Chapter 261: Small-Scale Auction
"Liang En, I smell bear and mink fur in here." As Liang En and his companions waited for the bidding to begin, Joan suddenly pulled Liang En's sleeve and whispered.
"Are you wearing that cross today?" Liang En was about to question how she could smell anything after spending less than a minute at the entrance, but then he noticed the silver chain around Joan's neck and suddenly understood.
Although Joan was a historical follower, Liang En hadn't noticed any supernatural powers in her until now. The only thing different about her from ordinary people was her ability to use the supernatural items that originally only he could use.
For instance, after obtaining the cross belonging to the Grand Master of the Templar Knights last time, Liang En had given it to Joan because of the usage restrictions. With Joan's devotion, the cross naturally manifested its strongest power in her hands. Now, it seemed this enhancement even extended to her sense of smell.
"Are you suggesting there might be leather inside?" After mentioning it to Pierce, he immediately rubbed his chin in thought.
Pierce didn't find anything wrong with Joan smelling leather. After all, when a sealed warehouse like this was opened, various odors would escape, and it was normal for someone to smell something others couldn't.
Given the other items in the warehouse, which included sewing machines and various fabrics, it was reasonable to assume that leather, as a material for clothes, would also be present.
"It's possible there's leather, but it might also be leather scraps. However, it's worth a gamble." After a few seconds of consideration, Pierce made a decision. "So, let's raise the starting bid to $500, and if it goes above that, we'll drop out."
Soon, the time for inspecting the warehouse ended, and the auction began. Liang En noticed there were over twenty participants, but most seemed to be amateurs. Unlike the auctions at the port, this one had no threshold, so naturally, more people attended.
Moreover, newcomers like Liang En were welcomed because the more participants, the more money the auctioneer made.
"All right, I believe everyone has seen it. Let's begin." Once everyone had a look, the auctioneer lowered the warehouse's shutter and raised his hand to address the crowd.
"This is the second warehouse today. As you have seen its condition, we'll start the bidding at $150. Anyone willing to offer more?"
"200!" Pierce immediately added $50.
"Good, we have a bid. Our new friend here has offered $150. Anyone willing to bid higher?"
At this point, other bidders hesitated. Although the most valuable items in the warehouse appeared to be the two sewing machines, the fact that their motor compartments were open was a major drawback.
While some treasure hunters might gamble that the electric motors were still inside, they knew the odds were against them. Moreover, since the storage auction community was relatively small, most professional treasure hunters had gone to the port auction, leaving only those with little capital.
For these people, Liang En's group, looking young and not particularly impoverished, seemed like those who found it fun and decided to join in.
For professional treasure hunters, aside from encountering true big shots, dealing with wealthy but inexperienced enthusiasts was their worst fear. These wealthy enthusiasts were even more troublesome than big shots because they were unpredictable in their purchasing decisions, often ignoring the actual value of items when bidding.
But despite the headache, the items inside the warehouse attracted quite a few people. So when Pierce bid, someone followed suit with "250 dollars!"
"350!" Pierce immediately raised it by $100, a price that exceeded the estimate of most ordinary treasure hunters.
"Ah..." Sighs of resignation came from the treasure hunters because Pierce's attitude perfectly fit that of a wealthy enthusiast who was in it for fun, regardless of profit or loss.
However, for professional treasure hunters like them, participating in storage auctions was about making money, so they had to be careful with their bids. Therefore, they wouldn't compete with these wealthy enthusiasts.
The next warehouse contained a pile of motorcycle parts, something neither Pierce nor Liang En were familiar with, so they didn't bid. Eventually, a middle-aged man with a trendy hairstyle paid $650 for the warehouse.
"This person must ride motorcycles himself or knows someone in the business," Pierce commented to Liang En as Fan Meng went to pay. "Otherwise, a layman wouldn't bid so high for such specialized items."
The saying "everyone has their own specialty" wasn't false. For Liang En, even if he could use cards to appraise items, he wouldn't know the value of these motorcycle parts because he didn't know what they were, let alone how much they were worth.
After paying, Fan Meng returned with a key, and the group opened the shutter of the warehouse to start searching. Since this auction was just a prelude for them, they needed to act swiftly.
