The backyard of the Tianchang Pavilion auction house had a large area designated as a lounge. However, the people occupying it were not VIP clients of the auction house, but rather the sellers of the auctioned items.
Some sellers hadn't shown up at all, while many others were in urgent need of cash and wanted to finalize their transactions as soon as possible, so they waited here.
At this moment, by a table near the window, sat a man in his early fifties. The man's suit was an old style, with the cuffs and collar washed to a faded white.
Although only in his early fifties, the man's face was dark and covered in wrinkles, making him look more like he was in his sixties. This was the result of years of labor in fields and the outdoors.
This man was An Guangyu, the owner and founder of Xianyao Technology.
An Guangyu was born into a family that cultivated medicinal herbs. Later, he enrolled in Huaxia University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, eventually earning a doctorate and becoming a professor there.
During his research, An Guangyu discovered that many precious Chinese medicinal herbs were on the verge of extinction.
Despite this, for economic gain, many people unscrupulously over-harvested these herbs.
This gave An Guangyu an idea: could a company be established specifically to cultivate seeds and seedlings of these precious medicinal herbs?
Later, An Guangyu invested almost all his personal fortune into this venture and enlisted many of his students. Ultimately, he established a well-known enterprise in the industry. However, An Guangyu was a good researcher, tirelessly investing in studying seedlings and searching for seeds, but his management skills were somewhat lacking.
A series of subsequent business decisions went awry, directly leading Xianyao Technology to the brink of bankruptcy.
With no other options, he had to seek buyers for the company.
Opposite him sat two men dressed in a respectable manner. Their demeanor clearly indicated they were Japanese.
The one leading them, a somewhat lewd, balding middle-aged man, was Ye Gui Shirou, the China General Manager of the Japanese company Yōken-dō Cosmetics Corporation.
It was this very individual who had colluded with Long Mingzhu, Lei Shaojun, and others to acquire Xuelian Pharmaceutical, intending to completely choke Bing Tian Pharmaceutical.
Although his scheme was thwarted by Ling Tian, this fellow hadn't rested and had now set his sights on Xianyao Technology.
These Japanese individuals were incredibly cunning and were well aware of the value of a company like Xianyao Technology.
"Mr. An, stop hesitating. We offer 35 million to acquire all your company's shares! This will allow you to clear all your debts and still have several million left, enough for you to enjoy your retirement. You could even use this money to make a comeback!" Ye Gui Shirou spoke like the wolf trying to lure Little Red Riding Hood into opening the door, his smile brilliant, but An Guangyu found it somewhat repulsive.
"Mr. Ye Gui, please leave. I've already stated that I will not sell my company to a Japanese enterprise!"
"Mr. An, don't be so emotional. You must understand that besides us Japanese, no one else can see the value of your enterprise. The businessmen in China only care about money; they don't understand you! If you sell the company to us, we will surely bring it back to life!"
"You're thinking too much. This is impossible. Traditional Chinese medicine is China's treasure; it can only remain in China!"
An Guangyu spoke with conviction. He was well aware of the Japanese people's practices. Over the years, they had been aggressively acquiring Chinese medicinal herb cultivation companies. Although traditional Chinese medicine and prepared Chinese medicines were not highly regarded in China currently, in Japan, the formulas for prepared Chinese medicines were highly sought after in the market.
"Mr. An, I can understand your feelings, but your countrymen cannot understand you! They don't care about what you cherish. Look, your company is now up for auction..."
Ye Gui Shirou pointed at the large screen, which was broadcasting the live auction. At that moment, shares of Xianyao Technology were being auctioned.
The auction proceeded quickly, with no bids. The host announced twice, and when no one responded, was about to declare it a failed auction. Just then, someone purchased the shares of Xianyao Technology.
Watching the large screen, An Guangyu felt a complex mix of emotions. His company had been bought, and at least it wouldn't fall into Japanese hands, which brought him some comfort. However, the auction price was only ten million, which likely wouldn't be enough to cover the company's debts.
"Alright, Mr. Ye Gui, you can go now! As you can see, someone bought my company. This money is enough for my company to overcome its crisis in the short term."
"Mr. An, don't celebrate too soon. This buyer probably hasn't fully grasped your company's situation. I guarantee that once they see the company's condition, they will definitely regret it! They might even sell these shares at a discount! Also, I remind you, you are no longer the major shareholder. I just need to find the person who bought your shares and buy them from him at a high price. Your company will still fall into our hands, haha!"
Ye Gui Shirou laughed heartily, but at that moment, a voice cut through the air.
"Who is this lunatic? Why are they letting just anyone into the auction house?"
Ye Gui Shirou's laughter abruptly stopped, choked by the remark. An Guangyu looked up and saw a young man approaching. He remembered him clearly; it was this person who had just bid for his company's shares.
"Professor An, hello. I am Ling Tian. I was the one who just bought your company's shares. Please don't listen to this Japanese fellow's nonsense. I am very clear about your company's value and the value of the work you are doing. Please rest assured, not only will I not sell the shares of your company, but I will also continue to inject capital into it, help you repay your debts, and undertake new research tasks! Furthermore, my company also has biological laboratories, so we can fully cooperate!"
An Guangyu's mouth hung open. He could hardly believe his ears. Was this a windfall from heaven? Could such a thing actually happen to him? However, looking at the young man, he felt he was too young, inexperienced, and perhaps unreliable. Could his words be trusted?
At this moment, Ye Gui Shirou spoke.
"Young man, business is not a child's play. Some things are not as you imagine. Especially in medicinal herb research, you might throw in hundreds of millions and not even make a ripple! Here is my business card. If you change your mind, you can come to me, and I will buy the shares you hold at the original price!"
As Ye Gui Shirou spoke, he pushed a business card towards Ling Tian and then turned to leave. Ling Tian looked at the business card, picked it up, and tore it directly!