53. Yuan
In the Sirius A District auction house, one of the A-Grade auction houses in the Dawn Galaxy, it enjoys a great reputation.
As a major auction event for the Sirius Auction House that takes place every few years, it typically spans three days, presenting a variety of rare pollutant materials that are highly sought after by mecha pilots and collectors.
Although the evening auction had not yet begun, many merchants were already stationed outside the auction house, and industry scouts were patrolling the area outside.
However, for an event like this auction, the most crucial thing was the entry pass.
Being able to obtain a prestigious VIP pass for the Sirius A Zone auction house was a privilege reserved for the wealthy and influential. Many were renowned mecha pilots or collectors. To protect the clients' privacy, a special identification card was used to enter this top-tier auction house. This card also allowed clients to change their appearance as a disguise.
At the somewhat quiet entrance of the auction, four individuals stood side by side.
"Will entering like this make our objectives too obvious?" Ji Qingfeng, rarely seen in a coat and hat, asked. Just before leaving, he received a mask from Lu Xi to fully conceal himself.
Lin Yao replied, "Dressing discreetly is a good idea. Huo Ge emphasized that we shouldn't reveal our identities when entering the auction house."
Mecha pilots showing up at an auction house often attract too much attention and can lead to unnecessary trouble for the base.
Each entry pass was for one person. Since Huo Yan and Lu Xi had other matters to attend to, the four of them worked well together.
Ji Qingfeng looked at You Su beside him. "But, You Ge, I wouldn't have known you're from here unless you mentioned it."
You Su said, "They gave it to me back when I sold materials."
Ying Chenlin lowered his gaze slightly, his brain's display showing the preview list of this auction.
Previously, due to the batch of Sharp-Toothed Rat mutant ability crystals harvested in the Banute Contaminated Zone, he obtained a manager's business card. Then, after KID's trip to the Tianyu Star resulted in the acquisition of some special materials, including some that looked rather unique, Shen Xingtang didn't have the time to process them. With the base's permission, he entrusted this batch of materials to the auction house for high-priced bidding.
With multiple interactions, Ying Chenlin and the senior manager exchanged contact information.
The reason they came to this auction was twofold: besides the fact that the mutated scorpion venom sac they had discovered was being offered for auction, another reason was the auction list itself, which included an S-grade attack-type mutant ability crystal.
Attack-type mutant ability crystals were hard to come by, especially S-grade attack-types.
You Su slightly tilted his head and noticed that Ying Chenlin's brain display had briefly shown the page containing the S-grade mutant ability crystal.
However, quickly enough, the other party turned past the page of the mutant ability crystal to look at other materials.
The doors of the auction house were open, with security personnel stationed on either side.
Seeing Ying Chenlin again, the senior manager observed that he was still heavily wrapped up, even signing with gloves on his hands.
He caught a glimpse of the 'yuan' ID signature when Ying Chenlin signed, and was slightly taken aback, but he swiftly concealed the unusual reaction.
Ying Chenlin subtly glanced at him, his eyes hidden beneath the brim of his hat just catching the fleeting expression on the manager's face. He inquired, "Is something the matter?"
The senior manager smiled apologetically, "Your ID is exactly the same as that mysterious parts designer's ID rumored to be KID."
The 'yuan' ID is not a secret. When KID's parts sales were booming, people online were already digging into the information about this designer. Unfortunately, the information about this designer couldn't be completely retrieved, and the four letters 'yuan' are not particularly unique. There are many people with the same name, and a quick internet search could even yield results like 'yuan the gourmet.'
When 'yuan' emerged, the senior manager had suspicions, but this mecha pilot always brought special materials each time, never parts for auction. Another point was his age.
Even though he was disguising his appearance, based on his voice and the occasional glimpses of his eyes, the senior manager could confirm that he was a young person.
Someone as young as him was unlikely to be the designer 'yuan' who had overcome the technical challenges of those parts.
Lin Yao followed behind Ying Chenlin and whispered, "Chenlin, can we trust this person? Why do I always feel like he's watching you?"
After finishing the signature, Ying Chenlin paused slightly and responded, "He should be trustworthy."
Ji Qingfeng had a look of worldly understanding, "Haven't you noticed that everyone around us is practically staring holes through us? I feel like I'm wearing this outfit in vain."
With the signatures completed, the four of them entered the private room of the auction house.
The central auction area had separate private rooms. The senior manager led them to a designated one.
The somewhat luxurious private room had draped curtains. Outside the curtains, it was pitch black, but faint light could be seen in a few places.
