Chapter55-All Smuggled Goods! A Pitfall Container!(2nd update, Cheer me with Power Stones!)
The system appraisal results once again appeared before Daniel's eyes.
[Item]: Camouflage Canvas
[Age]: Modern Textile
[Condition]: Slightly Worn
[Details]: Camouflage canvas often used to cover military items.
[Appraisal]: Canvas is cheap, but the hidden object is expensive. Recommended to buy!
[Market Price]: 2.86 million StellarCoins.
[Buyback Price]: 2 million StellarCoins.
Holy crap! What the hell is this hiding, a self-propelled gun?
2.86 million StellarCoins could already buy a top-of-the-line tank.
Daniel stared at the container in front of him, his face betraying no emotion, but inside he was quite shocked.
It was not so much the value, but the incredulity of what could be hidden inside.
Who would attempt to transport such a batch of valuable military supplies by sea to Phukari Island?
Did such a small tourist island warrant such a major operation?
Moreover, such conspicuous items would surely be inspected at the port.
But since it appeared here, it could only mean that the port hadn't inspected this container.
Was there a connection between these facts?
Daniel felt a sense of unease.
He felt he needed to win this container.
Robert stepped forward, "Time's up, you can start bidding now."
Two workers closed the container door again.
Emilia was the first to bid, "5,000 StellarCoins."
This price was already a high starting bid.
Daniel didn't rush to bid, he just quietly observed the other treasure hunters.
As a renowned troublemaker at auctions, Matt took the lead and raised his hand, "8,000 StellarCoins!"
It was evident that he was quite interested in this batch of goods.
But the others were different, the worn-out supply boxes would be unwanted even by junk collectors, and the possibility of being decorative items was already deeply ingrained in their minds.
Allen raised his hand casually, "8,500 StellarCoins."
Abel, beside him, couldn't understand. "Why are you buying this stuff? There's no profit in it."
Allen smirked. "Just bored, thought I'd fan the flames a bit."
Daniel was speechless.
Compared to Matt, Allen seemed more of a troublemaker.
The bidding continued between Emilia and Matt, but the price increments had clearly lessened.
Emilia waited a moment before calling out, "10,500 StellarCoins."
She looked at Matt and said, "This is my final offer. If you can outbid this price, the container is yours."
Matt started to hesitate.
So far, the value of the container in his mind was just around 10,000 StellarCoins.
Emilia's bid of 10,500 was, honestly, a bit high.
Even if he won it, he wouldn't make a profit. It would be a loss.
Seeing the silent Matt, Emilia wasn't too pleased.
She knew that at this price, there wouldn't be much profit in the container either.
Emilia, lacking interest, said to Robert, "Don't wait any longer, nobody else is going to bid on this. Just announce the results."
Just then, Allen bid again, "11,000 StellarCoins!"
Emilia, who was ready to pay, paused slightly.
Then she said irritably, "Abel Allen, you two brothers are also fighting for this kind of stuff?"
"But go ahead, I don't really want it that much anyway."
Allen grinned, "I'm just betting there might be some brand new goodies inside."
"We're all treasure hunters, isn't the thrill of the gamble what we live for?"
Veteran treasure hunters like Emilia and Matt, as well as the newcomers, all shook their heads and laughed dismissively.
Brand new goodies in these ragged boxes?
Who would do that?
Abel originally thought the same, this pile of junk wasn't worth 11,000 StellarCoins.
But what made Allen bid was Daniel.
He might as well take a gamble.
Daniel's appraisal ability was well known.
Robert announced the results and Allen stepped forward to check the goods.
The entire container was cleared out, and the items were neatly arranged on the ground.
Many of the treasure hunters had already turned and left the crowd, heading straight for the next container to be auctioned.
Only a few of the old treasure hunters, who were more leisurely, stayed to see the value of this batch of goods.
But they were all the same, taking joy in others' misfortune.
But as soon as Allen opened the first box, everyone was instantly stunned.
Inside the worn-out supply box, there was a brand new rifle.
Allen's eyes lit up instantly as he picked it up with both hands.
"Holy shit, it's an M4 assault rifle, and it's the fully automatic version!"
All the treasure hunters at the scene took out their phones and began checking prices.
Soon, a gasp of astonishment came from the crowd, it was Matt's voice.
