Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Auction of the North Pole

Ordinary auction halls usually only auction movable property such as furniture, cooking utensils, tools, instruments, paintings, sculptures, medals, and antiques, but on December 3, the auction of the North Pole will also be held here.Incomprehensible!Doesn't the auction of real estate have to go to a notary or go through the relevant court that specializes in dealing with this type of transaction?Wouldn't it be absurd to have a jewel appraiser in the business of buying and selling a part of the earth?Can the North Pole be moved from east to west, and be used as furniture in someone's house?

Totally illogical.But it is true.The entire arctic region would be sold in this way, and the contract would remain in effect forever.Of course, this is not to say that the Arctic Experiment Association confuses movable property with immovable property, thinking that it can buy the North Pole and move it home.Really intelligent people--and there are too few of them, in America or elsewhere--wouldn't be surprised by this. Because there was a precedent for this matter a few years ago, and it was also in the United States, where an auctioneer auctioned off a piece of earth in the auction hall.

At that time, William V. Coldrup, a wealthy man from San Francisco, California, offered $4 million, beating his rival Tusquinal by $500,000, and bought Spencer in the Pacific Ocean. island.Just a few degrees from California, Spencer Island has forests, rivers, pastures, arable land, and is habitable.But the Arctic Cap is an indistinct area, a sea that may never thaw, a place blocked by icebergs that humans can never occupy.It is conceivable that for such a place that no one can tell clearly, the selling price cannot be too high. The weirder things are, the more people are interested.On the day of the auction, many spectators came, most of them were spectators.Everyone wants to know the final outcome of the matter, because this competition will definitely be very fierce.

Especially after the European representatives arrived in Baltimore, people came to inquire and asked countless questions.As for the United States, the country where this matter was initiated, it is quite normal for public opinion to be extremely excited.Its most common manifestation is that people are crazy about betting.Gambling is an epidemic, and Europeans are becoming addicted.All citizens of the Commonwealth of the United States, whether in New England, in the Middle, in the West, or in the Southern States, are divided into two factions, and though they share the same desire that the North Pole be protected by the Thirty-eight Stars and Stripes, they do not Not very sure.Of course, it is not Russia, Sweden-Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands that are afraid of it. It is difficult for these countries to win.They were worried about the United Kingdom, with its territorial ambitions, its propensity to annex everything, its notorious obstinacy, and its pervasive pound sterling.So a big bet was made between America and Great Britain, like a bet between horse races that were evenly matched.

The auction is set for noon.Crowds of spectators clogged Bolton Street early in the morning.The day before, the matter had already become the focus of public opinion.The newspapers learned by telephone from the Atlantic that the bets put forward by the Americans were mostly accepted by the British.Dean Tudrink immediately had the bet amount posted on the auction floor.It is said that the British government handed over a large amount of money to Major Downland. The "New York Drive" revealed that officials of the British Admiralty are actively agitating for the occupation of the Arctic region, and have already included it in the list of British colonies, etc.

How much truth is there in these reports, and how much credible are the rumors?have no idea.To this day, thinking minds in Baltimore speculated that if the Arctic Experiment Society paid for itself, it would be Britain who would win the fight.The Yankees who are most enthusiastic about this matter put pressure on the Washington government for this.Amid all the boiling emotions, only William S. Foster, the agent of the new company, this insignificant figure, seemed unmoved by everyone's anxiety, as if he had already secured his victory. As the auction time approached, people slowly gathered on Shalton Avenue.Three hours before leaving the gate, the street leading to the auction hall was already blocked.The public seats were so full that the walls seemed to burst.The seats for the European delegates are fenced off so that they can at least see how the auction is going and bid their prices in due course.

Eric Baldnak, Boris Karkov, Jacques Janssen, Jan Hallard, Major Donlan and his secretary, Dean Tuderinck, in a group close together , arms next to arms, like death squads about to attack the North Pole! Only the cod dealer came from the United States, and his vulgar face was calm.Among the audience, he appeared the calmest.Perhaps at this time he was thinking about how to sell the goods that were about to come from Xindi?Who is the rich man represented by this good old man who is probably going to spend millions of dollars?This question strongly torments public curiosity. In fact, Ma Sitong and Mrs. Evangelina Scobie also participated in this matter.Can't think of it!The two of them are at the venue at the moment, and they didn't book a seat, but squeezed into the crowd, surrounded by Ma Sitong's colleagues and several main members of the Gunners Club.On the surface, they are all ordinary audiences.It seemed that William S. Foster did not know them either.

Today, auctions are also run differently than usual, with the inability to release items for sale to the public for inspection.The North Pole cannot be passed around in the hand, looked left and right, cannot be examined with a magnifying glass, and cannot be stroked with fingers like checking the authenticity of an antique.But when it comes to the antiquity of the North Pole, it is true that it predates the Iron Age, the Bronze Age, and even the Stone Age.In other words, earlier than prehistoric times, because it was born at the beginning of the world! It is true that the auction appraiser does not have the North Pole on his desk, but a large map spread out in front of everyone's eyes clearly shows the appearance of the Arctic region in bright colors.There is a red line at 17° above the Arctic Circle, which clearly crosses the 84° line and circles the part that the Arctic Experiment Association puts up for auction.The place is covered with thick ice, much like a sea.But that's up to the buyer.At least, the buyer will not mistake the nature of the commodity.

