559: Venue No. 999

Li Yang calculated silently in his heart: ten thousand venues, one thousand people each, adding up to a total of ten million admission quotas.

Seeing this number, he could not help but nod inwardly.

You must know, in this vast Empire where the number of Officials is countless and the territory spans across galaxies, ten million seems large, but when distributed among various Star Domains and factions, it appears rare and scarce.

The value of obtaining this admission certificate is evident.

He pondered for a moment, turned his head to look at Martin beside him, and asked as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, will Army Commander Cang and the others come to attend this auction?"

Martin heard this, shook his head slightly, his tone firm.

"It is hard to say, but in all likelihood, they will not come. After all, this is just an auction. Those big figures who truly hold heavy power and stand at the top of the Empire's pyramid mostly look down on these scenes."

Li Yang chuckled knowingly.

That is right; this auction seemed tailor-made for people like them.

The big figures at the top disdained to participate, and the people at the bottom could not even touch the admission qualifications. Instead, it was most suitable for those like them who occupied the middle layer, held a certain amount of power and resources, and happened to have needs for the auction items or wanted to network.

But this did not mean that the specifications of this auction were low.

Of those who could squeeze into these ten million quotas, who was not a person with energy and deep backgrounds in their respective Domains? The threshold for attending alone was enough to demonstrate its weight.

Under Colin's bowing gesture, Li Yang and his group stepped into the consciousness transmission device, which was glowing with a fluorescent blue halo.

The cold metallic touch spread from their spines, and the patterns on the inner walls of the device lit up instantly, turning into countless tiny specks of light that gently wrapped around their figures.

"Consciousness synchronization calibrating... Spatial coordinates locked... Transmission starting."

A cold mechanical voice sounded in their ears. The next second, a dizzying sensation of the world spinning hit them. The surrounding scenery, like crushed light and shadow, twisted, dissipated, and then suddenly reorganized.

The moment the image cleared, Li Yang and the others were already in the Venue 999 of the Hope Merchant Guild headquarters.

This was a magnificent circular conference hall. The dome hung high with a flowing nebula light screen, and soft light poured down, falling on the mirror-smooth obsidian floor.

Hundreds of exquisitely carved tables and chairs were scattered in the hall. Figures in twos and threes gathered together, either talking in low voices or raising their glasses to signal each other. The air was filled with a faint fragrance and an imperceptible pressure.

Apparently, everyone present was not just here for the auction.

Many people's peripheral vision was constantly scanning the surroundings, their sharp gazes sizing up every new face. The probing and small talk in their words all revealed an intention to network and probe for information.

After all, those who could stand here were all figures who held resources and power. Even a casual conversation could hide a future opportunity for cooperation.

Just then, on an open space on the east side of the venue, ripples of light waves suddenly surged.

The light gradually condensed, and several translucent virtual human figures slowly emerged, their outlines turning from blurry to clear. It was Li Yang, Martin, Qi Yu, and Qi Fang—the four of them.

This slight movement instantly broke the surrounding tranquility.

Countless gazes cast over in unison, filled with scrutiny and inquiry, landing on the four of them.

"More people have arrived."

Someone whispered, not loud, but enough for the people nearby to hear clearly.

Someone held a wine glass, fingertips gently stroking the glass wall, a meaningful smile curling at the corners of their lips.

"Look at this demeanor; they do not seem like nobodies. I wonder if it is worth going up to get to know them."

After a moment, Li Yang and the others slowly opened their eyes, their gazes clear, without any of the sluggishness after consciousness transmission.

They subconsciously looked up to examine the surrounding environment. Their fingertips lightly pinched, and they could clearly feel the faint fragrance in the air. Their ears even picked up the whispers from afar.

This time, the consciousness transmission did not rely on a replica as a carrier but was presented directly in the form of a pure consciousness body.

Although they lacked a physical body in the true sense, they possessed a full sensory experience that was identical to a physical entity.

The changes in light and shadow, the subtle movements of the airflow, and even the cool touch coming from the armrests of the seats were impeccably realistic.

"A Level 3 Major General... and several Officials, and they are actually three pure-blood humans..."

Whispers spread quietly in the venue like a dense spider web.

As soon as Li Yang and his group appeared, they became the focus of the entire venue's attention.

In this venue where hidden dragons and crouching tigers gathered, a Major General's rank was not really a rare thing. Looking around, one could see several figures with Lieutenant General insignia on their shoulders. What really made everyone cast side-glances was the identity of "human."

In this vast Empire filled with different races, ordinary human citizens were rare and uncommon, but to these people, it was not anything strange.

However, Officials and military officers of human origin, especially those who held real power, were a rare existence.

Such an identity was enough to make everyone present weigh them up secretly.

Just as everyone was quietly sizing up Li Yang and his group, secretly speculating about their background, Li Yang was also quietly scanning the venue.

Being able to squeeze into this auction with ten million admissions, there was indeed no one who was an ordinary person.

His gaze swept over faces that were either calm or sharp, his eyes skimming over the uniforms embroidered with exquisite badges. At a glance, he captured several officers with general stars on their shoulder straps. Most of the others were also dressed in Official uniforms of a similar rank to his. Their every gesture carried the calm demeanor of those who had long been in high positions. Clearly, they were all powerful figures from various Star Domains.

Seeing this, Li Yang and Martin looked at each other and immediately switched their states tacitly, fully replicating the familiar style they had used at the Mutual Aid Society.

The two acted separately, wearing just the right gentle smiles on their faces, walking calmly through the crowd. They took the initiative to nod and greet those guests who had a calm aura and clearly did not look like ordinary people. Within a few sentences, they quickly closed the distance and networked with ease.

Those guests were already curious about these rare human faces. Seeing them take the initiative to show goodwill, they naturally responded very warmly.

And when they learned from the conversation that Li Yang was already the Speaker of the Longlan Star Cluster at a young age, and also held the position of a Division Commander, wielding dual power in military-political integration, the politeness in their eyes instantly turned into genuine enthusiasm.

Many people immediately stepped forward, holding Li Yang's hand to ask about his well-being, their words full of praise. That level of enthusiasm made them wish they could become sworn brothers on the spot, calling each other brothers without distinction.

Surrounded by the crowd, Li Yang dealt with the greetings and compliments coming from all directions, feeling his scalp tingle. If he had known earlier, he would have only revealed one identity. Clearly, they had all been quite calm before; why were they so enthusiastic now?

He quietly sent a look of help to Martin not far away. The latter received the signal, a trace of amusement flashed in his eyes, and he sighed inwardly.

"This military-political integration identity is indeed different; wherever one goes, one is the focus."