Chapter 273 I Picked Up Trash on the Battlefield of National Fortune 29
The auctioneer's smile grew increasingly mysterious as he had a waiter bring in a crystal platform enveloped in an energy shield.
"Everyone here is a pioneer, an elite, and a contributor from various countries on Earth."
"What are you all fighting for here?"
He surveyed the entire room, his voice filled with a seductive power.
"Is it for glory? For power? Or..."
He paused, then said, word by word, "For a chance to go home?"
Before he finished speaking, he reached out and pressed on the crystal platform. The energy shield dissipated, and a thin, golden card lay quietly on the velvet.
[Escape Game Item Card]
[Effect: Allows you to designate one player to permanently leave the National Fate Battlefield and return to Earth.]
The entire venue was deathly silent.
Go home! These two words struck the hearts of every player like a heavy hammer.
They could endure the fighting, they could endure the pain, but in the dead of night, the longing for their homeland was an uncontrollable poison.
In the backstage dressing room, Zhou Jue sat up straight. Looking at the card, a sense of absurdity welled up inside her. Could something like this really be put up for auction? Would anyone even want to buy it?
Starting bid: one million points.
The auctioneer's voice broke the silence.
“One and a half million!” A representative from a small Western alliance, sitting in a corner, held up a sign with a trembling voice.
"Two million!" another person immediately chimed in.
Neither Kang Cheol nor Vasily moved. Their gazes were complex, filled with longing but mostly with restraint. They were the pillars of their respective countries; they could not leave, nor dared to leave.
Those bidding were representatives from small countries that lacked strength and saw no hope.
For them, rather than being slowly worn down here, it's better to give everything to send the most important person home.
Ultimately, the card was won by the small nation alliance that made the first bid, for a staggering 6.8 million points.
The moment the gavel fell, the representative slumped into his chair, his face a mixture of joy and sorrow.
Congratulations, sir.
With a professional smile on his face, the auctioneer waved his hand again, and the second item was brought up.
It's the same card, but this card is engraved with complex totems, exuding a powerful aura.
"If the previous lot was the 'journey home'..."
"Then this one is 'conquest'!"
The auctioneer's voice suddenly rose, filled with passion.
"【All-Staff Enhancement Card】!"
"After use, you can designate a country, and all players in that country will receive a permanent 20% increase to all attributes!"
"boom--!"
If the meeting room was deathly silent just now, it's now a powder keg that's about to explode.
All attributes!
Permanent increase!
Twenty percent!
What does this mean? It means that the overall strength of players in the entire country has been elevated to a whole new level!
This means that in competitions of the same level, they will have an overwhelming advantage!
"Old Jiang!" Lin Feng and Wolf Brother turned around abruptly, staring intently at Jiang Zhe.
Jiang Zhe's breathing became rapid, his eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the card. This thing was more important to the Dragon Kingdom than ten "Dawn" weapons!
Starting bid: two million points!
“Three million!” Scott was the first to stand up, announcing a figure far exceeding the starting bid, his eyes filled with aggression.
“Four million!” Vasily was equally defiant, slamming his fist on the table and roaring like thunder.
"Five million!" Jiang Zhe's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the entire venue, carrying a sense of determination.
Scott and Vasily turned around at the same time to look at the silent old man from the East. Everyone in the Dragon Kingdom's seats had their hearts in their throats.
“Five and a half million!” Scott gritted his teeth.
"Six million!" Jiang Zhe continued without hesitation.
"Six and a half million!" Vasily gritted his teeth and joined the bidding.
"Seven million!" Scott didn't have that many points, but seeing them arguing, he started bidding against them without any hesitation. Since their country's points were almost used up, everyone should spend them!
"Eight million!" Jiang Zhe spoke again, his voice still steady, but his hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"Eight million five hundred thousand!" Scott said casually, looking at Jiang Zhe with a slightly smug grin.
"Nine million!" Jiang Zhe hesitated for a moment before continuing.
