Chapter 28: Jia Yi

“The next item up for auction is quite a special one, provided by the newly appointed Councilor and formidable warrior, Lord Jiang Chen!”
The auctioneer’s voice resounded as the projection of a powerful mech appeared above the grand hall. “The ‘Boxer’ powered mech: as long as the pilot possesses the physique of at least an advanced martial artist and undergoes rigorous training, it can be operated. It also features a remote, unmanned mode. Its maximum speed reaches 800 meters per second, and its punch force is 350,000 kilograms...”

“In accordance with Lord Jiang Chen’s instructions, the five ‘Boxer’ mechs will be auctioned off separately. The starting bid for each is thirty billion Huaxia credits. Let the bidding begin!”

As the auctioneer’s words faded, the bidding commenced immediately.

“Thirty-one billion!”

“Thirty-two billion!”

“Forty billion!”

The performance parameters of the ‘Boxer’ were stated in detail, even accompanied by several videos of brutal combat against lord-level monsters. For the mighty gathered in the Palace of War Gods, it was easy to discern its value.

Though the five units were auctioned separately, the price soared rapidly, surpassing forty billion within mere minutes and continuing to climb.

In the audience, Luo Feng studied the ‘Boxer’s specifications repeatedly. Amazed, he glanced at Jiang Chen and asked, “This ‘Boxer’—it’s practically equivalent to a high-level War God, isn’t it?”

“It’s still quite a bit inferior to a true high-level War God,” Jiang Chen shook his head. “After all, it can’t use specialized martial techniques to boost its power, and its pilot’s prowess is weaker, with slower reflexes than a War God.”

He paused, then added, “But its attack, speed, and defense are all robust. With the right tactics, it could certainly serve as a mid-level War God.”

“That’s still frightening. A single mech could let an advanced warrior wield the power of a mid-tier War God. If there were enough of them, wouldn’t it be possible to wipe out all the monsters?” Luo Feng marvelled inwardly.

“Impossible. Not to mention the planetary-level beasts—just those in the oceans, rivers, and lakes are beyond its reach. Underwater combat is the ‘Boxer’s weakness, and its endurance is merely average,” Jiang Chen replied, not hiding the mech’s shortcomings.

This auctioning of five ‘Boxers’ served both as advertising and as a way to gauge how the world’s powers truly valued them.

Now that he held the title of Councilor, Jiang Chen acted with greater boldness, no longer worried about others coveting the ‘Boxer.’

The prices continued to climb, but there was a limit.

After nearly half an hour of bidding, the five ‘Boxers’ were sold for prices between eighty-five and eighty-eight billion each.

Two of them landed in the hands of the HR Alliance’s top warriors.

The remaining three were claimed by representatives from Russia, the United States, and India, respectively.

As for the Huaxia military, Jiang Chen had already promised Li Dawei that once the ‘Boxer’ production line was completed, he would sell to them at a reasonable price. Thus, the Huaxia military did not participate in the bidding.

“The HR Alliance bought two units at once—likely planning to reverse engineer and crack the technology,” Li Dawei warned Jiang Chen.

So-called patent protection only applies if you actually file for a patent. And in certain fields, not everyone abides by such rules.

Especially when it comes to vital anti-monster weaponry—even if ‘Hong’ and ‘Thunder God’ knew, they might turn a blind eye.

Jiang Chen glanced at Li Dawei.

The technology behind the ‘Boxer’ far exceeded Earth’s current level, and was protected by encryption.

Even if they attempted to crack it, it wouldn’t happen overnight.

By the time these powers managed to unlock the core tech, Jiang Chen would have long since moved beyond such devices.

“It’s fine. The most critical modules are all encrypted, and I’ve even installed self-destruct mechanisms. If anyone tries to dismantle and study it, the core module will be instantly destroyed. Such scenarios are not covered by after-sales guarantees,” Jiang Chen said pointedly.

He didn’t believe for a moment that Li Dawei wouldn’t have his people attempt to reverse engineer the ‘Boxer.’ With this warning, any future trouble would not be his responsibility.

Li Dawei caught the implication and chuckled. “If we’re purchasing in bulk, I assume the price won’t be based on auction figures?”

“We’ll discuss the specifics once the production line passes its tests. Mass production and limited batches have very different costs,” Jiang Chen replied. “But I can guarantee: for every ‘Boxer’ sold to the Huaxia military, my profit margin won’t exceed thirty percent. If you’re willing to pay with rare treasures, I can offer a further discount.”

Li Dawei pondered for a moment and nodded. “In principle, I agree. But for details, we’ll talk further. For such a large deal, my rank isn’t high enough—I’ll introduce you to someone else.”

Jiang Chen had a vague idea who that person might be and agreed.

The auction continued. Jiang Chen didn’t bid even once—none of the items were things he was in urgent need of.

Luo Feng, on the other hand, made two more purchases of rare monster materials, intending to craft equipment for himself.

After more than three hours, the auction finally came to an end, but Jiang Chen and Luo Feng didn’t immediately leave the Palace of War Gods.

Luo Feng sought out the American official selling “Water of Life,” hoping to buy more.

Jiang Chen, meanwhile, requested a conference room from the Palace of War Gods to meet with the person behind Li Dawei.

“Jiang Chen, this is Councilor Jia Yi, founder of the special division ‘Mount Hua,’” Li Dawei introduced. “Councilor Jia Yi, this is Councilor Jiang Chen—nineteen years old and already planetary-level, as well as a top-tier scientist. The mass-produced ‘Ripper’ rifles we upgraded to were his design.”

“Hello, Mr. Jiang. I’m Jia Yi, a second-level planetary warrior,” Jia Yi said, extending his hand without a trace of arrogance.

Seeing Jia Yi, Jiang Chen’s heart stirred.

This was a true hero who devoted himself to Huaxia and to humanity. In the original work, he even sacrificed his life during the catastrophe brought by the Golden-Horned Beast, earning the title “Eternal Hero.”

Jiang Chen felt a certain respect for such a man.

He shook Jia Yi’s hand and smiled. “Hello, I’m Jiang Chen, fifth-level planetary spiritual master.”

At his words, Jia Yi’s pupils contracted sharply. “Fifth-level planetary?!”

“What we’re here to discuss isn’t my strength, but the ‘Boxer,’ is it not?” Jiang Chen smiled faintly, steering the conversation away from himself.

Revealing his level was simply a move to avoid unnecessary trouble.

But it was the ‘Boxer’ project that truly mattered to Jiang Chen’s plans for the future.