"The buyer from VIP Room 2 has withdrawn."


    Just as Felton''s trembling fingers were about to punch in another zero, the auctioneer''s voice rang out.


    Withdrawn? Weren''t they just bidding like their life depended on it?


    "The P3.0 drug goes to the buyer in VIP Room 1."


    With three raps of the gavel, it was final. A staff member promptly delivered the item to their suite.


    "Send this to Dr. Landon at our hospital," Shanley instructed Felton after confirming the item was correct. "Tell him the research budget is unlimited, but I want to see progress within three months."


    "Yes, sir,” Felton said, carefully taking the multi-million dor purchase and leaving respectfully.


    Once his instructions were given, Shanley turned to find the young woman beside him staring at him without blinking.


    "What is it?" he asked with a gentle smile, picking up a bottle of water and twisting it open. "Thirsty?"


    "A little." Juniper epted the bottle and took a small sip, her eyes still fixed on him.


    Ruthless, cruel, and merciless? This didn''t seem so bad. In fact, it was quite admirable. As she watched him, she felt her heart begin to race and her cheeks grow warm.


    "Are you hot?” Noticing her flushed face, Shanley ced a hand on her forehead to check her temperature, then instructed Flint, "Turn the air conditioning down a bit."


    Juniper said nothing, just took a few more gulps of water.


    Right. The AC must be on too high.


    An hourter, under Juniper''s direction, Lue had acquired a number of medicinal herbs and forms. The auction was drawing to a close.


    Finally, a staff member wheeled out a cart carrying a droopy nt with leaves that were already shriveling... a weed. Yes, a weed.


    "Is this the legendary Viper''s Tail?"


    Murmurs rippled through the crowd as they eyed the half-dead nt. Viper''s Tail was said to be a marvel, cultivated in extremely cold climates by grafting multiple rare herbs. 4ts. Properties we rumored to be applicable to both internal and external medicine, with significant research value for cirction and organ health.


    However, due to its specific growing conditions and immature cultivation techniques, out of hundreds of


    nts developed over five years ?


    only this one had survived the


    journey to Era City. And even this orte looked like it was on itsst legs.


    “Forget it,” a wealthy man in the upper seats said, shaking his head. “Buying that thing would be a huge waste of money."


    "It''s too fragile. Whether you could even make a profit is another question,” a middle-aged woman next to him added. “It''s a rare specimen, but what a pity." Suddenly, the hall fell silent. No one made a bid. No one wanted to gamble on whether the nt would live or die. With that kind of money, they could buy other, more reliable drugs.


    "You want this?" Shanley took the bidding device and handed it to her, his voice indulgent. "If you want it, buy it.”


    "Aren''t you afraid I''ll spend all your money?" Juniper asked, lifting her longshes with a yful curve to her lips.


    "My money is your money," Shanley leaned in, his handsome face close to hers, his tone both serious and tender. “Spend it however you like."


    Juniper''s heart skipped a beat. He was handsome, rich, and so considerate. She''d really hit the jackpot.


    "Alright," she said with a smile,


    adding a hundred dors to the starting bid of five million. Five million and one hundred dors, No one else wanted this sorry little weed anyway. She was just making a token gesture.


    Having ced her bid, she started packing her snacks back into her bag, considering the taskplete. But then the auctioneer''s voice called out, "VIP Room 6 bids five million, five hundred thousand."


    Juniper''s hand froze, and a small cookie dropped onto the table. She turned back to the main screen in disbelief.