Lin Feng said in a low voice, "Elder Jiang, this is all the points we have. Any higher..."
"At all costs."
Jiang Zhe interrupted him, staring intently at Scott and said, "This is our bottom price. If Scott wants to continue competing, then we will have to withdraw. I just don't know if Mr. Scott has enough points to buy this item card. If he can't afford it..." Jiang Zhe gave a meaningful snort.
Scott stared intently at Jiang Zhe, sensing the other's do-or-die attitude, and hesitated.
If Jiang Zhe really gives up, then we'll put him on hold. We don't know what price he'll have to pay if he can't come up with the money. Oh well, nine million isn't a small amount anyway.
"Nine million once!"
"Nine million twice!"
Scott finally sat down slowly, his face full of gloom.
"clang!"
The auction gavel fell.
"It's done!" A suppressed cheer erupted from the Dragon Kingdom's seats.
Jiang Zhe leaned heavily against the back of his chair, exhaling a long breath. His face showed the joy of victory, but also a hint of emptiness after exhausting his family's wealth.
Backstage, Zhou Jue stared at the screen, his eyes darting around.
Dragon Kingdom has almost no points left.
Both the bear and the bald eagle suffered huge losses due to the previous auctions.
The auction continued: "Ladies and gentlemen, the next item is the last item in this auction."
The auctioneer's face even showed a hint of pity and solemnity.
On the crystal stand appeared a card emitting a soft white light.
[Disaster Avoidance Card]
[Effect: Can avert one national-level disaster occurring on the user's territory.]
After the card appeared, the room fell silent.
For large countries like the Dragon Kingdom, the Bear Kingdom, and the Bald Eagle Kingdom, they have the confidence and ability to cope with most disasters. Therefore, this card is less attractive than the Amplification Card.
But for those small countries struggling on the brink of extinction, this is a lifeline.
A dark-skinned representative from a small South Asian country, who was sitting in the back row, slowly stood up.
His country is facing an unprecedented super tsunami in the real world and is on the verge of destruction.
Starting bid: 3 million points.
"Three million one hundred thousand," the South Asian representative announced in a hoarse voice.
A representative from an African country facing similar difficulties hesitated for a moment before also raising his sign.
"Three million two hundred thousand."
The price increase was very slow, and each price hike felt like cutting off a piece of flesh.
Finally, when the South Asian representative shouted out the number "five million," no one else in the room competed with him.
The moment the gavel fell, the man's knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face. He had traded the future of everyone for a glimmer of hope for his country.
The auction is over.
The crowd began to leave, and each person's face was etched with complex emotions.
The person who won the auction was in high spirits.
The man who had exhausted his family fortune was in a daze.
Zhou Jue changed into a gray uniform, pushed a cleaning cart, and mingled with the other cleaners as he entered the empty venue.
She looked at the empty seats, but her mind was racing.
The first item up for auction, "Dawn," was aimed at top-tier combatants and drained the cash flow of Scott's country. She auctioned it off, so I won't go into details.
The second item, the "Disengagement Card," targets those who have lost hope and reaps the wealth of small-nation alliances.
The third item, the [Amplification Card], was targeted at the Dragon Kingdom, which sought to increase the survival rate of all its members, and emptied their national treasury.
The fourth item, the "Disaster Relief Card," is designed for countries on the verge of extinction, draining them of their last drop of blood.
There were other props as well, and not a single one went unsold!
What a coincidence!
Each item in the auction is like a tailor-made key, precisely unlocking the wallets of the corresponding group of people, and then emptying their points.
Why do this? Is it merely to recycle points and maintain economic balance?
No! This is more like a premeditated "zeroing plan". Apart from the Dawnbreaker she took out, the rest of the final items were all kinds of prop cards. They didn't seem to be provided by different people, but rather by the system.
The system is preventing all players, from all countries, from accumulating a large number of points.
A terrifying thought flashed through Zhou Jue's mind.
What happens if a player has too many points?
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