Chapter 147 What are you looking at? Swipe your card.

Shen Zhixue was about to say something when the lights around them dimmed, and everyone fell silent.

Jiang Huizhou grasped his wrist and whispered, "He's here."

Shen Zhixue followed Jiang Huizhou's gaze and saw a man dressed in a black hoodie sitting to their left. The man's figure was frail, hidden beneath the oversized clothing, and not particularly noticeable.

"How do you know it's him?" Shen Zhixue whispered into Jiang Huizhou's ear.

Jiang Huizhou raised an eyebrow, "Who else could it be? You expect info for free?"

Shen Zhixue smirked coldly, "You still want something in return?"

"Ever since you tricked me that night, you haven't given me even a moment of intimacy," Jiang Huizhou sighed. "My life matters too."

Shen Zhixue scoffed, "If you want to settle accounts, then let's settle them properly."

Jiang Huizhou: "..."

Suddenly, he felt something was off.

"About the starship, care to explain?" Shen Zhixue said. "Even after you acted foolishly, the plan still went as you intended. So clever, aren't you?"

Jiang Huizhou guiltily pinched Shen Zhixue's fingertips and whispered, "I was just preparing for the worst, that's all. You think I'm clever, but it's really just common sense—predicting all possibilities and habitually leaving myself a way out. You know, I never had a mother, and my father wasn't kind to me, plus there was the wicked stepmother... If I hadn’t looked out for myself, I might not be here with you."

Shen Zhixue pulled his hand away, "Stop trying to deceive me."

Jiang Huizhou, completely at Shen Zhixue's mercy, quickly added, "That man sits perfectly straight, almost like he has OCD—every strap on his clothes is tied with precise meticulousness. Most telling, his hand shows signs of chemical exposure."

"Just based on that, you’re sure it’s him?"

"Wan Chong mentioned the guy selling the transformation drug to Du Du runs his own underground lab. Every so often, he takes Du Du to the lab to check his physical data. From this, it’s obvious he’s not just after money. Otherwise, he wouldn't take such a big risk letting Du Du discover his lab."

"Transformation drugs aren’t available on the market, so he's developing one. He’s almost there, but the drug still has side effects. That’s why he uses volunteers to test the drug for him."

Jiang Xingliu pursed his lips and interrupted Jiang Huizhou, "I recall seeing research on transformation drugs in the military academy’s archives, but the data in the file only went halfway before it abruptly stopped. The project was abruptly halted, but the reason wasn’t clear—only a note saying 'insufficient funds.'"

Shen Zhixue nodded, "This research clearly costs a fortune."

The auction was heating up, but Shen Zhixue's attention remained fixed on the man in the black robe. He stayed seated, showing no interest in the auction items.

If so, why risk coming here?

"Wow, that’s something special," Jiang Huizhou's voice pulled Shen Zhixue's thoughts back.

He saw a sparkling gem on the stage.

The gem was exquisitely crafted, absolutely stunning.

Did the man in black come for this gem?

"What is it?"

Maybe it’s a key ingredient or a crucial tool for drug development...

"Hmm?" Jiang Huizhou raised an eyebrow and said, "Starstone gold—an ancient Earth relic. Likely the only one in existence. Priceless, isn’t it?"

Shen Zhixue nodded without thinking.

Jiang Huizhou raised his paddle, his casual tone tinged with a hint of unruly arrogance: "One billion."

The room exploded in whispers and gasps, all eyes turning towards him.

The Starstone was indeed a rare gem, but apart from its beauty, it had little practical use. Its true value was only around several tens of millions, and the starting bid for this Starstone was a mere five million.

The bidding had barely hit six million when he dropped the hammer with his bid.

The man in the black cloak shot a sharp glance in their direction, while Shen Zhixue remained silent. Jiang Huizhou's actions only deepened his suspicion that this Starstone was far from ordinary!

The bidding was over before it really began, and for a long time afterward, no one dared to challenge his bid.

Jiang Huizhou easily snagged the Starstone.

The next item was swiftly presented—a crystal glowing with a yellow light, typically used in the core construction of starships, a truly rare and valuable piece.

The starting bid was twenty million star credits.

Someone had just upped the bid to fifty million when Jiang Huizhou raised his paddle again: "Two billion."

Shen Zhixue: "???"

He muttered, "What the hell are you buying this for?"

Jiang Huizhou rested his chin on his hand, pondering for a moment: "It’s clear, dense, but still lightweight. It’d make a cool lampshade once it’s polished."

Shen Zhixue took a deep breath: "What kind of lampshade costs two billion?"

"As long as it looks cool," Jiang Huizhou said nonchalantly. "Besides, it’s not my money, right, Mr. Big Bucks Captain?"

Jiang Xingliu: "...Whatever."

It wasn't his money anyway.

Item after item... Jiang Huizhou's bids grew increasingly higher, the total amount already surpassing ten billion.

Shen Zhixue felt lightheaded, like his skin was crawling with ants. He gripped Jiang Huizhou's wrist, gritting his teeth: "Ten billion... ten billion... Did you even leave behind an inheritance of ten billion?!"

"Probably," Jiang Huizhou mused. "If not, I’ve got some shady side hustles that can't be notarized for inheritance, like underground casinos. One casino rakes in about thirty billion a year, and I’ve quietly opened over thirty, all under Ji Yuan's name. I’ll just ask him for it when the time comes."

Shen Zhixue: "..."

Do rich folks just count in billions now?

Have you drained the empire’s coffers?!

No, it seems he’s not just taking the empire's money!

Shen Zhixue fell silent, and so did the entire auction hall. Almost every item that came up, Jiang Huizhou would buy it at three to ten times its value.

The only sound in the room was Jiang Huizhou's leisurely bidding. No one dared to challenge him anymore.

Jiang Huizhou slowly spoke up: "Why aren’t you all bidding? Don’t you like it?"

The crowd: "..."

We’re broke!

"The items are decent, just not very interesting," Jiang Huizhou sighed, crossing his legs. "How about I just scoop up the rest? Say... three billion, deal?"

Gasps of shock filled the room. Thirty billion yuan—enough not just to buy the remaining items at the auction, but to purchase the entire underground black market with plenty to spare!

"You see, they don’t dare to bid anymore," Jiang Huizhou said innocently, blinking. "Let’s wrap this up. After we’re done here, I still have to accompany my wife to shop for other things."

Shen Zhixue: "..."

With such a big spender at hand, the host had no reason to refuse and quickly agreed, declaring the auction over. Everyone was still reeling from the shock, while Jiang Huizhou nonchalantly led Shen Zhixue to the backstage to collect their purchases.

"All the items are here," the host said, presenting a card reader. "The total is forty-five billion."

Jiang Huizhou nodded smugly, then stepped aside and said, "What are you staring at? Swipe the card."

Jiang Xingliu: "..."