Chapter 145: Choosing China
Of all the nations, China, the Soviet Union, and Japan knew Otonashi Chiya best.
However, the Soviets had no face left to participate in the bidding, and Japan had long since realized Chiya's stance; even if they tried a thousand ways to retain him, it would be in vain. The Japanese cabinet members could do nothing but regret their actions, their guts turning green with envy. Chiya should have been a Devil Hunter under their Tokyo Public Safety Bureau!
But the fools in their former cabinet had insisted on stirring up trouble, first sending Chiya to the Soviet Union, then offending him so deeply that they didn't just lose their own lives—they had effectively handed him over to another nation on a silver platter. It wasn't that they lacked class; the current officials truly wanted to go to the graves of those predecessors and curse them, and even insulting their ancestors for eighteen generations wouldn't be enough to soothe their hatred.
Excluding the Soviet Union and Japan, China knew of Chiya's mixed heritage and correctly deduced that he would feel the most affinity for them. Furthermore, Chiya had already answered President Jiang's question regarding which country he preferred.
Therefore, China could bid boldly. They didn't necessarily need to reach the absolute highest price, but their attitude and momentum had to be perfect, as it was highly probable that Chiya would choose them in the end. Personal transfers like this—where the individual had no home nation—were not simply a matter of the highest bidder; they were primarily determined by Chiya's personal preference.
President Jiang, one of the representatives for the Chinese side, leaned toward an aide and whispered, "What is the maximum capital we can mobilize for this?"
"Including your private funds, President Jiang, we have just over ten billion," the aide replied in a low voice.
"Then we are basically secure. The U.S. side is clearly struggling to raise their bid any further," Jiang said, his confidence unwavering. "It seems the Americans still don't fully grasp the terrifying extent of Chiya's power. Reze, that lady from the Soviet side, secretly revealed information to us that previously only the Soviets and the Japanese knew."
Earlier, during a conversation with Reze, Chiya had permitted her to disclose two of his trump cards to Jiang: his ability to summon a giant several dozen meters tall, and the power of the Rage Devil, which possessed destructive force equal to the full-bodied Gun Devil—even if it might lack the same sustained endurance. It was precisely this intelligence that made Jiang determined to win Chiya at this International Transfer.
While this wasn't a world-shaking secret, no other country possessed it. Only they understood just how worth it this massive expenditure would be.
"In that case, we are practically guaranteed to win," the aide said.
"Let's wait and see. If the U.S. raises the bid again, I'll take it straight to ten billion. After that, it's up to them," Jiang said calmly.
Upon hearing the 6-billion figure, the U.S. delegation fell into hesitation. They had already been bidding through gritted teeth. Other national representatives were shocked by China's ferocity; they weren't stupid, and they began to wonder if they were about to miss out on an unimaginably terrifying Devil Hunter. But they could only wonder—6 billion was not only a record-breaker but a number that eclipsed the previous record by a wide margin. No one prepared such astronomical funds for an International Transfer; in plain terms, they simply couldn't afford to pay that much.
"Six... six billion... are my ears failing me? Such an astronomical price at an International Transfer?!"
"This has left the old record in the dust by eighteen streets! Aside from Otonashi Chiya himself, I doubt anyone will ever break this record again!"
"It's unbelievable... if the boy's strength truly matches this price tag, just how absurdly powerful is he?"
Even the representatives were astonished, to say nothing of the spectators who knew even less about him. Nearly everyone was stunned into silence.
Meanwhile, inside the suite, Chiya and his group remained seated. The one-way glass had been lowered again; it had only been raised briefly while the host introduced them. Many people in the hall hadn't even caught a clear look at his face.
(PS: I modified Chapter 143; the protagonist group doesn't stand on the stage, but rather sits in their suite waiting, as standing on stage like a fool felt a bit strange...)
"Six billion...? Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands..."
Furia seemed to be functionally illiterate when it came to large numbers, using her fingers to count the places one by one until she finally confirmed that the amount was indeed staggering!
"Six billion! That's six billion! I could buy an infinite number of cosmetics and handbags!" Furia said, looking absolutely thrilled.
"Is that all the ambition you have, you old hag? With that much money, all you can think about is cosmetics and handbags?" Baluem immediately retorted, taking a dig at Furia.
"When it comes down to it, this money belongs to Lord Otonashi. It has nothing to do with us, so stop daydreaming," Oleg, the Spear Hybrid, added, pointing out the harsh reality.
"Why don't we think about how to get Lord Otonashi to give us a raise, like by working a little harder than usual?"
"Since it's almost certain we'll be working in China from now on, shouldn't Miss Shingetsu start learning Mandarin?" Toye and Sevar, the other two hybrids, joined in the casual chatter.
"Mhm..." Although she wasn't particularly keen on studying, Shingetsu still nodded in agreement.
Otonashi Chiya, meanwhile, simply waited for the outcome. While they were chatting, the host began his final call.
"Six billion, going once!"
"Six billion, going twice!"
"Six billion, three times!"
"Final bid confirmed!"
Until the host shouted the final confirmation, the American representatives were still paralyzed by hesitation. They lacked a deep understanding of Chiya's specific combat capabilities, and the funds provided by their superiors were insufficient. To exceed their budget without consulting their superiors beforehand would place them under immense pressure and risk.
In the end, it was the Chinese delegation that locked in the final bid. However, this was just the "final bid," not the final "transaction price." The bidding from the other nations had been settled, but it was now up to Chiya to decide which party he would sign a contract with. The price offered by the chosen party would then become the official transaction price.
By this time, the spectators in the surrounding seats had begun to disperse, as the subsequent proceedings were not open to the public. They left feeling deeply emotional, marveling at the fact that they had just witnessed the birth of a new record that was unprecedented and almost certainly impossible to break in the future.
Once the unauthorized personnel had cleared out, the Devil Hunters involved in the transfer began signing their contracts in their respective suites. Unlike Chiya and his group, everyone else already had a home country; individual Devil Hunters without a nation of origin were rarely qualified to participate in the International Transfer in the first place. These hunters had no choice and no bargaining power—they simply signed the contracts provided.
Chiya, on the other hand, had to make his final choice before negotiating contract terms.
Without a moment's hesitation, he gave his answer:
"China."