Chapter 332: The Deal

A legendary-level 'Magi-Mech Core'?

When Li Mochen heard these words, a flicker of anticipation arose within him.

Though this item couldn't truly alleviate his predicament regarding talent, it could greatly increase the combat power under his command.

A legendary-level 'Construct Golem' might not be able to contend with a true legendary powerhouse, but it could handle most situations below that level.

If he were willing to invest materials and funds, the combat capability of the 'Construct Golem' had considerable room for improvement.

But when he heard that Anthony Braden would also participate in the bidding and was determined to win, Li Mochen's heart sank.

Speaking of financial resources, the gap between him and Mr. Braden was not just an order of magnitude.

Yet would someone like Anthony Braden be interested in such an ancient 'Magi-Mech Core'?

That man was the top-tier mechanic in the American Federation, a genius renowned worldwide since his youth.

Although his magic profession level was unremarkable—only level sixteen, achieved through various top-grade drugs—three years ago, he had personally killed a demigod in the dark world, shocking the entire world.

At that time, Anthony Braden had just inherited his father's assets worth trillions of gold shields, and everyone thought this playboy couldn't hold onto the fortune and would eventually be devoured by the wolves coveting it. But two months later, Anthony Braden, piloting an exoskeleton armor he had forged himself, displayed combat power close to the divine level, completely overturning everyone's impression of him.

By all accounts, Anthony Braden's mechanical expertise should be nearing the divine domain.

"This civilization called Moshla—Anthony has never encountered it before, so he wants to buy it to analyze. I estimate he'll buy at most two sets to decipher Moshla's mechanical technology."

Dacia explained the reason, also giving Li Mochen some reassurance: "So you still have a good chance, Andre, as long as you have enough gold shields—"

With that, he got to the point: "Speaking of money, I wonder if Andre has any plans for further financing?"

Li Mochen stopped in his tracks and fixed his gaze on Dacia: "I once contacted Rockefeller Standard Investments about financing. They were willing to invest at most 820 million but demanded 25% of the shares."

"I know about that. Standard Investments also consulted me about Sunrise Retail, and my answer was that I couldn't make an accurate judgment. But the truth is clearly not that."

Dacia Rockefeller wore a bright smile: "I'm here this time on my own behalf. Of course, the investment won't be large—based on the current valuation of 60 billion gold shields, I only need 3% equity. So I'd prefer to buy from you directly, Andre."

Li Mochen looked at him with a strange expression: "Dacia, since you brought this up, you must have some convincing argument, right?"

Ten days later, his Sunrise Retail Company was no longer at that valuation. After securing 900 million gold shields in financing, Sunrise Retail's business territory was expanding rapidly. In just these ten days, they had opened twelve more stores, and Kadirun Jebson had secured over twenty storefronts of more than 500 square meters each at low prices across the East Coast.

The key was that all his equity was useful. In Li Mochen's plan, Sunrise Retail would undergo two more rounds of financing—one to obtain more funds, and another to introduce powerful consortiums to safeguard the company's nationwide expansion.

And to maintain control of Sunrise Retail after its future IPO, Li Mochen had to be meticulous.

"First, we won't seek a board seat, nor do we intend to interfere in Sunrise Retail's operations. We only ask for dividends and the returns after the IPO."

Dacia Rockefeller looked at Li Mochen and spoke word by word: "This is actually my father's idea. He'll call you later. As the current Secretary of the Treasury, Lawrence Rockefeller can ensure that your company faces no political obstacles when entering most states in America."

Only then did Li Mochen's expression change, and he sighed inwardly. So this was what it meant to be born into a major American family? He had witnessed it firsthand.

He had heard that this guy was also a playboy, spending his days in Atlanta indulging in wine and women. But when it came to serious matters, he was quite reliable.

"I'll give it serious consideration, Dacia. If Mr. Lawrence calls, I'll give you an answer within three days at most."

The Rockefeller family, America's wealthiest a century ago, had now spanned both politics and business.

And Lawrence Rockefeller was undoubtedly the most outstanding member of the Rockefeller family in politics. The branch represented by this father and son was also one of the most powerful within the family.

...

When Li Mochen entered the A7 auction hall, the auction for the 'Magi-Mech Core' had not yet begun. It wasn't until twenty minutes later, when Anthony Braden strolled into the venue with a nonchalant air, that the four sets of 'Magi-Mech Cores' were brought out for the bidders to inspect.

Li Mochen took one look at them and nodded knowingly. These were indeed creations from an ancient era. The magic script used was 'Yingu', a highly potent language from ancient America. Its affinity for magic energy surpassed even Dragon Tongue and Greek Divine Script. However, few could master it, as the requirements were quite stringent.

Still, these items were indeed easy to use for constructing golems. With just a few lines, they could be connected directly.

As Dacia had predicted, Anthony Braden bought only one set and left immediately. He spent 120 million gold shields, and no one dared to compete with him after he made his bid.

Li Mochen had his eye on the third set, but unfortunately, even after raising his paddle to 300 million gold shields, he couldn't win the bid. All three sets of 'Magi-Mech Cores' sold for high prices of 400 million gold shields each.

"What a pity!"

Eliza lamented: "Amo, you should have raised the bid. With your current finances, you could afford it."

After all, that was legendary-level power. Even a large force like the Mitchell Group, dominating the East Coast, had only twenty to thirty legends at most.

And the true value of a Construct Golem lay in its loyalty and reliability to its master.

For a rising force like Li Mochen, it was difficult even to hire magic professionals above level fifteen, let alone legends.

"I could buy it, but it's not necessary."

Li Mochen shook his head slightly. He could buy one set of 'Magi-Mech Core', but after that, he would have no funds left for anything else. Before the Alliance Wing Fleet's next trade expedition to the Antoria Continent, he had to budget his funds carefully.

The subsequent items held little interest for Li Mochen, and he was about to leave. But the next few lots, all excavated from the Moshla ruins—either mechanical-related or remnants of magical artifacts—rekindled his interest. Several of these items felt strangely familiar to him.

Especially when a silver box was brought out by a staff member, Li Mochen's pupils contracted slightly.