kscans

Chapter 153 - The Underground Auction, Part Three

A man in a black suit in front of the underground auction building guided us inside.

Back when I first started a year ago, I had to find my own way. Being escorted like this was quite the upgrade in treatment.

As I was thinking this, we arrived at the waiting room.

The reception was, as always, excessively good. The other sellers were freely helping themselves to snacks and drinks. We also relaxed and made ourselves at home.

In addition to the usual convenience store and supermarket fare, there were high-end snacks on display. A sign next to them read, For High-Status Guests Only. As I was one of them, I helped myself. It seemed there were three of us high-status individuals, including me. The other two were wearing business suits that looked to be made of fine material.

One of them approached me.

"A pleasure to meet you. I can’t give you my real name, but for now, you can call me Sasaki. Forgive me for asking, but are you the one who provides the pelts?"

His face was one of investigation.

A corporate spy? I replied, "Something like that. For now, you can call me Kawai. And you are asking about the pelts because?"

To this question, Sasaki said, "It’s nothing major. I was just curious as to where—or rather, how—you manage to acquire such high-quality items."

He knows, too? I thought.

"Prying into other people’s secrets is not good manners. What is it that you provide?"

I had no intention of telling him, but I wanted to know what he was up to.

"My apologies," Sasaki said. "You are right, that was poor etiquette. As for me, I specialize in IT. I’ll leave the details to your imagination."

He answered with a wicked smile.

Honestly, he was suspicious. IT generally refers to developing technology centered around the internet, from hardware to communication services. It’s a mainstream and, in the public world, a very profitable profession.

It should have no connection to an underground auction like this. There were two possibilities. One, he was here to sell hacked technology. Two, he was here to investigate. The former was plausible, but the latter was unlikely.

After all, what was there to investigate? An IT specialist would normally investigate things like information leaks from homes or companies.

Yet here he was, at this private auction, approaching me, knowing full well I was the one selling the pelts. In other words, he had provided enough to become a high-status guest just to meet me. Was it to appear less suspicious than a lower-status guest? What a patient man.

"I see," I said. "It must be tough, selling things from that industry. Are you in that much need of money?"

I prodded him a little.

Depending on how he reacted, I might be able to figure something out.

"Haha, I’m embarrassed to admit it," Sasaki replied with a wry smile, "but our industry has become quite competitive. Even when we develop a new product, it often gets rejected and scrapped. That’s why a place like this is the only way to sell it."

He was smiling, but his eyes weren’t. They were cold. He was definitely not in a legitimate line of work.

"I see," I said with a half-smile. "I’m in a similar boat. Regulations, taxes, the types of goods you can sell… it’s all so strict, you can’t make a living. I leave the public sales to the proper companies. As long as I get my money, I’m satisfied. A place like this is far more profitable."

Of course, it was a lie. Considering what I was doing, being favored by a public company would be the same as revealing the other world to the public. And I hate standing out.

"I see," Sasaki said. "Every industry has its struggles, it seems."

Just then, the door at the back opened, and Kuroda appeared.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. I hope you will all help make tonight’s auction an exciting one. Now then…"

He began his explanation.

I’d heard it every time, so I knew it by heart, but there were a few new faces scattered about. The manager has it tough.

We didn't have to do anything this time.

Kuroda already knew we were providing the gorilla carcass. When my turn came, I went to the back.

"Welcome," Kuroda said. "Since the item has already been provided, I’ll just give you your number paddle. It looks like tonight will be another wonderful evening."

He grinned as he handed me the paddle.

Tonight was going to be wild. New paddles were distributed, and the auction began.

I was number twelve. Right in the middle, as usual.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer announced, "thank you for joining us for tonight’s auction. It will be a marvelous evening. We have an item so fantastical, no one could have predicted it. Please, sit back, relax, and enjoy."

A murmur went through the crowd.

The guests seemed excited about what was to come, but a few faces looked like they already knew what was in store. Yet they were smiling, as if they were looking forward to seeing the reactions of the other guests.

A bear statue was placed in front of the auctioneer.

"Our first item is a bear statue said to have been made in the Kamakura period. It is the work of a caster named Tanji Hisatomo, who is said to have been involved in the construction of the Great Buddha. While not a famous name, his skill is said to be undeniable. We’ll start the bidding at ten thousand."

I’d never heard of the name.

I knew of the Great Buddha, but not its creator. I’d have to look it up later. As I was thinking, it was already over. The winning bid was fifty thousand. A pretty low price. Or were they saving their money? The auction proceeded smoothly.

New software. A company’s double-entry books. Blueprints for a new type of massage device.

Evidence of crimes and seemingly legitimate items. The kinds of things you’d only find at an underground auction. Then, it was time for number twelve.

The curtain suddenly closed.

