Chapter 202: Bundle Sale
The moment the host finished speaking, the guests below broke into another round of fervent discussion.
Today’s auction had been unexpectedly chaotic, with one surprise after another.
Still, compared to the previous two incidents, suddenly adding another lot right at the end of an auction wasn’t unheard of.
What the executives in attendance cared about more was what this final lot could possibly be. What could make a prestigious auction house like the Pavilion of Many Treasures give it the green light to swoop in as the grand finale?
The host took an important file from a colleague and announced in a loud voice, "The final, last-minute addition to today’s auction is..."
As the host spoke, a contract for tender appeared on the projection screen behind him.
"A contract for the commercial land by the lake in Brynn’s Southward District?"
"That’s the plot by the lake in the Southward District! My God, why is it being auctioned here? Have they gone mad?"
"It really is that plot? I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. For the past few years, that’s been the most sought-after piece of land in all of Brynn. Several of the nation’s most powerful families have been eyeing it, pulling whatever strings they could. To think... it would show up here."
The speaker seemed to realize something and clapped a hand over their mouth. Others caught on as well, their expressions turning guarded as they glanced around. No one had expected a land ownership contract of this magnitude to appear at a private auction.
Not many representatives from the major families were in attendance today. The few who were present were stunned for a moment by this sudden turn of events, but that shock was quickly followed by the unadulterated joy of potentially snagging the deal of a lifetime.
After the initial elation, the smarter ones were already on the phone with their families, arranging for funds. Meanwhile, guests with good relationships with the other major families were scrambling to pass on the news.
However, compared to the families who had someone on-site, those just receiving the news were a step behind and would have to find some other way to close the gap.
Arabella Donovan, however, knew nothing about this so-called lakeside area in the Southward District. Listening to the crowd’s chatter, she frowned slightly and instinctively turned to the man beside her. "Is this plot of land really that coveted?"
"Extremely. The Southward District has been Brynn’s key commercial and tourism development zone for the last decade. This lakeside plot, nearly a hundred acres of commercial land, is the focal point of their plans for the next several years. It’s no exaggeration to say that whoever gets this land and develops it can elevate their entire family to a whole new class."
"It’s that incredible?!" Arabella Donovan looked astonished. "No wonder everyone’s so worked up. Who wouldn’t jump at a guaranteed moneymaker, especially one this big!"
Brandon Jennings couldn’t agree more. It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard of this land before. It was just that, forget a small player like him—even a prominent figure from a family like Quincy Ulrich’s, a big name in Brynn, would be completely dwarfed by the competition for this plot.
To think he would get to witness the final fate of this land at an auction tonight... it really felt like watching history being made.
Brandon Jennings had resigned himself to being a mere spectator, but Arabella Donovan felt differently. She mulled it over for a moment, then suddenly turned to Caspian Rhodes and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Rhodes, your family has so many industrial investments. Have you ever considered developing this land?"
Caspian Rhodes froze, taking a moment to reply. "If there’s an opportunity to make a profit, who would willingly pass it up? It’s just..."
"Just?"
"It’s just that even a powerful outsider can’t beat the local players on their own turf. My family’s main operations aren’t in Brynn. Although we intend to expand here, our foundation is still shallow. Without outside help, trying to swallow this massive project alone would be anything but easy."
Caspian Rhodes then changed the subject. "Are you interested in this land?"
"Not exactly..." Arabella was about to shake her head and deny it when the host, having finished his booming speech on the value of the Southward District lakeside property, suddenly produced another file. "Today’s auction for the Southward District plot is a special one," he continued. "It must be auctioned jointly with another piece of land."
"Jointly auctioned? What does that mean?"
"It’s a bundled sale. If you buy this plot, you have to buy the other one with it."
"They can do that? So what’s the other plot... The Norwall Barrens?!"
The other file the host presented was, indeed, the land use contract for the Norwall Barrens.
Upon seeing this file, many of the guests who had been eager to get a piece of the Southward District pie froze. Some from the major families, who had been brimming with confidence and champing at the bit to start bidding, were already starting to back down.
Arabella Donovan was completely baffled. ’What’s the deal with these Norwall Barrens? Judging by their reactions, it’s as if that land is cursed!’
"The Norwall Barrens refers to a large tract of desolate land in the northern suburbs of Brynn. The terrain is complex, the environment is bleak, and even vegetation struggles to survive there. Plus, rumor has it the whole area used to be a graveyard a long time ago, so it has a heavy, eerie vibe. Forget foot traffic—you barely see any animals there."
"That’s right! I passed by there once with Quincy on some business, and it’s no exaggeration to say it looked like nothing could grow there for miles. I’ve lived in Brynn my whole life, and I’ve never seen a place so barren."
Everyone knows that nothing good ever gets bundled with a premium item. If the Southward District plot was a prize everyone coveted, then the Norwall plot was the poison apple everyone would do anything to avoid.
The Norwall land had been put up for auction many times before, and each time, it failed to attract a single buyer, remaining unsold.
Its price had plummeted from hundreds of millions to the low tens of millions, and even then, no one was interested.
It was hard to say what genius came up with the idea of bundling it with the Southward District plot. This was basically forcing anyone who wanted the profitable land to also throw good money after bad on a useless plot. It all came down to how one weighed the pros and cons.
’No wonder these people are backing out. Isn’t this just blatantly telling everyone they’re looking for a rich sucker to clean up their mess?’
Brandon Jennings and Caspian Rhodes: "..." ’She’s... not wrong.’
Musings aside, Arabella didn’t think a project worth hundreds of millions, or even billions, had anything to do with her. She composed herself, ready to watch the drama unfold while eagerly anticipating what kind of treasure her newly acquired stone might hold.
When she turned her head, her gaze landed on the three men of the Donovan family—a father and his two sons—standing not far away. Victor Donovan was as stoic as ever, betraying none of his excitement, though a subtle gleam in his eyes gave him away.
His two sons, however, lacked his composure. Their faces were flushed with excitement, as if they had just stumbled upon a priceless treasure.
Arabella’s brow furrowed. In a flash, a thought seemed to strike her.
’Wait a minute. The Norwall Barrens. The barrens in Brynn’s Norwall Outskirts? Oh my god, I knew that name sounded familiar! Isn’t that the place... that... that one place...’
Brandon Jennings and Caspian Rhodes: "???" ’What place? Just say it already!’