Ita Era

Chapter 97 Auction
Day three.

While reading the newspaper at breakfast, I discovered that seven people had been listed in obituaries yesterday. Roughly calculating, there are currently more than 40 players left in Ham Town.

Two news items in the newspaper caught Ding Shi's attention. The first was that the town mayor, Liu Decai, had been in a car accident and was unconscious in the hospital. The second was that members of a Satanic cult were present at the pharmaceutical factory and slaughterhouse.

The second news item introduced Satanism, featuring an inverted cross and the worship of the devil, divided into British and American styles. The American style emphasizes what cannot be described and is predominantly frequented by teenagers and children. The British style focuses on summoning evil spirits and making deals with them, and is mostly comprised of adult believers, predominantly middle-aged. The two styles are drastically different.

The core of British Satanism involves a transaction: you give something to the devil, and the devil gives you something in return. The first commodity is your soul; in return, the devil gains control of your body and lives on earth as you. The second commodity is precious things, such as your loved ones, your emotions, your memories, and so on. Clearly, these two demands a great deal from the believer.

Thus, the third type became the mainstream: acting as an accomplice to evil. For example, killing a certain number of people and using a certain number of body parts for some kind of sacrifice. Or torturing victims in front of evil spirits in exchange for some kind of deal.

The town of Ham is inhabited by an English-style Satanist cult. They kill for the purpose of sacrifice, and their needs are bizarre, ranging from helping relatives recover to wanting to get promoted and make money to pursuing love, and so on.

In response, the police department will hire temporary officers from the community to assist in maintaining order in Hamm. These individuals, known as vigilantes, will work in groups of two to five and patrol only within their assigned areas, typically their own neighborhoods.

Suspecting that the cultists wanted to resurrect an evil spirit, the police issued a bounty to the townspeople for the capture or killing of the leader of the Satanic cult in Ham. The police would offer a very generous reward.

After breakfast, Ding Shi and the other three returned to their respective rooms.

Because no one participated in his mini-game, Death was very unhappy. He shamelessly started making phone calls to promote the game, saying how fun it was, how almost no danger it was, how you could earn money with just a few taps, and how you would regret it so much if you didn't participate.

But nobody paid any attention to him, mainly because they were too tired.

At 9:00 AM, during safe time, the auction officially began.

The familiar Little Sugar, the familiar fairy wand, shouted as soon as they entered the villa: "Auction! Auction! Auction!"

Ding Shi and the others left the room and went downstairs to the first-floor restaurant, which had been simply set up as an auction venue.

How simple is it? Five stools, one table, and that's it.

Five minutes before the auction started at 9:10, Sha Bi arrived late. Seeing everyone looking at him, he laughed and stepped forward to greet them with a cupped-hand salute: "Hello, Brother Shi, hello, Brother Meng, I'm late." He bowed as he spoke.

Ding Shi said disdainfully, "It's safe time, I can't hit you."

Silly Bite squatted down beside the two with a grin and said, "What I mean is, there's been some misunderstanding between us. Can we turn hostility into friendship?"

Ding Shi thought for a while and said, "Turning hostility into friendship is unlikely, but turning hostility into friendship is still possible." In the face of money, some grudges can be forgiven.

Sha Bi trusted Ding Shi; Ding Shi was a man of his word, and once he promised something, he almost always kept it. Wang Meng's business partners all preferred to do business with Ding Shi, and whenever they needed help, they would first turn to Ding Shi. Wang Meng, on the other hand, was much less trustworthy; when talking about superiors at the dinner table, he would confidently promise anything.

Wang Meng genuinely wanted to help and tried his best to keep his promise, but there were some things he couldn't do. Therefore, even though he tried his best afterward, he still received a lot of complaints because he couldn't get things done.

Sha Bi asked, "How much?" He didn't need to talk about feelings with Ding Shi, nor did he need to be subservient. However, he also couldn't act recklessly.

Ding Shi considered it for a moment and then offered: "One thousand dollars."

The fool chuckled, "Go ahead and rob it."

Ding Shi, still sincere, asked, "Then what do you say?"

After thinking for a while, Sha Bi said, "My grandfather's luxury villa in City A is yours."

Ding Shi: "Get lost."

Sha Bi was disappointed. He wanted to talk to Wang Meng about feelings, but Ding Shi said, "If you can give me a Truth 7, I can promise to wipe the slate clean of all past grievances."

Sha Bi frowned: "What is Truth 7?" He knew about the poker skill card, but it was far different from the Truth 7 that Ding Shi was talking about.

The other three became interested, and Yu Yuan asked, "What is Truth 7?"

Ding Shi said, "You'll know when you see it."

The woman in red spoke up: "I have Truth 10, the seventh one. Who are you?"

Ding Shi said: "Truth 7, First and Twelfth."

The woman in red pulled out a friend card: "If you find Truth 10, 9, or 11, or Truth Plum Blossom, you can contact me. Similarly, if I find Truth 7, I'll contact you. Besides Truth 7, what else do you need?"