As the guests murmured in confusion, the auctioneer announced, "Please, calm yourselves. The next item is so large and so unbelievable that we needed to hide it while we prepared. The preparations are now complete. Behold!"

With his cry, the curtains flew open.

There stood a taxidermied gorilla. It was slightly larger than a normal one, covered in black fur, with powerful muscles. But what drew everyone’s attention was the fact that it had four arms.

The guests erupted.

"What is that? A gorilla? But it’s huge… and those arms?"

"I can’t believe it. The wolf and crocodile materials were shocking enough, but this is on another level."

"So the rumors are true? Another world really exists?"

The room was buzzing with chatter.

Hearing that last comment, I knew for sure: rumors of the other world were spreading. Well, if you keep providing such unbelievable things, it’s only natural that people would start to figure it out.

I came to the underworld because I didn’t want to be found out, but in the end, I was exposed anyway.

Still, it’s better than becoming famous in the public world. Here, protecting an individual’s secrets is the golden rule.

"I understand your excitement," the auctioneer said, "but please, keep it down. There is more to be surprised about with this taxidermied gorilla. Please, look this way."

With that, men in black suits came out onto the stage carrying large machinery.

They set up the machines on either side of the taxidermied gorilla. They looked like devices that could fire a beam.

"These machines can generate a current of about one hundred thousand volts," the auctioneer explained. "We are now going to pass an electric current through the taxidermied gorilla. Normally, being hit with one hundred thousand volts would cause it to scorch and burn."

As he said this, they flipped a switch on the machines.

Bachi bachi! Electricity crackled and shot into the gorilla. A brilliant light and a loud noise filled the venue. The guests, who had been provided with goggles and earplugs by the men in black, watched intently.

When the current stopped, the taxidermied gorilla was completely unchanged.

"As you can see," the auctioneer continued, "this gorilla’s skin and fur have excellent voltage resistance. Our investigation has revealed that it can withstand a voltage of up to one million volts. Furthermore, its muscle tissue, claws, and fangs are of a higher quality than any known creature. There is no doubt that analyzing them will lead to further development. We will start the bidding at ten thousand."

I was impressed.

To have investigated it so thoroughly… it spoke to the earnestness, or perhaps the cautiousness, of the underworld, where trust is absolute. I wanted the corrupt and lazy people of the public world to learn from them. But then again, failure here means death.

Maybe it was better than that cruel life. In the end, I didn’t know which was right.

While I was lost in thought, the bidding had already begun.

"Three million!"

"Five million!"

"Eight million!"

It was progressing at a dizzying pace.

To want it that badly… The obsession with technological advancement and profit was terrifying.

The bidding surpassed ten million, then twenty million. The voices of the bidders gradually grew fewer.

And then…

"Thirty million!"

"Thirty million, ten thousand!"

"Thirty million, twenty thousand!"

It broke thirty million.

Only three bidders remained. They must be incredibly wealthy.

From thirty million, the three of them raised the stakes dramatically.

"Forty million!"

"Forty-one million, ten thousand!"

It was down to a two-person battle.

Both were in the VIP seats. They were far apart, but they were glaring daggers at each other.

A bidding war of small increments.

"Forty-one million, thirteen thousand!"

After that voice, there was silence.

Just as he was sure of his victory…

"Forty-one million, two hundred thousand!"

A huge jump in the bid.

The other bidder fell silent, a look of frustration on his face.

The auctioneer looked around. "The taxidermied gorilla is sold for forty-one million, two hundred thousand!"

The final call was met with a roar of applause.

This had never happened before, but it seemed the crowd was moved by the two bidders’ spirited fight. The sound of their applause was magnificent.

The items that followed were ordinary, and the highest bid was only three hundred thousand.

The auction concluded without incident. The guests began to leave.

After a while, Kuroda appeared.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming tonight. We will now give you the final bid price minus five percent. Please come in when your number is called."

With that, Kuroda returned to the back room.

The sellers received their money and left. We were the last to go in.

A case was filled with a massive amount of cash. Kuroda said, "Here is the final bid price for your item: thirty-nine million, six hundred and forty thousand yen. We look forward to you providing similar items in the future."

He said it with the biggest smile I’d ever seen.

"If I can," I replied with a normal smile. "Next time, I’ll bring pelts or leather."

In this situation, acting arrogant would be like provoking him. I wanted to keep this relationship a good one.

But I wouldn’t do anything I couldn’t.

My reply carried that meaning. Kuroda responded, "Of course. Pelts and leather are also very popular. No matter how much we advance into the digital age, proper clothing and daily necessities are absolutely essential for survival. We look forward to your continued patronage."

To this, I said, "Yes. I will sell here again."

I gave my reply and left.

As we stepped outside the building, we wanted to head straight home. But I felt a gaze from somewhere.

"Tina," I said. "Let’s take a little detour."

Tina nodded in response.