NOVPUBCapital City of Libertopia.
This is the political and economic center of Libertopia.
It’s the largest city not just in Libertopia, but the world over.
Almost all the rich and powerful converge here.
On Capital Main Street, all eyes were focused on the speeding convoy.
A fleet of uniform black armored limousines, all flying the Libertopia national flag, flanked by a large number of police cars.
One look and it was clear: these were individuals of no ordinary status.
In the limousine at the center of the convoy sat Rachel and a middle-aged man, both in the back seat, his demeanor calm and collected.
Rachel was expressionless, her gaze on the scenery outside the window, her inner emotions calm as a still lake.
Only one thought prevailed in her mind - Daniel.
As if sensing Rachel’s mood, the middle-aged man spoke, "We’ll be meeting Samuel soon, you’d better look happy."
Rachel scoffed coldly, "Constantly pretending to be happy is exhausting. I’m conserving my energy."
She couldn’t understand how the father who’d adored her since childhood could change like this.
For his own career, he was even willing to sacrifice his own daughter’s happiness.
Even though he knew she’d be unhappy, he insisted on her putting on a false smile.
The middle-aged man just sighed and didn’t say anything.
The convoy sped along, finally pulling into a noble white building.
...
Emerging from the Police Headquarters, Daniel’s face was a mix of desolation and worry.
He had already asked Rachel’s colleagues, and they had all said that Rachel had resigned.
That meant Rachel had been prepared to leave for a while.
The questions she asked yesterday, all of them were laying the groundwork for her departure.
Why?
Why on earth would this silly girl do that?
Daniel couldn’t figure it out.
He got in his car, intending to return to the apartment.
Just then, he received a call from Abel, saying the Container Hunt Auction was about to start again.
Initially, Daniel wasn’t in the mood, but then he remembered he needed exchange points.
So, he made a U-turn and headed straight for the port.
Inside the auction venue, Allen was waving his arm, "Dan, over here!"
Daniel walked over quickly, forcing a smile, "You guys are early."
Abel looked at him oddly, "What’s with you? Your smile looks forced."
Allen chimed in, "Almost like you’ve been crying."
Daniel asked, "Is it that obvious?"
Both brothers nodded, "Very."
Daniel gave a bitter smile, "I’m fine, actually. I just don’t know what’s going on."
He really had no idea why Rachel would leave.
Abel patted Daniel on the shoulder, "Even if we don’t know what’s happening, you can channel your sorrow into strength and make your mark at this auction."
Allen added, "That’s right. According to inside information, the containers this time are all high quality. If you seize this opportunity, you’re sure to make a fortune! We had planned to get involved ourselves, but seeing your low spirits, we’ll step back and leave you with one less formidable competitor."
Daniel gave a knowing smile, "Thanks for the offer, but it’s not necessary." He made it sound as if their participation would somehow hinder him from finding hidden treasures.
Abel also said, "This guy, do you really think Dan needs your concession?"
"We should first take care of ourselves and make sure we’re not losing out."
Allen scratched his head, grinning, "I just wanted to cheer Dan up a bit."
Daniel chuckled, "Thanks, you did. I feel much better."
Soon enough, more and more treasure hunters started to appear in the auction area. Some were new faces, but many were familiar ones - Matt, Emilia, Wilson, the triplets...
Robert also appeared in front of the crowd. Seeing the many treasure hunters, he looked quite excited.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
"Welcome to today’s Container Hunt Auction! I am your beloved host, Robert!"
"Today’s auction will be recorded for a show to be broadcast on various TV channels. I hope you all put on a good performance today!"
Another recorded show.
Daniel thought for a moment, then turned on his own live broadcast.
It had been several days since he last streamed, and the platform had urged him to stream more than once.
After all, as a streamer with a five-million-a-year contract, it was odd not to stream regularly.
The chatroom instantly filled up with numerous netizens.
"Wow, he’s back!"
"Whimpering, streamer, long time no see!"
"It’s just been a few days, is that really worth exaggerating over?"
"Missing you feels like ages, streamer. I’ve missed you so much that I have to fantasize about you to fall asleep every night."
"You’d better admit you’re a girl, or I fear our streamer won’t be able to sleep tonight."
Laughter erupted in the chatroom. Of course, it was all in the form of chat bubbles.
