Chapter 386: Floating Pagoda Pavilion

Dawang took a day off and went to play at the garden that evening.

In the afternoon, Minister of Revenue Zhang received a full two million taels of ransom, and Dawang had recently collected nearly three million taels just from ransom—indeed, to get rich and make a fortune, one must find the right way.

Dawang strode through the garden with steps that ignored his kin, then turned into Bai Ge's shop, saying, "Let's go shopping—no setting up stalls today, let's spend!"

Baiyang raised a hand to shield his eyes, "Glaring, glaring! Did Dawang's military parade go off perfectly today?"

That's right! We got the ransom for the kidnapping—let's go spend money!

Dawang led the team to stroll through Phoenix Assembly, buying everything he saw that Great Jin lacked and wasn't expensive.

Baiyang soon found he couldn't stop him, watching Dawang buy a pile of useless junk.

All sorts of colorful ores, bathtubs that unfold with a flick, man-eating flower pots, and even eggs of unknown bird species!

Tsk tsk, indeed, money that falls into one's lap doesn't hurt to spend! Where are you putting all this stuff? If you put it at home, it wastes the palace; if you put it in the warehouse, it takes up space.' He simply couldn't understand—who buys man-eating flowers like a normal person?

Dawang quickly swiped his card again and bought a bubble machine. Baiyang was speechless: "I have these at the supermarket; if I'd known you still had this childlike heart, I'd have given you a few!"

"Have you noticed what they have in common?"

"Useless?"

"No, it's cheap. I bought them just to make myself happy; tonight they'll show up at the Floating Pagoda Pavilion auction, and I'll make a profit in no time!"

Bai Ge was numb—how could anyone bid on a bubble machine at an auction?!

There is.

Great Jin really does.

At dawn, Zhuti received a pile of newly added auction items; she flipped through the junk. "The eggs resemble parrots, the bathtubs will leak in less than three months, the man-eating flower would struggle to eat a single chicken. The only thing of value is this solar-powered mosquito lamp, right?"

Dawang: "... That one was a gift from Baiyang."

Zhuti: "Then what about this junk?"

Dawang: "I bought them. Just to warm up the auction—I'd be satisfied with a four- or fivefold return."

Zhuti: ……

That noon, the auction process added a warm-up item.

In the afternoon, the auction opened for entry; participating guests could pay in advance to get a good spot, Floating Pagoda Pavilion provided food and drink, and the admission fee was one hundred taels.

Wangshen and Kangju were the impatient first batch to enter; they showed silver notes to the Floating Pagoda Pavilion attendants, paid two hundred taels in admission fees, and were considered registered.

The attendants gave them two masks that only revealed the eyes, indicating they must wear them throughout their stay at Floating Pagoda Pavilion.

"Why is that?" Wangshen asked, not understanding.

"We naturally do this to guarantee your safety! Tonight a very valuable Return Spring Pill will be auctioned; the owner said time is priceless, and once such a thing appears it will surely draw covetousness from all sides. At Floating Pagoda Pavilion we can ensure the guests' safety; once they leave, we can no longer control things. For safety's sake, guests had best keep their identities secret, not letting anyone know who the true buyer of the treasure is—that's the best policy."

That… actually makes sense.

The two, wearing the masks, followed another attendant into the private booth selection area.

"The first and second floors are freely choosable; guests who arrive early can pick a booth with a good view."

"What about the third floor?" Kangju asked. Their sort never picks the worse when better is available; to them, the third floor clearly looks better.

"The third floor consists of VIP private rooms, requiring a minimum spend of one hundred thousand taels to access. Meanwhile, the VIP private rooms come with an added guard service."

"How so?"

"Our Pavilion's guards will take responsibility for safely escorting you and the auction items out of Floating Pagoda Pavilion, help you keep information confidential, and shake off any tails."

The two young nobles: "…You lot from You Prefecture are really something!"