75: The highest bidder wins?

At once, the intentions of all the latecomers became clear.

President Qian of Baicheng, who had rushed in first, had already pushed through the crowd and walked up to Feng Rui.

He scrutinized Feng Rui from head to toe, a fake smile on his face.

"President Feng, you're quite fast on your feet."

"I heard Fengxing Technology is launching some 'New Star Project'? What, have your stock prices fallen so low you can't even maintain appearances, so you need to sign a newcomer for good luck?"

His words were filled with undisguised mockery.

Feng Rui's expression had already turned somewhat grim.

The composure and confidence he had maintained all evening vanished in that moment.

He had miscalculated.

He hadn't expected his old rivals to react so quickly.

Even more, he hadn't expected them to be so undignified, to directly tear off their masks and pursue him here.

"Fatty Qian," Feng Rui said coldly, "my business is none of your concern."

"None of my concern?" President Qian laughed. Representatives from Tianqing Group and Donghua Heavy Industry, who were behind him, also gathered around, forming a encirclement.

"Miss Lin Yao has awakened a Mythic-tier profession!"

"Mythic! Do you understand?"

"This is a treasure belonging to all of Linzhou, no, to the entire world! It's not the private property of your Fengxing Technology alone!" a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses said righteously.

"Exactly! If you want to sign her, everyone should compete fairly!"

"The highest bidder wins!"

"President Feng, isn't your eighty million a bit too shabby?"

"My Baicheng Pharmaceutical is willing to offer ninety million!" President Qian shouted directly.

"Our Tianqing Group offers one hundred million!"

"One hundred million, plus S-tier contract resources increased sixtyfold!"

Bidding voices rose and fell.

Each higher than the last, each more aggressive.

The reporters were already numb.

They mechanically aimed their cameras at these powerful figures, who could make Linzhou tremble with a stomp of their feet, watching them frantically bid like street vendors for a "commodity" they didn't even understand.

And Mother Su, upon hearing the number "one hundred million," rolled her eyes and nearly fainted.

Fortunately, her aunt next to her caught her.

One hundred million.

This number, like an insurmountable mountain, crashed down on her heart, making her breathless.

The reporters also completely lost their ability to speak, instinctively and mechanically documenting the utterly absurd scene before them.

The helmsmen of Linzhou's major groups were frantically raising bids for a "treasure" in their words.

Meanwhile, the relatives of that "treasure" were heartbroken over what they considered her "failure."

The huge contrast created intense dramatic tension, making everyone present feel a prickling sensation on their scalps.

In this almost solidified chaos, Feng Rui, at the center of the storm, made a move no one had expected.

He smiled.

It wasn't the formulaic smile of powerful confidence from before.

Instead, it was a genuine smile, tinged with a hint of amusement.

He realized that the key wasn't what his competitors thought, but what the public thought, what shareholders thought, what the capital market thought.

So he took his foot off the elevator threshold, turned around, and calmly adjusted his expensive suit jacket, his movements unhurried.

Then, he surveyed the faces twisted with shock, greed, and anger.

"President Qian, one hundred million."

"President Li of Tianqing Group, one hundred million, plus sixtyfold resources."

He unhurriedly repeated the bids, as if confirming a menu.

"Anyone else?"

He asked politely, his posture extremely humble, even with a hint of encouragement.

Everyone was stunned.

President Qian's fat face instantly froze with its mocking expression.

President Li of Tianqing Group, the man with the gold-rimmed glasses, also frowned.

Something was wrong.

This reaction was completely off!

According to the normal script, Feng Rui should be furious right now, or verbally lashing out at them with false bravado.

He should be accusing them of breaking the rules, accusing them of malicious competition.

But he didn't.

Not only was he not angry, but he was... happy?

He even actively invited everyone to continue bidding?

What was this? Did he want to die faster?

"Feng Rui, what the hell are you playing at?"

President Qian finally couldn't hold back. He took a step forward, almost pressing against Feng Rui's face.

Feng Rui, however, just looked at him calmly, then cast his gaze upon everyone behind him.

"Everyone, please calm down."

"We are all here for the future of Linzhou, for our shared treasure, Miss Lin Yao."

He emphasized the words "treasure," as if reminding them of something.

"Since everyone has such sincerity, I, Feng Rui, naturally cannot be the villain who hoards everything."

He paused, revealing a remarkably benevolent smile.

"I propose we compete fairly."

"A genius like Miss Lin Yao deserves the best contract, and she deserves all of us to strive for her with the utmost sincerity."

"The highest bidder wins, it's only right."

These words were impeccable and high-sounding.

But to the ears of President Qian, President Li, and the others, they were nothing short of a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Their hearts simultaneously sank.

It's a trick!

Feng Rui, that old fox, definitely has a trick up his sleeve!

Their purpose in coming here today was not really to spend one hundred million to sign a newly awakened person.

Even for a Mythic-tier profession, there had to be a limit to the initial investment.

A hundred million investment wasn't much, but as a signing bonus, that price was outrageous.

Their goal was to drive up the price, to disgust Feng Rui, to ruin his "secretly acquired" good fortune.

To make Feng Rui either give up in resentment, or bleed profusely, signing her back with immense cost pressure and facing accountability from the internal board of directors.

But now, Feng Rui had actually handed the butcher's knife to them, smiling and encouraging them to cut even harder.

There must be a demon when things go awry!

The minds of all the company representatives were racing.

They wondered, where did Feng Rui's confidence truly come from?

Could it be that Fengxing Technology's financial situation was much better than rumored, and a signing bonus of over a hundred million was nothing to him?

Impossible.

The financial reports of listed companies were all there; Fengxing Technology's recent days were definitely not good.

Then... where was the problem?

In the crowd, President Li of Tianqing Group, the man with the gold-rimmed glasses, adjusted his frames.

In his mind, all the intelligence he had received this afternoon about the awakening ceremony flashed by.

Thousands of purple profession runes soared into the sky.

An anomaly shrouded all of Linzhou.

All purple runes eventually merged into Lin Yao's body.

Finally, she awakened as the red Mythic-tier profession, the Omniscient Sage.

Wait!

A flash of lightning struck President Li's mind!

He finally grasped the key point that everyone else had overlooked!

Fusion!

Lin Yao's awakening wasn't out of thin air; it was the result of fusing thousands of purple professions!

According to the characteristics of profession fusion, the new profession after fusion would inherit all the advantages of the basic professions and undergo a qualitative change!

What did this mean?

This meant that Lin Yao's Omniscient Sage possessed infinite malleability!

She wasn't a fixed Mythic professional.

There was a high possibility... she was still a perfect embryo that could adjust her abilities at any time according to the cultivation direction, theoretically capable of mastering all systems!