《Live Stream Treasure Hunt: I Made Profits Million Times Over》


 Chapter 1 -1-Omniscient Appraisal System – the Ultimate Treasure Hunting Tool!

    <h4>Chapter 1: Chapter1-Omniscient Appraisal System ¨C the Ultimate Treasure Hunting Tool!</h4>


    Libertopia, Shores Harbor.


    A container storage yard.


    Countless containers, which for various reasons had not been delivered on time, were piled up here.


    They would be publicly auctioned off in batches by Shores Harbor Customs to clear the yard for new containers.


    Walking through the area, Daniel was live-streaming the environment to his online subscribers.


    "Look, folks, this is the biggest Auction site for Containers in Libertopia," he said.


    "Take a look at all these containers. They''re full of personal items from the wealthy around the world. From priceless antiques to modern manufactured goods, we have it all here."


    "If we could win a container with antiques, then..."


    Daniel stopped and grinned at the camera, "I''ve never been here before. Today, I''ll show you around, and maybe we''ll find a hidden treasure and make a fortune."


    With confidence, Daniel headed towards the auction site, determined to win.


    Why? Because today, he had activated the [Omniscient Appraisal System]!


    At first, Daniel didn''t think much of this system and was even a bit disappointed.


    When others activated their systems, they could either be gods by signing in or be billionaires with a superpower system holding infinite assets.


    And here he was with the modest Appraisal System.


    ording to Daniel''s understanding, the most he could achieve with this system was to be a world-renowned appraiser.


    Nothing about bing powerful or influential.


    But when he bought an adult magazine from a coffee shop, he realized that his system wasn''t as pathetic as he''d imagined.


    The manufacturer, production date, supplier, supply price, and even the names of the workers who produced the magazine, were all listed by the system.


    Plus, the system had a retrieval feature and could search for potential buyers.


    The system even bought back the adult magazine at a brand new price since it couldn''t find a buyer.


    Most importantly, the system rewarded him with a skill - Artwork Appraisal!


    This meant that whatever he bought couldn''t possibly be a loss, and selling it to the system could even bring unexpected rewards!


    Daniel was thrilled.


    This system was too awesome!


    He instantly thought of a ce where he could maximize the system''s capabilities: the container yard in front of him!


    The Golden Shores Customs, in order to deal with these towering stacks of containers, even tailored a reality TV show called "Container Hunt Auction."


    The show not only attracted more people to participate in the auction, but also became the most-watched TV program in Libertopia!


    The program exploded globally, and even in Daniel''s hometown, Serenalia, across the ocean, there were many loyal fans.


    That''s why Daniel specifically registered an ount on the Serenalia live-streaming tform.


    After all, some popr Inte celebrity earned more from a single live broadcast than some small publicpanies.


    ...


    At the moment, Daniel''s livestream room had more than sixty viewers.


    The title of the livestream was: [In Libertopia, hunting for treasures LIVE!]


    For viewers in Serenalia, the idea of someone from their homnd hunting for treasures in Libertopia was doubly attractive.


    "Wow, he''s really at the container hunt auction site!"


    "How can you hunt for treasures with containers, especially if it''s your first time? Are you okay, streamer?"


    "Haha, surely no one really believes in this container hunt auction thing, right?"


    "Auctions are held daily, so there must be some real stuff. But I''m afraid the good stuff has probably been scanned and taken away by customs. All that''s left are some worthless items."


    Daniel simply smiled, without rebutting thesements.


    He had the same concerns beforeing, but after researching thoroughly, his worries were dispelled.


    In a nutshell, while customs have the most advanced container inspection equipment, they essentially function like X-rays and can only provide an overview from the outside, aiming to quickly filter out containers without contraband.


    The most stringent process would involve sending staff to conduct random inspections.


    So not all containers that enter the port will be opened and checked on-site.


    That means the chance of finding hidden treasures still exists and is quite high!


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a loud noise came from nearby.


    Following the sound, Daniel saw a crowd gathered around a forklift, and noises of uproar could be heard from within.


    He squeezed into the crowd and understood from the conversations and the damaged container in front of him that,


    A forklift operator had identally dropped a container.


    Coincidentally, the dropped container was the next one to be auctioned off.


    "Oh my God!"


    "Let''s hope there''s nothing fragile inside!"


    "If it''s filled with cotton, then it would be fine. But that would also mean it''s worthless for the auction."


    Many people had already lost interest in this container.


    At this moment, a burly middle-aged man in a customs uniform walked up.


    He was Robert, the person in charge here.


    After his arrival, he didn''t me the forklift driver.


    He simply looked at the folder in his hand and then swept his gaze over the crowd.


    "This container was offloaded from a ship that had been pirated. It''s been unimed for a long time, so we''re now auctioning it off."


    Upon hearing this, the crowd''s enthusiasm waned even more.


    The container was riddled with bullet holes and had just been rolled over by the forklift operator''s mistake.


    Even if there had been valuable items inside, they were likely shattered by now.


    Robert didn''t mind the crowd''s reaction.


    He signaled the workers behind him with his eyes and said, "Open it."


    A worker took out a pair of bolt cutters and forcefully cut through the thick metal chain on the container door.


    Two more workers then pulled the door open.


    Immediately, a number of luggage bags rolled out.


    "Oh, shit!"


    "What''s that smell? It''s worse than my granny''s socks that haven''t been washed in a year!"


    "Are there bodies inside these luggage bags?"


    Thesements sent many people backing away in terror, holding their noses. Only then did Daniel get a clear view of the situation inside the container.


    Inside the rusty, battered container were piles of luggage bags, their surfaces shredded by pirates'' weapons.


    Among them were clothes and a lot of rotten food, which was the source of the awful smell.


    Although the viewers in the livestream room couldn''t smell the stench, they could imagine how terrible the scene was by looking at the condition inside the container and the frowned brows of the people around.


    "Holy crap, they can auction off this junk?"


    "Looking at the damage, it''s clear the pirates have been through this stuff. If there were any good items, they''ve already been taken."


    "When they film those TV shows, the containers always have ivory, jewels, luxury cars, and stuff like that. When the cameras are off, they auction off this crap. It just goes to show you can''t trust what you see on TV."


    "Streamer, get out of there. There''s nothing worth finding."


    "Don''t worry, guys. Let me have a look."


    Daniel was calm, his eyes quickly scanning the exposed luggage.


    In his mind, he could pull up information on the items he looked at.


    [Item]: LV Patchwork Suitcase (Limited Edition)


    [Age]: Modern


    [Condition]: Damaged


    [Details]: Suitcase of a Serenalia''s heiress, damaged by pirates.


    [Appraisal]: A piece of junk not even a bum would give a second nce!


    [Market Price]: 30,000 SterCoins


    [Buyback Price]: 0 SterCoin


    Naturally, Daniel''s gaze moved to the next bag.


    [Item]: Luxury Luggage Bag (Custom-Made)


    [Age]: Modern


    [Condition]: Damaged


    [Details]: Custom-made luxury luggage bag of a Serenalia tycoon, damaged by pirates.


    [Appraisal]: A piece of junk a bum might pick up to patch and use again, but the material has some value.


    [Market Price]: 300,000 SterCoins


    [Buyback Price]: 10 SterCoin


    Custom-made items often used better materials than mass-produced ones.


    Daniel smiled, but then his eyebrows knitted together.


    The owners of these two bags were his fellow Serenalia countrymen who had fallen victim to piracy.


    He didn''t know if they were safe now, and he couldn''t help but feel a twinge of pity.


    "All this stuff is worthless, Robert!"


    "Move on to the next container already!"


    Someone in the crowd was growing impatient, urging Robert to bring out the next auction item.

 Chapter 2 -2-An Ancient Painting Worth Fifty Million!

    <h4>Chapter 2: Chapter2-An Ancient Painting Worth Fifty Million!</h4>


    Robert didn''t respond to them, his gaze sweeping the crowd, hoping someone would bid.


    Disappointingly, most of the bidders were chatting idly.


    Only one young man, who seemed to be from Serenalia, was carefully inspecting the items in the container, deep in thought.


    Robert, considering the fact that he would get a ten percentmission from the sale of each container, called out to the young man,


    "Hey! Kid, do you want to ce a bid?"


    Daniel shook his head.


    The data from dozens of system scans had already made him give up on bidding for this container.


    The luggage and clothing inside were all luxury items, but the damage by the pirates was too extensive.


    They were virtually worthless.


    Seeing Daniel''s reaction, Robert felt a little disappointed.


    However, thinking of hismission, he decided to give it another shot.


    He walked over to Daniel, smiling, "Young man, seeing you reminds me of my deceased brother."


    Daniel looked at him, a bit confused.


    This guy was trying to butter him up before attempting to scam him.


    Robert didn''t notice Daniel''s strange look, and with a nce to the left and right, acting as if he was afraid someone might overhear, he whispered,


    "In memory of ourte mother, let me share some information with you. There are valuable items in this container!"


    "The owners of these bags are all tycoons, and the gold, silver, and jewels inside could be worth millions of SterCoins. As a customs worker, I can''t participate in the auction, which is why I''m telling you this. Trust me, bid on it!"


    After speaking, Robert gave Daniel a determined look, then returned to his position, feigning indifference.


    ''Ourte mother? ''


    ''Your mother is the one who''s gone! ''


    ''And gold, silver, jewels? ''


    ''Really bold ims, man!''


    A twitch appeared at the corner of Daniel''s mouth.


    He felt both annoyed and amused.


    The chat in the livestream was already in chaos.


    "No wonder the streamer said he''d make a big profit, he has an insider!"


    "The streamer is mixed race??"


    "Millions of SterCoins! That''s almost ten million in DragonCoins or SmartCoins, streamer, ce a bid now!"


    "Why are you hesitating, streamer! You could be a millionaire and quit streaming!"


    "The items we''ve seen so far are all junk, not worth bidding."


    With that statement, Daniel shut up the chatter in the livestream.


    Casually, he looked at a leather bag stacked at the top of the container.


    [Item]: Luxury Luggage Bag.


    [Material]: Crocodile skin


    [Condition]: Worn


    [Details]: The surface has a few cuts from a sharp object but no irreparable damage


    [Appraisal]: Slightly better junk


    [Market Price]: 50,000 SterCoins


    [Buyback Price]: 5,000 SterCoins


    It has some value, but not much.


    Probably the most valuable thing in the entire container.


    If he could buy this lot for a few hundred SterCoins, it could be a profitable deal.


    Just as he was about to ce a direct bid of 500 SterCoins to secure the container, his gaze froze.


    Huh? Did I see that wrong?


    He rubbed his eyes and stared hard at the deepest corner of the container.


    The system information popped up instantly.


    [Item]: Hundred Horses


    [Age]: Three hundred years ago


    [Condition]: Item is intact, well preserved


    [Details]: Created by a court painter during the Serenalia Feudal Empire period, there are both paper and silk versions, this item is the paper version.


    [Appraisal]: An innovative masterpiece, priceless treasure!


    [Market Price]: 50 million SterCoins


    [Buyback Price]: 30 million SterCoins


    Holy moly!


    Fifty million!


    Daniel stared at the numbers before him,pletely stunned.


    ording to the international exchange rate, fifty million SterCoins could be converted to nearly 350 million DragonCoins or SmartCoins.


    If he could secure it, he''d be a billionaire overnight!


    As for the system''s buyback price being much lower than the market price, he understood.


    After all, the market value of artwork is entirely subjective.


    If a genuine lover of the art found it, they might offer a price even higher than the market value.


    Seeing Daniel not bidding for quite some time, Robert assumed this container was going to pass unsold.


    He could only shake his head in resignation.


    "This container, for 500 SterCoins, anyone interested can pay up now."


    Every little bit helps; sell what you can sell.


    In the crowd, a skinny, blond white man raised his hand, shouting out, "I''ll take it."


    "Robert, I''m doing this as a favor to you."


    "Thanks, Wilson!"


    Robert looked at Wilson, a bit relieved.


    Of course, he also knew Wilson wasn''t really a charitable person.


    Paying 500 for this pile of junk, he could still make a few hundred profit, it''s just that others didn''t want to expend the effort.


    Robert, out of habit, made the final call, "If no one else bids, this container will go to Wilson for 500."


    He knew no one else would bid, so as soon as the words left his mouth, he was ready to signal the forklift driver to move the next container.


    Just then, another voice rang out, "I bid... 550 SterCoins!"


    The voice came from Daniel.


    In the livestream chat, the viewers were confused.


    "Have you lost it, streamer?"


    "You just said it''s all junk, why are you bidding now?"


    "You certainly won''t lose money buying this stuff for 500, but you''re not going to make much either."


    " Labor in Libertopia is expensive, you''ll make at most a few hundred."


    "You said you''d show us how to pick up containers?"


    "What you''re doing could only be called making a bit of money, it''s hardly a bargain."


    "Boring, I''m outta here."


    Seeing this, Daniel said, "What''s the rush? Just wait a bit, there''s a surpriseing."


    "What surprise?"


    "You don''t think there''s a hidden gem in this pile of junk, do you?"


    "Even if there was, the pirates would have taken it. It''s not your turn yet."


    "I think the streamer is just trying to make it seem mysterious."


    The viewers didn''t leave when they saw that Daniel wasn''t responding to them.


    They all wanted to see if Daniel really had a unique insight or if he was just pretending to be mysterious.


    In the crowd...


    Wilson, seeing that even this pile of junk had someonepeting with him, was dumbfounded.


    He turned around and stared at Daniel, "Hey, buddy, you''re not going to make much from this stuff. Is it worthpeting with me?"


    Daniel replied calmly, "It''s just fairpetition. You can keep raising your bid."


    Robert, too, looked at Daniel with confusion before understanding.


    It seemed this young man believed what he had just said.


    Great!


    He instantly perked up and started to y along, "I thought this lot would go unsold, but surprisingly someone raised their bid. It seems the hidden value has been discovered."


    "This friend from Serenalia bids 550 SterCoins, is there anyone else who wants to raise their bid?!"


    Many people began to doubt their judgment and refocused on the bags in the container.


    Telescopes, magnifying sses, imagers...


    They tried every device they had, carefully evaluating whether they had missed anything.


    Before long, they all agreed.


    There really was nothing but junk in this pile!


    "This kid sure is easily satisfied, fighting over goods with a profit of just a few hundred."


    "Wilson, go against him!"


    "We can''t lose to a first-timer."


    Wilson looked at the crowd, annoyed, "Why don''t you guys do it?"


    He didn''t have time for this.


    He was just trying to do someone a favor and make a little profit on the side.


    Now that someone else was fighting him for it, he was perfectly happy.


    Robert smiled at Daniel and said, "Well done, for 550, the stuff in this container is yours."


    Selling it at this price was already more than enough.


    With the buyer decided, Robert carried on with his usual routine, "Now let''s see what you''ve actually bought."


    Clearing the goods, estimating the price, this was the most exciting part of the Container Hunt Auction.


    Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the dock workers moved towards the container, emptying the contents of the luggage bags onto the ground.


    One bag of damaged clothes, two bags of damaged clothes.


    Three bags, four bags...


    Out of dozens of luggage bags, only personal items such as clothes and cosmetics were dumped out.


    The gold, silver, and jewelry that Robert mentioned were, unsurprisingly, nowhere to be seen.


    On the scene, there was an appraiser invited by the customs authorities to estimate the value of the auction items.


    "Countless damaged clothing, worth 0."


    "Three repairable luxury luggage bags, total value 10,800 SterCoins."


    As soon as the result was announced, everyone''s mouths fell open.


    "Did he just hit the jackpot?!"


    "Buying something for 550 and flipping it for 10,000???"


    "That''s a freaking steal!"


    "How could he make a profit of 10,000 on a 550 investment when even containers that go for tens of thousands SterCoins don''t yield that much?!"


    "I need a moment to process!"


    Voices of astonishment echoed from the crowd.


    Only Daniel remained calm and quiet, looking at everyone.


    Is everyone losing their minds over just over 10,000?


    The big-ticket item is yet toe.

 Chapter 3 -3-The charm of the Container Hunt Auction

    <h4>Chapter 3: Chapter3-The charm of the Container Hunt Auction</h4>


    The viewers in the livestream also finally processed the situation.


    "Holy crap???"


    "What the hell!!!!!"


    "Did 550 just turn into 10,800?"


    "This is freaking ridiculous. Is the auctioneer your brother or something, streamer?"


    "I did the math, the streamer''s profit margin is a whopping 1,800 percent!"


    "Even drug dealers don''t make that kind of profit!"


    "The streamer''s luck is truly unbelievable."


    ¡­


    On the scene, Wilson''s face turned green with regret.


    Why didn''t I bid one more time?


    Even if I had raised the bid by a hundred, he might have given up.


    The 10,000 that was almost in his pocket slipped into someone else''s, almost giving Wilson a heart attack.


    Robert was also sweating bullets.


    He thought he was just talking nonsense to trick people into bidding.


    In the end, he actually helped someone make a profit.


    10,000, two months'' sry was earned in just a few minutes.


    Robert swallowed his annoyance and forced a smile, "Congrattions to this young man for making a profit of 10,000. Let''s prepare for the next container..."


    He was interrupted by Daniel before he could finish, "There''s still one luggage bag that hasn''t been checked."


    As he spoke, he moved deeper into the container.


    No wonder the dock workers didn''t see it.


    Thest luggage bag was hung high in the deepest corner of the container.


    This is why Daniel could see it through the stacks of luggage bags from outside.


    Daniel aimed his phone camera at the luggage bag, grinning, "Guys, don''t say I didn''t pick up a bargain. Herees the big one."


    The ck luggage bag was tattered, the zipper even broken off, revealing a part of a scroll, which looked like an ordinary wooden stick.


    "You may have had a lucky break and made ten grand, but you can''t fool us."


    "You''re not going to say that wooden stick sticking out is a treasure, are you?"


    "The stick is smooth, it looks like a rolling pin, my grandma has three of those."


    "Is this what you call a bargain?"


    "Streamer, have you gone nuts with joy?"


    The viewers didn''t understand what Daniel was implying.


    Daniel didn''t rush to exin.


    He picked up the bag and walked out of the container.


    Under the scrutiny of the crowd, he ced the bag on the ground, pulled it open from the broken zipper, and took out the scroll.


    He unfolded it, but due to his reach, he couldn''t fully spread it out.


    But the visible content instantly drew everyone''s attention.


    What is this?!


    An ancient painting??!


    The appraiser who just announced the prices quickly stepped in front of Daniel, adjusted his sses, and scrutinized the painting.


    The appraiser was a schrly man in his fifties, carefully evaluating the painting in Daniel''s hand.


    "The mountains are continuous, the vegetation is dense, and a shepherd leads a hundred horses. The artistic rendering is lifelike, and the craftsmanship and smell of the paper give it a hundred-year-old vibe."


    Hearing the appraiser''sments, everyone rushed over.


    Among them, Wilson eximed, "Mr. Durant, don''t tell me this is an antique painting!"


    If that was the case, his heart might not be able to take it.


    Durant turned around, adjusted his sses, and shook his head, "The style of this painting should be a Serenalia painting. I haven''t done much research on this. Everyone wait a moment, I''ll make a phone call."


    Everyone''s hearts were lifted again.


    Soon, the call went through.


    "Hi, Benjamin, I have a Serenalia painting here. It depicts hundreds of different horses. Do you know what painting it is?"


    "Yes, that''s right, there are several shepherds in front and behind the group of horses."


    "Okay! I''ll wait for you!"


    Durant hung up the phone and told everyone, "I''m sure you all know Mr. Benjamin Taylor. He''ll be here soon."


    Wilson was the first to react, incredulous, "Benjamin? The famous archaeologist? He''sing in person?"


    Just a simple description over the phone and Benjamin was rushing over, indicating the seriousness of the situation.


    This painting could very well be authentic!


    He smelled an indescribable possibility, turned around without hesitation, and walked straight towards Daniel.


    "Friend, my name is Wilson."


    "Daniel," Daniel replied.


    Not wanting to waste time, Wilson cut to the chase, "I''m very interested in your painting. Would you be willing to sell it to me for 100,000 SterCoins?"


    Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked and looked at Wilson.


    "Wilson, have you lost your mind?"


    "Mr. Durant didn''t say the painting was real."


    "And even if it''s real, 100,000 SterCoins is too much."


    "Not all antique paintings are worth money, and you probably don''t know much about Serenalia culture. Don''t act impulsively!"


    Wilson responded with certainty, even adding another 100,000.


    "200,000, I''ll take the painting."


    200,000?


    Even for 20 million, I wouldn''t sell!


    Daniel shook his head to refuse, "I''m sorry, this painting is worth more than that."


    Wilson wanted to increase the offer, but he couldn''t muster more money at the moment, so he had to grit his teeth and give up.


    "Mr. Benjamin Taylor will probably take some time to arrive. How about we auction off the next container in the meantime?"


    Robert interrupted everyone''s astonishment.


    At the same time, the forklift driver had brought the next container.


    Robert began the usual introduction:


    "This container belongs to a wealthy individual from Bit. However, due to a collision at the port involving the cargo ship carrying it, the rich individual refused to sign for this batch of goods."


    Hearing this, everyone''s enthusiasm was instantly ignited.


    "Bit is a well-known wealthy district, inhabited by the rich and powerful, casually anyone is a billionaire!"


    "Even the rich are afraid of damaged goods, they must be valuable!"


    "Robert, cut the crap, just open the box!"


    Robertughed, he loved this kind of atmosphere.


    He didn''t need to say much, these people would naturally bid high prices.


    The moment the workers opened the container door, everyone''s eyes widened, staring intently at the inside of the container over and over again, not wanting to miss any details.


    Daniel noticed that everything was covered with a white cloth, leaving only less than twenty centimeters at the bottom to reveal information.


    [Item]: High-end custom sofa


    [Condition]: Brand new from factory


    [Details]: Handcrafted genuine leather custom sofa, luxurious materials and excellent workmanship.


    [Appraisal]: The choice of the rich!


    [Market Price]: 280,000 SterCoins


    [Buyback Price]: 200,000 SterCoins


    ...


    Indeed, the rich, a single sofa is two million.


    Daniel automatically converted it into DragonCoins and SmartCoins.


    He continued observing, his gazended on a pure white wooden leg, system data immediately appeared before his eyes.


    [Item]: Steinway Customized Children''s Piano


    [Condition]: Brand new from factory


    [Details]: Top-of-the-line grand piano, rare wood veneer, excellent sound quality and functionality.


    [Appraisal]: Worth collecting


    [Market Price]: 174,000 SterCoins


    [Buyback Price]: 170,000 SterCoins


    Even the children''s piano is custom-made.


    This family''s finance condition is quite good.


    The other items in this container don''t need much looking at, they''re all definitely top-tier.


    Daniel lost interest immediately.


    This type of cargo is very valuable and highly sought after.


    It wouldn''t be his turn to catch a bargain.


    As expected, the quick-witted Wilson immediately raised his hand to bid, "300,000, I''ll take it!"


    He had already seen the value of the goods in it and directly offered all the money he could bring out.


    As soon as his voice fell, another person shouted, "500,000!"


    A beautiful woman named Emilia, with her arms supporting her almost slipping out attractive white bosoms, looked at Wilson provocatively.


    Wilson was unwilling but had to give up the auction.


    He was powerless against the price of 500,000.


    Although others participated in the auction, the container was finally taken by Emilia at a huge price of 500,000.


    Under Durant''s clearing, the total value of the goods in the entire container was quickly calcted.


    "All items total value, 680,000!"


    680,000, a profit of 180,000!


    In just over ten minutes, the money earned is more than the average family earns in ten years.


    This is the charm of Container Hunt Auctions!

 Chapter 4 -4-Confirmed! This Streamer Really Has Something!

    <h4>Chapter 4: Chapter4-Confirmed! This Streamer Really Has Something!</h4>


    Everyone looked at Emilia with envy.


    "Wow! 680,000, this has broken our record for the highest price in Container Hunt Auctions! Of course, this record may notst long." Robert timely adjusted the atmosphere.


    Everyone knew what Robert meant, and their eyes fell back on Daniel.


    Or rather, on the painting in Daniel''s hands.


    Once this painting is confirmed as genuine by Mr. Taylor, its value will far exceed the goods Emilia has just won!


    I wonder where Mr. Taylor is now.


    At that moment, a man around forty burst into the crowd.


    He quickly found Durant and blurted out, "Durant, where''s the item?!"


    Before Durant could respond, the man''s eyes flickered and saw the painting in Daniel''s hand.


    He quickly turned around and rushed over, leaned in close, and trembled as he touched the painting, looking very nervous, afraid of identally damaging it.


    After a while, he looked up at Daniel and asked, "Can youy it out t?"


    Daniel nodded, crouched on the ground, and carefully unfolded the painting.


    The entire contents of the painting were disyed in front of everyone.


    On the long scroll of ten or so meters, there are a group of horses with different shapes depicted in great detail.


    They are scattered and free,fortable, with thendscapes and nts depicted realistically and vividly.


    Everyone was breathless from the beauty of the painting.


    Everyone agreed that such a painting, if genuine, would reach an astonishing value.


    Benjamin Taylor leaned over the painting, his eyes unblinking.


    It took him a good ten minutes before he excitedly shouted, "It''s real, it''s really real!"


    "This Hundred Horses painting, it''s authentic!"


    As soon as the words came out, dozens of people in the auction site fell into silence.


    It wasn''t until the distant cargo ship let out a deafening horn that everyone woke up from the shock.


    "Real?! Is it really authentic?!"


    "How is it possible! Such treasures should be treasured, how could they be transported casually?"


    "Mr. Taylor is one of the top authorities in the antique painting and calligraphy world, the results he identifies should not be wrong."


    Benjamin Taylor looked at Daniel and asked, "Are you selling this painting?"


    Daniel replied, "Yes."


    Having already mastered the [Artwork Appraisal] skill, as long as the price is right, selling is naturally the best option.


    Benjamin Taylor didn''t hesitate, he directly quoted, "40 million!"


    This quote left everyone dumbfounded again.


    40 million SterCoins could be considered rich in any country.


    In the crowd, Wilson was dazed.


    In his view, this container should have been his auction item, but because he didn''t want to raise the price on the basis of 550 SterCoins, he missed the chance to get rich.


    He regretted over a few hundred, yet he lost out on forty million.


    With a ckout in front of his eyes, Wilson fell to the ground in a faint.


    On the other side, Robert was equally incredulous.


    In his view, Daniel had only bid because of his persuasion.


    Little did he know, there was no gold, silver, or jewels in the container, but there were antique paintings and calligraphy, real ones!


    Who could have thought of this?


    40 million! If it were him, he would not hesitate at all and would sell directly.


    But Daniel shook his head and said, "50 million."


    He directly quoted the system-assessed market price.


    The market price is not the highest price, as long as you can find a sincere buyer, not to mention 50 million, 80 million could be possible.


    Among the buyers found by the system, some are willing to pay 50 million for this "Hundred Horses".


    Benjamin Taylor frowned and said, "45 million, that''s the most I can get, and I still need to call my assistant to mortgage my assets."


    Daniel replied, "I''m sorry, then I have to find another buyer."


    Benjamin Taylor clearly didn''t want to give up, so he said, "50 million is not a small amount, those who like this painting and can offer this price, there''s only me."


    Daniel simply stated a name: "Joy Ellison."


    "He should be willing to pay 50 million."


    This name was exactly the buyer he found using the system.


    As soon as the words were spoken, Benjamin Taylor''s expression changed noticeably, especially when he saw Daniel''s confident look, he was surprised.


    Being able to know Joy Ellison, it seems this young man is an expert.


    Thinking this way, Benjamin Taylor was no longer indecisive: "Fine, 50 million it is!"


    Seeing this, Daniel chuckled and said, "Mr. Taylor, you''re quite straightforward. Don''t worry, if there are good items in the future, I''ll find you first."


    Good stuff? Does he think these kinds of items are asmon as cabbages in the supermarket, easily stumbled upon?


    Benjamin Taylor just thought Daniel was talking nonsense and politely responded, "Thank you, give me an ount, I''ll have my assistant handle it now."


    While waiting for the transaction to be processed, Benjamin Taylor chatted casually with his old acquaintance, Durant.


    When he found out that Daniel had acquired the container housing the "Hundred Horses" for just 550 SterCoins, his face turned particrly odd.


    He choked back his words for a moment, then muttered, "Damn, why didn''t God bestow this kind of luck on me?"


    But Durant countered, "No, I don''t think it''s just luck." He then recounted the process of Daniel observing the container and hesitating for a long time.


    Benjamin Taylor eximed in surprise, "You mean, he saw there was a treasure inside?"


    Durant nodded, "Anyway, it was pitch-ck inside the container, even the movers didn''t notice the luggage bag hanging in a blind spot. This young man went straight in and took it out."


    Benjamin Taylor waspletely stunned.


    People who could identify the authenticity of paintings and calligraphy are not many, but not rare either.


    But anyone with substantial experience in this field could discern something if they observe carefully and distinguish attentively.


    But ording to the Container Hunt Auction rules for containers, you can only look from the outside, you can''t get close, let alone touch.


    That means, under these conditions, Daniel recognized that there was a treasure inside.


    This skill is extraordinary.


    He asked himself, he could absolutely not do it.


    Benjamin Taylor approached Daniel, his attitude bing much friendlier, "I''m Benjamin Taylor, how should I address you?"


    "Daniel."


    "To recognize a treasure in such an environment, Mr. Daniel, you must have studied deeply in the field of art and calligraphy."


    Daniel modestly responded, "I just have some general knowledge about it, but I''m not on the same level as you Mr. Taylor."


    Benjamin Taylor fished out a business card from the lining of his suit and handed it to Daniel, "This is my card, you can call the number directly if you need anything in the future."


    It was at this point that Benjamin Taylor truly recognized Daniel.


    Meanwhile, in the livestream room, the chat had exploded.


    "Holy shit? Holy shit? Holy shit!!!"


    "A painting sold for 50 million?"


    "50 million SterCoins, 400 million in DragonCoin."


    "Did I just witness the birth of a billionaire?!"


    "Is this not scripted?"


    "It''s not scripted, I checked Wikipedia, that Benjamin Taylor guy is a famous archaeologist from Libertopia and the president of the World Ancient Culture Research Association. Such a big shot would not y along with a live streamer''s act."


    "Benjamin Taylor also just mentioned that the streamer has deep knowledge in the field of antique art and calligraphy, so that''s true?"


    "Holy shit, does this streamer really have something?"


    Daniel ignored the chaos in the live broadcast room, only noticing that the number of viewers had multiplied several times, which made him smile contentedly.


    After this event blows over, the number of viewers in the livestream room would surely rise even more dramatically.


    Soon, he received a text message on his phone.


    50 million SterCoins received!


    Daniel handed the "Hundred Horses" to Benjamin Taylor.


    Noticing that Daniel had no intention of leaving, Benjamin Taylor asked, "Are you nning to continue bidding here?"


    Daniel nodded.


    Following Robert''s indication, another shipping container was brought over by a forklift.


    When it was opened, brand new machinery was revealed to everyone present.


    With this kind of merchandise, everyone understood its value, so there was no chance for a surprise find.


    Daniel decided to pass on it right away.


    In the end, it was secured by a pair of twin brothers for a price of 50,000 SterCoins.


    After Durant''s evaluation, this batch of machinery was worth 80,000.


    The twin brothers made a clean profit of 30,000 right away, and they howled with delight, embracing each other.


    They mored to invite everyone out to a nightclub to celebrate that evening.

 Chapter 5 -5-Customs Tricks

    <h4>Chapter 5: Chapter5-Customs Tricks</h4>


    The items inside the next containers up for auction were pretty straightforward:


    Furniture, clothes, children''s toys...


    They were all picked up by the crowd for a few thousand, or tens of thousands sterCoins, and everyone made a profit, more or less.


    Of course,pared to Daniel''s nearly hundred-thousand-times profit, it was hardly worth mentioning.


    Daniel thought there wouldn''t be any more windfalls for him that day.


    That was, until the current container appeared.


    Robert, with a folder in hand, announced, "This container was offloaded from a ship held up at the port. It couldn''t be transported due to paperwork issues, so we''re auctioning it now."


    No sooner had he spoken than the workers swung the container doors open.


    What they revealed was a neat, chock-full pile of cardboard boxes.


    This sight had many in the crowd furrowing their brows.


    "What the heck''s in there?"


    "The boxes are all intact, we can''t tell what''s inside."


    "It''s like a blind box."


    Everyone was puzzled, and no one bid.


    After all, nobody could guarantee whether the contents were high-end merchandise or electronic trash.


    Seeing the crowd''s enthusiasm dwindle, Robert nced at his folder, saying, "From what the paperwork says, it seems like this container is full of second-hand toys."


    At this, a lot of eyes lit up.


    So, what if it''s second-hand goods?


    That was precisely what they loved, especially second-hand toys that someone was willing to ship overseas at a high cost.


    There must be value in them.


    It could very well be a high-end yer''s collection.


    Toys could also be seen as works of art, with a collectible edition toy possibly fetching tens of thousands of SterCoins.


    Everyone was now interested, craning their necks to get a better look into the cardboard boxes, hoping to spot any signs of value.


    Among the crowd, the twin brothers were the first to spot a clue.


    The younger one, Allen, pointed at a cardboard box with a two-finger-wide gap at the bottom.


    He whispered, "Bro, there are some words showing through there."


    His older brother, Abel, squinted to read, "Charlie Brown."


    Allen eximed, "The most popr toy model from the 50s?!"


    His voice was so loud that he startled himself and quickly covered his mouth.


    Unfortunately, it was toote.


    Everyone had heard his shout and all eyes turned to him.


    Daniel wasn''t idle either.


    He peered through the crowd to inspect the gap.


    [Item]: Charlie Brown''s toy.


    [Age]: 1950s.


    [Condition]: Well-preserved.


    [Details]: An unopened toy, undamaged.


    [Rating]: A collectible model worth collecting for toy lovers.


    [Market Price]: 5000


    [Buyback Price]: 4000


    Worth five thousand SterCoins?


    For a toy?


    Daniel thought it was a bit absurd.


    If it weren''t for the system, he''d never have imagined that a toy from decades ago could be so valuable.


    And that was just one item.


    If all the intact boxes in the container held simr collectible toys, the value could exceed one hundred thousand.


    Nearly everyone at the scene had the same thought, and the bidding quickly began.


    A tall, thin man shouted, "1000!"


    Someone beside him scoffed, "Just the Charlie Brown is worth over three thousand. You expect to snag this container for one thousand?"


    "I bid 5000!"


    "5500!"


    "6000!"


    "7500!"


    "10,000!"


    The bidding frenzy was heating up.


    Everyone wanted to get their hands on this private collection of toys.


    Only Daniel stood silently to the side, not saying a word.


    Inside the livestream, many viewers were puzzled.


    "Streamer, aren''t you going to bid?"


    "I just checked, this Charlie Brown''s toy was a massive hit back in the 50s. It was sought after by audiences in dozens of countries, including A, B, and D... You could say it carries countless people''s childhood memories."


    "Holy cow, it was that popr?"


    "That is to say, just one of these toys could be worth over ten thousand. And there are so many boxes in there, if they''re all filled with these toys..."


    "Oh my God, this is a gold mine!"


    "Streamer, make a bid already!"


    "There''s a huge chance to make money with this container!"


    Seeing the viewers'' excitement rising, Daniel simply said, "This is too good to be true."


    The livestream was filled with confusion.


    "Fake?"


    "What does the streamer mean?"


    "Are the toys fake?"


    "Isn''t there a room full of experts who could tell?"


    Daniel patiently exined, "I''m saying this container, it''s too good to be true."


    "Did you all hear what the auction host, Robert, just said? It''s their usual trick."


    The viewers were slightly baffled.


    "A trick?"


    "I don''t understand."


    "Streamer, stop ying coy, spill it already."


    Daniel gave a helpless smile, "As soon as the container was opened, and no one had figured out what was going on, Robert pointed out that the boxes inside were toys, even specifying that they were second-hand toys."


    "All the boxes are intact, not even a speck of dust on them. Yet, only one box is severely damaged with a gap. And through this gap, we could see a highly valued Charlie Brown toy inside."


    "In this situation, what would be the normal reaction? Wouldn''t you think all the boxes in the container are filled with toys of this value? After all, it''s a private collection, and no one would collect something of no value, right?"


    "Those who think this way have fallen for the trick."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the livestream chat went silent.


    But soon, thements came flying.