Ying Chenlin found a place to sit down, and the virtual screen in front of him displayed a more detailed auction listing. As he browsed through it, he found not only the items previewed but also some undisclosed material listings.
Lin Yao removed his stuffy mask and inquired, "I was just looking at the prices of things here. Can we afford to bid on anything?"
"Don't worry, before coming, I specifically checked our small treasury. We might not bid on an S-grade anomalous crystal, but we can manage to bid on smaller materials." Ji Qingfeng sat calmly on the sofa, "Advanced materials are hard to come by. Materials from online auctions are often snatched up as soon as they appear, and some are even counterfeits. This kind of offline auction house is more reliable. There are many big shots here, and some materials they might not be interested in. We can take advantage of the situation."
Lin Yao asked, "How do we take advantage?"
"Haven't you watched those movies and dramas on the star network? You know, the ones where the male lead walks into an auction and immediately spots some neglected but excellent materials covered in dust. Due to their low prices, nobody bids on them, and in the end, the male lead picks them up." Ji Qingfeng vividly recounted, "Following this plot, we'll keep an eye on the materials that nobody wants and see if we can snatch them up."
Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao started daydreaming about finding hidden gems.
Ying Chenlin was still flipping through the new collection list. While perusing, he noticed some items that had been added but were not listed, and his expression slightly paused, "The list here is not complete."
"In these special auction events, a portion of the auction items are fixed to attract customers, while some other items are adjusted based on the preferences of attending collectors or mecha pilots." You Su lightly pushed aside the curtain with his hand, giving a glimpse of various tightly sealed private rooms outside, "The auction house is eager for higher profits, so the order of the auction items can also be adjusted—"
Seeing the private rooms erected in the special space outside, You Su confirmed, "There are many people here. Before the auction starts, the list will keep changing."
A large number of attendees meant that the number of auction items tonight would also be substantial.
When certain key figures appeared in great numbers, special items would also be introduced early.
Ji Qingfeng added, "I think I've heard from Sister Tang that this auction is known as the 8th Auction in the industry. It opens at irregular intervals, but each time, it's on February 8th. They release some items in advance to attract attention and then add other mysterious items midway. Because they create a sense of mystery, many people come out of curiosity."
So, they might be able to sneak something in...?
Ying Chenlin continued to look, searching for the materials he needed.
In the past period, with the help of Shen Xingtang and the Jianheng Corporation's channels, he had basically gathered all the A-grade materials. However, due to Yuan's sudden activation and his recent contact with the mecha pilot Theo, he had made some new adjustments to his original modification plan.
He had already attempted a plan like transferring Yuan's intelligence to another mech's chassis in his previous life, but he never managed to complete it.
Yuan was an S-grade mech, an intelligence that had emerged from a resonance between his original chassis and his psychic power combined with an S-grade embryo.
Transferring intelligence was theoretically feasible in the field of research, with a success rate of up to 80%. However, nobody had ever attempted to transplant the intelligence of an S-grade mech, especially the risky practice of downgrading a high-level mecha to a lower-level one. Any mistake could potentially damage the mech's intelligence. This was the reason he had always been considering.
It wasn't until the recent psychic resonance gave him a new perspective that he changed his approach—
If he didn't downgrade the S-grade mecha but attempted to create an S-grade mecha that he could pilot now.
In that case, the A-grade mutant materials he had prepared would only serve as auxiliary materials, and the main materials would still need to be S-grade.
However, S-grade materials weren't something easily obtained through regular channels, so the auction was the only viable option.
He wasn't in a hurry for S-grade psychic crystals; weapons were the final step. Besides, the two weapons from Yuan were still available. If worst came to worst, he could disassemble the psychic crystals from the original weapons.
But... Yuan was a solo mech. To transform it into a mecha suitable for team battles, he would need significant modifications. Furthermore, being an offense-oriented mech, if he wanted to utilize S-grade materials to reforge the S-grade embryo, materials that enhanced S-grade characteristics would become crucial.
Ying Chenlin flipped through the auction item list, rapidly scanning various materials.
Suddenly, he stopped turning the pages, his gaze fixed on a particular material in the auction list.
Ji Qingfeng noticed the page Ying Chenlin had locked onto. "The toe bone of an S-grade Crimson Rabbit Beast? Do you want this, Chenlin?"
You Su slightly turned his head and looked at him. "Crimson Rabbit Beasts are rare, and their toe bones are the most valuable parts."
Lin Yao said, "Chenlin, I have some money left. Let's pool our resources."