"These scraps of cloth will probably end up in the recycling bin." After lifting the canvas covering a pile of items on the floor, Liang En shook his head in disappointment. It seemed whoever had placed these items here treated this place like a dumping ground.
"These mannequins are of decent quality. We could probably sell them for $15 each." Pierce carefully examined the wooden mannequins and spoke.
"Let's see what I found." As Liang En and Pierce inspected the items near the entrance, Fan Meng suddenly emerged from behind, holding a gray motor.
"Where did you find this?" Looking at the two motors clearly belonging to electric sewing machines, Liang En asked with curiosity.
"Right behind these things." Fan Meng pointed to a pile of torn fabrics. "These two were in a box filled with waste paper. It looks like they were deliberately hidden here."
"I wasn't mistaken; I did smell something." Joan's voice came from the side, and as Liang En, Pierce, and Fan Meng walked past a pile of torn fabric, they saw thick fur piled up under the opened canvas, enough to reach an adult man's waist.
"It seems we're making money." With the motors and the leather nearby, a smile appeared on Liang En's face.
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Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 262: Taking Action and Hotpot
It was evident that this pile of fur was not casually left here; layers of plastic film meticulously enveloped the fur, seemingly for long-term preservation. However, for reasons unknown, the owner eventually abandoned everything in the warehouse, even letting it enter the process of warehouse auction.
After inventorying, Liang En discovered that there were over 70 pieces of fur in total, including three bear skins, seven fox skins, and twenty otter skins, along with various deer skins, all properly treated.
"These furs are definitely valuable, but selling them is not a simple matter." After categorizing and loading all the fur onto the car, Liang En asked Pierce, "So, are your acquaintances reliable?"
"Rest assured, this person has a long-standing relationship with our family. He is a high-end tailor who primarily provides various private custom clothing for the local upper class, and these top-quality furs are exactly what he needs," Pierce explained to Liang En. "So, he will definitely offer us a good price. For example, this pile of fur could easily fetch fifty to sixty thousand dollars, but the actual amount will depend on his appraisal of these furs."
"As for those two sewing machines, a dozen wooden mannequins, and those fabrics, I can also sell them, but altogether, if we can get seven to eight hundred dollars, that would be good enough."
"That's sufficient," Liang En nodded in satisfaction. "After all, this auction was just an additional operation for us, and earning such a large income has actually exceeded expectations."
For Liang En, although participating in the warehouse auction this time was to provide cover for a real operation, with his personality, even if it was just for cover, he took the activity seriously.
After finishing the cleanup, they went directly to Flushing, also part of Queens. This area in New York had a long history; it appeared as a village when New York was still New Amsterdam.
Originally settled by British immigrants, after the American independence, many businesses and famous entertainment companies began here. Even two World Expos were held in this area.
However, after the opening of the No. 7 subway line in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a large number of Asians moved here. It had now become the largest Chinatown in the United States, surpassing the old Chinatown in Manhattan.
Liang En and the others came here partly because the tailor lived in this area, so they planned to deliver the goods directly to his door. On the other hand, they planned to celebrate with an authentic Chinese meal.
Compared to the Chinatown on the Manhattan side, the immigrants here in Flushing were mainly recent immigrants. Therefore, the Chinese restaurants here sold very authentic Chinese cuisine, not the kind modified to suit the local taste.
The plan to sell the fur went smoothly because the fur was well preserved, and the sewing tools they had obtained earlier were useful to the buyer. Thus, the buyer offered a price of $60,000 for these items.
"Why did they buy those two old sewing machines?" On the way to the nearby garbage disposal plant with the pile of rags, Joan of Arc asked with some confusion.
"Because the shop already has a machine of the same model, but after long-term use, many parts have worn out. So, buying those two probably unusable machines was mainly to get spare parts for their own sewing machine," Liang En explained, feeling fortunate in his heart for their luck today. After all, few people were willing to pay for such old-model sewing machines, and this private tailor was one of the few.
For these tailors who made custom clothing for the rich, they were not like workers responsible for mass production but more like artists. Therefore, they didn't pursue efficiency in their production tools but only cared about convenience.
So, the tailor just now bought the old sewing machines of the same model as his own when he saw them, as spare parts for his current sewing machine.
