Chapter 203: A Feast of Madness

At first, Andes didn't fully understand Mr. Prince Prince Kelin's words, until the light of the magic crystal lamp spilled onto the stage.

The host in formal attire walked to the front of the stage and announced the start of the auction for Prince Prince Kelin Mining Company's equity vouchers in a rhythmic voice.

And almost at the same time his voice fell, the bustling crowd below the stage raised their paddles.

"100,000 gold coins!"

That 100,000 gold coins was pegged to the 100,000 shares of the first round of auction, equivalent to 1 gold coin per share.

However, this floor-hugging quote was meaningless, because wave after wave of sound drowned it in a vast ocean.

"200,000!"

"300,000!!"

"500,000!!!"

"..."

The scene before his eyes seemed to be a reenactment of the auction, and it easily broke the limit created by that auction.

People's fanaticism was no less than their pursuit of that sparkling diamond, and even more so.

And what shocked Andes was.

That was just a piece of paper.

"This is indeed... crazy enough."

Andes couldn't help but swallow his saliva, loosening his collar with his index finger, only to find that the difficulty in breathing was not because the collar was too tight.

Even though he was used to all kinds of big scenes, he was still deeply shocked by the scene before him, as if a portal to the Kao Continent had been opened.

Everyone has their own limitations.

Even people in high positions are no exception.

He was also seeing for the first time a business that was more profitable than doing business, which was to package the business itself into a piece of paper and sell it in a bundle to those who wanted to do business.

Hearing Andes' exclamation, Luo Yan smiled and didn't answer, just took a light sip of the red wine in his glass, continuing to appreciate the performance of the audience below the stage.

This was just the beginning.

The good show had just begun.

The first batch of 100,000 shares auctioned was finally sold at a sky-high price of 670,000 gold coins.

The person who won the first prize went on stage with a glowing face and completed the registration of the vouchers under the witness of the Andes Bank staff and Prince Prince Kelin Mining finance.

These 100,000 shares corresponded to 0.1% of Prince Prince Kelin Mining's annual profit, and according to the lowest profit expectation, it was at least 1,000 gold coins per year.

As for the upper limit, it was immeasurable.

The person who bought these 100,000 shares was not for the 1,000 gold coin dividend, but to share the cake of the Prince Prince Kelin family overseas.

The people sitting below the stage cast envious glances at the guy who won the first prize, whispering and discussing.

"I know that guy... he's Garret, the boss of the fishing boat business in Mist Storm Port! The forces behind this guy are not small; I heard that half of the smuggling business on the northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea uses his fishing boats."

"Mist Storm Port?! The one south of the Whirlpool Sea?"

"The one who competed with him just now also has significant power; it seems he is a member of the Remusa Chamber of Commerce..."

"Why did these guys all run to Lei Ming City to join in the fun? Do they not have their own country?"

"Obviously, they are all here for the Prince Prince Kelin family's diamond mine. You know that's a diamond! What if they dig out another Eye of Ailin..."

"Hiss... no wonder they are willing to spend such a high price."

"Saint Xisi above... why are these profiteers richer than my noble Baron master! What have they paid for their faith?!"

A devout believer couldn't help but let out a trembling low moan, drawing a cross on his chest, suppressing the madness that was almost jumping out of his chest.

There were also people who curled their lips in disdain, not taking this so-called "sky-high price" of 670,000 gold coins seriously at all.

A bunch of ignorant guys.

Just an appetizer made them scream and become this indecent appearance; the truly powerful big shots hadn't even made a move yet!

Of course—

Even so, they couldn't deny that the madness of this auction exceeded their imagination.

Just when everyone had different expressions, the Demon King sitting in the box was looking down at the performance of all living beings through the wine glass in his hand, a shallow smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Just now, his faith power surged by 200,000, and his daily growth also jumped a large chunk, only one step away from the 40,000 threshold.

However, he was not in a hurry.

The stack of paper auctioned first was just the bullet fired in advance, using low volume and high price to raise people's psychological expectations and complete the anchor of value in people's hearts.

The real cannonball was still behind.

Soon, the host's assistant pushed a small cart to the front of the stage, and what was in the cart was no longer a stack of paper, but a whole large box!

