Chapter 568 - 340: Unexpected Discovery
Su Ze remained impassive as he continued to take out treasures for the auction.
A good number of them were, in fact, "stolen goods"—some of which he had acquired by killing experts from the Alien Party.
In the end, Su Ze had presented a total of eighteen high-level Evolution Items. The number one puzzle piece didn't stand out among them.
He glanced at Frank Stu. "The Stu Commerce Association isn't my only option, you know. But I doubt you'll ever find another client quite like me. I can offer you a 5% commission on the total auction value, but I have one condition...
"You must use every resource at your disposal for promotion!
"I want you to hold an auction so massive it's unprecedented. Not only must the evolvers in the Dawn Shelters get the news, the promotional campaign must cover every single human settlement on the Western Continent!"
Frank Stu, who had been so hung up on his profit margins, discreetly glanced at the number one puzzle piece. This time, he surprisingly didn't try to haggle, simply nodding in agreement.
With a full eighteen high-level Evolution Items, the total auction value would be astronomical. A 5% commission was practically free money; there was no way he could refuse this deal.
Of course, the number one puzzle piece also played a big part in his decision...
"Rest assured," Frank Stu promised. "The Stu Commerce Association does business with nearly every settlement in the area. I'll dispatch our traveling merchant teams to spread the word."
Next, the two of them discussed the details and pricing for each item, establishing a starting bid based on Su Ze's desired price point and current market values.
They started with two vials of Tier 5 extract, discussing each item one by one. It wasn't long before they got to the number one puzzle piece.
Frank Stu picked up the number one puzzle piece, weighing it in his hand. He feigned confusion. "Mr. Lin, forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is this?"
Su Ze shrugged. "No idea. All I know is that it's incredibly tough—even a Legendary-rank expert can't damage it. It's definitely a top-tier material! I was thinking of setting its starting bid at the same price as those two vials of Tier 5 extract. What do you think?"
Frank Stu gave a wry smile. "Mr. Lin, you don't even know what this is, yet you want to sell it for the price of a Tier 5 extract. I'm afraid no one will bite."
"But it's a treasure that can withstand an attack from a Legendary-rank expert. That makes it a Tier 6 material, at least! Just advertise it that way. There are always some rich fools out there looking for curiosities who will pay for it."
"Well... perhaps you could reveal its origins? That would add a layer of credibility to our promotional materials," Frank Stu suggested, feigning resignation.
"Who knows where it came from? I just found it in someone else's storage item... Its previous owner was quite the figure, though."
"Would you be willing to say who? If it was someone famous, that could add a certain mystique to the item. It would make it much easier to sell."
Su Ze waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. Let's not get into that. Just advertise it the way I said. Who knows, maybe someone will take a liking to it? If it's really an issue, we can set the starting bid a bit lower. Price it like a standard Tier 5 material."
Frank Stu hesitated for a moment. "How about this... make it a little cheaper, and I'll buy it from you personally. I'll just add it to my collection."
Su Ze shot him a look, teasing, "Mr. Stu, you wouldn't happen to know what this thing does, would you?"
Frank Stu's expression froze for a second, but when he saw Su Ze's teasing grin, he quickly shook his head and chuckled. "I won't lie, I'm exactly the kind of fool you were talking about—the type who loves collecting strange, useless trinkets."
"Mr. Stu, if you're truly interested, you can always participate in the auction. But I'm not lowering the price," Su Ze replied, shutting him down.
Seeing Su Ze's response, Frank Stu dropped the subject of buying the puzzle piece to avoid arousing any further suspicion.
But Su Ze was now a hundred percent certain. 'Frank Stu definitely knows something about this puzzle piece.'
'He might even know about the mysterious inheritance.'
'Now that's an unexpected lead.'
After they had settled on the prices for all eighteen auction items, Su Ze signed a contract with the Stu Commerce Association.
He didn't even glance at the contract as he signed. For one, he wasn't using his real name. For another, the document was just a formality—a mere piece of paper.
'If I want to break the contract, this piece of paper isn't going to stop me.'
'I can tell at a glance that Frank Stu is probably a Supreme-rank evolver, but it doesn't matter. With my current combat strength, I can do whatever I want on the Western Continent. No one can touch me.'
The two parties agreed to hold the auction in two weeks.
That would give the Stu Commerce Association two weeks to handle the promotion and build hype.
"Mr. Lin, now that we have an agreement, I must ask you to store the eighteen auction items in our association's warehouse for the time being," Frank Stu requested.
Su Ze shook his head. "Mr. Stu, for the security of my assets, I'd rather not let them out of my sight."
'Normally, I wouldn't have cared about leaving the items with the Stu Commerce Association. I'm not afraid of anyone trying to rob me.'
'But now that it's clear Frank Stu knows something, if I leave the puzzle piece here, he might use this time to take it to Inheritance Point No. 4.'
'If Frank Stu himself is the holder of the number four puzzle piece, that's fine. The problem is if he isn't. That would mess up my plans.'
"But Mr. Lin, it's not that we don't trust you," Frank Stu argued, "but if we invest significant resources into this promotion and you fail to deliver the eighteen auction items as agreed, the blow to our association's credibility would be immense. I hope you can understand our position."
Su Ze said, "In that case, since I'm not an unreasonable man, I'll leave these two vials of Tier 5 extract with your association as a show of good faith. I'm hardly going to play games with you over two vials of Tier 5 extract. Even if I were to back out, I'm confident their value is more than enough to cover any damage to your reputation."