Ding Shi said, "I only want 7."

The woman in red, intrigued, pushed Wang Meng aside and sat in Wang Meng's seat. She leaned close to Ding Shi's ear and asked, "How do you combine the truth? You've already made a pair, haven't you?" The next step is three 7s. Three 7s plus any pair will make a full house. However, four 7s (a set of three identical cards) is bigger than a full house. A five-card straight flush is bigger than a set of three identical cards.

In theory, Ding Shi can take a non-7 useless card without affecting his three-of-a-kind. Ding Shi can also take two pairs, offering many possibilities. However, for future development, a long-term goal must be set.

Wang Meng glared at the man and woman whispering in each other's ears, but he tolerated it in order to gather more information about Ita, since it sounded quite impressive.

Ding Shi hesitated for a moment, then the woman in red said, "My house is a penthouse with a hot spring. You can pay only the cost price, and it's valid indefinitely." Money aside, making Ding Shi a friend is definitely a good deal; he knows a lot of game information that I don't. It's mainly because the information in the Ita world is too limited.

Ding Shi nodded: "Fusion cards, idiom fusion cards are twice as powerful." After saying that, he held the black and red 14 in his palm and showed it to the woman in red. The woman in red could only see the appearance and could not see the information of the black and red 14. Once a poker skill card is bound, it cannot be traded.

The woman in red laughed and said, "The appearance of this card is really hard to describe."

Ding Shi agreed: "I suspect that aliens don't understand aesthetics, and many things in the Ita world are copied from Earth culture."

Little Sugar's voice drifted over: "That's slander!"

Ding Shi retorted, "Isn't that right? Ninjutsu, internal energy cultivation, and true qi—aren't they all copied from Earth novels?"

Little Sugar retorted, "This is called borrowing, this is called paying homage. Besides, if I gave you a divine shrimp system, would you know how to play it? Can you understand how handsome and precious shrimp are? Not only are they long, but their math skills are also top-notch."

The Grim Reaper's butler was standing by, reminding her, "Little Sugar, it's time."

Ding Shi and Hong Yi exchanged a glance. Why were there hierarchical distinctions among the creatures in this instance? Ding Shi recalled last night's dinner, when Sha Bi addressed Death as "Lord Death." Given Sha Bi's unpredictable personality, Ding Shi had initially assumed Sha Bi was only saying that to curry favor with Death. Now, seeing Death address Xiao Tang Tang as "Lord," it seemed there was a well-established system in place.

In addition, everyone has a little candy. So what is a little candy?

Thinking of this, Ding Shi threw a "water and soil acclimatization" spell at Xiao Tangtang. System notification: Absolutely safe zone, offensive skills cannot be used.

Little Sugar was unaware that it had almost been harmed by Mr. Ding. With a flick of its magic wand at the table, the first item appeared out of nowhere on the table.

This is a wooden box.

Little Sugar said, "There are a total of 7 items for auction today, and the starting price is the reserve price. During the auction, you can exchange currency with me. 1 Ita Knife can be exchanged for 10 dungeon coins."

Little Sugar conjured a sloping table, placed the box on it, and used her magic wand to pry it open. Inside was a golden card: "Golden Teleportation Ticket, one-time use, 1-hour setup time. You can choose to interrupt the setup during the setup time, or it will be interrupted by death. The Golden Teleportation Ticket can be used anytime, anywhere."

Little Sugar waved her magic wand, and the description of the Golden Teleportation Ticket appeared in the air, much like what had been said before. Using the Golden Teleportation Ticket, one could choose a Four Symbols City, become a resident of the Eastern District, and in addition to owning a large villa, also obtain a respectable civil servant job.

Countless people study diligently for 20 years, hoping to become civil servants, and now they're just one step away from realizing their dreams. Xiao Tangtang said, "The starting price is 5 yuan. Interested guests, please make an offer."

Just as the woman in red was about to raise her hand, Ding Shi next to her quoted: "3."

Everyone glared at Ding Shi with hostility. Wang Meng said, "Ding Shi, what you're doing is incredibly unfair. Do you even know how to use it?"

"Why not use it?" Being forced into a corner and using the "three missing one" strategy, along with the Golden Teleport Ticket in the card game, is a great way to utilize it. However, there's a bug: would you bring such a useless item as the Golden Teleport Ticket into the dungeon? Therefore, what Wang Meng said seems to make sense.

"3 per time," Little Sugar encouraged. "Anyone willing to pay more?"

"Twice 3 million."

"3 three times, deal done. Congratulations to Ding Shi for obtaining the Golden Teleportation Ticket."

The box floated into Ding Shi's hand, and Ding Shi said to the woman in red, "100 knives."

The woman in red didn't even blink: "Deal."

The two quickly made the deal.

