Chapter 107: The Appraisal Gala (V)

Upon seeing the piece of equipment before them, many people exclaimed in surprise—there was no other reason than the striking blue lettering that appeared on the item itself, enough to astonish anyone.

It was a soul equipment of exquisite grade!!

Although many of those present were notable figures, none had ever laid eyes on an exquisite-grade piece of equipment before. Most soul equipment found in the wastelands so far had only ever been of the green, excellent grade. As for blue-grade soul equipment, no one had ever seen it. Because of this, the entire auction hall erupted into a commotion. Even through the thick walls, Fairen and others could hear the whispered murmurs all around. Such an item was arguably the most anticipated piece of equipment after the Fire Seeds.

As the box was opened, the soul equipment inside was revealed to the crowd.

It was a staff-like object, pure white in color. Its material was indiscernible at first glance, but under the sunlight, it looked dazzling and magnificent. At its tip were mysterious, intricate patterns and symbols formed by azure lines shimmering with light. Three sapphires circled the head of the staff, continuously rotating. Even more astonishing than its beautiful appearance was its performance.

[Watchful Goddess]
[Soul Equipment (Bindable)]
[Capable of connecting to satellites for information transmission and control, maintaining connection for three hours (The eyes in the sky, ever watchful over the world)]

If earlier the crowd was merely excited to witness an exquisite-grade item, now almost everyone was stunned beyond measure. Even through the virtual screen, Fairen could feel the auction hall instantly burst into fervent excitement!

It was no wonder they were so stirred. Since the Great Cataclysm, an endless, boundless black cloud had enveloped the Earth, severing all contact with outer space satellites. This black cloud not only blocked light but also satellite signals. Even with the support of energy networks, people could no longer control those satellites.

Yet, that did not mean satellites had lost their value. Before the disaster, satellites covered the entire globe. If these satellite signals could be reconnected and controlled, it might be possible to grasp all potential energy network hubs worldwide. With some luck, they might even be able to control formidable military weapons through satellite signals!

Such an item naturally drew the attention of every faction. They could not understand why someone would put such an invaluable piece of soul equipment up for auction. Logically, such equipment should never appear in an auction house. Any faction or individual who possessed it would have little to fear.

Could it be that this equipment had some flaw? Or was there some secret no one yet knew?

Network identification had its limits. People could see the equipment's information, but unless they used it themselves, it was impossible to make a definitive judgment about a soul item. And since this was a soul-bound item, it meant it could only be used after activation and binding. The auctioneer could not demonstrate it, as binding it to himself would be a grave risk. Usually, unless the current owner was killed, the item could not be transferred.

The auctioneer, of course, would not risk his life over a single lot.

“Are you sure you want to sell this?” Fairen asked, leaning over with surprise as he looked at Miss Yue beside him.

“This item must be useful to you as well,” he added.

“We just don’t want to attract unnecessary trouble,” Miss Yue replied calmly.

Facing Fairen’s question, Miss Yue remained composed. If this item were sold privately, the Fuyuan Society would never let it slip away. But now that the highest commander of the Federation personally put it up for auction, the Fuyuan Society preferred to stay clear. They, like everyone else, saw the value of the equipment, but compared to anonymous bidders, their fixed base was too conspicuous. Other factions could quietly purchase the item and hide it away, but if the Fuyuan Society acquired it, they would face endless probes, attacks, and attempts at seizure—clearly not the Society’s wish. Faced with unpredictable gains versus foreseeable losses, the Fuyuan Society chose avoidance.

For the Fuyuan Society, selling it at auction was far safer than keeping it.

“I see…” Fairen nodded thoughtfully upon hearing Miss Yue’s explanation. Then, as if a thought struck him, a faint smile curled on his lips.

“Wait… if I remember correctly, you said this was put up by the Federation?” he asked.

“That’s right.”

“Excellent.”

Upon hearing this, Fairen snapped his fingers.

“Help me win it.”

“Why do you want it?” Miss Yue was surprised, though she had anticipated this.

Fairen shrugged, spreading his hands.

“Of course, I have my reasons. No need to ask. Also…”

As he spoke, Fairen gestured for Miss Yue to come closer, lowering his voice to whisper something in her ear. Her previously languid expression turned serious. After a moment’s hesitation, she frowned and glared at Fairen.

“You know our rules.”

“I’m not breaking your rules. I’m only asking you to provide intelligence. Isn’t that what you specialize in?”

“That may be true, but if your guess is wrong, Vegas will suffer a huge loss.”

“At worst, I’ll compensate double.”

“It’s not about the money… well, actually, it is…”

Since Fairen was so determined, Miss Yue no longer tried to stop him. She quickly raised the remote and joined the bidding. The auction had reached a fever pitch, and the price for this equipment had already soared to nine million.

Of course, the price hadn’t risen any further because the big players’ ultimate goal was the three Fire Seeds. The soul equipment was a bonus, but not a necessity. After all, Fire Seeds were far more valuable. Energy chips couldn’t be printed like money. Everyone was short on resources these days; good steel must be used on the blade’s edge.

Small factions with no hope for Fire Seeds went all in on the equipment, but they lacked sufficient energy chips. Even pooling all their remaining funds wasn’t enough to compete with the big players. Thus, after reaching nine million, the bidding stalled.

Until Miss Yue stepped in again.

Twenty million!!!

The sudden jump stunned the other factions. The auction hall fell into a hush. Small factions couldn’t afford that sum, and the large factions had to consider the upcoming Fire Seed auction; they couldn’t afford to exhaust resources on this item. After a brief stalemate, the Watchful Goddess was finally won by Miss Yue for twenty million, and it was swiftly delivered to Fairen’s room.

“Commander, what do you need this for?” Aeluka and the others were taken aback. They never expected Fairen to spend twenty million on a single item. If the sisters had been unsure about the value of such amounts before, now they understood what twenty million could buy.

“Oh, nothing special,” Fairen waved off their questions without answering. Just as Aeluka was about to inquire further, Miss Yue entered with a look of helplessness and bent down to whisper something into Fairen’s ear.

“Good,” Fairen said with a smile, patting Miss Yue’s shoulder. Then, standing up, he straightened his coat.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Huh?” Everyone was stunned by his words.

“Where are we going, Commander?”

Fairen smiled calmly and replied, “Of course, to recover our funds.”

(To be continued.)