After bidding farewell to Joanna, who was reluctant to leave, Sean Knight rubbed his lower back. This girl's enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming!
Since they wouldn't see each other for a week, Joanna spent the afternoon doing nothing but horsing around with Sean in the storage container.
In Joanna's words, she needed to wear Sean out in order for her to feel at ease.
So when Joanna left, Sean felt relieved.
The next day, feeling refreshed, Sean went to the Seven Axes Pub. Upon seeing him, John exaggeratedly laughed:
"I bet old Mr. Paul that you wouldn't be up before ten! I can't believe you actually got up! You made me lose ten dollars!"
Sean laughed, "That's because you don't know me well enough yet!"
They both burst out laughing.
John handed a piece of paper to Sean:
"This lists the names and quantities of the storage yards that are auctioning off containers today. You can go check it out."
Sean took the paper and said:
"Thank you!"
"What's there to be polite about? I'm investing in you!"
Leaving the bar, Sean bought a sandwich on the road and went to Joanna's storage yard.
There were eight containers up for auction there today.
Previously, Sean's strategy was to start with smaller yards first to avoid competition, avoiding spending large amounts at auction.
However, the last auction showed that treasure hunters would not let any nearby auction slide.
So he went straight to the Grand Warehouse instead.
Small yards had their conveniences, while large ones had their advantages.
At a place like this, items of value were more likely to be found in the containers.
Once the door was open, whoever found the hidden gem would make more money than an average person could make in a month or two.
But the competition was also fierce, as many items were clearly visible when the containers were opened and there was no chance of hiding them.
Upon arriving, Sean noticed that some people were already waiting there.
Some were eating hamburgers or sandwiches, clearly skipping breakfast to come here early.
These were mostly city dwellers who came to the harbor early to try their luck at the auctions.
Madden, Diana, and Helen were there, but the elder and Little Joey were not.
There were familiar faces and some strangers as well.
There were many treasure hunters in the New York Harbor, making a living off it.
Even veteran hunters like Madden and Diana couldn't claim to know all the treasure hunters.
Eight containers were already placed in the middle of the yard. The auctioneer hadn't arrived yet, but the yard's manager and a few workers were on-site.
The manager didn't look like Joanna.
Madden strolled over and greeted Sean:
"Hey, Sean, you're here."
"Madden, hello." Sean motioned toward the manager and asked Madden, "Who's that?"
"Charles, the manager of this yard. He manages it for Mr. Robert; didn't you know?"
"I know now." Sean chuckled, "After all, I'm still a newbie compared to you."
Flattery was always well-received, and Madden laughed:
"You have good eyes, you'll be a dark horse in this line of work!"
Sean simply laughed in response.
So the yard manager wasn't Joanna's father, whose name was Robert! Sean took note of this information as he walked alongside the containers, examining them carefully.
Inside the first container were seven or eight pieces of luggage.
At first glance, Sean noticed the Traveler logo on the bags - an old American luggage brand. They were not cheap!
Anyone using these bags likely wasn't an ordinary person.
But upon closer inspection, Sean noticed that this container was filled with an assortment of items: clothes, books, and small electrical appliances. They were all randomly placed.
Sean couldn't estimate the value of these items and didn't really care about them.
When he looked at the next container, he was shocked by what he saw!
There are quite a few weapons in here!
Old-fashioned hunting rifles, old-fashioned Maxim machine guns, old-fashioned military uniforms, etc. The hunting rifles are in weapon cases, the Maxim machine gun is covered with cloth, and there are uniform racks at the entrance with military uniforms hanging on them.
However, upon closer inspection, all these guns turn out to be replicas.
So, they are props!
Sean notes down this container and continues looking.
The third container is filled with some large-scale toys.
Just as he's about to take a closer look, someone speaks up from nearby:
"You came for the auction too? What do you think, should we continue to work together?"
Sean turns his head and sees that it's Helen.
He shakes his head:
"I don't have much money, let's just do our own thing!"
Helen knows that Madden, Diana, and the others have strong financial backing and can't compete with them.
There are also a few unfamiliar faces who are clearly working together, so Helen thinks of collaborating with Sean.
But she didn't expect Sean to refuse.
She leaves, her face not looking too happy.
This gesture makes Sean unhappy.
Last time, he did Helen a favor, yet today she shows him attitude just because he refused to collaborate.
It seems it's better not to have any contact with this woman anymore.
Sean takes a moment to calm down and gets ready to take a closer look at the third container when he realizes that these toys are intended for amusement parks and are larger-scale.
It seems there are two sets, but neither is complete.
The price is hard to calculate, so Sean decides to pass on it.
The fourth container is filled with neatly arranged boxes.
Looking through them reveals that they contain suits, shirts, and other workwear.
The fifth container is filled with several boxes of hardware tools like drill bits and jacks.
Sean closes his eyes, feeling a bit dizzy, and decides not to look any further.
At this point, the auctioneer arrives with a sandwich in hand, takes a few bites, and glances at the manager.
Charles nods at him, and the auctioneer immediately claps his hands:
"The auction begins now. Open the first container!"
As soon as the first container is opened, as expected, many people's eyes go wide!
Traveler luggage bags! Nearly all the treasure hunters know their value.
As they imagine what's inside, many start rubbing their hands in anticipation.
As an expert, the auctioneer knows what to do, announcing loudly:
"The starting bid is at a thousand dollars, with each bid increment no less than a hundred dollars. Start!"
Hands shoot up in front of him in an instant!
The auctioneer's unique skill is once again on display!
"One thousand one hundred dollars, one thousand two hundred dollars, one thousand three hundred dollars, one thousand five hundred dollars..."
Like Mongolian throat singing, his voice is extremely clear and steady, reporting the numbers without faltering!
The price quickly shoots up to five thousand dollars!
Even so, the price still rises rapidly.
Sean doesn't bid at all, seeing the situation unfolding.
He currently has around 15,000 dollars, which might not even be enough to cover the price of this single container!
As expected, ten minutes later, only three bidders remain, and the auction price for the container has reached 28,000 dollars!
Everyone speculates that there must be valuable items inside such good bags!
Otherwise, they wouldn't do justice to the bags!
Sean listens as people say that even these second-hand Traveler bags are worth 5,000 to 6,000 dollars!
Alright, Sean gives up!
He still doesn't have enough money!