Inside Sotheby's auction hall, the air felt compressed by an invisible force, thick with the unique scent of money, power, and desire.
The soft glow of the crystal chandeliers spilled over the dark walnut auction podium and the seemingly casual yet ticulously curated guests seated below.
Luke sat in the front-row VIP section, flanked by Louis Wang and a senior Sotheby's executive.
He could clearly hear his own slightly accelerated heartbeat. He wiped his palms lightly on his expensive suit trousers, removing nonexistent moisture.
The "appetizers" had already gone under the hamr: several Renaissance-era jewels, a Fabergé egg once belonging to a tsar, a small Monet water-lily painting…
Each piece had fetched impressive prices, every hamr fall serving as a prelude to the grand finale.
Guests murmured and raised their paddles at a leisurely pace — until the auctioneer signaled the staff to wheel the two specially designed display cases, complete with independent lighting and security locks, onto the center of the stage.
The entire hall fell silent in an instant. Every eye — both in the room and watching through live-stream caras — locked onto the two dazzling crystals resting on velvet cushions.
First to appear was "Lucky."
Under the carefully engineered lighting, the 32.1-carat transparent diamond rough displayed unparalleled clarity and fire.
Though uncut, its perfect crystal form and exceptional internal purity left even the experts breathless.
The auctioneer's magnetic voice wove the tale of its legendary discovery, its dinsions and weight, the top-tier results of its preliminary appraisal, and the indisputable certificate of ownership backed by law.
"Ladies and gentlen, the 'Lucky' diamond, starting bid: five million dollars. Incrents of no less than five hundred thousand dollars. Bidding begins now!"
Almost the mont the words left his mouth, bidding paddles shot up like mushrooms after rain.
"Five point five million!" A representative from a Far Eastern jewelry house.
"Six million!" An anonymous online bidder.
"Eight million!" Tiffany's representative raised without hesitation.
"Ten million!" Chow Tai Fook's bidder calmly lifted his paddle.
The price quickly surpassed fifteen million, then twenty million…
The competition was mainly between several top jewelry brands and a few private collectors.
Bulgari's representative seed determined to win. After the price climbed to twenty-two million, they matched every subsequent bid with aggressive montum.
"Twenty-four million!" De Beers Group entered the fray, flexing its industry dominance.
"Twenty-five million!" Bulgari's representative countered almost imdiately, voice clear and resolute.
The auctioneer scanned the room: "Twenty-five million dollars! Bulgari bids twenty-five million! Any higher? Twenty-five million once… twenty-five million twice…"
The gavel fell with a crisp crack after a brief pause. "Sold! Congratulations to Bulgari! The 'Lucky' diamond is yours!"
Polite applause rippled through the hall.
Luke quickly calculated in his head. After commission, taxes, and the promised 10% donation, the net from this single stone was already an astonishing fortune.
But this was rely the opening act.
After a short break and a deliberate shift in atmosphere, the lights in the auction hall dimd slightly, focusing solely on the final, most dazzling display case.
As the bulletproof glass cover rose slowly, the 43.2-carat "Red Heart" rough — glowing with a rich pigeon-blood red — awakened like a sleeping fire monarch under the custom lighting. It radiated a breathtaking, majestic beauty.
It did not sparkle as brilliantly as a white diamond, but possessed a restrained, burning depth — like solidified magma and blood, containing ancient power and legend.
The auctioneer took a deep breath, his voice carrying a trace of detectable excitent:
"Ladies and gentlen, the mont you are about to witness is destined to be etched into the history of human jewelry. Before you is the largest and highest-quality natural red diamond ever discovered — 'Red Heart.' You already know its story. Its beauty needs no further description from ."
"Starting bid: two hundred and fifty million dollars. Incrents of no less than five million dollars. Bidding begins now!"
A brief, deathly silence fell as everyone absorbed the astronomical opening price.
Then the bidding ignited like a fuse.
"Two hundred and sixty million!" A white-robed Middle Eastern prince raised his paddle and added ten million right away.
"Two hundred and seventy million!" The online bidder coded "Phoenix" followed imdiately.
"Two hundred and eighty million!" Elon Musk, seated in the middle rows, calmly lifted his hand.
"Three hundred million!" Mark Zuckerberg's representative spoke quietly but with piercing force.