Of course, this was also because the tailor was quite affluent and had enough money to indulge. For example, when Liang En saw a nice set of navy blue suits there, he later found out that ordering a set would cost not only $18,000 but also require a month's wait.
After disposing of the garbage from the warehouse, they quickly went to a hotpot restaurant called "Fragrant World" in Flushing for their lunch.
This restaurant was probably one of the best in the area because even though it was past mealtime, they still had to wait outside for seven or eight minutes before a table became available.
The hotpot here was very authentic Chinese style, with a large communal pot for everyone to share, rather than individual small pots, which didn't quite fit the Western practice of separate dishes.
Fortunately, both Liang En and Fan Meng were of Chinese descent, while Pierce and Joan of Arc, due to their work, were always on the move and weren't particularly picky. Besides, they were all familiar with each other, so they were accustomed to this way of dining.
Because Fan Meng liked spicy food, they naturally chose the most traditional "yuan-yang" hotpot. However, after they started eating, Liang En realized that Joan of Arc seemed to like the spicy hotpot too.
"In fact, I prefer food with a lot of spices," Joan of Arc said to Liang En when she noticed him staring at her. "Compared to where I used to be, the food here clearly has more spices and tastes better."
Joan of Arc lived in an era before the Age of Exploration, so at that time, spices from the Middle East had to be transported all the way over, passing through various hands like the Indians, Egyptians, Ottomans, Venetians, or Genoese, each layer increasing the price.
In this continuous process of exchange, the price of spices naturally soared like riding a rocket, even to the extent that even minor nobles could only occasionally afford to eat them.
For example
, at that time, Joan of Arc was already one of the top-ranking officers in the French army, but because of her position on the front lines, she had rarely eaten food with spices.
However, on those rare occasions at banquets, the taste of pepper and cardamom left a deep impression on her. So, after coming here and discovering that spices were very cheap, she naturally leaned towards the heavier-flavored dishes.
This was one of the many differences caused by different eras, and for this reason, one important goal for Joan of Arc and Liang En during their long wait before meeting up was to truly learn how to use what had been implanted in their minds as everyday knowledge.
According to Joan of Arc, it was almost like overturning the habits of the past dozen years and starting from scratch.
Take eating, for example. Before, she used to sit at the table and use a knife to cut the food into appropriate sizes, then eat with the index, middle, and thumb fingers, but after coming here, she learned to use a fork.
Just as they were about to head back to the hotel after filling their stomachs, Liang En received a text message from the organizers of the previous port warehouse auction on his phone, informing them that they had successfully bid on three warehouses from the previous auction.
After comparing the numbers, Liang En found that he and Pierce each won one warehouse, while the third one was jointly purchased by them. Overall, it seemed like a very good outcome.
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Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 263: Harvest
After a good night's rest, Liang En and his three companions checked out of their hotel early the next morning, loaded their luggage into the car, and drove to the warehouse district where they had previously made their purchases. After completing the necessary paperwork and receiving the keys, they immediately headed towards their target.
"Which one should we start with?" Fan Meng asked, munching on a sandwich.
"Let's start with Warehouse 127," Liang En replied after swallowing his food. This was the warehouse they had jointly purchased with Pierce for their shop, so it made sense to open it first.
They had acquired this warehouse for $800 because several of them had spotted something that looked like a chandelier behind a wooden board.
After unlocking the warehouse door, the four of them began sorting through the contents. With more hands, the task was completed much faster, and within half an hour, they had almost finished clearing out the warehouse.
The warehouse contained numerous boxes, as well as some glass panels and golden and silver metal pipes covered with tarps. Since these items were not particularly lightweight, having more people made the process of moving them much easier.
"What are all these things?" Joan of Arc, sitting on an empty box with Pierce, asked Liang En as they loaded everything onto the car.
In her view, as a vassal, it was her duty to assist her liege in various tasks. Just as she had bravely fought for the king with her sword in the past, she now naturally helped Liang En in his adventures and treasure hunts.
However, unlike battling on the battlefield, the tasks they were undertaking now required a wealth of knowledge. Therefore, Joan seized every opportunity to learn.
"These are some lamps from the 1950s and 1960s," Liang En explained, though he wasn't entirely sure of Joan's intentions. Nonetheless, he was always willing to answer any questions they had.
