Chapter 173 Private Auction
Half a day later, on the top-floor observation lounge of the Opera House spaceship.
The entire cabin wall is made up of floor-to-ceiling viewing windows in the shape of water droplets, presenting the vast deep space before your eyes.
Unlike the deep and ethereal view outside the window, the interior of the living room features a warm and inviting style with upholstered furniture.
Four grown men stared at each other, sitting on a sofa decorated with teddy bears.
Ning Shuyin placed a separate beanbag chair in the spot furthest from Luo Lan before sitting down.
The reminiscing on the way to board the ship had already ended.
She omitted most of the details, such as how she acquired the spaceship and her interactions with Cross.
Zhou Zhiheng, the only one unrelated to this purification crystal, took it upon himself to take over the conversation.
“Since Caesar has already made arrangements with Boss Yingyuan, let’s continue the auction. The highest bidder wins; that’s the fairest way.” He revealed a smile typical of a businessman.
The other three were already prepared and were ready to make their bids.
"etc."
Just as Zhou Zhiheng was about to announce the start, Ning Shuyin's voice rang out.
The men in the room were stunned.
Immediately, their gazes fell upon her. They had begun to subtly try to decipher her meaning.
Does this mean they're designating someone to receive something?
A secret sense of anticipation rose in Situ Linchen's heart. Did she call a halt because she was afraid I wouldn't get it?
But will she favor Caesar? At least one thing is certain: Loran will be the first to be eliminated.
Caesar was the calmest at this moment. He had noticed the changes in her over the time they had spent together.
She has changed a lot since we first met. Now, she has the makings of a leader, commanding a large spaceship and leading her own team.
She should remain neutral, as that best suits her current style of doing things, avoiding any deep entanglement with either side. But Caesar secretly hoped she would side with him.
Ning Shuyin was naturally unaware that these men had already circled the galaxy twice with their eight hundred schemes.
She spoke frankly about her thoughts.
"There is only one Purification Crystal, and it can only heal one person. Therefore, I would like to auction my Resonance Healing Rights at the same time."
These words shocked everyone present.
Even Zhou Zhiheng, who had been calmly leaning against the sofa, sat up straight, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"The right to resonate healing? Are you personally performing resonance healing?" Situ Linchen's energy fluctuated.
Ning Shuyin nodded.
"Yes, you can auction off the Purification Crystal first, and the highest bidder wins. Those who don't win can bid for my Resonance Healing."
Her gaze shifted to Zhou Zhiheng: "The money I receive from my treatment services will be used to repay the debt I owe you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Zhiheng's face turned dark.
Situ Linchen saw Zhou Zhiheng's expression and said to Ning Shuyin with a smile, "Very good, this plan is very fair."
“I have no objection either,” Caesar glanced at Zhou Zhiheng and laughed. “Little guy, I will definitely help you say goodbye to your working-class status today.”
Loran remained silent, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Hmph," Zhou Zhiheng said with a displeased look, "Then you guys start yourselves, I won't host."
He was furious at the prospect of losing his position as boss.
The two men exchanged a knowing glance and a smirk.
"Then, the auction for the Purification Crystal shall now begin. What was the starting price again...? Whoever wants to bid, can make their own offer," Situ Linchen said.
The reception room fell silent.
No one made a bid.
Situ Linchen did not.
Even Caesar didn't have it.
The two of them simply leaned back quietly on the sofa, not looking at the softly glowing crystal in the center of the coffee table.
Their gazes drifted, seemingly casually, to Ning Shuyin.
The intention couldn't be clearer.
Their goal is the next resonance healing session, which she will personally lead.
Time passed by, second by second.
Seeing that the bidding was about to reach a stalemate, Zhou Zhiheng finally spoke up: "The starting price is one trillion. Each bid must be at least ten billion. Hurry up, the sooner we finish the bidding, the sooner it will be over."
The price of one trillion was what he shouted out at the Shadow Abyss Auction House.
If no one makes an offer, he will be the ultimate sucker and the buyer.
She came here to cause trouble for those three men, but ended up getting herself into trouble instead.
“One trillion, for the first time…” Zhou Zhiheng shouted weakly.
"One trillion, the second time..."
Just when it seemed the auction was about to fail, a cold voice broke the deadlock.
"One trillion one hundred billion."
It's Loran.
He didn't even look up, simply stating a minimum price that just met the markup rules.
Zhou Zhiheng raised an eyebrow, seemingly unsurprised by the result.
"One trillion and one hundred, the first time."
"One trillion and one hundred, the second time."
"One trillion and one hundred, third time. Sold!"
Zhou Zhiheng made the final decision, pushing the purification crystal in front of Loran.
Loran had come specifically for the crystals, but now there was no joy on his face, and his expression was extremely cold.
"Alright, now that your injuries are healed, Loran, there's nothing more for you here. You can leave." Caesar gave the order to leave, but Loran didn't get up.
His dark red eyes looked intently at Situ Linchen and Caesar.
"I can't leave."
"Why?" Caesar frowned. "You've already got the stuff, what do you want to stay here for?"
“Resonance healing carries extremely high risks.” He glanced at Situ Linchen. He had raised this risk a long time ago.
“She has no experience in resonance healing, and her healing ability level is relatively low. Besides, you have all seen that ability of unknown origin.”
His gaze finally fell on Ning Shuyin, and his voice turned colder: "If the healing energy gets out of control... she might die."
These words made everyone present turn pale.
"Therefore, I must be present throughout your entire treatment process."
“I don’t care whether she lives or dies,” Loran explained, his eyes dark and unreadable. “I just don’t want the Alliance Marshal and the King of the Outsiders to suffer any accidents because of an out-of-control treatment during this turbulent time.”
This reason was one that neither of the two men could refute, no matter how unwilling they were.
They couldn't be indifferent to her life or death.
Since they have no objections, it's up to her to decide.
"Sure," Ning Shuyin answered surprisingly readily.
“But I remember Dr. Lorraine once told me not to come near you again,” she added calmly.
Lorraine remained silent.
What he said was true. That's why she placed the sofa so far away from him—it was a deliberate act of distancing herself.
Even though they were far apart, he could still feel a slight attraction in his heart.
"So what?" His expression turned just as unpleasant as Zhou Zhiheng's.
"So, to avoid making you uncomfortable, you can only stay in the next room during treatment, and the data will be monitored by the equipment, is that okay?"
Loran's thin lips pressed into a straight line, and after a long pause, he uttered two words: "Okay."
Now that the guardianship issue has been resolved, the treatment services will be put up for auction.
Zhou Zhiheng's eyes darted around, and he felt he couldn't let them get away with it so easily.
“The traditional auction model is nothing more than endless price comparison for you. Why don’t you all anonymously state the price you are willing to pay at the same time? The highest bidder will win the right to treatment.”
Situ Linchen and Caesar exchanged a glance.
They don't haggle much, which is a relatively quick and effective way to resolve the issue.
In less than a minute, Zhou Zhiheng's encrypted optical computer channel received two messages.
The reception room was quiet, with only the sound of everyone breathing.
“The offer has been received.” Zhou Zhiheng glanced at Caesar first, then gritted his teeth and said, “Caesar’s offer is five trillion star coins.”
That's enough to buy a star system with a planet that has life.
This amount was exactly enough for Ning Shuyin to repay Zhou Zhiheng's debt.
"The Marshal's offer is..."
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