Great, I'm surrounded by villains.

Chapter 216 Dedicated to the God of Life

After leaving the banquet hall, the old woman explained the auction process in detail to the three people. They first needed to go to the staff of the exchange to go through the formalities. If the goods or services they provided were deemed valuable by the Chamber of Commerce, they would be included in the list of goods of the exchange auction house.

The auction is located on the sixth underground floor of the exchange. Only VIP users certified by the Chamber of Commerce are eligible to attend. Rare goods often appear at the auction.

This is also the only way for non-VIP users to enter the sixth underground floor - as a seller or as a cargo.

The superpowers that Xing possesses are one of the most sought-after commodities in the exchange, and as long as the abilities are not too weak, they can often be sold at a high price.

Scarcity makes things valuable. For those VIP customers who have achieved "chip freedom", they prefer to use chips to buy things that cannot be exchanged for power and wealth in the real world.

However, there are many unscrupulous businessmen like the young man in the banquet hall. They specialize in cheating people like Xing who don't understand the situation. They use coercion and inducement to buy at low prices and then sell at sky-high prices.

The old woman claimed that she was the victim.

Her granddaughter's dream since childhood was to become a musician, but her talent was mediocre. Even with extraordinary efforts, it was difficult to achieve success. A few days ago, she used 20 years of chips to buy the talent of a musician from a young man. However, what she didn't expect was that while her granddaughter inherited the musical talent, she also fell into a state of extreme depression.

The old woman later learned that the musician's talent came from a patient with severe depression, who ended his life not long after selling his talent.

However, the young man said that this was normal, and that an artist's inspiration comes from pain, and only by experiencing extreme pain can one create a masterpiece that will last forever.

Once the goods are sold, they cannot be returned or exchanged.

The state of depression and pain will accompany her granddaughter throughout her life, so when she saw the young man cheating again, she was so angry that she stood up immediately.

The old woman also enthusiastically took the three of them to the registration office of the auction.

“I really met a kind person.”

Zheng Liu looked at the other person's back and sighed.

In this cold-hearted exchange, the old woman's generous help made him feel the long-lost warmth.

Duan Mingyuan said nothing and did not break Zheng Liu's yearning for truth, goodness and beauty.

When the old woman turned around, he noticed that the numbers on her brooch had changed, from a three-day countdown to seven days, and after bringing the two people in, she made a lot of eye contact with the registrar.

This is a pimp.

It seemed that as long as she brought rare goods to the registrar, she would receive corresponding rewards.

However, the pimp gave them a lot of information, which also gave Duan Mingyuan a new understanding of the exchange. He thought it was just an ordinary power-for-money transaction market, but he didn't expect that the business scope of Shanqi Chamber of Commerce was so wide that even such illusory commodities as superpowers, talents, and inspirations could be sold.

Here, the more illusory something is, the higher its value tends to be.

“There’s also a talent showcase at the auction.”

After reading the auction instructions, Xing extracted the important parts.

The steps to sell superpowers are simple. When it is her turn to go on stage, she has to demonstrate her abilities to all the customers participating in the auction in the center of the stage. The more people she can impress, the higher the final auction price will often be.

“It’s time to make a decision.”

Xing said, "There are only 30 minutes left before the registration for the list ends. If you miss the registration, you have to wait until three days later."

With less than seven hours left, they obviously couldn't wait until three days later.

"According to the auction process, I can take you to the sixth underground floor, but when that happens, I will hand it over to you."

The auction instructions also mention many details of the capacity auction.

When the ability is successfully sold and separated from the original owner's body, the original owner will experience symptoms such as headaches and weakness in the limbs. In severe cases, the original owner may fall into a coma, but this is all normal. As long as they rest, they will return to normal and there will be no serious sequelae.

After that, she just had to learn to live like a normal person.

But in order to find out the cause of his master's death and to uncover the secrets of the underground exchange in Siyang City, Xing thought it was worth it.

“If anything unexpected happens while I’m unconscious, you don’t have to worry about me. Just make sure to get this matter out of here.”

"apricot!"