    "Holy crap, so what seems like an identally revealed toy is actually a deliberate smokescreen?"


    "This Robert guy is really sneaky!"


    "Streamer, are you sure? After all, your theory is just a spection. What if everything in there is real?"


    Daniel couldn''t help but snort, "Real?"


    "Let me ask you, didn''t Robert directly point out what was in the box? How did he know?"


    The viewers paused.


    "Holy cow! He''s seen it!"


    "Right, guys, the customs will do random checks on the containers!"


    "They might fake it for the show, but this is a real auction. Isn''t that fraud?"


    "Oh man, the bid is already at 150,000 by the sound of it."


    "Streamer, aren''t you going to expose them?"


    Daniel shook his head, "Why should I?"


    "Container Hunt Auctions are inherently opaque transactions, they''re essentially a form of gambling. You need to use your observational skills, your brain, and all means to profit in this gamble."


    "So, this behavior at the port is not against the rules. If youck the ability to see through it, who can you me if you lose?"


    The viewers in the livestream were instantly convinced.


    "Streamer''s got a point."


    "I was regretting not participating in the container blind box auction when I visited Libertopia a while ago. Now it seems like it might have been the best decision I made!"


    "Could end up going broke."


    The auction was still ongoing.


    Wilson, once again leading the charge, shouted the highest bid, "Two hundred thousand!"


    He had missed out on the chance to make a fortune over a few hundred bucks before.


    This time, he couldn''t let it slip away again.


    The price of two hundred thousand had everyone acting with caution.


    Doubts lingered and no one dared to bid any higher.


    Seeing this, Robert announced, "Congrattions Wilson, you''ve won the lot for two hundred thousand! Come up and check your spoils!"


    Wilson ran up joyfully, babbling nonstop, "Thanks everyone for backing off. If I make a profit, I''ll throw a party at my private vi tonight!"


    The same unlucky guy again.


    Daniel shook his head, sighing helplessly.


    The viewers in the livestream were glued to the screen, curious if the oue would be as the streamer predicted.


    Soon, the dockworkers hauled out all the items from the container.


    Impatient, Wilson hurried forward to open them one by one.


    With each box he opened, his face darkened a little more.


    Once all the boxes were opened, Wilson closed his eyes and fainted once again.


    The camera showed the opened boxes, leaving the viewers in awe.


    "No need for an appraiser to value these."


    "All plush toys."


    "Two hundred thousand SterCoins for plush toys, he''s made a massive loss!"

 Chapter 6 -6-A Night of Madness!

    <h4>Chapter 6: Chapter6-A Night of Madness!</h4>


    This time, Wilson didn''t wake up.


    Two hundred thousand SterCoins vanished into thin air.


    Such a blow would be hard for anyone to bear.


    An ambnce arrived with sirens wailing and sped away.


    The auction continued.


    But with Wilson''s example, no one dared to bid rashly anymore.


    Except for those items whose value was apparent to the naked eye.


    Several more containers passed, and Daniel didn''t find anything of value.


    The auction ended with Robert''s announcement.


    Just as Daniel was about to leave, Benjamin Taylor appeared in front of him.


    He looked at Daniel with a smile and asked, "There were quite a few valuable items just now. Why didn''t you make a move?"


    Daniel replied, "When everyone knows the value of an item, what''s the point in a bidding war."


    Benjamin Taylor paused at his words, then said, "So Mr. Roberts, you only like to find a steal."


    Daniel said, "Pretty much."


    With the system, he could see the value of items that others could, and even more so for the ones they couldn''t.


    He preferred finding a steal.


    Benjamin Taylor chuckled, "Well, it so happens I know a ce where you might be able to find some. An antique market."


    "Where?" Daniel asked.


    "Antique market," Benjamin Taylor continued, "But we won''t make it today. I can take you there tomorrow, Mr. Roberts, if you don''t mind."


    The sky was turning to dusk. It was indeed gettingte.


    Daniel replied, "Of course, I don''t mind."


    Hearing that, Benjamin Taylor''s face lit up.


    He chuckled, "That''s settled then. Could you write down your contact details? I''ll contact you tomorrow at the agreed time."


    Daniel was about to recite his phone number, but seeing Benjamin Taylor pull out a golden pen and a phonebook, he couldn''t help but find it odd.


    Who still used a phonebook these days?


    He wrote down his number in the book and said, "Feel free to contact me anytime tomorrow."


    Benjamin Taylor, with a smile, was about to leave when he heard someone calling from behind, "Mr. Benjamin Taylor!"


    Daniel and Benjamin Taylor turned around to see the Abel twins approaching.


    They greeted Daniel, "Mr. Daniel, your luck today was quite a sight to behold."


    Daniel replied, "Just good fortune. You guys didn''t do too bad yourselves."


    Allen scratched his head, not bothering to be modest, "Indeed, thirty thousand SterCoins is enough for us to have a bit of fun."


    Abel smacked Allen on the head and red at him, "You good-for-nothing! Mr. Roberts made fifty million today and he''s not boasting like you."


    He then turned to Daniel and Benjamin Taylor, a little embarrassed, "But for us, thirty thousand SterCoins is quite a sum."


    "So, we''ve decided to throw a little celebration party tonight. Would Mr. Daniel and Mr. Benjamin Taylor be free to join?"


    Before he finished speaking, Benjamin Taylorughed and nodded, "Sure, why not? I have no ns tonight. If you guys don''t mind, I''d love to join."


    This guy was really forward.


    Daniel looked at Benjamin Taylor in surprise.


    For someone of his status, he seemed quite down-to-earth.


    Abel turned to Daniel, "And you, Mr. Daniel?"


    Daniel thought for a moment. He was new to Libertopia and didn''t know many people here.


    It seemed like a good opportunity to make some friends.


    So, he agreed.


    At eight o''clock in the evening, everyone gathered at the Abel brothers'' vi.


    Apart from a few who had attended the auction during the day, there were over twenty beautiful women, dressed scantily.


    Their long white legs andrge chests were almost bare under the light.


    All the men present were ogling.


    Benjamin Taylor sat on the sofa, pulling a blonde girl into hisp, hands wandering up and down.


    The Abel twins were even more outrageous.


    Allen and a woman had barely exchanged nces before they were locked in a passionate kiss.


    What the hell?


    What were they doing?


    Were they about to...


    Daniel stared, rooted to the spot.


    Abel, arm in arm with hisdy friend, came over to Daniel and said, "Mr. Daniel, why are you still standing here? Find someone you like and go for it!"


    Daniel, slightly embarrassed, asked, "I thought this was supposed to be a party?"


    Abel, taking a swig from his bottle, replied, "Isn''t this a party? Looks like you''ve never been to a wild one, Mr. Roberts."


    Laughing, Abel led his girl to the center of the living room, stepped onto a low table and shouted, "Dear friends, what do we do at parties?"


    The crowd cheered in unison, "Make love!"


    Abel pointed at Daniel and yelled, "This is Mr. Daniel''s first time at our party, he''s a bit reserved. Go take care of him! He''s the man who made a whopping fifty million SterCoins at the auction today!"


    At his words, the eyes of thedies present lit up.


    Daniel, standing at a height of 1.85 meters with a decent physique and handsome face, coupled with his fifty million in assets, instantly became the center of attention.


    A striking brte in a bikini strutted over, her handsing to rest on Daniel''s shoulders.


    She leaned in seductively, her breath, fragrant and alluring, causing Daniel''s senses to spin.


    Looking down, he could see her ample chest barely covered by thin fabric.


    His heart pounded at the sight.


    God, who could resist?


    The woman introduced herself, "I''m Amanda, a model."


    Daniel swallowed, stuttering out his own introduction, "I''m Daniel, unemployed."


    Amanda let out a giggle, "Mr. Daniel, you have quite a sense of humor. You are hardly unemployed."


    Then, with her lips close to his ear, she whispered, "There''s a lounge chair by the pool outside that''s unupied. Would you like to take in the night view?"


    Daniel nodded.


    They moved to sit by the pool, having just stepped out of the chaotic environment, Daniel wanted to say something.


    But before he could open his mouth, he was silenced by a soft kiss.


    His tongue was met by a wet, smooth one, stirring a sweet sensation.


    What?


    Sweet!


    Daniel stared into Amanda''s provocative gaze, turning the tables by pinning her to the lounge chair.


    He had to take action at this point.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t be much of a man.


    His hand reached around Amanda''s back, effortlessly untying the strap of her bikini top, exposing her chest to the cool night air.


    Under the bright moonlight, Daniel looked at her bouncing breasts, unable to resist his desires.


    His hands began to fondle them gently.


    Amanda let out a soft moan, "Hmm..."


    "I thought you were an innocent boy. But you are quite skilled. You must have had your fair share of girls."


    Daniel chuckled, whispering, "To be honest, aside from my first love, I haven''t really been with any other woman."


    As he spoke, he lowered his head, gently nibbling on her nipple.


    "Hmm~"


    Another seductive moan, stimting Daniel to slide his hand lower, parting thest piece of fabric, his fingersing into contact with her wetness.


    His fingers instantly drenched, Danielughed, "We''ve barely started and you''re already so wet. You really are a naughty girl."


    Amanda, aroused by Daniel''s gentle stroking, was feeling hot all over, her eyes clouded with desire.


    Daniel''s teasing made her blush, but she didn''t want him to stop.


    So, she reached down.


    Daniel, who was busy with her breasts, felt his pants being pulled down.


    Looking down, he saw Amanda''s hand wrapped around his manhood.


    Her delicate, slender hands sliding up and down his member, tugging at his heartstrings.


    Damn it.


    This little slut is doing really well.


    Daniel almost couldn''t hold back the cry, he put his finger on Amanda''s pussy, slowly inserted into the vagina without any exnation, until the whole root went in.


    Then he started to thrust in and out.


    Amanda bit her lip, couldn''t help but make a sound: "Uh...huh..."


    "Honey, you''re awesome!"


    "Really? I have better ones."


    Pulling out his finger, Daniel aimed his cock at the flooded pussy and inserted it with precision.


    Tender and firm.


    Daniel could feel the tunnel tightening inward, gripping his cock tightly.


    At this moment, the two cried out at the same time.


    "Little slut, daddy ising!"


    "Honey, fuck me!"

 Chapter 7 -7-Antique market’s hidden gem, I’ve found it!

    <h4>Chapter 7: Chapter7-Antique market''s hidden gem, I''ve found it!</h4>


    Inside the vi, the lights were bright.


    The sounds of charming wheezing circled overhead.


    Fortunately, there is some distance between the buildings in the vi area, which did not causeints from other nearby residents.


    That night, Daniel got to know what crazy sex is all about.


    Between those crazy men and women, hands, feet, mouth, tongue, cock, cavity and even anus, all the parts that the human body can be used.


    Benjamin Taylor may be nearly 50 years old, but he is still shaking two young models.


    Amanda looked at Daniel''s surprised eyes, slender jade pointed across his big cock, charming smile:


    "Don''t envy me, darling. You''re very good."


    Daniel looked down and asked, "Really?"


    Feeling the big hot cock outside the small hole, Amanda''s face flushed even more.


    She actively twisted her buttocks: "You are the best man I have ever seen, brave and gentle."


    "Well, honey, fuck me."


    This little slut is really charming to the body, every word has a difficult to suppress the charm.


    Daniel jumped onto his hook.


    Reflecting the moonlight by the pool, the sound of happy flesh collision, even the sound of juice smacking, is very pleasant.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean in Serenalia.


    It''s two in the afternoon.


    A video about Treasure Hunt in a shipping container went viral on various short video tforms.


    [A bet of 550 SterCoins turns into 50 million!]


    [Profit margin of 100,000 times, I im to be the ultimate scavenger!]


    All sorts of fancy titles were created.


    And Daniel has be a hot topic on the inte.


    "OMG, 550 SterCoins turned into 50 million, this is no different from winning the lottery."


    "Our fellow Serenalia, looks like he''s streaming live on a TikTok-like tform, gonna give him a follow."


    "Do you guys think Daniel is a nt hired by the Golden Shores Customs?"


    "Most likely!"


    "Definitely because the container auctions weren''t selling well, so they got a guy from Serenalia to find a steal, then hyped it up on the inte to attract more people to the auctions."


    "Why would they hire someone from our country?"


    "Duh, because people from Serenalia have a lot of money and are gullible. Isn''t this universally epted knowledge?"


    "Your analysis does make some sense."


    "I was thinking about following this streamer, but now it seems like there''s no need."


    "No need at all, aside from the container, if he dares to bid elsewhere, he''d probably lose his pants."


    "..."


    In his room, Daniel wakes up groggily.


    He''s still unaware that his actions yesterday have caused quite a stir in Serenalia.


    He checks his phone to find it''s already three in the afternoon.


    Amanda left early in the morning for work.


    Their wild night has left him with a considerable fondness for this woman.


    With a sense of longing, he savors the lingering scent of Amanda in the air before getting out of bed.


    After freshening up, he finds Benjamin Taylor''s room.


    That old rascal, his stamina is unbelievable!


    Just as he reaches the door, he hears moaning soundsing from the room.


    He decides to retreat to the living room instead.


    Everyone else seems to have already left, even the Abel and Allen brothers are nowhere to be seen.


    The empty vi is quiet, so quiet that Daniel can still hear the moaning soundsing from the room several meters away while sitting on the living room couch.


    Fortunately, the annoying sounds soon stop, and Benjamin Taylor emerges from his room.


    Upon seeing Daniel, Benjamin Taylor enthusiastically opens his arms, "Mr. Roberts, up so early."


    Daniel leans back on the couch, avoiding the musky hug and says disdainfully, "Mr. Taylor, your stamina is impressive. You were busy untiltest night, and you''re at it again."


    Benjamin Taylor blushes at Daniel''sment andughs awkwardly, "Mr. Roberts, you''re joking. We men, we have our needs, and I''ve got some help."


    He then takes out two blue pills from his pocket and offers them to Daniel, "Thetest Viagra, made from purely natural extracts. Highly effective and no side effects. Take it with warm water twenty minutes before action, and it''ll have you feeling refreshed and full of masculine vigor!"


    "Here, have two for a trial."


    Daniel declines straight away, "Thanks, but I''m not at the point where I need these yet."


    "Mr. Taylor, didn''t you say you''d take me to the antique market today? It''s already three o''clock."


    pping his forehead, Benjamin Taylor reproached himself, "Look at me, always getting distracted by this sort of thing and forgetting all the serious stuff."


    "Hang on a sec, I''ll just go get my stuff from the room and we can go."


    Daniel nodded, watching Benjamin Taylor retreat back to his room at a brisk pace.


    A secondter, the sound of panting emanated from the room.


    "Goddamn, this old lecher..." Daniel was speechless.


    ...


    Golden Shores City, Antique Market.


    Even though it was called an Antique Market, it was essentially amercial street with a Serenalia touch.


    The entire street wasn''t very long, just about three hundred meters.


    Apart from the vintage architectural styles, everything else was pretty much the same as any othermercial street, filled to the brim with vendors on both sides.


    Upon entering the street, Daniel''s eyes were immediately drawn to the wide array of products on both sides.


    Since it was a weekday, there weren''t many people on the antique market, and the vendors'' eyes lit up when they spotted Daniel and Benjamin Taylor.


    "Sir,e take a look at my jewelry, they are all items passed down from the royal pce centuries ago."


    "Sir, look at mine instead. This curved knife was the personal weapon of the great Emperor Stand when he conquered the East Continent."


    "A mummy made after the death of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, definitely a prime collectible."


    As Daniel passed by these vendors, he mostly just nced over the items.


    He didn''t know much about antiques but he was certain these items were worthless.


    Gold and silver jewelry, Emperor''s curved knife, fine.


    But a bloody mummy, that''s absolutely bullshitting.


    It seems that the Antique Market in any country is the same - just trying to con people.


    Looking at Benjamin Taylor leading the way, Daniel couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Taylor, are you sure we can find any treasures in a ce like this?"


    Benjamin Taylor turned back,ughing while walking, "Of course, don''t underestimate this ce."


    "Anyone who can do business here has some knowledge about antiques and culture."


    "From time to time, there are good finds here."


    Daniel didn''t respond.


    He didn''t doubt the dealers'' expertise.


    But even if they dide across a good item, wouldn''t they just keep it for themselves or sell it at a high price?


    There''s no way he''d get to stumble upon it.


    But Benjamin Taylor seemed to firmly believe in his ability to find hidden gems here, so Daniel just followed him.


    With nothing else to do, Daniel opened his phone and started live streaming again.


    Huh?


    Daniel was taken aback as he looked at the numbers in his live streaming room.


    The number of online viewers in the top right corner of the live streaming room was increasing at an astonishing speed.


    Less than a minute after starting the live stream, the number of viewers had already exceeded a thousand.


    Daniel couldn''t help but wonder, "Did I identally use a picture of Daniel Wu as my cover, causing people to enter the wrong live stream room?"


    As soon as he finished speaking, a flood ofments appeared in the live streaming room.


    "Haha, streamer, don''t panic."


    "We came because of your reputation, to watch you find hidden gems."


    Daniel was a bit puzzled, "How did you all find out about me?"


    "The news of you turning five hundred into fifty million has reached everyone in the country, even the cleaningdy in my building knows. Streamer, you''re already famous back home!"


    "Streamer, you didn''t know?"


    Daniel immediately understood.


    He had anticipated that his lucky find from yesterday would make him popr, but he didn''t expect it to happen this quickly.


    Just three minutes into the livestream and he already had two thousand viewers,parable to a streamer with a million followers.


    "Streamer, it seems like you''re not at the container hunt auction. Where are you?"


    "It looks like some sort of second-hand market?"


    Daniel chuckled, "You could call it a second-hand market. This is thergest Antique Market in Golden Shores City, Libertopia."


    "Antique Market? A ce where they sell antiques?"


    "Streamer, don''t tell me you''re nning to livestream treasure hunting in a ce like this?"


    "Antique Market, also known as fake market. The waters here are much deeper than in the container hunt auctions. Streamer, you better run."


    Daniel replied, "Don''t worry, I won''t make a move unless Ie across something genuinely good."


    With the system by his side, how deep could the water possibly get?


    I am determined to find a hidden gem in the Antique Market!

 Chapter 8 -8- Surprise! A Priceless Treasure?

    <h4>Chapter 8: Chapter8- Surprise! A Priceless Treasure?</h4>


    Benjamin Taylor stopped at a stall.


    The stall owner was an old man who dressed and looked like a construction worker.


    On the stall were seven or eight items, all covered in dirt, as if they were recently dug up from the ground.


    Benjamin Taylor squatted down, picked up a jade bead and examined it.


    He said, "Daniel, check out the quality of this item."


    Daniel took the bead and looked it over a few times.


    He didn''t know how to judge it and was just putting on a show.


    However, in his mind, all the information about the jade bead had already appeared.


    [Item]: ss Bead


    [Age]: Modern


    [Quality]: New


    [Details]: Bead made of ss


    [Evaluation]: Worthless!


    [Market Price]: 0.1 Ster Coin


    [Buyback Price]: 0.01


    ncing at the information about the bead, Daniel scoffed.


    Anyone with a little bit of knowledge wouldn''t buy this.


    He casually responded, "The quality is very good, it''s a modern piece made of ss. It has no value at all."


    Benjamin Taylor chuckled in response, "I didn''t expect your judgement to be this sharp."


    He wanted to test Daniel''s appraisal skills.


    After all, the treasure that Daniel found yesterday was an antique painting and calligraphy.


    A fake Night Pearl belongs to jewelry antiques, apletely different category, and the appraisal methods are different as well.


    It seemed that this young man did know some general knowledge about jewelry appraisal.


    Unaware of Benjamin Taylor''s thoughts, Daniel asked the stall owner, "How much for this piece?"


    The old man squinted his eyes, smiling cheerfully, "Sir, you have a good eye."


    "This bead is the Night Pearl loved by Queen Elizabeth in the 15th century, the most valuable item I have. I didn''t n on selling it, but seeing as you really want it, I''ll let it go for three million."


    A Night Pearl from the 15th century?


    Three million?


    I''ll give you three ps, how about that?


    Daniel widened his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching in disbelief.


    The old man seemed to have taken him for a fool.


    In the live stream, some viewers with appraisal backgroundsmented.


    "This Night Pearl is in excellent condition, well preserved, truly a miracle. It looks like it could indeed be from the 15th century."


    "It''s reasonable to sell the favorite jewelry of the 15th-century Queen for three million."


    "Good thing our streamer made fifty million yesterday. Buy it, keep it as a family heirloom."


    Daniel returned the ss bead to its original ce and sighed at the camera, "You guys are too young too naive."


    "What do you mean, it''s fake?"


    "How could it be? Thement just now made sense. This thing looks real."


    Daniel didn''t know how to exin to them, given that he didn''t have the skills to appraise such things.


    So, he picked up the ss bead again and casually asked, "Give me your lowest price if you''re really interested in selling."


    The owner chuckled, "Two million eight hundred thousand."


    Daniel red at him, then said, "One coin, I''ll take it if you''re selling."


    "One coin??"


    Now it was the old man who was staring.


    He had never seen anyone haggle this hard.


    "Friend, you better leave. I could get more than that selling it as junk."


    Daniel, not bothering to reply, simply got up and started to walk away.


    Just as he was turning around, he heard the old man call out, "Friend, you''re really leaving just because I told you to?"


    "Since you really want it, how about you raise the price a bit?"


    Daniel said, "Three coins, I''ll take it if you''re selling, if not, forget it."


    Seeing that Daniel showed no emotion on his face, the old man knew this was the most Daniel would offer.


    So, with a sigh, he gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and handed the ss bead to Daniel.


    "Take it! Give me three coins!"


    At this moment, the viewers in the live stream were astounded.


    "Holy crap! From three million to three coins?!"


    "This is absolutely brutal!"


    "I really thought it was genuine just now. If it were me, I would''ve probably bought it for three million."


    "These people here really ask for the sky, such rip-offs."


    "But why did the streamer buy it?"


    "Could it be... the streamer is about to repeat yesterday''s awesome move?!"


    Thisment brought the live stream''s atmosphere to a climax.


    At this moment, everyone thought the Night Pearl was genuine, otherwise, Daniel wouldn''t have bought it.


    Unfortunately, things didn''t turn out the way they expected.


    Daniel bought this fake Night Pearl simply to allow the system to Buyback it.


    [Detected Fake Night Pearl]


    [Buyback?]


    Daniel thought, "Yes."


    The next second, the Night Pearl he put in his pocket disappeared without a trace.


    Even Daniel only felt it when he reached into his pocket to check.


    Almost at the same time, Daniel received two notifications.


    Gained [Gem Appraisal]!


    He was secretly delighted.


    He had gained another new skill!


    The other was a bank SMS reminder.


    "Your bank ount ending in ''0926'' has received 0.01 SterCoin..."


    Although he didn''t know how the system did it, the money deposited had a legitimate source and he wasn''t afraid it would be gged by the bank.


    Benjamin Taylor stood aside, quietly watching Daniel haggle from the start.


    Daniel''s clean and efficient haggling technique surprised him.


    In the antique town, it was the first time anyone had bargained so hard.


    "Let''s go, keep looking around," Benjamin Taylor suggested.


    Daniel nodded.


    As he was about to stand up, he heard amotion not far away.


    "I ain''t gonna give you a price until I check the item," one voice argued loudly.


    "If you wanna see the stuff, you gotta pay first. Are you gonna buy or not? If not, scram and don''t waste my time," retorted another.


    Daniel turned towards the noise.


    A man in his thirties, disheveled and grimy, was being surrounded by a few people at a nearby stall.


    His greasy hair looked like it could fry food, and his clothes were visibly filthy.


    In his hand, he held an old, yellowing book.


    Daniel focused and the details of the book immediately appeared in his mind.


    [Item]: Qi Origin


    [Age]: 1850s


    [Condition]: Worn


    [Details]: Ancient manuscript containing profound mysteries.


    [Rating]: Invaluable!


    [Market Price]: XXXXX


    [Buyback Price]: XXXXX


    What?!


    Daniel''s eyes filled with disbelief at the sight of the data.


    This was the first time something like this had happened.


    Even the system couldn''t estimate the price.


    Just what was the story behind this book?


    Daniel decided to investigate further.


    As he stood up slowly and walked towards the man, thetter was just about to leave after failing to get a satisfactory price.


    "Hey, buddy!" Daniel called out to him. "Where''d you get this book?"


    The man looked at Daniel and extended his dirty hand.


    Caught off guard, Daniel then realized what the man wanted.


    He pulled a stack of bills from his pocket and gave him a 10 SterCoin note.


    The man seemed satisfied after receiving the money.


    "Inherited it from my ancestors," he said.


    "And what did your ancestors do?" Daniel asked.


    Again, the man extended his hand.


    After receiving more money, he said, "They practiced martial arts in the mountains."


    "Can I take a look at the book? If it''s good, I''ll buy it," Daniel asked.


    This time, the man extended two fingers.


    Daniel gave him two 10 SterCoin notes, but the man shook his head.


    Daniel gave him two more, but the man still shook his head.


    It wasn''t until Daniel handed over 200 SterCoins that the man finally threw the book to Daniel.


    Daniel caught the book and took a look.


    It gave off a musty smell, showing its age.


    He opened it and furrowed his brow.


    The pages were filled with indecipherable text that resembled the ancient script from Serenalia.


    "This is¡­"


    Benjamin Taylor appeared beside Daniel.


    He too looked at the text and furrowed his brow.


    "Is it pictographic text?" he guessed.


    Daniel shook his head. "Pictographic text evolved from pictorial scripts and looks like drawings. Although I can''t understand this text, it is neat and orderly."


    Seeing the two men in deep thought, the man impatiently asked, "Are you gonna buy it or not? If you want to study it, buy it and take it home to study."


    Finally remembering the man, Daniel asked, "How much do you want for it?"


    The man thought for a moment, looking at the money in his hand, and held up a palm.


    "Five grand," he said.


    Without a second thought, Daniel pulled out five grand in SterCoin from his pocket and handed it to the man.


    The man snatched the money, turned around, and left without saying a word.


    Benjamin Taylor looked at Daniel in surprise. "Are you sure this book is worth five grand?"


    Worth five grand?


    This was a priceless treasure!


    Feeling quite pleased inside, Daniel kept a straight face and said nonchntly, "It''s just five grand. Think of it as buying a little trinket to satisfy my curiosity. It''s not like I can''t afford it."


    Benjamin Taylor nodded, "Fair point."

 Chapter 9 -9-Oops, the streamer scored another bargain

    <h4>Chapter 9: Chapter9-Oops, the streamer scored another bargain</h4>


    Daniel went back to the stall where he had bought the fake Night Pearl and asked for a bag to put the book in.


    Everyone around had seen him buy the book, including the stall owner.


    They all thought that Daniel was a fool with too much money.


    The stall owner''s eyes sparkled mischievously, and he asked with a grin, "Boss, I''ve got plenty of other good stuff here. Wanna take a look?"


    With that, he rummaged through a big suitcase behind him and pulled out a worn-out, string-bound ancient book.


    Daniel took a look at it. Honestly, the book looked like a genuine old item, just like the Qi Origin.


    Its pages were also yellowed and ckened, felt a bit coarse, and carried a damp smell.


    To any normal person, it would certainly appear much older than the Qi Origin.


    But Daniel had the Omniscient Appraisal System.


    The data appeared in his mind instantly.


    [Item]: Hamlet


    [Age]: Modern


    [Condition]: Worn


    [Details]: A modern paper imitation of a ssic manuscript. It has a bit of collector''s value, but not much.


    [Rating]: Good for decoration, no other value.


    [Market Price]: 500


    [Buyback Price]: 100


    So, it was worth 500 SterCoin.


    Perhaps because it was a handwritten copy and the craftsmanship was indeed good, Daniel thought to himself.


    Benjamin Taylor also came over curiously and took a peek.


    However, he lost interest quickly.


    "What do you think?" he asked.


    Daniel shook his head. "If you really want an evaluation, it''s a modern craftsmanship piece."


    Benjamin Taylor looked surprised. "You figured it out?"


    Daniel nodded. "The craftsmanship is good, but it can''t change the feel of the paper. Only modern paper mills can produce such fine paper."


    This time, Benjamin Taylor was truly surprised.


    When Daniel bought the book with the iprehensible text, he thought Daniel didn''t know much about appraisal.


    Now it seemed that Daniel was actually quite adept.


    Appraising calligraphy and paintings was always tricky, as the presentation of the paper varied depending on how it was preserved.


    Even though he knew this Hamlet was a fake, he had noticed it from other aspects; he hadn''t found any problems with the paper yet.


    Daniel was able to discern the fineness of the paper in such a short time, which was absolutely amazing.


    Not just anyone could do that.


    Benjamin Taylor''s perception of Daniel grew quite a bit more serious.


    Daniel held up the book and signaled the stall owner, "How much?"


    The stall owner showed five fingers, "t rate, fifty grand."


    Daniel put the book down and walked away.


    His actions were as smooth as a cloud floating in the sky, not wasting any time.


    Seeing this, the stall owner quickly got up and grabbed Daniel''s arm. "Hey buddy, you got something against me?" he asked, staring at Daniel.


    Daniel shook his head, "Not at all."


    The owner seemed helpless. "You buy other people''s stuff decisively, why are you like this with me?"


    "Am I not being decisive?"


    "You..."


    Daniel''s reply caught the stall owner off guard.


    He was indeed being decisive, just decisively walking away!


    The stall owner really couldn''t deal with Daniel, so he could only plead, "Young man, that''s not how you buy things."


    "If you''ve taken a liking to it, bargain for it, even if it''s half the price, who knows, I might just agree."


    Heh, let me haggle and I might just cut into your major arteries.


    Daniel chuckled inside, still maintaining a poker face on the outside. "It was you who said it."


    The owner hurriedly said, "Alright, I was wrong, okay? Please, give me a counteroffer, I''ll sell you the book!"


    Daniel pretended to be very hesitant, then finally spat out a price, "Two hundred."


    At this, the stall owner was dumbfounded.


    I asked you to haggle, not to ughter me, this is even more painful than getting my privates chopped off.


    But this price, well, it''s not uneptable.


    It could be a bit higher though.


    After a moment of internal struggle, the stall owner said sternly, "Three fifty, final offer, take it and it''s yours."


    Before he could finish, several banknotes were stuffed into his hand.


    Daniel paid, grabbed the book, and left.


    Benjamin Taylor followed behind, unable to stopughing.


    This young man, he was a master haggler.


    If he ever took a fancy to anything in the future, he must bring this kid along to do the haggling for him.


    In the live stream, the audience was also amused.


    "Holy cow! From fifty grand to three fifty?"


    "I almost took that book as real just now, it seems this antique market is not a ce for ordinary people."


    "The waters run deep in this antique market."


    "Streamer''s skills are definitely beyond ourparison."


    "With his haggling skills, he''s definitely a master at scoring bargains, I''m starting to believe that the streamer wasn''t paid by the market to act."


    Daniel and Benjamin Taylor continued to wander around.


    After a while, he stopped.


    Benjamin Taylor turned around, somewhat puzzled, "Spotted something else?"


    He looked at the stalls on both sides, which were disying things like coins and other items.


    Does this kid have interest in these things as well? He doesn''t have any knowledge in this area, so he won''t be much help. Daniel squatted down at a stall on the right, reached out and picked up a silver coin.


    [Item]: 0.25 SterCoin.


    [Age]: 2005.


    [Condition]: Good.


    [Details]: SterCoin issued in 2005.


    [Assessment]: Even a hobo would feel it''s too little.


    [Market Price]: 0.25


    [Buyback Price]: 0.05


    Well, damn.


    The system even offers a reduced price for cash buyback.


    Daniel was both amused and annoyed.


    But it wasn''t this coin that attracted him.


    What really made him stop to look was another coin next to this one.


    Almost identical to the one in his hand, but the price given by the system was vastly different.


    [Item]: 0.25


    SterCoin.


    [Age]: 2005.


    [Condition]: Good.


    [Details]: SterCoin issued in 2005. This coincks the letter "T", making it a very special misprinted coin.


    [Assessment]: Has certain collectible value.


    [Market Price]: 1500


    [Buyback Price]: 1000


    That''s the one!


    The letters on the coin are tiny and crammed, a dense circle of them, and under normal circumstances, few people would look closely.


    That''s probably why the stall owner didn''t notice it was a misprinted coin.


    Luckily, he ran into it.


    Daniel suppressed the joy in his heart and didn''t reach out to take it.


    He asked casually, "How many coins in this pile, and how much for them?"


    The stall owner looked Daniel over and replied, "There are fifteen coins in this pile. Ten coins each, or all for twenty percent off."


    So, fifteen coins for a total of 120 coins.


    Not exactly expensive.


    But selling a 0.25 coin for ten coins each?


    Coins from ''05 just started being withdrawn and buybacked, they''re not exactly vintage.


    That''s not just ripping off, that''s downright swindling.


    Without hesitation, Daniel countered, "Fifteen coins, I''ll take them all."


    The stall owner widened his eyes, replying in a cold voice, "Do you think these are cabbages?"


    Take it or leave it.


    Daniel got up and started to walk away.


    Do you really think you''re going to pass these worthless coins down as family heirlooms?


    Sure enough, Daniel had barely taken two steps when the coin seller called him back.


    "Twenty coins!"


    "For twenty, you can take them all!"


    This trick never fails.


    Daniel turned back, looking at the stall owner with a grin.


    He pulled out twenty coins, gathered all the coins into his pocket.


    Not far from the stall, Benjamin Taylor couldn''t help but ask, "Daniel, why did you buy these coins? These coins could be found in any convenience store."


    Daniel looked at Benjamin Taylor, picked out the misprinted coin from the bunch and handed it over, "Take a look at this coin."


    Benjamin Taylor held the coin in his hand, flipping it over carefully.


    After a moment, he asked with a puzzled face, "Is there something special about it?"


    "Absolutely!" Daniel took out a regr coin and pointed out the difference. "Look here."


    Benjamin Taylor squinted, and the viewers in the live stream were also observing through the camera.


    "Holy cow, it''s a misprinted coin!"


    "No wonder! I thought the streamer was stupid to pay a high price for coins without appreciation."


    "So, we''re the stupid ones, huh."


    "Does anyone know how much this thing is worth?"


    "I looked it up, there is indeed a simr misprinted coin, sold for 1500 SterCoins on the market."


    "What?! 1500! If we convert it to our C-coin, it''s almost 10,000 coins!"


    "Twenty coins turned into 10,000? A 500 times profit?"


    "Dang it, the streamer found another bargain!"


    Benjamin Taylor also looked at Daniel incredulously.


    This kid actually knows about coin collecting?!

 Chapter 10 -10-Streamer, you’re here to stock up, aren’t you?

    <h4>Chapter 10: Chapter10-Streamer, you''re here to stock up, aren''t you?</h4>


    Daniel stuffed all the other coins into the bag.


    In fact, buying these items wasn''t just about acquiring the misprinted coin without alerting the stall owner.


    If he let the system buy back, he could gain corresponding appraisal skills, or perhaps other rewards.


    It wasn''t convenient to do this in public, so he''d better tryter at home.


    Daniel continued to stroll through the antique street with Benjamin Taylor.


    He already had artwork, gem appraisal skills, and had prepared for old books and coins.


    What other types of antiques did he still need?


    Daniel nced around casually, locked onto a stall, and walked straight over.


    On the booth, there were ceramic items of all sorts and sizes.


    Some were in very new condition, others were covered in dirt on the outside.


    Benjamin Taylor asked with confusion, "You study ceramics too?"


    Daniel responded nonchntly, "Wouldn''t say study, just have some general knowledge about it."


    Hearing this, a puzzled expression crossed Benjamin Taylor''s face.


    So far, this young man had demonstrated the ability to appraise paintings, gem, and coins.


    If he indeed had knowledge about ceramics as he imed,


    his expertise in appraisal would far exceed expectations.


    There were people who could appraise all types of antiques, but they were mostly old guys with white beards.


    The kid in front of him was only twenty years old.


    At such a young age, to have such an eye for detail was really something.


    Daniel squatted down, looking at the pottery and porcin on the stall.


    10 coins,


    50 coins,


    25 coins,


    175 coins,


    500 coins...


    Out of dozens of items, fewer than half had a market value exceeding a hundred coins.


    They were all replicas madest week, with no value for snagging a bargain.


    Anyway, he was just doing this to get a system reward, so he might as well pick something at random.


