"Without further ado, let us start the auction."
The auctioneer's voice boomed across the hall, silencing the murmurs of the crowd.
His impressively groomed mustache twitched as he flashed a smile, his eyes glinting with the confidence of a man who could sell water to a drowning man. He easily gathered everyone's attention with his next words.
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and esteemed collectors," he began, his high-pitched voice carrying effortlessly to the farthest corners. "Tonight is no ordinary evening. No, no—tonight, we offer treasures that would make kings hesitate and scholars weep!"
Wow, he's good. I thought. Just a few words, and he's already stirring everyone's desires and interest.
