Treasure Hunt Around the World

Chapter 4: 'Treasure Hunt Mission'

Once a decision is made, do it immediately.

Zhang Jing applied online and was granted the right to participate in the auction the day after tomorrow morning. He will then enter by scanning a QR code.

I didn't have many friends in Xinjiang, so I said goodbye to Li Mingcheng, Sun Ting, and Ding Jiaqi on WeChat. The next morning, I went straight to the airport and arrived at Lishe International Airport in the afternoon.

Take Metro Line 2 from the airport, transfer to Line 1 at Gulou Station, and the whole journey takes about 70 to 80 minutes to reach Donglun Port City.

We rested overnight at a hotel near Yintai and arrived at the Second Container Company at 8:30 the next morning.

Scan the QR code to enter the main gate, walk forward 200 meters, and turn left to enter the auction venue.

There are a large number of containers here that have been left unclaimed or refused for various reasons. Twenty of them will be auctioned off today.

Like Zhang Jing, there were about forty treasure hunters participating in the auction, clearly indicating a large number of bidders competing for limited resources.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said a middle-aged man with a red name tag around his neck, "my surname is Li, the same as the poet Li Bai. I will be hosting the auction, which will be broadcast live online. Please participate actively."

Many treasure hunters looked at the two cameras next to them, their expressions neither joy nor sorrow.

“Let’s get straight to the point,” Li Bai said readily. “The first container was shipped from Seattle, but because the shipping cost was too high, it was abandoned for more than six months without anyone claiming it.”

A dock worker, armed with pliers, stepped forward and cut the metal lock on a nearby container.

There are generally two types of shipping containers: 40-foot containers and 20-foot containers.

This is a 40-foot cabinet, 12 meters long, 2.35 meters wide, and 2.7 meters high.

As the cabinet door opened, a strong smell of wood wafted out.

The room was filled with neatly arranged pieces of wood.

The timber was processed to be about 10 centimeters wide and 5 centimeters high. Because the container was full, the length of the timber was not visible, and it was unknown whether there was any space behind the container.

Normally, it should be full.

The problem is that, including Zhang Jing, most people don't recognize what kind of wood this is, let alone understand its value.

"Observe for five minutes. Do not touch the goods with your hands or cross the threshold of the container." Li Bai shouted. "Make your bid after five minutes. There is no reserve price or ceiling price. Each bid must be at least five hundred."

The crowd immediately started discussing it.

“The timber market is booming right now because of environmental protection,” a fat man weighing over 200 pounds said to Zhang Jing. “If the price is right, you can make a small profit by buying it.”

"What was the weight limit for a 40-foot cabinet again?" Zhang Jing asked belatedly.

“22-26.83 tons,” the overweight man explained. “This is the international standard. Even if it’s not full, it won’t pass customs inspection if it’s overweight.”

"Is it possible that the back of this container is empty?" Zhang Jing asked doubtfully.

"this..."

The over 200-pound fat man looked bewildered; he didn't recognize wood, didn't know its density, and therefore had no idea.

Others share this suspicion, believing that weight is key in determining the value of a type of timber.

In other words, if the back of the box is empty, the wood might actually be more valuable.

If it's completely full, it means the cabinet is very light.

Everyone here is a smart person; some people have already gone around to the back of the container and tapped the container with their fingers to judge whether there is any hollowness by the echo.

Zhang Jing, who had a golden touch, also went to join in the fun. He was shocked by what he saw.

The Goldfinger function is currently quite limited, only able to display a 3D image of metal within two meters of the user's viewpoint.

Two meters isn't short, considering the container's total width is only 2.35 meters. And there was actually a car inside the metal section of the container!

Even a fool would think that smuggled cars couldn't be low-speed electric vehicles, otherwise it wouldn't justify such a huge risk.

This perfectly explains why the buyer abandoned the container, fearing it wouldn't clear customs and would result in arrest and imprisonment.

In other words, the timber outside is just a smokescreen.

Zhang Jing's heart pounded. He had to take advantage of this opportunity, otherwise he would be letting down the people God had given him.

"Five minutes!" Li Bai shouted. "Start bidding now!"

"fifty thousand!"

The first bidder was a lady who knew about timber and recognized it as high-quality larch pine. Based on the 54 cubic meter volume of a 40-foot cabinet, the value was approximately 200,000.

She wanted to make money, so she quoted a high price, hoping to scare some people away.

As expected, it was the first time for everyone to participate, and most people didn't understand the tricks of the trade or the value of the timber. The price of 50,000 yuan scared off most of them.

"Fifty thousand!" Li Bai shouted. "Anyone else bidding?"

The rest were the bolder ones; the second treasure hunter raised the bid by a thousand.

"Fifty-one thousand," Li Bai shouted to the crowd, "Is there a higher price?"

Zhang Jing raised his hand and added five hundred.

The 200-pound fat man adds 500.

"Fifty-two thousand," Li Bai encouraged the crowd, "Give it your all, guys!"

The first woman to bid seemed to have plenty of money, raising the price to 60,000.

A 200-pound fat man gets an extra 1,000.

Zhang Jing and Wu Bai.

Other treasure hunters also raised the price, and in just two minutes the price reached 110,000.

"110,000!" Li Bai shouted excitedly, "Is anyone else bidding higher?!"

"One hundred and five hundred." Zhang Jing quoted the price.

"...."

When the price reached 150,000, the first middle-aged woman to make a bid looked at Zhang Jing.

Li Bai and the others also looked at Zhang Jing.

Everyone noticed that no matter how much they bid, Zhang Jing always added 500, remaining as steady as a rock.

"Dude, you're not a shill, are you?" The 200-pound fat man voiced everyone's thoughts.

"Is there anyone as competent as me as a shill?" Zhang Jing retorted.

"150,500," Li Bai exclaimed excitedly, "Is there anyone else bidding higher?!"

For a container of timber, 150,000 is already a high price. Nobody is stupid, including the knowledgeable lady. Everyone unanimously stopped raising the price.

After the first container auction ended, Li Bai announced that Zhang Jing had won.

"Sir, it's cash on delivery, once the deal is done, there's no going back. Will you be paying by card or mobile transfer?"

Before participating in the auction, Zhang Jing exchanged 300,000 RMB in advance through his mobile banking app and transferred the money directly via mobile transfer.

Upon receiving the money, Li Bai said enthusiastically, "You can count your winnings now, or you can wait until the auction is over to count them, but it will need to be done in front of the camera."

“Let’s take stock now,” someone immediately started jeering, “we want to see someone cry.”

Zhang Jing looked at everyone; they were all waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

"Is it easy to rent a warehouse and call a truck around here?" Zhang Jing asked.

“It’s convenient. There are shared warehouses nearby, and there are delivery trucks right outside.” Li Bai answered fluently.

"Please take inventory."

Li Bai waved to the workers waiting nearby, "Move!"

The first bundle of pine strips was brought out; six strips were bundled together, each six meters long.

As the number of pine strips decreased, it became clear that the rear half of the container was not made of wood.

A dust cover, what is it covering?

After all the pine strips were moved, everyone guessed that there was a car under the dust cover; its outline was already quite clear.

At this moment, everyone was filled with regret. Without a doubt, this was a smuggled luxury car.

Amidst the curious gazes of the crowd, Zhang Jing stepped forward and lifted the dust cover.

It turned out to be a black BMW X5.

It was a good car, but everyone, including Zhang Jing, looked puzzled.

It's a luxury car, but it's not worth the risk of smuggling. What's the problem?