    Daniel looked from left to right, and finally pointed to a green porcin bowl in front of him that the system had deemed the cheapest, asking, "How much for this one?"


    The stall owner was an old man with white hair.


    He nced at Daniel, then put on a profound look.


    After frowning for a while, he said, "Young man, you have a good eye."


    "This green porcin bowl is the treasure of my stall."


    "It''s from the Serenalia feudal era, blue and white porcin. It''s said that even some queen mother used it. You know what the queen mother is? She''s like the mother of the emperor of Serenalia..."


    This old man was obviously a chatterbox, talking non-stop as soon as he opened his mouth.


    Daniel didn''t feel like listening to his nonsense.


    As a Serenalia native, did he need a foreigner to tell him what a Serenalia ancient queen mother was?


    He picked up the green porcin bowl and asked directly, "How much?"


    The old man said, "Five hundred thousand."


    Daniel held up two fingers, "Twenty."


    The old man had not yet finished his sentence when he swallowed it back.


    He looked at Daniel, opening and closing his mouth, hesitating for a while, and finally nodded.


    After all, it was bought from a kitchenware shop in Serenalia city for two coins.


    Selling it for twenty was already pretty good.


    Watching Daniel pay for the goods and get up to leave, the whole process was smooth and flowing.


    Benjamin Taylor couldn''t help but ask, "Although I don''t know much about porcin, I can tell that this is not a good piece. Why did you buy it?"


    Daniel said, "Like that book, I bought it for fun."


    Benjamin Taylor, "..."


    After strolling through the entire street, Daniel didn''t find anything worth picking up.


    Instead, he bought quite a few different items.


    Calligraphy sets,cquerware, bronze ware, ornaments, bones, teeth...


    There were so many things that he and Benjamin Taylor couldn''t hold them all with their four hands, and in the end, they hired a delivery guy to pack and deliver the stuff to Daniel''s ce.


    It wasn''t until the two were ready to leave the antique street that theizens reacted.


    "Streamer, you''re not here to snag bargains, you''re here to stock up, right?"


    Daniel said, "Snagging bargains isn''t something I can do just because I want to, it depends on luck."


    Theizens agreed, "That''s true."


    "After all, most of the real stuff is directly taken away by people, who woulde to a ce like this to sell."


    "Streamer, you should go live at the harbor, the auctions are much more exciting than this antique street!"


    "That''s right, we all came to see you snag bargains, but all we saw was you stocking up."


    "And the stuff you''re stocking up is all junk, it''s boring."


    Daniel chuckled, "The harbor doesn''t have auctions every day. Coming to the antique street asionally, who knows, I might find a gem."


    After leaving the antique street, Benjamin Taylorughed and said, "Want to grab dinner together?"


    Daniel saw right through Benjamin Taylor, "I know you have a date with that beauty fromst night. Better get going."


    Benjamin Taylor sheepishlyughed, then said, "There''s another auction at the harbor tomorrow, are you going?"


    Daniel replied, "Of course."


    "In that case, I''ll be there too. See you tomorrow then."


    "See ya."


    Watching Benjamin Taylor leave in a taxi, Daniel also hailed one.


    Once in the cab, he said, "The Central Park Cafe on 3rd Street."


    ...


    Daniel''s ce was a government-subsidized apartment located downtown.


    As an international student, he was eligible to rent it.


    He had graduated a few months ago and was worried about where to live once his lease ended.


    After all, the rent in downtown Golden Shores, one of the top cities in Libertopia, was insanely high.


    But now, with fifty million SterCoins in his ount, he no longer had to worry about that.


    By the time he got home, the items he had bought on Antique Street had arrived.


    Looking at the table full of items, Daniel casually picked up a 2005 coin.


    [Modern coin (ordinary) detected.]


    [Proceed with buyback?]


    Daniel nodded, "Yes."


    The next second, the coin disappeared from his hand.


    At the same time, a torrent of information flooded his mind.


    [Coin Appraisal skill acquired!]


    At that moment, Daniel felt he had an incredibly strong ability to appraise coin-like objects.


    From now on, he could appraise any coin without the system''s prompts, which made him quite happy.


    He reached for the nearest bronze ware.


    [Bronze tripod (fake) detected.]


    [Proceed with buyback?]


    Daniel said, "Yes!"


    [Bronze Appraisal skill acquired!]


    Next, he picked up other objects.


    [Calligraphy set appraisal skill acquired!]


    [Lacquerware appraisal skill acquired!]


    [Bone and tooth appraisal skill acquired!]


    [Wooden art appraisal skill acquired!]


    [...]


    In just a few minutes, vast amounts of information kept flooding Daniel''s mind.


    He even felt his head was a bit heavy and dizzy.


    This must have been because he had acquired too many skills at once, and his brain was overwhelmed.


    He had to close his eyes and rest for a while.


    When Daniel opened his eyes again, it was already the next day.


    "Damn, it''s not good to master too many skills at once. I actually slept for so long."


    Seeing the date on his phone, Daniel couldn''t help butugh.


    Just then, his phone rang.


    It was an unfamiliar number.


    He answered the call, and Benjamin Taylor''s voice came through immediately.


    "Daniel, where are you?"


    "The auction has been going on for over an hour now, and there have been quite a few good items."


    Daniel bolted upright, finally catching on.


    "I''ll be right there."


    Damn, he had slept until almost noon.


    From Benjamin Taylor''s tone, it sounded like he had missed a lot.


    After a quick tidy up, Daniel dashed out of the building.


    As was his custom, he bought a nudie magazine, hailed a cab, and headed for the harbor.


    When Daniel arrived at the harbor, Robert was just introducing the situation of the container next to him.


    Robert announced, "This container is outgoing cargo, but the owner didn''t pay, so it has been sitting here. Also, we haven''t been able to contact the owner for a long time, so we''re auctioning it off."


    With that, he waved his hand.


    The staff behind him stepped forward, cut off the big lock on the container door, and opened the two doors.


    What came into view was a neatly arranged set of machines.


    The twin brother Allen was the first to recognize what they were: "Slot machines, eight-handed ones. Not much fun in this beaten-up state."


    Abel somewhat agreed with his brother''s words, also analyzing: "A machine like this can sell for about 500, looks like there are seventy or eighty."


    Then, Robert announced, "Starting bid, 5000."


    This price was tempting enough.


    The final selling price depended on their bidding enthusiasm.


    Daniel just nced at it casually, not wanting to bid.


    The system''s valuation was even lower than Abel''s estimate.


    Just as he was about to turn around and look for Benjamin Taylor, his movement suddenly paused, and he immediately raised his hand to bid.


    "50000!"


    The people who were still hesitating suddenly quieted down.


    Something worth at most 40,000, and this guy bids 50,000?


    Had he lost his mind?

 Chapter 11 -11-Limited Edition! A seven-figure coin!

    <h4>Chapter 11: Chapter11-Limited Edition! A seven-figure coin!</h4>


    The starting price was only 5000.


    This guy, as the first to bid, directly shouted ten times the price.


    Who the hell bids like this normally?


    Benjamin Taylor looked at Daniel in surprise, his expression a bit hard to read.


    He asked in a low voice, "You''re interested in collecting this too?"


    Daniel shook his head with a smile.


    Benjamin Taylor was even more puzzled.


    The value of this batch was clear, and he didn''t believe Daniel didn''t know.


    But why would this guy offer such a big initial bid, was there something more to it?


    Others were also a bit suspicious.


    Remembering the huge find Daniel made the day before, everyone''s eyes once again focused on the container.


    They looked left and right, even inspected the interior walls of the container thoroughly, but couldn''t find any signs of valuable items.


    Everyone was guessing, "Could he be betting on the coins inside the machines?"


    "That''s not a good choice, not to mention whether there are coins in the machines, even if there are, how many could there be?"


    "Outgoing old slot machines wouldn''t possibly have coins in them."


    Daniel could feel the puzzled gazes of the crowd but kept smiling and remained silent.


    From the crowd, Emilia couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Roberts, what exactly is it about this batch that makes it worth this much to you?"


    What a question to ask, with absolutely no forethought.


    We''re allpetitors here. You expect me to tell you what makes it valuable?


    Daniel still didn''t answer.


    In fact, he didn''t really know why these beat-up machines were so valuable.


    He had taken a cursory look, and the system had evaluated most of the slot machines at market prices below 500.


    But there was one machine next to the container door that the system had given an astonishing number for.


    2,185,500!


    Seven figures!


    Worth a million!


    That''s why he directly offered 50,000.


    He believed that with this price, no one else would bid.


    However, he had underestimated the courage and audacity of the others.


    The Abel-Allen brothers, after whispering and discussing on the side for a while.


    Finally, they turned around and offered a higher price: "60,000!"


    Then they both looked at Daniel and gave an embarrassed smile.


    "We''re sorry, Mr. Roberts. We think you must have a good reason to bid, so we want to follow suit. You wouldn''t mind, would you?"


    There are no friends in an auction.


    Let alone that they were just somewhat closer because of the orgyst night, they were not friends.


    Bidding is normal.


    Daniel didn''t show any displeasure.


    And the others, after wrestling with their thoughts, all gave up on bidding.


    Even though Daniel''s previous performance had made them all quite envious.


    But who could guarantee that he could do the same this time?


    The auction of this container turned into a battle between Daniel and the Abel-Allen brothers.


    Robert asked, "Mr. Roberts, are you still bidding?"


    Daniel raised his hand to signal: "70,000."


    Abel immediately followed: "75,000!"


    Daniel was not to be outdone: "80,000."


    "85,000!"


    "90,000."


    "95,000!"


    "150,000."


    Daniel didn''t want to wrangle with them any longer, so he directly added 50,000.


    Everyone was taken aback.


    Countless strange gazes fell on Daniel.


    Just why could he offer such a high price?


    Just on a hunch?


    The chat in the livestream was also in chaos.


    "150,000 SterCoins for a bunch of junk machines?"


    "Oh my god, is the streamer going crazy?"


    "If I had 150,000, I''d give you as many machines of this quality as you want."


    "It''s absolutely appalling, I can already imagine the streamer crying because of the huge loss."


    "Crying, maybe not. Don''t forget, the streamer made a huge profit of 50 million the day before yesterday."


    "Right, the streamer must be a poor man turned rich, suddenly having money and not knowing how to spend it."


    "Ah, such a waste of money."


    Daniel didn''t care about the ridicule from viewers.


    He turned his head and stared straight at the Abel brothers.


    "Are you two still in?"


    In?


    A machine that''s at most worth forty thousand has been bid up to a hundred and fifty thousand.


    What on earth is this guy doing this for?


    Abel couldn''t figure it out.


    Even though they''ve only met twice, he knew Daniel was definitely not a reckless person.


    If Daniel can offer such a high price, there must be a reason.


    But should he, himself, follow suit?


    One hundred and fifty thousand SterCoins is an ordinary ie for two or three years in Libertopia.


    For him, it''s also a substantial amount.


    After much hesitation, Abel didn''t have the courage to continue bidding and waved his hand, "I''m out."


    Seeing this, the others also expressed understanding.


    Being pushed to this point, Abel had already shown great courage.


    Robert immediately announced, "One hundred and fifty thousand, sold!"


    Daniel signed the purchase agreement with the staff on the spot.


    As soon as the money arrived in the ount, he started preparing to inventory the goods.


    Everyone was craning their necks, all wanting to get to the bottom of it.


    Benjamin Taylor asked with iprehension, "I really can''t fathom your intention. What exactly are you thinking?"


    Daniel smiled and said, "You''ll know soon."


    He stepped forward, directing the movers to transport all the slot machines to the open space.


    Then forcibly broke open the coin storage area under all the machines.


    Contrary to what everyone thought, the coins in these slot machines hadn''t been cleared in advance.


    Many slot machines turned out hundreds of coins.


    Eighty machines, just the leftover coins added up to more than twenty thousand.


    Benjamin Taylor''s face didn''t rx, "This is far from enough."


    Daniel didn''t speak.


    He squatted in front of the pile of coins, rifling through them.


    This one wasn''t it, nor was that one.


    After a long time, he stood up.


    He had an extra gold coin in his hand.


    He walked up to Durant, extending the coin to him.


    Durant was fond of coin collecting.


    This was found using the system''s feature to search for buyers. The closest willing buyer of this coin happened to be him.


    Seeing the coin, Durant was stunned, then his face changed dramatically.


    "This is..."


    "An indigenous portrait gold coin?!"


    Indigenous portrait gold coin?


    Hearing this, everyone was puzzled.


    What on earth is that?


    Judging from Mr. Durant''s expression, it seems to be something extraordinary?


    Benjamin Taylor didn''t know much about coins, but when he looked at the gold coin and studied it for a few minutes, he jolted.


    "Durant, this is... real, right?"


    He seemed certain, yet dared not to be.


    Because such an item is extremely rare, its survival in the world is remarkable.


    Durant looked over and over again, his forehead drenched with sweat, but didn''t give a definite answer.


    Finally, he said, "I think it''s real, but this thing is too precious, and not many people have seen the real thing, so I can''t guarantee it."


    "Mr. Roberts, should I invite a friend to take a look with me?"


    Daniel nodded, "Go ahead."


    "Thank you!"


    Upon receiving Daniel''s affirmative answer, Durant made another call.


    Soon, he hung up and said, "My friend will be here soon. You can proceed with the next round of the auction."


    However, everyone was very interested in the origin of Daniel''s coin, and no one wanted to continue bidding.


    In the crowd, Emilia was whispering to the people around her, "Do you feel like this scene seems familiar?"


    Others also agreed, saying, "The day before yesterday when he won the ''Hundred Horses,'' didn''t Mr. Durant also ask Mr. Benjamin Taylor to authenticate it? It''s exactly the same situation as now."


    Thatment made everyone''s hearts leap into their throats.


    Could it be that Daniel, like the day before yesterday, is about to unveil another amazing item?


    About thirty minutester, a white-haired, bespectacled old man with a refined demeanor rushed onto the scene.


    As soon as the old man appeared, Durant greeted him.


    Before he could introduce the old man to Daniel, Benjamin Taylor chimed in, "You old bastard, you''re finally here, making us wait so long."


    Then, Benjamin Taylor introduced him to Daniel, "This old guy is Stephen Johnson, the deputy director of the Libertopia National Museum, and also the honorary chairman of the Archaeological Association. He''s very knowledgeable about coins, regardless of the era."


    Upon seeing Benjamin Taylor, Stephen''s face turned into a look of distaste: "It seems to be my unlucky day, to encounter you in a ce like this."


    At this remark, Benjamin Taylor''s eyes widened.


    Just as the two old men were about to start arguing, Durant hurriedly yed peacemaker, "Mr. Stephen, let''s focus on the matter at hand."


    Hearing this, the two red at each other and quieted down.


    Durant gestured to Daniel, introducing, "This is Mr. Daniel, the treasure hunter from Container Hunt."


    "The coin was found in a container he won at auction."


    Stephen, not interested in the chatter, cut Durant off, going straight to the point, "Where''s the item?"


    Daniel held up the gold coin and handed it over.


    The moment Stephen saw the gold coin, he was shocked to the core!

 Chapter 12 -12-Indigenous Portrait

    <h4>Chapter 12: Chapter12-Indigenous Portrait</h4>


    Stephen Johnson held the coin, examining it meticulously.


    The obverse of the coin bore the portrait of an indigenous figure adorned with many feathered headdresses, while the reverse featured a standing broad-winged eagle.


    The style and workmanship were excellent; it was no replica.


    After about three minutes, he returned the coin to Daniel and stated, "This is a 1907 indigenous portrait coin. It''s genuine."


    He was decisive.


    But his face was full of confusion.


    "Although this type of coin was designed and a batch was even minted, due to some special historical reasons, the first batch was ordered by the government to be melted down before the production waspleted. I have only seen the design drawings in the archives, how could one appear here?"


    Daniel exined, "This coin came from the Grover Mint in 1907. The wife of the mint director at the time secretly hid a batch of coins, about forty, when she received the government''s order to destroy them."


    At this point, Stephen Johnson interjected, "I know about this. The woman tried to sell the coins on the ck market, but the news leaked in advance. The police caught her red-handed, and the coins were taken back to the mint to be melted."


    Suddenly, a thought struck Stephen Johnson, "Could it be that this coin had made it to the ck market before the director''s wife was arrested by the police?" Daniel nodded.


    Benjamin Taylor looked at him, surprised, "How did you know about this? When this happened, I reckon even your grandfather hadn''t been born yet."


    Daniel chuckled, "My great-great-grandfather hadn''t been born a thousand years ago, but I still know about significant events from that time."


    "That''s called history."


    Benjamin Taylor was a little stunned, then nodded.


    It was true, there was no fault in that argument.


    He raised his head, "I didn''t expect that you''d have such a deep understanding of coins."


    Even Stephen Johnson, a big shot in coin research, didn''t know about this.


    This just went to show how much effort Daniel had put into this field.


    Daniel simply smiled and nodded, not saying much more.


    The crowd around him was already secretly shocked.


    They didn''t have much understanding of coins, but they could gather the general idea from the conversation.


    The coin that came out of the slot machine, even Stephen Johnson didn''t know as much about it as Daniel did.


    This guy was truly amazing!


    And if it was as Daniel said, this coin was the only one in the world.


    That meant it was a one-of-a-kind treasure!


    The price would be astonishing!


    Daniel asked, "Mr. Stephen Johnson, are you interested in acquiring this coin?"


    Stephen Johnson replied, "I would love to acquire it..."


    He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "To be honest, the value of this coin is incalcble. I can''t give a specific price. Mr. Roberts, if you want a good price, it''s best to auction it."


    Upon hearing this, the treasure hunters participating in the auction immediately seized the opportunity.


    "Mr. Roberts, I offer five hundred thousand!"


    "Are you kidding me? A one-of-a-kind coin, and you think you can get it for five hundred thousand?"


    "I bid eight hundred thousand!"


    "Eight hundred and thirty thousand!"


    "Eight hundred and forty thousand!"


    "One million!"


    The Abel brothers, after some serious discussion, made a bold move and shocked everyone with their bid of one million.


    Everyone looked at each other, staring for a long time, but no one else made an offer.


    One million was no longer a wager, it was downright life-risking!


    Allen shouted out loud, "Mr. Roberts, we brothers are pretty friendly, aren''t we? Selling your coin for one million?"


    Daniel shook his head. The market price given by the system was two million one hundred and eighty thousand.


    The offer made by the two brothers wasn''t even half of that, far from enough.


    He nced at the buyer list provided by the system, listing all the potential buyers interested in this coin.


    ...


    [Buyer]: Elon Mud


    [Identity]: CEO of SpaceY


    [Bid]: 2 million SterCoins.


    ...


    [Buyer]: Jeff Heroes


    [Identity]: Shareholder of Anazon


    [Bid]: 2.25 million SterCoins.


    ...


    [Buyer]: Bill Guys


    [Identity]: Member of the Maxsoft Board


    [Bid]: 2.15 million SterCoins.


    ...


    The list was packed with buyers, almost all of whom were world-renowned billionaires.


    There were also the three ancient culture enthusiasts in front of him, whose psychological price points were not much different from the other billionaires.


    Daniel turned back and asked, "Mr. Stephen Johnson, Brother Benjamin Taylor, Mr. Durant, this is the only coin of its kind left in the world. Don''t you n to bid?"


    Durant chuckled awkwardly, "Of course I want it, but it only stays at the level of desire, it''s too expensive."


    Other people bid one million, and Daniel didn''t even nce at it, how could he dare to bid?


    Bid too low, and he''d lose face.


    Bid too high, and he couldn''t afford it.


    Better to suppress his desire and let the other two take it.


    After all, they were old friends for many years.


    It wouldn''t be a problem to borrow it and y with it for a couple of days.


    Benjamin Taylor also declined, "Last time I bought your ''Hundred Horses,'' I spent all my savings and even owe the bank millions in loans. I can''t afford it."


    Of the three, only Stephen Johnson was still hesitating, "Mr. Roberts, give me a price, let me see if I can ept it."


    "Since it''s an unprecedented treasure, it''s hard for me to give a price," said Stephen.


    He nodded, "It can''t be less than two million two hundred thousand."


    Upon hearing this, Stephen Johnson breathed a sigh of relief, "Give me a moment, let me consider."


    Daniel responded, "Sure."


    It''s normal to think twice before making such arge expenditure.


    During the conversation, the viewers in Daniel''s live stream room were already in a frenzy.


    "Did the streamer just say... two million two hundred thousand?"


    "A coin for over two million? Man, rich people are so weird!"


    "With a cost of one hundred fifty thousand, if this sells, the streamer is going to make another huge profit."


    "Just the other day he made fifty million, and today another two million. This guy makes more than a bank robber."


    Many of the viewers in the live room clipped the live video into shorter segments and posted them on various video tforms.


    Daniel''s name once again echoed throughout Serenalia.


    In no time, various topics appeared on major media tforms.


    #The Best Treasure Hunter in History!#


    # Serenalia''s Pride, Master Roberts!#


    #Is Daniel a nt?#


    In less than ten minutes, the number of viewers in Daniel''s live room skyrocketed.


    The initial few thousand online viewers had now reached a terrifying fifty thousand!


    These were all real people, not inted numbers!


    "Honestly, I don''t think anyone would be stupid enough to spend over two million on a single-digit denomination coin."


    "Don''t even think about it, it''s definitely a port trick to lure people into bidding on Container Hunt."


    "It''s probably a nt. He''ll say he''ll think about itter, just wait and see."


    "You''re right, it''s all fake until it''s sold."


    ...


    Benjamin Taylor said, "Stephen Johnson, could you hurry up, please? We''ve been waiting so long that our food has gone cold."


    "If you were to take this thing to auction, it would only go up from 2.2 million SterCoins, selling it to you at this price is a favor to me."


    Stephen Johnson, who was still hesitating, thought this made sense, "Mr. Roberts, 2.2 million it is, if you''re selling, I''ll transfer the money now."


    The price couldn''t be less than 2.2 million, but it didn''t say it couldn''t be exactly 2.2 million.


    This price was already at Stephen Johnson''s psychological limit.


    Simrly, Daniel was also satisfied with this price.


    The system''s assessed market price was only 2.18 million.


    That''s an extra 20 thousand!


    Daniel said, "Mr. Stephen Johnson is very straightforward. I won''t haggle anymore, 2.2 million it is."


    Stephen Johnson was overjoyed, "Give me an ount, I''ll transfer the money right now!"


    Then, under the watchful eyes of the people on site and the tens of thousands of viewers in the live room, Stephen Johnson made a phone call to his assistant.


    In less than three minutes, Daniel received a notification of a change in his bank ount bnce. 2.2 million SterCoins, received!


    Both the people on-site and the tens of thousands of viewers in the live room were extremely envious.


    Daniel was also in a good mood.


    In less than three days, he had made over fifty million.


    This speed was really like robbing a bank.


    No, wait.


    When you rob a bank, you have to wait for the heat to die down.


    Not when he hunt!


    Stephen Johnson said, "Mr. Roberts, the money has been transferred. I''ll take the coin now."


    He reached out and carefully took the coin from Daniel''s hand.


    This was a two million-dor treasure.


    He couldn''t afford to be careless.

 Chapter 13 -13-A Real Estate Agent, First Love?

    <h4>Chapter 13: Chapter13-A Real Estate Agent, First Love?</h4>


    "Mr. Roberts, I''ll be leaving now. Here''s my business card. If you have any simr items that need to be sold or appraised, feel free to call me," Stephen Johnson handed his card to Daniel and greeted Durant.


    As for Benjamin Taylor, he rolled his eyes at him and hurried away.


    By now, the day had worn into evening.


    Robert and the other customs workers had finished their shift and were long gone.


    Daniel, left alone with the haphazardly ced slot machines, was at a loss.


    How was he supposed to deal with all these things?


    Not to mention the piles of coins on the floor, which were worth at least 80,000 SterCoins.


    Surely, he couldn''t just leave them here.


    At this moment, the Abel brothers came over, "Mr. Roberts, let us handle these items."


    Allen stretched out his hand and added, "We''ll take it all for 60,000."


    The machines were worth less than 30,000, and the coins over 30,000.


    Sixty thousand was indeed a bit low.


    But considering thebor costs for transportation, he decided to take the offer.


    Daniel nodded, "Deal. Make the transfer."


    Soon, the 60,000 was credited to his ount.


    The auction site was almost empty.


    Durant said goodbye to Daniel and left.


    As for Benjamin Taylor, he was too eager to enjoy his time with his girlfriend, and he disappeared without saying a word.


    Daniel waved to his live stream audience, "That''s it for today, folks. ''Treasure Hunt''ted 2.2 million, time to log off!"


    As soon as he finished speaking, the stream went dark.


    The stream was over, but the viewers were still buzzing with excitement.


    "Did he really sell it for 2.2 million?!"


    "That''s 2.2 million SterCoins! With the exchange rate, that''s more than hitting the jackpot!"


    "All the other ''Treasure Hunt'' streamers are ying around, but Daniel is serious!"


    "I really like this streamer. I''ll definitely catch his live streams regrly."


    "Two broadcasts in two days, two items, both worth millions. I''d call him a Treasure Hunt Master!"


    "It''s a thrill to watch. Too bad our port doesn''t have such auctions. Otherwise, I''d join in and maybe make a fortune like the streamer."


    "Heh, dream on, everything''s possible in dreams."


    The chatroom stayed active for more than an hour beforements started to dwindle.


    Daniel took a cab home and picked up an iced coffee from the Central Park Caf¨¦ downstairs.


    As he was about to head upstairs, a boy on a skateboard came speeding by on his left, yelling, "Make way, out of my way!"


    The speed had passersby scrambling to avoid him.


    On Daniel''s right, a girl in a white dress was facing away from him, engrossed in a phone call, oblivious to the approaching skateboarder.


    Seeing an impending collision, Daniel swiftly reached out, grabbed the girl''s arm, and yanked her to safety.


    The girl shrieked in panic as she ended up in Daniel''s arms.


    The skateboarding teenager lost his bnce and toppled over, "What the hell, you deaf or something?! Didn''t you hear me warning you?!" He had quite the attitude.


    Daniel steadied the girl and was about to reprimand the kid when the surrounding crowd started to cast cold looks.


    "Whose bratty kid is this?"


    "Is the sidewalk a skate park to you?"


    "You hit someone and still have the nerve to be arrogant? Apologize to the girl and then scram!"


    Seeing that he had stirred up public anger, the teenager quickly backed down, "I''m sorry!"


    He picked himself up, didn''t even bother to retrieve his skateboard, and dashed away.


    As the crowd dispersed, the girl was still in shock, stuttering, "Thank you... Daniel?"


    Just as Daniel was about to dismiss it as no big deal, he was taken aback when he heard the girl call his name.


    Could she be one of his livestream viewers?


    He had only streamed for two days, and already had fans as beautiful as her.


    Well, being handsome has its perks.


    Daniel sighed and reached out, "I didn''t expect you to recognize me. So, autograph or a selfie?"


    The girl seemed taken aback, "Autograph? Selfie?"


    Her reaction made Daniel realize something was off, "You haven''t seen my streams?"


    The girl shook her head, "No."


    "I can''t believe you''re a streamer now."


    Just who are you?


    Daniel couldn''t help but study the girl''s face.


    After a few seconds, it hit him.


    Holy crap, it was Sophia Rosewood?


    The girl he had liked since elementary school.


    Back then, he was too shy to confess.


    They lost touch after elementary school.


    Now, after all these years, they ran into each other in Libertia, of all ces.


    Come to think of it, she was technically his first love!


    They recognized each other and went into the nearby cafe.


    Daniel casually picked up the skateboard that the kid had left behind and ced it next to him when he sat down.


    "It''s been years, you''ve changed so much I barely recognized you," Daniel said.


    Sophia nodded with a smile, "Yes, it''s been twelve years. You''re still as handsome."


    "You always ranked first in our grade in school. I didn''t expect you to be a streamer."


    Daniel joked, "What''s so surprising about that? Even the world''s richest person has streamed."


    "I just stream casually. I have other jobs too."


    Sophia was curious, "What kind of job?"


    Daniel replied, "I''m a professional treasure hunter."


    Sophia: "Uh..."


    The job sounded a bit more uncertain than streaming.


    Yet, she politely replied, "That''s an interesting profession. There''s a high ceiling."


    There was no denying that.


    In finding bargains, you coulde across the most expensive items, the key was whether you could actually find those bargains.


    Daniel nodded andughed, "What brought you to Libertia? What do you do now?"


    Sophia avoided the first question, responding directly, "I work in real estate, want to learn more?"


    Daniel was taken aback, but smoothly replied, "Really? Where are you selling properties? I''m actually nning to buy a house."


    Sophia was originally joking, but from Daniel''s response, it seemed like he was serious.


    "You''re doing quite well for yourself, considering buying a house. What kind of house are you looking for?"


    Daniel waved his hand dismissively, "Nothing fancy."


    "Spacious, bright, preferably a standalone vi with a great view. If it''s near mountains or water, even better. Plus, it shoulde with a yard no less than 500 square meters."


    Hearing this, Sophia looked at Daniel, making sure he wasn''t joking.


    Sophia couldn''t help but wonder if livestreaming was really that lucrative?


    She knew top streamers made good money, but Daniel didn''t seem like a major one, otherwise, she would have heard of him.


    "You sure? Because if you are, I''ll start looking."


    "Go ahead, why would I lie to you?" At his words, Sophia set down her handbag and pulled out a tablet.


    She opened an app and started scrolling.


    After a moment, she pushed the tablet in front of Daniel.


    "This one is located on the west side of Central Park. The beach and ocean are on the left and a forest park on the right. I''m sure you''ve heard of it, the West Coastmunity."


    Daniel nodded, "A famous neighborhood for the rich."


    Sophia continued, "Residents here are all wealthy and influential, even the previous president of Libertia lived here."


    "All public facilities are avable - hospitals, schools, malls, police stations, fire stations. Plus, it''s the neighborhood with the lowest crime rate in Golden Shores. Thest time a theft was reported was ten years ago."


    Daniel nodded, "Sounds pretty good."


    He was exploring the interior of the vi through AR reality viewing on the tablet.


    The decor was perfect, amenities wereprehensive, and the furniture looked custom-made high-end pieces.


    Scrolling to the bottom, he saw the price: 2,045,000 Stercoins with an annual property tax of 1%.


    Good location, good building, good environment, all in all, it was a great property.


    As for the price, he could easily earn that back in a day by finding bargains.


    Just then, Sophia swiped to the next property, "These vis are too expensive, plus the annual property tax alone would be around two hundred thousand. Let''s find something cheaper."


    Daniel nced at the next few properties, most were priced around two hundred thousand SterCoins, but they were all small apartments.


    Sophia kept talking, "The national conditions in Libertia are different from ours, many people here prefer to rent. Most young people resist buying houses, so if you really want to buy, find a decent location with a cheaper price. Earning money is tough, it''s better to save a bit!"


    Daniel gave a faint smile at her words.


    It''s said that real estate agents can be ruthless, even to their own family.


    But here she was, dissuading him from the expensive properties and pointing him towards the cheaper ones.


    This little girl was still as kind as she was back in the day.

 Chapter 14 -14-New Discovery! The System’s Awesomeness!

    <h4>Chapter 14: Chapter14-New Discovery! The System''s Awesomeness!</h4>


    Daniel said, "No need to look further, I''ll take this one. Can we sign the contract now?"


    "Sign now?" Sophia asked, baffled.


    "Yes," Daniel replied.


    His expression indicated he was anything but joking.


    Hurriedly, Sophia questioned, "You haven''t even seen the house, are you sure you want to buy it?"


    Daniel retorted, "Have you seen it?"


    Sophia confessed, "Of course, it''s the property I''m selling."


    "And, what do you think?" Daniel probed further.


    "Well, it''s... it''s very good. Given the high price, the decor, amenities, and furniture are all top-tier," Sophia admitted.


    "Then, that''s good enough. Let''s finalize it," Daniel decided.


    Seeing Daniel''s resolve, Sophia informed, "For this property, you need to pay a 40% down payment, which is..."


    She was about to pull out a calctor to work out the down payment and the monthly repayments on the mortgage when Daniel cut her off, "No need for that, I''ll pay in full."


    Stunned, Sophia stared at Daniel.


    Although they hadn''t seen each other for over a decade, they used to be close, so Sophia knew quite a bit about Daniel''s situation.


    His parents were ordinary workers.


    While they weren''t poor, they were just average wage-earners.


    This was entirely inconsistent with the buying power Daniel was currently demonstrating.


    "Dani, you''re not involved in any illegal activities here, are you?" she cautiously asked.


    After all, the ways to make a fortune were all written in the penal code.


    Daniel rolled his eyes, "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Can''t you wish me well?"


    Embarrassed, Sophia chuckled and asked, "Then how did you get so rich? Did you win the lottery?"


    Daniel nodded, "Close enough."


    It wasn''t entirely untrue.


    The activation of the system and his current profession of finding bargains were almost as lucky as hitting the jackpot.


    Astonished, Sophia agreed, "Well then, let''s sign the contract."


    In the span of a single coffee, the property acquisition contract was prepared and signed.


    When it was time to make the payment, Sophia asked again, "Are you sure you don''t want to see the house first? Or think about it some more?"


    Daniel grabbed the POS machine, "Give it here. With your guarantee, why would I worry about the quality of the house?"


    With those words, he paid the hefty amount of over two million.


    Seeing the payment confirmation on her phone, Sophia was speechless.


    In all her years of selling property, she had never encountered such a unique buyer.


    "Tomorrow I''ll bring all the paperwork and keys to you. You can move in right away."


    Daniel nodded. It couldn''t have been better.


    Ever since he had attended an orgy at the Abel brothers'' vi, he had yearned for a vi of his own.


    Sultry bombshells, attractive MILFs, girl-next-door types...


    A lineup of women with different styles in front of him, ready for his embrace.


    The thought of that scene made Daniel hot under the cor.


    He lifted his head and downed the coffee.


    Only after the strong, rich coffee hit his stomach did he realize his mistake.


    Damn, this wasn''t a bar.


    Following that, Daniel and Sophia got into a deeper conversation.


    Sophia shared that, like him, she hade here to study and got ustomed to living abroad, so she decided to stay for a while.


    She also revealed that she didn''t live nearby.


    She was here because she had nned to meet friends at a local bar, but the ns fell through when everyone else suddenly got busy.


    Daniel confessed he had been to the bar they had nned to meet at, "Their bartenders are skilled. I always end up having an extra drink or two."


    Sophia grimaced slightly and said, "What a pity I didn''t get to taste it tonight."


    Then her eyes lit up, "How about we go together?"


    Daniel paused for a moment, then agreed, "Sure."


    They paid their bills and left the cafe.


    Daniel went upstairs to put his skateboard away first, then came back down and hailed a taxi.


    The bar was nearby and they arrived shortly.


    Under the night sky, the neon sign of the bar was especially dazzling:


    Wilson Bar.


    Daniel led Sophia into the bar, walked straight to the counter, and ordered, "Two martinis, as usual, shaken, not stirred!"


    Sophia looked at Daniel in surprise, "You have special requests, seems like you are no stranger to alcohol."


    Daniel chuckled, "I drink often, but not much. They even gave me a nickname, ''One-and-done''."


    "Really?" Sophia teased with a sly grin, "What a coincidence, I''m known as ''Thousand-drink drunk'', looks like someone is going to be embarrassed tonight."


    Daniel scratched his head, "Less is more."


    Soon, the bartender mixed two golden drinks and pushed them toward them.


    Daniel lifted his ss, "This is my favorite drink, give it a try," and downed his drink.


    The taste of alcohol mixed with the unique sweetness of the martini washed over his taste buds, creating an unprecedented rity.


    He pushed his empty ss back, "Perfect, another one, please."


    Sophia mimicked Daniel, tilting her head back and pouring the drink down her throat.


    "Cough, cough, cough!"


    The strong alcohol and heady power made her cough uncontrobly.


    Daniel couldn''t helpughing, "First time drinking this?"


    Sophia wiped her mouth and shook her head.


    As the queen of cocktails, she often drank martinis, but never like this, all at once.


    A rosy blush appeared on Sophia''s fair face after just one drink.


    Seeing this, Daniel asked, "Are you okay, or do you want to switch to yogurt?"


    Getting too drunk at such a ce wasn''t ideal.


    Sophia was already attractive with her fair and beautiful face, shoulder-length hair, andmendable figure.


    When she walked in, many men''s eyes followed her.


