Genius Mechanic: Chapter 56

Fiarge Contaminated Zone

56. Fully Loaded

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake and An Zheee

Inside KID’s private room, no one spoke. Ji Qingfeng widened his eyes to confirm the virtual screen in front of You Su. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t hearing things and that the 80 million bid did indeed come from their room.

“Bro, are you sure you didn’t accidentally add two extra zeros while bidding?” Ji Qingfeng was now bewildered. This had gone beyond the matter of affording or not. He said, “I admit this guy is really going all out in bluffing, but do we have this much money?”

Lin Yao asked anxiously, “If we can’t pay, will we be stuck working here? Or worse, be sold off to some forsaken galaxy for labor?”

Ji Qingfeng’s daze lifted as he realized, “Do your small savings really have that much money?”

You Su’s tone remained indifferent. “We won’t need your wife’s savings.”

He briefly explained, “S-Grade wind-attribute attack-type anomalous crystals are quite rare. A similarly valued ice-attribute attack-type anomalous crystal reached a record-high of 85 million in the Central Galaxy of the Third Star Domain. At that time, several people bid up to 70 million, and in the end, it was contested by three mecha bases and taken by a base from the Fourth Star Domain.”

“But this is 80 million!!! The Central Galaxy of the Third Star Domain is a large galaxy, and their auction scale is several times bigger than here in Sirius.” Ji Qingfeng didn’t know what to say all of a sudden. “That huge spendthrift in 1468 only bid 50 million. You suddenly jumped to 80 million. What if he doesn’t have that much money? Wouldn’t you be wasting money for nothing? Can’t we bid a bit more gradually?”

Lin Yao looked outside and said worriedly, “1468 isn’t bidding.”

The 80 million price made many people in the auction hall hesitate.

Many mecha pilots had anticipated the S-Grade attack-type anomalous crystal, but they hadn’t expected it to be such a rare crystal.

Everyone was waiting for private room 1468 to bid again, but it stopped bidding.

Ying Chenlin suddenly said, “He won’t continue.”

The auctioneer’s excited voice echoed, “80 million for the third time! S-Grade Wind Falcom anomalous crystal! Congratulations to the VIP in room 5666!”

As the hammer fell, Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao in KID’s private room remained dazed. It wasn’t until the next item came up that they felt as if several tens of millions of star coins had just been washed away like ripples.

Ji Qingfeng’s heart was aching. “Bro!! If you had given me 80 million, I could have saved you 20 million! That 1468 is just bluffing!”

Ying Chenlin explained, “He isn’t bluffing. If we had gradually increased the bid, the price would have still risen.”

Lin Yao was puzzled. “Huh?”

You Su’s peripheral vision fell beyond the gauze curtain as he continued, “Do you think someone who could quickly raise the price from 40 million to 50 million in a breath would spend 12 million on components before the target item even appeared? Is he someone who doesn’t understand value?”

“The other side not only understands its value but also came prepared from elsewhere.”

This auction in Sirius was a small-scale one. There was more than just this one auction house across the entire StarNet that could auction S-Grade anomalous crystals.

In the case of Sirius, where only a preview was released, if someone bids a price higher than the standard S-Grade anomalous crystal, it means that the person understands its value and has come prepared.

Lin Yao asked in confusion, “Elsewhere? How do you know he’s from elsewhere?”

Ying Chenlin, however, understood You Su’s line of thinking. He said, “It’s about the room number. Someone who can casually bid 50 million isn’t likely to be room 1468 in this auction.”

They had used Ying Chenlin’s admission ticket to open this room.

In the Sirius auction house, the higher a person’s level, the lower their room number. This was someone who can throw around 50 million casually but isn’t in the highest room tier.

This person is an auction veteran. In a situation where they understand the goods and are prepared, they keep maneuvering and competing in the earlier bids, testing the limits of the other bidders’ increments.

Finally, increasing the bid by 10 million in one go indicated that in their eyes, this anomalous crystal was worth more, and they were comfortable with the psychological final transaction price.

“A person who understands value knows worth. Ideally, the money they prepared won’t be much less than its historical highest price, but it won’t be significantly higher either. If they had such capital, they would’ve competed in larger auctions instead of coming here based on just a preview,” You Su continued, “Having some funds and moving due to a mere preview message indicates a certain ‘bargain-hunting’ psychology.”

