Chapter 494 — Kang's Pharmacy

So it was hardly surprising that Yu Haitian was calling Lai Changshan at this very moment.

"Mr. Lai, the response to the Life-Extending Detox Pill has been truly remarkable. I wonder if you might still have a few of these treasures in your possession? As you heard, there are guests who never got the chance to bid." Yu Haitian asked, his tone easy and agreeable.

He had not thought much of Fatty Lai before, but now his attitude was markedly warmer.

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Yu. I have only three left here, and there is no way I can produce a fourth for this auction!" Fatty Lai said apologetically.

"Is that so? That really is a pity." Yu Haitian sighed. "It seems I shall have to go up on stage and explain the situation myself."

"Why don't I go and explain instead? It would be a good chance to say why this Life-Extending Detox Pill is so rare," Fatty Lai suggested.

"That will do nicely. I'll leave it to you then, Mr. Lai!" If Lai Changshan went up to explain in person, it would save Yu Haitian a great deal of trouble. Otherwise, if people came looking to him afterward for more Life-Extending Detox Pills, he might be the auction's manager, but he still had no extra pills to give them! Now that Fatty Lai had taken the responsibility upon himself, nothing could have suited him better.

After hanging up, Fatty Lai twisted his portly frame and, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, made his way onto the auction stage.

"Distinguished guests, greetings to you all. On behalf of Kang's Pharmacy, I offer you our most sincere apologies!" Fatty Lai said into the microphone, addressing the people below the stage.

"Huh?" The guests were struck dumb for a moment. This Fatty Lai was one of Kang's Pharmacy's people? Then why had he been bidding earlier? Were they selling to themselves and driving up the price?

In an instant, many of the guests below furrowed their brows, showing open contempt for Fatty Lai's conduct, for what he had done was really rather underhanded. Though no one could quite put a finger on what rule he had broken—after all, everyone knew the auction's rules, and the Yu family took a cut—Fatty Lai's behavior had nonetheless damaged his reputation.

The one most incensed was Miracle Doctor Kang. Liu Tianyi was less so; the price he had paid was comparatively cheap, so he was not overly troubled. But Miracle Doctor Kang was another matter entirely—that had been four hundred thirty million, and most of the family's liquid capital had gone into it, only for Fatty Lai to play him false!

"The raw materials for this Life-Extending Detox Pill are exceedingly scarce, and the refining process is extremely complicated. Professor Guan Xuewen spent nearly a full year to refine just five pills, three of which were put up for auction!" Fatty Lai went on, wagging his head as he spoke.

Fatty Lai's words restored a measure of balance to those present. Five pills in a whole year, with such scarce raw materials—this pill could truly be called a priceless treasure!

Had it been Miracle Doctor Kang who refined them, some present might still have doubted it, but since it was Guan Xuewen, everyone believed it! For in the eyes of these great families, Guan Xuewen was already a miracle doctor.

But wait—were there not two pills left? Where had they gone?

"Of the two remaining pills, one was given to Miracle Doctor Kang at his birthday banquet by another partner of Kang's Pharmacy! And the other was taken by my father!" Fatty Lai spun his tale straight off the top of his head, revealing the whereabouts of the other two Life-Extending Detox Pills. Naturally, he would not tell outsiders that the pill his father had taken was in fact the very one Miracle Doctor Kang had received!

"Ah!" Those who knew Fatty Lai finally understood why his father had recovered so quickly! The man had been comatose from uremia, at death's very door, and now his health was better than ever!

These people promptly beat their chests and stamped their feet in regret, wishing they had acted sooner! Now it was too late—there were only five pills, and every last one was gone!

Of course, the most embarrassed of all was Miracle Doctor Kang, whose old face was burning! He had just told Xiao Ji that this Life-Extending Detox Pill was a lost, unique treasure from ancient times, and now it turned out to have been refined by Guan Xuewen!

And more than that—someone had even presented him with one of these Life-Extending Detox Pills at his own birthday banquet! How could he have had the gall to call it a unique treasure?

Still, though Xiao Ji felt a measure of contempt, he did not voice it, for he and the Kang family were now on the same side; if Miracle Doctor Kang was humiliated, they would not fare well either.

But Fatty Lai's next words put Miracle Doctor Kang somewhat more at ease: "So these three are, as far as we know, the only three in existence. Though I serve as the chief executive of Kang's Pharmacy, I am not even entitled to possess a Life-Extending Detox Pill myself. That is why, once I learned of its effects, I could not resist joining the bidding! In the end, though, I failed to win one—which is a great pity!"

"So that's how it is!" Hearing Fatty Lai's explanation, the guests below the stage came to understand his earlier behavior. The man had genuinely wanted to buy the pill; he had not been there to make trouble. If they did not want it, he certainly would.

As for why Fatty Lai had driven the price up so boldly right from the start, that too was simple: he knew the pill's true value, and so he dared to name his price.

"However, after I go back I'll have a talk with Professor Guan, and see whether we can bring out some other fine things for the third auction!" With that, Fatty Lai bowed to the crowd. "Thank you all for your great affection for our Doctor Guan Pharmaceutical. Our products will hit the market right after the auction!"

Then Fatty Lai stepped down from the stage, and everyone's interest was thoroughly roused by the things he had said would appear at the third auction. They all fell to discussing among themselves whether this Doctor Guan Pharmaceutical might bring them some surprise!

The name of Guan Xuewen had always rung loud among these great families and wealthy merchants, and his skill with the acupuncture needle was nothing short of extraordinary! Only, Doctor Guan was a man indifferent to fame and profit; even when people had deliberately sought his acquaintance in the past, they could never forge any great connection with him.

But who would have thought that Guan Xuewen had actually gone into business with others and founded Doctor Guan Pharmaceutical! Was this a move against Miracle Doctor Kang's Medical Group? Or had Guan Xuewen suddenly taken it into his head to start making money?

Be that as it may, if Doctor Guan Pharmaceutical could supply some fine medicinal ingredients, that was something everyone would be glad to see, the Life-Extending Detox Pill being a case in point! Though people had previously guessed whether Doctor Guan Pharmaceutical had anything to do with Guan Xuewen, it had been no more than guesswork; and now that Fatty Lai had confirmed it, those great families that had held back their bids out of doubt were filled with regret! For Guan Xuewen was a man of upright character and strong principle, who called a thing a thing and would never deceive anyone!