Chapter 82

Over the next two days, Wang Tian contacted Han Ruoxue, and the two of them practiced martial arts at the hotel. This trip to the capital was not lonely for Wang Tian.

On the third day, the auction venue notified Wang Tian that the auction would be held at 9 PM. They earnestly requested that Wang Tian not leave the hotel to avoid any danger.

In the evening, Wang Tian was arranged to be in the surveillance room, from where he could see the entire venue and hear the sounds inside. Wang Tian originally wanted to participate himself to see if he could find anything good, but the person in charge told him that doing so would be very dangerous. Once he showed up, he would surely be identified by the people from the seven major families, leading to endless trouble. The person in charge explained the risks of the auction to Wang Tian, who then realized how imprudent his previous thoughts were. The two types of pills he had could even cause nationwide unrest, which made him feel a bit fearful when he thought about it.

So, Wang Tian followed the arrangement and watched from the surveillance room.

Unlike usual, two security guards were standing at the entrance of the auction venue, holding metal detectors to check the people entering. These guards were actually real soldiers, and elite members of the special forces.

The people entering the venue were initially surprised but eventually cooperated with the security checks. Their metal items were confiscated, and even their communication devices, including mobile phones, were taken and placed in numbered lockers.

The first few people to enter the venue were a few portly individuals, clearly business executives.

The next person to arrive caught Wang Tian's interest. This man was in his forties, slender, and wearing an old military uniform. Although he didn't stand out much, there was a certain aura about him, the kind that only high-ranking individuals possess. This aura was not domineering or arrogant; it was even somewhat kind and approachable, but it made people realize he was no ordinary person.

"This is someone from the Fang family," the staff member beside Wang Tian informed him.

"Which Fang family?" Wang Tian asked.

"The Fang family of Fang Dashi," the staff member replied.

Fang Dashi? Wang Tian was shocked. One of the founding marshals of China? This marshal had been involved in the revolution from the beginning and rose to the rank of general. He played a significant role in almost all the major battles during the founding of China. His leadership in battles was internationally renowned, often featured in TV shows and movies, and he had once been Wang Tian's idol.

When this person from the Fang family saw the security guards about to search him, a faint light appeared in his eyes. In China, apart from a certain place, no one else had ever dared to search him.

"Sorry, it's just a routine check. If you are unwilling, you can leave," the security guard said with neither humility nor arrogance. They were soldiers who only followed orders from above. No matter how powerful the person in front of them was, they felt no fear. Moreover, the person giving them orders was no less powerful than the person in front of them.

The person from the Fang family did not hesitate or argue. He took out his gun and placed it on the table in front of the security guard.

The security guard scanned his body again with the metal detector, which emitted red light and beeping sounds.

"Please hand over your mobile phone for temporary storage."

The person from the Fang family took out his phone without anger, even feeling a bit pleased. The auction house had gone to such great lengths, which suggested that the two items they mentioned were very likely real. If he could get one of them...

With a hopeful heart, he entered the venue.

The next few people to arrive were all extraordinary. The staff member introduced them to Wang Tian: "This is someone from the He family... This is someone from the Chen family..." A woman in her late twenties also entered, "This is someone from the Tang family..." the staff member said.

These people were all so influential that a single step they took could make the capital tremble, yet they all cooperated with the security checks and did not use their power to intimidate others. The higher the status, the more refined and polite they were. They were not nouveau riche or rural tycoons who always tried to show off their presence.

Most of the people from the major families were around 34 years old, except for the one from the Tang family. They were not the youngest generation of these families, as these "young talents" were often unreliable.

After listening to the staff member's introduction, Wang Tian was puzzled. All seven of the distinguished families had sent representatives, but why hadn't the "Regent" sent anyone? The "Regent" held a position higher than the top leader and was also Wang Tian's idol. Logically, his faction should have sent someone, as the "Regent" was quite old and his greatest wish was to visit the Pearl Harbor after its return to China. He needed the "Life-Extending Pill" even more.

But with a moment's thought, Wang Tian understood the reason. His current intelligence was over 150 points, and such a simple logic was easy to grasp.

The auction venue knew exactly how many people were attending the auction: twelve top billionaires and seven members of the seven major families, totaling nineteen people. To be honest, this auction was primarily for the members of the seven major families, with the other twelve serving as supporting roles. The "Life-Extending Pill" was impossible for the twelve billionaires to obtain, while the "Bone-Cleansing Pill" still had a slight chance. Even before the auction began, the discerning could already predict the outcome.

"The auction will now begin."

The auctioneer raised a hammer and tapped the table, signaling everyone to be quiet. However, this was just a formality, as no one was talking below.

"The first item to be auctioned is now on display..."

A graceful lady in a light blue dress walked up, holding a tray with a jade bracelet on it.

"This jade bracelet is said to be the work of Xu Gongzi Shengzhi from the Han Dynasty. Jade can calm the mind and save lives. Each time it saves a life, a blood mark appears on the jade. This jade bracelet already has one blood mark, indicating that it has saved one person... The starting bid for this item is 50 million, with a minimum increment of 5 million."

Each person in the audience had a touchscreen controller in front of them, allowing them to closely examine every detail of the auction item.

"80 million" one of the billionaires in the audience had already started bidding.

"100 million"

"150 million"

People began to bid, with each increment being in the millions, not just 5 million. They were willing to pay millions for the sake of the vague legend that the jade could save lives.

To be honest, what did money mean to them? The most important thing was life.

In the end, the jade bracelet was sold for 200 million.

The people from the seven major families did not move at all; they were only interested in the last two items. The earlier items were just to set the stage, like the small dish of pickles served before a big meal.

"The second item to be auctioned is now on display..."

Another graceful lady, this time in a red dress, walked up, holding a tray with a scroll on it.