The weather on the second day was not particularly good; the sky was overcast and looked like rain was imminent. Early in the morning, after finishing their breakfast of canned soup and mashed potatoes, the three of them drove to the warehouse square.
The auction was scheduled for 10 AM, and the reason for their early arrival was a suggestion by Old Pierce. The goal was to observe the venue and their competitors.
"You can glean a lot of information from your opponents' clothing, vehicles, and actions, and then make targeted adjustments when placing bids," advised Old Pierce, who had been in this line of work for a lifetime. After entering the warehouse area, he immediately became animated and began quietly imparting his experience to Liang En and the others.
By 8:45, nearly everyone had gathered. As expected from the information they had received earlier, this was a relatively high-end auction, so the participants were not numerous, totaling around 20 people.
"It seems that today's competition shouldn't be too fierce." After counting the vehicles on the field, Liang En let out a slow breath. Including their own, there were only seven vehicles present, meaning that there were only seven groups of people attending to make purchases today.
After all, even the smallest of these warehouses was no less than 200 square meters in size, so those attending this auction were mostly driving various types of trucks, as they wouldn't be able to carry away their purchases otherwise.
"Alright, let's get started." Just when there were five minutes left until 9 AM, a black Mercedes sedan entered the warehouse yard from outside, and a middle-aged man in a suit stepped out of the car.
"I remember you took German as an elective language back in the day, right?" Hearing the manager begin explaining the auction details in accented German, Pierce suddenly became nervous because he realized that he didn't understand German at all.
"That's correct. Although his German has some accent, I can still understand it," Liang En nodded and began translating the man's words.
In reality, the man's content was quite straightforward. He announced that there were a total of eight warehouses available for auction today, with a starting price of at least 10,000 euros for each warehouse. Payment was required in full, and no credit was allowed.
After five or six minutes, all the information was covered. Another young man from the black Mercedes car used a thick, black and red oxidized copper key to unlock the locks on the doors hanging on the warehouse walls. He then pushed open the large door with force.
Next, all the people on-site were grouped according to the order of their arrival, holding flashlights as they walked past those doors. The two organizers held their phones, monitoring the time, and ensuring that participants didn't cross any lines.
According to the rules, each group could look at the door for two minutes. However, everyone had to stand at the doorway; crossing the line was strictly prohibited, as it would result in immediate disqualification from the auction.
"Those Germans from xxx—" Pierce muttered softly as the flashlight's beam entered the warehouse. He cursed because the warehouses were incredibly tidy.
Some of the warehouses were filled with iron racks, and various items were neatly organized and displayed on these racks. Even if there was some dust, it didn't obstruct anyone from seeing the contents clearly.
In another set of warehouses, there were various boxes and parcels wrapped in oiled paper. The boxes and parcels all had uniform appearances, making it impossible to discern anything beyond the maximum dimensions of the items inside.
"This is one of the worst scenarios in warehouse auctions." When they finished looking and stepped aside to discuss, Pierce commented to the two young men.
"Normally, we rely on our vision and experience to determine the value of the contents inside a warehouse."
"For example, a box with the words 'handle with care' on it might contain porcelain or glassware inside, while a plastic handle with exposed canvas could indicate a bicycle beneath."
"In situations like these, with enough experience, sharp eyes, and a bit of luck, you can make a good amount of money at this kind of auction."
"But the situation we just saw is completely abnormal. Half of the warehouses can be easily assessed just by standing at the entrance, revealing what's inside. In such cases, even if you secure a warehouse, there won't be much profit under the established baseline."
"And the other half is too securely concealed, with no information visible at all; it's all up to luck. If each warehouse's auction floor is set at 10,000 euros, buying such warehouses would come with significant risks."
"But just now, I think I saw something." Liang En glanced around, ensuring no one else was nearby, and spoke in a low voice. "In the second warehouse from the left in this row, there's a box with what looks like a blue torch symbol."
The box was hidden beneath a thin layer of dust. If Liang En didn't possess extraordinary observational abilities, he might have missed the palm-sized emblem entirely.
"Blue torch emblem, blue torch…" Repeating it a few times, Old Pierce took out his phone, tapped a few times, and held the phone up to Liang En. "Is this what you saw?"
"Exactly, that's it." Liang En looked at the emblem formed by the TP letters and the flames above it, nodding. "What does it mean?"
"Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organization, a youth organization related to the East German government," Old Pierce nodded. "However, it disappeared completely along with East Germany in 1990, so you young folks might not know about it."
"So, the contents of that warehouse should be related to the Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organization!" Pierce asked excitedly, as if asking his own father. "Considering these items as relics of the Cold War, there might be a market for them, right?"
"There is a market, but it's quite niche, and overall prices are weak," Old Pierce considered for a moment and replied. "So, when the time comes, watch the prices. If they're cheap, it might be worth taking a gamble."
Soon, the discussion time came to an end, and the warehouse auction officially began.
"Each warehouse starts at 10,000 euros, with increments of no less than 1,000 euros," the middle-aged man in the suit raised his right hand and announced loudly.
"Alright, now, Warehouse Number One, 10,000 euros. Anyone willing to bid? Alright, 11,000 euros."
Warehouse Number One was filled with mechanical parts, originally meant for vehicles. There were even several large vehicle engines that appeared to be in very good condition.
Although these items were old products from three or four decades ago, many of the components were standardized parts, making it relatively easy to find a market for them. As a result, the competition heated up from the beginning.
Naturally, Liang En and the others also called out a few bids, but they gave up when the price reached 17,000 euros. At that point, Old Pierce determined that they wouldn't be able to make a profit if they continued to bid.
In the end, the warehouse was won by a bearded man for 20,000 euros. Unlike Liang En and the others, who were newcomers, locals like him usually had more avenues to make a profit. Even if they bought it for 20,000 euros, they would still likely make money.
After winning the bid, the bearded man quickly went to the Mercedes car to make the cash exchange. Then, the young man locked the warehouse door and handed him a key.
Within the next 72 hours, that warehouse would belong solely to the bearded man.