Little Sugar placed the second item: a ninjutsu skill book—the Sharingan. The Sharingan can copy hand seal techniques, which are not only used by ninjas, but also by Taoists and Buddhists. Restrictions: The opponent's strength cannot exceed one's own by too much; currently, only one copied technique can be retained.

Wang Meng's blood was boiling. This was the Sharingan, the strongest eye that could see through the three realms, the earth-shattering Mangekyou Sharingan, the Amaterasu that could annihilate everything. He grasped Ding Shi's right hand with both of his, and said sincerely and pitifully, "Brother Shi, from now on you are my boss."

Ding Shi said, "I'll think about it."

Wang Meng said, "Don't think about it anymore, there's nothing to think about. From now on, you're my boss, my dear boss."

Ding Shi said, "Don't call me 'boss' anymore. The Dragon Gang and the Beacon Fire Hall are no longer around. Let's still be brothers from now on."

Wang Meng exclaimed with delight, "Once a brother, always a brother!"

Little Sugar: "The starting price is 15."

Ding Shi pulled his right hand away from Wang Meng's hands and said, "We are not suitable to be brothers."

Wang Meng grabbed Ding Shi's hands with both hands and said urgently, "Brother Shi, don't do this. I'll offer 25,000 and add a 4 of clubs."

Little Sugar: "Has anyone made a bid?"

Wang Meng became even more anxious and said, "Brother Shi, 5000 dollars, I'll write an IOU."

Ding Shi remained unmoved.

Little Sugar: "No one bids for the first time."

Wang Meng said, "There are people here, there are people here, give us some time. Brother Shi, you are my eternal god."

Ding Shi said helplessly, "Brother Meng, it's too expensive. Our brotherhood isn't worth this price."

Seeing that Wang Meng was almost kneeling down, Yu Yuan couldn't bear it any longer and asked, "Little Tangtang, do you have a promissory note that's restricted by the system?"

Xiaotangtang replied, "Yes, the system can protect the legality of your loan. It's done through the bank card interface."

Yu Yuan said, "Please wait a moment."

After studying the bank's app for a while, Wang Meng began drafting the IOU. The gist of it was: after each copy was settled, 80% of Wang Meng's earnings in Ita coins would be directly transferred to Ding Shi's account, with a monthly interest rate of 0.5%.

Ding Shi asked for a price: "Twenty thousand dollars."

Wang Meng almost lost his smile. He took a deep breath and whispered, "Brother Shi, five thousand dollars, as we agreed before."

Ding Shi considered for a moment and said, "You swear on your parents that you will never plot against me, nor will you collude with others to harm me, nor will you betray me. Ten thousand."

Wang Meng gritted his teeth: "Eight thousand, that's the most I can do."

Yu Yuan, acting as a peacemaker, said, "Ding Shi, I think it's acceptable, after all, he might not live to see eight thousand cuts."

Wang Meng nodded repeatedly without any dignity.

Ding Shi also thought it made sense, and casually said, "Eight thousand is fine."

Wang Meng immediately began to swear an oath. Ding Shi, who knew Wang Meng well, knew that only oaths sworn by Wang Meng's parents were reliable. The specific reasons were another story.

Ding Shi was very satisfied with the transaction, which involved 15 dungeon coins.

Wang Meng excitedly raised his hand: "15."

Ding Shi smiled slyly, about to make an offer, when Wang Meng hurriedly clasped his hands in a fist salute, bowing low. Even Hongyi couldn't stand the sight; how could they bully someone like that? So she swiped a wad of cash from her bank card and stuck it to Ding Shi's mouth.

Ding Shi reached out and took the banknotes, swiping them into his bank card. The woman in red was amused and annoyed by his childish behavior.

Wang Meng got his wish and obtained the Sharingan—not a pair, but one. Without hesitation, he chose his left eye. His left eye visibly changed; the pupil became a circle with a comma on it.

Wang Meng explained, "This is called the single-tomoe Sharingan, the initial stage of the Sharingan. Next, it will evolve into the double-tomoe Sharingan, then the triple-tomoe Sharingan. Then there are six evolutions, each capable of destroying the world." His heart pounded with excitement, and his hands trembled.

Everyone nodded in agreement: "It's beautiful."

The woman in red asked curiously, "How does it evolve?"

Wang Meng pondered for a moment, then muttered to himself, "It seems like he's going to kill his parents, kill his clansmen..."

Wang Meng couldn't help but look at Ding Shi and tentatively asked, "Godfather?"

Ding Shi coughed up blood: "You're supposed to be the leader of the A City cult, can you please stop being such an idiot? It's so embarrassing."

"Hey! A life with sweetness in your eyes is a happy life." Little Sugar called out, "The third item for auction, an internal sword technique: Dugu Nine Swords. Starting price 1, auction begins now."

Ding raised his hand: "1."

Everyone looked at Ding Shi, who explained, "I bought it to tear apart for fun."

Speechless, everyone turned to prayer, hoping that a skill book for their profession would be released.

(End of this chapter)