"Yeah, it should be enough." Ying Chenlin carefully calculated the contents of his personal vault and then suddenly said, "It seems they accept material exchange as well. I might be able to bid on this by exchanging some materials."
You Su said, "No need to exchange. I have enough."
Ying Chenlin looked at him in confusion. "But don't you still want to bid on an S-grade psychic crystal?"
You Su replied, "...I have enough."
Ji Qingfeng looked at You Su, noticing his simple attire. He had heard from Shen Xingtang that You Su had been working in the contaminated zone for these years. "Ge, let's not be too stubborn. We know maintaining an S-grade mecha is a big financial burden. Theo must have spent a lot of money repairing it."
Tio: "???"
Lin Yao said, "Yeah, Da Feng almost bankrupted himself just to take care of his wife."
You Su said, "...I’m really well-off"
Ying Chenlin looked at him, a hint of disbelief in his eyes, but he finally said, "I'll go ask."
The corridor outside the private room was quiet. When Ying Chenlin came out of the room, he didn't see anyone in the corridor.
As he turned the corner of the corridor outside the private rooms, he suddenly spotted a few staff members standing not far away, whispering and discussing something.
mecha pilots had slightly better hearing than regular people, so their hushed voices were quite distinct to Ying Chenlin's ears.
"Why hasn't it started yet?"
"I heard there's been a new adjustment to the auction items. There's a parts designer here, and it's said that they're selling special parts that can be autonomously upgraded."
Upon hearing this, Ying Chenlin's steps momentarily paused as he walked outside.
Upgradable parts...?
The nearby staff members continued their discussion.
"Who's this designer? They managed to convince management to squeeze them in."
"Who else could it be? It's that person who recently made a breakthrough in A-grade part technology on the Star Network! The one who sells parts in KID's online store, that Yuan!"
Ying Chenlin's gaze paused slightly. KID's online store selling parts? Yuan?
TN:
I'll be posting multiple chapters today since I will be away for the month. You can keep checking to see if it's updated since I might not be able to link the "Next" icon. Alternatively you can join Discord to access direct links and be notified on new updates. You can access all the chapters posted by clicking on the corresponding label on the side.
jjwxc tutorial.
Author Support Project
KOFI Donations using the pop-up button.
53. Yuan
In the Sirius A District auction house, one of the A-Grade auction houses in the Dawn Galaxy, it enjoys a great reputation.
As a major auction event for the Sirius Auction House that takes place every few years, it typically spans three days, presenting a variety of rare pollutant materials that are highly sought after by mecha pilots and collectors.
Although the evening auction had not yet begun, many merchants were already stationed outside the auction house, and industry scouts were patrolling the area outside.
However, for an event like this auction, the most crucial thing was the entry pass.
Being able to obtain a prestigious VIP pass for the Sirius A Zone auction house was a privilege reserved for the wealthy and influential. Many were renowned mecha pilots or collectors. To protect the clients' privacy, a special identification card was used to enter this top-tier auction house. This card also allowed clients to change their appearance as a disguise.
At the somewhat quiet entrance of the auction, four individuals stood side by side.
"Will entering like this make our objectives too obvious?" Ji Qingfeng, rarely seen in a coat and hat, asked. Just before leaving, he received a mask from Lu Xi to fully conceal himself.
Lin Yao replied, "Dressing discreetly is a good idea. Huo Ge emphasized that we shouldn't reveal our identities when entering the auction house."
Mecha pilots showing up at an auction house often attract too much attention and can lead to unnecessary trouble for the base.
Each entry pass was for one person. Since Huo Yan and Lu Xi had other matters to attend to, the four of them worked well together.
Ji Qingfeng looked at You Su beside him. "But, You Ge, I wouldn't have known you're from here unless you mentioned it."
You Su said, "They gave it to me back when I sold materials."
Ying Chenlin lowered his gaze slightly, his brain's display showing the preview list of this auction.
Previously, due to the batch of Sharp-Toothed Rat mutant ability crystals harvested in the Banute Contaminated Zone, he obtained a manager's business card. Then, after KID's trip to the Tianyu Star resulted in the acquisition of some special materials, including some that looked rather unique, Shen Xingtang didn't have the time to process them. With the base's permission, he entrusted this batch of materials to the auction house for high-priced bidding.
With multiple interactions, Ying Chenlin and the senior manager exchanged contact information.
The reason they came to this auction was twofold: besides the fact that the mutated scorpion venom sac they had discovered was being offered for auction, another reason was the auction list itself, which included an S-grade attack-type mutant ability crystal.
