Chapter 83

"This scroll is a genuine work by Tang Bohu, titled 'Spring Trees and Autumn Fragrance.' The starting bid is 20 million, with each subsequent bid not less than 1 million..." The auctioneer did not say that the scroll had been authenticated by some authoritative expert as an absolute genuine piece. Because such words, when spoken in this auction house, were completely superfluous. To date, no antique sold here had ever been a fake.

Although this item was a genuine work by Tang Bohu, it did not cause much of a stir. What good was a genuine piece? It couldn't be eaten, worn, or used to treat illnesses. In terms of artistic value, it could only represent the value of its time. The times were moving forward, and some modern painters had artistic achievements far surpassing it. The greatest value of ancient genuine pieces lay in their research value, but what did research value have to do with these people?

What these wealthy individuals were truly interested in were items that could bring them good luck, things that could make them not fall ill, not take medicine, not receive injections, and live better lives.

Birth, aging, illness, and death were things they could not control. They might suddenly get an incurable terminal illness, and they had not yet enjoyed their beautiful lives to the fullest. They did not want to die, so they were filled with fear. Therefore, once such items appeared, they would spare no expense to buy them, even if the items were only effective according to legend. They wanted to buy this hope.

In the end, the genuine work by Tang Bohu, 'Spring Trees and Autumn Fragrance,' was bought by a collector for 30 million, with only one person raising the bid once throughout the entire auction process.

"The next item up for auction is a pill..."

Another beautiful woman came up with a tray, on which a small glass cup lay, and inside the glass cup was a round, white pill. The pill was the size of a cherry and looked very unremarkable.

"This pill is called the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill. It can remove impurities from the human body, ensuring that the person who takes it will not fall ill for a year... The starting bid is 10 million, with each subsequent bid not less than 1 million." The auctioneer said calmly.

Finally, it was about to begin. The members of the seven major families finally took action, their fingers starting to tap on the touch screens in front of them, carefully examining the shape and appearance of the pill. Although they believed that the auction house would not do anything to damage its reputation, the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill was something that only existed in legends, so they had to be cautious. They were not afraid of losing money, but they were afraid that the item was fake. The authenticity of this pill was too important to them.

The wealthy individuals had not been informed in advance about this item. When they heard the auctioneer's words, their expressions were very vivid and full of anticipation, their hearts pounding. If this pill was genuine, it would be worth buying, even at a price of 100 million or 1 billion.

They did not whisper to each other; these people were also refined and believed that the auction house would not speak without basis. They would take action.

Sure enough.

"Is this thing you're auctioning really genuine? Our money was earned through hard work." Someone in the audience began to speak.

Hearing this person's words, the participants in the auction remained calm. They all knew that this person was a shill for the auction house. The true participants were all refined and cultured; no one would be so foolish as to offer themselves up to be humiliated. But without the opportunity to humiliate, they would create one to show others, which was the role of the shill. This was like the popular "humiliation" novels, where there were always a few foolish supporting characters who would offer their faces to be slapped by the protagonist.

However, it was precisely because of the existence of these shills that the auction could proceed more smoothly.

"You don't need to doubt the effectiveness of this pill, as it will take effect immediately after consumption." The auctioneer said calmly.

Take effect immediately? This shocked everyone, including the members of the seven major families, their hearts beating faster. It would take effect immediately! The auction house could not tell such a crude lie, so the pill must be 100% genuine.

"What if it doesn't work?" The shill continued.

"If it doesn't work, we will not only compensate ten times the bid price but also withdraw from the auction industry." The auctioneer said calmly, "If you don't believe us, you can nominate someone to try it, but the cost of the trial is 1 billion."

The starting bid was only 10 million, and a trial cost 1 billion? The gap was too large. They did not know that the 10 million was set by Wang Tian, the owner of the pill, who was unaware of the market value.

"I'll try it." Someone had already stood up. It was a fat tycoon.

"You go." Two people from the Chen family had come, and the older one said to the younger one.

"I'll try it." The younger one stood up.

Seeing this person stand up, the fat tycoon immediately sat down. If they did not have some discernment and self-awareness, they would not be able to survive in the capital. At the same time, these top tycoons also understood their roles here, which were merely to be supporting characters. When the auctioneer said that a trial was possible, it meant there was more than one pill. They hoped there would be enough pills to satisfy the seven major families and leave some for the others.

The person from the Chen family walked up to the stage, and the beautiful woman serving the tray handed him a cup of plain water. The auction house had planned the steps for this auction, and everything proceeded according to plan.

The person from the Chen family took the pill from the auctioneer, swallowed it without hesitation, and then took a sip of water. 'Gulp,' he swallowed it down.

Everyone in the audience opened their eyes wide, wanting to see what changes would occur.

Less than a minute later, a faint odor reached the noses of the people in the audience. The auctioneer, who was close to the person, did not cover his nose or show any signs of disgust, and the beautiful woman even smiled.

The people in the audience could view the specific condition of the person who took the pill through the touch screens in front of them. They could clearly see the sweat beads on the face and neck of the person from the Chen family, with black impurities in the sweat.

"Sir, you can go over there to clean up." Seeing that the advertisement effect had been achieved, the beautiful woman gracefully pointed to a direction. The person from the Chen family hurriedly left. If he had not known he had a responsibility to promote, he would have gone to take a shower long ago. The sweat with impurities was not only extremely foul-smelling but also itchy, making his skin very uncomfortable.

Although his skin was uncomfortable, his body felt incredibly comfortable. He was very glad to have been the one to try the pill; otherwise, he might never have had the chance to take such a pill. The people from the seven major families who came to bid on the pill were not doing it for themselves but to give it to the 'old men' in their families. Although this opportunity cost 1 billion, it was just a drop in the bucket for them.

Seeing the effect of the pill on his younger cousin, the Chen family member was extremely regretful. Why didn't he go? This opportunity would not come again, and he was so regretful that his intestines turned green.

Five minutes later, the person from the Chen family returned to his seat.

The auctioneer took out another pill.

"This pill is the same as the previous one, also a Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill. The starting bid is still 10 million, with each subsequent bid not less than 1 million. Everyone can bid freely..."