Chapter 477: As Stable As a Rock
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After he finished inspecting the 11 storage units, Li Du revealed a slight smile.
Lu Guan was a sharp fella; when he saw Li Du returning to the car with a smile, he instantly asked, "There's something good here, right? You discovered something valuable."
Li Du looked at him and said, "You're so sharp. How is it possible that you haven't made a name for yourself at the auction market?" This fella had a sharp mind, was a smooth talker, and had better listening abilities than most. The auction market should serve as a good platform for him to perform.
Lu Guan was unconcerned about this and shrugged. "Who knows? Perhaps God thinks that I should lead a simple life."
The two of them found a hotel in Scottsdale to spend the night. Li Du called Hans. "Drive here with Godzilla and Big Quinn. It's not bad here."
Hans asked, "Should we bring Turis and the rest? These guys always stay at our site to hang."
These matters could not be hidden from everybody; Li Du replied, "Bring them over then. A few of the storage units are valuable. I think they will be interested."
He was referring to unit 5. Even though many items stored in it were largely damaged, they were still from a renowned hotel. If the unit could be snagged at a suitable price, there would still be a profit.
On the morning of the 26th, Flagstaff's treasure hunters came in droves. They converged at Lava Storage company. Li Du waved his hand and the treasure hunters alighting from their cars flocked toward him.
Upon witnessing this scene, there was a Phoenix treasure hunter who mocked, "Hey, have they become little puppies? That Chinese immigrant is your owner? What an embarrassment."
Olly instantly gave him a shove, raised his eyebrows in anger. "Abraham," he said, "your last name isn't 'Lincoln.' Don't just shoot off your mouth."
The treasure hunter who was shoved became angered and together with his partner, blocked Olly and said, "B*st*rd, you wanna get beaten up? I'll bash your nose until it's tilted on your *ss. What do you think?"
Flagstaff's treasure hunters gathered and Dickens pointed at Abraham. "Dude, why are you trying to get noticed? You trying to be president?"
"To be honest, you're not Abraham Lincoln."
"If I were you, Abraham, I would pick up my things and scram and disappear from here." Over thirty people circled the three of them—Abraham and his partners became jittery.
One of his partners shouted, "Hey, you Flagstaff peopled formed a gang or what? Come, the Phoenix people aren't scared of you all." Scottsdale was very near in proximity to Phoenix so a lot of Phoenix treasure hunters were there too. That was why Abraham's partner was trying to bring them onto their side.
But treasure hunters were all crafty and wouldn't place themselves in unnecessary situations. Many people did not really like Li Du as his rise to prominence had been too quick, and he wasn't even from America, which resulted in them being jealous and resentful.
Abraham had humiliated Olly but his actual target was Li Du. Treasure hunters understood this—in fact, many of them wanted to humiliate Li Du. But these were just thoughts, and no one actually dared to instigate him—especially since Li Du had already united the Flagstaff treasure hunters.
People who had been initially standing around dispersed; some remained but had no intention of having any conflict with Li Du and just wanted to watch the show.
Abraham was frightened as the Flagstaff treasure hunters were closing in on him. He immediately apologized, "Haha, I'm just joking. Just a joke."
"Big Beard, my buddy, today you are very suave. Scottsdale's girls are clamoring for you."
"Big Fox, let's have a drink later? I know there are a few good bars that recently opened. Many office ladies like to go after work."
Li Du didn't bother dealing with this guy; he waved his hand in dismissal. Hans and the rest forced Abraham and his partners away before returning to Li Du.
The company opened its door and everyone entered to partake in the auction.
The auctioneer briefly recapped the rules and regulations, and the guards opened the storage unit's shutter with hydraulic pressure for everyone to view.
Li Du stood at the back, in the golden position. They usually left this for the treasure hunter with the highest status. A few treasure hunters, however, tried to fight for the position by claiming they were locals and went to queue behind Li Du. Li Du smiled and decided to mess with them.
Seeing the people queuing behind them, Hans extended his hand and pointed at them. "Are you not fit to be seen? Why are you all hiding behind our *sses?"
They were angered but didn't want to spark any conflict, so they stared at him in cold silence.
Li Du shook his head at Hans, signaling to him that he did not have to interfere.
The team was moving quickly but was broken off at Li Du; he did not follow them into the warehouse to look at the storage unit and stood in his spot.
As he did not move forward, those at the back couldn't move either—now they were going to figure out who was more determined.
The order of the queue wasn't fixed. Li Du also wasn't blocking anyone from entering. If he didn't enter the warehouse to view, those behind could simply bypass him.
However, this would mean that they were giving up their position in the back, the treasure hunters did not want that. So they stood their ground to see if he would really not enter the warehouse.
Li Du and the people behind him remained still; after a while, the auctioneer couldn't tolerate it anymore, and nodded at the guards for them to close the warehouse door. "Let's start the auction!"
The treasure hunters behind him looked anxious and hurriedly said, "But we haven't seen anything yet!"
The auctioneer coldly replied, "You didn't enter. I didn't think you wanted to partake in the auction."
The tempo of the auction was fast as time was precious. There were 11 units to be auctioned. If a unit took an average of half an hour to be auctioned, a total of five and a half hours would be required.
The auctioneer needed to control the tempo and discipline of the crowd and could not allow the treasure hunters to challenge his authority. If he couldn't, this would not be easy to handle.
When he instructed it was time to close the door, the door had to be close. When he instructed that it was time for the auction to begin, that meant it must begin. Li Du and the others not seeing the unit was none of his business.
The treasure hunters behind Li Du were infuriated. "Bullsh*t! Bullsh*t!"
Li Du didn't plan on placing any bids on this unit anyways.
The Flagstaff treasure hunters gathered around Li Du to ask for his opinion.
Li Du said, "I didn't enter to see—what did you all notice?"
Dickens said, "A few toilet bowls, a few bed sheets, and a few boxes. The boxes are sealed and organized. I think there are some good things inside."
"I noticed the boxes too—there are ten of them."
"Fourteen of them, I counted."
Li Du deliberated and said, "Test the waters. If it's below 2,000 dollars, take it if possible."