173: Spending eight million, the doomsday lie of a false god.

In the private room, Chen Du finally made a move.

He gently patted Lin Keke's perky behind, signaling the clingy accessory to move aside for a moment.

"Captain~ I haven't finished charging yet!" Lin Keke reluctantly moved away.

"Little witch, I'll charge you first when we get back!"

With his hands free, Chen Du turned his head.

Next door.

Thunder Shock was panting like a victorious rooster, his face red and neck thick.

"Thunder Baldy, did that blast earlier knock your brainstem loose?"

He pointed at the trembling women in Thunder Shock's private room.

"For these... well, vases, you splurged three hundred and fifty thousand."

"Quite a smooth payment of the idiot tax."

At this point, Chen Du felt a sharp pain in his waist.

Turning his head, he saw Xia Mo.

Two slender, jade-like fingers were pinching the soft flesh at his waist, twisting it ninety degrees clockwise:

"Vases? Are you implying we're vases too?"

"Exactly! Exactly!"

Xia Lai also leaned in.

Dressed in men's clothes so handsome it made one's legs weak, she deliberately straightened her chest, which was no less impressive than her sister's.

"Captain, we're much more useful than vases—we can fight, tank, and warm the bed..."

She made a scissor-hand gesture: "Careful, or we'll confiscate your tool~"

"Ahem..."

Chen Du cleared his throat and took both women's hands in his.

"You're priceless treasures, beyond comparison."

After placating his harem, Chen Du looked back at Thunder Shock, his mockery at full blast:

"Big Baldy, after that three hundred and fifty thousand... do you even have enough spare change left to make a sound?"

Boom!

Thunder Shock felt as if struck by lightning.

He froze in place, his face turning from red to white.

He finally realized.

What bidding? What rivalry?

It was all fake!

"You... you don't like these women..."

Thunder Shock pointed at Chen Du, unable to form a complete sentence.

At this moment.

The money left in his pocket wasn't enough to even place a bid, let alone cover the auction payment he'd just made.

"Out of money? Your pathetic look says it all!"

Chen Du sneered, pulling the beauties beside him closer again, not even sparing Thunder Shock a glance.

"If you're broke, shut up."

"Paupers don't belong in high-stakes games. Go home and play with mud."

"Pfft... Captain, you're so mean! But I give this move full marks!" Xia Lai covered her mouth, laughing so hard she trembled.

"This is intellectual domination!" Li Yaozhi looked at Chen Du with admiration, smiling faintly.

Chen Du remained calm.

Dealing with two idiots whose brains were all muscle and hormones offered no sense of achievement.

"Four hundred and fifty thousand... any higher bids?"

The Clown on stage was going through the motions, but his eyes were locked on Chen Du.

Clearly, the only one in the room with that much liquid capital left was the mysterious "God Du."

Beep—!

At that moment.

A supreme VIP private room on the third floor suddenly lit up.

The lighting was dim, making it impossible to see the person inside.

Only an electronically synthesized voice, processed through a voice changer, came through:

"Six hundred thousand."

The entire room erupted!

Not an increase of one hundred thousand, but a direct jump of one hundred and fifty thousand!

"That's..."

Thunder Shock, who had been hoping for a last-ditch effort, changed his expression upon hearing that voice.

He shrank into his chair, silent, as if he hadn't just lost three hundred and fifty thousand.

Chen Du narrowed his eyes slightly.

In his golden eyes, golden light slowly swirled.

Through the one-way glass, he could sense an extremely obscure, chilling presence lurking in that third-floor room.

"Chen Du..." Xia Mo reacted the fastest, her hand already on the hilt of the [sword name].

A chilling aura spread around her, forming ice crystals in the air.

"It's fine."

Chen Du waved his hand, his expression unchanged.

He turned his head to look at the slightly nervous Ye Qiu: "Head Steward Ye, calculate how much we can still use from our little treasury."

Ye Qiu adjusted her glasses and quickly reported: "Originally, plus the five hundred thousand we just extorted from Wang Ce... a total of eight hundred and twenty thousand."

Eight hundred and twenty thousand.

Chen Du nodded.

Without hesitation, and unlike his earlier teasing of Thunder Shock with incremental bids.