"Next to be auctioned is 1 million equity vouchers of Prince Prince Kelin Mining Company! These vouchers are equivalent to 1% of Prince Prince Kelin Mining's shares! In other words, for every 100 diamonds Prince Prince Kelin Mining digs on the Kao Continent, you get one! Starting price—"

"1 million gold coins!"

"I bid 2 million!!!"

"Silence! Please be quiet!"

The host's desperate shouting was of no avail; the crazy atmosphere had already destroyed people's reason, and truly powerful people began to enter the field at this time.

The bidders had changed from ordinary business bosses to representatives of Earls and even Dukes of the kingdoms along the Whirlpool Sea, or managers of major banks.

Under the influence of the money-making effect, these real big crocodiles supported by capital and power behind them had long been attracted to Lei Ming City, this famous seaport.

They were not entirely here for diamonds from the beginning, but like the Andes family, they were eyeing the story about the New Continent and the diamond mine.

They were not just competing for the benefits of Prince Prince Kelin Mining, but also to show their strength to the gentleman sitting above the theater.

And at this very moment, the real slaughter had just begun...

As the bell rang at 8 o'clock in the evening, this fanatical feast finally entered its final climax under the gaze of the Purple Moon.

"12 million gold coins! Congratulations to Silver Sail Credit Bank for winning 2 million shares of Prince Prince Kelin Mining Company! Saint Xisi above! Let us give applause to the manager and depositors of Silver Sail Credit Bank! Thank you for your funds, allowing the faith of Saint Xisi to bloom and bear fruit on a strange continent, allowing brave people to have the confidence to open up territory for our Emperor on strange land! Praise them!"

Thunderous applause echoed through the venue, although it was mixed with unwilling faces and a few jealous gazes.

During the most intense competition of this auction, the price of one share was even raised to 10 gold coins, and the average transaction price was also around 8 gold coins.

Being able to win so many stocks at an average price of 6 gold coins per share was undoubtedly picking up a huge bargain, and even the fishing boat boss from Mist Storm Port who ate the crab first was overshadowed.

If it weren't for the fact that these 2 million shares were sold in a bundle, and if it weren't for the fact that they really couldn't come up with a price higher than this, they would never have let Silver Sail Credit Bank pick up this big bargain!

However, envy was envy, but no one was surprised by the victory of Silver Sail Credit Bank.

After all, the bank was backed by the Imperial Royal First Shipyard, holding a huge amount of liquid funds, and there was only one bank in the entire Lei Ming City that could be mentioned in the same breath.

If the previous charity banquet let everyone see how crazy nobles could be for honor, then at this moment, the citizens of Lei Ming City finally saw the energy mastered by the true masters of this city.

Their strength might not be weaker than the nobles at all, it was just that the places where it was reflected were different, and the places where they were willing to spend money were not quite the same.

Sitting in the box on the top floor of the theater, Yan Andes listened to the numbers echoing in his ears, feeling that his ears were already numb.

A moment later, he took off the shrapnel glasses on the bridge of his nose, wiped the fog condensed on the lenses with silk, and a heartfelt exclamation came from his mouth.

"Saint Xisi above, this is simply more evil than usury."

He was a man of vision after all; although he had never seen this way of playing before, he saw through the doorway at a glance.

They were actually not selling diamond mines, nor were they selling companies.

But people's expectations.

Or dreams.

After tasting the last bit of fine wine, Luo Yan put down the wine glass in his hand and said in a gentle voice.

"You want to say, I am a devil?"

"No, how could you be a devil? My friend, you are simply... a divine messenger sent by Saint Xisi to the human world!" Andes had a bright smile on his face, praising sincerely. "Thank you for inviting me to watch this play; I have operated in Lei Ming City for so many years, and this is the first time I have seen such a grand occasion!"

According to the average transaction price of 8 gold coins, Prince Prince Kelin Mining Company raised 80 million gold coins in one night!

Converted into copper coins, that would be 800 billion!

This number had broken through the category of common sense; even if the national treasury of the entire Campbell Principality was emptied, it couldn't come up with so much gold!

Even the Ryan Kingdom would be struggling!

