The evening rolled around rather quickly as Keith spent most of his day studying, exercising and completing the systems Daily Test Time.
Inside a black tinted luxury car, Keith Hall adjusted the cufflinks of his sharp charcoal suit. The half mask, with its silver coated rhine stones, concealed the top half of his face, leaving his firm jawline and unreadable mouth visible.
Time for Keith Hall was over, Mr. Halo had returned.
He took in deep breathes to calm his body, so as to remain composed even during the high pressure event tonight.
The car rolled to a gentle stop in front of a non-descript glass building near the financial district in the heart of he capital city of Xhina. No signs or logos. Just an elegant doorman who nodded and opened the vehicle door.
"Welcome… Mr. Halo"
This was how the elite operated. Quiet, exclusivee and extremely volatile for anyone who they deemed not to belong.
Keith stepped out of the car and followed the doorman into the building, and was immediately greeted by soft jazz music, the scent of aged wine and expensive perfume. The auction hall wasn't large as he had expected, only about thirty people were present at a time inside— but every single one of the individuals were financial heavyweights. CEOs, billionaires, collectors, criminal negotiators etc.
And at the center of it all, holding a glass of amber coloured wine, stood Victor Sawyer. With his adoptive son Vikram Sawyer standing at his right hand.
"Mr. Halo," Victor said, a wide grin spreading across his face as soon as he took presence of Keith. "You're even more punctual than I anticipated"
Keith simply nodded, his mask giving nothing away.
Victor leaned in slightly towards Keith's ear. "Tonight's business will be swift but brutal. I've gathered three exquisite items from last nights Global Jade Convention. You'll be presenting them, making sure we get the maximum auction price for each item… I'll handle the final hammer."
Keith tilted his head ever so slightly, as a sign that he was paying attention. And then finalized it with a huge nod that signaled understanding.
Victor laughed hysterically and slapped Keith right on his shoulder as though Keith were a friend to him, "Thats why I like you my man, all action and no talking… literally…"
His gaze drifted to the velvet curtained platform at the rooms center, where a polished mahogany podium stood, by the side were three glass cases. Each contained an item that could shift net worths.
'Three items… perfect. that's within my range…"
His system's passive skill : Eye Of Apollo was his trump card tonight.
The lights dimmed, casting the room into a soft amber glow. Victor took his seat amongst the bidders, flashing a grin sharp as he raised his glass in a mock toast.
Keith wasted no time. He stepped onto the platform, walked straight to the podium and secured a black placard and silver marker in his hand. The room fell silent as every eye present set their sights on him.
He was no auctioneer in the traditional sense. No booming voice, no theatrical flourishes. He was Mr. Halo and his presence alone was enough to command his audience this night.
He stood beside the first glass case, his gloved hand resting light on the edge of its transparent body. Inside of the case, was a translucent serpentine pendant that caught the light in ripples like liquid emerald.
Keith stared directly at the pendant and called upon the Business God System—
"Come forth…"
Ti-ring!
The interface flickered within his peripheral view almost immediately.
He followed swiftly so as to not create any form of suspicion.
"Skill…"
"Eye Of Apollo…"
The system immediately dropped down the information and the net worth of the item in the glass case.
Keith then raised the placard and wrote in precise, elegant strokes: $80,000.
He held it up, his masked face sweeping the room in a slow and deliberate whip. Not a word escaped his lips, not a muscle twiched beyond the necessary movements he had to make.
Yet, the tension in the air thickened and the bidders shifted in their seats as their mouths watered to the sight of the beautiful pendant.
Just then—
"Eighty-five," a woman in a red gown called out with a sharp voice.
"Ninety…" a man with a steel grey beard countered.
"One twenty…" another shouted, a young tech mogul with a nervous edge.
In a matter of seconds, the room erupted as voices overlapped in a frenzy of bidding.
Keith stood absolutely motionless, the placard still raised and his silence amplified the chaos.
A bidder in the back tried to catch his eye, but Keith's gaze remained fixed forward, unyielding, like a masked guard protecting a treasure that is the items to be auctioned.
Victor leaned back in his chair, his wine glass paused halfway to his lips. His eyes were widened slightly as a flicker of astonishment broke through his usual composure.
'He's not even speaking… and they're eating his hand. What kind of aura is this?' Victor thought to himself.
The bids climbed higher and then when the hammer fell. The pendant was sold a whopping price of $350,000.
Keith lowered the placard and stepped to the next item. Victor sank deeper into his seat as he released a huge sigh due to the tension building a bubbling excitement within him.
The second item was an encrypted ledger from the convention's block chain vaults, a sleek black tablet pulsing faintly with blue light.
According to the systems Eye Of Apollo information, it held unreleased investment data for the next quarter's startup launches. It was a one of a kind key to future fortune. Even Keith was tempted to have this one for himself but he followed his script and raised the placard.
$300,000.
The shift was subtle— a slight tilt of the head, a fractional lean toward the ledger— but it was more than enough. The bidders felt it. The ledger was not just data, it was power and a chance to out maneuver rivals before they even knew the game had begun.
And he let them know just how powerful it was without saying a single word.
"Three twenty five" a voice barked
"three fifty!"
The second bidding war turned absolutely feral, each call was more desperate than the last. And Keith's lack of approval seemed to tighten the air and make the bidders feel as though the ledger was slipping away with every second of hesitation.
'This dude is rewriting the rules of desire himself!!' Victor thought to himself as a bead of seat formed on his forehead.
The final price of the ledger: $1,510,000
The next item was sold for $510,000 and Victor was left with a look of awe, leaned forward, elbows on his knees, watching Keith like a student studying a master.
At the end of the night the total earnings of the auction came to a whooping: $2,370,000
Keith dipped, turned without any unnecessary gestures and left the platform. No handshakes, no parting drinks. Just the echo of quiet salute dragged behind him as he walked.
***
Back at the car, Keith leaned against the leather seat, the city's lights blurred past the tinted glass as the driver sped through.
"Victor's network is growing…" he murmured to himself. "And so is my net worth, I can ride it just enough to get what I need… but I can't afford to drift too far... that restaurant project is still bleeding out."
He checked the systems interface for the side quest:
[1 day, 18 hours left.]
"Plenty of time for an ordinary person. Not enough for me…"
His eyes narrowed, as a thought flashed through his mind.
"Should be anytime now Victor Sawyer… you delaying my 50% pay?"
When he agreed to attend the auction tonight he agreed to getting 50% of whatever income they made as a result of the auction.
It was that moment it happened.
Ti-ring!
[Incoming Transfer> $1,185,000]
Ti-tiring.
[Innate Skill activated> Income Multiplier by x100]
[Multiplier applied. You have received $118,500,000]
"Very good Sawyer… my pawn…"