Chapter 2 Auction Of Warehouses

Jack Miller was a sixty-year-old man who had been out of the workforce for a long time.

His children were dutiful and had solid employment, which he valued.

Every month, Jack received his retirement pension, and he led a contented life. His favorite pastime was going to auctions for warehouses.

Frederic dialed Jack's phone number later that evening.

It was planned that there would be a warehouse auction the next day. The two of them had decided to go there together.

The sun shone brightly the next morning.

In Rose Town, Oakes.

The auction was in full flow at this time.

Unlike in ordinary auctions, the guests were bidding for warehouses.

These warehouses were often abandoned because their previous owners were involved in accidents, died, or were unable to satisfy their lease obligations.

These warehouses were sold as blind boxes by the warehouse management department.

If someone purchased one of the warehouses, as long as that person was able to clean up the warehouse in a day, then everything in the warehouse would become their property.

In the warehouse, there might be a good thing hidden inside.

One time, someone found a Van Gogh masterpiece in a pile of trash. Then that person became wealthy in a flash.

"Let's take a look at the first warehouse, okay? Mr. David Hinks from York Town has put in a bid of a hundred dollars. Is anyone going to bid higher?" the host asked with an upbeat attitude.

"This warehouse used to belong to Joseph Dixon, who was a single man and worked as a carpenter. In it, there might be some good furniture.

It would be a good bargain if the buyer gets some nice furniture out of it."

When the host introduced some facts about the warehouse, Frederic and Jack sat in the audience and listened intently.

Everyone was completely unaware of the value of this warehouse. However, Frederic got a broad assessment.

"It seems like an average warehouse.

The decrepit furniture that has been stacked up in the warehouse has been left there by the previous owner.

It must be worth less than a hundred dollars. Paying more than a hundred dollars will give you a bad bargain."

Frederic carefully read the message. Suddenly, there was a flash of excitement in his eyes.

If these estimates were correct, Frederic would undoubtedly earn a lot of money at the auction.

His aunt's medical bills might be covered sooner this way.

Coughing, Jack cast a quick glance toward Frederic. With a smile, he said, "Frederic, this is your first time participating in a warehouse auction, right? Let me tell you a little bit about it first."

Then, Jack taught Frederic a lot of skills in regard to warehouse auctions.

It seemed that one hundred dollars were all that was needed to purchase a warehouse.

This auction included a large number of warehouses. Customers should not spend money on a warehouse if they disliked it.

A customer had to wait for the opportune warehouse that could contain valuable items.

It occurred to Frederic that the gambling depended on both skill and chance.

"Hey, Virgin Frederic, what a coincidence to run into you here,"

said a frivolous voice behind Frederic while he was lost in his thoughts.

A young guy in a denim coat, around Frederic's age, was the source of the voice.

Frederic scowled as he heard the familiar voice, but he ignored it.

When he came close to Frederic, the man was very rough with him as he patted Frederic's shoulder.

"I heard that your aunt is ill and you are borrowing money from people. Is that true? Why don't you ask for money from me? Since I have some extra cash, I can lend you some," the man said in a mocking tone.

"Stay out of it," Frederic growled with furrowed eyebrows.

Kevin Norris was the name of this person. Their high school's basketball team had him as its captain.

Girls flocked to him in droves due to his towering good looks.

Kevin, on the other hand, had a low opinion of Frederic. In his mind, he thought Frederic was a very poor man. As a result, every time he saw Frederic, he'd scoff at him.

"Frederic, did you have to borrow money just to attend this auction? Are you willing to use your aunt's medical bills for gambling? How dare you do that? Your classmates give you money in the expectation that you would use it to pay for the treatment of your aunt. They don't want you gambling here, all right?"

Kevin feigned to be astonished while turning a blind eye to Frederic's unpleasant attitude.

His disdainful words deeply hurt Frederic.

"Stop talking!"

Frederic gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as his eyes grew crimson.

Even if Kevin made fun of him, Frederic would not be upset. Kevin, on the other hand, brought up his aunt, and he would never allow Kevin to sully his aunt's name.

"Your patience is quite thin."

Kevin scoffed and remarked in a mocking voice, "You're a pathetic loser. I'm relieved to see you're in such a bad condition today. A hundred and twenty dollars is my offer for the warehouse!"

Everyone in the room stared at Frederic with sadness after hearing what Kevin had just stated.

In reality, those who had always engaged in such activities had encountered a diverse range of individuals.

Many gamblers fantasized about getting wealthy in a matter of hours. However, there were other folks, like Frederic, who were hoping to win some money to help with medical expenditures.

This kind of individual, unfortunately, would likely incur significant losses. In the end, they would be just janitors, who would be in charge of cleaning the warehouses.

With an expectant look, the host stared at Frederic.

This kind of conflict was nothing new to him.

To make things more interesting, he said, "Young man, you're an honest person. Are you not going to defend your pride? This is your chance to stop his arrogance by making an offer."

Frederic, on the other hand, was uninterested and refused to provide a price.

