Chapter 91:
In just a week, Wood had developed a certain level of rapport with everyone here. To befriend others, one must not be too foolish, yet not too shrewd either.
If one was too foolish, they may become a tool easily exploited by others. One should not be too foolish, as people generally did not like to be friends with someone overly foolish. Even if such people managed to get friends, it may not necessarily be a genuine friendship.
At the same time, one should not be too shrewd. In essence, people were selfish, and the tendency to take advantage of others was a common trait in society. While there may indeed be noble and upright individuals in this world, the majority were ordinary people.
Ordinary individuals tended to seek advantages for themselves but disliked being taken advantage of by others.
Wood managed this balance well. Richard, along with a few others, always delegated the dirtiest and most tiring tasks to him. After some initial reluctance, Wood would eventually take on the responsibilities, sometimes even pushing back a little. Overall, he met the standards people had for friends and became everyone's good friend.
Lately, Richard had been frequently sharing legendary stories about wealthy individuals. He talked about someone who used to sell onions before becoming a tycoon, another person who worked as a salesman in a store before becoming rich, and how they seized opportunities to rise to prominence. Beyond these tales, Richard often boasted about his classic collaboration with Lin Qi, highlighting how they used to earn hundreds of bucks daily a narrative that had truly captivated this group of young men.
Certain statements, when heard just once, would often be brushed off as false, dismissed with a casual smile. Yet, when hearing them day after day, there would be a subtle shift in perception, a realization that perhaps not all these words were baseless, and embedded within were probably some authentic stories involving well-known personalities.
Glancing at Richard who was happily chatting with some seemingly special customers, Wood vaguely sensed a new world opening its doors to him.
Perhaps Wood's momentary distraction made his superior think it was related to him. After writing a check, the superior discreetly explained why he did so to Wood he also had a need.
For a while now, his wife had been expressing her discontent with the outdated multifunctional stove they were still usinga type that integrated a stove with a barbecue grill underneath.
When they bought it, both he and his wife thought the design was incredibly clever. They envisioned putting some meat in it every evening, so that by the time dinner was ready, the meat on the grill would be perfectly cooked too.
However, reality hit them hard. Firstly, the barbecue space in this multifunctional stove was too small. Not to mention a turkey, even a regular chicken couldn't fit in there.
It was also too short; sometimes, when grilling fish, they had to cut it into three or four pieces and cook them separately.
What further frustrated them was that when they needed to use the darn grill to warm up some pancakes, they had to turn on the gas burners, igniting at least two stovetops at once.
And that was not all; this cursed stove would automatically shut off if left burning empty for more than a minute. They had to place a pot with something in it on the stove to prevent some kind of gravity-sensitive feature from triggering the shut-off switch.
In other words, if they wanted to warm up a pancake, they had to use two pots filled with water on the stovetop. They had to watch the water boil for some time before finally enjoying a piece of warm pancake after it had been heated!
As for those charcoal ovens that required outdoor use, they were only suitable if they wanted to set off the fire alarm.
Wood didn't fully absorb the words of his superior. His mind was consumed by a single thought, a voice echoing that he had just stood there, done nothing, and earned over four bucks.
Looking at Richard, who was happily talking to clients, Wood furrowed his brows, feeling both puzzled and glimpsing something unclear. He needed more time to figure it out.
As the first stage of the auction continued, people began realizing the importance of acting quickly. Even a moment's hesitation could result in someone else snatching away the opportunity. This was why Lin Qi arranged for the auction to be in the first stage, amplifying the impulsive nature of buying even further!
Most items in this stage were still in demand, so there was no worry about not selling them. Coupled with prices far below market rates, selling them off was very easy.
The entire first stage unexpectedly had no items left unsold, leaving the witnessing journalists in awe. Even Ferrell, with his mouth agape, couldn't believe it. He already had a feeling that Lin Qi was about to become famous again, and this time, it wasn't a bad thing; it was a good thing.
The second stage began, and the first auction item immediately caused a sensation throughout the entire venue!
At first, people were not aware of how crazy they would become in a few minutes. The host was introducing to them an apartment located near the city center, an apartment facing away from the sun on a commercial street.
This type of apartment had a drawback it lacked sunlight, with only two hours in the morning to late morning and a continuous sunshine period from 4 pm to 5:30 pm in the afternoon. It might be dim, possibly a bit damp, but that didn't matter. It was an apartment worth thirty-two thousand bucks, the price it last sold for.
Everyone present showed no interest in this auction item. If they could casually put forward thirty-two thousand bucks, no, even just two thousand bucks, they wouldn't be sitting here waiting to claim a belt that might only be worth three to five bucks after the event.
However, when the host, sounding surprised to the point of being off-key, announced the starting bid price for the apartment, the entire venue instantly burst into excitement.
"One buck!" The host waved the small card with excitement, and although no one could see what was written on it from such a distance, the crowd could feel his emotions. "One buck, friends! The starting bid for this apartment with full ownership is only one buck!"
Before this, he had explained the bidding process for the second stage, so no one believed they would be able to actually buy the apartment for one buck. Yet, that didn't stop people from shouting out prices one after another. This was where Richard and others came into play. They also had a microphone in their hands, so when those sitting in their seats started bidding, they could help amplify the voices to make it audible to the entire audience.
Starting from one buck, the price skyrocketed, reaching three thousand, four thousand, five thousand... It slowed down only after crossing the ten thousand mark.
But sometimes, things were just like that. Everyone realized there was a huge 'profit' involved. If they could buy this apartment for ten thousand bucks, even if they wouldn't be able to sell it for thirty-two thousand bucks, they would still be able to sell it for twenty thousand bucks easily.
With a profit of thousands of bucks at the flip of a hand, the vast majority of people sitting here had never encountered such a simple opportunity to gain wealth in their entire lives. This fact made them reluctant to give up, even if they were already trying their best.
In fact, since they joined this game, they could no longer stop it.
At this moment, someone handed a card to the host. After reading it and glancing at Lin Qi standing calmly in the distance, the host rekindled the crowd's excitement.
He announced that Gettnau Financial was willing to accept a mortgage loan at fifty percent of the final transaction price for this property. If the last bidder shouted twenty thousand but only had ten thousand, there was no need to worry. They could borrow ten thousand from Gettnau Financial to cover the cost. After selling the property and repaying the loan, they'd still make a profit.
This held a deadly allure for many. Indeed, the bidding, which stopped at just over twelve thousand, quickly soared to over twenty-four thousand, leaving less than eight thousand before reaching its peak.
Li Qi's face bore a hint of a smile. The second-hand property market in Sabin City had remained lukewarm, no longer reflecting the bustling economy of previous years when everyone desired to move into the city.
Transactions for properties in some areas had seen a significant decline, although properties in central locations continued to appreciate.
This particular apartment was traded for thirty-two thousand, yet Lin Qi had acquired it for only twenty-one thousand five hundred.
In just a short while, he had already earned twelve hundred and fifty bucks, and another twelve hundred and fifty bucks... His gaze fixated on a young man named Wood.Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/
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