He forced me to sever ties with my family and sleep on a dilapidated boat, then turned around and be

Even He Zhenzhen, who was standing next to him, couldn't understand it and tugged at Niu Bayi's sleeve.

"August 1st, what's an auction?"

Don't blame them for not understanding; after all, this was 1984.

Auctions are still a very niche activity in mainland China.

Niu Bayi had no choice but to explain loudly.

"An auction is like this: I set a price for this pile of pearls, and whoever thinks it's a good deal can buy it. But if others also want to buy it, they have to raise the price. In short, the highest bidder wins."

"Do you understand?"

Everyone understood; the stall owner had been shouting earlier.

"Wow, young man, you're really good at business! How did you come up with this... auction? You'll probably make a lot more money than selling it the regular way!"

Niu Bayi chuckled.

He had a sudden inspiration.

Seeing so many people wanting to buy his pearls, he definitely couldn't just inflate the price.

We must follow market prices.

So, we could have a scenario like Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai, where one is willing to hit and the other is willing to be hit.

Niu Bayi pointed to the first pile of pearls and said, "These pearls of mine are all of very high quality, as you can all see. So, on the one hand, I'm not selling them at the wholesale price, otherwise I would be selling them cheaply."

"On the other hand, they're also being sold in bulk."

"Just buy it if you think it's suitable, and if not, just watch from the sidelines."

After a slight pause, he continued, "This pile contains 35 pieces, each about four to five millimeters in diameter. I can count them for everyone to see first."

Then, he glanced at He Zhenzhen.

He Zhenzhen immediately understood.

"Everyone watch closely, I'll count them for you first!"

She counted the pearls one by one, and sure enough, there were thirty-five in total.

Niu Ba clapped his hands.

"I'll sell these pearls at retail price, 20 yuan each, is that alright?"

Everyone nodded subconsciously, indicating that there was no problem.

Pearls with a diameter of four or five millimeters would probably only fetch a few dollars at a collection point, which is considered the wholesale price.

The retail price is much higher.

Niu Bayi continued, "Each one costs 20 yuan, so 35 of them will cost 700 yuan. I'll sell them to the first person who wants to buy them for 700 yuan."

"If more people want to buy, we'll have to raise the price, adding 10 yuan each time."

"That means the second person who wants to buy it will have to pay 710 yuan."

"The third person who wanted to buy it paid 720 yuan."

"Of course, wealthy bosses can simply raise the price, adding fifty or a hundred is no problem."

"Anyway, the minimum bid is 10 yuan each time, everyone understand?"

The group nodded repeatedly, suddenly showing great interest and eager to try.

Niu Bayi, disguised as an auctioneer, picked up a wooden stick from the side and tapped it on the table.

"Alright, everyone quiet down, our auction is about to begin. I'll count to three, two, one. The first person to raise their hand is the one who wants to buy this pile of pearls for 700 yuan."

"The others need to put their hands down immediately."

"Then I'll ask if anyone wants to raise the price, and those who want to raise their price will raise their hands."

"If no one raises the price, these pearls will go to the first person who wants to buy them!"

Everyone cheered excitedly, finding it increasingly interesting.

"Alright, the first pile of pearls, auction begins now, 700 yuan, who wants them? Three! Two! One!"

Immediately, a bunch of people raised their hands.

Such fine pearls, it would be a real shame not to buy them.

Niu Bayi, quick-witted and agile, immediately pointed to a woman in her forties on the left.

"Okay, this lady was the first to raise her hand. She's willing to spend 700 yuan to buy the first pile of pearls. Everyone else, please put your hands down."

Everyone put their hands down, some sighing.

Niu Bayi then shouted loudly, "Anyone willing to raise the price, raise your hand and shout out the increase!"

Immediately, someone raised their hand.

"I'll add 10 yuan!"

What followed was quite interesting.

Niu Bayi kept shouting.

"Alright, the bid is now 750 yuan! Anyone want to raise it? This is a golden opportunity! Such fine pearls are worth spending an extra few dozen yuan!"

"This uncle's a tycoon! He added 50 yuan in one go! Okay, now it's 820 yuan!"

"Oh, you're adding 20 yuan, right? Okay, now it's 870 yuan!"

……

"900 yuan the first time! 900 yuan the second time! 900 yuan the third time!"

"Congratulations, sir! With astonishing generosity, you purchased these thirty-five extremely rare pearls for a full 900 yuan!"

"Please give this man a round of applause for his amazing wealth!!"

Niu Bayi put down the wooden stick and clapped his hands vigorously.

He Zhenzhen also cooperated with Niu Bayi, clapping her little hands continuously.

"Big brother is really generous! He's truly worthy of being called the eldest brother! Awesome! I'm so envious!"

The people around couldn't help but applaud.

The man who spent a full 900 yuan to buy thirty-five small pearls was quite pleased with himself.

The emotional value provided was absolutely spot on!

In his opinion, the exhilarating feeling of being the center of attention was worth the price of admission.

He readily pulled out a stack of ten-yuan notes, took back ten, and slapped the rest on the table.

"Young man, cash on delivery!"

Niu Bayi immediately borrowed a few small cloth bags from the stall owner next to him.

Have the man verify the authenticity of the thirty-five pearls and count them in front of you, then put them into a small cloth bag.

He tightened the opening of the bag and handed it over.

"Congratulations, brother! Congratulations, brother!"

"You're a tycoon! You're a god of wealth! You spend money like water without batting an eye! I believe from now on, the entire pearl market will remember your generosity."

"Everyone has to call you 'Big Boss' when they see you come in."

The older brother listened with great enthusiasm, his smile stretching so wide it reached below his ears.

"Young man, you can talk, I like that!"

The following scenario was similar.

It's just getting more and more lively and exciting.

Niu Bayi is simply a born auctioneer, capable of stirring up emotions and creating atmosphere in every way.

The second pile of pearls, six to seven millimeters in size, totaled forty, each priced at 30 yuan. Originally, the total was 1200 yuan, but he managed to sell them for 1600 yuan.

The third pile of pearls, eight to nine millimeters in diameter, was priced at 40 yuan each, for a total of forty pearls. Originally, they were priced at 1200 yuan, but he sold them for 1700 yuan.

There are also five that are ten to twelve millimeters in diameter, making a total of five.

These pearls are much more expensive; one costs 70 yuan, and the total is 350 yuan.

Niu Bayi shouted until he was hoarse, making everyone feel that it would be a waste not to buy such pearls!

Not only will you not lose money by buying it, but you'll also enjoy the admiring glances from those around you and the thrill of defeating all your rivals.

He's practically become the top guy on the list!

So, what was originally priced at 350 yuan is now being sold for a full 800 yuan.

That's really impressive!

The first pile of pearls sold for a full 900 yuan.

The second pile of pearls sold for a total of 1600 yuan.

The third pile of pearls sold for a total of 1700 yuan.

The fourth pile of pearls sold for a total of 800 yuan.

Added together, it's exactly 5000 yuan.

This achievement shocked everyone around.

Niu Bayi's jaw nearly dropped when he saw the stacks of banknotes in front of him.

These pearls could normally sell for around 4000 yuan at most, and that would only be a price for acquaintances, or for buyers willing to pay a higher price.

But thanks to Niu Bayi's hype, he made at least 1000 yuan more!