563: Starting bid: 100 million

“They're actually putting this thing up for Auction?”

Li Yang muttered to himself, half-stunned and half-sighing in awe, his gaze fixed on the pharmaceutical agent suspended in mid-air on the Auction stage.

He subconsciously straightened his posture, his heart thumping uncontrollably.

Martin, beside him, was similarly staring blankly, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. It took him several seconds to finally squeeze out a sentence.

“A product from the Empire Central Medical General Institute truly is different...”

His voice was very low, yet it couldn't hide the profound shock he felt deep down.

Empire Central Medical General Institute.

The name itself was enough to command respect from any Imperial Citizen.

It was not only the Peak symbol of the entire Empire's medical system but also the only unit or organization directly authorized by the Empire to legally research, manufacture, and even use various “contraband items.”

The pharmaceutical agents and biological products rumored to be miraculous on the black market—or even those that only existed in legends—were almost always attempts to replicate the General Institute's products.

Precisely because of this, when the host announced the origin and name of the Auction item with a slightly excited tone, the entire Auction hall was caught off guard by the sudden surprise.

The previously noisy murmurs instantly vanished, leaving only the faint sound of air moving past their ears.

Many people subconsciously leaned forward, trying to discern every detail inside the transparent container, while others tightly clenched the items in their hands, their knuckles turning slightly white from the strain.

In a sense, this was not an ordinary Auction item at all, but something only the major figures standing at the very top of the Empire's power pyramid were qualified to touch.

It was a trump card that could extend their lifespan, strengthen their physical functions, and even reverse life and death in desperate situations.

And now, this trump card was laid bare before everyone.

Whether they kept it for personal use or gifted it to an elder in their Family.

As long as they could get their hands on this item, it was equivalent to gaining an extra life or securing a significant future opportunity.

This transaction looked like a guaranteed profit no matter how one viewed it.

The two Champions were also surprised by the appearance of this pharmaceutical agent.

Their seats were located at the very front of the Auction hall, providing an excellent view.

As the agent slowly rotated in the transparent container, and the cold light reflecting off the vial swept across their profiles, the habitually calm and composed expressions on their faces finally showed a hint of a crack—though naturally, others couldn't see it.

“They are even putting this kind of pharmaceutical agent up for Auction?”

The female Champion among them spoke softly, her tone carrying a hint of disbelief.

“It seems the Hope Merchant Guild is truly willing to spend a fortune this time...”

The other male Champion leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest, but his gaze never left the pharmaceutical agent on the stage.

“Exactly, even Grandpa only gets an allotment of a few vials of this thing every year. It's not even enough for our own people, yet they're willing to put it up for Auction.”

The two were communicating via their smart brains, so others couldn't hear them. If someone else had heard those words, they might have been speechless or even lost their composure on the spot.

For the vast majority of people, this pharmaceutical agent was practically a legendary divine object, a supreme treasure that could save lives, extend longevity, and change destinies—something they might never possess even once in their lifetime.

Yet, for an Empire Rank A official, it was merely an “everyday item” within their fixed annual quota; at most, it was considered an important resource, but certainly not rare.

The disparity in status and position was laid bare on the table at this moment.

Just as the crowd was still immersed in shock and discussion, the host's slightly magnetic voice sounded again, pulling everyone's attention back to the Auction itself.

“Flawless Enhancement Agent, starting bid is one hundred million star coins, and each subsequent bid must not be less than ten million!”

This sequence of numbers instantly poured over everyone's hearts, like a basin of cold water and a raging fire combined.

Hearing this, many people showed troubled expressions. It wasn't because of the number “one hundred million” itself.

Anyone qualified to enter this Auction could afford one hundred million, more or less. However, this was merely the starting bid.

What truly made them hesitate was... that each increment could not be less than ten million. Frankly, the final transaction price for this vial would be at least one billion, and with bad luck, it might even be driven up to several billion.

This figure weighed on everyone's heart like a heavy boulder.

This meant the final price was likely to be pushed to a terrifying height.

One hundred million was just the beginning.

And the real competition had only just begun.

The brief silence in the Auction hall was broken by a rustling of low sounds. Many people with Family connections and backgrounds had already begun frantically contacting various connections and mobilizing every available resource, just to avoid being eliminated early due to insufficient funds in the upcoming bidding war.

They never expected that the Hope Merchant Guild would put up this Rank of pharmaceutical agent for Auction this time. Nobody had prepared this much liquid capital in advance.

Especially those who had already spent money in the previous rounds of Auction items, they were now green with regret, wishing they could immediately return what they had just purchased and save the money.

“If I had known there was a pharmaceutical agent like this coming later, I wouldn't have acted so impulsively earlier...”

Similar sounds of regret rose and fell across the various venues.

Li Yang had originally planned to make a bid at this Auction to see if he could acquire something.

But when the host announced the starting bid of “one hundred million,” most of the fighting spirit that had just ignited in his heart instantly died down.

After all, starting at one hundred million, who knew what outrageous price it would be driven up to later.

Just as he was silently calculating how much available capital he had left, Martin beside him suddenly turned his head, lowering his voice with a chuckle.

“What do you say, Little Brother Li Yang? Want to take it?”

Hearing this, Li Yang gave a helpless smile and shook his head.

“I'd like to, but I'm afraid I can't afford this price...”

He knew clearly that although he wasn't poor, he was still more than one Rank away from this level of spending, which easily reached hundreds of millions.

Martin, however, waved his hand dismissively, his fingers rapidly manipulating his personal light screen.

“What are you afraid of? Let's try first. Haven't you noticed that no one has bid yet? Maybe everyone is gathering funds. At worst, I'll transfer all my current liquid assets to you. Combined with yours, maybe we'll get lucky and win it...”

His tone was relaxed as he spoke, as if discussing a trivial matter, but Li Yang could hear the gravity in his words. This was no longer simple “help”; it was betting his entire fortune on him.