In essence, the other party knows about value, has money but not enough to compete in grander auctions, and has come from afar to seize opportunities.

Gradually engaging in a bidding war with the other party’s preparations in mind makes it easier to drive the price higher.

You Su said, “If he’s wealthy and confident, he will continue competing with me.”

“But obviously, he doesn’t have money.”

As the words were just spoken, a knocking sound came from the door outside. It was a staff member from the auction house.

Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao looked as the staff member entered and exchanged a few words with You Su, after which You Su promptly signed on the data pad the staff member presented.

Once the staff member left the room, Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao were convinced that one among them was a rich person.

Ji Qingfeng’s expression changed, “Ge, you weren’t being stubborn in the first place, you’re a tyrant.”

Lin Yao nodded vigorously.

You Su: “…”

He saw the changes on the auction platform below. “Mine’s done. Since we’re looking for bargains, the next batch of A-class materials might have good prices.”

—

In private room 1468, the man looked towards private room 5666 with a somber expression.

The man in gray attire tilted his head slightly towards the man next to him. Their combined savings amounted to about 100 million star coins. After coming here, they had conducted thorough investigations and estimated the competitive forces that posed a threat. Who would have thought that the anomalous crystal they had thought was already in their grasp would slip through their fingers like this?

“If you hadn’t bid on that component, we could have continued raising the price, maybe even…”

“It wouldn’t work,” the man said in a dark tone, looking outwards. As his mind calmed slightly, he continued, “As long as we raise the bid, the other side will keep raising too.”

If they bid it up to 90 million, that would already exceed the historical high price of a special-grade anomalous crystal. Going further would already surpass their initial budget. The 80 million price point had effectively hit the bottom line of his internal transaction price.

The man in gray attire said, “But you…”

The man suppressed his anger, “Don’t forget, we still need to get that component from the Gu family.”

The man in gray could only give up.

“Furthermore, raising the price so high in a place like this, it’s not just one person aiming to bid on an S-Grade anomalous crystal,” the man’s expression remained unclear, his smile cold, “The feeling of being able to spend lavishly is nice, but it also offends some people.”

Inside the auction venue, the next item was already being presented, and most of the guests in the VIP rooms remembered the extravagant bid made by room 5666 to acquire the S-Grade Wind Falcon anomalous crystal.

“Who is the owner of room 5666?”

“Seems like an independent mecha pilot, doesn’t seem like someone from a mecha base.”

“A substandard room, they could also be someone who came from afar for the auction.”

After the S-Grade anomalous crystal was sold, the following items for auction were A-class or S-Class materials.

At this moment, the auctioneer began introducing the next item: “The next item up for auction is an A-class Red-Haired Leopard Paw Bone, starting at 80,000, with each bid increment not less than 5,000!”

Following the competition between the two individuals, the much-watched room 5666 suddenly made a bid.

The auctioneer announced, “Room 5666 bids 100,000. Anyone else?”

The shocking act of room 5666 bidding a high price for the anomalous crystal had left many in awe. In the following auction time, they began paying close attention to the actions of room 5666, focusing on this high roller.

However, having spent lavishly on an S-Grade anomalous crystal, why would they suddenly show interest in a mere A-class material? Could this A-class material have some special significance?

While some people were wary of room 5666, others, seeing their actions, began to develop sinister intentions.

Malicious bidding was not uncommon in auction houses, with some people specifically targeting those who seemed to have weaker positions or were intentionally inflating prices. Especially since it had been confirmed that in room 5666 was a wealthy figure, with many interested in the S-Grade anomalous crystal, people were collectively eyeing this affluent individual, believing that letting such a wealthy person go without squeezing them a bit would be a waste.

“Room 5666 isn’t short on money. Compete with him for a few rounds and push the price up.”

“The Red-Haired Leopard is at around 250,000. Let’s raise the price for him.”

In another private room within the auction house, the man watched as private room 5666 bid on the starting item, the Red-Haired Leopard. His brow slightly furrowed, “Is there something special about this Red-Haired Leopard?”

The other party understood the goods and knew the prices of anomalous crystals. There was no reason for them not to know the price of a Red-Haired Leopard.

The man in the gray clothing said, “He bid twice, it seems like he genuinely wants to acquire this material rather than acting on a sudden whim.”