"Although these table lamps are mass-produced, their design is inspired by the handcrafted lamps of the Gilded Age in early 20th-century America, making them quite attractive."
As he spoke, Liang En took out a glass lampshade. The frame of the lampshade was woven from gilded copper wire, while the interior was inset with intricately carved colored glass, giving it an overall artistic feel.
"Indeed," Joan nodded, recognizing the beauty of the everyday item. She understood that when it came to aesthetics, the appeal was immediately apparent. The glass lampshade Liang En held in his hand was obviously a beautiful object.
"These items could fetch around £10,000 in London," Pierce estimated after tallying up the contents of the boxes. "There's a high demand for this style of lamps in cafes, restaurants, and luxury shops, especially for vintage pieces like these. So, after spending a little over £1,000 to replace the wiring and bulbs, we should be able to sell them for a good price."
After clearing out this warehouse, they moved on to the one Pierce had found previously. Compared to the first warehouse, the value of the items in this one was lower.
Although the furniture inside belonged to the early 20th century, apart from a set of dining table and chairs, there wasn't much in the way of complete sets, so the overall profit wasn't significant.
"Alright, let's open the last warehouse," Liang En said, feeling somewhat exhausted after clearing out two warehouses in a row.
However, everyone was curious about what was inside the last warehouse, so Fan Meng bought a bunch of fried chicken burgers from a nearby McDonald's to quickly satisfy their hunger before opening the door.
"Oh my god, this is a huge find!" Fan Meng exclaimed after lifting the tarp covering the object directly in front of the door.
"Is this a gun or a cannon?" Pierce asked, looking at the dusty iron object with confusion.
If this was a cannon, it seemed rather small, but if it was a gun, it lacked the typical features such as a separate upper and lower gun carriage, a shield, and a separate recoil mechanism.
"This should be an old-style heavy anti-tank gun," Fan Meng, being a former soldier, roughly recognized what it was. "It's a weapon used by infantry to counter tanks from the end of World War I to the early stages of World War II."
"However, as tanks' armor became thicker, these weapons became less effective. Eventually, they were phased out in favor of anti-tank rocket launchers."
"But in the 1980s, these weapons saw a resurgence in the concept of anti-materiel rifles. However, instead of facing heavily armored main battle tanks, the targets became helicopters, lightly armored vehicles, or other high-value assets."
"I know what this is." Taking a photo and searching online, Liang En immediately understood what type of weapon it was. "It's the 28mm sPzB 41 light tapered bore anti-tank gun used by Germany during World War II."
This gun had a tapered bore barrel with an initial caliber of 28mm and a muzzle caliber of 20mm, a horizontally arranged bolt similar to that of artillery, and an average firing rate of ten rounds per minute.
The tapered bore barrel provided unparalleled armor-piercing capability for this gun under the same caliber. The 0.1305 kg armor-piercing shell could achieve a muzzle velocity of 1402 m/s and penetrate up to 94mm of vertical steel at 100 meters.
Compared to other anti-tank rifles with a vertical penetration capability of 20-30mm, this German rifle's armor-piercing capability was far superior, even in a different league altogether.
However, to achieve this armor-piercing capability, the gun paid a hefty price.
On one hand, the standard version of this gun weighed 229kg, and even the paratrooper version with small wheels and a single-leg tripod made of hollow tubular structures and lightweight alloys weighed 118kg, making it impossible for individual soldiers to use.
On the other hand, the high internal pressure generated by the tapered bore barrel significantly reduced its lifespan, requiring the barrel to be replaced after every 500 rounds fired.
Therefore, with the thickening of tank armor in the late stages of World War II, coupled with the increasing scarcity of tungsten-core ammunition used by these guns, production of this weapon ceased in 1943.
As the four of them worked together, they quickly found two spare barrels, six empty ammunition boxes capable of holding 12 rounds each, and a ZF 1х11 optical sight from the surrounding containers.
"All the accessories for this gun are intact!" Liang En exclaimed with delight after fitting all the found parts onto the anti-tank gun.
Only 2,797 of these firearms were ever produced, and considering the wars of the time and the passage of time, not many had survived to this day, let alone with all the accessories intact.
