Chapter 84

"110 million!" Someone from the seven major families shouted out a bid.

This bid was quite peculiar, but no one laughed, because they all knew this was just the beginning. No one would start by bidding hundreds of millions or billions, as that would make them no different from nouveau riche from the countryside.

"20 million!" Another person from the seven major families.

The top tycoons didn't dare to bid at all.

"50 million!" A member of the He family spoke up.

"100 million!"

"1 billion!"

"2 billion!" This time, it was a woman from the Tang family who bid.

The auctioneer gently tapped the table. "Knock, knock, knock." The crowd below quieted down.

"Let's do it this way. There are nine Cleansing Marrow Pills in total. One has already been used, leaving eight. The auction house has decided to sell seven of these pills to Fang, Chen, Tang, and so on, at 1 billion each. The remaining one will be auctioned off to the rest of you." He only mentioned the names of the people from the major families, not directly calling them the seven major families, although everyone knew it.

This auction was not like a regular one, as no auction would directly designate buyers. All of this was because the items being auctioned were too astonishing. The distribution of the pills had been arranged by the auction house's management, and this arrangement had been communicated to Wang Tian, who agreed to it.

In fact, this distribution plan was not decided by the management but by their backer. The plan was very balanced, avoiding any conflicts among the seven major families.

Hearing this arrangement, the members of the seven major families had no objections. They all sat quietly, with the Chen family regretting that they couldn't have two pills if they didn't need to use one.

"The last Cleansing Marrow Pill will now be auctioned. Everyone can bid freely." The auctioneer didn't bother to explain the bidding rules, as he was a top-tier auctioneer with a bit of a temper.

"2 billion!" A top tycoon bid directly, excited without the interference of the seven major families. The opportunity to buy such a pill at a 'cheap' price was rare. They had been hesitant to bid earlier due to the influence of the seven major families, but now, as long as it didn't severely damage their family's assets, they were willing to bid.

Unlike before, their initial bid was 2 billion, as they didn't want to waste time.

"10 billion"

"20 billion!"

No one bid higher, as doing so would shake the foundations of their industries. Most of these tycoons were aligned with the seven major families, and if their family's business suffered, their status within the major families would decline, and they might even face punishment.

The last 'Cleansing Marrow Pill' was bought by a middle-aged man in his fifties.

"He is the head of the Shengshi Group, his name is Si Runzi..." A staff member introduced to Wang Tian.

Shengshi Group? His surname is Si? Wang Tian was extremely surprised. So he is Si Si's father, huh? If you had let your daughter be my girlfriend earlier, I would have given you a few Cleansing Marrow Pills, no need to spend 200 billion. And your butler even tried to kill me. If you knew the owner of this pill was your 'son-in-law,' would you regret it?

The 8 Cleansing Marrow Pills, which were actually Qi-Dispelling Pills, earned Wang Tian 80 billion. Now, with another 200 billion, Wang Tian wasn't overly excited. He already had a lot of money, with over 700,000 of his own and 11 million from Mo Xueyan's cards. Money is just a symbol; having enough is enough. Didn't you see how those people at the auction reacted to the Cleansing Marrow Pills? Wealth is far less important than one's health. If Wang Tian didn't want to use Mo Xueyan's money to buy a house, he wouldn't have come to the capital to auction these items.

The 280 billion earned from the auction was far less exciting than when Wang Tian initially exchanged 50 gold coins for 500,000.

"The next item is a Life-Extending Pill. As the name suggests, this pill can extend one's life by one year, except for those with terminal illnesses... There is only one of these pills, and it cannot be immediately verified... The starting price is 1 billion, and each bid must be at least 100 million higher. You can now bid freely."

The auction continued, and the auctioneer presented the second item.

"1.5 billion!" Someone from the seven major families bid.

Everyone had seen the miraculous effects of the Cleansing Marrow Pills and didn't doubt the effectiveness of the Life-Extending Pill. Even if they had some doubts, it didn't stop them from wanting to bid. This was a 'hope,' and a very real one.

The benefits of extending one's life by a year were obvious. These old men from the seven major families were all in their eighties, and any day could be their last. While they were alive, their power was equal, and the only competition was who lived longer. If one of them lived a year longer than the others, the status of the remaining one... They were all founding figures, and the one who survived would be a 'god' among men, with his entire family rising to the top.

The top tycoons all closed their eyes, knowing that this item was beyond their reach.

"2 billion!" A member of the Chen family bid.

"10 billion!" The woman from the Tang family followed.

"20 billion. I ask everyone here to give me some face and not to compete with me." The middle-aged man from the Fang family, who looked like a military officer, said calmly.

Everyone knew that this was no longer about money but about power. If it were just about money, they could all come up with hundreds of billions or even trillions, as they controlled departments vital to the national economy, such as telecommunications, oil, transportation... and, of course, the financial sector, though they only controlled parts of it.

Finance was like grain in the past, where the army moved only after the grain was secured. Who among the military leaders didn't understand the importance of financial institutions? Therefore, they each controlled a part, such as the Industrial and Commercial Bank, the Construction Bank, the Agricultural Bank, and the Postal Savings Bank... The Central Bank, however, was beyond their control, as it was an independent department, nominally regulating other banks, but in reality, its power wasn't that great. The governor was a reformist, aligned with the 'Southern Faction.'

The seven major families were divided into two factions: the 'Reformists' and the 'Conservatives.' The Fang family was the unofficial leader of the 'Conservatives,' while the Tang family belonged to the 'Reformists' but was not the leader.

"50 billion!" The woman from the Tang family bid.

"Jiang Suning, are you going to compete with me?" The man from the Fang family said calmly.

Jiang Suning's expression was uncertain, and she turned to look at someone beside her, who shook his head slightly.

Seeing the conflict, the auction house's management was drenched in cold sweat. If a single pill caused internal strife, it would be something his backer did not want to see. If internal strife broke out, it would be earth-shattering. He hoped the woman from the Tang family would back down and not cause any trouble. But since the minister's death, the Tang family had no outstanding talent. Would Jiang Suning consider the bigger picture? Would she understand the delicate relationships among the major families? He was very worried.

In fact, the backer had already decided the fate of this pill, which was to go to the Fang family. If the woman from the Tang family didn't know when to stop, he would intervene, but that would be a slap in the face for the auction house. Directly designating a buyer, especially during a competition, would not be an auction. It would also be a slap in the face for the Tang family.