“Room 6458 bids 120,000!”

“Room 7145 bids 140,000!”

“Room 5666 bids 170,000!”

…

“Room 6458 bids 250,000!”

For a regular A-class Red-Haired Leopard, there was suddenly new competition. Some were driven by the same bargain-hunting mentality, while others deliberately wanted to raise the price. This ordinary A-Grade Red-Haired Leopard material had suddenly ignited a frenzy among many bidders.

In KID’s  private room, Ji Qingfeng followed the bidding for two rounds. He initially thought this item would be an easy win, but seeing this scene left him dumbfounded, “Are these people crazy? They’re fighting over a Red-Haired Leopard!?”

Lin Yao, who initially wanted to seize an opportunity, asked, “Shouldn’t we bid, Big Bro?”

Ji Qingfeng frowned, “Bid my foot! Don’t learn from You Ge. His extravagant ways will exhaust his wife’s savings sooner or later.”

Theo inquired, “You Su, do you have wife savings?”

You Su: “…”

After observing for a while, Ying Chenlin reported a price, “For this kind of Red-Haired Leopard material, with some effort, you can buy it from merchants for around 200,000.”

Ji Qingfeng continued, addressing Lin Yao, “Just as I thought, there are plenty of bosses with more money than sense. They’re even buying Red-Haired Leopards for 250,000. Yao Bao, let’s not follow suit. We’re here to find bargains, let’s wait for the next one.”

Unlike other items, materials like these have detailed descriptions on the listing.

Ying Chenlin flipped through the item list. Having studied A-class materials for a while, he was familiar with their properties and prices, “The next one, Red Bloodstone, starts at only 100,000?”

“But aren’t all Red Bloodstones 100,000?” Lin Yao asked.

“Not quite. Regular Red Bloodstones start at 100,000, but the one depicted here has a lighter hue and intricate patterns on the surface, suggesting it has aged for at least 500 years,” Ying Chenlin explained carefully, “However, I’ve experimented with Red Bloodstones. Those aged over 500 years are even more effective for crafting exterior panels than some A+ class materials. If we consider the material properties, this Red Bloodstone is worth at least 500,000!”

Ji Qingfeng’s face lit up hearing his words, “So, it’s a chance for a bargain?”

Just when everyone thought that private room 5666 would bid again to raise the price of the Red-Haired Panther, room 5666 suddenly stopped.

The auctioneer struck the gavel three times and declared, “Congratulations to bidder 6458!”

Bidder 6458: “?”

Why did room 5666 stop? It was only 250,000 credits!

In private room 1468, the man frowned as he witnessed this scene. What was room 5666’s intention?

The following items were auctioned quickly, and the auctioneer presented the next item, the “Crimson Bloodstone.” Surprisingly, room 5666 participated in the bidding once again.

Following the precedent of the Red-Haired Leopard, those in the auction hall who weren’t interested began to observe. An item that originally started at 100,000 credits was unexpectedly won by room 5666 for 200,000 credits.

People in the auction were suddenly puzzled about the direction taken by this “big shot” in room 5666.

He suddenly became interested in various materials, participating in the competition for almost every A-class material. The prices he offered fluctuated unpredictably, sometimes bidding high and then suddenly withdrawing. His bidding and withdrawals were abrupt and unpredictable, leaving people perplexed.

“No, why did he withdraw again!”

“I just raised the price, and he decided not to bid.”

“He’s bidding on this material too?!”

“He bid 500,000 credits for one item last time, but now he’s not bidding for one that’s only 100,000 credits?”

“What does this guy really want?”

In KID’s private room, You Su had bid on a few materials midway through but hadn’t looked at the catalog since. Instead, the other three members of KID were getting addicted to studying materials for bargains.

Ying Chenlin was fixated on the auction catalog, pointing at one of the items, “This one can be bid on. The material is good, and if you win it, it can be used to modify your weapon’s exterior.”

Ji Qingfeng nodded at his words, “The starting price is too high, raising it significantly is too much, add 20,000… no, no, just add 10,000.”

Lin Yao sat in front of the virtual screen, meticulously counting each time he entered a “0”. Listening to the discussion nearby, he nervously inputted 10,000 credits.

As the other party’s bidding and raising of prices became increasingly unpredictable, those who were focused on room 5666 became more cautious. Out of apprehension, they refrained from hastily participating in the competition.

