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Dinner was lavish, and Liu Meier was not stingy at all. You could order food over the phone, and it would arrive in an hour. Whatever you wanted to eat was available; in fact, almost everything was.
Cui Ming returned through the back door, and Li Qing asked, "Aren't you inviting Yellen to join us for dinner?" Yellen had been talking with Cui Ming at the back door for quite a while.
Cui Ming shook his head and sat down. "Damn, still a bit too naive." He introduced the situation briefly.
After listening, Li Qing said, "We are champions, and with that comes fame. Your low-key luxury and depth should not be brought up. Junior Brother, you are smart, but sometimes you think too much. You pay too much attention to how others perceive you. Living like this must be exhausting, right?"
Ding Ze agreed. "That's true. Our North Moon Group is a well-known loose organization; we are not a powerful family nor do we have any influence. Whether we are formidable or not has nothing to do with the Fire Cult. Cui Ming, I know you want to talk about some offbeat matters; deep down, you feel like you're being watched, especially by those who harbor hostility towards you, which makes you uncomfortable. You prefer to hide in the shadows and strike from there. In our youth and recklessness, we are champions; if we don't act arrogantly, who will?"
"That makes sense; I accept the criticism," Cui Ming replied. "But there's one thing I'm not sure about: you fought against Lion Dog once, and a Masked Man used Spiritual Connection's Seduction on me. Luckily, Ye Ying arrived just in time. I've already used my Fate Card and can't discern that Masked Man's Force form. However, after being close to Liu Meier today, I feel that she bears some resemblance to that Masked Man."
Ding Ze looked at Cui Ming and said, "Are you implying that Liu Meier can kill anyone she wants in collaboration with Lion Dog?"
Li Qing added, "Or it could mean that Liu Meier can kill anyone she wants without needing Lion Dog's help. Liu Meier definitely has her own abilities; she is from the Fire Cult, where individuals are exceptionally strong."
If that's the case, then Liu Meier's lethality is extremely high. Initially thought to be merely a practitioner of the Magic System—barely passing as a hero—even if she isn't one, while the Magic System has strong attacks, it focuses on sustained output rather than one-hit kills like an assassin would deliver. It would be difficult for Liu Meier to eliminate someone powerful. But with Seduction in her arsenal, that's another story.
A man and a woman undressed, embraced each other—Seduction was unavoidable...
Li Qing clapped his hands together. "This has nothing to do with us; there's no way we could fall victim to her Seduction. Liu Meier's matters are Wandering's concerns; just inform Wandering about it. Let's focus on eating; this baked lobster is quite good."
Cui Ming looked at the lobster and remarked, "Protecting Shrimp is everyone's responsibility."
...
At five o'clock the next afternoon, the Charity Banquet officially began. The event was beautifully arranged on the lawn in front of the main building with a stage set up. It was a buffet-style banquet—very relaxed; people could eat and chat freely. At seven o'clock, Liu Meier would sing a song to kick off the charity event and start the first round of auctions. Following that would be performances by children supported by the Mei'er Foundation for the second round of auctions. There would also be performances by famous vocalists and the four most popular young male singers from the Eastern Continent. Each program would include an auction.
The auction rules were different from regular auctions; for example, if you bid one million but someone else won the item, you still had to pay one million.
During dinner, Cui Ming and his two companions remained together like a small circle. They greeted others but did not leave their group. The three of them grabbed drinks and watched as host Ding Dewen began his opening remarks. Ding Ze whispered, "The Liu Mei'er Foundation has been the most influential charity foundation in the Western Continent over the past three years. This time they aim to rake in some funds while showcasing their Force Practitioner identities on television with Force Report's promotion; the Mei'er Foundation is becoming globally renowned."
Cui Ming nodded, "Yes, we always thought Liu Meier was a spy, but we never expected she had another purpose, to shape herself into the goddess of the Eternal Sphere." Upon learning about the auction format, Cui Ming realized Liu Meier's ulterior motive; otherwise, there wouldn't be such intense rules.
Li Qing remarked, "Although people here regard money as worthless, will this kind of rule lead to a dull atmosphere later on?"
"If she dares to do this, it won't be dull," Cui Ming clapped as Liu Meier took the stage.
Liu Meier appeared in a white outfit, wearing a golden headband and a pair of white feathered wings. With the lighting and other effects, she truly resembled a goddess. Here, the term 'goddess' did not refer to the ordinary meaning; it had devolved into a pejorative term for beautiful women who despise poverty and love wealth. In this context, however, it was a compliment. Even Cui Ming couldn't bear to look away.
Liu Meier's voice was like a celestial melody. After her performance ended, everyone felt as if they were in a dream. It took three seconds after her bow for applause to erupt, which then grew uncontrollable. Cui Ming clapped and said, "If Ye Wen can resist this, he must be seeing ghosts."
Ding Ze nodded in agreement, "Plus the aura of the charity goddess."
On stage, Liu Meier passionately spoke about the many people in need of help and described their daily lives. Although they were not cultivators, they were still human beings like us.