Daniel greeted everyone, "Sorry guys, I was delayed due to some personal matters. But today I’ll be streaming a bit longer."
"In a couple of days, I’ll think of something nice for you guys."
The chatroom started guessing, "Holy cow, here it comes, cross-dressing!"
"That’s right, we want to see streamer cross-dressing!" 𝘯𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"Or not, the streamer is already handsome, if he cross-dresses, I might fall in love with him."
"No worries, it’s just the sword against the sword. If it looks good, go for it!"
Daniel couldn’t help but roll his eyes. It had only been a few days since his last stream.
Why had his viewers’ tastes become so... unique?
Had times really changed?
Soon, Robert made an announcement.
"Today we have only five containers up for auction. I hope you all treasure this opportunity."
"The first container is from DubaiXpanse!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd burst into cheers.
No wonder, everyone knows that DubaiXpanse is filled with wealthy people. Even the homeless there have luxury cars.
In other words, DubaiXpanse is a symbol of wealth.
So the contents of this container from DubaiXpanse are bound to be extraordinary.
Many people began urging, "No more talking, open the box now!"
"Quick, quick, quick! I can’t wait any longer, this container must be mine!"
"You’re too arrogant, newcomer, this container is mine!"
The crowd was extremely excited, and Robert felt exhilarated as well. This high-spiritedness was good!
The more excited they were, the more he would earn.
Robert quickly said, "Then I won’t say more!"
"As usual, I will give you some time to observe. Open the box!"
A staff member came forward, cut off the lock, and opened the door.
The contents of the container were immediately revealed.
The crowd surged forward, blocking the small container door.
Matt and Emilia were once again together.
They squeezed to the front of the crowd, affording themselves the best view.
Looking at the items in the container, Emilia asked, a bit puzzled, "Can you tell what these are?"
Matt frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "From the looks of it, these rolled up items seem like felt carpets."
Emilia suddenly understood, "DubaiXpanse is populated by descendants of Arabathi, they like these kinds of things. If the material is good, one carpet is worth at least 1,000 StellarCoins."
Matt nodded, "I think it’s worth more. The wealth gap in DubaiXpanse is huge, there are only the rich and the poor. Those who can afford to ship items are the wealthy ones, perhaps even a prince. 1,000 StellarCoins is quite cheap for them."
Emilia thought Matt’s reasoning was sound, "So should we bid?"
Matt responded, "Let’s do it!"
Others took a look at the container and lost interest immediately when they saw the rolled-up carpets.
They couldn’t see much value in these textiles and preferred to pass.
This is the disadvantage of being uninformed and inexperienced.
The triplets, after observation and analysis, couldn’t determine the value of the textiles either.
But they still believed this container must be of great worth.
The youngest triplet suggested, "DubaiXpanse is filled with wealthy people. I refuse to believe that all they’ve shipped are just these textiles."
The middle one questioned, "But have you ever wondered why this container is up for auction?"
The eldest and the youngest fell into deep thought.
Containers put up for auction at the port were usually due to financial default.
Would the rich people in DubaiXpanse run out of money?
The eldest suggested, "It could also be due to some special circumstances that they couldn’t sign for it."
The youngest chimed in, "Right, I think it’s very likely that they simply forgot about this container. There are often similar news online, right? Like those DubaiXpanse tycoons forgetting their million StellarCoins worth of luxury cars on the roadside for years without anyone claiming them."
The middle one had no comeback, because he also thought this possibility existed.
Aside from the triplets, the AbelAllen brothers were also interested in this container. They too believed there must be some valuable items inside, if for no other reason than its origin - DubaiXpanse.
It was a country notorious for its opulence. Even if there was just a box of gold and jewels inside, it would be enough for them to strike it rich.
Daniel stood at the back of the crowd, not pushing his way forward. He usually did so as there was no need to.
Gazing at the container, he silently thought, "Begin appraisal."
[Item]: Container
[Age]: Modern
[Condition]: Slightly worn
[Details]: A container from a young prince of DubaiXpanse, filled with his favorite toys.
[Appraisal]: Quite valuable, recommend bidding!
[Market Price]: 35,000 StellarCoins.
[Buyback Price]: 25,000 StellarCoins.