With regret, the host licked his lips. Then, he looked at the other people.

"Kevin has bid one hundred and twenty dollars. Anybody wants to raise the price?"

Unfortunately, no one had offered a higher bid.

After all, even if there were just a few pieces of furniture in the warehouse, there would still be some profit if it was bought for one hundred dollars.

However, paying more than one hundred was too much. The risk would be too high.

The auctioneer finally hit his gavel to a block of wood to close the bidding.

The warehouse was purchased by Kevin.

"Remember, this is a game for the wealthy. Someone like you who has no money can only watch others profit."

In spite of Frederic's disgust, Kevin shrugged triumphantly and glared at him. Then, Kevin added, "One of my uncle's acquaintances owns and operates a thrift shop. He's a great source of discounts. His shop could utilize some of the furniture in the warehouse, and I could recoup at least a few hundred dollars that way,"

Kevin said with a proud smile.

Then, he burst into laughter. "Despite presenting you with a chance, you can't grasp the opportunity."

Frederic didn't say anything after hearing this. However, there was a hint of pity in his eyes.

Kevin had no idea that he had just paid a hundred and twenty dollars on a pile of garbage. What a dupe.

Bringing a few pieces of junky furniture that could only be used as firewood would certainly stupefy the friend of Kevin's uncle.

Such a thought was racing through Frederic's head.

Ignoring Kevin, Frederic made his way to the next warehouse.

It was only the beginning of the auction.

Frederic had to wait for the most profitable warehouse.

If he bought that, he would certainly earn a lot.

Soon enough, he arrived at the second warehouse.

A sea of people were waiting outside.

Since the previous owner lost the key of the warehouse, the host had no choice but to use a chainsaw to see the lock off. After a few seconds of loud sawing, the door finally opened.

Everyone was able to peek inside the warehouse.

Gasps of awe exited everyone's mouths.

In spite of their limited view, they could easily see a large number of full furniture and electrical gadgets in the warehouse.

Obviously, it was a family warehouse.

A family warehouse was the most sought-after among the crowd of treasure hunters.

These items might be sold at thrift shops after minor repairs were made. After all, most of the family warehouses were crammed with furniture and second-hand electric appliances.

If they could sell the contents of the warehouse, they would earn some profit.

Since it was unlikely to lose money, buying a family warehouse had almost no risks.

Frederic also curiously surveyed the warehouse.

"A family of three was the previous owner of the warehouse.

Aside from the furniture, some appliances and toys for children can also be found inside.

As long as the customers purchase it for less than one thousand dollars, they will earn money."

Since he couldn't buy the warehouse, Frederic dejectedly shook his head and was about to walk away.

He realized this when he noticed the glowing eyes of the other treasure hunters.

Because he only had one hundred and fifty dollars, he couldn't bid on it.

Soon enough, the host declared that the starting bid price was three hundred dollars.

These buyers rubbed their hands together and offered counter-offers to the others. Soon, the second warehouse went up to five hundred dollars.

"I'm willing to pay one thousand dollars,"

Jack declared while he was standing next to Frederic. His words surprised the others. After all, he doubled the price of the last bid.

People who had been bidding one after the other stopped mid-sentence and turned to gaze at Jack, their faces contorted with disappointment.

"What a shame. Jack has placed a bid. There's no way we can buy this warehouse anymore."

"Jack owns a thrift store. He likes buying this kind of family warehouse."

"Never mind. Our best bet is to wait until the next warehouse. This person has a lot of knowledge. If I go against him, I won't have a chance to earn money in the future."

Although there was a brief moment of silence, a fierce discussion soon began.

Frederic was taken aback by Jack's financial prowess and audacity. "Jack, don't you think it's too risky?"

A proud smile flashed across Jack's lips. "Frederic, I'm certain that this warehouse will be profitable with my expertise. I'm going to teach you another skill. When you have a deep affection for a warehouse, you must act swiftly and offer a high price to shock the market."

After saying that, Jack didn't pay attention to the sideways stares. He quietly surveyed the group to see if anybody else was interested in bidding.

With a smile, the host stared at Jack. "Oh, it's Mr. Miller, I see. The treasure hunter Mr. Miller has more than ten years of expertise under his belt. Mr. Miller seems to be highly confident in his assessment of this warehouse. Is there anybody else who is going to bid a higher price?"

Despite the host's invitation, no one dared to bid anymore.

As a star in this sector, Jack could get away with anything, and everyone was eager to save him face.

Furthermore, one thousand dollars was not a tiny sum of money in this case. This was the amount that was given as the largest estimate for the size of this warehouse by everyone.

Bidding a higher price would not only offend Jack but could also risk them losing money.

Because no one else said anything, the host stated that Jack had been awarded possession of the second warehouse.

When Frederic saw this, he shook his head. The warehouse that Jack paid a thousand dollars for was doomed to let him down.

Frederic was unable to convince Jack since he knew Jack would not incur a financial loss.

Frederic followed the crowd to the third warehouse once the transaction of the second warehouse was done.