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Chapter 90: Making Money is So Simple
"Have you discovered anything new recently?" A middle-aged man in a worn-out short-sleeved shirt with holes stood in front of Wood, shaking hands with him while quietly inquiring.
Wood shook his head. He gestured with his eyes, and immediately, his superior noticed Lynch standing outside the crowd, accompanied by Ferrall.
While many ordinary people might not be familiar with Ferrall, Wood's superior was well-acquainted. He knew almost everyone in the city who required his attention, including Ferrall, the advisor to the mayor.
The connection between Lynch and the mayor made Wood's superior feel a bit uneasy. Before the higher authorities intervened, investigating Lynch could potentially infringe on legal protections under certain laws. To ensure that leaders were not subject to harassment and political entanglements during their terms, investigations into related individuals were generally avoided.
If the mayor of Sabin City perceived the investigation into Lynch as an attack on him, it might lead to a temporary halt in the inquiry against Lynch. They would have to wait until the mayor's term ended to resume the investigation.
Wood's superior was somewhat anxious. If they could obtain substantive evidence against Lynch before any significant interaction between Lynch and the mayor occurred, they could preemptively charge Lynch. The mayor would naturally avoid contact with a criminal in that case.
However, all of this hinged on one condition—they needed concrete and valid evidence. Otherwise, the court would not approve their subsequent actions.
Wood shook his head. His superior’s expression grew more solemn. Under Wood's guidance, he took his seat assigned to Wood.
Wood opted for lake blue; he liked the color, so all hundred seats assigned to him were covered with lake blue dust covers.
Gradually, more new faces with his flyers took the seats belonging to Wood. Many of them were active-duty police detectives, here to assist Wood in infiltrating Lynch's circle.
Originally, Wood's superior just wanted to make up the numbers, ensuring Wood successfully completed the mission. However, the current situation seemed very urgent.
They needed Wood to gain Lynch's approval quickly. The best way was to make it appear that Wood could be the person to help Lynch succeed.
As time passed, more people arrived at the scene. Lynch had prepared two thousand seats, arranged in a circular formation around the venue. This ensured that everyone could see the displayed goods, and the auctioneer could hear the bids from all sides.
The people brought by Ferrall also joined in maintaining order. Reporters would be filming the entire event, and the footage would be featured on the local news by tomorrow night at the latest. Therefore, it was necessary to have some official personnel on-site.
Apart from these individuals, warehouse security and even some blue overalls workers spontaneously assisted Lynch in maintaining order while staying to enjoy the spectacle.
In this increasingly economically depressed society, people needed something fresh to stimulate their numb nerves.
At 2:15, approximately three thousand people had gathered at the scene. Those without seats found random spots to stand, even the rescue teams were present to prevent any unforeseen accidents or dangers. In any case, everyone was highly anticipating and very curious about what was to come.
"It's starting..." With Lynch's words, the host and his assistants took the stage, accompanied by a large number of goods being brought to the platform. The noisy atmosphere quieted down to some extent, though there were still low conversations. Overall, it was no longer as boisterous.
"I am delighted to be here on such a day..." The host, hired by Lynch for six hundred bucks from the provincial capital, began his introduction. Lynch also had to pay an additional one hundred twenty bucks for transportation and one day of accommodation.
Sabin City did not have a formal auction house, so there were no professional auctioneers. A good auctioneer could effectively elevate the atmosphere, create some small conflicts, and frequently set record-breaking prices.
In Baylor Federation and even internationally, some famous auctioneers could receive a commission of three percent of the final transaction price as their bonus!
He quickly explained the auction process. The items related to the bidders were mostly about raising hands; no number plates were needed. It wasn't as formal and serious, resembling more of a familiar second-hand goods trading event—though top-tier auctions were essentially high-priced second-hand goods markets.
The entire auction could be divided into three stages. The first stage was a fixed-price rush auction, with no distinction between raising and lowering bids. The host would announce a price for an item, and those who wanted to buy it could raise their hands.
On the central display platform, there were four additional staff members holding small buttons. When they saw someone raising their hand, they would press the button, preventing the other three from triggering the button's effect. This process was employed to confirm the identity of the first person to raise their hand.
In this stage, most of the items for sale were in demand, essential for daily life. For example, practical household ovens, cooking stations with six stoves, and similar items that every household had a need for. These items had a stable trading volume and price in the second-hand market and could be easily sold without raising or lowering the price.
After the first stage, they moved to the second stage—the actual auction. To evoke a certain atmosphere, the starting price for each item was one buck. Yes, regardless of how much the item would sell for in stores, the starting price here was one buck. The final price depended on everyone's demand.
Most of the items in this category were flashy and impractical. If they were assigned a fixed price like the first category, these items would mostly stay in the warehouse. It was better to let customers compete; maybe they would fetch a good price.
As for the third stage...
The host said it would be an unprecedented surprise that could even change some auction rules globally!
As a surprise, he chose not to reveal it for now and proceeded to the first stage of the auction.
As the first item was displayed by the staff, the host skillfully introduced and boasted about it—a built-in oven that could be placed in a cabinet or embedded in a wall.
These hidden ovens had become very popular in recent years. They were not only aesthetically pleasing but also saved space. For families with limited kitchen space but in need of a relatively large oven, it was a good choice.
In stores, this brand-new oven would cost around 199 bucks, but today at the auction, it was only 79 bucks!
The auctioneer's words were highly provocative. Around ten seconds after he finished speaking, a light suddenly illuminated on the stage, and shortly afterward, people in other factions were seen raising their hands too.
The first item was sold very quickly, leaving people either feeling regretful or curiously watching the person who raised their hand first. A mysterious sense of participation began to slowly emerge.
"Congratulations to this gentleman, who bought an almost new oven for 79 bucks. If I weren't the host, I wouldn't give you such an opportunity!" The host pointed and congratulated the successful bidder. Meanwhile, staff members started settling the payment—cash or check was both acceptable. In addition to these, the buyer had to leave an address for home delivery.
On the surface, home delivery seemed to incur an additional expense for Lynch, but this relatively small cost could firmly keep these people in his grasp.
"79 bucks, it looks like it's almost a giveaway..." Ferrall whispered, shaking his head. He turned to Lynch and asked. "How much did you lose?"
"Lose?" Lynch's eyes carried a hint of amusement. "I made at least ten bucks on this thing."
Glancing at his superior, who was paying, Wood had a strange feeling spreading in his chest—because he made money, earning about four bucks.
For the first time, he experienced the feeling that Richard had talked about—doing nothing and still making money effortlessly!
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