The next three warehouses were also of the same type, where all the contents were placed in plain view. They were also bought by some local people.
Compared to outsiders, the auction prices for these warehouses, which displayed all items openly, were almost transparent. Only the locals could profit from them.
Soon, the auction reached the warehouses filled with boxes and oiled paper parcels. At this point, everyone became cautious. Unlike the previous auction, this one felt more like gambling.
"Alright, now we have reached the fifth warehouse for today's auction," announced the auctioneer after half an hour, and it was finally the warehouse that Liang En had been keeping an eye on.
"Starting at 10,000 euros, with increments of 1,000. Anyone bidding 11,000 euros?" Liang En immediately raised his hand, and the auctioneer pointed to him, saying, "Alright, we have 11,000 euros now. Is there anyone willing to offer a higher price?"
Whispers immediately spread through the crowd. Evidently, not everyone had noticed the marker during the observation, so people were hesitating about whether to take the risk or not.
"I do!" At this moment, the only woman in the room raised her hand. Her accent revealed that she was also not a local.
Clearly, coming all this way and returning empty-handed was unacceptable for many outsiders. So, there were naturally those willing to take the risk.
"Very good, now we're at 12,000 euros." The middle-aged man conducting the auction immediately waved his arms to heighten the atmosphere. For him, having only one bidder was undesirable, so the competition excited him.
"Alright, we're at 12,000 euros, 12,000 euros. Who's next at 12,000 euros?“
"I'll keep bidding." Liang En announced in a distinctly standard, yet rarely heard broadcasting-style German accent, then he shrugged in a very American manner and mumbled, "Drove all day to get here, don't feel like driving back empty-handed."
"So, now it's 13,000 euros, 13,000 euros. This is quite a bargain. Anyone willing to go up to 13,000 euros?" As soon as the auctioneer heard Liang En's determination to continue bidding, he immediately raised his voice.
However, compared to the previous auctions, this time the participants were clearly more cautious. Unlike the prior warehouses, this one revealed very little information.
Considering the minimum starting price for a warehouse was 10,000 euros, each person pondered their bids carefully beforehand while observing the attitudes of those around them.
In the end, when Liang En pushed the auction price for this warehouse up to 15,000 euros, no one else continued bidding.
As no one knew whether those boxes were empty or full, and the oiled paper parcels were tightly wrapped, the contents remained a mystery.
Of course, Liang En's rebellious attitude frightened quite a few people. For most, attending the auction was about seeking fortune, not a contest of wills. Hence, they saw no reason to challenge his impetuousness.
After asking a few more times, when no one continued to bid, the auctioneer pointed at Liang En and announced, "Alright, this warehouse is now yours."
Compared to the warehouses previously auctioned at an average price above 20,000 euros, this one was quite a bit cheaper. When it came time to pay, Liang En paid 10,000 euros, while the Pierce father and son paid the remaining 5,000 euros.
Since Liang En had higher hopes for this particular warehouse, he naturally invested more money to secure a larger share of potential future profits.
However, at the next warehouse, everyone's spirits soared instantly.
This warehouse was covered with oiled cloth as well, but for some reason, a corner of one of the cloths had been lifted, revealing wooden crates beneath.
And these crates, though showing signs of age on the surface, were overall in very good condition. They were a distinct grass-green color, and it was clear they were used for transporting weapons.
Considering that this warehouse was connected to the military, it was easy for everyone to guess what these crates contained.
A moment later, a frenzy of bidding began. Liang En's group made a couple of bids tentatively but were soon out of the bidding circle.
After just a few bids, the warehouse's price had exceeded their entire budget for this expedition. In the end, a robust-looking local man acquired the warehouse for 63,000 euros.
However, the next warehouse went unsold. It was completely empty except for a small, canvas-covered item in the corner. It seemed unlikely that it could be worth 10,000 euros.
After the auction, those who hadn't won anything left in their cars, grumbling. Those who did win started positioning their cars at the entrance to load their purchases, blocking the view of others.
With the help of Liang En and Pierce, the large iron door slowly slid aside on its track, revealing a warehouse that looked as huge as an indoor basketball court.
"Alright, let's take down the lights first." Old Pierce parked his car at the entrance and instructed two young men to place the LED lights he had prepared on elevated points within the warehouse.
Once the lights were in place, Old Pierce pressed a button on his remote. In an instant, the entire warehouse was illuminated as bright as day.
Standing at the entrance, everyone could clearly see the reinforced concrete structural columns and beams, as well as the aged-looking light fixtures on the ceiling.
On the floor, there were cracked cement tiles covered in dust. When the door was opened, a gust of wind swept in, stirring up dust and dispersing it into the air.
This was good news. Dry conditions were more conducive to preserving the contents compared to a humid environment.
Wearing gas masks and work suits, the three individuals started walking in through the gaps, sequentially opening the oiled paper parcels and crates to inspect their contents.
"Red scarves, blue scarves, red scarves—" After opening a dozen or so oiled paper parcels, Liang En found an entire row of brand-new, neatly stacked red and blue scarves.
Judging by their packaging and condition, it seemed they were produced and immediately stored here without ever being used.
"I've got something similar. Each crate contains ten wooden plaques, each engraved with a German letter. These were probably used to create slogans during protests." Pierce's tone held a touch of disappointment.
Indeed, items with historical significance were appealing to collectors, but this was still a very niche area of interest. And now, the quantity Liang En and Pierce had stumbled upon was roughly equivalent to Europe's annual production.
These low-value items clearly dampened the group's spirits, but they continued to carefully flip through the oiled paper parcels and crates.
Because, as Old Pierce had mentioned earlier, his decades of treasure hunting experience indicated that crates bearing various insignias usually contained something of greater importance.
Sure enough, when they reached the second shelf of oiled paper parcels, Liang En noticed something different.
"—These are blue... wait a moment?" Seeing the blue textile inside the parcel, Liang En sighed and was about to give it a perfunctory look before moving on to the next parcel. However, as he touched it, some golden tassels became visible.
"I seem to have found some flags, Mr. Murphy." After unfolding the fabric, Liang En exclaimed, "Could you take a look at these flags and decipher their contents?"
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