98: Pay the bill

"Thank you. Hearing you say that makes me feel much better."

Zhang Huaiyuan's lips curled into a smile.

Truth be told, it was still much more relaxed and pleasant to interact with his own intelligent lifeform.

However… he glanced at his right wrist.

"I don't know what Asroth is tinkering with lately. Aside from popping up a while ago to request usage rights for advanced algorithms, it hasn't been very active."

Zhang Huaiyuan shook his head slightly, not paying it much mind.

The algorithms he created, especially the emotional module units, naturally contained designs biased toward himself.

Otherwise, in the beginning, as the Statue of Liberty who managed the vast Star Alliance, she had seen all kinds of people and heard all kinds of words; how could she have been swayed by just a few simple sentences?

His gaze returned to that damaged semi-cyborg implant device.

"Analysis progress: 1%… 1.01%…"

"At this rate, the progress is too slow. It might not even finish analyzing by the time the exhibition ends. It seems I can't get a free ride."

Zhang Huaiyuan calculated the credit points he had on hand.

The collection items participating in the exhibition could be purchased through negotiation. Of course, buying them from these collectors wouldn't be much cheaper than at an auction.

With 37.8 billion credit points, he could buy at most 3-4 items.

"Mr. Zhang Huaiyuan."

Just as he was hesitating, an elegantly dressed man approached from the crowd.

Gore, who was standing to the side, glanced at the other person's name tag, and his hand, which had been subconsciously resting on the hilt of his blade, relaxed slightly.

"Who are you?"

"Sir, I am Miss Vera's secretary."

The man bowed respectfully and said: "Miss Vera said your teachings benefited her greatly, so she instructed me that if there are any items in the exhibition hall you like today, she will pick up the tab for all of them."

"Uh… please thank Miss Vera for her kindness on my behalf, but I cannot accept an undeserved reward. It was just some basic knowledge."

Zhang Huaiyuan was slightly taken aback, then politely declined.

His purpose in coming here was just to learn, and he didn't want to get too deeply involved with the powerful figures of the Free Star Alliance.

However, the man was clearly prepared. His gaze swept over the semi-cyborg implant device, and after confirming the item, he smiled and said:

"Since you insist, then so be it. However, Miss Vera instructed that this item witnessed her meeting with a talented Researcher and is worth commemorating. She would like to gift it to you as a souvenir and hopes you can accept it."

"This…"

While Zhang Huaiyuan hesitated, the man walked straight up, took out a black crystal card, and said to a staff member nearby:

"Hello, please help me pack this up. The buyout price—swipe it directly."

All items in the display cases had an auction price and a capped buyout price.

Just like this semi-cyborg implant device, the current auction price was 9.3 billion credit points, while the buyout price was 16 billion—a significant difference.

However, this amount of money naturally meant nothing to the family of the Mawei Star Regent.

Among the onlookers nearby, a lean young man couldn't help but look delighted; this was the collection item he had provided.

Meanwhile, the other few people who were participating in the bidding sighed in regret. Damn rich people!

"The buyout price is 16 billion. Are you sure, sir?" the staff member asked respectfully.

"Yes, swipe it."

"Alright, just a moment."

The staff member didn't dare to delay, took the black crystal card with both hands, and gently swiped it on the transaction device.

"Beep. Card swipe failed. This item has already been purchased."

"Huh?"

The group was stunned. The elite man raised an eyebrow and asked: "What is the situation here?"

"Sorry, sir. I'm not sure either. Let me check."

The staff member was also a bit confused and hurriedly opened the backend to check. A trace of unmistakable surprise appeared in their eyes:

"Eh… not only is this exhibit number 14 gone, but items 3, 9, and… a total of 17 items have already been purchased. When did this happen? Why don't I remember? Did the backend malfunction…?"

"3, 9, 14… a total of 17 collection items?"

Zhang Huaiyuan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. It seemed those were exactly the items containing advanced knowledge. Could it be…

"Who is in charge of this exhibition hall? Have him come over…"

The elite man's expression darkened slightly. Just as he was about to say something more, his communication device suddenly lit up automatically, and an indifferent female voice came through:

"The research needs of Mr. Zhang Huaiyuan will be fully managed by the Statue of Liberty. There is no need to accept funding from any person or any faction."

The Statue of Liberty?!

The man was shocked. It had actually come forward personally to explain such a trivial matter… No, that sounded more like a warning?

No wonder the Lord and Miss valued this person so much.

The man understood. He pondered whether he had been impolite just now, and at the same time, nodded respectfully: "I understand, Your Excellency Goddess. I will inform Lord Kolen and Miss."

On the other side, Zhang Huaiyuan helplessly typed on his right wrist: "Is this your doing?"

Although the Statue of Liberty had helped him a lot, he couldn't take it for granted, and even less could he think about relying on it for everything.

Therefore, he didn't consider asking the Goddess to help buy them in the first place; instead, he calculated to buy them himself.

He didn't expect that it would pay for everything anyway.

"Your Excellency, I saw your gaze linger on these items, so I took the liberty of purchasing them all for you. I wonder if there are any omissions?"

"Uh… that's enough. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You once said that for a Researcher, the most important thing is to grasp the inspiration at the moment the apple falls. I saw you observing this semi-cyborg device for a long time, and perhaps it was a critical moment of inspiration, so I naturally couldn't rashly interrupt you."

The Statue of Liberty explained happily.

"Your Excellency, you don't need to feel bad. You said that we are partners fighting side by side. If these things help your research, that is equivalent to helping myself. As for a few credit points, they are just numbers that can be changed at will, not worth mentioning. Come on.jpg."

"Alright…"

Zhang Huaiyuan was speechless for a moment. He finally understood why his senior brother in the world before he transmigrated said that women only affect the speed of research, but rich women do not.

Because they will provide you with better equipment and more resources.

The predecessor did not deceive me.

Zhang Huaiyuan shook his head with emotion.

However… even without updating the algorithm, the Statue of Liberty's level of evolution seemed to be getting higher and higher.

After all, its core already contained quite a bit of knowledge regarding level 2 rules. Coupled with the algorithms he provided, perhaps through the fusion, it had already exceeded the progress of his current "Creatology."

"There are no items containing level 2 knowledge rules here. Since everything useful has been bought, I might as well go stroll around the Gold Rush Pavilion next door."

Zhang Huaiyuan pondered.

"If I can find some items with level 2 knowledge to bridge the knowledge gap, perhaps the progress of Creatology and other research will be greatly improved, and it will also help the Statue of Liberty truly break free from all restrictions."