If he hadn't witnessed all this with his own eyes, he almost couldn't believe it was true. Looking at Mr. Andes who was completely convinced, Luo Yan smiled slightly and said softly.

"This performance has ended; now you can calculate the ticket money we received."

"Ticket? You still care about that..." Before Andes finished speaking, he immediately realized what the so-called ticket in Mr. Prince Prince Kelin's mouth was.

That obviously didn't refer to the ticket to watch this performance, but the stocks of Prince Prince Kelin Mining Company he held in his hands.

If calculated at an average price of 8 gold coins, the 30% shares he held—or 30 million shares, converted into gold coins, would be 240 million gold coins!

In the common sense of the Aus Continent, the unit of measurement "hundred million" usually only appeared on copper coins, and even silver coins were rarely seen!

Looking at Mr. Andes who was holding his breath again, Luo Yan continued in an understated voice.

"If you calculate at 8 gold coins, that means you are still too conservative. I suggest you take the highest transaction price of 10 gold coins to calculate; after all, this price will only be seen tonight."

"Please forgive my gaffe, I... my brain had a brief blank, just like when you placed that emerald green diamond in front of me that day."

Andes wiped the sweat on his forehead, a rare smile that couldn't be held back appeared on his elegant and decent face, looking exactly like a servant who sold his soul to the devil in the murals of the Holy City Cathedral.

And in fact, this "like" could be removed; the only difference between him and the servant in the mural was probably whether he knew it or not.

Andes took a deep breath, let himself calm down, and controlled the expression that couldn't be held back.

Please... you... collect_(!)

"... You painted a huge gold mine for everyone in this city, but I think if we really sell the stocks in our hands, we certainly won't be able to sell them for as much money as you said."

Luo Yan smiled.

This guy was indeed a sensible person.

Market value is such a thing; the Prince Prince Kelin family announcing the sale of one-tenth of Prince Prince Kelin Mining's stocks would be snatched up by everyone in the city, but if they sold all the stocks in their hands, these stocks would become worthless waste paper overnight.

"But will you sell them?" Staring at the turbid pupils that intertwined greed and rationality, Luo Yan asked knowingly with a smile.

The answer was obvious.

Andes nodded slightly, his right hand on his chest.

"The Andes family will always be your ally. If the Prince Prince Kelin family has any plans, please be sure to let us know, and I will definitely cooperate with all my strength... I can swear to Saint Xisi."

Luo Yan gladly accepted his favor, nodded with a smile and said.

"I also swear to Saint Xisi that our alliance will be as solid and reliable as an eternal diamond... actually, oaths are superfluous to us, aren't they? We were already in the same carriage."

Andes smiled knowingly.

"You are right."

Even without You You's ability, Luo Yan could still see his piety from that face, as well as his heartfelt faith.

From this point of view, he was no different from the retail investors who became believers after buying stocks of a certain company.

If one had to say the difference, it was probably that Prince Prince Kelin Company really had a share of this Mr. Andes, after all, the devil was really on the same side as him.

Following the God-chosen one who held the "Light of Praise," the respected Demon King finally successfully took down the money bag of the Campbell Principality again.

Now the corruption of the Graveyard is truly everywhere...

【

ID: Luo Yan

Race: Human

Soul Level: Silver (Level Cap LV70)

Level: LV. 52 (+1)

Constitution: 31

Strength: 26

Agility: 27

Intelligence: 77 (+3)

Spirit: 76 (+1)

】

【Faith Value: 2.99 million (+300,000)】

【Daily Net Growth: 50,000 (+20,000)】

The next morning, Dawn's Embrace Hotel.

Luo Yan, who finished meditation, sat up from the bed and went to the hotel restaurant accompanied by Sarah, leisurely enjoying the breakfast carefully prepared by the chef.

Along the way, everyone he met bowed respectfully to him, whether it was the hotel staff or the guests he "accidentally" met.

It was as if he were the "King" of this city.

"Good morning, respected Mr. Prince Prince Kelin, I am Steven Kate, manager of the Emerald Tea Trading Firm, and your admirer. I wish you a pleasant day!" A man in formal attire pressed his top hat to his chest and nodded, wishing he could cram an entire postcard into one sentence so as to leave a deep enough impression in the mind of this respected gentleman.

