"Whoa~"
As soon as Shen Qing finished speaking, the crowd erupted.
"Betting... betting on fire? Did I hear that right?"
"It... it seems so... Oh my god!"
"Stop with the 'seems so,' the Dean of the Secret Armor Institute said it himself... I'm so lucky, this auction actually has 'betting on fire'!"
"Damn it, who spread the rumors, saying Mech City can't build good mechs and can't even repair fire seeds!"
"Exactly, exactly! They even have 'betting on fire,' and still claim they can't repair fire seeds, what nonsense!"
"If I'd known there was 'betting on fire' this time, I should have called my grandpa! Damn it~!"
...
As Shen Qing's voice faded, most of the people present looked excited, their faces full of anticipation as they gazed at the center of the auction hall. Any doubts about Mech City's inability to build high-quality mechs or repair fire seeds were completely forgotten.
"Yun Yao, what's this 'betting on fire' all about?"
Ye Feng looked at Shen Yun Yao with a puzzled expression. He had listened for quite a while and still hadn't figured out what this "betting on fire" Shen Qing mentioned was, but it seemed to make these people very excited.
"It's about fire seeds!"
Shen Yun Yao turned to Ye Feng. "Betting on fire is similar to betting on stones, but instead of jade, you're betting on fire seeds!"
"'Betting on fire' uses a similar method to betting on stones. The auction house provides fire seeds, and these fire seeds are only 'windowed,' meaning only a part of the arcane runes is exposed!"
"Everyone uses their own knowledge to judge the grade, condition, and other aspects of the fire seed, then places their bids. The highest bidder wins!"
"The fire seeds for 'betting on fire' are generally provided by Mech City, guaranteeing quality. Even if the arcane runes are damaged, it's usually minor."
"Every 'betting on fire' session has someone who strikes a great bargain. Of course, for minor damage or flaws in the fire seeds, Mech City will offer free repairs! For more significant damage, Mech City will also provide a discounted repair price!"
"For fairness, people from Mech City cannot participate in 'betting on fire,' and the starting bids for fire seeds provided by Mech City are very low, so this is a genuine benefit!"
Shen Yun Yao explained quickly to Ye Feng.
"So that's how it is~"
Ye Feng quickly understood.
At this moment, staff members had already brought more than a dozen fire seeds to the central area of the auction hall, and the number was still increasing.
Just as Shen Yun Yao had said, these fire seeds were all wrapped in black oil paper, with only a small area exposed, forming the "window."
"Xiao Xiao, let's go take a look!"
Ye Feng, naturally very interested in anything that offered a chance to strike a bargain, immediately pulled Xiao Xiao into the already crowded area.
Shen Yun Yao and the others followed when the crowd was less dense.
"I want this fire seed, 200 Arcane Yuan coins!"
"What do you mean you want it? I bid 300!"
"Holy cow, One-Eyed Zhou, are you deliberately going against me?"
"Sorry, Old Liu, everyone knows that fire seeds from Mech City are a guaranteed profit, and I really need this one!"
"Exactly, even if there are problems, they're minor, just spend a little money here at Mech City to get it fixed!"
"Damn it, I bid 400!"
"600, if you've got the guts, follow!"
"Cough, cough, everyone, let's not fall out. There are still plenty of fire seeds here... According to the old rule, we'll proceed with a final blind bid, highest bidder wins!"
...
As Ye Feng arrived near the auction stage, a barrage of similar noisy shouts rose and fell.
"'Blind bidding' is a measure taken when three or more people are interested in the same fire seed, to prevent bids from spiraling out of control or even leading to fights."
"Those interested in the same fire seed write down their final bid on paper, put it into a black box, and the staff opens it publicly. The highest bidder gets the fire seed!"
While Ye Feng was quite puzzled, Shen Yun Yao's voice came from behind him.
"I see~!"
Ye Feng nodded and continued to examine the fire seeds placed on the ground, wrapped in black oil paper with only a "window" exposed, along with Xiao Xiao.
Before long, Ye Feng arrived at a somewhat secluded area.
There were fewer people here, while other areas were packed with people fiercely competing with their bids!
"Ye Feng, the fire seeds here are not from Mech City; they are consignment items, so the gamble is a bit bigger!"
Shen Yun Yao spoke up at the opportune moment.
"Mm..."
Ye Feng glanced at the crowd clustered not far away and quickly understood.
After all, everyone knew that fire seeds from Mech City were highly likely to be "benefits," and they were all scrambling for them. Naturally, few people would pay attention to these fire seeds with unclear origins and higher risks.
After a period of observation, Ye Feng's gaze fell upon a fire seed labeled number 250.
"Young man, good eye! The arcane runes at the window of this fire seed are very complete, and its condition is excellent. The starting price is 100 Arcane Yuan coins. Buying it is a sure profit!"
"If I wasn't short on money recently, I wouldn't be selling this fire seed!"
"And look, 250! What a lucky number!"
As soon as Ye Feng stood near the fire seed, a middle-aged man in a denim jacket, pants, and hat stepped forward and greeted him.
"250... lucky number..."
Ye Feng looked at the middle-aged man in the cowboy hat with some speechlessness.
"Master Huang is here!"
"Everyone, make way, make way, Master Huang is here!"
At this moment, a commotion arose from the side of the auction stage, and the crowd was roughly pushed aside to create a passage.
Ye Feng followed the sound and saw a man in his fifties, wearing a dark blue pinstriped shirt and holding a palm-leaf fan, walking forward surrounded by a throng of people.
The man had a thin face with a handlebar mustache, but a large beer belly that, when strapped by his belt, looked like a ball of meat, quite comical.
Notably, there was a large "Wang" character on the man's belt buckle!
"Someone from the Wang family?"
Ye Feng frowned slightly. He had seen a similar "Wang" character on Young Master Wang's clothes earlier.
"His name is Huang Ruizhu, and he has considerable knowledge of fire seeds!"
"In previous 'betting on fire' sessions, Huang Ruizhu found many bargains for the Wang family, and thus gained the deep appreciation of Wang Batián!"
Shen Yun Yao's voice sounded again.
"The Wang family... That guy Wang Batián?!"
Upon hearing Shen Yun Yao's words, Ye Feng felt a surge of dissatisfaction.
After all, when he first met Wang Batián at the final selection for armor masters, the latter had inexplicably made things difficult for him and set a trap for him... and that bird Young Master Wang...
"Master Huang, are you choosing the more risky fire seeds again this time?"
"Yes, Master Huang, I've got my eye on a fire seed, could you give me your opinion?"
"Master Huang, you've gotten even more handsome!"
...
Facing the flattery from those around him, Huang Ruizhu clearly enjoyed it. He lightly waved his fan and said with disdain, "Of course, the fire seeds provided by Mech City are too obvious, lacking any challenge!"
After speaking, Huang Ruizhu walked towards Ye Feng's location.
A large group of people eager to curry favor followed Huang Ruizhu. The once somewhat empty area became crowded due to Huang Ruizhu's arrival.
"Kid, stop standing there pretending to know what you're doing, move aside!"
As Ye Feng was examining the window of fire seed number 250, Huang Ruizhu's displeased voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
...