" The Administration Bureau and the Armament Bureau are fighting, hahaha, that's interesting."
"The second half of today's auction felt like a nightmare."
There are ten minutes left before the second half of the auction begins.
Several more captains from the Federation Branch Bureau entered and took their seats in the first row.
The team leaders were clearly there on orders from their superiors to participate in the auction. Before the auction even started, they were already at odds, and a tense atmosphere quickly filled the room.
The host, Xiao Hui, returned to the stage. "There are five minutes left before the second half of the auction. Please return to your seats and wait patiently."
The lights gradually dimmed, and the murmurs ceased.
Inside the private room.
Xu Jintang leaned back on the sofa, his gaze sweeping over the captains from various bureaus sitting in the first row below.
"These guys are all here for the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and the Cinnabar Blood Grass, right?" she asked, stroking her chin.
Yan Yuting nodded, "It should be."
Xu Jintang slightly curved the corners of her lips, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.
The leaders of these bureaus probably aren't short of money, so it looks like she's going to make a fortune today.
"I hereby announce that the second half of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion Auction is now continuating! Next up is our thirty-fifth lot for today's auction..."
The intense bidding has resumed.
Many of the items in the second half of the auction were exceptionally valuable, and the competition among the guests became fierce.
As the last few items were being auctioned, Song Yuanlang suddenly raised his hand and called out, "Five million."
This item is also a relatively rare spiritual herb, which has extremely powerful effects on high-level ability users.
The captain of the neighboring Armament Bureau glanced over with a smile, then deliberately raised his hand and called out, "Six million."
Song Yuanlang frowned. "Seven million."
Eight million.
Song Yuanlang glanced coldly at the person opposite him. "What? You also need this spiritual herb?"
"It's not really necessary, I just had some free time, so I took some photos." The opposing captain shrugged with a smile, his deliberate gesture making Song Yuanlang clench his fist.
With a stern face, he continued to raise the price, "Nine million."
He wanted this spiritual herb himself, and he withdrew all his savings two days ago specifically for the auction. The highest price he could accept was twelve million.
"Ten million."
When the price was raised to this level, even the breathing in the room became quieter.
Inside the private room, Xu Jintang watched the auction below with a satisfied expression, wishing the two would compete even more fiercely.
However, when Song Yuanlang gritted his teeth and shouted out twelve million, the other side finally backed down.
She probably saw that Song Yuanlang's expression was out of control and knew that he had reached his limit.
"Wow, the class monitor really hit the jackpot again!" Song Tianqi exclaimed enviously. "I wish I could bid like that on my items someday."
Soon, the next item up for auction belonged to Song Tianqi.
The later the auction, the rarer and more valuable the items become, leading to more intense bidding.
Song Tianqi and the others stared wide-eyed at the situation below.
When the price increases reached their peak, it soared to millions, making the money seem like just a string of numbers.
Xu Jintang kept clicking his tongue in amazement, exclaiming, "It's so good to be rich."
The penultimate item sold for 80 million, and went to a captain in the Federation Branch Bureau.
Then came the highlight: the auction of the final item.
Chapter 196
Two staff members carried the auction display case onto the stage.
All eyes turned to him.
The distinguished guests sitting in the front row also looked up, staring intently at the stage.
"Next up is our grand finale: a combination of the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and the Cinnabar Blood Grass." The host stood beside the display case, raised his hand, and lifted the red cloth to reveal the items inside.
The exquisite and delicate Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit slowly floated in the display case, surrounded by a colorful halo, exuding a faint sense of holiness.
The other glass display case contained Cinnabar Blood Grass that shimmered with a crimson light.
To ensure the freshness of the Cinnabar Blood Grass, Myriad Treasures Pavilion specially prepared a red soil pot for replanting it.
The appearance of the two items instantly attracted everyone's attention.
"I can sense the energy of the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and Cinnabar Blood Grass even from this distance; they truly live up to their reputation."
Do you think it's possible we can find a bargain?
"What nonsense are you spouting in broad daylight? Can't you see a bunch of people in the front row staring? How could we possibly get a piece of the pie?"
The eyes of the distinguished guests sitting in the front row all fell on the stage.
Song Yuanlang pursed his lips, narrowed his eyes slightly, and revealed a domineering aura of certainty in his eyes.
The other team leaders sitting next to him also straightened their backs and sat up straight.
"I won't go into too much detail about the effects of the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and Cinnabar Blood Grass; everyone should be aware of them. The last time the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit appeared at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion was two years ago, and that auction broke our Myriad Treasures Pavilion auction record, fetching a sky-high price of over 100 million."
