NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 167: Voice Mimicry
"James, how much do you think I can make if I sell one of my dishes in the auction?" Lucian suddenly asked James as he felt he was going to be sucked dry at this rate.
Hearing this, James blinked in surprise and excitedly asked, "Does Senior intend to sell a recipe?"
Lucian shook his head, "Of course not. My recipes will never be sold."
His tone was adamant, leaving no room for discussion.
"What a shame." James was disappointed. If Lucian were to place a recipe up for auction, he would have used all the money on him and even taken out a loan to acquire the recipe.
The others, except for Lily in the room, were equally disappointed.
"Does Chef Lucian want to cook a dish and sell it in the auction?" Fenwick asked with furrowed brows. He wondered if that was even possible.
In response, Lucian nodded and looked at James for his answer.
Seeing this, James rubbed his chin in thought.
A few seconds later, James responded unconfidently, "Since there has never been a precedent where food is auctioned, I can't give Senior a confident answer. But, I'm sure the price, depending on the dish, would be two or three times the original price."
"That's what I also thought," Lucian said while sighing inwardly after he glanced at the new highest bid of 3,750 Gold Coins by a person with the alias, 'Wind Tiger'.
Due to how many people were attending the auction, the price continued to soar rapidly.
"Does Senior want-
to advertise your restaurant?" Coby said, finishing his twin brother's sentence.
"Something like that," Lucian said.
"If Chef Lucian wants to advertise your restaurant's food, I might have a way." Garrett suddenly said.
"Oh?" Lucian turned his head around and glanced curiously at Garrett.
"The Dragon Phoenix Auction House has an intermission period where the guests are served food, free of charge," Garrett replied. He had been to the Dragon Phoenix Auction House and was aware of how things worked. The food served was one of the highlights of the entire auction. However, now that he had tasted Lucian's food, no matter what the Dragon Phoenix Auction House provided, it would be bland.
[The Host is not allowed to give away free food. Doing so would result in a serious punishment.] The System announced.
"I won't give away free food." Even without the System's words, Lucian would have disagreed.
The five thousand people venue was entirely filled, waiting to give him their money.
Luican then turned his gaze back to Garrett, "Tell me more about this intermission period. How long does it last, and what kind of food is served?"
Before Garrett could speak, James explained, "The intermission lasts for half an hour. During that time, the Auction House provides a lavish spread of light appetizers, rare fruits, and expensive, light wines. The guests also use the time to relax, socialize, make connections, and even brag about the items they've won."
'That's it!' The Intermission was a golden opportunity. It was the most ideal moment to introduce his food to the subordinates of the wealthiest and most influential people and the Young Masters and Young Mistresses, who remained in Harmony City.
Noticing Lucian remained silent after his explanation, James continued, "If Senior's food were to be served during the intermission, I guarantee it would steal the spotlight. The guests attending the auction would be talking about it long after the auction ended, and I wouldn't be surprised if they start bidding for the chance to take home a dish."
"It's not a bad idea… but-" Lucian suddenly frowned as he voiced his concern, "I need a kitchen."
"If Senior needs a kitchen, leave it to me." James thumped his chest, causing his pot belly to jiggle. "I can even help Senior convince the Branch Leader to allow you to serve your dishes to the guests."
Lucian nodded. "If you can do those two things, I'll owe you another favor."
"Haha. Senior, it's this James' honor to help Senior." James said, suddenly feeling he had taken another step forward in his grand plan of becoming the Orchard Family's Family Head.
After feeling elated, James retrieved a Long Distance Communication Device from his Spatial Ring.
[Carlton drop everything you're doing and quickly find me a restaurant close to Dragon Phoenix Auction House willing to allow Senior to use their kitchen.] Read chapters at empire
Without asking any questions, Carlton replied, [Yes, Master. I will call you back once I have everything finalized.]
Meanwhile, Lily's eyes widened as she thought of the perfect plan. [Big Brother Lucian, do you have a Skill that can help Lily copy someone's voice?] Lily suddenly asked her Big Brother Lucian with bated anticipation.