When the S-class Red Hare Beast Toe Bone came up for auction, Ying Chenlin raised the price once and managed to secure the material at a lower price than his initial estimated psychological price. As he received the material, he looked on in surprise, “It seems like I’ve gotten a good deal.”

You Su lost interest in other materials and commented, “Isn’t getting a good deal a positive thing? Do you want to earn even more?”

Ying Chenlin responded, “The normal price should still go up by another 2 million.”

Ji Qingfeng added, “Ge, when you lost 30 million credits, did you ever think that you might gain more?”

Lin Yao chimed in, “Da Feng, You Ge is different from us; he’s a tycoon.”

As the auction came to an end, people from various private rooms began to disperse.

When the staff entered the KID private room, they saw the well-wrapped individuals in front of them and felt a touch of apprehension.

After signing the documents and making the payment, the storage device containing the materials was placed on a gilded tray.

The senior manager handed a new black card to Ying Chenlin with a smile, speaking respectfully, “Sir, this is our auction house’s Black Gold V card.”

Ying Chenlin held the black card, momentarily puzzled, “Thank you.”

After the staff left, Lin Yao picked up the storage device and asked, “Da Feng, will they take back this storage device used for the materials?”

“Are you silly? Why would they take it back?” Ji Qingfeng leaned in for a closer look and observed the storage device with a glossy black-gold texture, “My goodness, I’ve seen this type of storage device before. It’s sold for 100,000 credits each. I’ve never used such a storage device in my life.”

Lin Yao tucked the storage device away with satisfaction, “So we made a profit.”

It wasn’t advisable to linger too long at the auction venue. After leaving the auction, the KID members followed an empty corridor to the grand hall of the auction house. Passing by various reception rooms, they stood outside, waiting for someone. Jiang Simiao had heard in the group chat that they had won a bunch of items at the auction. Without a second thought, he told them to wait at the auction house and came to pick them up.

Lin Yao asked, “Is Sanshui worried our hover car might get robbed?”

“It’s possible, he just likes to worry about random things,” Ji Qingfeng replied.

Ying Chenlin stood nearby and suddenly noticed two people passing not far away.

His gaze lingered on one of them for a moment, and when he saw them entering another corridor, he realized it led to the VIP reception room of the auction house.

“The person walking behind, dressed in gray, should be from the Second Star Domain.”

A voice sounded nearby, and Ying Chenlin turned his head slightly to see You Su standing next to him.

Seeing his interest, You Su casually explained, “He put up a facade, but not a complete one.”

His gaze flickered slightly, “What about the other item you wanted to bid on?”

At that moment, a message from Shen Xingtang appeared on his light brain.

Ying Chenlin lowered his gaze slightly and replied, “I got it.”

In the auction’s reception room, the senior manager had finished accommodating the two VIP guests from room 1468, settling the materials and then handing over the storage device to them.

However, the other party inquired about the remaining auction items for the next few days of the 8th Auction.

The man in the trench coat was completely concealed, his hat and mask leaving no trace of his appearance, yet his accent carried the distinctive flavor of Sirius.

The senior manager responded, “Please wait a moment.”

He quickly had someone bring the latest auction catalog and handed it to the man.

After the first day of the 8th Auction concluded, occasional visitors inquired about the upcoming auction items. Naturally, the auction house wouldn’t hesitate to disclose this information, as keeping guests informed about the auction items was one of their primary strategies.

The man took the catalog and glanced at it, furrowing his brows, “Just these?”

The senior manager replied, “Certainly, this is the most up-to-date catalog!”

The gray-clad person beside him frowned, “Why aren’t there any S-class components in the next two days?”

The senior manager explained, “Sir, S-class components appearing in the auction house are still relatively rare, and valuable ones are even scarcer. The only S-class component in this auction has already been acquired by you.”

What about Gu Xiaotian’s component? Even if KID suppressed it, the auction house wouldn’t miss another opportunity to make money.

However, the man said, “Let’s go.”

The person clad in gray hesitated for a moment but quickly caught up with his stride, “Didn’t you say Gu Xiaotian’s component wouldn’t run away?”

The man’s tone turned stern, “Shen Xingtang has made arrangements; we’ve been played by KID!”