Therefore, with the right buyer, this gun could easily fetch two to three hundred thousand dollars, making it a huge find. What's more, he also gained a new skill, 【Detection (N)】, from this gun.
In addition to this gun and its accessories, Liang En and his companions also found four paratrooper helmets, a complete German Air Force lieutenant's uniform with Iron Cross second class, Black Wound Badge, Paratrooper Badge, Russian Front Medal, and Infantry Assault Badge, as well as a machete with Manchu characters engraved on it
.
All these items were neatly categorized and packed in boxes, and plenty of newspapers and sawdust were stuffed inside to prevent damage. Therefore, everything was well-preserved under these circumstances.
Clearly, buying this warehouse had been a very lucrative deal for Liang En. According to his estimates, this pile of items could easily fetch half a million dollars, making it a huge harvest.
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Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 264: Philadelphia
Both the lamps and the furniture were valuable to Pierce, as they would complement the inventory of the Emerald Gem Antique Store. However, the warehouse Liang En had acquired posed a bit of a challenge for everyone.
After all, this anti-tank gun was a functional weapon that could be used at any time, and the Emerald Gem Antique Store was not qualified to sell such items.
Moreover, the transportation of such items across borders was incredibly difficult. Apart from the various procedures that needed to be completed, the shipping and handling fees alone could amount to tens of thousands of dollars.
Therefore, for Liang En and his companions, it would be best to quickly sell the gun for cash or something more easily transportable.
"Do you know anyone in this field?" Pierce asked Liang En somewhat helplessly. "As you know, weapons are not something our family specializes in, so I don't know any merchants in this line of business."
"So, if I were to contact someone, I would probably have to find a few intermediaries to find suitable buyers. But in doing so, the selling price may be halved compared to the highest possible price."
"Let me think... It seems like I do know a fairly suitable buyer." Upon hearing Pierce's words, Liang En quickly fell into thought, remembering the group of people he had met in Teton County, Wyoming.
After helping Mr. Bruce find his ancestors' jewelry last time, he had taken the items directly to Mr. Bruce in Wyoming, where he had met a bunch of wealthy friends of Mr. Bruce.
Among the people he had met at that time was someone who owned a gun store in Pennsylvania. Of course, this person did not rely on the gun store to make money. Instead, he used it to obtain the identity of a firearms dealer and own some firearms that individuals couldn't own.
Due to the Matthew effect, the gun store, which was originally for personal use, quickly became one of the well-known gun stores in the area, bringing in a considerable profit.
Since they had exchanged phone numbers last time, Liang En quickly found the phone number of the construction company owner and informed him of the model of the firearm he had found.
After looking at the photo Liang En sent, the other party called back at the fastest speed, saying that he would rush to the gun store to wait for them.
"Alright, everything's settled now." After hanging up the phone, Liang En and his companions immediately loaded all the items into the car and set off towards Philadelphia, the economic center of Pennsylvania, where the gun store was located.
Philadelphia is the fifth largest city in the United States and served as the capital of the United States during the first ten years of its establishment. It was the starting point of the American Revolutionary War and the drafting of the American Constitution.
The city was originally a settlement for Swedes. Founded by British Quaker immigrants in 1682, the name "Philadelphia" comes from Greek, meaning "brotherly love." It was incorporated as a city in 1701.
By the mid-18th century, it had developed into the largest city in the British American colonies and became a focal point in the subsequent American Revolutionary War.
Philadelphia is approximately 160 kilometers from New York, so Liang En and his companions arrived in this historic city on the North American continent more than two hours after leaving New York at half past two in the afternoon.
The city is not large in size and is located at the confluence of the Delaware River and the Schuylkill River. Upon entering the city center, one can see many slightly old-fashioned red brick buildings.
However, for a city with such a rich history, those somewhat dilapidated old buildings actually enhance the city's atmosphere, showcasing the historical weight that many cities on the North American continent lack.
But Liang En and his group were not here for tourism today, so their vehicles quickly passed through the area near Liberty Bell Square and then crossed a river to reach the location of the 40th Street Gun Store.
Since they had already notified the owner here beforehand, Liang En and his group quickly followed the guidance of the clerk to drive to the back of the gun store and then through an open door into the backyard.
