There was already a large crowd near the entrance, filled with civilians, fans, and so newspaper journalists.
The whole road was occupied with lavish carriages as one by one, the guests entered the venue showing off their pearly white necklaces, dresses made out of exotic threads, and fur coats.
As expected of an auction, this was just basically a way for people to show off their wealth and statuses.
Michael stood in line at the entrance while the attendant checked the identity of the guests to see if they belonged inside or not.
"Look! That’s the owner of Blackti Incorporated with his wife! This is the fifth ti they’ve been invited to the auction...wow..."
"That’s mildly impressive. But how about the Gentle Tool company? They’ve finally been invited to the auction after eight years of trying."
Just then, it was Michael’s turn to enter the venue.
"Woah, who is that kid?"
"Why does he seem familiar?"
"I think he’s lost or sothing."
Usually, most companies entered the venue with flair and style. They showed off their extravagant wealth with their gem-adorend carriages and exotic stallions. But Michael was different. He just appeared out of nowhere and lined up like Barnaby’s Vault was just a normal restaurant.
"Good morning sir—"
The attendant stopped in his tracks once he saw Michael in front of him. "Umm...what’s your na sir? Do you have your parents inside?"
Michael shook his head. "I’m here on my own and on behalf of my company. My na is Michael."
The man tried his hardest not to look judgental as he scanned over the list of guests in his paper. And just like he suspected, there was nothing in there about Michael.
But just as he was about to politely ask Michael to leave, he suddenly rembered that there was another list that Barnaby gave him. He looked at the different parchnt papers in his desk until he saw one completely colored red.
This was the guest list for the VIPs. The nas inside this list included the likes of Alaric Goldman and, of course, the Duchess of tropolis, Regina.
He didn’t even know why he was looking through this list, but his professionalism knew that he had to be thorough, or risk offending soone he shouldn’t have.
And as he got to the bottom of the very short list, he saw it.
Michael Vanderbilt. Not only was he on the list, but his na was also circled multiple tis by Barnaby himself to emphasize his importance. They were all instructed to treat the boy with absolute respect, the sa way that they would treat the Duchess of tropolis. They were even told to inform Barnaby of his appearance so that he could personally welco him.
The attendant’s eyes widened as he realized the mistake he almost made.
He quickly stood up ramrod straight and bowed at Michael at a near 90 degree angle.
"Wel–wel—welco, Sir Michael Vanderbilt! I apologize for the confusion. Please wait a little bit as sir Barnaby will welco you personally!"
Michael was about to tell him that there was no need since it was excessive, but the door suddenly burst wide open and Barnaby rushed outside with a big warm smile.
"Michael! I’m glad you made it!" Barnaby greeted Michael, cupping his hands together.
I forgot how fast this guy is, Michael rembered.
"Hey, Barnaby. I got the ranking that I need. Here’s the permit," he said, about to take out the paper from his inventory.
"There’s no need for that now," Barnaby quickly said. "I had my people stationed in the Daily tro for the news of your company’s new rankings. After all, without you, this auction would only be half as spectacular as I want it to be."
anwhile, the rest of the people waiting outside couldn’t help but look in shock and awe as they saw Barnaby greet Michael like he was so VIP. He didn’t even do that when Alaric or the other Legacies ca in!
"He knows Barnaby personally?! Who is this kid?!"
"Does anybody know him? The boy is getting the VIP treatnt, soone must know who he is."
If Cronk could see this, then he would vomit out in pain. As a journalist, he wanted the people to be inford of the latest news as soon as possible. But because he found out about Michael and the Reborn company too late, the rest of tropolis would also have to wait a little while longer before they realized who Michael truly was!
"Anyway Michael. Congratulations on an extraordinary feat! I heard from soone that you defeated Beau’s restaurant in terms of sales for the day. That’s impressive!"
Michael took the complint with a smile. "Thanks. By the way, can my company also participate in this auction?"
Barnaby nodded. "Of course! I’ve already prepared a personal suite for you and your crew in the auction room. You’ll get one of the best views available."
This was the reason why he went to the auction earlier than the others. He didn’t know if they were also allowed inside, but thankfully, Barnaby was gracious enough to give them a big enough room for everyone.
He silently sent a ssage to the others using his shadow skill to co to the auction soon.
"Co inside! Let’s talk about the auction."
Barnaby led Michael inside, where they went into the restricted area of the venue, away from other people. This was one of the perks of being a VIP.
"Are the automobiles ready for auction?" Barnaby asked excitedly.
Michael nodded. "Of course. We’ve prepared 20 cars and 10 trucks ready to be deployed. Just say the word and I’ll have my guys drive the automobiles here in just a few minutes."
Baranaby pumped his fists. "That’s great! But don’t deploy them all at once. We’ll only need one of each for the auction showcase."
Michael silently contacted Sheina to do as Barnaby asked.
"Haaa...that’s a load off my shoulders. You won’t believe the kind of day I’d had," Barnaby said, sighing. "Having to forward the auction a few weeks in advance almost caused to lose all my weight! Look! I’m skinny now!"
Michael saw no difference though.
But he kept his silence to not seem offensive.
"I heard that it’s because of the tourists that you had to hurry the auction," Michael said, subtly probing for information.
"Yes, you’re right. You’ll probably see them soon in the auction. Those rn were way ahead of schedule. We thought they wouldn’t co until after the auction."
"So, there’s not going to be any parade anymore?"
Barnaby shook his head. "No, it’ll still happen. It’s only these rn that got here early. And because of their stature, the Duchess and I had to accommodate their wishes for a premature visit."
rn? Michael thought to himself, intrigued. If they caused all the commotion in tropolis, then this ans they’re probably a high-ranking citizen.
He was excited to see a rn personally. He didn’t even know how they could breath on land, but he guessed that there must be so kind of magic they used to keep themselves wet.
They aren’t going to be wearing so fishbowl helts, are they?
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