"Three hundred and twenty million!" De Beers Group struck again, determined to control this potentially market-redefining gem.
The price skyrocketed at a dizzying speed. Each new bid drew gasps and murmurs.
Three hundred and fifty million, four hundred million, four hundred and fifty million…
The battle gradually narrowed to four parties: the representative of a Middle Eastern oil magnate (rumored to be a royal family mber), Zuckerberg (present in person, face serious), Musk (bidding occasionally, seemingly casual but resolute), and De Beers Group (their representative's forehead now glistening with sweat).
"Five hundred million!" The Middle Eastern representative made a massive jump, trying to overwhelm the others with sheer montum.
"Five hundred and twenty million." Zuckerberg pushed up his glasses and replied calmly.
"Five hundred and fifty million." Musk raised his hand.
"Five hundred and eighty million!" De Beers gritted their teeth.
"Six hundred million!" The Middle Eastern side refused to yield.
At this level, every paddle raise carried the weight of mountains.
The air felt scorching hot, as if about to ignite.
De Beers hesitated long at six hundred and twenty million before finally shaking their head and dropping out.
Musk smiled faintly at six hundred and thirty million and stopped bidding, apparently deciding the price had exceeded his personal "interesting" threshold.
Only Zuckerberg and the Middle Eastern representative remained locked in combat.
"Six hundred and forty million." Zuckerberg.
"Six hundred and fifty million!" The Middle Eastern bidder's voice remained strong, but a trace of tension could be heard.
"Six hundred and sixty million." Zuckerberg added again with almost no pause.
He glanced toward the Middle Eastern side, his gaze calm yet filled with unyielding determination.
All eyes focused on the Middle Eastern representative.
He conferred quickly and quietly with his entourage, brow furrowed. Finally, as the auctioneer began the countdown, he slowly and almost imperceptibly shook his head and lowered his paddle.
"Six hundred and sixty million! Mr. Mark Zuckerberg bids six hundred and sixty million dollars!" The auctioneer's voice trembled slightly with excitent. "Any higher bids? Six hundred and sixty million once… six hundred and sixty million twice…"
The gavel fell heavily after a brief, breathless pause!
"Sold! Congratulations to Mr. Mark Zuckerberg! This legendary 'Red Heart' red diamond now belongs to you!"
In an instant, applause, gasps, and the clicking of cara shutters surged through the hall like a tsunami.
The lights brightened. Everyone rose instinctively to congratulate the tech titan who had just set a new world record.
Luke felt a powerful wave of dizziness, as if the soft carpet beneath his feet had turned to cotton.
Six hundred and sixty million… dollars!
Plus the twenty-five million from "Lucky," the total gross reached six hundred and eighty-five million dollars!
After Sotheby's 15% commission, estimated high taxes, and the promised 10% donation, the final amount landing in his account would still be an unimaginable astronomical sum!
Zuckerberg stepped onto the stage amid the crowd's gaze, shook hands with the auctioneer, and gave a brief interview.
He described the "Red Heart" as "the crystallization of a natural human miracle and luck." He planned to have it expertly cut and designed as "a symbol that inspires inspiration and draws attention to important causes," but offered no further specifics.
Luke, surrounded by Sotheby's executives and Louis Wang, accepted congratulations, curious glances, and the microphones thrust toward him from every direction.
He maintained a composed smile — one of appropriate shock and gratitude — repeating phrases like "unbelievable," "thank you for everyone's recognition," and "this will change my life."
But his mind was racing.
This money would completely rewrite the rules of his ga on Blue Star.
He was no longer a traverser who had to carefully "resell" goods to accumulate seed capital.
He now possessed top-tier financial power on Blue Star. There were so many things he could do.
A safer identity shield, a stronger social network, more advanced technology and supply channels, and even…
A truly solid sanctuary for himself and his family in this turbulent world.
Yet enormous wealth also ant enormous attention and potential danger.
The Arkansas state governnt storm had barely settled, and now he stood in the global spotlight as the "billion-dollar diamond discoverer."
He would have to be even more cautious. His plans would need to be even more ticulous.
Amid the clamor, Luke's gaze t Mark Zuckerberg's for a brief mont across the crowd. The tech mogul gave him a slight nod, eyes deep and thoughtful.
Luke returned the nod politely.
One auction had ended, but a new chapter had perhaps only just begun.
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