—

KID returned to their base, their steps filled with a different sense of satisfaction. If it weren’t for their training schedule requiring early sleep, they might have stayed up looking at the materials until the next day.

The happiest of them all was Theo. Who knew how many Contaminated Zones it had run through in search of an attack-type anomalous crystal to match with You Su? Finally, it had found one, and it turned out to be wind attribute-based. On the way back, it kept chattering in You Su’s mind.

Upon entering the base, You Su promptly shut it down.

Ying Chenlin returned to the maintenance room, placed the Red-Haired Warhorse’s materials into his storage device, and was about to head to the warehouse when he saw You Su entering. He gave him a questioning look, and eventually, You Su tossed over a storage device and a key.

You Su said, “Regarding the weapons, I’ll trouble you with it.”

Ying Chenlin held the items steadily, subconsciously using his mental power to scan inside. He noticed the S-Grade anomalous crystal within, “It’s not much trouble, I already promised you…”

As he spoke, he paused, “There are more materials in here?”

Inside the storage device, apart from the S-Grade anomalous crystal, there were also numerous A-class and S-class materials, forming a small treasure trove.

Ying Chenlin was slightly taken aback, “We don’t need this many materials for weapon repairs.”

“And there are some enhancement materials as well. After the weapon is repaired, the overall performance of the mecha will need your attention.” You Su noticed that Ying Chenlin was focused on the materials inside. He added, “Feel free to take any of the materials from there. Except for the ones meant for the mecha repairs, consider the rest as your reward.”

From outside the room, Ji Qingfeng’s voice echoed, “You Su, where are you? Sanshui said the files for the Round of 16 to 8 matches are out. He’s calling us for a meeting.”

Upon hearing the voice, You Su tapped Ying Chenlin’s shoulder and then left the maintenance room.

A reward…?

Ying Chenlin gazed at the small treasure trove of materials inside the storage device and then glanced at Theo beside him. Indeed, it seemed like Theo consumed more funds than Yuan.

Theo, having finally restarted itself, immediately regained awareness and noticed the busy young man beside it. It had grown used to this; whenever You Su forcibly shut it down, it meant being thrown into the maintenance room.

The spacious table accommodated both it and the storage device beside the young man. Seeing the rough sketch of its original weapon in progress on the drafts, designed using the S-Grade anomalous crystal, it realized that designing a weapon with an S-Grade anomalous crystal was much more complex. During this period, it had seen Ying Chenlin design several weapons, with the S-Grade anomalous crystal taking the most time. The dual-attribute anomalous crystal from the S-Grade Sand Lizard, in particular, had seen numerous draft versions from Ying Chenlin.

Theo felt both itchy and anxious but could only watch from the sidelines.

It had clearly told You Su that it wanted a cool and flashy weapon, but You Su hadn’t mentioned a word of it to Ying Chenlin.

Puzzled, Theo observed Ying Chenlin as he sketched, paying attention to the various draft images inside.

Suddenly, it noticed another sketch sandwiched among the drafts. Its style was completely different from what it had seen before. It looked like a cannon-type weapon, but not entirely. Yet, Theo was certain that no one within KID had ever used this style of weapon.

Theo felt like its current position was too off. Just as it was about to study the sketch closely, Ying Chenlin turned the page over, effectively hiding it.

What kind of weapon was that…?

Regrettably, Theo withdrew its gaze. However, it suddenly caught sight of something and hastily looked toward Ying Chenlin’s neck.

Beneath the concealing clothing, a faint glimmer seemed to be present.

At that moment, a communication request from Shen Xingtang popped up on his light brain.

“Chenlin? Regarding the S-class component from the auction, there’s progress on the investigation I was tasked with.”

Ying Chenlin set aside his current task and absentmindedly picked up the data tablet. “Alright, I’ll be there shortly.”

Theo watched as Ying Chenlin left, its gaze following his departing figure.

Once he was gone, it turned to inspect its own intelligence. It seemed like it had caught a signal from Ying Chenlin just now

It had only been a fleeting moment, but the energy frequency of that signal seemed higher than an A+ Competition level mecha’s.

TN:

Theo’s personality is hilarious. Completely different from You Su so far. And wait since the mechas are intelligent, do they also experience emotions? Like when You Su and Chenlin fall in love will they also feel affectionate towards each other?! Ah, when will Yuan wake up? I want to see what kind of personality it has.

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