Chapter 5
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Eric turned to the organizer, his irritation grew.
“What’s the meaning of this? Bringing a broken card machine to waste our time on purpose?” Eric snapped.
The organizer frowned and signaled the staff to bring over a new terminal. Hannah tried again, swiping the card once more.
A few seconds later, the familiar payment failed tone rang out again.
This time, the organizer’s expression soured.
In frustration, Eric grabbed the card machine and threw it aside.
“Are you messing with us on purpose? Two broken machines in a row–are you targeting
us?”
The organizer’s face darkened immediately.
Meanwhile, the auction continued. A top–grade Celestial Jade Amulet was presented, and I was instantly drawn to it.
Without hesitation, I raised my paddle to bid.
But just before the gavel struck, Eric raised his paddle again.
“I’ll light the sky lantern–I want this jadeite pendant.”
A crowd began to gather, murmuring in surprise.
“Didn’t they already light ten sky lanterns? When did our city start producing so many wealthy people? I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Eric responded proudly,
“Today’s auction is a chance for Miss Hannah to treat our class and broaden our horizons. Anything we like today is lighting sky lanterns. So stop wasting your time–don’t bother competing with us.”
He then shot a deliberate glance my way.
“Know your place. Don’t overestimate yourself.”
The crowd continued whispering.
“Hannah? What rich family is she from? Never heard of her.”
“Same. I’ve never heard of any influential Leigh family here. But if she can fund this many lantern lightings, she’s clearly not your average rich girl.”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh.
“Eric, the organizer already said–you can’t bid on anything else until you pay for the previous ten items. This Guanyin pendant is mine.”
The organizer nodded and addressed me directly.
“The young lady is correct. Congratulations on successfully winning the Celestial Jade Amulet.”
20:41 Tue, 8 Jul W
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A staff member carefully brought over the jadeite pendant, boxed it, and handed it to me. I calmly took out my bank card and swiped it.
Moments later, the machine beeped–payment successful.
Eric’s face turned livid, and he exploded at the organizer.
“Are you kidding me? I said I was lighting the sky lantern! Isn’t an auction supposed to go to the highest bidder? I’m offering more–why won’t you let me bid? You’ll be stuck as a lowly waiter for life with this attitude.”
The organizer’s expression turned frosty, and his tone sharpened.
“Sir, the lady completed her payment just now. That confirms our machine is functioning properly. The issue isn’t the machine–it’s your card. You’re welcome to try another one.”
Hannah’s expression shifted–panic flashed in her eyes.
“That’s impossible. This is a black card. There’s no way it would get declined. Here–look for yourself.”
The class’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“A black card? As in, the legendary unlimited one? The kind that can swipe hundreds of millions without blinking?”
“Oh my god, I never thought I’d see a black card in real life. This is insane!”
“How could a black card fail? It must be the machine.”
The organizer took the card from Hannah and examined it closely.
“The card itself is authentic. But it’s also true that no funds are available.”
To rule out any doubts, he asked a staff member to bring yet another card terminal. Then, to demonstrate, he swiped his own bank card through it–and the familiar payment successful tone rang out clearly.