At noon, the appraiser, Andrew H. Gilmore, entered the hall through a small door at the back and sat down at his desk.Flint, the auctioneer, plodded like a caged bear, wriggling his hips, walking up and down the fence around the public, shouting in his thunderous voice.The two were very excited to think that they would get a percentage from the auction and a considerable income would go into their own pockets.Naturally, this transaction is paid in cash. According to Americans, it is "cash" (cash).After the auction, all the funds will be given to representatives of several other countries that failed to buy the Arctic.

At this time, the bell in the hall rang, and the bell meant that the auction was about to start. What a solemn moment!The hearts of the whole district and even the whole city were pounding.From Bolton Street and the adjoining alleys there was a burst of uproar into the hall. Andrew H. Gilmore had to wait until the uproar died down. He got up, looked around, put his pince-nez on his chest, and said in a trembling voice: "Gentlemen, at the proposal of the federal government, with the consent of the countries of the old and new continents, we are now about to sell a piece of real estate in the Arctic zone. This land is located outside the existing boundary line at 84° north latitude, including land, sea, and bays. , islands, ice floes, large and small solid parts and liquid parts."

He pointed to the wall, and went on: "Please take a look at the map. This is a map drawn according to the latest survey. As you can see, the area of ​​this whole area is about 407,000 square nautical miles. For the sake of convenience, it is decided to conduct the auction in units of square nautical miles .At a dollar per square nautical mile, that's a total of $400,700. . . Please be quiet, gentlemen!" His request was not superfluous, for the auctioneer's voice was muffled by the commotion of the eager audience. The hum gradually died down, and the siren-like scream of auctioneer Flint finally had its effect.Andrew H. Gilmore added: "Before the auction begins, I should also remind everyone of the rules of this auction: the Arctic region beyond the 84° north latitude line will always belong to the buyer, and no matter what changes occur in the future geographically or meteorologically, the seller shall not own it. Raise any disputes." It was that strange regulation in the document again, which caused some people to laugh at it, but it also attracted some people's attention. "The auction begins!" cried the appraiser in a trembling voice. With an ivory hammer shaking in his hand, and with a strong nasal voice, he called out in jargon commonly used when auctioning public property: "Ten cents per square nautical mile!" Ten cents, or one-tenth of a dollar, makes the whole Arctic worth forty thousand, seven hundred dollars. It has not yet been clarified whether the appraiser Andrew H. Gilmore sold for this price, and Eric Baldnak immediately quoted a higher price on behalf of the Danish government: "Twenty cents!" "Thirty cents!" said the Dutch representative, Jacques Jansen. "Thirty-five cents!" said Jan Hallard, the Swedish-Norwegian delegate. "Forty cents!" said the All-Russian delegate, Boris Karkov. This is already equivalent to US$162,800, and the auction bidding has just begun. It should be noted that the British representative has not yet opened his mouth, not even moved his tightly pursed lips. William S. Foster, the cod dealer, was also silent. He seemed engrossed in reading the "Newfoundland Market Report," which gave the day's arrivals and prices for the American market. "Forty cents a square nautical mile!" repeated Flint, ending with a cry that sounded like a nightingale, "Forty cents!" Major Tang Lan's four colleagues looked at each other in blank dismay.Have their wallets bottomed out just as the battle has just begun?Have they reached the end of the rope so soon? "Hey, gentlemen," continued Andrew H. Gilmore, "forty cents! Who raised the price? . . . Forty cents! . . . Polar hats cost more than that..." People thought he was going to add this: "... guaranteed to be pure ice," said the Danish representative at once: "Fifty cents!" The representative of the Netherlands raised another ten cents. "Sixty cents a square nautical mile!" cried Flint. "Sixty cents! . . . No one calls anymore?" The sixty cents each add up to two hundred and forty-four thousand two hundred dollars, which is quite a considerable amount of money. The audience heard the quote from the Dutch representative and whispered in satisfaction.These poor Londoners, with no money in their hands and empty pockets, and trying to pretend to be wealthy, have come here to try to get rich.Although this is also human nature, it is always a bit funny. After Jacques Jansen quoted the price, Major Tanglan looked up at Secretary Dean Tudrink. Dean Tudrink shook his head slightly, but he didn't speak. William S. Foster has been indulging in the information, marking with a pen while reading. Ma Sitong nodded slightly to Mrs. Avengerina Scobie who was smiling at him. "Hey, gentlemen, come on! . . . How's it going? Out of breath? Out of breath!" Andrew H. Gilmore continued. Already!" His hammer swung up and down like a brush in the hand of a deacon. "Seventy cents!" said Professor Jane Hallard, tremulously. "Eighty!" Colonel Bowers Karkov shot back immediately. "Hey! Eighty cents!" Flint called.His big round eyes burst into flames amidst the shouts. A movement by Dean Tudrink made Major Donlan stand up like a spring puppet. "One hundred cents!" said the British representative curtly. Just this one sentence will cost Britain $407,000. Those who bet on the United Kingdom cheered, and part of the public joined in. People who bet on the American side look at me and I look at you with dejected expressions.