"Welcome, my friends." Just as Liang En and his group parked their car, a stout middle-aged man with a walrus mustache walked out of the building, then laughed heartily.
"Nice to see you, Mr. Liang. I can't wait to see the treasure you've brought me this time. Bruce was right about you; you always bring surprises."
"Actually, I'm quite surprised by this find myself, Mr. Carter." Liang En and Mr. Carter embraced briefly, then continued, "I can only say that I was very lucky this time."
As the two of them circled around to the back of the truck, Fan Meng and Pierce opened the door of the truck, revealing the anti-tank gun fixed to the floor of the truck.
Seeing this anti-tank gun, Mr. Carter's eyes widened, and he stared at it intently, his breathing becoming rapid.
"I think this should be very suitable for you." Liang En spoke at this moment, "So I called you as soon as I found this gun."
"Exactly, I f*king love this gun." Mr. Carter exclaimed, staring at the anti-tank gun and cursing. "I've always wanted something powerful like this, but unfortunately, I've never come across one."
After taking out all the accessories attached to the gun, Mr. Carter became even more excited. After all, for firearm collectors, whether the firearm is in its original condition and whether all the various accessories are complete greatly affect the value of the firearm.
"The condition of this gun is unbelievably good." Mr. Carter looked at the gun and chattered on. Because of their identity and relationship, various prices were basically laid out in the open between them, so some things could be said now.
"The entire gun has preserved most of the bluing, and apart from a few, most of the accessories are original. Even spare gun barrels and other accessories are complete. To be honest, this is even better preserved than the one I saw in the museum last time. By the way, do you have any intention to sell this?"
"I texted you before that I wanted to sell this thing to you, after all, as precious and valuable as this gun is, it's not what I need, so I came to you."
"Oh, sorry, I was just too excited, so I overlooked a bit when looking at the items." After hearing Liang En's words, Mr. Carter suddenly realized. "You know, it's hard for people to calm down when they're faced with something good."
"Of course, I understand that feeling very well." Liang En nodded, "Besides these items, I also have some other items related to the German army in World War II. Would you like to take a look?"
"I couldn't ask for more." Mr. Carter nodded, then proceeded to inspect the uniforms, helmets, and machetes.
"If these items are all packaged for sale, how much are you willing to offer?" After Mr. Carter finished inspecting the items, Liang En stepped forward and inquired.
After all, they had come to sell these items today, so it was time to talk about the price after inspecting the goods.
"If all these items are packaged for sale, I can offer $
550,000." After thinking for a few seconds, Mr. Carter said, "Actually, if you were to sell these items elsewhere, they would only fetch around $300,000 at most."
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Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 265: Transaction
After hearing Mr. Carter's offer, Liang En and Pierce exchanged a glance and nodded slightly. In their view, the price offered was indeed satisfactory.
Although Pierce was not very knowledgeable about weapons, he had a rough idea of the market price. So before coming here, Pierce's estimate for this item was around $300,000.
Seeing Liang En and Pierce exchanging glances, Mr. Carter thought they might not be entirely satisfied with the price. So he quickly explained:
"I know that this gun is rare, especially one with all its various accessories intact. It's valuable, but the market for this item is also very niche."
"Especially since this gun has a caliber exceeding 20mm, it could be classified as artillery. In most areas, it's considered a military weapon with mass destructive capabilities, so there aren't many collectors qualified to purchase it."
"As for the other items you brought, although they are of good quality, they are relatively common. So the price I offered is fair, and I'm not making much profit—"
"Of course, we understand." Liang En nodded and said, "Mr. Carter, these items are now yours."
"Thank you, thank you so much." After hearing Liang En's words, Mr. Carter's face immediately lit up with a smile. "This collection is simply amazing. Bringing it along will definitely make me the center of attention at the next shooting gathering in Wikipe, Arizona."
The gathering Mr. Carter mentioned was a famous shooting banquet in the United States, held twice a year in April and October, and was an important event for American shooting enthusiasts. Here, people could use various firearms, even large-caliber artillery.
In the United States, you could legally own a cannon with a caliber of over 100mm, but only a few places could provide shooting ranges for these passionate enthusiasts. And the location in the Arizona desert was one of them.