    Rolling her eyes, Sophia retorted, "Drinking milk in a bar, you do have some imagination."


    "Bartender, another round." Shortly, two more drinks were served.


    Sophia lifted her ss, "I thought we would never cross paths again in this lifetime. Never imagined we would meet again in such a ce."


    Daniel smiled, "Yeah, I remember back in elementary school, you were so adorable, but you always had two noodles hanging from your nose."


    Sophia''s face turned crimson, "You dare to bring that up?"


    "You''re the one who put a caterpir in my clothes, scaring me until my nose bubbled. Since then, everyone at school started calling me ''Snot Bubble''."


    After saying that, she red at Daniel and finished off the drink in her ss.


    The bartender, having keen observation skills, took away her empty ss and poured in the pre-prepared cocktail.


    Seeing Sophia''s resentment, Daniel felt a bit guilty, "We were young and naive, let me have a penalty drink."


    Sophia immediately retorted, "Three drinks!"


    Daniel, feeling guilty, didn''t dare to refuse, so he helplesslyughed, "Alright, alright, three drinks it is!"


    He lifted his ss to his mouth when a familiar prompt sounded in his ear.


    [Detected one Martini (cocktail).]


    [Proceed with buyback?]


    He could do a buyback on this too?


    Daniel was a bit bbergasted.


    He looked at the detailed information about the martini presented by the system, including ingredients, the bartender''s name, and the cost price, etc.


    He attempted to let the system perform the buyback.


    Almost simultaneously, the system''s voice resonated once more.


    [Acquired Master Level Mixology Skills.]


    [Acquired Master Level Wine Tasting Skills.]


    [Alcohol tolerance increased tenfold.]


    Daniel was stumped.


    He was merely surprised by the first two skill-based rewards.


    However, thest reward, which altered his alcohol tolerance, was truly shocking.


    It belonged to the kind of reward that could change one''s physical attributes!


    Being able to change alcohol tolerance implies that the system can modify strength, speed, reaction time, intelligence... essentially everything rted to physical condition and functions.


    This was like walking on the path to superhuman evolution!


    Daniel was suddenly exhrated.


    He initially thought that the so-called ''Universal Appraisal System'' could only shine in the area of appraisal and, at most, lead him on the road to wealth.


    Now it appeared that he had underestimated the system''s capabilities.


    Anything that the system can buyback could result in any relevant reward chosen at random by the system.


    This was the truly awe-inspiring aspect of this system!

 Chapter 15 -15-Hidden Dangers? Rapidly advancing powers!

    <h4>Chapter 15: Chapter15-Hidden Dangers? Rapidly advancing powers!</h4>


    Daniel chose to buyback the drink through the system.


    The drink in his ss, under Sophia''s watch, disappeared into thin air.


    Sophia was instantly dumbfounded, "Am... am I drunk?"


    She patted her numb cheeks.


    After downing two drinks quickly, it was indeed easy to get intoxicated.


    Sophia considered her tolerance for alcohol and epted the exnation that she was slightly tipsy.


    Yet, she showed no signs of stopping, urging, "The second drink, keep going."


    Daniel took the drink from the bartender and downed it in one gulp.


    The third drink, which had been prepared in advance, went down just as quickly.


    His speedy drinking rate earned him a thumbs-up from the bartender.


    "You downed five martinis in less than two minutes, mate. That''s not how you woo ady," the bartender warned.


    "With your drinking style, once the alcohol hits you, you''ll be sleeping in no time. How then, will you spend the night with this beautiful woman?"


    Hearing this, Sophia''s face grew even more flushed.


    She even began to imagine certain scenarios, making her feel hot and flustered.


    "Spend the night? We''re just old friends who haven''t seen each other for a long time," she retorted, her face still flushed.


    The bartender simply chuckled, offering no furtherments.


    Sophia turned back towards Daniel, somewhat reproachful, "Can you handle it? If you pass out, I can''t carry you."


    Daniel, get drunk?


    His eyes held a strange gleam as he tasted the residual martini in his mouth and pondered.


    The martinis here were probably about 45 degrees, roughly two ounces each.


    Having consumed five martinis, it was akin to downing a pint of low-degree liquor.


    Most people would have already copsed or even cked out from this quantity, yet he felt nothing at all.


    Under the system''s enhancement, his alcohol tolerance had truly soared.


    He raised his refilled ss, clinking it with Sophia''s, "Don''t worry, I won''t pass out before you do." With that, he drained his ss once again.


    Somewhat defiant, Sophia also raised her ss and downed its contents.


    They continued their merry drinking, and before long, several more sses were emptied.


    The bartender looked at the two with a strange expression.


    He''d seen heavy drinkers before, but never ones who drank as if they were courting death.


    In less than half an hour, the pair hadn''t put their sses down once.


    While the man could hold his liquor, the woman seemed to have an even greater capacity.


    Of course, in the end, it was Sophia who sumbed, copsing on the table.


    As Daniel nonchntly got up, paid the bill, hoisted Sophia over his shoulder, and headed out, the bartender couldn''t help but sigh, "Another poor soul is in for a rough night."


    Daniel hadn''t taken more than a few steps away from the bar when several burly men blocked his path.


    Seeing the malicious intent on their faces, Daniel felt a sense of foreboding.


    Sure enough, the tallest of them suggested, "Buddy, you''ve had quite a bit to drink. How about we help you get her home?"


    As he spoke, one of the men reached out.


    Daniel retreated a couple of steps, dodging the hand.


    He gave them a cold look and said, "If you don''t want to spend the night in a police station, I suggest you step aside."


    Hearing this, the men showed no reaction.


    The tall man retorted, "We''re just trying to help, the police have no business here." Daniel hoisted Sophia a bit higher and with his free hand pulled out his phone from his pocket.


    Seeing this, one of the men lunged forward to snatch it.


    Daniel backed off a few steps until he bumped into the bar.


    It was clear he wasn''t going to get away easily.


    Four against one, Daniel was definitely at a disadvantage.


    With Sophia still unconscious, engaging these men in a fight didn''t seem like a good idea.


    He nced back at the bartender, who was also the owner of the bar, John.


    "Are you just going to stand by and let a regr customer get bullied in your bar?" Daniel challenged.


    John shook his head with resignation, bending down to pull out a shotgun from under the bar.


    With a click, he loaded it and aimed the dark barrel at the four men. "If you don''t want your brains blown out, get out now!"


    The four men threw their hands up, shooting resentful nces at John before beating a hasty retreat.


    Daniel picked up Sophia once again and said, "Thanks."


    John sighed, "They hang around this area a lot, things like tonight will happen again."


    Daniel waved his hand dismissively and left with Sophia without looking back.


    He had initially intended to send Sophia home, but she had drunk far too much to be woken.


    With no other options, Daniel took her to his rental house.


    After leaving her in the bedroom, Daniel took a shower and settled on the living room sofa to watch TV.


    Thinking back on the night''s events, he felt a shiver of unease.


    If it hadn''t been for John''s intervention, he could only imagine what would have happened.


    While he could handle himself getting hurt, the potential danger to Sophia was far greater. And such incidents could happen again.


    Thinking of John''sst words, Daniel furrowed his brow.


    It was high time he got himself a gun.


    Libertopia was a country with the loosest gun control regtions in the world, bar none.


    When he had first arrived, Daniel had considered buying a gun for self-defense, but both the gun permit and the firearm itself required a significant amount of money.


    But for him now, that was not an issue.


    Leaning back on the sofa, Daniel''s eyes fell on the skateboard tossed aside by the door.


    An idea popped into his head.


    Would the system ept this?


    He got up and picked up the skateboard.


    The next moment, a familiar voice rang in his ear.


    [Skateboard detected (slightly worn). Would you like to buyback?]


    It could indeed buyback! Daniel smiled and promptly chose to buyback.


    Instantly, he received a system reward of ten SterCoins.


    As well as ability rewards.


    [Reward received: Doubled strength!]


    [Reward received: Master level skateboard skills!]


    [Reward received: Doubled reaction speed!]


    A triple reward again!


    One item with three rewards was a rare urrence.


    Daniel felt a wave of warmth engulf his body, and muscles all over his body trembled to varying degrees.


    He felt a surge of power coursing through him.


    "Should I test it on something?" Daniel looked around his rental house but couldn''t find anything suitable.


    Finally, he stood in front of the refrigerator, his legs apart and arms wrapped around it.


    With a shout, he yelled, "Lift!"


    The three-door refrigerator had a sticker that indicated it weighed 150 kg.


    Daniel lifted the refrigerator off the ground effortlessly.


    300 kilograms!


    He set the fridge back down, a grin spreading across his face.


    He could lift something weighing 300 kilograms with ease.


    He wasn''t even panting, indicating that his strength was far above 300 kilograms, probably between 350 and 400 kilograms!


    With this kind of strength, he could easily rival world-ss weightlifters.


    He clenched his fist, admiring the perfectly lined muscles on his arm, "If I run into those four punks again, one punch each would do the trick."


    As for his reaction speed, Daniel picked up a pair of chopsticks given to him at a Serenalia feast and quickly ran downstairs.


    Standing next to a street light, he watched the insects flying under the light and swiftly made his move.


    Swoosh!


    With one swift chopstick motion, he caught a flying insect.


    Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!


    Every move was a hit. His reaction speed was off the charts!


    "Hahaha!" Daniel couldn''t help butugh heartily, earning strange looks from passersby.


    He sheepishly apologized, "Sorry, sorry."


    He then rushed back upstairs, scouring his rental house, hoping to find more items the system could buyback and possibly give ability rewards.


    But he didn''t usually work out, so he didn''t own any exercise equipment.


    Finally, he sat on the sofa, pulling out his phone.


    If he didn''t have anything, he''d just buy some!


    Hand grippers, arm strength trainers, barbells... Treadmills, dumbbells, punching bags... He picked out the best of each and ced his orders.


    Over a dozen pieces of gym equipment cost him more than 50,000 SterCoins.


    If he hadn''t had more than 50 million in his bank ount, he wouldn''t be able to afford this spending spree.


    Closing his phone, Daniel rinsed off quickly and fell asleep on the sofa.


    The next morning, Daniel was roused from sleep by a pleasant scent.


    Opening his eyes, he saw Sophia carrying a tray of food from the kitchen.


    Seeing him awake, Sophia smiled slightly, "You''re up. You drank a lotst night. Come and have some hangover soup I made."


    Daniel got up and looked at the soup, "Wow, hot and sour shredded pork soup?"


    This dish was a popr one in Serenalia.


    It was sour and spicy, a favorite among many.


    Due to its strong vor, it was known to have a certain hangover-curing effect.


    Daniel quickly washed up and sat down to enjoy his meal.

 Chapter 16 -16-The Auction Begins! The Value of Foresight!

    <h4>Chapter 16: Chapter16-The Auction Begins! The Value of Foresight!</h4>


    "Delicious!"


    Daniel picked up the small bowl and drank straight from it.


    Finishing one bowl, he immediately asked for another.


    After three or four bowls, he felt refreshed and couldn''t help but exim how great it was.


    "I used to love the Hot and Sour Shredded Pork Soup my mom made. Unfortunately, since I went abroad, I haven''t been home in several years, and I haven''t tasted it again."


    "The one you made is really good. It tastes like my mom''s."


    Sophia''s face lit up with joy. "Well, have some more then." She said, refilling Daniel''s empty bowl.


    "Also, I wanted to thank you forst night."


    Daniel looked puzzled, "Thank me for what?"


    Sophia said, "Thank you for not being scared and running away, leaving me behind."


    Daniel was slightly stunned, "Were you awake?"


    Sophia nodded, "Half-asleep, half-awake. I had too much to drink, and my eyelids werepletely out of control. I wanted to get up and run with you, but I couldn''t move. I thought, ''whatever happens, happens''. If you ran away, at worst, I''d have just diedter. After all, I needed to sleep."


    Hearing this, Daniel couldn''t help but chuckle, "What kind of logic is that? Don''t drink with strangers when you''re out in the future. If you encounter such a situation again and no one is there to protect you, I might never see you again."


    Sophia opened her eyes wide, "Do you still like me as you did back in elementary school?"


    Daniel was sipping the soup when he heard this.


    He almost spat it out, but luckily, he covered his mouth just in time.


    After wiping his mouth clean with a few tissues, he asked incredulously, "You knew about that?"


    Sophia squinted and smiled, "Of course, you used to blush every time you saw me, and you deliberately spoke louder to attract my attention when you were talking to other ssmates. How could I not know?"


    Daniel gawked, "This...."


    Although this was a matter from over a decade ago, it was slightly awkward bringing it up now when both of them were unmarried and alone in a room.


    Fortunately, at this moment, his phone rang.


    Daniel took out his mobile phone and answered.


    "Hello, Mr. Roberts. This is Robert," came the voice on the other end.


    Daniel replied, "Hello, what can I do for you?"


    Robert said, "Today, we have to process a batch of containers urgently. If you have time, you coulde over and check. We''re scheduling it for an hour from now."


    Daniel said, "Okay, got it."


    Once the message was delivered, Robert hung up the phone.


    Sophia, changing the subject, asked, "Something up?"


    Daniel replied, "Yeah, but it''s not very urgent."


    Sophia scoffed lightly, "I don''t care, I have to go anyway."


    Daniel quickly asked, "What are you going to do?"


    "Help you with the home-buying process, my dear valued customer!"


    Daniel only then remembered and awkwardly chuckled.


    After a brief conversation, they finished their breakfast.


    Sophia cleaned the dishes, and they both left the house.


    Downstairs, Daniel gged down a taxi.


    Sophia got in, rolled down the window and said, "I''ll try to get everything done today and bring the documents to you."


    Daniel replied, "I''m not in a hurry."


    "So, see you?"


    "See you."


    Watching the car drive away, Daniel felt a familiar itch in his heart, as if old affections were slowly surfacing from deep within him.


    ...


    At the Golden Shores port, in the auction area, Robert stood before a buzzing crowd.


    His eyes lit up when he spotted Daniel making his way in.


    "Oh, look who''s here, everyone!"


    All eyes turned and fell on Daniel.


    "Let''s wee the luckiest man in our history, who managed to auction a container that contained the antique painting ''Hundred Horses'' worth fifty million SterCoins, Mr. Daniel Roberts!"


    Damn it! Couldn''t he be a bit more discreet?


    Daniel could feel the strange looks he was getting from the crowd.


    Everyone here was hoping to strike it rich by bagging a container at the lowest price and discovering a priceless treasure within.


    In nice words, they were treasure hunters.


    To be blunt, they were gamblers.


    And gamblers hate it when someone else at the table wins.


    To them, Daniel was that person!


    The Abel-Allen brothers didn''t seem to mind, but others would''ve probably liked nothing better than to eliminate Daniel and split his loot.


    Robert had clearly used him as a poster boy to attract others, but in doing so, had also directed resentment his way.


    ...


    "Damn it, doesn''t the host know it''s unwise to unt wealth?"


    "Of course, he knows, but he also knows how to attract attention to the auction. Didn''t you see the camera over there?"


    "Wait, is this being recorded for a show?"


    "Holy crap, is our streamer going to be on TV?!"


    "Use your brain, our streamer is about to be targeted. There''s no damn chance of him getting on TV."


    Daniel didn''t pay attention to any of this.


    Whether the event was being recorded or not, it didn''t affect his bargain hunting.


    Robert seemed quite satisfied with the crowd''s reaction and promptly dered, "All eyes back on me, folks, so I can give you the most satisfying information!"


    With that, Robert opened the folder he was holding.


    Suddenly, everyone''s gaze was burning with anticipation.


    They were here to make a fortune, after all.


    Pointing to the container already set up behind him, Robert announced, "This containeres from E-country!"


    "And the news I''m about to share might get your blood pumping!"


    "Half a year ago, a private museum owned by a rich man in Lomand, E-country, was robbed. The heist included antiques and treasures from all over the world."


    "But the entire gang was soon caught by the local police."


    "ording to the gang members'' testimonies, all the stolen goods were divided into five parts and hidden in a batch of old goods, sent to different cities in Libertopia, including our very own Golden Shores!"


    "So far, no stolen goods have been found in cirction."


    Upon hearing this, many people in the crowd gasped, their breathing bing rapid.


    Golden Shores has only one port!


    If the entire robbery gang was arrested, there would be no one to receive the goods.


    Robert''sst statement confirmed this.


    One-fifth of those stolen goods could be hidden right here!


    Robert pointed to the containers behind him, continuing, "These three containers all set off from Lomand half a year ago and arrived here five months ago."


    "Fun fact: the only unimed containers that have arrived at our Golden Shores from Lomand during that time are these three!"


    This revtion drew gasps and exmations from the crowd.


    "Holy smokes, the timing and location match up perfectly!"


    "So, you''re saying there''s a good chance those stolen goods are in these three containers??!"


    "But that can''t be! If that were true, wouldn''t E-country have used diplomatic means to retrieve these goods?"


    Robert scoffed, "Our Libertopia wouldn''t just allow E-country to do whatever they want, right?"


    "Moreover, every year millions of containerse from E-country. Without specific evidence, how could they ask for our help diplomatically? Are they supposed to intercept every single container from E-country?"


    This made sense.


    Without knowing which specific container, it would require hundreds of times the manpower to investigate, costing millions or even tens of millions.


    Any country would hesitate to spend such significant resources on such an investigation.


    Robert said, "As always, we''ll start with an inspection. After that, the bidding will begin."


    "Open the doors!"


    At hismand, the workers stepped forward, cutting therge locks on the container doors.


    With the doors open, the contents were revealed for all to see.


    Looking up, Daniel saw something covered with a white cloth - clearly arge item.


    Someone next to him spected, "Is it a cab?"


    Another person nodded, "Looks like it."


    From its silhouette, it was a rectangr item, butpletely covered up, making it impossible to tell what it was. They could only guess.


    Daniel felt a little annoyed.


    The concealment was too good.


    His system could only appraise if it could see the item itself.


    With the item fully covered by the white cloth, it was impossible to appraise.


    He could only look at the other items first.

 Chapter 17 -17-The Unfriendly Touch

    <h4>Chapter 17: Chapter17-The Unfriendly Touch</h4>


    Just as Daniel was about to change his viewing angle, arge hand suddenlynded on his shoulder.


    Turning around, he was met with a smirking bald-headed man.


    The big man chuckled, "Mr. Roberts, my name''s Joseph Thompson."


    Daniel''s expression remained unchanged, and he didn''t engage in conversation.


    This response irked the bald man, "I''m also a professional treasure hunter. Missed thest couple of auctions due to some stuff. Heard you scored a couple of high-value pieces. Quite impressive."


    Daniel replied, "Just luck."


    Joseph Thompson leaned in, "I''m pretty interested in the ''Hundred Horses'' and that misprinted coin they were talking about. How about you let me swing by your ce for a look after the auction?"


    The tone of his words was irksome.


    Daniel frowned, "Don''t you know those two items have been taken by others already?"


    Joseph Thompson feigned surprise, "Really?"


    "So, you must have made quite a bit of money, right? Around 50 million?"


    Among treasure hunters, asking about the price is considered bad form.


    It''s akin to outright dering your envy at the other person''s earnings.


    Daniel looked at Joseph Thompson, noticing a hostile gaze.


    Trouble was brewing!


    Raising his guard, he retorted, "How much I earn is my business. It doesn''t seem to concern you."


    Joseph Thompson was further irked, and his voice turned cold, "You''re new here and probably don''t know the rules. Neers need to share half of their auction earnings with us veterans!"


    Daniel frowned even more.


    This guy was a tough cookie.


    He had instantly set Daniel against the other treasure hunters.


    As expected, when Daniel scanned the crowd, except for the Abel and Allen brothers, everyone was pretending to be focused on the items in the container, but they were all sneakily throwing nces his way.


    Allen stepped forward, his forehead almost touching Joseph Thompson''s, "Mr. Roberts is our friend, Joseph Thompson. Don''t push it."


    Joseph Thompson didn''t back down, and he snorted, "As far as I know, you''re only acquaintances from one orgy."


    "Why not scare the money out of this kid and let''s all share it?"


    He said this in a very low voice.


    Daniel didn''t hear it.


    Seeing Allen standing up for him, Daniel didn''t want anyone to get into trouble because of him.


    So, he turned to Robert, "Robert, is there really such a rule here?"


    Was there?


    Of course not.


    But Robert was tempted.


    As Joseph Thompson had suggested, if they could scare the money out of this kid, they could all share it.


    Half of 50 million was 25 million.


    Despite the number of them, each could get a good few hundred thousand.


    How could one not be tempted?


    But what Joseph Thompson didn''t know was that Daniel had been with Benjamin Taylor these past few days.


    Benjamin Taylor wasn''t someone easy to mess with.


    Thinking of this, Robert shook his head.


    For a few hundred thousand, it wasn''t a good idea to provoke Benjamin Taylor.


    Daniel immediately got the hint.


    Pushing Allen aside, he faced Joseph Thompson himself.


    Robert had drawn quite a bit of hatred for him today, and he wasn''t sure how to handle it.


    This guy came right up, just in time for a "kill one to warn a hundred".


    Daniel reached out, grabbed Joseph Thompson''s shoulder de, and applied a sudden force.


    Crack!


    Joseph Thompson''s left shoulder waspletely dislocated!


    "Ah! What the hell?!"


    Joseph Thompson let out a pig-like squeal instantly.


    Seeing this scene, everyone''s faces instantly changed, their eyes twitching uncontrobly.


    This kid, he''s ruthless!


    A move to dislocate an arm, how savage!


    "Brutal, too brutal!"


    "He looks so harmless, yet he has such a method."


    "We must never mess with him."


    "Yeah, I don''t want my shoulder to be messed up like that."


    Daniel swept his gaze over the crowd, and wherever his eyes passed, everyone turned their heads to look elsewhere.


    In the live stream, the chat was exploding.


    "Holy cow, the streamer''s got some moves?"


    "So cool, one move and the sound of bone crunching, just like a martial arts movie."


    "Those people can''t even look at the streamer straight, I''m dying ofughter."


    "Talk about making an example of someone."


    Daniel nced at thements in the live stream and just chuckled.


    Then, his attention returned to the container.


    In front of the crowd, Robert looked at Daniel unexpectedly.


    This young man, so decisive in his actions, not a simple character.


    He looked at Joseph Thompson, who had passed out from the pain on the ground, and casually said, "Take him away first, call a hospital to pick him up."


    After saying this, he nced at his wristwatch and shouted to everyone, "Last minute, treasure hunters, make the most of it!"


    Daniel gave it another look, but he couldn''t find any ws.


    The visible parts of the container were all tightly covered.


    Abel, following his younger brother Allen, walked up to Daniel and whispered, "Mr. Roberts, have you figured anything out?"


    Daniel shook his head, "It''s covered too tightly, I can''t see what''s inside."


    "From the shape though, the things on the outside should be tables, chairs, cabs, that sort of stuff."


    "The question is, are they the secondhand goods Robert was talking about."


    Allen frowned, "In that case, it''s hard to judge the value of the items inside."


    Abel seemed more rxed, "We can''t figure it out, and neither can anyone else. It''s all about who''s braver and willing to take the risk."


    Daniel hesitated for a moment, then suddenly thought of a possibility.


    His gaze fell on the container, and a thought struck him.


    The next second, a string of data appeared before his eyes.


    ...


    [Item]: Container


    [Age]: Modern


    [Condition]: Worn


    [Details]: Commonly used transport container, previous shipping route: Lomand City, E country ¨C Golden Shores City, A country.


    [Evaluation]: The container isn''t valuable, the cargo inside is.


    [Market Price]: 5,000 SterCoins.


    [Buyback Price]: 2,804,532 SterCoins. ...


    2.8 million?!


    A light burst from Daniel''s eyes.


    He was just trying to see if the system could identify what was inside the container.


    Although it didn''t specifically analyze what items were inside, the Buyback Price had exposed the value of the cargo.


    2.8 million, there had to be something extraordinary inside!


    Could it be loot from a robbery gang?


    Daniel nced at the others and fell into thought.


    These people were already green with envy over his previous gains.


    If he were to win this container and reveal the value of its contents, he feared some might harbor malicious intentions.


    He did not want to invite such trouble.


    With that thought, Daniel took a deep breath.


    Just then, Abel''s voice brought him back to reality, "Looks like someone can''t hold back."


    Daniel looked up to see someone raise their hand, signaling their intention to bid.


    "Three thousand!"


    A chorus of boos rang out from the crowd.


    "Just because we can''t see what''s inside, you think you can snag it for three thousand SterCoins? You''re underestimating us."


    "I bid five thousand!"


    "Five thousand five hundred!"


    "Six thousand!"


    "..."


    "Ten thousand!"


    Less than ten bids had already driven the price of the unknown goods in the container to ten thousand SterCoins.


    Such a situation would have been impossible in the past.


    Everyone''s gambling spirit had been stirred up by Robert''s words.


    Allen was somewhat astonished, "Have these people gone mad? We''re not even sure if it contains the secondhand goods that Robert was talking about!"


    Abel chuckled, "And if it is, can you guarantee that the stolen goods aren''t hidden amongst the old goods?"


    "Or, what if that story was fabricated by Robert and his fellow port workers? We wouldn''t know."


    Allen rubbed his head, somewhat incredulous, "They wouldn''t dare to do such a thing, would they?"


    "Once they''re found out, who would participate in their auctions?"


    Abel nced at Allen and sighed, "My naive little brother."


    "Robert didn''t directly say that the containers had stolen goods. This is just us making assumptions."


    Allen looked puzzled, "Then what are we doing here?"


    Abel replied, "Gambling."


    "Betting on that slim chance of striking it rich."


    With that, Abel raised his hand, "Twenty thousand!"


    In one breath, he doubled the price.


    Daniel couldn''t help but admire his boldness.


    Without the system, he would never gamble so recklessly.

 Chapter 18 -18-Nouveau riche? Impulsive bidding?

    <h4>Chapter 18: Chapter18-Nouveau riche? Impulsive bidding?</h4>


    The bid of twenty thousand didn''t scare the others away.


    Instead, it sparked a more excited bidding war.


    "Twenty-one thousand!"


    "Twenty-two thousand!"


    "Twenty-five thousand!"


    "..."


    "Thirty thousand!"


    "Damn it, I''m going all out, I bid fifty thousand!"


    A brief sh drove the price to a new high.


    Fifty thousand SterCoins was a price that had exceeded eighty percent of the past container prices.


    Upon reaching this price, many people became noticeably more cautious.


    The Abel brothers just watched quietly, no longer bidding.


    Then, Daniel suddenly bid, "One hundred thousand!"


    Everyone froze at the same time.


    They turned their heads to look at Daniel, their faces turning strange.


    Among the numerous treasure hunters present, if you asked who was the wealthiest, it was undoubtedly Daniel.


    Everyone knew that he earned fifty million SterCoins on his first time participating in the auction.


    If he was determined to bid, nobody could beat him.


    Many people had already chosen to give up in their hearts.


    Allen whispered a reminder, "Mr. Roberts, even if this container does contain stolen goods..."


    "There''s no guarantee of how much those items are worth. What if they''re just average-quality collectibles? They wouldn''t be worth one hundred thousand SterCoins."


    Daniel nodded, "I know."


    Of course, he knew.


    The system had given the value of the goods in the container.


    Whether it was stolen goods or not, the value of 2.8 million SterCoins couldn''t be changed.


    Seeing the price had only reached one hundred thousand, Robert looked a bit dissatisfied.


    After all, in his view, with the bait he had thrown out, it was enough to ignite these gamblers'' betting fervor.


    The bidding should have gone far beyond this.


    So, he dered loudly, "Rumor has it that the personal museum of that rich man from Country E even has an authentic Edvard Munch masterpiece ''The Scream'' from the 19th century. It''s just unknown which container the robbers have put it in."


    Robert''s words sparked a light of astonishment in everyone''s eyes.


    ''The Scream''!


    A world-famous masterpiece!


    Thest transaction was over twenty years ago, with a staggering auction price of 119 million!


    That was a priceless treasure in the hundreds of millions!


    Unexpectedly, there could be such a top-notch item among the loot.


    In an instant, everyone was stirred up.


    "I bid one hundred and ten thousand!"


    "One hundred and twenty thousand!"


    "One hundred and fifty thousand!"


    "Two hundred thousand!"


    "Screw it, I can''t take this anymore, I bid three hundred thousand!"


    "I bid... eight hundred thousand."


    This bid turned all eyes towards him.


    Daniel, noticing the gazes, kept hisposure.


    Eight hundred thousand was indeed his bid.


    "Holy crap, has the streamer lost his mind?"


    "Thest bid was only three hundred thousand, and he''s just gone and added five hundred thousand on top of that?"


    "That''s not how you bid in an auction!"


    "Ah! Looks like the streamer has fallen for Robert''s tall tales."


    ...


    The crowd looked at Daniel, their faces sporting strange expressions.


    They all thought that Daniel''s sky-high bid was out of his mind.


    The chance of the container holding stolen goods was just that¡ªa chance, not a certainty.


    Moreover, even if there were stolen goods, they might not be worth much, let alone be that renowned painting, ''The Scream''.


    Five hundred thousand had been the highest price to win a container so far.


    Yet here he was, shouting an astronomical price of eight hundred thousand.


    He was truly nouveau riche, making impulsive and reckless bids!


    Daniel was pleased with everyone''s reaction.


    Only he knew the value of the goods in the container.


    The others were just making wild guesses.


    Instead of letting them bid bit by bit, he decided to bid a high price that would bring them back to their senses.


    Courage was always a momentary rush; once peoplee to their senses during the process, they be cautious.


    Looking at the crowd, as expected, they all furrowed their brows and became more hesitant.


    Barring any surprises, he had secured the container for eight hundred thousand.


    A profit of 2.3 million was more than enough.


    Daniel smiled.


    Robert also knew that the price had reached its peak.


    He scanned the crowd and saw that no one seemed to be nning to bid again.


    So, he said with a smile, "In that case, this container will be finally sold for eight hundred thousand..."


    His words were cut off by a sudden voice.


    "I bid... one million!"


    This remark immediately drew everyone''s attention.


    Surprisingly, the bid came from Joseph Thompson, who had just fainted.


    He came back?


    Daniel was surprised and a bit worried.


    He had just dislocated Joseph''s shoulder de, so it was likely that he wouldn''t let Daniel secure the auction easily.


    Seeing Daniel''s concern, Abel pped his shoulder and said in a lowugh, "Don''t worry, he doesn''t have the money."


    Then Abel shouted towards Joseph Thompson, "Joseph Thompson, know your limits. Where did you get a million from? It wouldn''t be in the currency with the lowest exchange rate, would it?"


    The crowd broke out inughter.


    Joseph Thompson''s face reddened as he yelled, "Of course, it''s one million SterCoins! I might not have cash, but I have a family castle!"


    Whoa!


    He turned out to be a rich heir.


    Daniel was taken aback.


    Allen, standing nearby, whispered, "Don''t let him scare you."


    Daniel asked, "Is it fake?"


    Allen waved his hand, "Not exactly, there is a castle."


    "But it''s an old medieval thing. You walk inside, and dust falls from the ceiling. It''s basically a dangerous building."


    "The cost of maintenance and upkeep is expensive as hell. No one wants to buy it. At most, it''s worth five or six hundred thousand, and that''s if anyone is even interested."


    Daniel touched his nose, a small unconscious movement he made when deep in thought.


    A medieval castle... there could be priceless antiques hidden in some corner.


    It seemed he should make time to visit these castles.


    His thoughts returned to the auction.


    Joseph Thompson had raised the price to a million.


    The others had clearly given up, and everyone''s eyes turned to Daniel.


    After a moment of thought, Daniel raised his hand and said, "One million two hundred thousand!"


    Robert''s eyes twitched, the excitement in his eyes hard to hide.


    Themission from this container was already higher than his annual bonus.


    And these two seemed ready to continue the bidding war.


    Excited by this, Robert announced, "One million two hundred thousand SterCoins! This has broken our Container Hunt auction''s highest transaction record!"


    "It seems that today''s auction item holds a particr appeal for these two gentlemen. Mr. Roberts has bid 1.2 million SterCoins. Joseph Thompson, are you going to continue?"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Joseph Thompson shouted, "One million two hundred and fifty thousand!"


    After shouting, he intentionally gave Daniel a disdainful smile.


    "I''m going all out with you, I''m going to get what''s inside!"


    Daniel calmly replied, "One million three hundred thousand."


    Joseph Thompson immediately followed, "One million three hundred and fifty thousand!"


    Daniel: "One million four hundred thousand."


    Joseph Thompson: "One million four hundred and fifty thousand!"


    Daniel, frowning slightly, quietly said, "One million six hundred thousand."


    Joseph Thompson shouted directly, "One million seven hundred thousand!"


    This price stunned everyone present.


    Even the viewers in the live stream were shocked.


    "1.7 million SterCoins, that''s insane!"


    "Damn, this is getting my blood boiling, I can hardly resist shouting a bid."


    "It seems they won''t stop until they reach two million."


    "But seriously, we have no idea what''s inside, yet they''re bidding recklessly. Aren''t they afraid of making a loss?"


    "Streamer is someone who made a cool fifty million, so two million is just like us losing two hundred, it won''t even make him flinch."


    "True, go for it, streamer!"


    Ignoring the barrage ofments from the live stream, Daniel looked at Joseph Thompson with a frown, his mind filled with confusion.


    There''s something off about this guy, Daniel thought.


    If he was holding a grudge because Daniel had dislocated his shoulder and was seeking revenge, a couple of bidding increments would suffice.


    There was no need to persist this obstinately.


    Was he not afraid that Daniel would suddenly stop bidding?


    No.


    Something was definitely wrong.


    Did he already know what was inside the container?


    Considering this possibility, things made a lot more sense to Daniel.


    The price had escted beyond a simple gamble.


    It had be a high-risk game.


    That meant Joseph had to know what was in there!

 Chapter 19 -19-Unexpected Cargo! Three Million!

    <h4>Chapter 19: Chapter19-Unexpected Cargo! Three Million!</h4>


    At this moment, Joseph Thompson''s gaze was glued to a text message on his phone.


    "What do you mean you don''t know what''s inside?"


    "Fuck you!"


    "Fuck!"


    Joseph Thompson was seething, veins popping on his forehead, yet he held his anger in check, quietly waiting for Daniel''s bid.


    Meanwhile, he was utterly frustrated, unsure whether the container in front of him contained what he sought.


    Robert looked at Daniel and asked, "Mr. Roberts, the bid is at 1.7 million SterCoins. Do you wish to continue?"


    Regardless of whether Daniel continued to bid, Robert was already winning.


    So, he was ecstatic, unable to hide the twinkle in his eye.


    Seeing that Daniel intended to raise his bid, Durant, who had remained silent until now, couldn''t resist stepping forward to discourage him.


    "Mr. Roberts," Durant began, "I''ll also get a cut from the biddingmission, but out of respect for Benjamin Taylor, I feel obligated to remind you: there may not be anything valuable in this container. If it''s just regr old goods, it''s only worth ten thousand SterCoins at most."


    With Durant''s well-meaning advice, Daniel responded courteously with a smile, "Thank you, Mr. Durant."


    "I''ll make onest bid. One million eight hundred thousand. If he continues to raise, I''ll let him have it."


    Durant nodded, satisfied with this response.


    Daniel then turned to Robert, saying, "One million eight hundred thousand SterCoins."


    Joseph Thompson abruptly eximed, "Fuck, you!"


    He was so damn close!


    Even if it was just ten thousand less, he could''ve gone further.


    One million eight hundred thousand was genuinely beyond his maximum capacity.


    Suddenly, he turned his head, looking at the others nearby.


    "Who can lend me twenty thousand SterCoins? Once I win this container, I''ll pay back double!"


    Emilia, standing beside him, patted Joseph''s face, "Wake up, Joseph Thompson."


    "There might not be anything inside. Your million-plus would be better spent on the next batch of goods."


    Joseph Thompson, desperate, grabbed Emilia''s hand, "Lend me twenty thousand SterCoins, and I''ll repay you fifty!"


    "Two hundred thousand is also okay!"


    Emilia shook her head.


    The others, too, ignored Joseph Thompson''s plea.


    If they actually lend him the money, and he sessfully bids for the container, and if it turns out empty, Joseph Thompson would lose everything.


    The fifty thousand SteCoins would have been tossed away like water.


    The chances of this happening were high.


    They weren''t about to take such a gamble.


    Seeing this, Daniel was even more convinced of his hunch.