Zheng Liu blurted out that although they had only known each other for less than a day, they had already become comrades whose lives were bound together. How could he abandon his comrades and run away alone?

"Don't act on impulse."

Xing smiled, and the air was suddenly filled with the scent of knives. "Master said that every hunter will have such a day. This way, I can retire early."

"Forget that thought."

Duan Mingyuan couldn't bear to watch it any longer, so he had to interrupt the two of them, "This may be an old tradition of the association, but in today's Royal Hunting Court, every hunter can work peacefully until retirement."

Only a stable, secure industry with various pension guarantees can attract more outstanding talents to join.

Ever since he entered the underground exchange, he had been feeling subtly unhappy, and just now, Duan Mingyuan finally realized the source of the oppressive feeling.

Everything was caused by Zheng Liu and the countdown on the Xing brooch.

Not only them, but everyone here is like this.

They came here to change their fate and class, but from the moment they put on the brooch, they became slaves to their fate.

Regardless of whether they rely on luck or brains, they must act according to the rules of underground transactions. In order to obtain more bargaining chips, they are even willing to turn themselves into goods for sale.

Xing escaped the test of "luck" and "wisdom", but at this moment, because of her sense of justice, she was willing to turn herself into an item at the auction.

However, it was also because of this that Duan Mingyuan understood the operating mechanism of the underground exchange and the "dealers" who decided the chips and transactions behind the scenes.

“This registration form is no longer useful.”

"But……"

Duan Mingyuan put the registration form back and stood in front of the registrar before Xing finished speaking. "We are going to the sixth underground floor. Lead the way."

Faced with such a simple and crude request, the registrar was stunned at first, and then a trace of panic flashed in his eyes, as if he finally recognized the identities of Duan Mingyuan and others. He bowed repeatedly and said respectfully, "I will prepare rooms for you right away."

Just now……

What happened?

Before the two of them could say anything, something even more shocking happened.

The countdown on the brooch began to go back.

One second, one minute, one hour, one day...

All the numbers were jumping rapidly, so fast that it was dizzying. The naked eye could not keep up with the speed of the numbers.

The two people's hearts were beating violently with the rapidly changing speed.

Maybe a minute, or less.

The registrar in front of me took only two steps before the beating of the brooch finally stopped.

In the end, even the numbers no longer existed. Only the single symbol remained on the brooch that bloomed like a lotus, and it seemed that nothing would change anymore.

——『∞』.

Small Theater No. 9:

Sunday, noon

On this day, Jiu Yue encountered the biggest crisis in his life.

She stood on the back hill, with a huge adult fried chicken with white feathers standing in front of her. All nine heads were smiling at her, and the chirping sounds were like children acting coquettishly to their elders.

Its feathers are white and shiny, and it is obvious that it has been well cared for.

, this day has finally arrived.

The white-feathered chickens had finally grown to a state with the most delicious meat. In order to be able to taste the delicious meat of the super white-feathered chickens frequently, Jiu Yue asked Jin Li for a few chicks and raised them personally.

She planted the seeds, and now should have been the harvest time, but when Jiu Yue faced the white-feathered chickens, she felt for the first time that she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Not only can I not bring myself to eat them, but I can't even eat other white-feathered chickens anymore.

As soon as she closed her eyes, the scene of the white-feathered chicken affectionately and coquettishly towards her would appear before her eyes.

"Mr. Mingyuan!"

Jiu Yue gritted her teeth and handed the peach wood sword to Duan Mingyuan, tearfully asking him for help, "I can't do it, so you should do it. You have to do it quickly and make sure it doesn't feel any pain!"

Duan Mingyuan had no intention of attacking. He put away the peach wood sword, stopped Jiuyue who had buried her head in his arms and dared not look at him, and comforted her, "Don't force yourself. They are not the only birds in this vast universe."

"Then there will be no chicken to eat today."

September cried even more sadly.

"I'll buy you some fried chicken legs."

“New Orleans style.”

At the same time, Jiu Yue made a decision in her heart - she would never raise chickens again!

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 217 Give me Lao Duan a favor

"Don't be nervous, this is a simple way to use the barrier."

