After exploring the small building, it was already 5 o'clock in the afternoon. So, Liang En finished his work and left the abandoned town with the items he had found.
Once he left the mountainous area, it had already turned dark. He found a safe spot, parked his car by the side of the road, and dialed Mr. Bruce's number.
"Hello, Liang. What can I do for you?" The voice on the other end belonged to Mr. Bruce himself, and you could tell he was in quite a good mood.
"Well, I've come across some items from the Prohibition era that I'm thinking of selling. Since I'm not American, it's a bit challenging for me to handle them. I wanted to ask if you might be interested in these items."
"Could you tell me what they are? It would be great if you could send over a few pictures." As soon as Liang En mentioned it, Bruce, who was having drinks with some friends, immediately straightened up and said.
"I'm not particularly interested, but there are a few people around me who are similar to me in taste. One of them might be interested in these items."
"Understood, thank you. Please give me ten minutes." Upon hearing this from Mr. Bruce, Liang En promptly thanked him, hung up the phone, hopped onto the cargo bed of his car, flipped open the tarp, took some photos, and sent them to Mr. Bruce.
A few minutes after sending the photos, Liang En received a callback from Mr. Bruce. In the call, Bruce mentioned that one of his friends who owns a bar was very interested in the items, and he wanted Liang En to deliver them to a residence in Tidton County.
Around 10:30 PM, Liang En drove the rented pickup truck into a residence several kilometers away from the town in Tidton County.
As soon as he parked the car and before he could turn off the engine, Bruce, who had been informed of his arrival through surveillance cameras, came out of the house along with several middle-aged and elderly people.
"We were having a little party just now." After Liang En got out of the car, Mr. Bruce pulled him aside and said in a low voice. "And after seeing the photos you sent, everyone wanted to take a look at those items."
"No problem, the more, the merrier. After all, these aren't things that need to be kept in the dark." Liang En nodded gently as he looked at the gathering crowd. "By the way, could you tell me who's interested in my items this time?"
"It's Mr. Carlos." Bruce pointed to a middle-aged man of Mexican descent not far away, who was excitedly instructing his servants to remove the cloth cover and shine a light on the distillation apparatus. "He runs several bars and specializes in a vintage aesthetic."
"If I remember correctly, the style he emphasizes at his largest bar in Los Angeles is from the 1920s and 1930s. So, your items should fit his requirements."
"Very nice, these are exquisite pieces from the Prohibition era's private distilleries." As a professional, Mr. Carlos quickly recognized the distillation apparatus and exclaimed loudly.
"Or rather, even though these were intended for producing bootleg alcohol during Prohibition, they were actually crafted by legitimate distillers and workers in proper distilleries. The alcohol produced is no different from regular commercial spirits."
"That era saw this as quite a common thing. Because Prohibition left them all unemployed, naturally they needed some jobs to support their families."
"How's the situation?" Bruce walked over with Liang En and asked, "Oh, by the way, Old Carlos, Mr. Liang here is a scholar of ancient Egyptian languages and he recently did me a big favor, so don't bring out your usual business attitude."
"Liang—" Hearing Bruce's words, a middle-aged white man wearing single-lens glasses and dressed like an old cowboy spoke up. "Is he the one who published a paper in the 'Journal of the British Archaeological Association' recently?"
Liang En's surname is uncommon in the Western world, and Bruce had already pointed out his expertise in ancient Egyptian languages, so an older gentleman quickly pieced something together and asked.
"Yes, sir, I've published two articles already, and I've just submitted the third one." Liang En replied, then took out his phone and showed the older gentleman the reply he received from the 'Journal of the British Archaeological Association'.
"Your research is truly invaluable." Upon acknowledging Liang En's identity, the elderly man suddenly became quite excited. "I believe your progress in this field has surpassed all research from the previous ten centuries—"
"Alright, Hans, you can discuss academic matters later. Since we know Mr. Liang is not just a treasure hunter, but also a top scholar in certain aspects, the attitude of Carlos, the chain bar owner, has improved as well."
"Mr. Liang, I like both this complete distillation apparatus and the three guns, so would you be willing to transfer them to me together?"
"Of course, I'm willing. After all, I'm not that interested in these modern items, so naturally, I'd like to sell them for a good price." Liang En nodded and said, "So please make an offer. If it's suitable, they're yours."
"If that's the case—" Seeing Liang En regain control over the pricing, Carlos fell into thought. Since Liang En's intentions were different from what he initially assumed, the pricing needed adjustment.
Before, he treated Liang En as an ordinary treasure seeker, so he naturally hoped to push the price down as much as possible. But now, a price too low would not be appropriate for presentation.
This change was dictated by social status. As wealthy individuals, they naturally held a higher status than treasure hunters who scoured everywhere. However, it was a different matter when the treasure hunter was a somewhat renowned scholar.
"I think $88,000 is an appropriate figure." After pondering for about a dozen seconds, Carlos stated a price. Then he proceeded to explain to everyone present.
"The distillation apparatus is in good condition, and I'm in the same profession, so I'm willing to pay $22,000 for it. As for the two handguns, even though they've been modified and are well-preserved, they were produced in large quantities, so I can offer $3,500."
"The most valuable item among them is the M1928, because it's a rare legally owned automatic weapon nowadays, and it's in excellent condition. Taking into account similar items' prices, I'm willing to offer $62,500."
Gun regulations in the United States are becoming increasingly strict. In the past, people could even buy heavy weaponry like machine guns. However, these are now banned, with the only exception being firearms from before the ban took effect.
But guns are unlike ordinary items; they wear out. So, after some time, these firearms naturally become rarer. Therefore, their prices rise with time.
For instance, a submachine gun like this one could easily fetch $70,000 to $80,000 at an auction. However, in a direct transaction without middlemen, a price slightly above $60,000 is still reasonable.
As for the distillation equipment, Liang En had no idea about its market price. However, in this situation, the other party wasn't likely to haggle.
"That works." After thinking for a few seconds, Liang En made a decision. Even though he could have asked for a bit more at this point, raising the price a thousand or two dollars was entirely unnecessary in this context.
These magnates are quick to pay up, that's for sure. Just over ten minutes later, Liang En received a notification from the bank regarding the funds being transferred, and then a bodyguard drove the car away.
"A pleasure doing business." Carlos extended his hand to shake Liang En's and invited, "I believe we can continue our gathering together."