Luo Yan didn't know this name, nor did he know this face, but he still nodded with a smile and didn't neglect his face.

"You too, Mr. Kate, I wish you a pleasant day."

That enthusiastic face quickly flushed into an excited red.

However, he didn't wait for the opportunity to shake hands with Mr. Prince Prince Kelin, because soon other men and women who had the same idea as him had crowded up like butterflies smelling nectar.

A young wealthy businessman sitting by the window hurriedly got up and walked over, full of smiles: "Mr. Prince Prince Kelin, your auction yesterday was legendary! Please allow me to express my respect. If you have free time, could I have the honor of having lunch with you?"

And on the other side of the restaurant, a noble lady wearing an exquisite feather hat also quietly cast an attentive gaze at him.

Perhaps it was because their eyes met inadvertently, a shy blush appeared on her face, her hands gently tidying the complex skirt on her body, and she finally gathered the courage to stand up and walked over with small steps.

"Respected Mr. Prince Prince Kelin, could I have the honor of having afternoon tea with you? Of course, if it's inconvenient for you, I will also understand..." Her voice was trembling slightly, but couldn't hide the expectation.

And not far from her, several young ladies sat on the side, talking in low voices, occasionally peeking over there secretly.

"Why don't we just invite Mr. Prince Prince Kelin to our family's garden party next week? I think if it's an invitation from a group of ladies, he should be embarrassed to refuse so many people at once." Someone suggested with a chuckle, but didn't take the initiative to stand up, just looked at her equally shy sisters encouragingly.

"He is so busy, how could he agree!" Another said so, but couldn't hide the yearning on her face, adding quietly: "But I think his smile is really charming; if he could come, that would be great..."

Although there are rumors that Mr. Prince Prince Kelin already has someone in his heart, and the other party is the respected Princess Campbell, there are also rumors that nothing happened that night, and the two just appreciated each other.

Both rumors have their own markets; the former mainly appears in the idle talk of nobles and merchants after tea and dinner, while the latter mainly appears in the boudoirs of wealthy young ladies.

Actually, there is no difference; people choose to believe what they are willing to believe, and it just so happens that this is also what the Demon King let them see.

Luo Yan heard the whispers of the crowd clearly, but didn't take them to heart.

He knew very well that what was truly charming was not his smile, but the miracle created at the Queen's Theater last night... although the former was also quite charming.

Although yesterday's auction was only a primary market and most citizens didn't participate in this feast, almost everyone had heard of this myth of wealth.

Luo Yan would share this myth with them.

After all, whether it is the legend of the Flame King or the legend of Prince Prince Kelin, they all need people to spread them.

Unlike the Demon King who nodded and smiled, Sarah silently watched the "ugly" posture of these humans, her indifferent eyes already a bit numb.

As long as these humans didn't arrogantly try to reach their dirty hands toward her respected Demon King, she could tolerate it for the time being.

Finally returning to the hotel room, Luo Yan suddenly noticed the lifeless expression on Sarah's face and couldn't help but smile and say.

"Relax, Sarah, don't you think their expressions are interesting?"

Sarah said in a low voice.

"I just think... these people are too rude to you."

Luo Yan pondered for a moment and said.

"If you want their faith, you have to accept their enthusiasm. You don't have to try to understand; just treat their behavior as a ritual of praying to me."

But having said that, the enthusiasm of the citizens of Lei Ming City for him during this time was indeed a bit hot.

Especially since he was about to play the card of the secondary market, by then what he would face would probably not just be the enthusiasm of the citizens of Lei Ming City; relying only on the door of the Dawn's Embrace Hotel to block it would be really tough.

It just so happened that Princess Ailin invited him to visit the Silver Pine Town at the beginning of the month to visit the legendary Flame King, so he might as well take this opportunity to avoid the limelight.

Just as Luo Yan was thinking this, a light knock came from outside the door.

Luo Yan waved the magic wand in his sleeve and temporarily lifted the soundproofing magic in the room.

"Please come in."

As his voice fell, Punk, the first servant he took in Lei Ming City, walked in respectfully from the outside, nodded and saluted, saying.

"Master, the things you ordered me to do, I have already finished!"

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 204 =====