Flying Bar.

Luke ordered two whiskeys and handed one to David beside him.

"What brought you to treat me to a drink?"

Luke clinked glasses with David and took a sip, "I'm looking to borrow some money."

"How much?" David put down his glass, seemingly not surprised.

"A thousand US Dollars."

"No problem, but I can't help if you need more."

"Why, you don't chase women, nor do you spend recklessly?"

David downed his glass in one go, "Lindsay."

"She's asking you for money again."

David shook his head, "I'm looking to bail out Linda, preparing the bail money."

"Are you her guarantor?"

David nodded.

"Do you think she can change?"

David ordered two more whiskeys, "I don't know."

"If she violates the bail conditions, not only is the bail forfeited, but you'll also be held responsible. Think it through."

"I have no choice, she used to be a cop, if the inmates in prison find out...

She's my wife, I can't just stand by."

"How much more do you need for the bail?"

"Mind your own business, I'll handle the bail money myself."

"How much more do you need?"

"Ten thousand US Dollars."

Luke took a swig of whiskey, "Do you still love her?"

"No... but I have a responsibility to take care of her."

...

The storage industry in America is quite popular.

The reasons are complex, mainly in two aspects.

One is that America doesn't have a household registration system, mobility is high, many people don't like to buy houses, moving with rented houses is too troublesome, hence the rise of the storage rental industry.

If rent is not paid after a certain time, legally, the storage becomes unclaimed property, and the storage company can dispose of it.

Moreover, America has detailed trash sorting laws, and disposing of trash costs a considerable amount of money.

Many families rent a storage unit specifically for trash to save on disposal fees. When the lease expires, they leave the responsibility to the storage company. So, over 90% of the auctioned storages are worthless or even cost money to dispose of the garbage.

This uncertainty is precisely why storage companies handle it through auctions.

If you win a storage auction, you must completely clear out everything inside, including the trash. You can't just take the valuable stuff and leave behind rubbish, or else you'll be blacklisted.

Storage companies also save a sum on garbage disposal fees.

Every day, there are over a thousand storage facilities across America that hold public auctions, which is why many "Professional Storage Auctioneers" have emerged.

Unlike Luke, who relies on luck.

Many Treasure Hunters are in the second-hand business, so they can sell the items found in a storage unit through channels to get the maximum value.

Around nine o'clock, Luke rushed to the Telson Storage Center.

There were quite a few people gathered in the storage, chatting in groups of threes and fives.

Luke didn't interact much with them; he didn't bid for storages based on experience but on the system, and it was almost guaranteed he would make a profit.

In other words, if it were based on experience, it was already too late to start learning; he certainly couldn't compete with the Treasure Hunters that make a living off this industry.

At ten o'clock, the manager from Telson Storage Center, Boreet, came over, "Gentlemen, welcome to Telson Storage Center. Those who wish to participate in the storage auction, please go to the office to pay a 100-dollar clean-up deposit."

Everyone lined up to make the payment, and Luke was among them.

Boreet nodded to Luke when he saw him, and the two didn't have much conversation.

During the payment process, Luke also saw an acquaintance, Thompson.

The two were like sworn enemies who couldn't stand each other. Next to Thompson was a middle-aged man; the two were murmuring to each other, discussing who knows what.

After the payment was made, Boreet led everyone to an open space. "Gentlemen, our company is entrusted by the local court to publicly auction five private warehouses with overdue rents according to the law.

Bidders will gain ownership of the warehouse within 24 hours after winning the auction, along with all the property inside it.

After 24 hours, the right to use the warehouse and the proceeds from its contents will belong to our company.

Gentlemen, if there are no questions, the auction officially begins."

Boreet led everyone to Warehouse 94 and opened its door. "Old rules, you can only stand at the entrance and look for one minute. No peeking in, no use of tools, and certainly no entering the warehouse.

After one minute, the auction will start, and the highest bidder wins."

Luke stood at the entrance and looked inside. The warehouse door was three meters wide, and the items inside were scattered all over the place. Various kinds of clutter were only visible on the outer layer; the rest was obscured.

It was his first time at such an auction, and he didn't understand the subtleties. He was just blindly looking around.

Through a crack, he saw a familiar wooden box. The box was gray with blue carvings. Perhaps because it had been stored for too long, the color had faded a great deal.

But he was certain that he had seen a similar box before—in the case files of the 'Telson Manor Disappearance'.

This could very well be one of Mrs. Anna's missing boxes.

In the Telson Manor Disappearance case, there were still two parts of the loot that had not been found, one of which was the priceless painting.

The other part was jewelry obtained by Tony, which, of course, he might have already sold to fund his drug habit.

Luke did not rashly reveal his identity. Although the box looked similar, it wasn't necessarily the one, and to avoid causing a fuss, he decided to bid for it first and see what was inside.

Boreet's voice rang out nearby. "Gentlemen, the one minute is up. Today's auction officially begins.

The starting price for Warehouse 94 is 100 US Dollars."

"150 US Dollars," an old man wearing a cowboy hat called out.

"Oh, this generous gentleman offers 150 US Dollars, 150 US Dollars going once. Do we have any higher bids..."

"200 US Dollars," Luke bid.

The old man in the cowboy hat called out again, "250 US Dollars."

"The bidding is fierce at 250 US Dollars going once. Do we have a higher offer? Take a look at the items in the warehouse; I believe they won't disappoint you..."

Luke raised his bid. "300 US Dollars."

"Wow, this gentleman really has an eye for value, he has raised the bid again..."

Thompson waved his hand. "400 US Dollars."

"Oh, it's Thompson, an old friend to our company. Surely no one doesn't know him. 400 US Dollars going once, do we have any higher bids..."

Luke bid again, "450 US Dollars."

"500 US Dollars," Thompson continued to bid, shrugging at Luke, "sorry, I'm also interested in this warehouse, not trying to target you specifically."

Luke smiled, "Just a reminder, you're not getting what's inside this warehouse."

"You're sticking your nose too far in. Oh, I almost forgot, you're a cop." Thompson still couldn't let go of that day's events. Ever since he backed down then, his son had looked at him differently.

He regretted it.

He regretted not fighting Luke that day. Even if he had lost, at least he would still be a hero in his son's eyes.

He wanted to make amends.

"Your badge is useless here, this is what's useful." Thompson shook the green bills in his hand.

A smile crept onto Boreet's chubby face; this was the scene he most wanted to see. Once the bidders started rubbing each other the wrong way and got competitive, it would lead to a better price.

"500 US Dollars going once, 500 US Dollars going twice. Are there any higher bids..." Boreet glanced at the old man in the cowboy hat and then at Luke standing nearby.

In the end, Luke still decided to stop bidding.

He found a clue to the case in the warehouse and intended to buy it to facilitate the investigation, without affecting the normal auction.

But now the situation had changed, with Thompson competing against him.

If Thompson insisted on getting involved, Luke couldn't help him.

In fact, withdrawing himself from it might not be a bad thing for Luke.

If Anna's lost property wasn't in the warehouse, it might not be worth much after all.

If Anna's lost property was there, then those items were stolen goods, and no one could take them away.

Great joy or great sorrow.

Thompson was going to have a hard time...