Worse, the person taking over was The Panacea!
That woman had already caused him massive, irreparable losses.
If he handed Specimen Fourteen to her, who knew if she'd take Obsidian Sun's
prized asset and use it to stab them in the back even harder?
"One hundred and twenty billion, going for the third..." The Lead Auctioneer had already raised his gavel high.
Just a split second before the hammer fell.
The Raven aggressively punched a button on his terminal.
Beep!
The sharp sound of a new bid echoed through the hall.
The auctioneer's raised hand froze in mid-air.
The massive screen above the stage instantly refreshed.
[Anonymous Bidder 01: $130 Billion.]
For a moment, everyone stared at the staggering figure, completely stunned. Nobody dared to breathe, let alone speak.
Even The Lead Auctioneer was visibly taken aback.
His grip on the gavel slowly tightened.
It took him several seconds to find his voice again. "Anonymous Bidder 01... for one hundred and thirty billion dollars!"
This time, his voice actually cracked from the sheer shock.
The previously dead-silent auction hall exploded into chaos.
"How much? How much?! A hundred and thirty billion?"
"Is this guy out of his mind?! He actually pushed it to a hundred and thirty!"
"One hundred and thirty billion for a single living asset? Who the hell is this bidder?!"
Several buyers seated in the front rows instinctively stood up.
Others rubbed their eyes, staring at the screen repeatedly to ensure they weren't hallucinating the extra zeroes.
The biochemical corporate experts on-site had previously estimated that the manufacturing cost of a single augment, even at the absolute minimum standard, hovered around one hundred million dollars.
Of course, a fully matured specimen that could be reverse-engineered for its core technology couldn't be valued the same way as fut mass-produced fodder.
Even so, one hundred and thirty billion was a terrifyingly astronomical figure.
Based on the minimum estimate, it was like staking the production budget of over a thousand subjects entirely on this single asset!
What's more, The Panacea had already declared that Specimen Fourteen was merely a near-complete asset.
There was zero guarantee that taking him back would result in successful replication.
Nor was there any promise that this specimen would solve every remaining developmental hurdle.
Yet, Anonymous Bidder 01 had casually tossed in another ten billion, driving the final bid to this god-tier price.
Even considering the precious research data embedded in Specimen Fourteen, the price was sheer lunacy.
The entire room was guessing the identity of this mysterious player. Which global faction did they represent?
Why were they so obsessed with Specimen Fourteen? Why risk everything for it?
"One hundred and thirty billion dollars!"
The Lead Auctioneer could barely
contain his feverish excitement. "Anonymous Bidder 01 bids one
hundred and thirty billion! Any higher offers?"
FindNovel.net
Even as he asked, his eyes instinctively darted toward the VIP suite occupied by The Sterling Sovereign.
He wasn't the only one. The chattering buyers on the floor tilted their heads, their gazes following the auctioneer's line of sight.
Everyone was holding their breath.
Waiting for The Sterling Sovereign's counterstrike.