gets his hands on that artifact, his power will skyrocket!' Leon thought, his jaw clenched tightly.
He turned to Mrs Sky. "Mrs Sky, I was unaware your auction included such an item. If I may ask, where did you discover it?"
"Well... Our exploration teams located it in the Red Zone during a routine expedition... So, naturally, they brought it back." Mrs. Sky replied calmly.
"Impressive. Your experts are indeed formidable, going on a expedition on the red zone." Electra murmured with a subtle smile, casually swirling the wine in her glass and taking a slow sip.
"Aren't you concerned about this? If Alex acquires that orb, his power will increase exponentially," Leon persisted, his anxiety evident.
Electra smiled enigmatically, her gaze fixed on the monitor displaying the auction hall:
"He won't get it," she stated with quiet confidence.
"Huh?" Leon was taken aback. "How can you be so sure?"
"One trillion!"
"....!!"
Leon's eyes widened in horror as he whipped his head back to the screen.
"Fufufufu... As I said, he won't get it," Electra chuckled softly, taking another leisurely sip of her wine.
'Who in the hell is this young man?!' Leon wondered, his gaze glued to Christopher's image on the screen.