Attack-type mutant ability crystals were hard to come by, especially S-grade attack-types.
You Su slightly tilted his head and noticed that Ying Chenlin's brain display had briefly shown the page containing the S-grade mutant ability crystal.
However, quickly enough, the other party turned past the page of the mutant ability crystal to look at other materials.
The doors of the auction house were open, with security personnel stationed on either side.
Seeing Ying Chenlin again, the senior manager observed that he was still heavily wrapped up, even signing with gloves on his hands.
He caught a glimpse of the 'yuan' ID signature when Ying Chenlin signed, and was slightly taken aback, but he swiftly concealed the unusual reaction.
Ying Chenlin subtly glanced at him, his eyes hidden beneath the brim of his hat just catching the fleeting expression on the manager's face. He inquired, "Is something the matter?"
The senior manager smiled apologetically, "Your ID is exactly the same as that mysterious parts designer's ID rumored to be KID."
The 'yuan' ID is not a secret. When KID's parts sales were booming, people online were already digging into the information about this designer. Unfortunately, the information about this designer couldn't be completely retrieved, and the four letters 'yuan' are not particularly unique. There are many people with the same name, and a quick internet search could even yield results like 'yuan the gourmet.'
When 'yuan' emerged, the senior manager had suspicions, but this mecha pilot always brought special materials each time, never parts for auction. Another point was his age.
Even though he was disguising his appearance, based on his voice and the occasional glimpses of his eyes, the senior manager could confirm that he was a young person.
Someone as young as him was unlikely to be the designer 'yuan' who had overcome the technical challenges of those parts.
Lin Yao followed behind Ying Chenlin and whispered, "Chenlin, can we trust this person? Why do I always feel like he's watching you?"
After finishing the signature, Ying Chenlin paused slightly and responded, "He should be trustworthy."
Ji Qingfeng had a look of worldly understanding, "Haven't you noticed that everyone around us is practically staring holes through us? I feel like I'm wearing this outfit in vain."
With the signatures completed, the four of them entered the private room of the auction house.
The central auction area had separate private rooms. The senior manager led them to a designated one.
The somewhat luxurious private room had draped curtains. Outside the curtains, it was pitch black, but faint light could be seen in a few places.
Ying Chenlin found a place to sit down, and the virtual screen in front of him displayed a more detailed auction listing. As he browsed through it, he found not only the items previewed but also some undisclosed material listings.
Lin Yao removed his stuffy mask and inquired, "I was just looking at the prices of things here. Can we afford to bid on anything?"
"Don't worry, before coming, I specifically checked our small treasury. We might not bid on an S-grade anomalous crystal, but we can manage to bid on smaller materials." Ji Qingfeng sat calmly on the sofa, "Advanced materials are hard to come by. Materials from online auctions are often snatched up as soon as they appear, and some are even counterfeits. This kind of offline auction house is more reliable. There are many big shots here, and some materials they might not be interested in. We can take advantage of the situation."
Lin Yao asked, "How do we take advantage?"
"Haven't you watched those movies and dramas on the star network? You know, the ones where the male lead walks into an auction and immediately spots some neglected but excellent materials covered in dust. Due to their low prices, nobody bids on them, and in the end, the male lead picks them up." Ji Qingfeng vividly recounted, "Following this plot, we'll keep an eye on the materials that nobody wants and see if we can snatch them up."
Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao started daydreaming about finding hidden gems.
Ying Chenlin was still flipping through the new collection list. While perusing, he noticed some items that had been added but were not listed, and his expression slightly paused, "The list here is not complete."
"In these special auction events, a portion of the auction items are fixed to attract customers, while some other items are adjusted based on the preferences of attending collectors or mecha pilots." You Su lightly pushed aside the curtain with his hand, giving a glimpse of various tightly sealed private rooms outside, "The auction house is eager for higher profits, so the order of the auction items can also be adjusted—"
Seeing the private rooms erected in the special space outside, You Su confirmed, "There are many people here. Before the auction starts, the list will keep changing."
A large number of attendees meant that the number of auction items tonight would also be substantial.
When certain key figures appeared in great numbers, special items would also be introduced early.
Ji Qingfeng added, "I think I've heard from Sister Tang that this auction is known as the 8th Auction in the industry. It opens at irregular intervals, but each time, it's on February 8th. They release some items in advance to attract attention and then add other mysterious items midway. Because they create a sense of mystery, many people come out of curiosity."
So, they might be able to sneak something in...?
