[Chapter 36: The Clearstone]
As the boxing match ended, Allen told him that they'd also earn some share from the betting on tonight's fight -- probably a few million. The exact amount would depend on how things turned out.
John was surprised. Indeed, the gambling king had everything well-prepared and orchestrated.
Once the octagonal cage was taken away, the fight was officially over for the night. The referee's final ruling meant John didn't even have to go for a third match. Allen and his team had won two rounds, ending the night's competition.
The other side looked furious and unwilling to accept defeat, but who could blame them? They didn't have a cheat like John on their side.
Soon after, Adam and Bob arrived, dressed neatly, showing only some bruises but no real injuries. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
---
After the two matches wrapped up, the host, seemingly appearing from nowhere, took the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the auction. Rest assured, the items up for bidding tonight will satisfy everyone present. Now, please welcome our auctioneer, Mr. Johnson."
As the host finished speaking, an elderly white man stepped into the center of the stage.
"Good evening, I'm Johnson, tonight's auctioneer. Let's get straight to business. We will start with the first item. Ladies, please bring the item and the bidding list."
Following Johnson's introduction, a woman dressed in a white bunny outfit entered the stage, carrying a tray.
Around the seating area, several more hostesses appeared, each carrying trays with bidding lists for the attendees.
Although John had little money to spare, he grabbed a bidding list and took a look. There were quite a few items -- dozens in fact -- complete with pictures and descriptions: from paintings and fine art to antique jewelry and classic cars, a broad collection.
Yet when John flipped to the middle of the list and saw a stone about the size of a baby's fist, his eyes locked onto it.
"Damn, that's the Clearstone.... Incredible. How on Earth did a Clearstone turn up here?" he almost shouted but caught himself just in time.
In his memories from the wizard Einstein, the Clearstone was incredibly versatile. First, it was the primary material used to craft space-related magical equipment. Second, before reaching the master magician level, carrying equipment made of Clearstone could accelerate meditation effects. The specific boost depended on the situation. Even without being turned into equipment, just possessing a Clearstone could speed up magical cultivation.
For this fist-sized stone, John was determined to get it, even if it cost him everything. According to his memories, once refined by magic, this stone alone was enough to craft a space ring.
He quickly scanned the rest of the list and then set it aside.
---
"Allen, I want to bid on that stone later today. Can you lend me some money?" John had to rely on Allen, given his current lack of cash.
Allen was a little surprised to hear this, and Zach and the others also looked over.
"Is it really that important?"
"Yes, very important to me."
"Alright then. The payout from the two boxing matches just hit the account -- a full five million. As long as your bid stays within that amount, you can use it freely."
"No, Allen, if five million is enough, that's great. But if not, I'll need your support. Don't worry, I'll use my Yahoo! stock as collateral."
"The Yahoo! website on the internet?" Adam suddenly interjected.
"Oh, Adam, you know Yahoo! That's great. Yes, it's Yahoo! I'm the company's third-largest shareholder." John smiled and answered.
"Oh my God, I'm starting to think you really are the reincarnation of the Saint John."
"Yahoo! recently raised money, with a valuation at $400 million. I don't know exactly how much stock John holds, but he's definitely a multimillionaire," Noticing Allen's confused look, Adam explained.
"Wow, that 'Saint' nickname really fits."
"Ha! You don't know? That nickname came from the tech crowd inside Yahoo!. They call John 'Saint' because he guides Yahoo! like a saint." Zach joined in.
Everyone was once again amazed. Allen nodded to John with a smile, making him breathe easier.
In reality, Allen wasn't exactly rolling in cash as a local crime boss; maybe a few millions at best, no more. So when he heard John was worth tens of millions, they couldn't help but be amazed.
Looking back at the auction items, their prices were actually lower than the true market value. Allen explained that some items were black-market goods, which accounted for the discount.
---
Finally, the Clearstone item was called. Seeing the ladies bring out the stone, John felt a wave of nervous energy. He sighed inwardly -- his focus still needed work.
"Up next is a meteorite fragment weighing 120 grams, though it's not just a shard from the edge. The only fragment found was this piece.
Tests show it's neither lunar nor Martian meteorite -- it's an unknown meteorite from deep space. It has hardness comparable to a diamond, but it's just a stone.
Now, this extraterrestrial, diamond-hard meteorite fragment starts bidding at $100,000, with each increase at least $10,000. Let's begin!"
"Wow, $100,000 for a rock? Which idiot would buy that?"
"Johnson, you didn't just grab some random rock and try to auction it, did you? This is too easy."
"Let's just move on to the next item."
Many in the crowd erupted in jeers after Johnson's description.
"John, you gonna give up on this one?" Allen asked, eyeing the noisy crowd.
"Hmph, Allen, these regular folks don't understand. This is priceless to me. I'm bidding for it."
Allen raised his paddle, even though he didn't really understand why John wanted the stone.
"$100,000. I'll take it."
"Hey Black Viper, why buy a hard rock? Planning to smash some snakes with it?" A man from New York sneered, clearly still sore about the earlier fights.
"What do you care what I use it for? Maybe I'm propping up a table with it. Whatever, I want it."
"Shit, if you want it, so do I. I'll buy it to prop up a table too." The man immediately raised his paddle, shouting, "$150,000!"
"Fuck!" John cursed under his breath. He wished he could just throw a fireball to burn them all. Of course, that was just a thought. But if they kept pushing, he might lose his temper.
"Alright, sir, your bid is $150,000. Anyone else wanna beat that?" The auctioneer grinned as two bidders duked it out, making the crowd eager to watch.
Most guests weren't interested in that stone. After all, they weren't scientists or tech geeks -- no one was dumb enough to buy an unknown rock.
"Hey, New Yorker, this is L.A., not New York. Go back to your city. $160,000."
"New Yorker, go back."
"Fuck off."
...
John thought to himself, Allen had quick wit -- using the local pride angle was smart.
New York and Los Angeles had long been rivals: New York was the biggest city in the U.S., L.A. the second. Each looked down on the other. New Yorkers called L.A. folks "new money," while L.A. folks saw New Yorkers as stuck-up elites.
The cities constantly teased each other: New York was called "The City That Never Sleeps," L.A. was "The City of Angels." New York's nickname was "The Big Apple," while L.A. was "The Big Orange."
Once Allen reminded everyone the auction was in L.A., telling the New Yorkers to get lost, the crowd got louder.
Perhaps aware of this dynamic, the New Yorkers didn't get too cocky. They made one last bid for $200,000. When Allen bid $210,000, they cursed and sat down without further bidding.
For just $210,000, John acquired his dream treasure. If the wizard world from his memory could've seen this, they'd be green with envy. Auctions of Clearstones caused uproar across the entire continent.
The Clearstone was said to be a remnant from destroyed planets, the only stone capable of opening up space itself. That's why it was so precious -- only meteorites from outer space could contain it.
Allen generously said, "Just $210,000. I bought it for you."
John accepted without hesitation.
He already pictured himself cultivating magic with the Clearstone, quickly rising to become a grand magician.
He once thought becoming a grand magician in this world was tough, maybe impossible. Owning equipment made from Clearstone now made that possible.
He also considered that if he lived several hundred years, the whole world might be shocked. But that was a far-off thought, not worth dwelling on now.
Perhaps when he truly got old, he'd face that reality. If everyone knew he had the secret to living centuries, countries all over Earth would surely be unsettled.
*****
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