When the compere declared the beginning of the bidding, there was complete silence at the scene. No one bid for a long while. Many people’s eyes were fixed on the Hope Diamond, but nobody dared to bid on it casually.
This was not because the starting bid of the Hope Diamond was too high, but it was because there were too many mysteries surrounding the item, which caused the people to be apprehensive of it. Specifically, this diamond had a frightening reputation, and its questionable origin caused many people to be wary of it. After all, it was an object from the Smithsonian Institute in America, so the history behind it must be impressive.
Mo Wen’s eyes were also fixed on the brilliant blue diamond. He was contemplating his next move as doubts flashed in his eyes. After a while, he suddenly turned around to Shen Jing, who was sitting beside him. He then said softly, “I will give it to you…”
Shen Jing was slightly dazed after hearing his words. Then, she shook her head slowly and said, “No. I don’t like it.”
“Your eyes tell me that you do like it,” Mo Wen said with a smile.
“It’s too expensive. Besides, it’s only a diamond. I have no need for it,” Shen Jing said, her brows furrowed. As the bid had just started at 200 million US dollars, she wouldn’t even think of having such an expensive thing!
“Since you like it, there doesn’t have to be a need for it. I told you, I will give it to you. So, I will get it by hook or by crook!” Mo Wen said with a big smile.
“Don’t push yourself too hard. The price is too high already.” Shen Jing’s heart was warmed by his thoughts, but she didn’t know how to persuade Mo Wen to not pursue this further.
After Yang Ting saw the Hope Diamond, she couldn’t move her eyes away from it. It was as if her spirit was being sucked into it.
When she overheard Mo Wen’s and Shen Jing’s conversation, she suddenly laughed sardonically and mocked Mo Wen’s words. “By hook or by crook? Are you going to steal it if you can’t buy it?”
She strongly believed that Mo Wen couldn’t afford this diamond. Even if he was rich, it was impossible to be rich to such an extent! After all, even she, as wealthy as she was, didn’t even dare to even think of getting the Hope Diamond!
Perhaps the CEO of the Fiat Group, Andrea, had the ability to spend so haphazardly, but he surely wouldn’t do so, as the price of this diamond was so high that even he found it hard to wrap his mind around it! However, as everyone in the auditorium was among the elite and was highly respectable, which meant that there was not a lack of rich people here, if one of them really bid on it, the diamond would indeed be purchased today.
However, it had to be considered that most of these people had not know earlier that the Hope Diamond would be appearing in the auction today. Hence, many of them were unprepared as far as preparing proper funding beforehand.
Moreover, many of those who would have had keen interests in the Hope Diamond were absent from the auction. Otherwise, the competition among bidders might have become very intense. It could be said that the price might have the possibly increased to ten billion!
“As it will be for my wifey, so what if I have to steal it?” Mo Wen cast a withering look at Yang Ting. If he really couldn’t buy this diamond, he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of plundering! In any case, his girl would have it!
“Lunatic!” Jealousy surged in Yang Ting’s heart. Why is this man of Shen Jing’s always willing to sacrifice so much for her, while every man who surrounds me usually has an ulterior motive?
“Mo Wen, don’t you boast too much! The Hope Diamond is not something that you are qualified to possess,” Jiang Siyin said with a cold laugh.
After controlling himself for so long, he finally had a chance to verbally attack Mo Wen. The Hope Diamond was 45.52 carats and extremely pure. Furthermore, this diamond had profound historical significance and was the main object in a romantic legend! While it was perhaps not the biggest diamond in the world, it was the most precious diamond in the world!
“Mo Wen, don’t bother with them.” Shen Jing held Mo Wen’s hand and persuaded him to ignore them. “We will just take a look at it. Besides, it may not be safe for us to buy such an expensive and historical thing.”
“Why attempt to make such a flimsy excuse, when it’s clear to all of us that you just can’t afford it?” Yang Ting formed her lips into a pout while she mocked them.
Andrea, who was sitting behind them, shook his head slightly. He didn’t dare to make the decision of bidding for this Hope Diamond casually. However, he was very curious about this youngster, as he dared to mention his determination to bid on this diamond.
After the auction of the Hope Diamond started, it was completely silent in the room for a very long period of time. Still, no one actually bid on it. If this had been any normal item, this assumed lack of interest would possibly have caused a cancellation of the entire auction. However, as this was the Hope Diamond, no such thing would ever occur.
Therefore, the auctioneer was very calm. He simply kept quiet waiting silently, knowing that someone would bid sooner or later.
“300 million!” Finally, the first bid appeared on the screen.
Although this number was incredibly low, nobody at the scene seemed to find it strange. This was because everybody knew that it was impossible to get the Hope Diamond with a tiny bid of 300 million. This person who bid was merely casting a modest bid to induce others to come forth with higher bids. He was just getting the ball rolling, as they say!