    Joseph Thompson must have some connection with the bandits, otherwise he wouldn''t be so certain of the value of the container to the extent of borrowing money for the bid.


    Sadly, no one was willing to lend him anything.


    In the end, Robert announced loudly, "The first container today has been bought by Mr. Roberts for a price of one million eight hundred thousand SteCoins!"


    "Mr. Roberts, you may now pay and open the box!"


    A staff member, holding aptop, walked up to Daniel.


    After a few clicks, the money was transferred from Daniel''s ount to that of Golden Shores port.


    Robert then gave another shout, "Open the box and verify the goods!"


    Camera crew, already prepared, were capturing Daniel from every angle.


    Daniel stepped forward and pulled back the cover.


    What he saw was a deep red wooden bedside table.


    It looked clean, almost new, but upon close inspection, signs of use could be spotted.


    Durant stepped forward for a closer look and after a while called out, "A custom-made golden Phoebe bedside table, worth ten thousand SteCoins!"


    "There should be another one."


    Daniel found another item that looked simr, lifted the cover and announced, "Just as expected, exactly the same."


    Two bedside tables, directly covering twenty thousand of the cost.


    At this moment, what everyone cared about the most was the loot hidden by the bandits.


    The bedside tables had signs of use, the items in here must all be second-hand goods.


    This fits with Robert''s terms.


    Joseph Thompson, amongst the crowd, was also intensely focused on the container.


    His eyes asionallynded on Daniel, revealing a cold and killing intent.


    I n to rob you anyway.


    Might as well let you bid for the loot.


    That saves me a considerable expense.


    Joseph Thompson smirked.


    Daniel didn''t notice any of this, he was too busy uncovering the next item.


    A square wooden table with a very thick surface appeared in front of him.


    "This table''s surface is a little too thick, isn''t it?" Daniel felt something was off.


    He moved in for a closer look, and that''s when he saw the system''s description.


    [Item]: Death Swan (Custom-made Golden Phoebe Piano)


    [Age]: 20th Century (1905)


    [Condition]: Well preserved


    [Details]: A piano used by the world-renowned pianist Rubinstein. Made from carefully chosen materials, some of which include the most precious wood from Serenalia, Golden Phoebe. Coupled with the celebrity effect, its price is rather high.


    [Appraisal]: Highly collectable.


    [Market Price]: 409,000 SteCoins.


    [Buyback Price]: 300,000 SteCoins.


    Soon, Durant also gave an appraisal, "350,000 SteCoins, and it''s worth every penny, if not more."


    Upon hearing this, many in the crowd were buzzing with excitement.


    "Only three items and he''s nearly made four hundred thousand?"


    "It seems like he could break even just with these second-hand goods!"


    "Darn, how is this guy so lucky?"


    "Why the rush? There are still plenty of items inside."


    Just as the crowd was abuzz, someone shouted out, "Holy cow, he''s hit the jackpot!"


    Everyone stretched their necks, trying to get a better look inside the container.


    The workers were seen hauling a table from inside.


    The table was entirely wooden, built with the same golden Phoebe wood as the other furniture.


    Surprisingly, the table was so heavy that it took four men to carry it out, even though it was less than two meters long and one meter wide.


    Durant adjusted his sses, took one look and stated, "If this table is entirely made of golden Phoebe wood, it''s worth at least eight hundred thousand, no less!"


    This deration shocked the treasure hunters around them.


    No one had expected that the container would have so much golden Phoebe wood furniture.


    Just these four pieces of furniture were worth nearly 1.2 million!


    And that''s just Durant''s estimation, and he said no less!


    Daniel smirked satisfactorily.


    Through his system, he was already aware of the prices of these pieces of furniture.


    The newly revealed table was worth 980,000 in the market!


    So far, he had already recouped 1.4 million, only 400,000 short.


    And more than half of the items in the container hadn''t been hauled out yet.


    From these few items alone, it could be inferred that the entire container was filled with high-end custom furniture, possibly all made of golden Phoebe wood, which was why the system had given an appraisal of 2.8 million for the container.


    In a short while, all the items in the container were hauled out, revealing their true value in front of everyone.


    Bed frames, tables and chairs, wardrobes, deskmps...


    Durant appraised each item, finally revealing an astonishing total value.


    "Three million, no less!"


    The professional treasure hunters exchanged nces.


    Their eyes fell on Daniel, their emotionsplex.


    They wanted to gamble too, gamble on these so-called E country tycoon''s collectibles.


    This container didn''t have them, but its value already exceeded their expectations.


    Who could have imagined that the second-hand furniture inside would be worth over three million.


    Darn, it was just absurd.


    Joseph Thompson''s face darkened at Durant''s estimate.


    But when he thought that what he wanted hadn''t appeared, he rxed somewhat.


    No matter what Daniel got out of the container, he was determined to rob him!


    Robert was also surprised, but more than anything, he was incredulous at Daniel''s good luck.


    This guy dared to take a gamble even without any useful information, an audacity far beyond ordinary people.


    Robert gave Daniel a nod and turned to the crowd, "Don''t rush."


    "This is just the first container. Today, we have three to auction."


    "Now, we will start bidding for the second container."


    Everyone followed Robert to a new location less than a hundred meters away, where a slightly rusted red container was ced.


    Without much thought, Robert directly announced, "As I''ve already briefed you all, this container also originates from Lomand, E-country."


    "The previous container didn''t reveal any collectibles of the E-country tycoon, so there''s perhaps a fifty percent chance they might be in this one." With these words, everyone was raring to go, tensed for action.

 Chapter 20 -20-The Frenzy of the Gamblers

    <h4>Chapter 20: Chapter20-The Frenzy of the Gamblers</h4>


    The excitement of everyone was contagious.


    The atmosphere at the site was more heated than ever before.


    Seeing that the timing was right, Robert ordered the container to be opened.


    As the container door swung open, those at the front were about to swarm in but were driven back by a choking plume of smoke.


    "Damn, what the hell is this?"


    "Is it on fire?"


    This sudden turn of events caught Robert off guard.


    Hastily checking the interior of the container, his face fell considerably after a quick scan.


    The container was charred ck inside, and all the cargo had been reduced to ashes.


    It must have been the high temperatures a few days ago that caused some items to spontaneouslybust, incinerating all the goods inside.


    The fact that it hadn''t spread to other containers was a small mercy in an unfortunate situation.


    He was initially hoping to make a substantialmission from the remaining two containers, but now the situation looked grim.


    "This cargo is toast."


    "Even the container is burnt to a crisp; there''s no way the contents are okay."


    "Of course, even if there were metal objects, they''d be warped by the heat."


    The treasure hunters were buzzing with discussions.


    Many of them, seeing the state of the container, couldn''t help but shake their heads.


    In the crowd, Joseph Thompson was coughing so hard his eyes were watering.


    In an attempt to get a better look, he had forced his way to the front, only to be greeted by a cloud of smoke.


    "Fuck! Fuck!" Joseph Thompson shook the ash from his hair while cursing loudly, his entire figure stained ck by the smoke.


    Angrily, he shouted at Robert, "Robert, what the hell is this?!"


    "You dare to auction off something like this, are you ying us for fools?"


    Robert was also feeling frustrated.


    With the current fervor of the crowd, the bidding for this container could have matched, if not surpassed, the previous one.


    That would have been a sizablemission, but now it was all turned to ashes along with the cargo.


    He apologized sincerely, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I''m very sorry."


    "Our port has always been diligent with the safety control of containers. We didn''t expect such an incident."


    "As a way to show our apology, we will give a 20% discount on the final price of thest container, regardless of who wins the bid!"


    Such a decisive way of handling things caused Daniel to see Robert, who was otherwise known for bluffing, in a new light.


    Indeed, upon hearing this, the mood of the treasure hunters eased somewhat.


    A staff member behind Robert whispered, "Should we remove this container now?"


    Robert turned back, his eyes wide, "Why should we?"


    The staff member looked baffled, "It''s in this state, should we continue the auction?"


    Robert sneered, "Do you know why you can''t be an auctioneer?"


    "Because you fail to see through human nature."


    He turned back, looking at the crowd.


    Despite the fact that the goods inside the container were burnt beyond recognition, with many treasure hunters swearing in frustration, some were still closely observing the container!


    Robert''s smile grew satisfied, "These treasure hunters are no different from gamblers in casinos. Given a chance, however slim, they''ll stake it all."


    "This is the insatiable betting spirit of gamblers."


    Although the staff member nodded in agreement, he still found it hard to believe.


    Would people still bid for a container that''s been burnt to such a mess?


    Daniel pushed his way to the front.


    Even though the items were unrecognizable due to the fire, Daniel was able to identify them through his system.


    As he prepared to observe, he saw Robert approaching the crowd.


    "Alright!"


    "Since the container has turned out this way, there''s nothing much to see. Everyone, feel free to start bidding!"


    Once his words fell, people started looking at each other.


    True, the container was destroyed, but it might contain the collectibles of the E-country tycoon.


    If there was anything that survived the fire, it could still be worth a decent sum.


    Although the chance was slim, no one wanted to let it slip away.


    However, given the unusual circumstance, nobody knew how to start bidding.


    In the crowd, Joseph Thompson was the most indecisive.


    He knew there was a high probability that the robbed treasures were in this container, but he wasn''t sure if they were damaged by the fire.


    After much hesitation, he bid, "10,000!"


    At this, the other treasure hunters were bbergasted.


    Allen shot him a bewildered look, asking in surprise, "Joseph Thompson, have you lost your mind?"


    Bidding ten grand for a pile of unidentifiable, damaged items.


    If that''s not foolish, then it''s insanity.


    Joseph Thompson, not one to take insults lying down, retorted, "You''re the one who''s lost his mind. Bid if you dare, or shut up and stand aside."


    Allen pursed his lips, muttering, "If I did bid, then I''d really be the fool."


    Just when Robert was about to announce that Joseph Thompson was the only bidder, suddenly, Emilia raised her hand.


    "15,000!"


    On hearing Emilia''s bid, Joseph Thompson turned to her and yelled, "Are you fucking crazy? You want this too?"


    Emilia gave a seductive smile, "You''ve made a bid, can''t we? You''re being a bit too domineering."


    Daniel was somewhat puzzled, as he hadn''t yet seen any value in this container.


    In the live stream room, someonemented, "I know this woman, she''s a shill!"


    "Really? How do you know?"


    "There''s a vlogger who analyzed previous Container Hunt auction shows. No matter what the item is, whether or not anyone bids, she always raises her voice. And most of the time, she doesn''tpete to the end. She just raises the price and then gives up."


    "Fuck, that''s disgusting."


    "I understand if they do this with ordinary goods, but with this mess, she isn''t scared of scaring people off and getting stuck with it?"


    "Who knows? Maybe she''s trying her luck."


    Daniel learned all this from the conversation in the live streaming room.


    He nced at Emilia.


    He''d have to be careful not to be fooled by this woman in the future.


    The bidding war between Emilia and Joseph Thompson stirred up the enthusiasm of some straightforward treasure hunters.


    In just a few exchanges, the price of the container had been raised to 30,000.


    This was for a batch of goods that had been burnt to a crisp!


    Just because of Robert''s introduction, everyone was unwilling to give up that tiny chance.


    For the first time, Daniel witnessed the craziness of gambling!


    His gaze fell on the container, he was curious to see what was left of value in the stuff these people were frantically bidding for.


    ...


    [Item]: Container


    [Age]: Modern


    [Condition]: Heavily Damaged


    [Details]: Contains goods from the city of Lomand in E country, most of which have been burnt to rubbish.


    [Appraisal]: A must-have item! You''ll regret it if you don''t grab it!


    [Market Price]: 0


    [Buyback Price]: 10 million SteCoins.


    ...


    Seeing the evaluation given by the system, Daniel was stunned.


    A must-have item, he would regret it if he didn''t grab it?


    Was it really that dramatic?


    What surprised him most was seeing an item for the first time where the system-given Buyback Price was higher than the appraised market value.


    Daniel couldn''t help but ponder, "What on earth could this be? It''s worth nothing on the market, but the always stingy system is offering such a high price."


    He couldn''t figure it out.


    Just then, Joseph Thompson, looking at everyone with a smirk, said, "30,000 SteCoins, anyone else bidding?"


    "To be honest with you, I''ve set my eyes on this batch of goods. Better give me some face!"


    People thought about it, Joseph Thompson was a local hoodlum with a bit of a reputation.


    To provoke him for this slim chance of making money didn''t seem worth it.


    With that in mind, many people gave up on bidding.


    Robert nced at Joseph Thompson, quite dissatisfied.


    Obviously, many people still wanted to bid, but because of this jerk''s words, they backed off.


    It seemed that this container could only go for this price.


    Just as he was about to announce the result, Daniel scoffed, "Just because you have a bigger face than your ass, we should give you face?"


    Before Joseph Thompson could get angry, Daniel raised his hand, "I''ll bid, 31,000."


    Just one thousand SteCoins more than Joseph Thompson''s bid.


    Joseph Thompson''s face darkened, showing extreme displeasure, "Very well."


    "I want to see just how gutsy you can be!"


    With that, he gave a new bid, "35,000!"


    Daniel continued to follow, "36,000."


    Joseph Thompson: "40,000!"


    Daniel: "41,000."


    "45,000!"


    "46,000."


    "50,000!"


    "51,000."


    Each time Daniel bid, he only raised the price by a thousand over Joseph Thompson''s.

 Chapter 21 -21-Mysterious Stone! Mayan Civilization?!

    <h4>Chapter 21: Chapter21-Mysterious Stone! Mayan Civilization?!</h4>


    Seeing this, people started murmuring among themselves.


    "It looks like Daniel is picking a fight with Joseph Thompson."


    "He''s only raising the price by a thousand each time, it''s clearly intentional."


    "I bet Daniel will give up bidding after a couple more rounds."


    "Originally 30,000 SteCoins would have been enough, now it''s doubled, it might even double again."


    "Paying that price for a bunch of burnt goods, tsk tsk."


    The man saying this smacked his lips, making a face that said more than words ever could.


    Hearing thesements, Joseph Thompson''s face darkened even more.


    Just because of Daniel''s deliberate antagonism, he was now the fool in everyone''s eyes.


    Damn it!


    Want to y dirty with me?


    Let''s see who outys whom!


    Joseph Thompson, face as dark as thunder, waved his hand and shouted, "60,000!"


    Daniel immediately followed: "61,000."


    Joseph Thompson: "100,000!"


    Daniel: "101,000."


    Just as everyone thought Joseph Thompson would fly into a rage and continue raising the bid,


    Joseph Thompson instead showed a strange smile, grinning, "Betting 100,000 on a pile of ashes, you idiot!"


    Then, looking at Robert, he said, "Daniel, this moron, bid too high, I withdraw my bid."


    Damn it, this guy actually backed out!


    Everyone was taken aback.


    Subsequently, all eyes fell on Daniel.


    In their view, Daniel was intentionally making things difficult for Joseph Thompson, nning to give up after inting Joseph Thompson''s bid.


    But who would have thought that the first to give up would be Joseph Thompson.


    ording to the port authority rules, anyone who wins a bid and then regrets it must pay 10% of the final transaction price as a penalty.


    Otherwise, they will be expelled from the port and forever banned from participating in the auction.


    10,000 SteCoins to Daniel, although insignificant,


    Who would willingly toss 10,000 out into the water for no reason?


    Daniel probably feels worse than if he''d eaten shit right now.


    Everyone was watching Daniel quietly, curious to see how he would react.


    Robert didn''t care.


    Regardless of whether Daniel wanted the container, Robert stood to make a profit.


    So, he looked at Daniel and asked, "Mr. Daniel, the final price for this container is 101,000 SteCoins. Are you taking it?"


    At this point, Daniel looked genuinely taken aback, as if he had been tricked by Joseph Thompson.


    "Joseph Thompson, you actually gave up, what a coward!" Daniel''s face turned red with anger.


    Joseph Thompson looked smug, taunting, "ying mind games with me, you incredibly foolish guy!"


    As his words echoed, Daniel was fuming, ready to punch Joseph Thompson.


    Durant quickly intervened, calming him, "Don''t act rashly, you can afford this loss. There''s no need to continue this mistake."


    Thankfully, Durant was astute enough to stop him.


    Daniel sighed with relief, red fiercely at Joseph Thompson, and reluctantly said, "We can only proceed this way now. Let''s open the box and see!"


    The spectacle was enough; it was time to retrieve the prize.


    What kind of treasure could produce such an unusual appraisal result from the system?


    Daniel was excited.


    Theborers huddled at the container door, wrinkling their noses and looking disdainfully inside.


    Nobody wanted to go in first.


    It was only when Daniel offered to double their pay that they begrudgingly got to work.


    The burnt items were much lighter.


    In less than ten minutes, four men had cleaned everything out and arranged it neatly on the ground.


    Even the ashes were swept out, bagged, and set aside.


    After all, they were precious items bought for 100,000, and they had to be ounted forpletely.


    Everyone looked at the arranged goods, and except for Durant, everyone else had mockery in their eyes.


    There wasn''t a single intact item.


    Not even a single object that could be identified.


    It seemed these 100,000 SteCoins were destined to be wasted.


    Joseph Thompson in the crowd finally heaved a sigh of relief.


    Regardless of whether the collectibles were there, they were now reduced to ashes, and he didn''t feel the loss.


    He looked at Daniel with a gloating expression, raising his eyebrows, "Mr. Daniel sure has an eye for treasure. Spending 100,000 for so many treasures. I wonder what Mr. Roberts ns to do with them. Do you want me to call the garbage buyback station staff for you? For my sake, they''ll give you a 60% discount!"


    Chuckles andughter erupted from the crowd.


    They didn''t like seeing others profit more than they disliked losing money themselves.


    Conversely, they enjoyed seeing others lose more than they enjoyed gaining.


    Such was the nature of gamblers.


    The ones who felt sorry for Daniel, apart from Durant, were theizens in the live stream room.


    "Darn, that''s a huge loss!"


    "100,000 SteCoins, that could buy a house!"


    "Streamer, don''t be sad. We''ll be less impulsive in the future."


    "Just take it as buying an experience, you''ll earn it all back."


    Seeing the reactions from his online followers, Daniel felt somewhat touched.


    They had met by chance online, and the fact that they didn''t kick him when he was down was already a great thing.


    Daniel gave a mysterious smile and said softly, "Who said I''m losing money?"


    Paying 100,000 SteCoins for this pile of junk didn''t seem like a loss?


    "Streamer, are you okay?" one follower asked.


    "You''re a man who has made over 50 million before. If you get sick over this 100,000 loss, it would be a waste."


    Daniel didn''t respond.


    Under the puzzled gazes of many followers, he walked to the end of the lined-up items and stopped.


    In front of him were about a dozen palm-sized stones.


    The material of the stones wasn''t anything special, just ordinary rocks.


    But each one had been manually polished into an irregr round shape, and they all had different symbols etched onto them, which Daniel couldn''t understand.


    He was a bit confused, "What are these?"


    His mind stirred slightly, and the next second, a system appraisal screen appeared in his mind.


    [Item]: Rune Stone


    [Age]: 3 billion years ago


    [Condition]: Slightly worn


    [Details]: Born from ordinary rocks from the Karman Mountains of the Western Continent, the top is a ceremonial rune stone carved by a branch of the Maya tribe around 1400 BC. With proper use, it can generate revolutionary energy.


    [Appraisal]: Possesses indescribable research value!


    [Market Price]: 0


    [Buyback Price]: 10 million SteCoins.


    Daniel had the system appraise all the stones one by one.


    All twelve stones were ceremonial rune stones used by the Mayans.


    The buyback price for each stone was 10 million SteCoins, and the total for the twelve was still 10 million.


    Daniel thought it over, figuring that the energy researched from each stone must be the same.


    And the market price being zero made sense too.


    People nowadayscked the ability to research these stones, and would just treat them as ordinary rocks. Hence, the market value was zero!


    Durant walked over, squat down, and picked up a stone for a close examination.


    He wanted to help Daniel recoup some of the loss.


    But soon, he put the stone down, shook his head at Daniel, and said, "Mr. Daniel, give it up. These things have no value. At most, collectors who like odd and bizarre stones might be willing to pay a few hundred dors to take them."


    A few hundred dors?


    Daniel chuckled.


    He wasn''t mocking Durant''s ability, but he couldn''t helpughing at his plentiful gains.


    If he wanted, he could throw these stones to the system for buyback and get ten million in cash instantly.


    Of course, he wouldn''t do that.


    The mystery of these stonesplemented well with the book "Qi Origin" that he had bargained for at the antique city earlier.


    Even though he didn''t know their exact uses yet, Daniel believed their value would exceed his imagination.


    After all, if even the system could exist, it wouldn''t be strange for other supernatural forces to exist in this world.


    "So, streamer, what''s the use of these stones?"


    "Since Durant said they aren''t valuable, they must not have any other uses."


    "Let''s stop pressing him for answers, give the streamer some face," someonemented online.


    Daniel did not answer his viewers'' questions.


    Simrly, he paid no heed to the many treasure hunters taking pleasure in his misfortune.


    Soon, the auction for thest container began.


    After the situation with the previous container, the enthusiasm for thisst one had noticeably cooled down.


    Those so-called collector''s items of the wealthy could very well have been burnt to ashes along with the other items in the previous container.


    Everyone seemed less lively.


    Robert looked a bit sullen, but he could only helplessly proceed with the auction.

 Chapter 22 -22-The Last Container, We’ve Lost Our Shirts!

    <h4>Chapter 22: Chapter22-The Last Container, We''ve Lost Our Shirts!</h4>


    Before the third container was opened, Robert stated, "The goods in this container are the same as the previous two."


    "Although we are uncertain if those collectibles got incinerated along with the second container, we still have to pray that they are in thisst one."


    "It''s the only way for us to have a shot at a big score."


    Daniel didn''t wait for him to finish, his gaze already locked onto the container, silently uttering the word ''appraisal'' in his mind.


    Detailed information instantly popped up in his consciousness.


    [Item]: Container


    [Age]: Modern


    [Condition]: Slightly worn


    [Details]: Cargo from Lomand, holds the collectibles of a wealthy man from Country E.


    [Appraisal]: Valuable to a certain extent


    [Market Price]: 35,800


    [Buyback Price]: 30,000


    What the heck?


    These so-called collectibles from the Country E tycoon are only worth a little over 30,000 SteCoins?


    What kind of crappy tycoon is this?!


    Seeing the data, Daniel couldn''t help butugh out of exasperation.


    He''d initially thought that those ceremonial rune stones from the Mayan civilization would be the tycoon''s collectibles.


    He didn''t expect them to be in thisst box.


    Moreover, their value was merely a little over 30,000 SteCoin.


    Daniel nced at the crowd.


    Some treasure hunters had already reignited their fighting spirit, ready to vie for thisst container.


    His gaze swept over Joseph Thompson, who was also gearing up.


    It seemed that it was necessary to lend a hand.


    A mischievous smile appeared at the corner of Daniel''s mouth.


    At the front of the crowd, Robert announced somewhat listlessly, "As per the usual, let''s examine the goods first."


    With that, the container door was opened.


    Although the crowd wasn''t particrly enthusiastic, they still gathered to inspect the contents.


    Daniel''s eyes followed suit.


    What greeted his eyes were the items ced at the entrance of the container.


    They were two ss cabs.


    Allen''s eyes suddenly lit up, "Bro, they look like jewelry disy cabs."


    Abel didn''t respond, just nodded, cing a finger on his lips, signaling Allen to keep quiet.


    Even though everyone''s savvy enough to recognize the ss cabs as disy cases, it''s best not to voice one''s observations aloud if avoidable.


    Just as the brothers had figured, the others also recognized them.


    "Holy cow, they''re disy cases!"


    "They look like they''re meant to showcase small collectibles, like jewelry."


    "It could also be for ceramics, like bowls or tes."


    In an instant, everyone''s enthusiasm was stoked.


    Further inside were all sorts of odds and ends.


    What was visible included some medieval swords and armor, contemporary clothes of that era, and even modern-day manufactured items like brooms and mops.


    The rest were all sizes of cabs, where it wasn''t clear if there were any items inside.


    Seeing this, some people couldn''t help but start bidding.


    "8000 SteCoins!"


    The people present were all professional treasure hunters.


    They knew that if the items in the container were real, the price would exceed a million.


    But all they could do was observe from afar.


    Antique appraisal can''t rely on just a distant inspection, and even up close, only appraisal masters can discern the real from the fake, and even they can''t guarantee uracy.


    These professional treasure hunters obviouslycked such skills.


    8000 SteCoins was just to test the waters.


    If they could get it for not much more than this, even if everything was fake, they wouldn''t lose money.


    Clearly, the other treasure hunters wouldn''t let it go so easily.


    "Save your 8,000 for your visit to the brothel, I bid 10,000!"


    "Though we don''t know if these things are real or fake, hoping to nab it for 10,000 is nothing short of a pipe dream! I bid 15,000!"


    The bidding had barely started, and the atmosphere was already thick withpetitive tension.


    All the treasure hunters began their fierce scramble!


    The starting bid of 8,000 quickly rose to 80,000 in just a few rounds.


    Everyone was going all out, throwing in as much money as they had, some even calling in to mortgage assets to continue bidding.


    In less than five minutes, the price had soared to 650,000!


    The bid came from Joseph Thompson.


    He had initially given up, but the appearance of the third container reignited his fighting spirit.


    Though he wasn''t exactly a professional treasure hunter.


    He would only show up for the auctions when his partners sessfully plundered items and shipped them to the port.


    This allowed him to evade police tracking, a necessary precaution.


    He didn''t even have basic appraisal skills, but the sight of these ''antiques'' had him fired up.


    During the bidding, he kept casting nces, consciously or unconsciously, at Daniel.


    Among the whole auction, only this damned fellow couldpete with him.


    Seeing Daniel had no intention of bidding for a while, he let out a sigh of relief.


    This loot is mine!


    Daniel, who was standing aside, had noticed Joseph Thompson''s burning gaze several times.


    This guy, so afraid of him making a move?


    Daniel couldn''t help but chuckle.


    He had nned to bid just to get under Joseph Thompson''s skin, but before he could make a move, the price had shot up to 650,000.


    To purchase this loot at that price would be an overt loss.


    However, that still wasn''t enough.


    Daniel nced around.


    The price of 650,000 had everyone treading carefully.


    There had been no bids for quite a while.


    Just as Robert was about to dere the result, Daniel casually piped up, "I bid 651,000!"


    The sudden bid made everyone pause.


    Joseph Thompson turned his head and, seeing it was Daniel who had made the bid, his face immediately darkened.


    The scoundrel had finally made a move!


    And just like before, he was raising the bid by a mere 1,000!


    Was he resorting to his old tricks?


    But what he didn''t know was that Thompson was determined to win the contents of this container!


    Suppressing his anger, Thompson barked, "700,000!"


    At this point, everyone else had chosen to withdraw.


    They saw the situation as one lunatic versus one nouveau riche.


    Whether they were genuinely bidding or not,peting with them would be a wasted effort.


    It was more entertaining to watch the show.


    This money didn''t need to be made.


    Daniel smirked, sensing Thompson had taken the bait, and responded in his usual manner, "701,000!"


    "Daniel!"


    Joseph Thompson was on the verge of bursting with anger.


    If Daniel had been genuinelypeting with him, he wouldn''t be this furious.


    But this adding of 1,000 each time was clearly him being toyed with!


    "Robert, aren''t you going to intervene?!" Thompson fumed.


    "Adding just 1,000 for each raise in this price range?"


    Publicly insulted, Robert''s face turned grim, "I''m sorry, but currently, the port doesn''t have any specific rules against such behavior. Mr. Thompson, I will take note of your suggestion and bring it up during our next meeting."


    It was clear from his response that Robert wasn''t going to intervene.


    Everyone understood his position.


    Robert was the auctioneer and project nner.


    If you disrespected him in front of everyone, who in their right mind would bother with you?


    Knowing he was in the wrong, Thompson had no choice but to swallow his pride.


    His gaze fell on Daniel.


    The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, his hatred for Daniel ran deep and was etched into his soul.


    Once this auction was over, he would show Daniel what he was capable of!


    "I bid 710,000!" Joseph dered.


    Daniel replied calmly, "711,000."


    Joseph, repressing his anger, called out, "720,000!"


    "721,000."


    "730,100!"


    "740,000!"


    "..."


    "950,000!"


    Joseph yelled, nearly ame with rage.


    This was his final struggle.


    If that bastard dared to follow again, he would throw in the towel and let him have it!


    Worsees to worst, he would just rob Danielter!


    Everyone''s eyes were on Daniel, waiting for him to dere that ''951,000'' bid.


    Surprisingly, Daniel waved his hand and smiled leisurely, "Sorry, I''m out."


    Wait, what???


    For a moment, everyone was left with a question mark over their heads.


    The bid hadn''t even reached 960,000.


    What was going on here?


    With Daniel''s financial capability, he shouldn''t just drop out like that, especially with all those visible treasures on the line.


    Hadn''t everyone gathered here today to bid for this lot?


    The online viewers in the live stream shared the same confusion.


    "Streamer, what''s happening?"


    "Did you get scared because of the loss in thest container?"


    "Those items fit the era perfectly. They''re almost certainly genuine. Why would you back out after all this haggling?"


    Daniel merely smiled mysteriously and whispered, "Don''t rush it, the best is yet toe."


    Everyone failed to understand, firmly believing that Daniel had chickened out.


    Now, all eyes were on Joseph Thompson, the one who would open the container.

 Chapter 23 -23-Big Loss! The Streamer is Awesome!

    <h4>Chapter 23: Chapter23-Big Loss! The Streamer is Awesome!</h4>


    "Daniel got cold feet."


    "He learned his lesson fromst time."


    "But he just missed a surefire money maker."


    "Turns out, he''s not as big as he seemed."


    "Joseph Thompson just picked up a huge bargain."


    The treasure hunters all shook their heads in disbelief.


    Even if Daniel had ended up winning the auction, they wouldn''t have felt any regret.


    At the very least, this young man was a lot more likable than Joseph Thompson.


    Under envious gazes, Joseph Thompson rushed to the container with an excited look on his face.


    His eyes were rolling around, observing the treasures filled in the box.


    "Here Ie, my precious!"


    "What the hell are you guys standing around for? Start unloading!"


    The porters stared coldly at Joseph Thompson.


    They were port employees, here due to work assignments from their superiors.


    Was a treasure hunter, essentially a gambler, entitled to speak to them like this?


    Thebel of a gang boss meant nothing to these porters.


    As soon as he''d spoken, Joseph Thompson felt awkward.


    His excitement over the treasure had clouded his judgement, and for a moment, he lost control.


    Seeing the reluctance of the porters, he forced a grin and said, "Brothers, please help me unload this stuff. Do it quick, and I''ll pay double."


    On hearing this, the porters started moving.


    No one in their right mind would turn down money.


    The two disy cabs in front, worth about 500 SterCoins each on the secondhand market, were hoisted out and dumped to the side.


    Then, various items were neatly arranged on the ground.


    "Knight''s swords, soldier''s armors, various weaponry, and ceramic crafts like pots and tes."


    "Looks like these are all items from the Middle Ages. Each one could be worth over a hundred thousand."


    "Joseph Thompson is going to make a killing!"


    "Darn, I wish I''d kept bidding."


    Many treasure hunters were envious, but all they could do was look on longingly.


    Joseph Thompson asked Durant toe over and handed him a medieval-looking knight''s sword.


    "Mr. Durant, would you take a look at this?"


    Durant took the sword and examined it with interest.


    Soon, he shook his head.


    "This item seems quite old, but it doesn''t date back more than 50 years at most. There are clear signs of intentional aging."


    Upon hearing this, Joseph Thompson''s smile froze.


    "So, is this worth anything?"


    Durant considered it for a moment, then said, "You could get about a thousand SterCoins for it in the general market. If you find a collector who likes medieval items, it''s not out of the question to get 2000 to 3000 SteCoins."


    Joseph Thompson''s lips twitched involuntarily.


    3000 SteCoins, what good is that!


    I paid 950,000 for this lot!


    He then pointed to the knight''s armor on the ground.


    "What about this? It looks very old. Should be worth a lot, right?"


    Durant squatted down, put his hand on the armor, and looked it over.


    He shook his head again.


    "Like the sword, there are clear signs of intentional aging. I''m sorry."


    Though Durant hadn''t finished his sentence, Joseph Thompson got the message.


    It''s another damn fake!


    At this point, he began to waver.


    Could everything in this container be fake?


    After another look at the armor, Durant said, "The craftsmanship of this armor is quite fine, making it a high-quality craft item. It could sell for about 8000 SteCoins in the market. If taken to a shop specializing in such crafts, you could get 10,000, and with the right collector, possibly even 15,000."


    Joseph Thompson''s spirits failed to lift.


    15,000 still fell far short of breaking even.


    He forced a smile.


    "Mr. Durant, could you please check the rest of the items? I''ll pay you double your appraisal fee."


    Durant nodded and proceeded to open a roughly two-meter-tall cab.


    Inside was another armor, reminiscent of a certain ind nation''s samurai armor.


    Durant examined it and then said, "Like the previous armor, this is a modern craft, but it''s slightly newer, about twenty years old. The craftsmanship is equally fine, and the price wouldn''t differ much."


    Even if this was also worth 15,000, that would make less than 30,000 SteCoins. It wouldn''t even cover the minor expenses.


    Joseph Thompson looked crestfallen.


    The other treasure hunters looked around, surprised and even a bit scared.


    It seemed that all the items in this container might be replicas.


    They had all assumed these were the collections of some rich individual and should be worth a lot.


    As it turned out, they were sorely mistaken.


    Durant meticulously checked all the items and gave aprehensive estimation.


    Five sets of armor and three knight swords, their prices are more or less the same, could be sold for about 90,000 SteCoins.


    Some clothes and jars, all replicas, and various cabs together could add up to no more than 20,000 SteCoins, and that''s an overestimate.


    He looked at Durant, sighed, and said, "Mr. Joseph Thompson, I''m sorry, but the total value of these items would be, at most, 110,000 SteCoins."


    Hearing this, Joseph Thompson couldn''t control his emotions anymore.


    His face turned as white as a sheet, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.


    These items, they were clearly the collection of the wealthy individual they had robbed.


    Why were they worth so little?


    And the killer blow was that he had bought them for 950,000!


    Had he known, why hadn''t he tried everything to retrieve these items as soon as possible?


    The other treasure hunters no longer looked at him with envy, only with derision, relief, and schadenfreude.


    "Damn, thank god! Thank god I didn''t bid."


    "It looks so well preserved, yet it''s only worth so little!"


    "Joseph Thompson took a huge loss this time. I doubt we''ll see him around here for the next ten years."


    "950,000 SteCoins for things only worth 110,000 SteCoins at most, hahaha, he''s gonna be left with nothing but his skivvies."


    "Strange, do you think that Daniel guy saw through the ruse from the start, which is why he gave up on the bidding?"


    At this, the other treasure hunters all looked at Daniel.


    "It can''t be, right? Even Mr. Durant had to examine the items up close before he gave his verdict. Could he tell just by looking?"


    "Daniel did bid. Otherwise, Joseph Thompson would have gotten the lot for 600,000."


    "Clearly, he was driving up the price against Joseph Thompson. Why else would he only start bidding when it looked like Joseph Thompson was about to win, then suddenly give up after pushing the price up? Do you think he''s less wealthy than Joseph Thompson?"


    The crowd went silent.


    Everyone knew that wasn''t the case.


    Of all the people here, no one had deeper pockets than Daniel.


    The same was true for Joseph Thompson, a small-time gang leader.


    That meant Daniel had indeed seen through the authenticity of the items from the start.


    And when he saw that Joseph Thompson, with whom he didn''t get along, was the highest bidder, he stepped in and drove the price up.


    Realizing this, all the treasure hunters looked at Daniel with a hint of awe in their eyes.


    They had all assumed that his luck far outweighed his ability.


    Turned out, his appraisal skills were even better than Mr. Durant''s!


    With awe also came respect.


    As professional treasure hunters, their greatest fear wasn''t bidding on something worthless.


    Even worthless items can be sold for a price, preventing a total loss.


    The real fear was failing to recognize a valuable item in front of their eyes and letting others snatch it up.


    Like the way Daniel did on his first day here, crushing all thepetition with a profit of 50 million SteCoins.


    That was what truly hurt.


    It seemed necessary to get on good terms with Daniel, at least to prevent future losses!


    In the livestream, viewers were dumbfounded.


