The Dark Blade: Return Of The General.

Chapter 9: The Impossible Bid

Jacob ignored every other auction item completely, his attention focused solely on the stage where his family's stolen amulet waited under the spotlights. Nothing else in this room mattered except reclaiming what belonged to him.

"So that is why you are here," Roseline observed, watching Jacob's unwavering concentration. "You want to reclaim that amulet."

Jacob exhaled slowly, his expression shifting from controlled anger to deadly determination. "That amulet belonged to my family for seven generations. It was stolen from my father's body the night they murdered him, along with four other sacred artifacts that these criminals plan to sell piece by piece."

"You are telling me that these people were directly involved in your family's massacre?" Roseline asked, though she already knew the answer from Jacob's expression.

"Involved?" Jacob's voice carried fifteen years of suppressed rage. "They planned it, executed it, and profited from it. They tried to kill me too, but someone saved my life at the last moment."

The auctioneer raised the velvet-lined case containing the amulet, his artificial smile gleaming under the lights. "This magnificent piece starts at ten million dollars!"

Immediately, hands shot up around the room as Seron's elite began their bidding war.

"Twelve million!" shouted a politician from the third row.

"Fourteen million!" countered a businessman near the front.

"Fifteen million!" called out another bidder, sending excited murmurs through the crowd.

The auctioneer's eyes gleamed with greed as the price climbed higher. "Fifteen million! Do I hear more for this priceless piece of Seron history?"

Marcus Nico raised his hand with casual arrogance. "Twenty-five million."

The room fell silent. Everyone knew better than to compete against the Nico family heir when he had decided he wanted something. The auctioneer practically salivated at the massive jump in price.

"Twenty-five million from Lord Nico! Surely no one wishes to challenge one of our city's most distinguished families—"

"Thirty-five million," Jacob called out clearly, his voice cutting through the stunned silence.

Every head in the auction house turned to stare at the plainly dressed stranger who had just challenged Marcus Nico. Whispers of disbelief rippled through the crowd like wildfire.

"Thirty-five million from the gentleman in the back," the auctioneer announced uncertainly. "Though I hope he understands the serious nature of these proceedings."

Laughter erupted throughout the room. These people saw Jacob's simple clothes and average appearance, automatically assuming he was some delusional fool playing games he could not afford.

Marcus Nico stood up slowly, his face spreading into a predatory smile. "I admire his courage, but let me end this charade. Fifty million dollars!"

The crowd roared its approval, certain that Marcus had just claimed victory. No reasonable person would bid higher against such overwhelming wealth and power.

"They think you are finished," Roseline murmured, studying Jacob's calm expression.

Jacob turned to meet her gaze, his smile cold as winter steel. "What do you think?"

Without waiting for her answer, Jacob stood and addressed the entire room. "One hundred and fifty million dollars."

The auction house went completely silent. Even the background conversations stopped as everyone tried to process what they had just heard.

"Is he insane?" someone whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"He cannot possibly have that kind of money," another voice added.

"Who does he think he is, challenging the Nico family?"

The auctioneer stared at Jacob with obvious shock, clearly unsure how to proceed. "One hundred and fifty million... from the gentleman in the back. Are there any higher bids?"

Marcus Nico's smile had vanished, replaced by cold fury. He raised his hand slowly, but instead of making a higher bid, he pointed directly at Jacob.

"Let him pay if he claims to have such wealth," Marcus announced loudly. "I want to see if this is real money or just the desperate boasting of a man trying to impress Lady Roseline!"

The crowd erupted in agreement, eager to witness Jacob's humiliation when his bluff was called. They had already decided he was nothing more than a pretender seeking attention.

Jacob smiled at their assumptions. "Where do I make the payment?"

His calm confidence sent uncertain murmurs through the room. This was not how someone acted when they were about to be exposed as a fraud.

Marcus Nico stood up fully and pointed an accusing finger at Jacob. "If you cannot make this payment, you will become my personal servant! You will also compensate me for the damage to my car! This will teach you not to challenge your betters!"

Jacob's smile widened, becoming genuinely dangerous. "And if I do make the payment, I will take your car, your clothes, and every last scrap of your dignity."

Gasps of shock echoed through the room. No one spoke to Marcus Nico that way and lived to tell about it.

"This man has lost his mind," someone whispered in horrified fascination. "He is challenging the Nico heir and thinks he will walk out of here alive?"

The auctioneer hurried over with a portable payment terminal, his hands shaking slightly as he offered it to Jacob. "Sir, this might be a good time to reconsider. No one would blame you for withdrawing your bid."

Jacob accepted the device with complete composure. "I am not afraid of him. Besides, I have always wanted a new car."

He inserted his black card into the machine and waited. The terminal immediately began processing the transaction, but after several seconds, it emitted a sharp buzzing sound that indicated payment failure.

Marcus Nico burst into delighted laughter. "There we have it! I knew you were nothing but a fraud trying to play games with your betters!"

The crowd joined in the laughter, relieved to see the natural order restored. The poor stranger had been exposed as a pretender, just as they had expected.

But the auctioneer was not laughing. He stared at the payment terminal's display screen with growing confusion, reading an error message he had never seen before in twenty years of conducting high-end auctions.

"Wait," he said, his voice cutting through the crowd's laughter. "The payment was not declined. The machine cannot process the transaction because it lacks the capacity to handle this card's available credit limit!"

He looked up at the crowd with wild eyes. "Bring me the industrial payment system from the vault! This device is not powerful enough!"

The laughter died instantly as everyone turned to stare at Jacob, who stood calmly in the sudden silence, still smiling his cold, dangerous smile.

For the first time since entering the auction house, Marcus Nico looked genuinely uncertain. The question on everyone's mind was the same one that would haunt their nightmares for years to come.

Who exactly was this mysterious stranger, and what kind of power did he truly possess?