119: The night before the high-stakes gamble

"Give up, Chen Feng."

Su Li's voice was paler than ever, carrying a hint of a tremble like a string stretched to its limit. In the meeting room's holographic projection, she pleaded for the first time in a tone that was almost a command.

"This isn't a loan at all, it's a deed of sale! We can't gamble with Ashen Earth Star, with everyone's home!"

"Yeah, Boss..." Reno, in a rare move, didn't support Chen Feng. He lowered his head, his voice as muffled as thunder. "This... the risk is too high. If we lose, we... we'll have nothing left."

The immense pressure made this tower-like man almost unable to speak, and the meeting room fell into a dead silence more terrifying than an argument.

Chen Feng didn't answer.

He turned off the communication and walked alone to the bridge of the wanderer.

Outside the porthole, the bizarre neon lights of the Tartarus Free Port were like a giant, silent astral beast, coldly watching this dilapidated ship.

On Chen Feng's personal terminal, Eve's hollow and beautiful face appeared.

This face represented the only possibility for Hanhai Trade to break free from the shackles of low-dimensional technology. It represented whether they could possess a sharp enough sword of their own under the iron hooves of the Omni-Dimensional Trade Alliance.

Is it worth it?

Using everyone's future to gamble on one person's future?

After a long time, he connected to the internal communication for the whole ship and the Ashen Earth Star command center.

"I've decided to accept the terms."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it was like a giant rock thrown into stagnant water, stirring up massive waves in everyone's heart.

"Some assets cannot be valued by risk. Some futures are worth gambling everything on."

"Eve is that future we must win back."

The decision was made, and all hesitation and wavering vanished.

Chen Feng's command was like a starting gun, and the entire team instantly transformed into a high-speed war machine.

"Understood." Reno's voice no longer held the slightest hesitation, leaving only iron-like execution. He picked two of his most reliable subordinates, and their figures quickly disappeared into the dark alleys of the port. They were going to the Bone-Crusher Bar to "purchase" a small disturbance in the most direct way.

"Understood." Lao Mo's response came from the engine room. With his back hunched, he quietly set up several nail-sized jammers near a public network node in the port. At a critical moment, they would create a tiny but lethal amount of data noise.

"Funds received, 'Mr. Chen'." Three Agents, unaware of each other, also disappeared into the crowded throngs of Tartarus after receiving their final instructions and advance payments.

To play the part to the fullest, Chen Feng walked into the port's most luxurious commercial district.

He walked into a high-end custom shop bearing Port Master Hecate's private crest. Without looking at the price, he directly purchased the most expensive dark formal suit and a full-coverage ornate mask that could completely block identity probes. This mask itself was an expensive artifact.

"The mysterious buyer who spends money like water"—this was the first role he prepared for himself, and for his enemies.

"Very good."

Inside the Alliance's mobile monitoring station, Shadow Chaser-J watched the chaotic signals on the screen and sneered.

"The more smoke bombs there are, the more conspicuous the real fire becomes."

His analyst reported, "Sir, among the dozen or so targets we're monitoring, at least five are showing signs of participating in the auction. Their movement routes and fund preparations show a kind of 'chaotic order,' as if someone is coordinating them from behind."

"Order the capture squad into position, keep a close eye on every exit of the auction house," J issued the command. "I don't care how many people they have or what tricks they play. Remember, whoever comes out with the item is our target. It's as simple as that."

At the same time, in Butcher's secret office.

Butcher puffed on a cigar, leisurely watching the dozens of monitoring screens in front of him. On the screens, the Agents Chen Feng hired, Reno's small movements outside the bar, the Alliance Agents' deployment around the auction house... everything was in full view.

He picked up a data pad and lazily placed a significant amount of funds on an underground betting pool interface, betting on the option that the "Mysterious Newcomer" could successfully bid for the schrödingers lockpick.

The odds were thirty to one.

Night fell.

Hecate's private auction was about to begin.

Chen Feng put on the expensive formal suit and the ornate mask, but he didn't enter through any of the main entrances.

He used a VIP maintenance passage that Lao Mo had already scouted, slipping into the backstage area of the auction hall like a ghost.

Finally, he stood in the shadows of an inconspicuous second-floor box, looking down at the scene below.

Elegant dresses and fragrant scents, a gathering of the powerful.

Funds were in place, the plan had started, and all the pieces were in their positions.

He was not just a buyer coming to bid, but a player personally entering the field.

This was a hunting ground set for him, and also a hunting ground he had set for others.