    "Holy crap, it''s only worth 110,000 SteCoins?"


    "No wonder the streamer didn''t bid, he knew they were fakes all along!"


    "That''s awesome, so awesome!"


    "That guy Joseph Thompson really did lose his shirt this time."


    "My admiration for the streamer is like a river, flowing ceaselessly!"


    "I''m following, I''m following!"

 Chapter 24 -24-"Are You Fucking Doing This On Purpose?!"

    <h4>Chapter 24: Chapter24-"Are You Fucking Doing This On Purpose?!"</h4>


    At this moment,izens werepletely bowled over by Daniel.


    His ability to decisively find treasures among junk, see through surface level deceptions, pass up enticing objects, and exploit his rival opportunistically made the show''s effect superb.


    This type of streamer, who had real skills, seemed refreshing and worth following.


    Instantly, the live stream room was aze with firework emojis, and the rocket trails were continuously shooting up.


    Wealthyizens, unable to contain their excitement, generously tossed out one gift after another.


    Friends who weren''t as well-off also threw out all the free gifts they''d imed from their daily sign-ins on the tform.


    Daniel checked his stream - in a short three minutes, he had received over a hundred thousand gifts!


    And they were all SteCoins!


    Three minutes!


    A hundred thousand!


    Even after the tform took its cut, he still pocketed nearly fifty thousand SteCoins.


    No wonder people say streamers make money - it came at lightning speed.


    If he hadn''t earned quite a bit from finding bargains these days, he would probably be too thrilled for words.


    ncing at the top right corner of the live stream, the number of online viewers had already exceeded ten thousand, and his follower count was approaching fifty thousand.


    This ratio was unprecedented in the streaming world.


    Not everyone had the time or interest to watch streams.


    Typically, only streamers with a million followers would have ten thousand viewers during a live stream.


    The sess of Daniel''s streaming was evident.


    At this moment, Joseph Thompson was furious.


    Being one of the top moguls in the country, why the hell did he have to collect these fakes?


    Wasn''t it humiliating and demeaning?


    He cursed under his breath.


    He had put in so much effort, lost so many associates - though he didn''t care whether they were dead or alive - and invested a lot of money, only to get goods worth a measly hundred and ten thousand.


    It was absolutely outrageous!


    At that moment, the crowd''s chatter reached Joseph Thompson''s ears, triggering his explosive temper.


    His gaze abruptly turned towards Daniel, and he charged over, yelling furiously, "You bastard! Did you fucking know these were all fakes and deliberately inte the price?"


    Daniel responded with a half-smile, "What''s the difference between nine hundred fifty thousand and six hundred fifty thousand?"


    The implication was crystal clear: Even if I knew, what could you do about it?


    Joseph Thompson''s face turned instantly ck, and he lunged at Daniel.


    To everyone else, his movement was incredibly fast.


    But Daniel''s reflexes were now twice as good as an average person''s.


    It might not seem like a significant difference, but to Daniel, Joseph''s movements were as clear as day.


    With a casual side step, he easily dodged the attack.


    Joseph Thompson was taken aback, his other hand reaching out, but Daniel took a step back and dodged it again.


    Joseph Thompson''s face grew darker as he repeatedly lunged at Daniel, always just missing by an inch, not even touching his cor.


    Known for his street fighting skills, he now found himself unable tond a hit on a smaller guy in front of so many people, which infuriated and embarrassed him.


    "You coward, stop dodging if you have the guts!" he bellowed.


    Daniel shrugged with a smile, "Why would I not dodge if I can?"


    "But I''m pretty kind-hearted, I never reject a request. So, I''ll just stand here, won''t move."


    These words sounded like a mockingughter in Joseph Thompson''s ears.


    He had been embarrassed in public and now, Daniel wanted to repeat the trick.


    But this time, he wouldn''t be caught off guard!


    Enraged and humiliated, Joseph Thompson swung his massive fist towards Daniel''s head.


    All the treasure hunters were terrified and closed their eyes.


    Durant even took out his phone to call the police.


    The viewers of the live stream also worried for Daniel.


    Daniel, being six feet tall and muscr enough to fill out his clothes, looked petitepared to the nearly seven-feet-tall Joseph Thompson.


    Therefore, everyone believed that Daniel was in for a world of hurt.


    Even theizens started swearing.


    "What the hell, he''s attacking because he can''t appraise items properly?"


    "Whoever is nearby, please help the streamer, we can''t let him suffer!"


    "I''m a cop in Libertopia. Too bad I''m not in the same city as the streamer, or else I would''ve emptied a magazine."


    "s, it seems like the streamer is going to take a beating."


    Not far away, the Abel brothers saw Daniel in danger and were about to rush up.


    But then, something unexpected happened.


    Facing Joseph Thompson''s iing fist, Daniel didn''t budge, instead, he sneered disdainfully, "All show and no go, all bark and no bite."


    Saying this, he lifted his right hand and easily caught Joseph Thompson''s fist.


    Joseph Thompson froze, his eyes filled with panic as if he had seen the most horrifying thing in the world.


    Daniel''s right hand firmly gripped his fist, twisting it with amazing strength.


    Crack!


    The crisp sound of bone fracture echoed in everyone''s ears.


    Joseph Thompson let out a scream that could shatter the heavens, "Ahh! Fuck! Fucking hell!"


    Daniel''s eyes turned cold, and he exerted more force.


    The intense pain pierced Joseph Thompson''s heart, sweat beading on his forehead.


    "Sorry! Please let me go, I''m dying!" he pleaded.


    Daniel was only trying to give him a lesson, an injured arm was punishment enough.


    "You should head to the hospital now to get your arm treated. There''s still time," he said, letting go of Joseph''s arm.


    Joseph Thompson kneeled on the ground, his body flushed with pain, forehead veins bulging, gasping for air.


    It took him a while to regain his strength and stand up.


    Before leaving, he red back at Daniel, opening his mouth as if wanting to say something, but thinking of Daniel''s skills, he swallowed his words.


    With a resentful look, he quickly left, cradling his arm.


    At this moment, all the treasure hunters looked at Daniel as if they were looking at a monster.


    Joseph Thompson was known for his fighting, yet he ended up in such an embarrassing state twice in the hands of this seemingly ordinary young man.


    This kid, he''s one tough cookie.


    Better not mess with him in the future!


    Meanwhile, the live stream was filled with cheers.


    "Cool! Damn cool!"


    "Did the streamer train in martial arts or something? He could easily be a movie star."


    "That martial arts star, what''s his name? Jackie Chan!"


    "Right, if the streamer acted in movies, he''d be the next international Kung Fu star, Jackie Chan!"


    Daniel chuckled, modestly saying, "Hold your horses, my skills are nothingpared to Jackie Chan."


    "Holy cow, streamer, you''re being too modest. Even Jackie Chan would need a few rounds to take down that big guy. You just used a simple grappling technique and subdued him."


    "I saw that too, the guy was on his knees begging, haha."


    "It''s so satisfying to watch. He can find bargains and he can fight, the streamer is a real jack-of-all-trades."


    "I''m following this streamer!"


    After the fight, his followers skyrocketed once more.


    In the blink of an eye, he gained five to six thousand followers, just a few hundred shy of hitting sixty thousand.


    Considering that he had been streaming for less than a week, his growth rate was astonishing.


    The show was over, and so was the auction.


    Many treasure hunters left one after another.


    Robert started wrapping things up with the staff.


    After saying goodbye to Durant, Daniel left the dock.


    He hailed a cab on the side of the road, heading towards his rental.


    Due to rush hour, the streets were packed and he ended up in a traffic jam for an hour.


    As a result, the fare was almost a hundred SteCoins.


    A regr car only cost a few thousand SteCoins.


    It seemed like it was time to buy a car for himself.


    After all, as a millionaire, it wouldn''t do to always take a cab.


    Daniel thought about it and decided to visit the car market the next day.


    As he habitually walked towards the coffee shop, he heard someone calling his name before he even entered.


    Turning around, he was surprised to see Sophia.


    Taken aback, Daniel asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Sophia rolled her eyes, pulling out some documents from her bag, "Dear boss, did you forget that you bought a property from me?"


    "Here are your purchase documents and proof, as well as all the keys to the house. I''ve had someone clean it up, so you can move in anytime."

 Chapter 25 -25-Lost in Emotions? "Daniel, Fuck me!"

    <h4>Chapter 25: Chapter25-Lost in Emotions? "Daniel, Fuck me!"</h4>


    Daniel epted them with a smile, noticing a handful of coffee cups scattered around Sophia''s feet.


    He couldn''t help but ask, "Don''t tell me, you''ve been standing here waiting for me this whole time?"


    Annoyed, Sophia retorted, "What else? I don''t have your number."


    She added sarcastically, "Some people never change. If someone else forgets to ask for their contact information, they wouldn''t bother to say either."


    Danielughed awkwardly, scratching his head, "Sorry, I forgot."


    No wonder she had so much coffee.


    It seemed that she was afraid to miss him if she stayed in the caf¨¦, so she decided to wait for him outside.


    Daniel felt a warmth in his heart.


    Noticing the exhaustion Sophia tried to hide, he askedpassionately, "Hungry? How about ate-night snack?"


    Sophia shed a grin, nodded, and joked, "At least you have some conscience. Considering you''ve made me quite a bit of money, I''ll pick up the bill. What do you feel like eating?"


    Daniel paused for a moment before asking, "May I be so bold as to inquire about yourmission? I don''t want to go overboard and order something so expensive that we''ll have to wash dishes to pay the bill."


    Sophia, swaggering a bit, held up two fingers, boasting, "A whopping sixty thousand SteCoins."


    Wow, that''s quite a sum.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that Daniel was making millions daily, he might have been tempted.


    Daniel nodded, "Well, since you''re a wealthydy, we can''t eat cheaply. I want to have some high-end Serenalia cuisine!"


    Sophia licked her cherry-like lips and smiled, "It''s been a long time since I''ve had our hometown dishes. Let''s go!"


    They hailed a taxi and headed to the nearest Serenalia restaurant.


    By eight, it waste and the restaurant was empty.


    The staff was even starting to clean up.


    As they walked in, Daniel asked, "Do you have any dishes left? I''ll take one of each."


    Before the words were fully out of his mouth, Sophia pped him on the head.


    "Are you out of your mind? Although I''ve earned some money, how could you order so much? Can you even finish all that?"


    Daniel patted his belly, "I haven''t eaten much today, I''m really hungry."


    Sophia was about to retort, but the waiter beat her to it, "I''m sorry, our chef has already clocked out. All we can offer now are skewers."


    Rather than being disappointed, Daniel seemed excited.


    There''s an old Serenalia saying, "There''s nothing that a barbecue can''t solve. If there is, then more will do."


    It had been a while since he''d had skewers, and he was craving some.


    "Bring a hundred skewers, a mix of meat and vegetables, and ten bottles of stout. "


    "We''ll take it to go."


    Daniel looked at the tired waiter, adding thest part as an afterthought.


    Hearing this, the weary waiter immediately cheered up, "Alright, please wait a moment."


    Sophiaughed, "I didn''t expect you to be so considerate."


    Daniel pointed to his head with his index finger, striking a cool pose.


    "What do you think? Handsome, wealthy, and considerate. Has a man of such perfection won your heart yet?"


    Sophia rolled her eyes in response, "Sorry, I''ll pass."


    Soon, theirte-night snack was ready.


    Daniel quickly paid for the meal and the tip, and then strutted out.


    Sophia chased after him,ining, "You said I was treating. Why did you pay?"


    As Daniel hailed a cab, he exined, "It''s not gentlemanly to let ady pay in front of others. If you feel bad, you can just pay me backter. Come on, get in."


    Opening the door with a flourish, he courteously invited Sophia into the cab.


    After getting in the car, Daniel was about to say his old address out of habit.


    But he remembered that his vi had been cleaned up and was ready to move into at any time.


    So, he turned to Sophia and signaled, "You tell the address."


    Sophia was momentarily taken aback, but then she understood Daniel''s intention.


    "26 Bright Street." That was the address of the new house.


    The car drove through the main street, and before long, they had left the city center.


    Although the West Coastmunity wasn''t in the city center, due to the high-end poption residing there, it had all the amenities one could ask for,parable to the city center.


    They soon arrived at 26 Bright Street.


    As Daniel stepped out of the car, he saw his new house.


    He had to walk through a small garden after opening therge iron gate before approaching the building.


    The house wasn''t tall, just two stories, styled in the typical architecture of a Libertopia garden vi.


    It looked even better than the pictures, which satisfied Daniel greatly.


    The moment he opened the door, the room lit up.


    Sophia exined, "This house is equipped with the most advanced AI housekeeper. Once you enter the door, you can call your housekeeper from anywhere to help you with anything it can do, like controlling the switches for appliances."


    Daniel, surprised, nodded and tested it by saying, "Housekeeper?"


    From the air came a cold, electronic voice, "Wee home, master."


    Impressed, Daniel felt delighted. "y some music."


    The housekeeper responded, "Detecting the master is apanied by a spouse, the romantic genre will be yed automatically."


    "Searching..."


    " Every~night~in my dreams ~"


    " I~see~you~I~feel~you you"


    "..."


    It could even detect that he had brought a woman into the house?


    Interesting. Daniel was slightly surprised.


    "Impressive, impressive."


    Sophia added, "Of course. The house I prepared for you must be equipped with the best settings."


    "Let''s go, put down the skewers and beer. I''ll show you around your house."


    Daniel quipped, "The way you''re talking, it feels like you''re the real owner of this house."


    Sophia smiled back at him, "Hehe... who knows."


    The beautifully mncholic music stirred some emotions in both of them.


    Realizing her words may have sounded a bit forward, Sophia quickly turned away, her cheeks flushed, and led the way.


    After a tour, Daniel had a better understanding of theyout of his house.


    The ground floor was mostly public areas: a living room, kitchen, dining room, entertainment and sports room, study, bathroom, and a guest room.


    The second floor consisted of a master bedroom, three secondary bedrooms, and a public bathroom.


    The interior design was understated, yet luxurious, fully customized and equipped with everything.


    Sophia asked, "So, are you satisfied?"


    Daniel nodded, "Of course. It''s even better than it looks in the pictures."


    Sophia chuckled, "Well, that''s good. Because whether you''re satisfied or not, you''ve already bought it. No returns allowed."


    "Let''s go, I''m starving. Time for somete-night grub."


    They returned to the living room, opened up theirte-night snack, and started to feast.


    A bite of skewer and a swig of stout, apanied by romantic music, life couldn''t get any better.


    Stuffed and drunk, or rather, Daniel was stuffed and drunk.


    After downing her third can of stout, Sophia was already passed out.


    Daniel chuckled helplessly, turned off the music, switched on the TV, and polished off the remaining skewers and drinks.


    Seven cans of nearly 15-degree stout, a normal person would be dizzy if not out cold, but for Daniel, it was like water.


    "A high alcohol tolerance isn''t really a good thing. What''s the point of a drink that can''t get you drunk?"


    Daniel shook his head and turned to look at Sophia, who was sleeping peacefully on the couch.


    She looked as innocent as a well-behaved little girl in her sleep, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, irresistibly cute.


    "You brute! You shouldn''t be having such thoughts when someone''s passed out!" Daniel rose from his seat, fetched a nket from the guest room, and came back to cover Sophia.


    The warmth of her breath hit his face, a mesmerizing scent that stirred his senses.


    His gaze couldn''t help butnd on Sophia''s impressive cleavage.


    Despite her innocent appearance, she had an incredibly attractive figure.


    Just one look had Daniel feeling aroused, if it weren''t for his belt, his arousal would have been evident.


    "Calm down, this isn''t an orgy, and she''s not some call girl," Daniel told himself, suppressing his desires, about to stand up.


    That''s when Sophia''s eyes cracked open slightly.


    Daniel was startled, about to apologize, but then he noticed the shyness and seduction in Sophia''s eyes.


    Her cherry lips slightly parted, she let out a sultrily scented breath, and murmured, "Daniel, fuck me."

 Chapter 26 - 26: A night of passion, reaching the pinnacle of pleasure seven times!

    <h4>Chapter 26: A night of passion, reaching the pinnacle of pleasure seven times!</h4>


    Daniel was taken aback.


    He didn''t know if Sophia was just talking nonsense.


    But if she could think of wanting him even when drunk, it seemed she had deep feelings for him.


    Seeing Daniel frozen in ce, Sophia''s hands wrapped around his back.


    Given the circumstances, there was no reason not to act.


    Daniel was breathing heavily, no longer able to resist.


    He leaned in, taking in the sight of her dewy, delicate lips, and passionately kissed her.


    He could feel her small hands around his neck, pulling him closer, forcing his lips harder onto hers.


    Her soft, moist tongue explored his mouth.


    She was so forward, which excited Daniel even more.


    He returned her actions, greedily sucking on her tongue.


    Meanwhile, his right hand slowly moved upwards from her waist, feeling her soft yet firm breasts, gently squeezing them.


    This move made Sophia let out a soft sigh.


    She was still a bit restrained, her moans slightly timid.


    But this only spurred Daniel on, and his right hand began trying to undo her clothes.


    Sophia was dressed in a white shirt and suit pants, the typical attire of a professional woman.


    From top to bottom, Daniel undid each button of her shirt, one by one.


    Her delicate white skin was instantly exposed to the air, with only a creamyce bra left covering her upper body.


    Daniel''s assault was simply unstoppable, his hands easily slipped under her bra, taking possession of those warm, supple mounds.


    "Damn, they feel evenrger than they look." Daniel thought to himself, a hint of surprise in his voice.


    He instinctively pinched her nipples and started fondling them.


    "Mmm~" Sophia could no longer restrain herself, disregarding any remaining girlhood modesty and involuntarily letting out a moan.


    Daniel knew then, her body was already thoroughly aroused.


    He leaned down, taking her right nipple into his mouth and sucked hard, causing Sophia''s body to tremble slightly, her lips parting to let out soft whimpers.


    The sound, it was as if encouraging Daniel to continue downward.


    Daniel had no reason to resist.


    His right hand slowly moved down, gliding over her smooth skin and delving into thecy cover of her triangr region.


    He felt his fingers dampen with her arousal as they touched the dense ck forest below.


    "Already so wet?" Daniel thought to himself, pleasantly surprised.


    His middle finger slid through the middle of the forest, directly prating Sophia''s honeypot.


    The warm, moist sensation immediately engulfed Daniel''s finger.


    "Mmm~ I want you," Sophia, unable to care about her shyness any longer, whispered into Daniel''s ear.


    Daniel responded with a gentle smile, refraining from rushing to pull out his own instrument.


    Instead, he used his fingers to gently roam around her delicate honeypot, stroking her clitoris, parting her lips, and rubbing the area around her flesh hole.


    The lustful fluids overflowed like a river, and Sophia''s panting filled the whole room.


    Thankfully, it was a detached vi, otherwise, Daniel might worry that her moans would attract the curiosity of others.


    Now, Sophia had be his private treasure, a delicacy that only he could taste.


    Under Daniel''s caresses, Sophia''s body started to tremble more frequently.


    With her dazed eyes, she asionally whispered, "Daniel, fuck me."


    Seeing the time was right, Daniel finally decided to go for it.


    He undid his pants, revealing his erect member, which even made Sophia feel a little breathless due to its size.


    Daniel instructed Sophia to sit on the sofa, pointed to his throbbing member, andmanded, "Lick it."


    Sophia obediently knelt between Daniel''s legs.


    Observing his manhood at close range made it appear evenrger.


    Sophia was speechless, her cheeks flushed red as she opened her mouth to take him in.


    The sensation made Daniel gasp instantly.


    Seeing Sophia''s somewhat clumsy movements, Daniel extended his hands, gently ced them on her head, and guided her down.


    The weak panting sound started again.


    "Mmm~ Mmm~"


    "So big~"


    "Mmm~"


    Looking at Sophia''s increasingly reddened face and those eyes filled with desire, a few minutester, Daniel couldn''t help but pull Sophia up and strip off herst piece of clothing.


    Her peach-like buttocks aimed at his member, she sat down.


    In an instant, Sophia couldn''t help but cry out, "Mmm~ Ah!"


    Daniel thrusts himself into her with force, repeatedly charging into her.


    Soon, the juices from her honeypot flowed down, soaking his entire member.


    In the living room, urgent panting and unrestrained moans echoed back and forth,sting well into the night.


    ...


    The following morning, sunlight filtered through therge windows, casting a warm glow on the sofa.


    Daniel looked at Sophia nestled in his arms and couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Stirring awake at the sound, Sophia cracked open her eyes and mumbled sleepily, "What''s so funny?"


    Daniel reached out and gently touched her youthful face, grinning, "Just thinking about your performancest night."


    Their wild escapade had led Daniel to the peak seven times over.


    Sophia seemed insatiable; her innocent appearance belied her strong carnal desires.


    Sophia knew what he was insinuating, her face flushed as she retorted, "Stop thinking!" "I was possessedst night, it wasn''t me."


    Her maidenly reserve made it difficult for her to ept what happened.


    But Daniel didn''t expose her, instead he teased, "In that case, I''m looking forward to the spirit possessing you again tonight so I can enjoy myself."


    Before he could finish, he winced in pain, "Ouch!"


    Sophia had pinched his nipple, giggled mischievously, and huffed, "That''s what you get for pinching mest night."


    Her adorable demeanor made Daniel hold her closer and share a passionate kiss.


    Sophia responded enthusiastically, their tongues once again intertwined as the sound of their happiness reverberated in the living room.


    ...


    After a marathon of amorous encounters, it was already afternoon by the time they emerged from the vi.


    Daniel nced at Sophia and thought of their earlier frisky encounters.


    He couldn''t help but exim, "Thank goodness I''m physically strong, or I''d have had a hard time satisfying you."


    Sophia rolled her eyes and retorted, "Can you not talk about that stuff now that we''re outside? It''s embarrassing!"


    Daniel chuckled, "Alright, alright. Why don''t you move in with me?"


    It seemed natural given their rtionship and having crossed that threshold.


    Sophia shook her head, "Keep dreaming. If I live with you, I''d be tormented every night."


    Seeing his n thwarted, Daniel responded despondently, "I just want to be with you. Plus, you said your roommates are always bringing different hookups home. It not only distracts you from studying, but also their loud noises stir up your own desires."


    It was only during their ceasefire conversationst night that Daniel found out Sophia''s work as a real estate agent was just a part-time job to support herself while preparing for her grad school entrance exams.


    He continued, "Living with me would be different. You could study in peace and whenever you want it, I''d be ready and willing."


    Sophia turned around, seeing Daniel''s lewd grin, she instinctively pped him on the arm.


    "I don''t need your concern, and besides, I won''t be living there for long. In a month, I''ll be taking my Stanford exams and then I can move onto campus."


    Daniel asked, "Are you sure you''ll get in?"


    Sophia retaliated with another p.


    "A dog can''t spit out ivory," she retorted, "I''ve always ranked top of my ss in my major. There''s no way I won''t pass."


    "Alright, I''m off," Sophia said.


    "Shall I walk you out?" asked Daniel.


    Sophia spun around, her eyes wide open.


    "With what?"


    It was only then that Daniel remembered he didn''t have a car.


    Embarrassed, he chuckled, "I''ll call you a cab."


    Before he could even take out his phone, a taxi pulled up right in front of them.


    Sophia smiled, "I''ve already called for one."


    Having said that, she tiptoed to nt a kiss on Daniel''s face before turning to get in the car.


    Just before the car pulled away, she rolled down the window, a radiant smile on her face.


    "The time I''ve spent with you has been the happiest since I came here to study!"

 Chapter 27 -27-Showing off? Master-level bartending skills!

    <h4>Chapter 27: Chapter27-Showing off? Master-level bartending skills!</h4>


    Not until the car disappeared around the corner did the smile leave Daniel''s lips.


    Every frown and smile of Sophia''s was like a seed sown in the soil of his heart.


    "What will you walk me out with?"


    Recalling her words, Daniel seriously pondered, "It seems I really need to get a car."


    First, he called a car rental service to go back to his low-rent apartment.


    The book "Qi Origin" was still there, so he packed all his personal items like clothes.


    Though nothing was of great value, it was his principle to not waste anything, so he took everything with him.


    He hadn''t lived in the low-rent apartment for long, less than two years, but he had quite a few things.


    All packed, there were sixteenrge parcels, too much for one person to handle.


    After a moment''s thought, Daniel called Abel.


    After a short while, he saw a ck pickup truck pull up in front of him from his waiting position downstairs.


    What a cool truck, Daniel thought.


    Then he saw Allen, grinning from ear to ear behind the window.


    "Dear Dan, we''re delighted you called us!"


    Once out of the car, Allen went straight for a big hug.


    Daniel smiled and pushed Allen away, bumping fists with Abel.


    "Sorry for the trouble. I don''t know many people in Golden Shores, so I had to call you guys."


    He didn''t know the number of any movingpanies, so he thought it best to call these two brothers.


    Next auction, he could do some appraisal work for them to return the favor.


    Abel said, "Dan, we haven''t known each other for long, but I believe we will be friends."


    Daniel chuckled, politely replying, "I have the same feeling."


    It took the three of them multiple trips upstairs to load all the luggage onto the truck.


    Thanks to the roomy, deep cargo bed of Abel''s pickup, they managed to fit everything in.


    Upon arriving at Daniel''s vi, Abel and Allen couldn''t help but exim, "This is a beautiful house!"


    Daniel replied, "What are you talking about? Your vis are muchrger than mine."


    Abel shook his head, "Ours is in the suburbs, cost just over a million. Yours is in the city, in the top-rankedmunity of Golden Shores. It''s way more expensive than ours."


    Daniel had to admit, Abel had a point there.


    "Butpared to yours, yours is much nicer," Daniel admitted. "Let''s get moving. Once we''re done, I''ll treat you guys to some drinks."


    Upon hearing about the drinks, Allen''s eyes sparkled. "Let''s go!"


    Soon, all the luggage was neatly arranged.


    As Daniel was about to suggest where they could rest, the brothers were already ready for a drink.


    Then he heard Allen exim, "Dan, you know how to mix drinks?"


    Daniel was taken aback, wondering why Allen would suddenly ask such a question.


    Walking over, he finally understood; the brothers had discovered aplete set of cocktail-making tools in the kitchen bar, along with a wall full of various kinds of liquor.


    You name it, from gold spirits, vodka, whiskey, brandy to liqueurs, they had it all.


    This was something Daniel had just discovered too, since he''d only arrived at the vist night.


    After a brief tour, he and Sophia got lost in a night of passionate romance, leaving him no mood to care about these things.


    Daniel modestly replied, "I know a bit."


    Allen, with a slightly provocative smile, said, "Really? Then I want to challenge you."


    Seeing Daniel''s confusion, Abel exined, "Dan, my brother is crazy about mixology, he likes to challenge people wherever he goes."


    "But don''t worry, his skills are pretty basic."


    At this, Allen was unhappy.


    "How can you say that? I was the champion in our local bartendingpetition!"


    Daniel was surprised.


    That sounded impressive.


    However, Abel casually added, "There were only three contestants - a blind man, a man with no sense of taste, and you."


    Damn...


    Daniel was speechless.


    Any normal person would have won thatpetition.


    Allen, with a reddened face, indignantly asked, "Dan, may I use your tools?"


    Daniel nodded in agreement.


    With permission granted, Allen immediately got to work.


    "Whiskey~"


    "Melon liqueur~"


    "Milk~"


    "Chili oil~"


    "Mustard oil~"


    "..."


    Pouring all the ingredients into the shaker with a measuring cup, Allen raised the shaker with both hands: "With a shaker in hand, I rule the world!"


    He shook it vigorously, tossing it between his hands, tracing a beautiful arc over his head.


    His smooth and flowing shake looked quite professional.


    A few minutester, the shaker hit the table.


    Allen opened the shaker and poured a greenish drink for Daniel through a strainer.


    "This is my best original creation, Devil''s Delight!"


    "Dan, give it a try."


    It looked okay, to be honest.


    Daniel reached for the ss, about to take a sip, when he noticed Abel giving him a sympathetic look.


    Daniel felt a pang of anxiety.


    This drink, it couldn''t possibly be...poisoned, right?


    He put down the ss that he''d raised to his lips,ughed awkwardly and said, "Well... Allen, this Devil''s Delight of yours, just by its smell, I can already sense your unparalleled bartending skills. We have to go outter, so maybe we should skip the drinks."


    Allen stared at him, looking a bit angry, "Dan, you don''t even have a car."


    Daniel replied, "I can buy one."


    As long as it means I don''t have to drink this cocktail, I''d even buy a ne right now!


    Allen''s face fell, and he looked rather upset.


    "The cocktail I made doesn''t even warrant a taste, it seems I''m destined not to be a good bartender."


    Daniel''s face fell.


    Damn, how old is he and he''s still ying these tricks.


    Seeing Allen about to turn and leave, Daniel conceded, "Alright, alright, I''ll drink!"


    Daniel picked up the drink and bravely poured it into his mouth.


    In an instant, a mix of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy vors attacked him.


    Holy hell, no wonder it''s called Devil''s Delight.


    It tasted worse than a stinking demon.


    Allen blinked, looking at Daniel expectantly, and asked, "How''s it, Dan? Tasty?"


    Daniel spat it out, "Are you messing with me?


    "Is this even supposed to be a cocktail?"


    Abel, seeming to have expected this reaction from Daniel, naturally walked up to Allen and gently patted his younger brother''s head.


    Without waiting for Allen to react, Daniel angrily went to the bar, pushing Allen aside.


    "If you want to be an excellent bartender, no one is stopping you.


    "But you need to calm down and learn, study, that''s how you be a true bartender.


    "Not like now, messing things up and thinking you''re excellent."


    Having said that, Daniel took an unopened bottle of vodka, a bottle of coffee liqueur and concentrated coffee from the shelf and put them on the table for use.


    He turned to get two spherical ice cubes from the ice maker and put them in a cocktail ss.


    He stirred them clockwise with a spoon until a thickyer of frost appeared on the ss wall.


    Then, he poured the vodka, coffee liqueur and concentrated coffee into the shaker in proportions, holding it with both hands and shaking it vigorously.


    Daniel''s technique wasn''t as shy as Allen''s, not because he couldn''t do it, but because he didn''t see the need.


    A perfect vor isn''t born out of fancy actions.


    Such practices are nothing more than a way to sell the drink at a higher price.


    After shaking for a few minutes, Daniel opened the shaker and poured the drink into the cocktail ss.


    Instantly, a rich aroma, mixed with alcohol, rose.


    Allen and Abel''s eyes instantly cleared up.


    They were seasoned drinkers, they''ve had countless drinks.


    Naturally, they could easily recognize that Daniel''s drink was an Espresso Martini.


    But they''d never smelled such a fragrant martini.


    Daniel pushed the ss towards Allen and said nonchntly, "Try it."


    Allen picked up the ss, took a deep breath, and his eyes became dreamy.


    "Smells so good, it doesn''t smell like a cocktail, but coffee."


    He took a sip, and his eyes lit up.


    "Bro, try it!"


    Abel took the ss, took a small sip, and then turned to Daniel with a surprised look, "Dan, your skills are insane!"


    "I can assure you, if you entered this cocktail in apetition, you''d win first ce in the country!"


    Danielughed, shrugged and said, "Number one in the country?"


    "Sorry, I''m not interested."


    Although he enjoyed drinking, he had no interest in mixology.

 Chapter 28 -28-The Must-Have Car for the Tough Guy! Brabus!

    <h4>Chapter 28: Chapter28-The Must-Have Car for the Tough Guy! Brabus!</h4>


    Daniel had nned to stop, but one shot of espresso martini led the Abel brothers to plead relentlessly.


    Regardless, he thought, a few more rounds wouldn''t hurt and could even broaden their horizons.


    So, Daniel mixed five different cocktails, leaving Abel and Allen reeling, not from drunkenness but from sheer exhration.


    The three sat at the bar, chatting and sipping their drinks.


    When Allen found out that Daniel wanted to buy a car, he generously offered, "I have a Raptor that I''ve never even driven since I bought it. If you don''t mind, you can take it."


    Daniel, of course, declined.


    Although a Raptor was an entry-level pick-up in Libertopia and not expensive, it still cost tens of thousands of SteCoins.


    If he epted it for no reason, he might owe a huge favor. Plus, he was not short of money.


    Seemingly sensing Daniel''s hesitation, Abel chimed in: "Rx. It''s just that Allen really doesn''t like that car."


    "We''re offering it to you because we''ve hit it off and feel that we''re going to be good friends."


    "Of course, if you really feel ufortable, just do us a favor by keeping an eye out for us at the auction tomorrow."


    That was something Daniel could easily do.


    As he was still considering, Allen already dialed a number: "Hey Mo, take out my Raptor. I''ll send you the locationter."


    After hanging up, he grinned, "It''ll be delivered soon."


    With the two so eager to gift him a car, Daniel had no more words.


    He mixed two more drinks.


    While sipping, he asked, "There''s another auction tomorrow?"


    Abel nodded, "Generally, auctions are held every two to three days. In between, there might be some rush auctions for containers, like yesterday."


    "The port will announce it in advance on their TwistTweets ount."


    "Really?" Daniel took out his phone and opened TwistTweets.


    Indeed, on the verified ount of the Golden Shores port auction, there was a recent tweet about the next day''s auction.


    What surprised Daniel was that the picture below was of him.


    Confused, Daniel asked, "What''s this about?"


    Allen, sipping a martini with a new vor, eximed before exining: "You''ve been the biggest winner at these recent auctions, so naturally, the port would use your image for promotion."


    "Although people don''t recognize you yet, once yesterday''s recording is aired, you''ll probably be the envy of everyone, probably by tonight."


    Envy, even jealousy?


    Well, what can I do?


    Daniel could onlyugh helplessly, but it also gave him pause.


    The producers of the show would undoubtedly reveal his consistent knack for finding bargains in the auctions, spinning the narrative that anyone with a bit of luck could turn their life around at the container auctions.


    While this was undeniably true, it also spelled a great deal of trouble for him.


    There might be people who would grow envious to the point of harboring ill thoughts towards him out of pure greed.


    After all, Libertopia was the most gun-friendly nation in the world where virtually everyone owned a firearm.


    Walking down the street, you could even see people openly carrying automatic rifles.


    Anyone could potentially turn into a threatening viin.


    Upon this realization, Daniel felt the need to further beef up his own strength.


    The sports equipment he ordered should be arriving soon.


    By using the system to buyback this equipment, his physical condition could be improved further.


    However, no matter how much he improved, he was not invincible to bullets and des.


    It was time he armed himself with a weapon for self-defense.


    Lost in his thoughts, Daniel was interrupted by Abel''s voice.


    "Dan, the car''s here. Let''s go take a look."


    Daniel snapped back to reality, "That was quick?"


    Abel responded, "Our ce is just about ten kilometers from here. It wouldn''t take more than twenty minutes to get here."


    "Let''s go."


    Daniel nodded and followed the brothers out.


    Exiting the vi, he saw Allen''s pickup truck.


    The Ford F-150 Raptor, an entry-level pickup truck, selling for 167,000 SteCoins in Libertopia.


    The vehicle, with its five-and-a-half-meter-long body and two-meter height, looked like a muscr brute.


    Equipped with a four-wheel drive, an eight-cylinder 5.4-liter engine with a maximum horsepower of 310, it was indeed a mechanical beast.


    This type of ''macho car'' was often paired with tough-guy roles in Libertopia''s movies.


    Daniel couldn''t help but exim, "Awesome!"


    Abel turned to him,pletely agreeing, "I think so too, but Allen insists it''s ugly."


    Allen quickly interjected, "I never said that. I just think this type of vehicle is more for rough-and-tumble guys like you. For a handsome and suave young man like me, I should be driving a two-door supercar. Now, that''s cool."


    Daniel simply smiled and said nothing.


    The boy''s im to be handsome was aplete mismatch.


    With a long horse-like face and a skinny frame that looked like skin and bones, although he was tall, his overall look resembled a thin bamboo pole, the thinnest kind.


    He looked like someone suffering from malnutrition due to drug addiction.


    Daniel responded, "Thank you, I really like it."


    Allen hastily replied, "As long as you like it, the car is yours from now on. Now I finally have an excuse to change my car."


    Abel said helplessly, "Dan, I''ll transfer the truck''s info to you directly. You can do whatever you want with it. We''ve had quite a few drinks today, so it''s a good thing Allen''s brother Mo can drive us back in my car."


