567: 3 billion

Inside Venue 999, there was an even greater uproar.

"Holy crap, I thought it was over!"

"2.5 billion! That's a direct increase of 500 million!"

"I thought it was just an internal struggle within our Venue 999, but I didn't expect hidden experts in other venues to be eyeing it like tigers!"

"Could it be a noble as well?"

The crowd was in a complete frenzy, with gasps and discussions rising and falling one after another.

Those who had just been immersed in the atmosphere of "nobles crushing the whole field" now felt as if they were watching a plot twist, with the story far more exciting than they had imagined.

When the Male Laureate heard the bid of "2.5 billion," his expression did not fluctuate in the slightest, as if it were just an insignificant number.

He didn't even frown, merely glancing indifferently at the light screen before tapping his finger lightly.

"Venue 999, VIP No. 1, bids—3 billion star coins!"

This time, he did not hesitate or pause, as if he were reporting the most ordinary of numbers.

The entire auction hall fell silent for a moment, followed by an even greater uproar.

"3 billion!?"

"Are they crazy? This isn't an auction anymore; it's burning money!"

"I suspect these people's star coins aren't the same star coins we use..."

However, this time, the mysterious VIP No. 355 did not speak up again for a long time.

Time ticked away, and the number on the light screen remained at "3 billion star coins."

The auctioneer held their breath, confirmed several times, and seeing no new bid prompts pop up, finally brought the hammer down heavily.

"The Flawless Enhancement Potion, final transaction price—3 billion star coins! Won by VIP No. 1 of Venue 999!"

The moment the hammer fell, a deafening wave of discussion erupted throughout the venue.

"3 billion... damn it..."

Martin stared at the final price on the light screen, couldn't help but curse, and then let out a long sigh.

"These nobles are truly rich; they don't hesitate at all."

He turned his head to look at Li Yang, his eyes filled with both envy and a trace of relief—relief that Li Yang hadn't really emptied his pockets to compete, even though he wouldn't have lost money if he hadn't won.

"Indeed."

Li Yang withdrew his gaze, his tone calm.

"I thought 2 billion would be enough, but it seems this Potion is truly not meant for me."

For him, if he could get it, he would; if he couldn't, there was nothing to be done, and he could only blame his own lack of strength.

Martin was silent for a moment, then suddenly lowered his voice and said with some concern.

"Forget about it not being meant for you; I just hope those two aren't petty people, otherwise it won't be fun..."

He was naturally referring to those two nobles.

After all, Li Yang had just gone head-to-head with them, bidding up to 1.5 billion, and they might have been noted down in their little black book.

Qi Yu and Qi Fang also subconsciously shrank their necks, clearly having thought of this as well.

Li Yang, however, just smiled indifferently, his eyes regaining their usual calmness and sharpness.

"I don't know, but if they really want to mess with me, I'm not a pushover."

His tone was not heavy, but it carried an edge that could not be underestimated.

As for the so-called "noble retaliation" that those people talked about, Li Yang actually didn't care much.

He knew very well that the people truly standing at the top of the pyramid wouldn't hold a grudge against someone over a normal auction; that would be too beneath them.

After all, they weren't some nouveau riche; if they were really that petty, they probably wouldn't be well-regarded within their Family.

The turmoil over the Flawless Enhancement Potion gradually subsided as the hammer fell.

The auction continued, and most of the subsequent items were relatively ordinary.

There were practical pieces of equipment, strange little gadgets, and some things that were very precious to ordinary people but could only be considered "add-ons" for people at their level.

Li Yang listened to the auctioneer's introduction while casually browsing the information on the light screen.

Occasionally, when he encountered something to his liking, he would bid, but he always kept it within a reasonable range, not stirring up the kind of thrilling scene from earlier.

After a few rounds, he had picked up a few scattered items, mostly small, practical equipment.

Among them, two items made him particularly satisfied.

They were a pair of small, inconspicuous buttons.

[Miniature Single-Person Emergency Protective Space Device]

The description was very simple, yet enough to make anyone walking among the stars feel their heart race.

They were only the size of a button and could be easily hung on the inside of one's clothing.

Once the user encountered fatal danger, the device would activate instantly, creating a stable and sturdy small sub-space that completely enveloped the user.

This space not only had astonishing defensive power but would also automatically send a positioning distress signal to the Empire's rescue channel.

The user only needed to wait quietly for rescue within the space; outside gunfire, alien beasts, and even certain low-level interstellar disasters could hardly harm them in the slightest.

"This thing is actually quite practical."

Li Yang looked at the description, his heart moved slightly.

Thus, in the subsequent bidding, he acted without hesitation and secured this pair of devices.

Don't look at how small these things were; the price was not cheap at all. Together, the two cost him over 30 million star coins.

"Tsk, these little things are more expensive than some starships."

Martin clicked his tongue from the side.

"But then again, this money is well spent."

Li Yang smiled, not explaining too much.

He took the two button-sized devices out of the box, looked at them carefully, confirmed they were correct, and then turned to hand them to Qi Yu and Qi Fang.

"Here, one for each of you."

His tone was casual, as if he were handing them two ordinary candies.

"This way, if you encounter any special situations, you'll have some protection."

Qi Yu was stunned for a moment, subconsciously looking at the "button," and then looked up at Li Yang.

"Brother Yang, this... this is too valuable, right?"

Qi Fang was also a bit uneasy.

"Yeah, we..."

"Alright."

Li Yang interrupted them.

"I said when we came that I wanted to buy you something. Now that I've picked them out, just take them. If you keep being coy, it'll seem like we're strangers."

His tone was very calm, yet carried an unrefusable certainty.

The two exchanged glances and finally accepted the two devices.

"Thank you, Brother Yang!"

Qi Yu nodded vigorously, her eyes full of gratitude.

"Yeah, thank you, Brother Yang!"

Qi Fang also said solemnly, clutching the device tightly in his palm, as if holding a heavy trust.

Li Yang looked at them, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.

"Alright, keep them safe. Don't wait until you actually need to use them to find out you forgot to bring them."

He knew very well that these two small devices might, one day in the future, save them from a fatal danger.

And that was enough.

The auction process quietly reached its end, the noise in the venue gradually settled, and everyone knew that the moment for the grand finale had arrived.