Since they're so sincere, let's go take a look.
Josh led them out from the main entrance of the villa to a standalone house beside it, a row of small cottages, actually the garage attached to the villa.
Opening the garage door, a musty smell wafted out, indicating it had been unoccupied for quite some time. There were no cars inside, only some second-hand furniture, wardrobes, and other odds and ends piled up.
In the middle of the garage was an ordinary wooden table, with a few cardboard boxes on top, not sealed, containing various odds and ends.
Jin Muchen glanced around briefly, confirming that Josh hadn't lied. Indeed, the items inside were what one would expect to find in a typical garage sale.
For instance, there was a second-hand double bed, finely crafted from teak wood, about seventy percent new, still looking quite good. However, the wooden boards at the head and foot of the bed were scratched, and one of the bed legs was slightly cracked. With some woodworking skills, it could be restored into a fine bed.
The wardrobe was similar, all made of high-quality teak wood, identical in style to the teak cabinets in the villa. The only difference was that one of the doors was broken, abandoned here by the owner.
There were also some other pieces of furniture, appliances, and so on, in very good condition.
For ordinary families, although these items had some minor flaws, with a little repair, they could all be used. They were all good things. However, for a wealthy family like the Bentleys, it was more convenient to buy a new set than to bother with repairs.
"Feel free to look around and take whatever you like," Josh generously said to Jin Muchen and Candice.
"What about the price?" Jin Muchen asked hesitantly. Although these items were second-hand, their quality was very good, and even with minor flaws, they wouldn't come cheap.
"Haha, no need to talk about money. Take whatever you like, and you'll save me the trouble of disposing of these... things! Feel free to pick, I won't accompany you. Just remember to close the door when you leave," Josh replied.
Josh originally wanted to say "trash", but then thought better of it, so he changed his tone, making him appear even more refined.
"Hey, Mr. Josh, what are you doing here?" Suddenly, that annoying nasal voice sounded again, startling everyone. Turning around, they saw the Hong Konger Johnny appearing at the door of the garage.
Josh's face flashed with displeasure, but he quickly put on a smile. Despite how much he disliked this guy, he couldn't forget that Johnny had contributed $9,100 tonight.
"Oh, Mr. Johnny, why haven't you left yet?"
"I was planning to leave, but then I realized I hadn't bid you farewell. So I came over specially to say goodbye and thank you for your hospitality today," Johnny said, feeling quite pleased. Being friends with someone as distinguished and influential as Josh, how could he not boast to his own friends and relatives in the future?
Johnny stepped up to Josh and, regardless of whether he was liked or not, vigorously shook his hand. His expression resembled that of a dog seeing its owner, wagging its tail frantically.
Josh endured his dislike for this guy and forcibly withdrew his hand. Meanwhile, Jin Muchen and Candice, standing on the side, felt a chill down their spines seeing Johnny's obsequious behavior.
Actually, Johnny had deliberately lingered behind after the auction ended, intending to find Jin Muchen and show off, to vent the frustration from their previous confrontation.
However, after waiting for a while, he saw the owner of the mansion, Josh, walking with that guy. Moreover, they seemed quite intimate. This made him furious.
The Bentleys were a well-known socialite family in New York, and he, a noble Hong Konger, didn't even know them. Why was this northerner getting so close to them?
After some thought, he felt even more aggrieved. He then stealthily followed them inside.
Unexpectedly, he witnessed what had just happened, fueling his resentment.
"Mr. Josh, do you still have any good items here that weren't auctioned? Let me take a look," Johnny said, ignoring Josh and Jin Muchen's expressions, then walked over to the items that Josh promised to give to Jin Muchen.
Opening the boxes on the table, he saw they contained some worthless second-hand goods.
In another box, there were three dusty, dilapidated table lamps.
Jin Muchen, standing nearby, suddenly had a flash of insight. Those three table lamps, despite being covered in dust, couldn't hide the brilliance emanating from them.
These were treasures! He hadn't expected that. Previously, he had tried hard to pick up some treasures, but now the real treasure, these three table lamps, were being given to him for free. Could it be that the saying "the best things in life are free" was true?
Though his heart was in turmoil, Jin Muchen showed no emotions on the surface.
Johnny, rummaging through the trash on the table while intentionally curling his lips, said mockingly, "I thought it was something good. Turns out it's just a pile of junk."
He then turned to look at Jin Muchen, his face full of mockery. "I thought you were just a dishwasher in Chinatown. It seems I overestimated you. You're nothing but a ragpicker! Here, take this junk! Hehe, I hope one day you'll be prosperous enough to set up shop on Duck Lane. Oh, almost forgot, you're from the mainland, you can't go to Hong Kong!"
Johnny's attitude and tone made even Josh, standing on the side, frown.
"Sorry, Mr. Johnny, these items are not trash, but things I'm giving to Mr. Jin. Moreover, this is my garage, and I didn't like what you just said. Please leave my property immediately," Josh said, his patience wearing thin. Even if Jin Muchen was just a poor student, he was friends with Harvey Specter, the Specter family's status in New York was not to be trifled with.
"Oh... Sorry, Mr. Bentley... Goodbye..." Johnny left with a hint of resentment and hatred in his eyes, driving away.
"Sorry, I had no idea that this Johnny was such a jerk. If I had known, I definitely wouldn't have invited him to participate in this auction," Josh apologized earnestly to Jin Muchen and Candice, who just chuckled.
"No worries. After all, he contributed $9,100 to you, didn't he?" Jin Muchen joked, winking at Josh, who laughed.
"Yeah, you could say I owe him one. Well then, feel free to pick. Take whatever you like, and just remember to close the door when you leave. I'll take my leave now!" With that, Josh left in his Jaguar, leaving Jin Muchen and Candice alone in the garage.
With Josh gone and Johnny gone, the joy of picking up things for free quickly surpassed the slight discomfort from earlier.
"Wow, is what that guy said true? Haha, I'll take this big bed! Hehe, I've been wanting to replace the bed at Aunt Mary's house for a long time.
That mattress has been giving me backaches!" Candice exclaimed, jumping onto the bed. Even in a second-hand furniture store, such a bed would cost thousands of dollars, without a doubt.
As Candice bounced on the bed, there wasn't even a squeak from the mattress springs. This was definitely a good bed. She was already feeling happy about the gift she had just received.
Meanwhile, Jin Muchen stood at the table, staring at the three table lamps in the box, lost in thought. Despite the thick layer of dust, they couldn't conceal the faint brilliance emanating from them.
A pearl in the dust, Jin Muchen thought to himself. Josh Bentley probably didn't know that these three table lamps were treasures. Otherwise, with his shrewdness, he wouldn't have given them to me for free. It seems I've truly picked up something valuable!
Being mistaken for a ragpicker, Jin Muchen hadn't expected to find treasures among junk. This turn of events left him feeling both amused and perplexed.
Just moments ago, none of the items in the room belonged to him, but now he was picking up several treasures without spending a dime. Could it be that his luck was truly off the charts?