    Daniel nodded, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then saw the brothers off.


    Once Abel''s car disappeared from sight, Daniel turned to look at the Raptor parked at his doorstep.


    After all, it was his first car.


    Though it was a bit on the cheaper side, he really liked the look of it.


    Daniel decided to take it for a spin and opened the door to get in.


    But just as he was about to climb in, a voice from the system echoed in his ear.


    [Item]: Ford F-150 Raptor (Pickup Truck)


    [Age]: Modern [Condition]: Brand New


    [Details]: Entry-level pickup truck. Full of horsepower, great for hauling loads!


    [Appraisal]: Worth buying!


    [Market Price]: 167,000


    [Buyback Price]: 100,000


    [Would you like to buyback?]


    Daniel was slightly taken aback.


    Granted, second-hand vehicles depreciate, but not this much.


    A brand new car that had barely been driven was reduced by more than 60,000 SteCoins in an instant.


    This system sure knew how to make a profit.


    However, the system did reward antique appraisal skills when buying back antiques, and increased physical attributes when buying back fitness equipment.


    So, what would buying back a car reward him with?


    Daniel was somewhat intrigued.


    He didn''t have much money to lose anyway.


    Worst case scenario, he''d just buy Allen a new car.


    With that thought in mind, Daniel chose to buy back the vehicle.


    The next second, the giant vehicle that was parked right before his eyes vanished like magic.


    Although a new vehicle appeared almost immediately, Daniel still looked around anxiously to make sure no one was watching before letting out a sigh of relief.


    If anyone saw this process, it could have caused quite the stir.


    Confused, Daniel looked at the new vehicle that had just appeared.


    Where did this care from?


    Almost simultaneously, the system''s voice echoed in his mind again.


    [You''ve acquired expert-level driving skills!]


    [You''ve acquired the limited edition Brabus pickup truck!]


    [You''ve acquired expert-level car repair skills!]


    A triple win!!!


    Three rewards, just like that!


    This time, luck was on his side once more.


    Daniel couldn''t contain his excitement.


    As always, the three rewards were closely rted to the item bought back by the system.


    The driving skills and repair skills had instantly transformed Daniel from a car novice to a car expert.


    He quickly browsed through the new car-rted information in his mind and it wasn''t an exaggeration to say that with his current driving and car repair skills, he was among the best not only in Libertopia, but the entire world!


    Daniel was very pleased and his gaze fell on the Brabus in front of him.


    The Brabus, after a major modification of a Mercedes G63, had turned into a pickup truck.


    With its silver-gray body, the car exuded a strong, sturdy, and secure feeling, yet it was also undeniably domineering.


    This was one of the 21 limited edition Brabus pickup trucks sold worldwide, each with a whopping price tag of 250 SteCoins!


    Daniel pulled open the door, and the sturdy door felt surprisingly light due to the craftsmanship.


    He climbed into the car, started it up, and pushed the pedal to the metal.


    The engine roared like a wild beast.


    A grin spread across Daniel''s face as he couldn''t help eximing, "Damn, this is cool!"

 Chapter 29 -29-Overnight Sensation! Auction begins!

    <h4>Chapter 29: Chapter29-Overnight Sensation! Auction begins!</h4>


    With his new car in possession, Daniel was very pleased.


    Even in the affluent West Coastmunity, his limited-edition Brabus had managed to turn quite a few heads.


    Most of them, of course, were filled with admiration.


    Passerby A: "Hey, man! Your car is wicked cool!"


    Passerby B: "Oh, this car gives me the urge to own one!"


    Passerby C: "Dear, can you step out of the car? Because seeing you in this vehicle fills me with the urge to, uh, get down and dirty. Come on, baby, let''s get it on!"


    Daniel nced at Passerby C''s wrinkled face and nearly fell-out false teeth, grinning mischievously: "I''ll pass, my old baby. I''m too much for you to handle."


    Then, he revved the engine and stylishly drove away.


    As dusk fell, Daniel returned home.


    He had bought a pile of items from the supermarket that mighte in handy in his new home, as well as some fresh meat and vegetables.


    Originally, he wanted to showcase his cooking skills and have a candlelit dinner with Sophia.


    However, Sophia told him over the phone that she was studying for an exam at home and wouldn''t be able toe over.


    Daniel was admittedly disappointed, but Sophia promised him that next time she came over, she would give his manhood a special treat.


    This instantly turned Daniel on.


    While Daniel was daydreaming about Sophia''s promise, thetest Container Hunt Auction went live online.


    The eagerly waiting audience clicked to view thetest episode with great anticipation.


    But when they saw a newbie at the auction, they couldn''t help but smirk.


    Here, newbies were synonymous with being gullible, invariably ending up in embarrassing situations or even losing big due to their arrogance.


    When they saw Daniel''s introduction, iming he had scored an item worth 50 million on his first auction, everyone was instantly taken aback.


    This was like ying with cheat codes!


    As the show progressed, and they saw Daniel repeatedly finding bargains, everyone was utterly astounded.


    This treasure hunter named Daniel was defying the odds!


    Everyone''s attention turned to the official Container Hunt TwistTweets ount.


    "I''m going to the auction tomorrow!"


    "Daniel will be there too, right?"


    "I''m going just because of him. I want to see if his constant sess in finding bargains and making a killing is because he''s a nt, or if he''s just incredibly lucky!"


    On all major Serenalia tforms, thetest episode also set the inte aze.


    "Holy cow, Daniel is out of this world!"


    "Is this finding bargains? It''s more like he''s picking up free money!"


    "No way, I need to get a visa. I''m flying to Libertopia''s Golden Shores tomorrow!"


    "Look at how excited they are, tomorrow''s live stream is going to be a show!"


    ...


    Early the next morning, Daniel hit the road in his Brabus pickup truck.


    Abel had called him the night before, warning that there would be a massive crowd today and advising him to arrive early.


    Despite not understanding why the crowd size would affect him, Danielplied.


    Driving into the port and arriving at the container auction site, Daniel stepped out of his vehicle and was immediately dumbstruck.


    The previously empty ground was now teeming with what must have been a thousand people!


    When had the auction started attracting such crowds?


    Daniel was taken aback.


    As he locked his car and was about to wade into the sea of people, someone tugged him from behind.


    Daniel spun around, ready to throw a punch, only to see Allen''s familiar and somewhat annoying face grinning at him.


    Daniel was speechless: "What are you doing here?"


    Without answering, Allen allowed Abel to approach: "Are you just nning to waltz in there like this?"


    Daniel was puzzled: "How else am I supposed to get in, by flying?"


    Seeing his genuinely innocent face, Abel couldn''t help but ask: "You have no idea, do you?"


    Daniel blinked in confusion: "?"


    Abel sighed and chuckled wryly, then exined: "They''re all here for you, Daniel."


    Only after Abel''s exnation did Daniel understand.


    Turns out after the broadcast of the show, many people had the impression that finding bargains on Container Hunt was akin to picking up free money, and they''d flocked here early in the morning.


    "So, what if they''re here? We''re all just bidding, what''s that got to do with me?"


    Allen quietly added: "Some think you''re a shill, others consider you a bona fide lucky charm and want you to be their advisor."


    Abel chimed in: "If you walk in like this, you''re definitely going to be stopped by many. Some might even try to kidnap you considering you''re a newly minted millionaire. Those who get rich overnight are the easiest targets."


    Cold sweat broke out on Daniel''s forehead at the prospect.


    "Then I''d better not participate in this auction."


    Though his physical fitness had dramatically improved and he could easily handle three to five people, he would be up against hundreds, if not thousands, here.


    A mob like this was best avoided.


    Just as Daniel was about to leave, Abel suddenly grabbed his arm!


    Abel, with a mischievous grin, said: "Dan, be our advisor today."


    Huh? An advisor?


    Daniel was taken aback: "What do you mean by advisor?"


    Allen jumped in: "You help us assess the items. In return, we''ll give you fifty percent of the goods asmission."


    Whoa, that much? Daniel was a bit surprised.


    Having advisors in this line of work wasn''t unusual, but typically they only received three to five percent of the goods'' value asmission.


    The fact these brothers were offering him fifty percent was a testament to their sincerity and trust in him.


    After a moment of thought, Daniel asked: "What if there''s a loss?"


    Although this situation was highly unlikely, he thought it best to rify upfront.


    Allen waved off his concern: "If there''s a loss, it''s on us."


    No loss on him, and a cut in the gains.


    This deal was just too good to pass up.


    Of course, under normal circumstances, even if Daniel was offered ny percent, he would decline.


    Why share when he could have it all to himself?


    But today, due to special circumstances, Daniel nodded in agreement.


    Seeing this, the Abel brothers instantly beamed with excitement.


    With Daniel in their corner, they were confident they''d strike it big today.


    The auction site.


    The port authorities, perhaps anticipating today''s crowd, had prepared the auction site meticulously.


    There were waiting areas, auctioning areas, and a presenter''s podium.


    Dozens of uniformed security personnel were stationed around the auction site to maintain order.


    In the waiting area, impatience was growing.


    "When is the auction starting?"


    "If it doesn''t start soon, we''re leaving!"


    "Where is Daniel? Why isn''t he here today?"


    "I came just for Daniel. If he''s not here today, I''m out!"


    On the podium, Robert looked at the enthusiastic crowd, feeling gratified.


    It seemed his earnings would significantly increase today.


    He didn''t know if Daniel would show up, but either way, it wouldn''t affect his impending windfall.


    Just as Robert, microphone in hand, walked to the center of the podium ready to speak, the Abel brothers appeared in the crowd with Daniel.


    "Make way, Daniel is here!"


    Whoosh! Thousands of gazes instantly swept towards them.


    More than a dozen cameras also zeroed in on the trio.


    Damn it. Daniel couldn''t help but scold, "Couldn''t you guys quietly squeeze your way to the front?"


    Under such intense scrutiny, Abel and Allen also felt a bit embarrassed, wiping the cold sweat off their foreheads.


    "I thought this way would be easier."


    Suddenly, the crowd surged forward, all trying to get close to Daniel.


    "Dan! Be my advisor!"


    "Dan! I can give you a five percentmission!"


    "I''ll offer six percent!"


    "Eight percent!"


    "Dan! You''re my lucky charm!"


    "Dan! I''ll give you a fifteen percentmission on the value of the goods!"


    Treasure hunters swarmed like unleashed zombies, wishing they could snatch Daniel away on the spot.


    Abel, pushed to the front, turned red in the face and roared at the crowd!


    "Shut up! All of you, back off!"


    "Daniel is MY advisor today! I''m offering him fifty percent of the value of the goods asmission, and he bears no risk of loss. If any of you can match that, then speak up!"


    And in an instant...


    The crowd fell silent.


    They simply couldn''t match that offer.

 Chapter 30 -30-Unprecedented Buzz! Junk Fishing Gear?

    <h4>Chapter 30: Chapter30-Unprecedented Buzz! Junk Fishing Gear?</h4>


    Allen''s words gave everyone pause.


    No one proposed Daniel to be their advisor anymore.


    Even though they all knew that giving Daniel fifty percent of the value of the goods was better than going home empty-handed or even losing everything.


    But the thought of giving away half of their money to an advisor who didn''t pay a dime made everyone back down.


    Such is human nature.


    As Daniel and the Abel brothers made their way in, someone in the crowd harbored malicious thoughts.


    ncing around, they felt that it wouldn''t be easy to act now, so they put it off for the moment.


    The host, Robert, grabbed the microphone and said, "Everyone, quiet down, please."


    The crowd instantly perked up.


    The auction was about to start; this was the main event!


    "The Container Hunt Auction has always been considered a little gimmick of our port."


    "People say that all those who make money are nts that we, the port, have paid to be here."


    "I never knew how to refute this, but today, I can prove it!"


    Robert''s gaze swept across the crowd, finallynding on Daniel.


    "Dan, your new car is quite something. It seems like making money from these containers has brought quite a change to your life, hasn''t it?"


    As he said this, all eyes turned to them.


    The auction site was right at the edge of the container stack area, and everyone''s vehicles were parked not far away, easily visible to all.


    And they had all seen the Brabus that Daniel was driving.


    He''s using me to prove his point.


    Daniel cursed ''scumbag'' in his mind, then shrugged and smiled, "Yeah, I don''t like changing things often. So, if I''m buying, I might as well get something good and use it for several years."


    This way of speaking didn''t make him seem too shy.


    Others wouldn''t think much of it, only feelings of envy and disdain.


    They all felt that Daniel was just lucky for the time being, and how often this luck would happen was uncertain.


    Many treasure hunters had struck it rich overnight, but there were also plenty who lost everything all at once.


    Even if Daniel had a knack for appraisals and wouldn''t lose money, there were still a variety of ways to end up penniless.


    Such as being robbed, or he himself bing too arrogant due to sudden wealth and spending recklessly.


    While Daniel wouldn''t know these people''s specific thoughts, nor would he be particrly concerned.


    But he was entirely unbothered.


    Daniel''s response was a bit of a letdown for Robert.


    He had hoped to stir up resentment by bringing up Daniel, stimting the emotions of the other treasure hunters, and therefore creating a heated atmosphere right at the beginning of the auction.


    But this little fox was clearly not so easy to handle.


    Robert didn''t waste any more time, nced at the file in his hand, and got straight to hosting the auction.


    "Enough chit-chat, let''s get the auction started."


    "The first round of containers up for auction todayes from the ind city of Habin."


    "Since they''ve remained unimed for a long time, they''re now up for public auction!"


    "As per tradition, you''ll get a few minutes for inspection!"


    With these words, Robert gestured, and the staff stepped forward with bolt cutters to cut therge iron lock on the container.


    Once the container door was opened, everyone crowded around.


    Due to therge number of people, Daniel, who hadn''t had a chance to move, was pushed to the back of the crowd.


    Abel, being tall, easily squeezed through the crowd, while the small and thin Allen had a tough time, almost feeling like his guts were being squeezed out.


    Finally managing to worm his way out, he panted, "Damn, that was brutal."


    "These folks are like they have a death wish, seriously."


    "Bro, we have to get through, otherwise we won''t see anything, how can we bid then?"


    Abel signaled him to be patient and looked towards Daniel.


    Unhurried, Daniel pointed to the big screen set up behind the stage.


    "That''s fine too, there''s no big difference."


    For him, indeed, there was no difference.


    After all, all he needed was to see the goods to appraise them with his system, there was no need to chase the details.


    Abel and Allen also looked up at the big screen.


    Luckily, the resolution wasn''t too bad.


    At least they could see what was inside.


    "Holy crap, why is there outer packaging?"


    "It''s so tightly wrapped, there''s nobel on the box, how the hell are we supposed to know what''s inside?"


    Several first-time auction-goers started to grumble.


    Some of the more hot-tempered ones even wanted to tear open the boxes, but they were stopped by the security staff in ck.


    After watching the big screen for a while, Abel turned to Daniel and asked, "Dan, do you see anything?"


    Daniel hadn''t used his system to appraise yet, but based on the images shot by the camera on the screen, he had a rough guess.


    "You see those boxes, all less than ten centimeters wide, but a meter to a meter and a half long."


    "What could be in such slender boxes?"


    "What?" Allen stared nkly, clueless.


    Daniel exined, "Habin is a natural ind city, its favorable geographical environment means the surrounding waters are rich in fish. It''s a famous fishing hotspot nationally, even globally. Therefore, it''s also home to world-ss fishing gear manufacturers."


    At this, Allen''s face lit up, he blurted out, "So, these boxes contain fishing gear?"


    Hearing this, all the treasure hunters around them turned their heads to look!


    Those who knew Daniel were well aware of his abilities, and the neers also had some understanding.


    They all trusted Daniel''s appraisal wholeheartedly.


    If Daniel said these boxes contained fishing gear, then there was no doubt about it!


    The boxes seemed new from the packaging, which meant this was a batch of brand-new, undelivered fishing gear!


    And Habin''s fishing gearpany was renowned worldwide, its product prices were assured.


    It would be a piece of cake to sell this batch of goods.


    With this thought, the eyes of all the treasure hunters lit up.


    At the side, Abel''s face instantly darkened.


    He looked at Allen, both angry and helpless.


    "I really want to crack your head open to see if it''s filled with crap."


    "You''ve been a treasure hunter for a while, don''t you know not to blurt out such things?"


    Allen knew he had made a mistake and scratched his head, grinning sheepishly, "Sorry, sorry, got a bit too excited and let the cat out of the bag."


    "But don''t worry, bro, we still have an edge."


    "I happen to know a guy who''s a minor boss at the Habin fishing gearpany. Maybe I can pump him for information about this shipment."


    Abel''s eyes lit up, "Well, what are you waiting for? Call him!"


    If they could find out the exact value of the shipment, they could make a bid while ensuring they wouldn''t lose out.


    That was definitely an advantage in an auction.


    Allen nodded, immediately pulled out his phone, and headed to a less crowded area.


    Abel turned his head and asked, "Dan, how much do you think this stuff is worth?"


    Daniel hadn''t used his system to appraise yet.


    Hearing this, his gaze finallynded on the container through the crowd.


    The next second, a string of data appeared before his eyes.


    [Condition]: Slightly worn


    [Details]: Contains fishing gear from Habin.


    [Appraisal]: Somewhat valuable


    [Market Price]: 385,000


    [Recovery Price]: 300,000


    Sure enough, it was fishing gear.


    Daniel spoke, "I''m not sure about the specifics of this batch, but if they''re all the same type, this container could hold about 6,000 boxes, worth roughly between 250,000 and 300,000."


    Abel was somewhat surprised, "That valuable?"


    He wasn''t fond of fishing, so he wasn''t clear about the market price of fishing gear.


    In his view, spending 50 SteCoins on fishing gear wasn''t as worthwhile as spending it on a good time with ady of the night.


    Daniel didn''t continue his analysis.


    He wasn''t sure why the system would set such a high price for this shipment.


    But he trusted that the system would never make a mistake; there must be other valuable things deeper inside the container.


    Soon, Allen came back after making the call, looking excited, "Dan, bro, do you know how much these damn fishing gears are worth? You absolutely can''t imagine it!"


    Daniel just smiled without speaking, while Abel said with slight uncertainty, "Between 250,000 and 300,000?"


    At these words, the smile on Allen''s face froze, and his eyes were filled with surprise.


    "Holy smokes, bro, you''re something else! My friend checked the information on this batch and told me the market value is about what you said, 285,000!"

 Chapter 31 -31-Following Along! A Perfect Performance!

    <h4>Chapter 31: Chapter31-Following Along! A Perfect Performance!</h4>


    285,000.


    The same price as Daniel had estimated.


    It seems the container truly has other goods inside.


    Daniel chose not to gloat.


    Abel waved his hand and pointed to Daniel, "No need forpliments, Dan was the one who estimated the price."


    Allen then put on an understanding face, "I knew it. We''re both equally smart. How could you possibly make such an estimate?"


    "Dan, you really are something. If I had known, I wouldn''t have bothered making this call."


    Daniel just smiled lightly, "It was the safe thing to do."


    Just as Allen was about to continue chatting, Robert took to the podium.


    "Bidding time is over!"


    "We have a lot of items today, so we need to save time. Please understand."


    "Now, you treasure hunters can start bidding."


    Soon, fiercepetition broke out among the crowd.


    Wilson, having suffered sessive defeats to Daniel, was not willing to give up and made the opening bid, "10000!"


    This price wasn''t low, but it seemed inadequate for these fishing gear.


    Emilia followed with a direct price of 20,000 SteCoins.


    This number changed many faces among the treasure hunters, most of whom were newbies.


    To them, 20,000 SteCoins was an extremely high price for a batch of goods they knew little about, perhaps too risky.


    Wilson turned his head sharply, eyes wide, "Emilia, have you lost your mind? Do you know how many fishing gear 20,000 SteCoins can buy?"


    Emilia, holding herrge and plump breasts, pouting her ming red lips, and giving him a coquettish look, replied, "Twenty thousand can indeed buy thousands of ordinary brand fishing gear, but these goods likelye from Habin, possibly produced by Habin Company. Their value could double."


    Hearing this, many inexperienced treasure hunters started to show interest.


    Before long, the price of these unmarked goods was driven up to 50000 SteCoins, enough to buy tens of thousands of the lowest-grade fishing gear.


    Seeing this, Allen asked Abel, "Bro, aren''t we going to bid?"


    Abel smirked, "What''s the rush? This price hasn''t hit their limit yet."


    Daniel looked at Abel, inwardly admiring the old treasure hunter''s patience and strategy.


    Just as Abel predicted, the price kept rising.


    It wasn''t until Wilson bid 78000 that the vibe cooled down.


    Robert looked at everyone, asking into the microphone, "78,000! Is there any higher bid? These could be Habin''s fishing gear, potentially worth over 100,000!"


    He said this on purpose, hoping to stimte the crowd.


    But no one made another bid for a long time.


    Seeing this, Robert was about to announce, "So, this container goes to Wilson for 78000 SteCoins..."


    But before he could finish, Abel raised his hand and interrupted, "Hold on! Robert, I bid 80000!"


    Wilson, who was waiting for the result, was taken aback.


    He turned towards Abel, anger in his eyes, "Abel, you''re doing this on purpose, aren''t you?"


    Just as the goods were about to be his, Abel decided to stir the pot.


    Unfazed, Abel shrugged and said, "I am doing it on purpose. What are you going to do about it?"


    "If you have the guts, raise the bid. If not, shut your trap!"


    "81,000!" Wilson immediately shouted.


    With so many eyes on him, he was not about to back down.


    Abel raised his hand and shouted, "82,000!"


    Wilson red, "83,000!"


    Abel continued leisurely, "84,000!"


    Wilson: "85,000!"


    Abel: "86,000!"


    Clearly frustrated, Wilson eximed, "Damn it, are you ever going to stop? I''m adding ten thousand right now!"


    "If you dare, raise it, I won''t!"


    "96000!"


    Abel frowned, clearly hesitating.


    Wilson, seeing this, felt a rush of triumph.


    However, it didn''tst long, as Abel made another bid.


    "100,000!"


    Abel red and loudly dered, "Wilson, this is my final offer. If you bid any higher, I''m out."


    One hundred thousand SteCoins for this batch of fishing gear ¨C it would be a massive loss if things went south, and not much profit even if they struck gold.


    Wilson''s face was a mix of emotions. He hesitated for a while, then finally decided to stop bidding.


    Robert was overjoyed.


    He already knew the container was filled with fishing gear.


    He had thought it could fetch around fifty thousand at most, but to his surprise, it doubled.


    All thanks to Daniel ¨C if it hadn''t been for the idental leak of the appraisal results to the Abel brothers, the price of the container would never have soared this high!


    Daniel really was his lucky star.


    Ever since his arrival, Robert''smission from hosting auctions had multiplied several times.


    "I need to find an opportunity to thank him properly," he thought, keeping his excitement off his face.


    He scanned the crowd of treasure hunters, asking aloud, "Any offers higher than one hundred thousand SteCoins?"


    "It could possibly be top-tier fishing gear inside!"


    "One hundred thousand SteCoins once!"


    "One hundred thousand SteCoins twice!"


    "One hundred thousand SteCoins third... Sold!"


    Just as he was about to announce the deal, Emilia raised her hand. "I bid one hundred and ten thousand SteCoins!"


    Everyone looked puzzled.


    Emilia had already ced a bid and had given up when Wilson offered seventy-eight thousand SteCoins.


    Why was she now offering one hundred and ten thousand?


    Robert didn''t care about the why; he only knew this could significantly boost hismission.


    "Emilia indeed is an experienced treasure hunter with a discerning eye!"


    "Any bids higher than one hundred and ten thousand?"


    As Robert spoke, his eyes fell on Abel.


    He knew that at this stage, the only ones who would still bid were the Abel brothers, unless, of course, Daniel told them not to.


    Just as Abel was about to speak, Daniel patted his shoulder, "Let me handle this."


    Under everyone''s gaze, Daniel said, "We all know what''s in the first container, and it''s meaningless to keep fighting over it. It''s worth exactly this much."


    "Our final offer is one hundred and thirty thousand SteCoins. If there''s any bid higher than this, even by one penny, we''ll withdraw."


    Many people found his words sincere, believing what Daniel said was true.


    Emilia furrowed her brows, her gaze locked onto Daniel, trying to read something from his expression.


    However, in the end, she chose to back off.


    The only reason she had upped her bid was because she thought Abel''s sudden price increase must have something to do with Daniel.


    After hearing Daniel''s words, she too felt that this price was indeed their limit.


    She didn''t know much about fishing gear, only the basics, and she wasn''t sure about the condition of the items in the batch.


    Buying this batch for more than 130,000 didn''t seem like a good deal.


    So, Emilia chose to withdraw.


    Seeing this, Robert announced the auction result.


    "Congrattions to the Abel brothers for winning this container from Habin at the price of 130,000!"


    Hearing this, the eyes of the Abel brothers lit up.


    They were well aware that the market value of this batch of goods was 280,000.


    Even if they had to lower the price for a quick sale, it would still be well over 200,000.


    They were sure to profit from this container!


    Allen, tears welling up in his eyes with excitement, said, "Bro, we''ve got a clean profit of 100,000 right here!"


    Abel nodded, his eyes excitedly turned to Daniel, "Dan, as soon as we sell these, we''ll immediately give you your share."


    But Daniel shook his head and said calmly, "Why the rush? We haven''t even inspected the goods yet."


    Abel and Allen were taken aback, "Dan, we already know how much this batch of goods is worth, and your estimate should be pretty urate. There shouldn''t be any surprises, so why do we need to inspect the goods?"


    Daniel smiled mysteriously, "How do you know that this batch of goods is only worth 280,000? Let''s open the container and inspect the goods. There might be a surprise."


    At this, the Abel brothers were even more confused, not understanding what Daniel meant.


    Would there be any unexpected changes with this already set deal?

 Chapter 32 -32-The Master Appraiser! The Second Round of Bidding!

    <h4>Chapter 32: Chapter32-The Master Appraiser! The Second Round of Bidding!</h4>


    Even though they didn''t know what Daniel meant, Abel and Allen obediently followed him to open the container.


    Soon, all the goods inside the container were unloaded andid out before everyone''s eyes.


    Just as expected, there were all-new cardboard boxes with nobels.


    Some treasure hunters started to discuss.


    "This stuff looks like no-name products. Could they be products manufactured by Habin?"


    "No Habin logo, suspicious."


    "One hundred and thirty thousand SteCoins for this batch of fishing gear with no known brand, they''re going to take a big loss."


    "It seems Daniel''s good luck has finally run out."


    Daniel didn''t care about what they said.


    He randomly opened a box, which indeed contained brand new fishing gear, and the fishing rod even had a logo printed on it.


    Allen leaned in and immediately recognized it: "It''s Habin''s logo!"


    Hearing this, the treasure hunters were taken aback.


    A basic Habin fishing rod would sell for 45 SteCoins in stores.


    This batch contained 6,300 rods, meaning¡­


    "A value of 280,000?!"


    Some treasure hunters quickly caught on.


    The number echoed in the crowd like a bomb going off.


    Holy smokes, a clean profit of 150,000?!


    Daniel continued to rummage through the boxes.


    Given that all the goods were fishing gear, it must mean that the gears varied in quality.


    Otherwise, the system wouldn''t have identified an extra 100,000 in market value.


    Abel and Allen watched Daniel, puzzled.


    "Dan, what exactly are you looking for?"


    While searching, Daniel replied, "Money! Open all these boxes."


    His tone left no room for doubt.


    Abel and Allen could only do as they were told.


    Soon, Daniel opened a box, revealing fishing gear with a golden pattern.


    A smile spread across his face, "As expected, found it!"


    Abel and Allen quickly gathered around.


    Seeing the extraordinary fishing gear in Daniel''s hands, they were quite astonished.


    "What is this?" Allen asked, a bit puzzled, reaching out to touch it.


    Abel quickly pped his hand away, "Don''t touch! If you damage it, it won''t be worth anything!"


    "Could this be¡­ gold-ted?"


    Daniel nodded.


    He had already had the system appraise it.


    Just this one piece of fishing gear, with its one hundred grams of gold pattern, was worth 10,000 SteCoins!


    The extra 100,000 in market value came from this piece!


    He quickly said, "Keep looking, there should be more!"


    Hearing this, Abel and Allen sprung into action.


    If they were previously moving out of respect for Daniel, now they were fully driven by their inner voices.


    This was like a treasure hunt, who the hell wouldn''t be enthusiastic?


    Soon, all the special fishing gear with the golden patterns were found.


    A total of ten, allid out before everyone''s eyes.


    Durant took a look at the fishing gear and then gave Daniel an odd look, "Dan, I seriously suspect you have some sort of special ability."


    "Such special merchandise has never appeared before. Since you started attending the auction, they''ve started showing up and you''ve caught them all."


    This statement was unanimously agreed by Abel and Allen, both of them asked curiously, "Dan, even the guys at Habin didn''t know about these goods. How did you know?"


    "After all, you were quite certain there was something fishy about this batch."


    Faced with such a question, Daniel was stumped.


    What should he answer?


    He couldn''t exactly say he had a special system that allowed him to see the exceptional value of the batch, could he?


    Faced with their probing gaze, Daniel quickly made up an excuse, "I guessed. Unmarked goods like these are probably custom-made, and in such cases, there is a high chance of special products."


    "The reason why Allen''s friend didn''t know about these special gold rods, I think, is that the owner of the goods probably had them gold-ted after receiving them."


    This exnation seemed usible enough.


    At least Abel and Allen were both very convinced, "So that''s how it is, Dan. You truly are a master appraiser!"


    "Even this kind of situation you can think of, we''re totally impressed," the two brothers said.


    Danielughed heartily and urged the two to call someone to handle these goods.


    Among the crowd, Wilson, Emilia, and other veteran treasure hunters watched Abel and Allen withplex expressions.


    A single auctionting over 200,000 in profit.


    Before this, if they could earn 10,000 or 20,000 from an auction, they''d already beughing all the way to the bank.


    But since Daniel appeared, profits started at 100,000!


    It was mind-blowing.


    They all regretted not building a good rtionship with Daniel, like Abel and Allen did.


    If they had, they could be the ones profiting from this lot!


    But s, there''s no use crying over spilled milk.


    All the treasure hunters sighed, only able to watch Abel and Allen who were cheering and jumping for joy, silently green with envy.


    Soon, the second round of the auction started.


    After the warm-up of the first auction round, especially when Abel and Allen sold the fishing gear on the spot.


    Money and goods exchanged hands, the sight of them counting so much money that their hands were cramping, all seen by the crowd.


    It instantly created a vibe of imbnce.


    Why could they be so happy?


    Why couldn''t I earn that money?


    The containers in this round of auctions must be won!


    Looking at Abel and Allen''s incessant smiles, Daniel was sweating buckets.


    Especially when he noticed several hostile nces from the crowd, he was a bit jittery.


    It wasn''t that he was scared, but these fes all had guns tucked in their jackets!


    Those obvious gun holsters, they were only a step away from pulling out their guns, firing a few shots, and dering a robbery.


    Daniel cursed inwardly, wishing he had bought a bulletproof vest for this kind of situation!


    He looked at the two men, and finally couldn''t help but say, "Guys, can we keep a low profile for now? There are a bunch of wolves eyeing us right now."


    Abel turned his head, nced at the crowd below, and intentionally puffed out his chest.


    It was then that Daniel noticed that Abel had a silver pistol tucked on each side of his open jacket.


    Holy crap, he was a wolf, too.


    Allen seemedpletely unconcerned.


    He picked up a few bundles of cash from the box, intending to give them to Daniel, "Dan, this is your appraisal fee."


    Daniel, red-faced, said, "Could you hold on to this for me? I don''t have pockets big enough to carry all of that."


    Allenughed, and only then did he put the money back into the suitcase.


    Daniel was speechless.


    These two brothers were really something else.


    At that moment, Robert, with files in hand, walked onto the stage again.


    "Sorry for the wait, everyone. The next containeres from Stetbon in the southern continent."


    "Like the others, it has been unimed for a long time, and byw, it''s up for public auction."


    "Same rules as before, observation first!"


    Robert stepped aside after finishing, and two staff members came up to cut the lock and open the container door before hastily leaving.


    When the contents of the container were revealed to everyone, there was an immediate stir.


    "Is this... a mining machine?"


    "Looks like a small washing machine."


    "A washing machine from Stetbon, that''s interesting."


    "Do you guys figure out what this thing is?"


    At the back of the crowd, Daniel, Abel, and Allen were still staring at the big screen.


    Scratching his head, Allen looked nkly at Abel, "Bro, can you tell what these machines are?"


    Abel shook his head, turning to Daniel, "Dan, any ideas?"


    Daniel immediately opened his mouth, "You guys know about Stetbon?"


    Allen shook his head.


    But Abel said, "A small country in the southern continent, Stetbon is the only city. I heard it''s rich in gold."


    Daniel nodded, "Exactly. Stetbon has a gold deposit ranked fifth in the world for gold content."


    Frowning, Allen asked, "Don''t tell me these machines, which aren''t even as tall as a person, are mining machines."


    Daniel smiled, "No, they''re not. They''re washing machines."


    "They''re used for mechanical gold panning in rivers, which is many times more efficient than panning gold manually."


    Hearing this, Allen''s eyes widened, "So, you''re saying these grimy machines are just retired from the gold panning frontlines!"


    Daniel nodded, "Quite likely."


    Allen became excited instantly, "Oh my gosh, if these machines still have residual gold in them, even if it''s just a few grams, it''s not a small sum with so many machines!"


    Um...


    Danielughed helplessly, speechless, "It''s not impossible, but the chance is very small!"

 Chapter 33 -33-The madness of the gambler! Is there really gold?!

    <h4>Chapter 33: Chapter33-The madness of the gambler! Is there really gold?!</h4>


    What do people use these machines for?


    Of course, it''s for gold panning.


    Since it''s for gold panning, when the machine finishes working, all the gold panned will certainly be cleaned out.


    Could it possibly be left in the machine to be shipped overseas to you?


    Daniel could not keep up with Allen''s line of thought.


    However, he had underestimated the thought processes of these gamblers.


    Soon, Robert shouted through the microphone, "Time''s up!"


    "As you all have seen, these machines, all of them are washing machines retired from the Stetbon gold mine!"


    "The value of this container doesn''t need much exnation!"


    "I dere, the second round of auction begins now!"


    "The starting bid is 20,000 SteCoin, with a minimum bid increment of 1,000 SteCoin!"


    This time, the bidding rules were also included.


    It seemed Robert was very confident about this lot.


    Daniel chuckled to himself.


    As soon as Robert finished speaking, a treasure hunter immediately made a bid.


    "20,000 SteCoin!"


    Everyone nced at him, he was a newbie.


    The starting bid was 20,000, so bidding 20,000 was pointless.


    Sure enough, someone quickly made another bid.


    Wilson raised his hand, "30,000 SteCoin!"


    This price made everyone turn their heads.


    It had just started, and the single bid increment was over 10,000 dors.


    It seemed a bit hasty.


    Another newbie treasure hunter kept up, "35,000 SteCoin!"


    Emilia raised her hand calmly, "50,000 SteCoin!"


    The woman directly increased the bid by 15,000 SteCoin, instantly intimidating the other treasure hunters.


    Seeing everyone aggressively bidding, Allen looked anxiously at Daniel.


    "Dan, should we bid?"


    Abel also silently waited for Daniel''s response.


    After all, those are machines for gold washing, even though the chances of finding residual gold inside them are slim.


    But what if?


    Seeing that both were bing restless, Daniel nodded, "We can bid, but the price can''t exceed 100,000 SteCoin for now."


    This was his system''s estimated valuation.


    He only checked the machines disyed on the outside, and the market value given by the system for all of them was around 10,000 SteCoin.


    "Okay!"


    Upon getting Daniel''s approval, Allen immediately excitedly raised his hand to bid, "100,000 SteCoin!"


    Damn it!


    Daniel was stunned.


    He had just said not to exceed 100,000 SteCoin, and this idiot immediately ced a bid of exactly 100,000 SteCoin.


    Abel, standing nearby, couldn''t stand it anymore, and gave Allen a smack, growling, "Is that how you bid?"


    Allen touched the spot on his head where he was hit, his eyes full of innocence, and mumbled, "I reckon I didn''t exceed 100,000 SteCoin, did I..."


    Abel turned around, ring, "What did you say?"


    Knowing he messed up, Allen quickly smiled, "No... nothing."


    Geez!


    It really wasn''t easy for this guy to grow up.