Once the first bidder broke the ice, the situation changed immediately. Now, the bidding price on the screen was being constantly refreshed, while the bid increased at an almost frantic pace! Within a short period of time, the bid price had reached 600 million USD!
Shen Jing held Mo Wen’s hand tightly throughout the entire first few minutes. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that he hadn’t bid. The price continued to increase constantly from 600 million to 700 million USD. After a while, it went up to 800 million!
Only after the price had exceeded 800 million did the increments begin to become smaller gradually. This was clearly approaching the limit that most of the people were able to afford.
“Guterra, these rich people are simply crazy! They know that the Hope Diamond has a frightening curse on it, yet they continue to offer bids! It has already exceeded 800 million USD! If this competition continues like this, we might not have the ability to afford to buy it after all!” At the back of the auditorium, a middle-aged man who was dressed in a black suit said gloomily. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses so that nobody could see his eyes.
“Langrok, give up on this competition. Our wealth is limited, so it is impossible to spend all of it on that diamond.” Sitting beside him was an old man in a white suit.
Although the man appeared to be average-looking, when he occasionally looked at others, he seemed to be able to read their minds, which caused them to have chills run down their spines. Needless to say, he had a very intimidating aura.
“As the Hope Diamond is possibly related to primeval mythology, I don’t wish to give it up…” Langrok, said reluctantly.
“Many people throughout history knew far more than us about the Hope Diamond, but after they obtained it, they didn’t discover anything new, only more misfortune…” Guterra closed his eyes slightly and said in a low voice, “The Hope Diamond indeed has a mysterious curse upon it, and nobody has been able to break that curse. Even a former Saint of our Sorcerers’ family was said to have died under the curse of this very same Hope Diamond!”
“It was really that frightening?” Langrok gasped, terror flashing in his eyes.
He only knew that the Hope Diamond was very mysterious and had a mysterious curse on it, but he never knew that it was so frightening! It was simply unbelievable that a Saint among the sorcerers could actually die under the curse of the Hope Diamond!
The Sorcerers’ family that he belonged to was mentioned in the legend of the Saint’s existence. According to what he knew, that kind of existence was close to being a god, and it was an existence that was completely above the mortal world.
Langrok was so shocked, his body became completely soaked with a cold sweat. Previously, he had thought of getting the Hope Diamond at the auction, then planned on breaking the curse in it before exploring its mysteries further.
If everything that Guterra mentioned is true, wouldn’t I be digging my own grave?
“You don’t have to be too frightened. Although the curse of the Hope Diamond is very strange, it doesn’t seem to apply to everyone, only to a certain kind of people. Not every one of those people who had the Hope Diamond died under the curse. In fact, only a small portion of the people were actually affected by it. Hence, I really would like to have this Hope Diamond, especially to try and possibly solve this ancient enigma once and for all!” Guterra glanced at the Hope Diamond on the exhibition stand, an intense desire for a deeper exploration of it suddenly flashing in his eyes.
Very few people knew that this Hope Diamond had previously caused a huge stir in the ancient times. A great many people had even died because of this diamond!
With the passing of time, those people who had longed for the Hope Diamond had given up on their research. Some of them even started to avoid it at altogether, not daring to have any contact with it.
Hence, ever since those ancient times, no one had ever solved the mystery behind the Hope Diamond. They had merely speculated that it had a connection to the primeval mythological times. Hence, until now, it was an ancient enigma!
Guterra was born into an ancient Sorcerers’ family. As a sorcerer, he had a keen interest in unsolved enigmas. Although there had recently been an official prohibition announced within the Sorcerers’ world that forbade the sorcerers from studying the Hope Diamond on their own accord, this had only increased Guterra’s interest and curiosity in the mystical item.
“Guterra, I think you shouldn’t risk it. Even though the probability of its curse affecting you may be low, it’s definitely not worth risking your life over.” Langrok furrowed his brows, clearly concerned.
Guterra knew that the Hope Diamond was nefarious, yet he still wanted to possess it. Langrok did not approve of this behavior. Although he was also a sorcerer who was also interested in this unknown enigma, he valued his life above all!
After all, only if he was alive would he be able to explore more mysteries! If he was dead, nothing would be accomplished! Moreover, nobody had solved this enigma of the Hope Diamond for so many years, so he didn’t think that Guterra would be able to do it either.
“Langrok, you are still so young! You should cherish your life more. But, I’m old, and I have lived for more than 200 years, so even though I am a sorcerer, my life is going to wilt away soon.” Guterra looked deep into Langrok’s eyes, then said earnestly, “Moreover, as a sorcerer, my desire for knowledge is greater than my care for my own life. The Sorcery Way is extremely difficult. If you can’t forget about life and death, putting your heart and your soul into it, it will very difficult for you to have any real success in the Sorcery Way.”
“Guterra, if you can get into the Divine Way, perhaps you will get a chance to be a Magi.” Langrok suggested.
Guterra sighed softly and said somberly, “You and I are merely from small clans, it is too difficult to do that…”