"Oh my gosh, the lowest price for the fully automatic version of the M4 is 13,000 StellarCoins, and that's just the starting point!"
Shocked, Abel immediately yelled, "Quick, check the other boxes!"
Everyone's eyes were now on Allen.
Allen came back to his senses and quickly opened the remaining supply boxes.
All forty supply boxes were opened without exception.
Inside, all were brand new fully automatic assault rifles that looked like they had just come out of the factory, even the top-spec versions with all the accessories.
A full set could fetch more than 18,000 StellarCoins!
With forty sets, the total price could reach a staggering 720,000 StellarCoins!
Of course, no one was an expert in weaponry, this was just a rough estimate.
Even so, it was enough to fill everyone with regret.
Matt was pounding his chest with his fist, a picture of utter heartache.
Regret!
Damn it, he regretted it!
If only he had held on for a few more rounds, this batch of goods would have been his.
A profit of hundreds of thousands, he could have been laying low for several years.
Emilia gaped in surprise, "You two brothers, that's some luck you've got."
"You've hit the jackpot!"
Allen waved it off, "Luck, my ass! This is all thanks to Dan."
"Dan, can you handle all this stuff?"
"I happen to know a guy who owns a gun store, he can help."
Daniel again?
Emilia, Matt, and the other treasure hunters all turned to look at Daniel in shock.
Why didn't he bid himself?
And then, they all understood.
Daniel was now a recognized master appraiser.
If he suddenly started bidding, it would certainly draw the attention of these treasure hunters.
That's why he used Allen as a proxy.
Sneaky guy.
Now that the goods were in hand, Daniel didn't have much reason to keep secrets.
"Don't be in a rush, there's another big boy inside."
With that, he headed inside the container.
Only then did Allen remember, there was another big thing in the container, covered with a camouflage tarp.
He followed Daniel in, helping to pull off the tarp.
The treasure hunters waiting outside suddenly heard a gasp from inside the container.
With curious eyes, they all crowded around.
When they looked, they all froze.
Inside the container, even Daniel was somewhat surprised.
Underneath the camouflage tarp was not just anything, but a brand new armored vehicle.
Through the system, Daniel knew it was a Stryker wheeled armored vehicle.
One of Libertopia's most advanced four-axle eight-wheel battle vehicles.
No wonder its value could reach as high as 2.86 million StellarCoins.
If sold to countries with less military capability, the price could even double.
None of the treasure hunters could have imagined that such a big thing would appear in a small container.
Matt was so scared he wanted to call the police right away, "This isn't just some ordinary arms deal, this batch of goods could very well be smuggled!"
Arms smuggling was a serious crime.
Allen scoffed, "You're stating the obvious, aren't you? Are there any legitimate arms deals being publicly auctioned at the harbor?"
"Besides, isn't it common for smuggled goods to appear at auctions? I recall last month you bought a batch of old furniture and found some heroin in it. Did you turn it in to the police?"
Matt's face turned red, and he said no more.
Allen's words were a reminder to Matt that they were all in the same boat - no one was cleaner than anyone else.
If anyone dared to leak the information, they could all go down together.
Abel was still somewhat worried, "If it's just some guns, we could handle it, but now with this big guy, we're bound to get noticed."
Daniel didn't dispute it, nodding, "I know. Let me make a call."
Turning around, he dialed Rachel's number.
"Hi, what brings you to call me?"
Rachel was surprised to hear from Daniel.
Daniel went straight to the point, "I need to ask you something."
Rachel pouted, somewhat dissatisfied, "Can't you at least make small talk first, you typical man."
"Spit it out, what could possibly require the great Daniel to ask for my help?"
Daniel quickly explained the arms situation.
He didn't have high hopes at first, after all, Rachel was just a police officer in the inspection department of the bureau.
To his surprise, Rachel casually said on the phone, "Golden Shores port, right? I'll have someone handle it soon. Give me your account number, the money will be directly transferred to you once it's done."
"But let me be clear, I'm not going to do this for free~"
Daniel chuckled, knowing Rachel wasn't really asking for money.
If he asked someone else to handle this kind of thing, he'd of course have to pay a price.
"You can set the price, as long as it doesn't exceed 30%."
Any higher, and he might as well give it back to the system.