$407,000?That's too big a number for the inexplicable North Pole.Do you want to spend four hundred and seven thousand dollars to buy some icebergs, ice fields and ice floes? The old man from the Arctic Experiment Association remained silent and didn't raise his head!Didn't he make an offer at the last minute?If he was going to wait for the representatives of Denmark, Sweden, Holland and Russia to run out of money, the time has come.Facing the "one hundred cents" proposed by Major Tang Lan, they made it clear that they were going to withdraw from the battlefield. "One hundred cents per square mile!" cried the appraiser again. "One hundred cents! ... One hundred cents! One hundred cents!" the auctioneer repeated over and over again, making his hand into a microphone. "Hasn't anyone offered a higher price?" Andrew H. Gilmore asked again. "It's settled? Everyone agrees? Don't you regret it? Sell it immediately?" He circled the hammer-wielding arm provocatively around the audience.The discussion stopped, and the silence was palpitating. William S. Foster turned a page of the newspaper and said quietly, without lifting an eyelid, "One hundred and twenty cents." Those who had staked their highest stakes on the United States of America cried out, "Hey...hey...hey!" Major Tang Lan also stood up.His long neck swung uncontrollably between the corners of his shoulders, and his lips stretched out like a bird's beak.He stared fiercely at the quiet representative of the American company, but did not elicit a retaliation from the other party.The old man William S. Foster didn't move, didn't even look at him. "One hundred and forty!" Major Tang Lan said. "One hundred and sixty!" said Foster. "One hundred and eighty!" cried the major. "One hundred and ninety!" murmured Foster. "One hundred and ninety-five!" bellowed the British representative. After speaking, he crossed his arms, as if challenging the thirty-eight states of the Federation. People seem to hear ants walking, fish swimming, butterflies flying, insects crawling, and microorganisms wriggling.Everyone's hearts were beating, and all their lives were tied to Major Tang Lan's lips.His habitually bobbing head did not move.As for Dean Tudrink, he was scratching the back of his head so hard that it nearly shaved off his scalp. Andrew H. Gilmore said nothing, and let time pass by, as long as it seemed centuries.The cod dealer continued to read the newspaper, writing in pencil some irrelevant figures.Has his offer reached the limit?Did he give up the chance of the final battle?A total of more than 793,000 U.S. dollars, is this price ridiculously high in his opinion? "One hundred and ninety-five cents!" said the appraiser again. "We're going to sell..." His hammer was ready to strike the table. "One hundred and ninety-five cents!" repeated the auctioneer. "Sell it!...Sell it!..." Some distraught spectators chimed in, as if to accuse Andrew H. Gilmore of hesitating. "One—two—" he cried. Everyone looked at the same thing and turned to the representatives of the Arctic Experiment Association. Hey!This astonishing fellow was blowing his nose, pressing his nostrils hard with his checkered scarf. Ma Sitong looked at him, and Mrs. Evangelina Scobie looked in the same direction.It can be seen from their calm faces that they are trying their best to control their inner excitement.Why didn't William S. Foster fight back against Major Tang Lan? William S. Foster blew his nose again, and then a third time, and it sounded like a firecracker going off.But between blowing his nose twice, he murmured softly and slowly: "Two hundred cents!" The sound echoed in the hall for a long time.Then a cheer from the Americans rattled the windows. Major Tang Lan was broken, subdued, deflated, and out of breath.He collapsed beside Dean Tudrink, both of them deflated.At this price, it is a huge sum of $814,000.It can be seen that British money cannot surpass it. "Two hundred cents!" repeated Andrew H. Gilmore. "Two hundred cents!" bellowed Flint. "One--two--" continued the appraiser, "is no one offering a higher price? . . . " The British representative, Major Tang Lan, stood up unconsciously and looked at the other representatives.But these European powers pinned their only hope of occupying the North Pole on him.It was a last effort, but the major opened his mouth, closed it again, and sank down on the stool.Great Britain lost. "Sell!" cried Andrew H. Gilmore, tapping the end of his ivory hammer on the table. "Hey!...Hey!...Hey!...America wins!" bellowed the victor, who had bet on America. In an instant, the news that the United States had bought the North Pole spread throughout the streets of Baltimore, from the air to the entire Federation, and through submarine cables, it spread throughout the Old Continent. Through its own puppet, William S. Foster, the Arctic Experiment Association became the master of the Arctic region beyond the 84° north latitude line. The next day, William S. Foster made a declaration on behalf of the Arctic Experiment Association. The name of the purchaser he wrote down was Moby Barbicane, the legal representative of "Barbicane Company".