Lucian sighed as he recognized that mischievous tone all too well. [A voice changer? … Haah, one second.] He felt the mischievous Pixie was up to no good.
[System, do you have the Skill Lily mentioned?]
[Of course. The System has everything.] The System said proudly.
[Alright, transfer the Skill into her Soul.] Lucian said.
<{656 Low-Grade Mana Stones → 556 Low-Grade Mana Stones}>
<{Voice Mimicry has been successfully transferred to Lily's Soul.}>
At the same time, Lucian read the System Notifications, the following appeared in Lily's mind:
—----------------
<{Skill: Voice Mimicry}>
<{Rank: None}>
<{Mastery: Not needed}>
<{Description: This Skill allows the user to perfectly replicate any voice they have heard, down to the finest detail.}>
—----------------
As Lily read the words in her mind, her eyes widened in shock. This was the first time she had seen something so wondrous. She knew Mana Soul Realm Mages could use Memory Transfer to transfer Skills, but what appeared in her mind was completely different from what she had heard. The process was instantaneous, and she did not even have to comprehend and learn the Skill.
It was as if she was the creator of the Skill.
'Big Brother Lucian, is amazing!'
After a moment, Lily said, [Thank you, Big Brother Lucian.]
[Just be careful, Lily. Impersonating someone's voice can be dangerous.] Lucian warned her kindly but did not stop her from doing what she wanted.
[Don't worry, Big Brother Lucian, Lily will be good… mostly… Hehehe~!]
Meanwhile, the bids continued to soar, but they had slowed down to a crawl compared to before, leaving only Lily, Yu Wei, and Wang Jian in a heated battle.
However, even though the three were battling, those on the first floor quickly realized the eventual outcome of the first item.
Wang Jian's arrogant face was unsightly, and even Yu Wei, with his guard's constant reminders to maintain his composure, was frowning.
"Yu Wei, you might as well give up. This Young Master can go on forever. 4,600 Gold Coins." Wang Jian said mockingly.
Yu Wei sneered, "Is that so? Then explain why your face is pale white. This Young Master bids 4,700."
As for Lily, her melodious giggles continued to echo in the VVVIP Room with each bid she made.
4,801 Gold Coins - James Orchard.
Even though Lily continued to bid, Yu Wei and Wang Jian gritted their teeth and continued, as well. For them, it was no longer about winning the Jade Essence Bracelet, but rather, it was about maintaining their face. After their bold declarations, they could not afford to stop before the other.
Meng Ruo also noticed this, which was why she preferred Young Masters. They were easy to manipulate and cared too much about face. Older, more experienced Mages knew when to back out, using eloquent words.
The guests watched the screen as the highest bidder continued to change.
'The price has already surpassed the upper limit of the item!' Meng Ruo sweetly smiled with narrowed eyes at the current bid:
5,400 Gold Coins - Yu Wei
According to Blacksmith Yan Rui, the Jade Essence Bracelet was a failed product. While he was inscribing the Mana Gathering Runic Formation, he failed to take into consideration the unique properties of the White Jade. Due to that, the Artifact, which should have been a Beginner-Grade Low-Quality Artifact, turned into a Novice-Grade Medium-Quality Artifact.
—------------
Meanwhile, as the bidding war between Wang Jian and Yu Wei, both determined not to lose face raged on, and Lily, who was excitedly bidding without a care in the world, about a thousand feet to the east, a young man, who looked to be around twenty-five years old was sitting on the sidewalk with a forlorn expression.
'It's over! A week from now the small restaurant I managed to keep running will be taken. Mom, Dad, I'm sorry!' He had repeated that phrase countless times and prayed just as many times.
He was a Human born without Mana Veins. It was an extremely rare condition which had caused him great pain and suffering. Despite being a cripple, his parents had never stopped loving him, and for a time, life had been going well. He had managed to open and run a small restaurant, which, though modest, brought him great pride and finally, a sense of purpose.