8.Basement

"I'll take it, this treasure," Klaw said succinctly.

Somehow, he sensed that the value of this gold coin must be beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Even though it looked quite ugly and its purity was yet to be verified, as Lord Bard had said, it had an extraordinary value.

"Starting bid, 500 pounds," Lord Bard said with a grin.

"600Pound."

"700Pound."

"1000Pound!"

For the first time, Klaw felt how annoying the wealthy could be.

He was certain that only he understood the value of the coin, and he would win any bidding challenge with the unbeatable advantage of having nothing to lose. Yet these rich people were stubborn, willing to pay a lot of time and money for things they didn't understand, just for the thrill of the competition.

"Ten thousand pounds!" Klaw roared, shocking everyone present. The exorbitant bid brought them back to their senses and drained the passion of the revelry.

"Ten thousand pounds," Klaw emphasized, "if anyone can still compete with me, Lord Chabot the Second, then show your trump cards quickly. We are all men, let's not be so indecisive, shall we?"

He made this statement because he had already grasped the character traits of Lord Chabot the Second. The prodigal sons, besides enjoying the competition, also enjoyed the pleasure of bullying others. Even if such behavior could not bring a win-win situation, they could not resist the temptation, just like the temptation of Adam and Eve tasting the forbidden fruit, which was the original sin buried in the soul of the prodigal sons.

"Is that a bit excessive?" he heard someone say.

"Yes... it's crazy. Are we that addicted?"

"I think I should go home. I promised my mother I would be back early..."

Many people left the auction, and those who stayed seemed to be thinking of a decent excuse. Klaw looked triumphantly at the effect of his few words, and his mind came back to the old gentleman he had deceived a few days ago.

This is Port Silver, where everyone relies on their own abilities to make a living and earn money, and the losers deserve to be played by the winners.

He glanced at Lord Bard again. The wealthy merchant who had hosted the grand banquet was now somewhat embarrassed. But he was indeed a seasoned fox in the business world; after the shock, he immediately filled with a smile, rubbing his hands and flattering Klaw, and had his subordinates carefully pack the pirate gold coin.

"Sir,You deserve to be the most expensive son at the Silver Port," he said with a fake smile, "but using such a large sum of money, do you need your father's consent?"

"Oh... you reminded me!" Klaw pretended to be suddenly enlightened, "but I am an adult, and I don't need my dad's permission to spend my family's money!"

What a rebellious statement, Klaw thought, he didn't know how others felt, but he wanted to beat himself up.

At this time, a person who looked like a butler came in and whispered a few words in Lord Bard's ear. Lord Bard nodded and then said to everyone:

"Dear gentlemen, today has been very enjoyable. But there is no banquet that does not end, and when I, Dominick Bard, have collected some more novel treasures, I will invite you all to gather again."

This was a signal to leave, and it also gave the people present a step down. They breathed a sigh of relief and left the room one after another.

Lord Bard, however, stopped Klow. He carefully held up the gold coin and whispered to Klaw, "Actually, there is another mystery to this gold coin, which is not convenient to reveal in the crowd. If you don't mind, please follow me to the basement?"

Klaw nodded slightly. He had verified his own thoughts. Smart people usually mix some truth when they lie, and vice versa, they mix some lies when they tell the truth. His gold coin story was indeed very attractive, but it was definitely not the truth, at least, it could not be the complete truth. So, Lord Bard's behavior can be explained now. He was impressed by Claw's acting skills, lost his composure under the temptation of ten thousand pounds, and he wanted to take Klaw to a quiet place to tell the whole story of the gold coin.

"Of course, I would never disdain the call of treasure, if there is indeed something here to pass the time," said Klaw.

The butler led the way, departing from the now deserted auction room.

They followed the corridor they had come through to its end, descended a wooden staircase to the first floor, and then proceeded down a hard stone staircase towards the basement.

It was as dark as a dungeon. The butler lit a torch and continued to guide the two forward. The flickering light danced on Lord Bard's smiling face, which made Klaw feel somewhat uneasy. He couldn't help but wonder if Lord Bard had really been deceived. But now, regret was too late; it wasn't that he lacked the ability to escape from this place, but rather that the desire for success still held the high ground. A moment of retreat would let the opportunity slip away and would also contradict the image he had feigned, revealing his true colors.

After a while more, an iron door appeared before Klaw's eyes, with a large lock on it. The guard placed the torch into a rack in front of the door, took the key from Lord Bard's hand, and laboriously turned the heavy lock.

"Why, has it rusted from disuse?" he asked the butler.

"No, a bit of oil will fix it," the butler replied coldly.

"Well, then, this is it, my esteemed sir," Lord Bard turned to Klaw, his eyes brimming with excitement. "Please open your eyes wide and admire the most valuable treasure of Lord Bard."

The door opened, and Klaw stepped inside. He tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness, wanting to see the true face of the treasure. Just as he was puzzled and about to turn to get the torch, what met him was a blow to the head. Klaw's consciousness became blurry; he saw Lord Bard's smiling face, the butler's indifferent expression. He tried to see more clearly, but suddenly everything went black, and he fainted.