The host, Xiao Hui, spoke with great excitement, "Who will win the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and Cinnabar Blood Grass today? Let's wait and see!"
The lights on site instantly turned on, and several beams of light shone on the glass display case, making the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and Cinnabar Blood Grass shine even brighter.
"The starting bid for the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and Cinnabar Blood Grass is 60 million, with each bid increment no less than 1 million and no upper limit. Guests interested in this item may now begin bidding."
As soon as he finished speaking, the host Xiao Hui, raised his hand and struck the bell.
As the bell rang, the first bid was made. "Seventy million!"
The voice came from the captain of the Armament Camp. The playful expression on his face had vanished, replaced by seriousness and focus.
Immediately afterwards, Song Yuanlang raised his paddle and called out, "Eighty million."
Ninety million!
"One hundred million!"
In less than ten seconds, the price had already reached one hundred million.
Song Yuanlang glanced at it, then raised his paddle again, raising the price. "One hundred and ten million."
One hundred and twenty million.
Inside the private room.
The group stared in disbelief at the intense bidding below.
"Is everyone this rich?" Song Tianqi asked incredulously.
Xue Zhongqi in amazement, "It seems the leaders of these bureaus have been skimming off a lot of money lately."
"Under normal circumstances, what price would these Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and Cinnabar Blood Grass fetch at auction?" Yan Yuting asked curiously.
Jiang Shiyi had been mostly silent, finally spoke up, "It'll probably cost at least two hundred million."
The last time the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit was auctioned off alone, it fetched a staggering price of 100 million.
With the addition of Cinnabar Blood Grass, the price will definitely double.
Xu Jintang also clicked his tongue in amazement.
Although the money will eventually end up in her hands, it came too quickly.
Song Tianqi leaned closer to her and nudged her elbow. "Class monitor, you're about to become rich again, huh?"
"What do you want to eat tonight? It's on me." Xu Jintang patted his shoulder generously, then glanced at the others across the table.
Yan Yuting didn't stand on ceremony, "Let's eat the most expensive one!"
"I second that!" Xue Zhongqi raised his hand in unison.
Song Tianqi patted his stomach, chuckled, and licked his lips, saying, "Then I want to eat my fill."
Xu Jintang turned his gaze to Jiang Shiyi, "Where 'Sister Shiyi?"
Jiang Shiyi: "Either is fine, I'm easy."
Having gathered all the opinions, Xu Jintang clapped his hands. "Alright, then let's book the most expensive Fragrant Aroma Pavilion."
At this point, the bidding below the VIP box had already reached 150 million.
The atmosphere became tense.
The guests in the back row who were watching the spectacle held their breath, staring intently at the situation in the front row.
"One hundred and sixty million." Song Yuanlang raised his paddle again, his expression no longer as relaxed as when he arrived.
"One hundred and seventy million," the captain of the neighboring Armament Camp shouted confidently, seemingly indicating that the price was within his expectations.
The other Federation Branch Bureau captains looked conflicted, seemingly hesitant about whether to raise the price further.
The Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and Cinnabar Blood Grass are indeed precious, but in such a short time, everyone can only raise limited funds, and no one is particularly well-off.
The highest price offered by their leaders was 200 million, which they thought would be more than enough, but they didn't expect that others were better prepared.
"One hundred and eighty million!" one of the Federation Branch Bureau captains shouted through gritted teeth.
But soon, someone else followed suit, raising the price. "Two hundred million."
The Armament Camp commander immediately raised the price to 200 million.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at the front row, barely daring to breathe.
Song Yuanlang's brows furrowed into a frown.
The funds his superiors gave him were only 230 million.
The price has already reached 200 million. With two more rounds, the Five Skandhas Spirit Fruit and Cinnabar Blood Grass are likely to soar to new heights.
The Armament Camp commander calmly raised his bidding paddle and continued to raise the price, "Two hundred and thirty million."
Upon hearing the price, the other team leaders sitting in the front row were all stunned.
The captains of the Federation Branch Bureau looked extremely grim, because with prices driven up to this level, it was impossible for them to continue participating.
Song Yuanlang also looked like he'd eaten dirt.
The price was right within his budget; he couldn't afford a penny more.
"Why aren't you guys following?" The Armament Camp commander asked with a smile, looking around.
Song Yuanlang looked over with a stern face, "It seems your Armament Camp is still making money."
The other captains of the Federation Branch Bureau chimed in, "Yes, to directly auction off two spiritual herbs for over two hundred million, their assets must be at least tens of billions. Do the leaders of your Armament Camp earn that much every year?"
"It can't be..." The captains exchanged wicked glances, and the unspoken words were immediately understood by everyone.
Each Federation branch office enjoys certain privileges and resources.