Playing Dumb

But even with the rules strictly enforced, it was still hard to prevent an outrageous presence like a shill.

To stop shills, the Space imposed another rule: bidders had to have their total assets checked, and could only bid if they had the means to pay.

But even that wasn't enough. Sellers could join forces with several factions and transfer their wealth to a designated shill faction through a Space-notarized loan, making them a proxy bidder.

Now Kirk had run into exactly that situation.

The leader of a Veteran team in the first-floor orchestra seats kept raising his paddle, driving the price higher and higher. At twenty million, that guy alone had driven it up by ten million. Everyone else had dropped out, but he still looked ready to keep pushing.

Kirk didn't hesitate. He raised the stakes again. "Twenty-five million!"

"Hey, hey!" Wang Han, in his arms, nudged Kirk. "Are you an easy mark? Can't you tell they're sure you'll want this thing, so they're just boosting the price for you?"

Kirk chuckled. "I know what I'm doing. Don't forget what happened when you and Li Wenli first ran into me at an auction."

Remembering how Kirk had toyed with the others back then, Wang Han burst out laughing. That shameless rascal only ever bullied other people. When had he ever let himself get taken advantage of?

Wang Han relaxed, then eagerly settled in to watch the show while fending off Kirk's wandering hands.

The guy downstairs really did have money. He raised his paddle again, pushing the price to twenty-seven million, then smugly gave Kirk the finger.

"Fuck you!" Kirk's veins bulged. He hurled his paddle at the guy in one furious motion. The man toppled over. Although no one could suffer real harm in the Space unless