Home / Urban / The Goldmaster / 007. The Auction
007. The Auction
last update2025-07-07 22:39:29

The auction hall was alive with murmurs, the elites gathered in glittering clusters, their eyes were sharp and voices hushed but buzzing with anticipation.

Beneath the vaulted ceilings of the Pavilion, chandeliers dripped crystal light onto polished marble, and every inch of space hummed with the weight of ambition.

Tonight, the legendary GOLDMASTER’s exclusive slot was on the table, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Near a pedestal, a tight knot of nobles and powerful heirs spoke in hushed, reverent tones.

“—secured a royal charter without lifting a finger.”

“Goldmaster turned a bankrupt estate into a trade empire in under a year.”

“I heard he once brokered peace between two rival families—over a single artifact.”

“I’m telling everyone here,” Bruno said loudly, his voice cutting through the din, “that seat at the auction is mine.”

It wasn’t just a declaration, it was a gauntlet, flung at the feet of the powerful.

A ripple of laughter broke the tension like a snapped thread. One man, a tall heir in a white suit with a Lan family pin on the left side, arched an eyebrow and gave a dry, derisive chuckle.

“You?” the man scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself, the Mason name barely gets you invited to the pre-party.”

A woman beside him—the daughter of the Ferling family, if Bruno recognized her right—sipped her drink slowly, then set it down with a delicate clink.

“You’re not just up against the Four Major Clans,” she added, her voice smooth as velvet and twice as cold.

“The Chan, Lan, Jiang, and Ferling families are all here tonight. Even Alex Bulford wants that slot, and he’s hosting the event.”

There was a round of low agreement. A nearby merchant, older, dressed in the subtle prestige of old money, shook his head, his voice thick with disbelief.

“It’s simply delusional,” he muttered.

“Your family?” he let out a soft, mocking laugh.

“You’re a second-rate clan at best—B-tier, if we’re being generous. You don’t have the standing, the connections”

“Honestly, you’re not even fit to shine the shoes of the people in this room. So do yourself a favor and stop dreaming above your rank.”

Bruno’s cheeks burned, the laughter stinging sharper than he’d expected. But retreating wasn’t an option—not tonight. Pride braced his spine because he couldn’t show weakness, not when everything hinged on perception.

“You think I’m bluffing?” he said, his voice louder now, more challenging. “I have a connection none of you understand.”

That sentence immediately halted the jeering, at least momentarily. A few eyebrows rose, and a few heads tilted.

Then he leaned forward, his voice dipping low, riding the line between secret and showmanship. “I’m close with Jackie Berlín, Goldmaster’s most trusted aide.”

A stunned silence followed, like a match striking dry air.

“Jackie Berlín?” a young heiress echoed. Her tone was laced with both awe and disbelief. “The underground king of Berkley? The man no one crosses?”

“Yes, him. I am acquainted with him,” Bruno said, smiling as if revealing a buried truth. “He’s already recommended me to Goldmaster. So whether or not I win this auction… Goldmaster has already promised to meet me.”

The shift in the atmosphere was instantaneous.

Where once there had been mockery, now there was speculation, uncertainty. Faces turned toward one another, expressions suddenly calculating.

Goldmaster’s name didn’t just command respect; it warped the very hierarchy of power. If Bruno truly had Jackie’s support, then all assumptions were worthless.

“Is he dead serious?” a man murmured under his breath.

“If Jackie’s backing him… then the seat with Goldmaster is truly his.”

A buzz stirred through the group, electric with reconsideration. Where moments before Bruno had stood mocked, now he was surrounded by tentative curiosity.

Several heirs stepped closer to him, no longer smirking but assessing.

A noble from the Jiang family, old enough to remember when Bruno’s father had tried and failed to climb the political ladder, extended a hand slowly.

“Your family is lucky,” the man said, voice steady with new respect.

“An ally like Jackie… well, that changes everything.”

Bruno grasped his hand firmly, grinning as if he'd just been crowned. A woman in emerald stepped in beside him, laughing too brightly.

“I always said Bruno had potential,” she chimed. Another guest clapped him on the back.

“Smart move in getting Jackie’s attention. That’s no small feat.”

Champagne glasses tilted his way. Chairs shifted subtly to make space near him.

He stood there with his chin slightly lifted, basking in their attention, lips curved in a slow, self-satisfied smile.

It was everything Bruno had dreamed of—recognition, influence, vindication. And it was all because of a name he’d gambled on.

He kept his posture calm, even relaxed, though inside he trembled with adrenaline. For the first time in his life, the gates were opening.

But across the hall, someone stood by the corner watching the commotion.

Lucas leaned against one of the marble columns, his arms crossed over his chest as his dark eyes narrowed. Unlike others, he didn’t clap Bruno on the back or offer a smile.

He had seen enough tonight, and he had no intention of letting this farce play out any longer. He had intended to call Jackie privately, to tell him to pretend not to recognize him as he didn't want his identity exposed.

But this? This just angered him. Watching Bruno spin lies, watching the crowd eat it up like starving dogs…

Are they really this gullible? Lucas wondered. Or is Goldmaster’s name just that overwhelming?

He felt no hatred toward Bruno, not really. But what Bruno was doing—this wasn’t mere arrogance, it was heresy.

Lucas pushed off the column, his movements sharp with purpose. Then, calmly, he stepped into the circle of admirers, liars, and fools. His voice sliced through the air like a cold blade:

“Tell me,” Lucas said, his voice clear and steady, “how does someone from a second-tier family claim to know Jackie?”

Bruno froze from the question, and the ambient hum of conversation vanished. All eyes turned to Lucas, then back to Bruno.

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