Obviously, cannons were much more expensive than firearms, so those who could afford them were definitely not poor. Therefore, at such gatherings, it naturally became a place for them to show off their wealth.
So for Mr. Carter, such a rare firearm was perfect for these firearm enthusiasts' gatherings and would undoubtedly become the most eye-catching item at the event.
"Oh, how should I pay you for this?" After calming down from his excitement, Mr. Carter suddenly asked. "Would you like a check, a bank transfer, or barter?"
"Please allow us to discuss for a moment." Apologizing to Mr. Carter for these options, Liang En then pulled Pierce aside to inquire.
"This is your stuff, so I can only offer a suggestion." After walking to the side, Pierce said to Liang En, "But I think if the other party has good items, it's better to choose goods over cash."
"Why?" Liang En asked curiously. "You know we're in America now, and it's much more troublesome to bring back a bunch of stuff than money, and it's also more difficult to sell."
"Yes, I understand that." Pierce smiled. "But as you said, this is America, so the local transaction tax is also very high. If you choose to receive money—"
"I see." Liang En nodded earnestly. Being reminded by Pierce, he also realized that whether it was a bank transfer or a check, this transaction would incur a considerable amount of tax.
There is a saying in America that there are two things you can't avoid: death and taxes.
So if Liang En didn't want to pay the tax, which could be as high as $100,000, choosing barter might be the best solution to avoid paying so much tax.
"Thank you very much for providing these options, Mr. Carter." After figuring this out, Liang En approached Mr. Carter and said, "May I ask what items are available for me to choose from? You see, we are not Americans, so—"
"Don't worry, my inventory is not just limited to weapons. I collect a wide variety of things. As long as you're not too picky, you should be able to find good items from my treasury." Mr. Carter immediately understood Liang En's hesitation and explained.
Mr. Carter had proposed this request because, as the owner of a chain restaurant, although he had some money, paying out $500,000 in cash at once made his finances a bit tight.
So he tentatively suggested the possibility of exchanging collectibles to obtain the gun, and now it seemed that Liang En was not averse to this exchange.
"If there are suitable items, I'm willing to engage in a barter." Hearing this, Liang En nodded. After all, in the previous exchange, he had obtained Joan of Arc's ring and a signature of Hiyoko, so naturally, he hoped to try his luck again this time.
"But if there are no suitable items, then I may need you to write me a check."
"Don't worry, my collection is very extensive in both quantity and variety. You won't leave empty-handed." Mr. Carter patted Liang En's shoulder and said. "And if the selected items are not enough, I'll pay you the difference."
After the discussion, Liang En and his companions, carrying those World War II antiques, followed Mr. Carter to the entrance of the basement warehouse. As soon as they entered the stairwell, several people were stunned by the door to the underground warehouse.
Because the door to this underground warehouse was made of a large circular metal, it looked very thick and sturdy. In the center of the door, there was a handle similar to a car steering wheel.
"This is a bit like the door to a bank vault." Liang En remarked after recalling movies he had seen before.
"Yes, this is indeed the door to a bank vault." Mr. Carter said proudly. "You know, Philadelphia is an old city, so there are many old buildings. This door was bought by me when the local Citibank updated its equipment five or six years ago."
Because there were items in the collection similar to artillery, according to the law, unless the firing function was removed, it was not allowed to be kept at home. So Mr. Carter simply piled all his collections in the underground warehouse below this gun store.
After the door was opened, a huge warehouse with an area of over 600 square meters and a height of 4 meters appeared in front of everyone.
"This is quite impressive." Fan Meng exclaimed. "To excavate such a large space 20 meters underground is definitely not a simple task."
"This used to be a ammunition depot of the National Guard during the Cold War, but it was abandoned after the Cold War. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to dig such a warehouse on my own." Mr. Carter explained, with a proud expression on his face.
As Mr. Carter said before, the items in this warehouse were very diverse. In addition to a pile of various firearms, there were also sculptures, furniture, oil paintings, and so on, filling the entire room.
"All the items available for exchange are now here." After putting away the firearms and military uniforms brought in earlier, Mr. Carter pointed to the warehouse and said, "Take whatever you like, up to $500,000 worth."
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