Under the Heiress' Facade

Piglet: "But to gain entry to the Astral Nova auction, you need to bet something as your entry ticket."

The Astral Nova auction was a haven for the world's most exquisite treasures. While everyone dreamed of snagging something, only a privileged few could step through its doors as the organizers were meticulous in screening their participants.

It was aimed to be an affair only for the elites.

Raven's response was concise: "A life."

Piglet was concerned and cautioned: "Boss, calm down! Don't act rashly. You can get in easily by taking a task as Raven for free. No need to gamble with your life. And hey, how will I earn my cut if you're not around?"

Hera was speechless. The last line must have been the main point!

Raven clarified: "I meant I'll save a life. As long as they're breathing, I can bring them back."

Piglet was relieved and also surprised. He replied: "You nearly gave me a heart attack! Wait, you still practice medicine? Wow, Boss, you're incredible. How can the others survive with you around?

"So, are you after the Eclipse Stone to help cure someone else, not because you're sick?"

Piglet bombarded Hera with several more messages. Once again, she blocked him before resuming watching her documentary. It wasn't until she finished the two-hour documentary that she unblocked Piglet and resumed their conversation.

Piglet: "Boss, did you block me again? Sob, sob.

"Alright, I'll cut to the chase. Someone just offered ten times the price for you to take on a task. Are you in or out?

"Ten times! Ten times! What do you say?"

Raven: "Let me see the details of the client."

Piglet quickly sent a brief summary of the client's task.

Amelia Gaskell, the Gaskell family…

Hera closed the file expressionlessly. There was still no word from the police on Isabella. All she could do was wait.

Coincidentally, she needed funds for the auction next week… With a sudden vision, she tapped on her phone. "This task is a bit tough. It'll cost a hundred times the usual price."

On the other end of the chat, a teenager with gray hair was sipping coffee. Upon reading the message, he accidentally spat out his drink onto the computer screen. Hastily, he grabbed a tissue to clean up the mess.

Piglet: "You're saying that it's tough? Even someone at Level 5 like me can see it's not that hard for you! You obviously don't want to take it!

"No! You're deliberately trying to squeeze more money from this! You want to trap her without options! Asking for a hundred times the price means no one in the country will take this job." Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

In reality, people naturally gravitate toward power and influence, and it was no different in the hacker community.

It was a task that could have been worth a six-figure sum. But when the top-ranked person demanded a hundredfold increase, everyone else would follow suit.

Raven: "Pigs are indeed wise."

Piglet: "..."

Hera gently stroked Tiramisu who was sleeping on her lap and got up to return it to its bed. As she stepped out, she collided with Bernard coming out of the study.