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The bidding price shot up to five hundred million in an instant.
Three-quarters of the hopeful gazes in the bidding seats dimmed on the spot. Only a quarter remained stubbornly hanging on. The light in Stella's and Derek Su's eyes faded as well—though to them, fifty million and five hundred million were no different anyway.
It was simply the difference between something they couldn't afford and something they could only watch.
"Oh, right—DL-01 has activated Auction Regulation 177. Bidders who are short on funds may issue promissory notes to DL-01~" the functional Mecha Girl added with a cheerful smile.
Even so, very few people made a move.
Regulation 177 allowed bidders to write IOUs, but it came at a cost.
Promissory notes were not covered by any breach-penalty clause. In other words, if the driver or the club failed to satisfy the Mecha Girl, she could turn around and leave at any time—and the IOU would be voided immediately. Even if the club and driver earned her recognition, the outstanding note would still hang over them like a mountain, forcing them to watch the Mecha Girl's mood in everything they did.
In short, without penalty restrictions, the Mecha Girl would have to be treated like an absolute sovereign.
Only after the club or individual fully repaid the IOU could they formally sign a standard breach agreement with the Mecha Girl. The penalty amount would then be negotiated by both sides, usually set at three times 50% to 100% of the final transaction price.
...
As the auction continued, scattered bids trickled in.
The increases were slow, creeping up by ten or twenty million at a time.
The young tycoon seated in the VIP section held his "Love Ticket" with a relaxed smile, ready to step in at any moment and deal a fatal blow to all remaining bidders. Money was clearly not an issue for him.
But just then, DL-01, standing at the center of the display platform, suddenly turned and said something to the functional Mecha Girl.
"May I go to the bidding seats?"
There was a trace of urgency in DL-01's eyes.
The functional Mecha Girl was stunned. This was the first time she had ever seen impatience and anxiety in DL-01's gaze. Normally, this top-tier Mecha Girl always carried a lazy, detached air.
What was going on today?
Had the sun risen in the west?
"You can… but why?"
"Don't worry about it."
The functional Mecha Girl: "..."
Fine. She wouldn't interfere. Let DL-01 do as she pleased.
With permission granted, DL-01 walked straight down from the auction platform.
Her long legs stepped crisply along the central aisle of the bidding seats, high heels tapping out a clear, commanding rhythm.
Everyone watching that queenlike, oppressive figure felt their hearts tremble. All Mecha Girls were beautiful, nearly flawless, each possessing a different kind of allure. It was inevitable that some would look at them with lecherous or covetous eyes.
But DL-01 was different.
No one dared look at her that way.
As if harboring even the slightest hint of desire toward her was a sin.
She moved into the VIP section, drawing closer and closer to Richard Cheng, the ace of the Top 300 ESW Speedwave Club.
The light in that ace's eyes grew brighter by the second.
He had been bidding on Mecha Girls for nearly a month.
The Mecha Girl he camped on every single day.
Now, she was walking straight toward him.
Her gaze was icy, like she was looking at an insect.
Yet even that look was something he was more than willing to accept.
In fact… he could take even more! Ssshh—sss—
However, DL-01 did not stop there.
Her gaze shifted with her steps, briefly brushing across the VIP seats before drifting past as if it were nothing.
"Tap, tap—"
Derek Su, who had been looking down at his phone, suddenly noticed a pair of high heels enter his field of vision.
Stella tugged at his arm beside him.
Strange noises spilled from her mouth—sounds only a completely stunned teenager could make.
"M-Master… M-Mas-Master! Uh… uh… y-you, hurry up and look!"
Look at what? A deity?
Derek Su raised his head in confusion.
Past the long, straight legs and the exquisitely tailored military uniform, past the imposing chest, his eyes finally met a pair of rose-red pupils. The chill within them was thawing, replaced by reproach and helplessness.
Wasn't this DL-01?
Why was she standing right in front of him?
Derek Su was completely dumbfounded, his brain grinding to a halt.
"Why didn't you bid on me?" DL-01's tone carried unmistakable displeasure.
"...No money," Derek Su replied instinctively.
"You can write an IOU." DL-01 took out a special promissory note form and placed it on the small table in front of him, her red lips moving slightly. "Sign it."
Derek Su stared blankly at the IOU.
The maximum limit printed on it was actually ∞?
"Um… I don't think spending beyond your means is a good idea…"
He looked up at DL-01, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.
"Bid on me." DL-01 was clearly growing more anxious.
She leaned forward, compressing his personal space, her face drawing dangerously close. Both hands pressed against the table as she stared fixedly at the man she had had her eye on for nearly a month. "Hurry up."
Derek Su turned to Stella for help.
But Stella, his so-called little cotton jacket, was currently staring at DL-01 with a completely dazed expression—like someone staring at the very thing they'd worshipped their whole life.
Completely useless.
Derek Su fell silent for a moment, rapidly weighing the pros and cons.
He wasn't stupid. DL-01 seeking him out on her own had to be related to his driving skills. Otherwise, he had no idea what could possibly attract a top-tier Mecha Girl like her. It certainly wasn't his looks—Mecha Girls didn't care about that.
Winning DL-01 meant taking on massive debt, with no breach penalty clause.
That meant risk.
The saving grace was that if DL-01 chose to leave the club, the IOU would automatically become void.
Thinking it through, signing didn't seem impossible.
And Stella clearly liked DL-01 as well.
That final reason became the last straw. Derek Su clenched his teeth and signed the promissory note. From that moment on, no matter how many bids followed, his offer would automatically exceed the highest bid by ten million until no one else bid. That final price would be the value of the IOU.
Even after signing, the whole situation still felt surreal.
He glanced up at DL-01. Maybe it was just his imagination, but within those icy eyes, he seemed to glimpse a deeply hidden trace of amusement.
DL-01 said nothing. She took the IOU and turned away, returning to the display platform.
The young tycoon in the front VIP seats was so anxious he was practically tearing his hair out, completely unaware of what had just happened. Only the bidders near Derek Su understood what had transpired.
They stared at him in stunned silence, unable to comprehend why DL-01 had shown him such favor.
Zane and Xavier Young both looked like they had seen a ghost.
"Uh… do you know each other?" Mr. Xavier asked in a hushed voice.
"No… first time meeting…" Derek Su placed both hands on his knees, sitting perfectly straight.
"This is really bizarre…" Zane muttered, shaking his head.
"Master, you won the Pineapple General?" Stella clung to Derek Su's arm, her face flushed with excitement, words tumbling out incoherently. "I—I'm the happiest Mecha Girl in the world!"
Pineapple General? Derek Su gave a bitter smile.
Yeah, right.
she'd end up being someone you had to put on a pedestal.
Stella clearly hadn't grasped the seriousness of the situation yet.
Her Pineapple King might fail to buy the horse at any price, only to be thrown off its back instead—leaving only him, the Pineapple Grand King, to hold things together.
The auction continued.
In the end, the final price stopped at 1.5 billion.
Under Regulation 177, his bid automatically rose to 1.51 billion.
He became the last bidder to conduct a face-to-face interview with DL-01.
All the bidders before him were genuine big shots paying with real money.
Seven in total.
...
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