    Daniel couldn''t help but chuckle, his gaze turning towards the crowd.


    The price of 100,000 SteCoin had truly stunned everyone.


    They had seen bidding before, but never such bidding.


    Doubling the bid just like that!


    Looking at Daniel next to Allen, everyone sighed inwardly.


    It''s good to be rich, to be able to squander money at will.


    Daniel: Don''t look at me, it wasn''t my directive.


    On stage, Robert was overjoyed.


    It hadn''t been long since the auction started, and the price had already skyrocketed to 100,000.


    Let''s stoke the fire a bit more, let the price ze even more fiercely!


    "Oh-ho~!"


    "The Abel-Allen brothers, under Daniel''s guidance, jumped over the price of 50,000 SteCoin, and directly went up to 100,000 SteCoin!"


    "It seems Mr. Dan is very confident in the value of this container!"


    "The highest bid now is 100,000 SteCoin, do we have any higher bids?"


    Frowning, Daniel was a bit displeased.


    This sly fox, always pushing him to the forefront.


    Robert didn''t care about his attitude, scanning the crowd.


    Soon, a treasure hunter was swayed by Robert''s words.


    "110,000 SteCoin!"


    The one bidding was Wilson.


    He had let opportunities slip into Daniel''s hands several times already.


    This time, he had to seize it no matter what.


    Emilia followed suit, shouting, "115,000 SteCoin!"


    Wilson didn''t even look at Emilia, immediately keeping up, "120,000 SteCoin!"


    Emilia: "125,000!"


    Wilson: "130,000!"


    The two chased each other, increasing the bid by 5,000 each time.


    The price quickly rose to 180,000 SteCoin.


    At this price, Wilson was already feeling the pressure.


    He gritted his teeth and called out the final price, "185,000!"


    However, before Emilia could react, another bald man raised his hand to bid, "200,000!"


    In an instant.


    He had everyone''s attention.


    Daniel understood why the man was bidding like this.


    He had been observing at the container door all along, only starting to bid now.


    Seems like he found something.


    Daniel also tried to look into the container, but due to the distance, he couldn''t see anything.


    All he could do was focus on the container itself.


    [Condition]: Slightly worn


    [Details]: Contains gold prospecting equipment from the nation of Stetbon


    [Appraisal]: Average value, not worth collecting.


    [Market Price]: 130,000


    [Buyback Price]: 100,000


    Damn!


    Daniel was dumbfounded.


    The bidding price had soared to 200,000, yet the system''s appraisal price was just 130,000.


    He nced at the bald man, really not understanding what this guy saw that he dared to bid 200,000.


    "It''s at 200,000!"


    Allen turned around, asking Daniel, "Dan, shouldn''t we be bidding?"


    Daniel shook his head, "We''re not going for this container."


    Allen''s eyes widened, incredulous, "Why?"


    "There might be gold in there. Everyone''s scrambling for it. How can we not bid?"


    Daniel replied irritably, "Bid if you want to, but don''t say I didn''t warn you."


    Hearing this, Allen was dumbfounded.


    He naturally wouldn''t dare to make a decision on his own, so he cast a look at his elder brother.


    Abel signaled Allen to quiet down, then asked Daniel himself, "Dan, did you notice something?"


    Otherwise, he definitely wouldn''t be behaving this way.


    Daniel raised an eyebrow, sighing, "From my perspective, the value of this container doesn''t exceed 140,000."


    "Like I said before, even if these machines are for gold prospecting, why would their users leave gold behind? There''s absolutely no gold in this container."


    "That''s my personal opinion. If you two brothers still aren''t convinced, you can try your luck. But don''t exceed 250,000."


    If someone''s bound to be a fool, all you can do is try to minimize their losses.


    Surprisingly, Abel wasn''t as rash as Allen.


    After some thought, Abel said, "Allen, let''s pass on this container."


    Once the older brother had spoken, Allen had no choice but to nod.


    At the auction, the prices continued to skyrocket.


    The bald man bid 220,000 SteCoin, with Wilson close behind at 230,000 SteCoin.


    This upset the bald man, who promptly raised his bid by 20,000 SteCoin.


    Then, he gritted his teeth at Wilson, spitefully saying, "Wilson, 250,000 is my bottom line. If your price is higher than 250,000, the container is yours!"


    Wilson began to hesitate.


    He noticed that it had been a while since Daniel''s group had bid.


    Although he didn''t want to admit it, he already believed Daniel had some appraisal skills.


    If Daniel wasn''t bidding, he also couldn''t bid.


    Seeing this, Allen was surprised, "Wilson was acting all tough earlier, howe he''s chickened out now?"


    Abel noticed Wilson''s nce at Daniel and couldn''t help but smile, "He hasn''t chickened out, he''s just gotten wiser."


    After he said this, he pointed at Daniel.


    Allen suddenly understood, "I see, that sneaky fox, he''s really gotten smarter."


    With no new bids for a long while, Robert knew it was his turn to step in.


    "250,000 SteCoins, is there anyone willing to bid higher?"


    "Then I dere, this container goes to our new friend!"


    The bald man was immediately thrilled, excitedly punching the air, "Yes! Yes!"


    He happily went forward, instructing the workers to move out the machines, "Be careful,ds, don''t drop my gold!"


    Hearing this, everyone turned to look.


    Could it be, there was really gold in there?


    Nine machines and a bunch of rted tools were cleared out.


    Everyone was closely watching the bald man''s moves, curious if there was gold in these machines.


    Soon, everyone noticed.


    The bald man''s face, had turned dark.

 Chapter 35 -35-A Severed Finger?!（2rd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!）

    <h4>Chapter 35: Chapter35-A Severed Finger?!£¨2rd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!£©</h4>


    Daniel watched as the crowd scattered, even the staff kept their distance.


    He looked at the container, now like a portable swimming pool filled with feces, and was puzzled.


    How was he supposed to deal with this?


    If he had to reach in, would he want his hand afterward?


    At that moment, Abel and Allen came over with poles borrowed from the movers, and baffled Durant, covering his nose, followed them.


    Daniel instinctively reached for the pole in Abel''s hand, but Abel stepped back, "Daniel, let us handle this. You just tell us what to do."


    Abel believed that Daniel had a reason for wanting this pool of feces.


    Daniel shook his head.


    To be honest, even he didn''t know what to do.


    But the appraisal result given by the system couldn''t be false.


    Looking at the nearly tangible stench hanging in the air, he didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    But for a billion, let''s do it!


    Daniel took the long pole, stood at the entrance of the container, and reached into the feces pool.


    The once dried-up waste was easily stirred by the pole.


    Damn it, this smell is absolutely outrageous!


    Daniel squinted his eyes, leaving only a thin sliver to see through.


    The gases produced by the fermentation of feces in the container were simply too eye-watering.


    Allen, who stood the furthest back, ended up retching up his breakfast.


    He hid behind Abel, desperately holding himself together, "Bro, what on earth is Daniel looking for?"


    Abel, with a furrowed brow, shook his head.


    He was just as curious, which was why he was still there.


    Otherwise, he would''ve fled like everyone else.


    Viewers in the live stream got a firsthand experience of the scene through the camera on Daniel''s chest.


    "Holy shit, did the streamer fall into a septic tank?"


    "Not quite, he just bought a container filled with a septic tank."


    "What??? Why buy this? Is he out of his mind?"


    "Seems like the streamer thinks there''s something valuable hidden in there."


    "Who''d put valuable stuff in there? I can''t handle it, gonna puke."


    At that moment, Daniel had no time to check out the viewers'' reactions.


    He had been searching in the septic pool for quite some time, with the eye-burning stench radiating hundreds of meters around.


    Yet he had found nothing.


    If it weren''t for the system''s unchanged appraisal result in his mind, he would''ve dropped the pole and left.


    Could the system''s appraisal be wrong?


    He wondered.


    But he quickly dismissed the idea.


    The probability of the system making a mistake is probably even lower than that of the universe being destroyed.


    He gritted his teeth and continued to search for the hidden item with the pole.


    After watching for a while, Durant even wondered if Daniel had lost his mind.


    He held his nose and reluctantly moved forward, "Daniel, what on earth are you looking for?"


    "Is there really something hidden in these feces?"


    Daniel turned his head, taking deep breaths of fresh air.


    The air outside was obviously much better than inside the container.


    Damn, it smells good!


    He looked at the strange gazes from Durant, Abel, and Allen, and smiled, "I''m not sure. I just think it''s strange for anyone to ship this kind of stuff all the way from country B. The shipping fee alone would cost thirty to forty thousand SterCoins. It doesn''t make sense."


    Durant got his point, "So you believe there''s something hidden in there?"


    Daniel nodded, "Not just something, but something that can''t see the light of day."


    At these words, Durant, Abel, and Allen all widened their eyes.


    Just as Daniel said, the item that was transported from country B in such aplicated manner couldn''t be just a pool of feces.


    It was very likely that something valuable and secretive was hidden in there!


    Suddenly Allen thought of something.


    He looked around, saw no one, and turned his head to whisper, "Do you think there might be drugs or something simr hidden in there?"


    Abel and Durant were taken aback.


    They''d heard of drug dealers using unthinkable methods to transport drugs, such as having people swallow well-packaged drugs or hide them in women''s vaginas.


    Hiding them in feces wouldn''t be impossible.


    If that''s the case, they shouldn''t touch this container at all.


    Drug dealers can be ruthless and messing with them wouldn''t be a wise move.


    All eyes turned to Daniel.


    Daniel rubbed his nose, he had also considered this possibility.


    A hundred million worth of drugs hidden in a septic pool seems usible.


    But if it were such arge amount of drugs, they should have been able to find it easily.


    However, considering he had found nothing after searching for so long, the item worth a hundred million surely isn''t something big.


    At least, it wouldn''t be drugs.


    "Anyway, let''s find it first. Even if it''s drugs, we could secretly contact the police before anyone notices. They could handle it quietly, at least that would prove I didn''t buy the wrong container," Daniel suggested.


    At this, the three felt relieved.


    At least this approach seemed safe.


    Thinking that something valuable might be inside, Durant, Abel, and Allen all disregarded the unbearable smell, found a few more poles, opened the side of the container, and started to help search.


    In the live stream, the viewers were dumbfounded seeing the four enthusiastically searching through the fecal matter.


    "No way, they actually believe the streamer''s bullshit?"


    "I''mughing my ass off, I''m gonna clip this live stream and post it on the video website, it''ll go viral for sure."


    "I actually think the streamer''s analysis makes sense."


    "The streamer can always analyze the maximum value of the container under any circumstances, no wonder the people from Libertopia hail him as an appraisal master."


    After searching for a long time, all four were drenched in sweat.


    Suddenly, Allen shouted excitedly, "I found it! I found it!"


    At his words, the others immediately dropped their poles and rushed over.


    Allen was holding up a pure ck leather briefcase with his pole.


    It looked very simr to the cases often seen in drug deals in movies.


    After Allen carefully lifted the case out and tossed it on the ground, the four looked at each other, faced with a dilemma.


    Who would open the case?


    That was the question.


    The leather case had been soaked in the septic pool for who knows how long, its color looked a bit yellowish and there were lots of dried filth on it.


    Nobody wanted to touch it.


    Daniel suggested, "How about we find a ce to rinse it off first?"


    Durant nodded, "Good idea, there''s a public restroom in the office building over there."


    After saying that, Durant took the lead with Daniel and Abel following behind. Allen, left with the task of carrying the briefcase, could only sigh and quickly catch up.


    Soon, the four arrived at the restroom.


    Allen tossed the case into the sink and was about to turn on the faucet.


    Suddenly he turned around and blurted out, "Will rinsing it with water damage the contents?"


    Daniel was speechless.


    Abel scornfully said, "You think there''s no water in the septic pool?"


    Allen was stunned for a moment, then had an epiphany.


    He gave an awkwardugh, then turned on the faucet.


    After rinsing for a solid half hour, the briefcase no longer looked like it had been soaking in a septic pool for so long.


    Abel said, "Allen, open it."


    Allen was somewhat reluctant, "Why me?"


    Seeing that none of the other three paid any attention to him, he had to grit his teeth and unlock the case.


    Upon opening it, the inside was surprisingly clean.


    On the ck padding, there was a green dried-up twig sealed in a vacuum bag.


    It was just a bit longer than a middle finger.


    What could this be? This question popped into everyone''s minds.


    Durant reached out and grabbed the bag, examining it closely.


    After only a few nces, a look of fear appeared in his eyes.


    "Oh my God! If I''m not mistaken... this is a finger!"


    A finger?!


    Abel, Allen, and even Daniel all widened their eyes in shock.


    The chat in the live stream also exploded.


    "Oh my, could this be rted to a murder case?"


    "Even a cross-border murder case, things are getting interesting now!"


    "But why is the finger green? It... doesn''t look like a human finger."


    "Is there any animal with a finger that looks like this?"


    Everyone was filled with confusion.


    Daniel''s gaze fell on the severed finger.


    The green on the surface was clearly the original skin color, there was no sign of staining.


    The skin of the finger was as shriveled as that of a ny-year-old human, even more wrinkled.


    The strangest thing was, human fingers mostly have three joints, with the thumb having two.


    But this green finger had five joints, which didn''t look like any kind of deformity in human development.


    It looked both normal and bizarre.


    He also thought it didn''t look like a human finger.


    Goris, monkeys didn''t have green fingers, and theirs weren''t this long either.


    Apart from these two humanoid animals, which other creature on earth has fingers like humans?


    Daniel thought about all the creatures he knew of, and in the end, he found none.


    His only option was to use the system, he focused his gaze and started appraising.


    [Item]: Severed Finger


    [Age]: 1300 years ago


    [Condition]: Well-preserved


    [Details]: Auric''s severed finger.


    [Appraisal]: Auric is an alien life form superior to humans, with great research value!


    [Market Price]: 100,000,000SterCoins.


    [Buyback Price]: 50,000,000SterCoins.


    Alien... life form?!


    Is it... an alien?


    Even someone asposed as Daniel was taken aback at the moment, he stood still, unable to process the information shown by the system immediately.

 Chapter36-Alien Finger?! The Internet is Shocked!（1st update, Cheer me up with Power Stones!）

    36 Chapter36-Alien Finger?! The Inte is Shocked!£¨1st update, Cheer me up with Power Stones!£©


    Once he calmed down, Daniel thought to himself...


    Yes, that''s it!


    He had originally thought that no matter what creature''s finger this was, it could never be worth a billion.


    To his utter surprise, it turned out to be an alien finger!


    Auric!


    Although he had no idea what species this being was, the term "alien" alone was enough.


    The price was totally justified!


    Humanity''s exploration of aliens has surpassed a century.


    Some countries have evenunched irretrievable outer gxy space probes.


    Searching for aliens was one of the missions!


    The vast universe, its depth unknown.


    The endless cosmos, there can''t possibly be only one human civilization!


    Over the years, despite humans'' tireless efforts to find aliens, there has been no solid evidence proving their existence.


    Now, the evidence was right before his eyes!


    Excitement, thrill, and shock gradually rose in Daniel''s eyes.


    His emotions were overwhelming.


    After a long look, Durant shook his head: "I''m sorry, I really can''t tell what species this finger belongs to, I''m no expert in biology."


    Allen said: "No problem, this thing is quite interesting, a bit of a curiosity."


    Abel admired Daniel a bit: "Daniel, you''ve got some nerve, even this can make you a profit. Even though we don''t know what it is, it''s definitely worth more than the container."


    Daniel pretended to be puzzled and said: "Do you think... could it be an alien finger?"


    At this sentence, Durant, Abel, and Allen all froze for a few seconds, then slowly turned their heads to look at Daniel in unison.


    Durant said: "Daniel, you''re such a kid at heart."


    He wanted to call Daniel naive but didn''t want to be too blunt.


    Allen had no such concerns and burst outughing: "Daniel, you''re hrious. I stopped believing in aliens when I was in high school, and now you... hahaha, you''re killing me!"


    Abel didn''t speak, only a look of puzzlement and a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.


    Despite such an absurd conjecture, he felt a hint of agreement deep inside, just because it was Daniel who said it.


    He was even surprised at himself, unaware when Daniel had gained such authority in his mind.


    Seeing Daniel''s serious look, he asked tentatively: "Daniel, you''re not serious, are you?"


    Daniel shrugged: "I can''t be sure either, but look."


    He held up the finger, analyzing seriously: "Human fingers don''t have this many joints. And the skin color, the green doesn''t seem to be dyed, there''s no such creature on Earth."


    Abel thought for a moment and said: "Is it possible that this is just a man-made artifact?"


    Daniel paused, lost in thought.


    He knew it was an alien finger, with great research value and high economic value.


    But the premise was to make others also know that this was an alien finger.


    Simply his word of mouth wouldn''t convince others.


    This was not the evaluation of an antique, it needed a more specialized judgement.


    Daniel asked Durant: "Durant, do you know where we could have a biological evaluation?"


    Durant replied: "There are many such institutions, but I don''t personally know any. Benjamin Taylor would probably know. You could give him a call."


    Hearing this, Daniel immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Benjamin Taylor''s number.


    Almost instantly, he heard Benjamin Taylor''s panting voice on the phone: "Hey! Little brother Daniel!"


    "You... Oh my God..."


    "Do you have something to tell me?"


    "Oh babe, keep it right there, your tongue is so soft, I really want to fill your mouth!"


    Um...


    Daniel grimaced.


    It was broad daylight and a working day, yet Benjamin was engaged in such activities.


    The man''s desires were impressively strong, even a yboy would have to acknowledge him as a brother.


    He lowered his voice: "Mr. Benjamin Taylor, could you listen to me first? I have something important to ask you."


    Daniel exined the situation.


    When Benjamin Taylor heard Daniel''s theory about the alien finger, even though he found it hard to believe, he still said: "This is quite a stretch, but since you want to check it out, I''ll send you a numberter. He''s the head of the police biological examination department, you can look for him."


    Daniel immediatelyughed: "Great, thanks!"


    Benjamin Taylorughed: "We''re bros, no need for formalities."


    "Oh my God, yes, keep licking! Let your juices cover everything!"


    Daniel was speechless, he hurriedly hung up the call.


    Fortunately, the call volume on his phone was low enough, otherwise if others heard the esteemed president of the Ancient Culture Research Association behaving like this behind the scenes, it would be chaos.


    Seeing Daniel hang up, Durant asked: "How did it go?"


    Daniel said: "Mr. Benjamin Taylor gave me a number, I''ll contact him directly in a bit."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a text message arrived on his phone. He opened it to find the number and a name.


    Daniel dialed the number, the call was answered after a few rings.


    "Is this Mr. Martin?"


    15:39


    The other party''s voice was a bit hoarse: "Who is this?"


    Daniel exined his intentions.


    The other party was clearly taken aback for a moment before he said: "Bring the item and find me, I''ll text you the address."


    With that, he promptly hung up.


    Putting away his phone, Daniel looked at the Abel and Allen brothers: "I''m going to get this finger examined now, you guys will have to handle the auction on your own."


    Abel and Allen nodded.


    Daniel hurriedly left.


    He was eager to prove the origin of this finger to the public.


    Only then could his worth skyrocket by a billion.


    Otherwise, if he turned it over for system recycling, it would only be fifty million.


    Besides, this could also make him even more famous online.


    Finding an alien from a container blind box!


    This kind of gimmick was enough to shake the entire inte!


    Soon, Daniel drove directly to his destination.


    Golden Shores City Police Department.


    As soon as he entered, he encountered a striking blonde policewoman.


    She was unspeakably beautiful, resembling a young Jennifer Aniston.


    Daniel couldn''t help but take a second look as he headed straight into the police department.


    Strangely, the blonde policewoman stopped him: "Daniel!"


    "I''m Rachel Williams, Frankie Martin asked me to wait for you here."


    Daniel was surprised.


    Frankie Martin actually had a stunning policewoman like her waiting for him at the entrance.


    That guy Frankie Martin really knew his tastes!


    Daniel smiled confidently: "Hello, Rachel, I''m Daniel."


    Rachel raised an eyebrow, smiling seductively: "Now''s not the best time for flirting, Frankie Martin is waiting for you inside."


    Daniel nodded and gestured for Rachel to lead the way.


    The two of them made their way to the top floor of the police department building.


    The entire floor was upied by the Biological Identification Department, known for having the most advanced biological identification technology in the entirety of Golden Shores City, even in all of Libertopia.


    Following Rachel, Daniel entered an office.


    What surprised Daniel was that the room, which wasbeled as the ''Head''s Office'', actually looked more like a standardb.


    A man in his forties with arge beard waspletely absorbed in his work, lost amidst a pile of equipment.

 Chapter37-Extraterrestrial Being! A Visitor from Area 51?!（2rd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!）

    37 Chapter37-Extraterrestrial Being! A Visitor from Area 51?!£¨2rd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!£©


    Daniel had been waiting for quite some time before the man in charge seemed to even notice his presence.


    To get his attention, Rachel had to cough conspicuously, "Ahem!"


    At that, the man finally looked up, adjusting his slipping sses and squinting at Daniel, "So, you''re the Daniel?"


    With a nod, Daniel confirmed.


    "You''re pretty remarkable, you know. Not many can get under Benjamin Taylor''s skin at such a young age," the man, seeming a bit odd, remarked.


    "My name''s Frankie Martin. I run things around here."


    Rachel, who was standing off to the side, shot Daniel an intrigued look at this revtion.


    Impressive folks always have a way of catching ady''s eye.


    "As I said, I''m Frankie Martin," the man continued. "Now, show me what you''ve brought."


    Daniel stepped forward, cing his briefcase on the table.


    Frankie eyed the briefcase, his nose wrinkling in distaste, "Why does it smell like you dropped it in a toilet?"


    Daniel was slightly taken aback.


    He''d scrubbed the case multiple times beforeing, ensuring there was no trace of smell before he dared bring it here.


    Frankie had called him out on it immediately ¨C the man clearly had a keen sense of detail.


    "Well, you''re not wrong," Daniel confessed, "But I''ve cleaned it thoroughly, and the contents weren''t affected."


    As Frankie began to open the briefcase, he said, "No amount of cleaning can get rid of the bacteria now. You''d better ditch this case."


    His words were followed by the sight of the green severed finger.


    Picking up the bag it was in, he announced, "I''m going to open this."


    Daniel simply responded, "By all means."


    Frankie Martin added, "An examination like this will inevitably cause some minor damage to the sample."


    "No problem," Daniel assured him, "As long as it doesn''t disappear entirely, do whatever you need to do."


    Satisfied, Frankie nodded. "Alright, then. Be prepared to wait an hour or two."


    "Understood," Daniel responded.


    Bio-examinations are notoriouslyplex, potentially requiring several days if necessary.


    Frankie''s timeframe of an hour or two seemed surprisingly swift.


    Noticing Frankie Martin was busily starting his work with Rachel assisting, Daniel excused himself from the office and found a seat in the corridor.


    He pulled out his phone andunched his livestream.


    15:40


    "Streamer, you''re back!"


    "We thought you weren''t going live today, d we waited!"


    "Hey Streamer, where are you?"


    Daniel angled his phone to capture the corridor wall, prominently featuring the Golden Shores Police Department emblem.


    "No way, Streamer! What''d you do to end up at a police department?"


    "Did yound in trouble for talking about aliens? Was it considered hate speech?"


    "Streamer, no worries! Unless you get the death sentence, we''ll wait for you to keep streaming."


    "Stay free, Daniel! We''ve got your back!"


    Laughing, Daniel responded, "You guys are hrious. Even in Los Santos, I wait for the traffic lights to cross the road. I''m hardly about to break thew."


    "We get it, Streamer. A real upstanding citizen!"


    "If you''reparing to Los Santos, Streamer must''ve done something big."


    "What''d you do, jack a car or rob a bank?"


    In response, Daniel aimed his camera at the office doorte.


    "Golden Shores Police Department''s Bio-Exam Department?"


    "You''re actually getting that finger tested?"


    "Streamer, don''t tell us you believe it''s an alien''s finger!"


    Daniel, not offering much exnation, simply replied, "You''ll know the results in two hours."


    The viewers were left gobsmacked, it seemed Streamer was dead serious.


    Meanwhile, in theb.


    Frankie Martin set about his work, cing the cut skin tissue into different instruments, chemical solutions, and under an electronic microscope.


    Multiple processes were running in parallel.


    While waiting for instrument results and chemical reactions, he was peering into the microscope.


    Minutester, he jolted upright, eyes wide in disbelief.


    A puzzled Rachel inquired, "What''s up, Frankie?"


    Eyes glued to the electronic screen, Frankie muttered in shock, "This... How is this possible?!"


    "I need to make a call!"


    His hands shaking slightly, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.


    "Listen to me, get over here now!"


    "We''ve got a serious situation!"


    Daniel, sittingfortably on a sofa, was browsing through risqu¨¦ posts from beautiful women on TwistTweets.


    Just as he was about to cheekilyment about taking a bite, a group of people dashed into the corridor, hurrying into Frankie''sb.


    A smirk tugged at Daniel''s lips.


    It looked like the results were imminent.


    Theb was bustling with people, everyone squeezed around the electronic screen.


    "Frankie Martin, are you certain?" someone questioned. "Could this be some sort of hoax, something fabricated for shock value?"


    Frankie didn''t bother with a verbal response. Instead, he simply vacated his spot. "See for yourselves."


    The group exchanged skeptical nces before clustering together for a closer look.


    Any trace of levity quickly vanished from their faces, reced by increasing solemnity.


    "Who brought this finger in?"


    "Where''s the guy?"


    ncing around, Frankie realized Daniel had left the room. "He was here a moment ago, where did he go?"


    "I''ll check outside," Rachel volunteered hastily.


    The moment she opened the door, she found Daniel casually lounging in the corridor. "Daniel,e in!"


    Daniel stood up, addressing his streaming viewers, "Guys, brace yourselves. The real deal is about to begin."


    Entering the office, Daniel felt the intense scrutiny of numerous pairs of eyes.


    A gathering of older gentlemen was staring right at him.


    "Hello there, I''m Daniel," he greeted.


    A rtively shorter old man responded first, "Daniel, I''m Eric, a biologist."


    Daniel understood that by calling himself a biologist, Eric meant much more than merely his academic degree.


    "I''d like to know where you acquired this finger," Eric inquired.


    "I''m a professional treasure hunter," Daniel responded, "I found it in a shipping container at Golden Shores Port."


    "Did you find any other parts apart from this finger?" Eric probed further.


    Daniel remembered that the system''s appraisal price for the finger was on par with the initial market value of the container, so there likely wasn''t anything missing.


    After some thought, he responded, "No."


    Upon receiving his answer, disappointment was apparent on the faces of the schrs.


    Daniel, indifferent to their reactions, got straight to the point.


    "So, can we conclude that this finger belongs to an extraterrestrial being?"


    The room filled with hesitant nces until finally Frankie Martin broke the silence, "What we can say for sure is that this finger belongs to a non-Earth life form."


    As those words left Frankie''s lips, Daniel''s livestream chat exploded.


    "Holy smokes!!"


    "Did I just hear that right?"


    "Non-Earth life form?"


    "So, the finger is from an alien?!!"


    "What on earth did I just witness?"


    "We''ve witnessed history! Solid proof of extraterrestrial existence!"


    "You struck gold, streamer! This is beyond belief!"


    "Hold on, you guys are believing this just like that?"


    "Yeah, maybe all these are actors hired by the streamer. He''d do anything for clout."


    "Actors, you''ve got to be kidding! Do you even know who these people are?"


    "Frankie Martin, a biologist from Libertopia, a doctoral advisor at the National University, and a Nobelureate in Biology! Eric, also a Libertopia biologist, a doctoral advisor in Biology at the National University, twice nominated for the Nobel prize in Biology! And the other few, they are all top-notch figures in the world of biology! Do you think the streamer could afford to hire them as actors? Do you think he''s worth it?"


    This exnation from a viewer immediately solidified the authenticity of the situation.


    Daniel, however, was caught betweenughter and tears.


    Although thement was defending him, the words stung a little bit.


    What do they mean he''s not worth it?


    Well, fair enough.


    Snippets from the livestream were quickly cut and made into videos, then uploaded onto various video tforms.


    In no time, they spread across the world wide web like wildfire.


    Billions of people worldwide were stunned.


    There really were aliens in this world!


    After staying in theb for half an hour, listening to Frankie Martin and other biologists exin the uniqueness of the severed finger, Daniel made an excuse and, under the reluctant gaze of the older men, left the office.


    While waiting for the elevator, he chatted idly with Rachel.


    At that moment, the elevator arrived.


    The moment the doors slid open, it revealed a group of men dressed in ck and wearing sunsses.


    A chill ran down Daniel''s spine; something felt wrong.


    One of the men in ck approached Daniel and said, "Mr. Daniel, pleasee with us."


    Resistant, Daniel asked, "Where to?"


    The man in ck replied, "Area 51."


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 Chapter Chapter38-Eager Buyers! Mysterious Forbidden Zone!（3rd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!）

    38 Chapter38-Eager Buyers! Mysterious Forbidden Zone!£¨3rd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!£©


    The news of Daniel possessing an alien''s finger caused an uproar on the inte within minutes.


    Alien enthusiasts worldwide swarmed Daniel''s livestream, trying to make contact with him, and if possible, acquire the alien finger!


    In a sh, the chatroom was lit up with all sorts of colorful lights.


    Animations of sports cars, rocket emojis shooting into the sky...


    These were all gifts sent byizens to Daniel, each one represented real SterCoins.


    After splitting with the tform, Daniel had received gifts worth nearly a million SterCoins in a very short time.


    "Have these people lost their minds?"


    "Spending so much money for an alien finger?"


    "Damn, just now there were only a few thousand viewers in the stream, now it''s skyrocketing towards a hundred thousand?"


    "No wonder there are so many gifts, I''m going blind with all these lights!"


    "A hundred thousand viewers! That''s more than some officialrge-scalepetitions!"


    "Looks like the streamer is about to hit the big time!"


    "When did the streamer be such a hotmodity?"


    The gifts in the livestream kept pouring in.


    Each gifter would open the backstage to private message Daniel.


    But at this moment, Daniel didn''t have the time to pay attention to the happenings in his livestream.


    Facing the men in ck iming to be from Area 51, Daniel broke into a cold sweat.


    Area 51!


    The rumored alien research base!


    Over the past several decades, people have spotted various strange-shaped flying objects over Area 51 more than once.


    There''s even a rumor that Area 51 has established some sort of contact with aliens.


    Hence, Libertopia has jumped from an insignificant third-world country to the world''s number one superpower in just fifty years.


    To think this matter would catch their attention!


    Daniel chuckled bitterly.


    Suddenly, he felt a pang of regret, questioning whether his actions had been a bit foolish.


    Perhaps he should have let the system recycle it; five million would be much better than being taken away by these mysterious men in ck.


    Who knows what would happen after being taken away?


    Just then, Daniel''s phone rang.


    Looking at the man in ck, he indicated, "Can I take this call first?"


    The man in ck didn''t respond, implicitly granting permission.


    Daniel answered the phone, "Hello, this is Daniel."


    On the other end of the line, a familiar voice came through, "Hello! Daniel! I want to buy your alien finger. How about a hundred million SterCoins?"


    A hundred million! That''s exactly the market value that the system gave!


    Daniel tentatively asked, "May I ask who this is?"


    The voice replied, "I''m Max!"


    No wonder the voice sounded so familiar; he''d often heard him speaking on TV!


    This newly crowned world''s richest man had an insatiable curiosity about the universe.


    His grand ambition was to lead all of humanity into space.


    It''s no wonder he''s interested in the alien finger, it''s as normal as it gets.


    But...


    Daniel looked up at the men in ck in front of him.


    It was clear that selling this finger might be difficult.


    Max on the other end of the phone mistook Daniel''s silence as hesitation over the price.


    He said, "Mr. Daniel, we can negotiate the price. Are you still at the Golden Shores City Police Department? I can fly over right now."


    This is what it''s like to be rich.


    No need for private messages in the streaming chat.


    Just find out your phone number and suggest a face-to-face discussion.


    Money is a good thing indeed!


    Daniel sighed internally, giving a wry smile.


    "Mr. Max, your offer is very tempting, but I don''t think I''ll be able to sell it to you."


    Max sounded puzzled, "Why? Is someone offering a higher price? You know my worth. No one in this world is richer than me. I can offer more!"


    Of course, I know!


    Who the hell would be richer than the world''s wealthiest man?


    But this matter isn''t one that money can solve.


    Daniel looked at the leader of the men in ck and asked, "Max called to buy the alien finger. Can I sell it to him?"


    The fact that he needed to ask someone else''s opinion before selling his own property was just absurd.


    The leader of the men in ck said nonchntly, "Mr. Daniel, as you know, we came to you for that alien finger. It would be best if you didn''t sell it to anyone else."


    Daniel felt dejected.


    The duck that was within reach flew away.


    A hundred million, destined not to belong to him.


    The leader of the men in ck added, "However, rest assured. If we want this finger, we will do so through a purchase."


    In other words, they would pay him?!


    A light instantly sparked in Daniel''s eyes.


    He told Max on the phone, "Mr. Max, I''m sorry, but I won''t be selling it for now. I believe you''ll soon find out the reason through online videos or live broadcasts."


    With that, he hung up the phone.


    As long as there''s money involved, it doesn''t matter who it is sold to.


    Compared to Area 51, it''s better not to offend them.


    After all, nobody knows the extent of Area 51''s power.


    Pure merchants will never surpass merchants who also hold national power.


    After saying goodbye to Rachel, Daniel went with the people from Area 51.


    He got into a car at the entrance of the police department and headed straight to the airport.


    From there, he took a charter flight to a ce that felt unfamiliar to him.


    He thought it was an airport, but seeing the cold-colored military buildings and armed guards every few meters, it was clear he was at the legendary Area 51!


    Daniel got off the ne and was ushered onto a military SUV.


    Two men in ck sat on either side of him, constantly watching to ensure he didn''t make any unnecessary movements.


    As for his live streaming phone, it turned off due to some special interference.


    At this moment, his live streaming chatroom was in chaos.


    "Why did the screen go ck?"


    "I was hoping to get a glimpse of Area 51!"


    "There''s no way they''d let you see that ce. It must be blocked."


    "I''m so envious of the streamer, he actually gets to go to Area 51."


    "The holynd of us alien enthusiasts!"


    "When the streameres out, we must ask him about the inside."


    ...


    The car drove into a hangar and stopped at the very end.


    The leader of the men in ck took out his phone and pressed something.


    The next second, there was a loud rumbling sound all around.


    Daniel noticed that he was slowly sinking underground with the car.


    It was an underground tunnel!


    Through the window, he watched as the structure above him slowly closed, and everything around him plunged into pitch ck.


    But soon, the lights turned on.


    Daniel found himself in a ce simr to a car park.


    The ce was also heavily guarded.


    As soon as the vehicle carrying Daniel appeared, armed soldiers approached immediately.


    The leader of the men in ck signaled Daniel to get out of the car, and they went through a strict check before being allowed to pass the checkpoint.


    They took an elevator that went straight down five hundred meters.


    After several minutes, the elevator doors opened.


    Looking at the scene in front of him, Daniel realized that he had finally entered Area 51!


    In his line of sight were all sorts of advanced flying vehicles.


    But they were all within the realm of human design.


    However, when he walked into another area, Daniel was dumbstruck.


    In the enormous space, there was a disc-shaped flying object!


    Isn''t this the rumored alien spaceship?!


    Daniel''s eyes widened in shock.


    But when he thought about it, having already obtained an alien finger, it wasn''t all that shocking that Area 51 would have an alien spaceship.


    Soon, an old man in a whiteb coat appeared before Daniel.


    "You''re Daniel? The one who got that alien finger?"


    Daniel nodded, feeling a bit nervous.


    The man in theb coat smiled, "I''m Nibel, in charge here. Don''t be nervous, we''ve just invited you here to help with some experiments."


    Daniel was a bit stunned, "I can help with experiments?"


    He suddenly feared that it could be human experimentation!


    Nibelughed and gestured, "The box you''re holding contains the alien finger, right? Could you lend it to me?"


    Daniel handed it over without hesitation.


    Nibel opened the box, and as soon as he saw the finger, a bright light shed in his eyes.


    He immediately grabbed the finger and walked directly towards the spaceship.


    Daniel craned his neck to watch, curious about what Nibel was going to do.


    To his surprise, Nibel held the finger up to the underside of the spaceship, which then lowered a white pole.


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