The Strong Female Lead Versus The Most Miserable Male Lead-Chapter 484: In Hand

The starting bid was ten thousand Star Coins, yet the auctioneer didn’t even specify the minimum bid increment. He clearly didn’t think anyone would buy it.

Nian Shutong glanced to the left and before she could look to the right, the auctioneer was about to leave.

"Alright, if no one bids, I will declare—"

"Ten thousand and one Star Coins!"

Nian Shutong placed a bid. She looked at the auctioneer with a pair of somewhat innocent eyes and said, "You didn’t say how much the minimum bid increment was, so I just added one Star Coin."

The auctioneer looked at Nian Shutong, gesturing with one finger. At that moment, he decided he definitely had to tell the boss not to use this idiot anymore.

Being good-looking was of no use.

Indeed, the auctioneer had already concluded that Nian Shutong was a plant, probably one who had entered through backdoor connections.

He looked at Nian Shutong with a kind of resentful disappointment and asked perfunctorily, "Does anyone else wish to bid?"

The other six representatives were snickering to themselves, or rather, openly smiling with glee, looking at Nian Shutong with schadenfreude.

This plant... was truly foolish to the core.

Though ten thousand Star Coins might certainly not be a lot for these individuals, no one wanted to throw away ten thousand Star Coins just for a splash.

Let alone, if someone actually bought this plot of land, they would surely be laughed to death by their peers upon returning.

The auctioneer also knew no one else would bid. Reluctantly, he said, "Representative from seat seven has acquired mining site number 444, with a bid of ten thousand and one Star Coins, sold."

The auctioneer was about to leave after his announcement, but Nian Shutong stopped him. She held out her palm and said, "Shouldn’t there be a certificate for a successful bid?"

The auctioneer gazed at Nian Shutong, as if asking: What now? Are you actually playing for real? Seriously spending money?

Nian Shutong, pretending not to understand, stepped forward, opening the palm of her hand. Her Light Computer account was already open. With an utterly naive expression, she asked, "Account’s open, shall I transfer the money?"

The auctioneer really couldn’t understand Nian Shutong’s actions. He opened his own account and received the transfer of ten thousand and one Star Coins from Nian Shutong.

"The badge."

"Here you go!"

The auctioneer slapped it into Nian Shutong’s palm forcefully.

"Thank you."

Nian Shutong expressed her thanks with genuine happiness. Regardless of everything else, for the moment, the mining land was legally hers according to interstellar law.

Even if these people later found out about the Crystal Stones here, surely no one would challenge interstellar law, right?

If they did, Nian Shutong would teach them some lessons in manners.

Having obtained the badge and performing a spiritual power check and binding, mining site number 444 was in her hands.

She didn’t flaunt a triumphant expression, just followed the others back to the vehicle.

After boarding the vehicle, several representative teams started whispering among themselves. Nian Shutong could clearly sense the looks they gave her, as if watching a fool, sizing up her and her companions.

Ah, what a bunch of meddling people.

The vehicle continued on its journey, and Nian Shutong continued along as well, getting off to place bids.

But whether the other six firms had conspired or not, they actually let Nian Shutong win a bid.

When she bid three hundred and forty million, no one else offered a higher price, and mining site number 999 fell into her hands.

The auctioneer’s face was practically paralyzed with frustration. Where on earth had they found this plant?

Your previous behavior was so blatantly obvious, even that most worthless number 444 plot was bought by you—who would continue to bid against you?

All six representative groups knew you were doing it deliberately.

Nian Shutong looked at the six representatives reveling in the spectacle and felt the auctioneer’s piercing gaze on her back. She was truly innocent.

"$340 million seems fair enough to bid," she thought, without the intention of driving up the price.

Having acquired another mining site, Nian Shutong didn’t make any further moves thereafter, content to be a wooden figure, honestly following the other delegates.

The consensus among the six representative teams was that one lesson learned was enough, now too cautious to bid recklessly again.

The remaining auctions went normally.

When everything had been auctioned off, not a single parcel had failed to sell, all were accounted for.

The auctioneer, who should have been happy, felt a bit heavy-hearted as he led everyone back to the auction site, where he pointed to a window and said, "It’s fine to register there."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a figure darted out.

The auctioneer took a closer look—wasn’t this the shill the boss had brought in?

What was she rushing for?

What for? Nian Shutong would surely tell him—to handle the paperwork.

Nian Shutong was the first to rush to the window, completing all the formalities.

At the moment she finished, she finally felt relieved.

As she walked out after completing the procedures, the auctioneer happened to meet his boss. He sneakily lowered his head, gestured towards where Nian Shutong was, and whispered, "Boss, two in hand."

The boss, who was a bit balding, looked at the auctioneer with confusion and asked, "What do you mean by two in hand?"

"Huh? The person you arranged, they got two."

The boss was even more baffled—who had arranged for anyone?

The boss followed the direction the auctioneer was pointing and glanced at Nian Shutong, who had just finished the paperwork. At this point, Nian Shutong no longer appeared naive and inexperienced; she had regained her own demeanor.

"That one? How is that possible?" the boss questioned, causing the auctioneer to take another look, equally astounded.

How could this person be so different from before?

Suddenly, the auctioneer realized there might be something going on here. He immediately asked the boss, "Are you sure you haven’t arranged for... a shill?"

The word "shill", the auctioneer only mouthed silently.

The boss gave the auctioneer a cold, sidelong glare, as if to say, Are you looking to get fired?

Where do you think you are to dare mention that word?

The auctioneer suddenly understood—he had been mistaken.

There was no shill, not from beginning to end.

Releasing the boss’s arm, the auctioneer watched as the mysteriously elegant Nian Shutong walked past him, giving him a secretive smile. A sense of foreboding washed over him.

Could there be something unknown about these two auctioned mines?

"Just focus on your work; we’re only here to auction the mining sites. What’s inside is none of our business," the boss advised, patting the auctioneer on the shoulder, and with one sentence, summed up their true nature.

The auctioneer also sighed in relief and smiled back at his boss, saying, "You’re right, I was getting carried away."

Mining could indeed lead to sudden wealth, but if even one out of ten succeeded, that was notable.

Their most important principle was to keep a level head: no envy, no illusions.

Some things cannot be secured simply by purchase.

However, that beautiful and mysterious woman—perhaps she was an exception.

The auctioneer suppressed all his thoughts and returned to his job.

On the other side, Nian Shutong, with Fu Yunhe in tow, was on a train, rushing non-stop towards Mining Site 444.

Crystal Stone, here I come.

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