If they were going to play, they'd play big.

He reached out and firmly pressed the bidding button.

"Eight hundred thousand."

Insane?!

Going all in?!

Not even leaving some spending money for the night?

"Amazing! Captain, you're literally my god!"

Lin Keke jumped up excitedly from the sofa, throwing a combo punch into the air: "Charge! Whale players never surrender! Crush him with money!"

An Nuonuo covered her mouth in shock—that was eight hundred thousand... enough to buy lollipops that could circle the Earth, right?

Tang Ran licked her lips excitedly, itching to rush into a fight right then: "Captain's a real man! That's how it's done!"

The third floor.

Fell silent.

A few seconds later.

The light that had just turned on suddenly went out.

No counter-bid.

No threats.

"He actually... gave up?" Xia Xin couldn't believe it, letting out a long sigh of relief.

But Chen Du sneered, swirling his red wine glass.

"He's not out of money."

"He just thinks spending eight hundred thousand on a material is a waste."

"After all, why buy when you can steal?"

He downed the wine in one gulp, his gaze sharpening:

"For some people, killing and looting is the most convenient option."

As soon as he said this.

The women felt a chill.

They were being targeted! But it seemed... exactly what the Captain wanted?

"Eight hundred thousand once... three times! Sold!"

As the Clown's gavel fell, this heart-pounding gamble finally came to an end.

A moment later.

Several fully armed bodyguards entered the private room, carrying a metal tray.

Even through the special lead box, they could feel the violent pulsations inside.

Click.

Chen Du opened the box.

The dark red gelatinous mass lay before him, emitting an alluring yet corrupt aura.

[Eat! Eat! Eat!]

The [sacrifice notebook] in his mind was screaming like a starving ghost that hadn't eaten for three days.

"Shut up, it's not time yet."

Chen Du cursed inwardly.

If he swallowed this thing now, the commotion would probably blow up the entire Blackgold Harbor.

He picked up the priceless "Godhood Vessel."

And casually tossed it.

Plop.

It traced a casual arc through the air before Xia Lai caught it and stuffed it into the [dimensional toolbox].

"This..."

The delivery bodyguard's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Eight hundred thousand!

And you just throw it like that? Treating it like pork from the market?

"What are you looking at?"

Chen Du shot him a sidelong glance.

The momentary release of tyrannical pressure made the bodyguard's legs go weak, almost kneeling on the spot to call him "daddy."

At that moment.

All the lights on the stage suddenly went out.

Leaving only a spotlight shining on the center.

"Everyone!"

The Clown host's voice suddenly turned sharp and piercing, tinged with a morbid excitement, "Tonight's real finale... is just beginning!"

Chen Du frowned slightly. It's here!

The Clown took out an envelope as black as ink, holding it mysteriously above his head.

"This is intelligence."

"Intelligence that can overturn the world and decide the life or death of everyone here!"

The Clown lowered his voice, as if telling a terrifying ghost story:

"This is—the world's countdown!"

"The ultimate key to when this damned game will end! When this collapsing world will be destroyed!"

His words struck everyone like a thunderbolt to the skull.

World countdown?

Game end time? And then? Start over?

If they could know the exact time... it meant foresight! It meant planning! It meant seizing the initiative to survive!

"Starting bid... one hundred thousand black gold coins!"

The entire room fell into an eerie silence.

So quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Then, an even crazier commotion erupted than before.

Some even started secretly loading their guns, others frantically called to raise money—the scene was nearly out of control.

Even the usually steady Xia Xin couldn't help grabbing Chen Du's arm, her voice trembling:

"Captain... if we could know when it ends, wouldn't we..."

Chen Du didn't speak.

He just stared intently at the black envelope, as if trying to see through it.

The notebook that had been roaring in his mind suddenly fell silent.

An abrupt, eerie silence.

Then.

A line of twisted small characters slowly appeared on a blank page, dripping with mockery:

[That is the false god's lie!]

[The true countdown isn't in time, but in the shadows.]

[It's a script fabricated by the Old Gods to harvest faith... believers will inevitably attract indescribable calamity!]

Chen Du's pupils contracted sharply.

This is fake?

Or... a trap meant to bury those who believe?