In this atmosphere, the auction began.
The first item was a masterpiece—a renowned calligrapher's brush from two hundred years ago, valued at around three million.
Cao Yi was the first to raise his hand. "Ten million." The Cao Family was wealthy; they owned vast real estate and collected astronomical rents monthly. The aristocratic families possessed numerous properties that yielded enormous profits alongside global trade developments. Some non-cultivator heirs with business acumen became prominent businessmen and politicians backed by substantial funds. The foundation of these families was undeniable. For the Cao Family, ten million was merely pocket change.
Five more bidders joined in, and the painting's value soared to sixty million. The rules were intriguing; if you bid ten million without winning the item, you essentially lost that money. However, if you added another ten million to secure it, you would end up with an item worth far less than that price.
At that moment, the only Fire Cult Practitioner, known as Leopard Woman, raised her hand. "Thirty million."
The first round was intense; how would it continue? Ye Wen considered this and chose not to bid. Ding Jia Fula also held steady without placing a bid. Cao Yi raised his hand again. "Forty million."
Unfortunately, the atmosphere lacked excitement; in an ordinary setting, forty million would elicit gasps of astonishment. Here, however, Cui Ming only had thirty-three dollars in his pocket and owed one hundred million—everyone remained calm in the face of their debts.
It seemed everyone gave face to Cao Yi; after multiple inquiries from the auctioneer, forty million was accepted. Liu Meier was overjoyed; she took the microphone to express gratitude on behalf of the children and the poor towards Cao Yi and the Cao Family. Tears streamed down her face as she couldn't help but embrace him on stage and kiss his cheek excitedly while saying, "Thank you."
Wow! This time there was noise; everyone felt envy mixed with admiration. Cui Ming remarked dryly, "So this is where the trap lies." It was a masterstroke that showcased Liu Meier's excellence and great love while simultaneously provoking jealousy among the men present towards Cao Yi.
Indeed, the second auction quickly became more intense. Although there were three bidders, they drove the price up to one hundred million. In the end, Lank won the second auction. Offering one hundred million seemed a bit unreasonable; after all, the aristocratic families had many members and strict management. Lank was sitting on a fortune, with gold piled high in four vaults and antique artworks measured by the ton. The gambling and escort industries of Pirate City alone generated over ten million in taxes each month. Could he really justify spending one hundred million? Pirate City was famously known as the galaxy's most notorious den of vice.
Lank accepted Liu Meier's embrace, pressing his face against hers and bowing in gratitude, smiling like a blooming flower. Cui Ming didn't cause any trouble today; regardless of Liu Meier's intentions, she was doing a good deed at this moment. Otherwise, Cui Ming would have asked, "Lank, did you bring cash?" No one would believe Lank would go back on his word; the title of Pirate King was worth more than just one hundred million. However, everyone would join in the fun, and that atmosphere would be ruined.
As the rounds continued, Liu Meier's camera presence was exceptional. Throughout the three-hour auction, she kept the atmosphere lively and showcased herself brilliantly, overshadowing the glory of those who were spending money. Except for Ye Wen.
For the final auction item, only one person placed a bid—Ye Wen—who called out three hundred million in one breath, leaving even Cui Ming stunned. What impressed everyone even more was that when no one else bid, Ye Wen added another two hundred million. Was money just paper? Even if it were paper, how much would it cost to come up with five hundred million?
However, everyone soon tossed their money aside. Liu Meier's thank-you hug this time wasn't just a cheek-to-cheek gesture or a unique kiss from Cao Yi; it was a gentle embrace where she nestled against Ye Wen and softly said, "Thank you." Ye Wen calmly patted Liu Meier on the shoulder. In that instant, Cui Ming felt as if all the wealthy patrons ahead had turned into fools.
No! I shouldn't think so narrowly; this is about doing good deeds. But why do I feel like laughing? No, I need to leave... Seeing the expressions of the other bidders, Cui Ming exchanged greetings with Li Qing and decided to leave.
...
At five in the early morning, Cui Ming and his companions left the estate and greeted the Liu Family, who arranged for a driver and car to take them to Hero Town. Li Qing returned to the Alliance while Ding Ze headed to Dawn City. He decided to accompany Cui Ming as they rented a car to Shen Island City.
Divine Island was beautiful—the highways were stunning and the scenery picturesque—but unfortunately, with one driver and two male passengers, it slightly dampened the experience. The distance was quite far; it took over twenty hours to reach Shen Island City.
Mi Big Head had a friend from his university days who was currently in charge of a research institute in Shen Island City. His focus was on various alloy technologies aimed at industrial applications to reduce material costs and improve alloy product quality, providing support for industrial production.
Mi Big Head's request was to create something suitable for Cui Ming without regard for cost; first, it had to maintain its weight while reducing thickness and ensuring smooth material quality. His friend lived up to expectations by using carbon fiber reinforced materials along with fiberglass and organic resins to create samples. (To be continued.)
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