My Deep Pockets

Dr. Alex Arensoft, the man beside me, trying to bid on the item I'm after. In the original novel, he was a great scientist, renowned for discovering the formula for dungeon formation. This discovery becomes crucial in the later parts of the novel when the world faces a monster invasion, he and the protagonist of this story have the same name but not the same last name. Proof of my lack of creativity when I started writing.

However, his research was stolen by his partner, Max Glarwood. Normally, his assistants handle such matters of getting him resources for his research, making his presence at this auction unusual. At this point in the novel, he shouldn't be aware of this item, so none of his assistants should be here either. According to the original storyline, the item ended up in the hands of a random businessman who took it for advanced appraisal in another country. During the appraisal, it was discovered to emit an unusual EM wave.

Alex shouldn't have known about this until much later in the story. So, it doesn't make sense that's he's here now bidding on the item.

Richard's thoughts raced. "I can't let him get his hands on the item, I'm not sure how he's here now, but I can't let things go his way."

"Forty million!" Richard exclaimed firmly.

Alex gritted his teeth, realizing he was spending more than he had anticipated in this auction, but he was determined not to stop now.

"Sixty million!" he exclaimed, raising the stakes.

In the midst of this high-stakes bidding war, Richard couldn't help but muse to himself, "He's persistent, that's for sure. He seems to know exactly what that item is, but he has no idea who he's dealing with. I'm a Blackthorn, and our pockets run deep."

Relentless, Richard pushed the bid higher, his voice cutting through the tension in the room, "Eighty million!" he exclaimed, confident in his financial prowess.

The auctioneer, a bead of sweat forming on his brow, attempted to intervene, "Please, gentlemen, we may not be sure of what this item truly is, so I don't think it's a good idea to—"

But before he could finish his statement, Alex, equally resolute, spoke up, his voice booming, "A hundred million."

As Richard continued to escalate the bidding, Jarmin, Luna, and Luella exchanged concerned glances. Luna, feeling the weight of the mounting price, finally spoke up, her voice laced with worry, "Young master, I think you should stop it already. Is that item really worth this much?"

Richard leaned in close to Luna, his voice barely above a whisper as he replied, "Honestly, it's worth far much more than this."

Luna, still worried, couldn't help but question, "How can you be so sure?"

With a mischievous grin, Richard whispered back, "Don't worry, trust me. A few hundred million is barely a dent in our family's funds." His confidence in their immense wealth was evident.

Alex couldn't help but cast curious glances toward Richard as he noticed him whispering something into Luna's ear. His brows furrowed with intrigue as he wondered, "What could this young man be up to?"

The determination in Richard's actions puzzled him. "He must think that item is a mere toy or bubble of some sort," Alex mused silently. "How immature. I can't let an item that would lead to a groundbreaking part of my research just slip out of my grasp like this." His resolve to claim the mysterious item deepened as the bidding war raged on.

Richard's face suddenly transformed, donning a sly grin that sent ripples of intrigue through the audience. He boldly declared, "One hundred and fifty million." His voice cut through the tension in the room like a sharp blade, signaling his plan to seal the deal.

Richard's audacious bid of one hundred and fifty million hung in the air like an unspoken challenge. The entire auction house seemed to hold its breath, spellbound by the staggering sum. Even Alex, a man of science, found himself temporarily at a loss for words.

The auctioneer, who had briefly faltered in the face of such a bold offer, regained his composure. "One hundred and fifty million," he declared, his voice resonating with finality. "Going once, going twice..." The tension mounted as the gavel hovered in the air, ready to seal the deal. "Deal," he concluded, and the auctioneer's gavel came crashing down with a decisive thud, echoing through the room. The transaction was complete.