Chapter 16. A beginning

They entered a large room, with dim lighting. There were only seven tables, each with a small lamp. Six men were sitting at the tables, avoiding eye contact due to the lack of light. The last table was unoccupied and located near the center. Nicoletta gestured for him to take a seat. Björn was surprised when she placed a mini tablet on the table and leaned forward, revealing her cleavage.

"The procedure has changed now. You will press the red button, and the details of the auction will appear on the screen behind those curtains," Nicoletta explained. Björn looked up and saw a TV hanging near the black curtains, displaying seven lines with numbers marked as "zeros." "The button is used to raise the bid, and your bid will be marked on number seven, which is you."

"He's got quite a few zeros," Björn muttered.

"Any doubts?" Nicoletta asked, and Björn shook his head.

"Okay," Nicoletta said as the dim light disappeared. "See you in a little while. Good luck, Hoffmann..." And she disappea