Let's start the bidding

But as Astarion was about to retort, a weak and aged voice intervened, "Enough, everyone. Now that Astarion is here, let us begin the inheritance ceremony." The voice belonged to an old man with a frail appearance, Erion, Astarion's grandfather and the founder of the Vastaril family in their country.

As soon as Erion spoke, everyone stopped talking. It was clear that everyone's livelihood depended on him, particularly today, as the family's inheritance was to be divided, meaning everyone would receive money.

However, Erion was a heartless and cruel man. If anyone offended him, there was a real risk they wouldn't receive a penny. In their family, weakness was exploited ruthlessly, with the vulnerable attacked like prey.

Originally, Erion had 40 children, and there were 40 shares of the inheritance. Now, only 12 remained; the other 28 had been eliminated due to their perceived weakness by their own family members, with 15 of those deaths occurring in just the last five years.

Erion, aware of who was responsible for each death, saw no reason to intervene. In his eyes, power was all that mattered; without the strength to protect oneself, one was worthless.

*cough*cough* As Erion moved towards his chair, he coughed up blood. "This damn poison," he muttered in pain. It was evident he had been poisoned, which was why he was distributing his inheritance early.

Despite considering himself still youthful at 80 and capable of managing his harem *cough*cough* I mean business businesses, his time was evidently running out.

"How long do you think this old bastard will last?" Astarion's first uncle, Verion, whispered to him.

"My bet is on 1 month at most," his second uncle, Gurion, said with a smirk.

"Nah, he'll last a week at most," Astarion replied coldly.

"That's good. But tell me, how did you manage to poison this old bastard?" his first uncle inquired.

"You don't need to know that, Uncle," Astarion responded, his expression still cold.

Hearing this, both uncles fell silent and took their seats properly.

"Idiots," Astarion thought. His first and second uncles were fools, like the rest of his family, helping him poison their own father to hasten their inheritance. They naively believed they would survive and remain safe from Astarion's further plans.

Originally, Astarion's plan was to eliminate Erion, claim his shares in the Erion Group, and then methodically eliminate the rest of his family members. However, with the apocalypse looming, such measures were no longer necessary.

Soon, the inheritance ceremony began and stretched on for several hours, during which all shares in the various companies were allocated among the family members.

The atmosphere was tense, anticipation thick in the air as they approached the final and most crucial announcement: who would inherit the seat of the chairman of the Erion Group.

The Erion Group was the business conglomerate founded by Erion when he first arrived in this country. It encompassed all the companies of the Vastaril family, with Erion currently serving as its chairman.

"As for who will become the chairman of the Erion Group," Erion declared, his voice steady, everyone's eyes locked onto him, some leaning forward in their seats, others gripping the arms of their chairs in anticipation.

"I choose Astarion to be the next chairman," he announced, his gaze briefly meeting Astarion's before scanning the room.

The announcement was met with a cacophony of disbelief and anger.

"WHAT?"

"WHY?"

"No!"

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME, FATHER!"

Voices overlapped in a tumult of protest and shock. Harion, Astarion's father, stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His face was flushed with anger as he shouted, "Father, I am against it!" His fists clenched at his sides, trembling with barely contained rage.

Astarion's ninth uncle, in a show of solidarity, stood as well, nodding vehemently in agreement. "Yes, father, I agree with my brother," he said, his voice laced with desperation.

"You dare oppose me? You are courting death," Erion retorted sharply, his voice cutting through the chaos, causing a momentary hush to fall over the room.

In that brief silence, Astarion stood, his movement smooth and deliberate. He commanded the room's attention with an ease that belied his years, his gaze cool and calculating. "Everyone, let's not fight over this. I have a proposal," he said, his voice calm, betraying none of the tension that filled the room.

"What?" came the incredulous responses from some of his uncles and aunts, their faces a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"It's simple. Just buy the position of chairman from me. Oh, and yes, I'm also selling all of my shares," Astarion announced, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he observed the reactions around him.

The room fell into stunned silence, the implications of his words slowly dawning on them. Even Erion, who had started to turn away, paused mid-step, a look of shock and disappointment briefly crossing his weathered face before he composed himself and exited the room, his work was done.

Seeing Erion leave, Astarion's fourth uncle leaned forward, his expression serious. "Astarion, are you really serious about this?" he asked, his voice low.

"Fourth uncle, have I ever joked?" Astarion replied, his tone light yet firm as he sat back down at the table, an air of confidence surrounding him.

"So, let's start the bidding, shall we?"

As the reality of Astarion's proposal sank in, a renewed sense of purpose filled the room. The fear and uncertainty that had gripped them at the prospect of Astarion's chairmanship transformed into eager anticipation. The opportunity to secure their positions and, perhaps, their lives, was too good to pass up.

"I bid 200 million," declared Astarion's 11th aunt, Karen, her voice breaking the silence. She leaned forward, her eyes alight with determination.

"I bid 500 million, beat that, Karen!" his 12th uncle shouted, standing to emphasize his bid, a challenging glint in his eye.

The room erupted into a frenzy of bidding, with even Harion, who harbored deep resentment for Astarion, throwing his hat into the ring. The allure of the chairman position, regardless of the cost, proved irresistible.