Chapter 98 Lighting the Sky Lantern

Upon arriving at her business trip destination, Shen Shuangmiao forced herself to clear her mind of all distractions and devote all her energy to her work.

Her schedule for the past two days was packed, with meetings non-stop.

Strangely, things have been calm for the past two days, without any disturbance from that city.

Shen Shuangmiao breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The third day was an important part of her business trip: attending a business technology exhibition.

Elites from all industries around the world gathered here. Shen Shuangmiao moved among the various booths, looking for information and connections that might be beneficial to the development of her studio.

Suddenly, she noticed a rather inconspicuous but stylishly designed booth in the center of the exhibition hall.

The exhibit on display was not a physical product, but a digital model that was running in real time.

That's an architectural design simulator. Through immersive VR technology, designers can freely construct and modify structures in a virtual space, and even experience the changes in light and shadow in real time.

Almost zero latency.

For architects, this is like having a magic tool that allows for endless trial and error and perfect rehearsal.

Shen Shuangmiao was instantly captivated.

She put on the VR device used for the demonstration and began to experience it.

She could clearly see the virtual sunlight penetrating the glass curtain wall and casting shadows on the floor.

With this, her design efficiency will definitely see a qualitative leap.

Other designers and representatives from technology companies gathered around, expressing their amazement.

The person in charge of the booth was a professor wearing gold-rimmed glasses, who introduced the booth to everyone with a smile.

"This is the result of five years of hard work by our team, and there is currently only one prototype in the world."

"This design is too difficult, so we have decided not to license it for mass production."

"Today, we will use an auction method here, and the highest bidder wins."

These words caused a stir among the crowd.

Auction.

Moreover, it is unique in the world.

This means that whoever obtains it will gain a competitive advantage in the future of architectural design.

Shen Shuangmiao's heart skipped a beat.

She quickly calculated in her mind all the available working capital for the studio.

Ten million.

This was the limit of what she could endure.

Shen Shuangmiao took a deep breath, preparing to try her luck in the auction.

However, as soon as the auction began, a tech mogul raised his paddle.

"Fifty million."

The big shot spoke casually, as if he were just casually buying a cup of coffee.

Shen Shuangmiao's heart sank immediately.

Following that, a representative from another construction group also stepped up.

"Eighty million."

"One hundred million."

The price quickly broke through the 100 million yuan mark and continues to climb.

Shen Shuangmiao held the ten million budget in her hand, not even having a chance to speak, making her seem insignificant and laughable.

She stood in the crowd, watching those financial tycoons bid without batting an eye, feeling utterly powerless.

Compared to real financial giants, her little bit of money is nothing, and she doesn't even have the right to compete.

Ultimately, the price reached 300 million.

This price has far exceeded many people's expectations.

The scene gradually quieted down.

The bigwig was determined to win, and a victor's smile appeared on his face.

The professor was also ready to bring down the gavel.

"Three hundred million is a first."

"Three hundred million, the second time."

Shen Shuangmiao sighed softly in her heart, feeling regretful yet helpless.

This is reality.

She turned around, preparing to leave this place silently.

However, just as the professor was about to call out for the third time, a young man in a black suit walked over quickly and whispered a few words to him.

The professor's face instantly showed an expression of extreme shock.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the entire room with a complex mix of emotions.

"What happened?" someone asked curiously.

The professor took a deep breath and announced in a trembling voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have just received a notification that a gentleman who wishes to remain anonymous has been involved in setting up the simulator."

The moment he finished speaking, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

Light the sky lantern!

This means that no matter what the final bid is, this mysterious person will win the item directly by paying the highest bid plus one more bid.

The big shot who was originally so confident of winning froze instantly with a smile, then shook his head helplessly and put down the number plate.

When faced with the prospect of lighting sky lanterns, any bidding becomes meaningless.

No one knows the bottom line of this mysterious person, and no one is willing to challenge an opponent who may be a bottomless pit.

The auction ended abruptly in a way that no one expected.

The simulator belongs to an unknown, mysterious person.

Shen Shuangmiao was also shocked by this sudden change.

Light sky lanterns.

What astonishing wealth and power this was! She had never witnessed anything like it in person before.

Looking at the simulator she had always dreamed of, Shen Shuangmiao felt even more regretful.

It seems that it is truly not meant for me.

Whether it's 300 million or even a higher price for a sky lantern, it's far beyond what she can afford.

Shen Shuangmiao turned around again, preparing to leave.

But just then, the young man who had been whispering with the professor walked straight toward her.

Under the scrutinizing gazes of everyone present, he stopped in front of Shen Shuangmiao, holding a delicate silver USB flash drive in both hands.

It contains the core key and all technical information for the simulator.

He addressed Shen Shuangmiao respectfully, saying, "Miss Shen Shuangmiao, this simulator is now yours. That gentleman asked me to tell you that it was specially purchased for you."

...

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Everyone's expression was one of utter shock.

Was it taken specifically for her?

A mysterious person spent at least 300 million to bid for this unparalleled design marvel, just to give it to a woman?

Shen Shuangmiao was completely stunned, her mind went blank.

She stared blankly at the silver USB drive in front of her, then looked up at the serious-looking staff member.

"Give it to me? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"Yes, Miss Shen, it's definitely for you."

The staff member maintained the gesture of offering the food with both hands.

Countless burning gazes were focused on Shen Shuangmiao, some filled with envy and jealousy, others with curiosity and scrutiny.

Shen Shuangmiao was even more bewildered, and almost instinctively, she took the heavy USB drive.

Despite the cool, metallic touch, it felt incredibly hot to her.

After leaving the venue and returning to her hotel room, Shen Shuangmiao still felt as if she were walking on clouds, as if everything was unreal.

She placed the silver USB drive on the table, completely baffled.

Who took this picture?

Is it Zhao Mobai?

It seemed possible, but her intuition told her it wasn't.

After all, Zhao Mobai's marriage to her was just a mission; there was no real relationship between them.

Even if she is about to marry Zhao Mobai, it doesn't mean that he can spend so much money to buy her a model.

Moreover, given Zhao Mobai's personality, it's impossible for him to keep it a secret.

As Shen Shuangmiao was frantically guessing what was going on, her phone suddenly rang.

It was an unfamiliar number.

Shen Shuangmiao hesitated for a moment, but still answered the call.

"Hello?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone before a man's voice came through.

"Did you receive the model?"