After entering the elevator that went directly to the sixth underground floor, Duan Mingyuan explained to the two, "I just modified some of their memories so that they would think of us as VIP guests of the exchange."

Duan Mingyuan spoke calmly, as if he had only done something insignificant.

However, Zheng Liu and Xing said nothing. They felt that Duan Mingyuan redefined the usage of the word "just" and instantly changed the memory and cognition of all the staff of the exchange. This was simply the ability of a villain boss.

At the same time, it also made their previous sacrifice and awareness seem a little embarrassing.

In their original imagination, the trip to the exchange was a life-and-death experience, and they might have to sacrifice themselves in the end in order for Duan Mingyuan to bring out the information about this place, but in fact, Duan Mingyuan seemed to want to single-handedly defeat the Flash Flag Chamber of Commerce.

"What about this? Is this also the effect of the barrier?"

Zheng Liu pointed to the "∞" on his brooch. In less than a minute, he and Xing went from being dying with less than seven hours left to being the richest people in the Chamber of Commerce. The change happened so fast that it felt unreal to them.

They are all the most insignificant little people in various organizations. It would be as easy for the Flash Flag Chamber of Commerce to crush them as it is to crush an ant.

Dying silently should have been their end, but...

They now have a real-life version of Feng Ling Yue Ying by their side.

When the security personnel of the exchange blocked their way, Feng Ling Yueying modified the code in the background, changing their identities to "VIP customers". The chips they carried were also changed to "9999999" with one click. Zheng Liu had never encountered such a satisfying situation in the game. After all, modifying too much data in the game may cause bugs or corrupt files.

"No, this is all thanks to the enthusiastic people at the exchange."

When intangible things such as talent, ability and inspiration became tradable commodities, Duan Mingyuan realized that there was supernatural involvement behind the Chamber of Commerce, and all the evidence pointed to the "goddess" mentioned by the young man.

All transactions must be completed under the supervision of the goddess.

Only true gods can strip away these illusory things and turn them into commodities that can be traded.

This also explains why gamblers who run out of chips in the casino do not die of natural causes, but rather their life energy is drained away, as if an invisible hand has strangled them by the throat, taking away everything they have.

This is also the power of God.

"This shows that the goddess that the Flash Flag Chamber of Commerce believes in is real. She is the real 'dealer'. The chips come from her, the rules are set by her, and everything that happens here is controlled by her."

Giving and taking are both God's powers.

"As long as we understand the principle behind this, the next thing will be much easier to handle. Since He can let you have only seven hours of chips left and can also give you unlimited chips, I didn't actually do anything. I just asked Him to give me, Old Duan, a favor."

"Old Duan."

Zheng Liu put his hand on Duan Mingyuan's shoulder. He felt more and more that something was wrong with Duan Mingyuan, so wrong that he had completely lost his common sense.

In his opinion, if one wants to ask for the protection of gods, one must kowtow three times and bow nine times. Asking gods to give oneself a favor is itself a serious violation of common sense.

What’s even more outrageous is that the goddess believed in by the Shanqi Chamber of Commerce actually gave Lao Duan this face.

"Stop pretending, Lao Duan, you are actually God, right?"

Zheng Liu thought about it carefully. Resurrection, memory modification, and transformation of people into other objects are all abilities that belong to the Creator in the belief system. "Is there anything in this world that you can't do?"

"That's too much."

Duan Mingyuan waved his hands. He felt that Zheng Liu was flattering him too much.

Only by always keeping an open mind and seeking advice can we make progress. "For example, in the fields of fox demon tail care and ear care, I still have a lot to study. In addition, I just started reading the book Ecology and Origin of Fox Demons recently."

There are still too many things he doesn't know about this world, not to mention the vast universe.

"Yeah, all he can do is kill everyone here in an instant if he wants to."

Xing suddenly spoke.

Her voice changed, and an amber light flashed in her dark pupils. Although her appearance did not change, her temperament was very different from before, giving people a sacred and majestic feeling. Zheng Liu was stared at by that pair of shining eyes, and he wanted to kneel down in front of her.