The Silent Auction: The Alpha's Obsession - Chapter 52: I am sinking ship

[This story takes place in a parallel world, so please don’t compare it to the real world—it’s not meant to match reality].[Note: I'm writing this after Chapter 248, so you don't need to worry about comments related to the original novel]Haruki Yuuki—a hardcore otaku, a shut-in to his classmates, but to his fans? A mysterious man and brilliant mangaka with a cult following.One fateful night, Haruki stumbles upon a strange system that grants him access to legendary manga from a parallel version of Earth—stories never seen before in his world. With this power, he begins his unexpected journey as a rising manga creator in Japan's competitive industry.As his works soar to stardom, so does the pressure—and the fanbase that won’t let him rest.Fan A: “Sensei! Please just finish Hunter x hunter before starting a new series! It's been three years already. My son is in high school now—will he see the final chapter before graduation?!”Fan B: “Damn it, Haruki! If you kill off Furukawa again, I’m sending you a replica katana in the mail!”[Note: This is my first time translating a novel, so the earlier chapters may contain some inconsistencies. I've identified and corrected most of these issues. Since I changed the setting, there may be minor inconsistencies in the earlier chapters, but after Chapter 150, I believe most of the problems have been resolved.]

In the age of the Great Liang Dynasty, the lives of the people were made convenient with steam-powered machines that run on a fuel named Violetstream Gold. Chang Geng, who lived in a small countryside village, shared a distant relationship with his mother while his stepfather was away most of the year round, and the only people he was close to were two little kids, the village teacher, and his yi fu – adoptive father. But his life was flipped upside down one day following the barbaric Man tribes’ invasion, and it turned out that his entire identity had been an illusion – not only was Chang Geng himself not the country boy he thought he was, but also his mother, his teacher, and even his beloved yi fu…

- Description from Novelupdates

Wen Le’s grandfather was a revered literary writer who escaped to the mountains for inspiration and has lived there for over 10 years.

Ever since she was a child, Wen Le has lived in the mountains with her grandparents. Only upon attending school did Wen Le discover that they only had a black and white TV while her friends all had LED ones.

Thus the young Wen Le who matured early knew that they were poor and that she had to work hard. However, Wen Le gradually realized that something felt a bit odd. Wen Le hesitantly gave her grandfather a call.

“Yeye*, when I passed the university entrance exam, what are the two keys that you and Dad gave to me for?”

Grandpa snorted in reply, “I gave you a courtyard house, and your dad gave you a building.”

Wen Le trembled in trepidation, “Then what about that document which Dad got me to sign a few days ago?”

Grandpa snorted, “How would I know? But your Dad recently bought a gem mine.”

Wen Le cautiously asked, “Yeye, is our family really not poor?”

Grandpa got so angry and scolded her for being s*upid.

After Wen Le got together with the school crowned hunk Zhou Kao, who was cold to everyone, it shook the entire school. Zhou Kao was a wealthy young master from birth, and Wen Le was only a poor child from the mountains. With their social status deemed unfavorably matched, Wen Le was deemed as a scheming girl who wanted to marry into wealth.

Until someone secretly recorded the interaction between the two of them. In the video, Zhou Kao had unexpectedly backed Wen Le up to a secluded corner. He played with Wen Le’s long hair, “It’s said that this jewel that’s currently on you is worth millions but was bought from a street stall for $20?”

Wen Le smiled: “The stall owner was probably my Dad.”

“However…” Wen Le raised Zhou Kao’s chin and looked at him with her seductive eyes, “How much are you selling this ten million beauty for?”

Reputed as being hellishly difficult, Zhou Kao, the famed hunk whom nobody could successfully chase, was infatuated. He leaned down for a kiss, and with a raspy voice said, “I’ll give it to you for $10.”

Wen Le dodged the kiss with a laugh, “Isn’t $10 a little expensive?”

Zhou Kao clenched his teeth, and directly kissed her, “I’ll bear a deficit of $10.”

The whole school was SHOCKED!

- Description from Novelupdates

He was a wealthy and mysterious financial backer who had appeared before her when she needed money the most. After the courtship, she took the money and left.