Ying Chenlin continued to look, searching for the materials he needed.
In the past period, with the help of Shen Xingtang and the Jianheng Corporation's channels, he had basically gathered all the A-grade materials. However, due to Yuan's sudden activation and his recent contact with the mecha pilot Theo, he had made some new adjustments to his original modification plan.
He had already attempted a plan like transferring Yuan's intelligence to another mech's chassis in his previous life, but he never managed to complete it.
Yuan was an S-grade mech, an intelligence that had emerged from a resonance between his original chassis and his psychic power combined with an S-grade embryo.
Transferring intelligence was theoretically feasible in the field of research, with a success rate of up to 80%. However, nobody had ever attempted to transplant the intelligence of an S-grade mech, especially the risky practice of downgrading a high-level mecha to a lower-level one. Any mistake could potentially damage the mech's intelligence. This was the reason he had always been considering.
It wasn't until the recent psychic resonance gave him a new perspective that he changed his approach—
If he didn't downgrade the S-grade mecha but attempted to create an S-grade mecha that he could pilot now.
In that case, the A-grade mutant materials he had prepared would only serve as auxiliary materials, and the main materials would still need to be S-grade.
However, S-grade materials weren't something easily obtained through regular channels, so the auction was the only viable option.
He wasn't in a hurry for S-grade psychic crystals; weapons were the final step. Besides, the two weapons from Yuan were still available. If worst came to worst, he could disassemble the psychic crystals from the original weapons.
But... Yuan was a solo mech. To transform it into a mecha suitable for team battles, he would need significant modifications. Furthermore, being an offense-oriented mech, if he wanted to utilize S-grade materials to reforge the S-grade embryo, materials that enhanced S-grade characteristics would become crucial.
Ying Chenlin flipped through the auction item list, rapidly scanning various materials.
Suddenly, he stopped turning the pages, his gaze fixed on a particular material in the auction list.
Ji Qingfeng noticed the page Ying Chenlin had locked onto. "The toe bone of an S-grade Crimson Rabbit Beast? Do you want this, Chenlin?"
You Su slightly turned his head and looked at him. "Crimson Rabbit Beasts are rare, and their toe bones are the most valuable parts."
Lin Yao said, "Chenlin, I have some money left. Let's pool our resources."
"Yeah, it should be enough." Ying Chenlin carefully calculated the contents of his personal vault and then suddenly said, "It seems they accept material exchange as well. I might be able to bid on this by exchanging some materials."
You Su said, "No need to exchange. I have enough."
Ying Chenlin looked at him in confusion. "But don't you still want to bid on an S-grade psychic crystal?"
You Su replied, "...I have enough."
Ji Qingfeng looked at You Su, noticing his simple attire. He had heard from Shen Xingtang that You Su had been working in the contaminated zone for these years. "Ge, let's not be too stubborn. We know maintaining an S-grade mecha is a big financial burden. Theo must have spent a lot of money repairing it."
Tio: "???"
Lin Yao said, "Yeah, Da Feng almost bankrupted himself just to take care of his wife."
You Su said, "...I’m really well-off"
Ying Chenlin looked at him, a hint of disbelief in his eyes, but he finally said, "I'll go ask."
The corridor outside the private room was quiet. When Ying Chenlin came out of the room, he didn't see anyone in the corridor.
As he turned the corner of the corridor outside the private rooms, he suddenly spotted a few staff members standing not far away, whispering and discussing something.
mecha pilots had slightly better hearing than regular people, so their hushed voices were quite distinct to Ying Chenlin's ears.
"Why hasn't it started yet?"
"I heard there's been a new adjustment to the auction items. There's a parts designer here, and it's said that they're selling special parts that can be autonomously upgraded."
Upon hearing this, Ying Chenlin's steps momentarily paused as he walked outside.
Upgradable parts...?
The nearby staff members continued their discussion.
"Who's this designer? They managed to convince management to squeeze them in."
"Who else could it be? It's that person who recently made a breakthrough in A-grade part technology on the Star Network! The one who sells parts in KID's online store, that Yuan!"
Ying Chenlin's gaze paused slightly. KID's online store selling parts? Yuan?
TN:
I'll be posting multiple chapters today since I will be away for the month. You can keep checking to see if it's updated since I might not be able to link the "Next" icon. Alternatively you can join Discord to access direct links and be notified on new updates. You can access all the chapters posted by clicking on the corresponding label on the side.
jjwxc tutorial.
Author Support Project
KOFI Donations using the pop-up button.
