Ocean Blue Oath

New Life

In the corners of the city, the neon lights flickered, casting shadows on the half-open, half-closed wooden door of "Mr. Park's Fast Food." As the door creaked open, Emilia, dressed in her server uniform, stepped into the noisy, bustling space, beginning another day of her working life.

Having left the home she once lived in for a long time, Emilia had to find a new place to stay due to a lack of funds. Unlike the community she previously resided in, the streets here were narrow and the area was plagued by poor security. In stark contrast to the affluent neighborhoods, these streets were lined with dilapidated buildings. This was Emilia's new world, a harsh reality she had no choice but to face.

Fortunately, thanks to her good looks, Emilia managed to land her first job. The fast food restaurant was filled with smoke, and the noise was ceaseless. Emilia darted between tables, her golden hair shimmering under the dim lights. She was so busy that she didn't have a moment's rest. Sweat trickled down her fair cheeks, but she still had to dodge the wandering hands of some lecherous patrons.

"f**k! Tom, next time, I'll cut off your damn hand." Months of working had transformed Emilia. She had learned not to tolerate such behavior and adopted a tough stance to protect herself. Unfortunately, her threats only seemed to excite the group of ruffians more.

"f**k? Oh, oh! I can't wait. How about tonight? Even if you cut off my 'precious' afterward, it'd be totally worth it!" Tom responded with a lecherous grin, eliciting howls of laughter from his cronies.

In response, Emilia could only raise a middle finger high. "Go back and screw your mother, you piece of s**t!"

If dealing with regular customers was something Emilia could handle with retorts, another person posed a more significant challenge. "Emilia, how's business tonight?" The greasy voice broke the clamor; it was the restaurant owner, a short, lecherous, and despicable Korean man. He approached Emilia with a smile plastered on his face.

Emilia frowned slightly and replied coldly, "It's okay." The owner didn't seem to mind her coldness and continued to inch closer. "About my proposal last time, have you thought it over..." His words were laden with insinuation.

Emilia cut him off immediately. "No, thanks. I don't need it," she said firmly. The owner's face darkened momentarily but soon reverted to a smile. "Don't be like that, Emilia. There are many opportunities here."

As he spoke, he reached out to touch her shoulder. Emilia quickly dodged, a flash of anger in her eyes. "Keep your hands to yourself!" Startled by her attitude but not deterred, the owner became even more brazen. "If you work here, you follow my rules."

Emilia took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "I understand, but I have my boundaries." The short Korean owner, irked by Emilia's defiance, hissed menacingly, "Fine! But don't get too cocky. Remember, this is the slums, and the least valuable thing here is a young, beautiful girl. Beauty has an expiration date, and hard work will only speed up the process."

He was reluctant to fire Emilia, recognizing that "Mr. Park's Fast Food" had seen better business since her arrival. Although she dismissed his words as mere barking, she couldn't deny there was some truth to them. During her time in this area, she had seen many girls who were younger and prettier than herself, all ambitious and hoping to use their youth and beauty to cross the mere street that separated them from a completely different world. She herself had once been part of that world but lost everything due to a premeditated betrayal.

Late at night, as Emilia lay on the narrow bed in her tiny apartment, she often wondered if she would ever clear her name and find happiness. The answer was unknown. She had to keep working for her next meal and was determined not to return to her parents' home in Texas until she proved her innocence.

In this environment filled with malice and harassment, Emilia learned to be strong and brave. She showed through her actions that women could face life's difficulties and injustices courageously. At the same time, she became more resolute in her plan for revenge—to make those who had wronged her pay dearly.

One day, while busy in the dining area, the boss called her over. "Emilia, a customer has ordered takeout, and the delivery address is in the warehouse district near the docks. You need to deliver it." Knowing this was beyond her usual duties, Emilia simply nodded, took the packed food, and left the restaurant.

Emilia rode her bike through the streets and arrived at the warehouse district by the docks. Here, the hustle and bustle of the city was replaced by a desolate feeling, with open spaces and rundown buildings.

She found the designated warehouse, only to discover a bustling crowd gathered around a small auction platform. Standing on it was a middle-aged man in a suit, enthusiastically explaining the auction rules.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next up for auction is the ownership of this warehouse. Remember, you only have three hours to clean out everything inside this warehouse, whether it's trash or treasures, it's all yours! Bidding starts now!"

As the host's voice rang out, the doors of the warehouse swung open, and people rushed forward to peer inside, only able to see a few pieces of furniture and appliances placed near the entrance.

"Oh! A set of well-maintained audio equipment and wooden furniture, I bet there are treasures inside! I'm going to bid on this warehouse."

Soon, treasure hunters began clamoring, estimating the value of the items inside the warehouse and discussing among themselves at what price they should make their move.

Emilia watched with interest from the sidelines, quickly identifying the recipients of her food delivery - a Asian couple participating in this warehouse auction.

It was evident that this couple was here out of curiosity, unlike the other treasure hunters who were more professional and well-prepared. They were excitedly discussing in hushed tones, and Emilia, standing nearby, learned about the rules of the so-called warehouse auction from them.

In the United States, many people rent personal storage units to store their belongings, but they need to pay a monthly rental fee to the owners of the storage facility. If they fail to renew their lease and pay the rent on time, after a certain period, the owners have the right to dispose of the contents of the storage unit.

To recoup their losses, they often publicly auction off the storage unit, collecting a fee and requiring the winning bidder to clean out the unit before continuing to lease it to the next person in need.

Since no one knows in advance what treasures might be hidden in these storage units, each auction is like opening a mystery box, with some people striking it rich by finding forgotten treasures inside the units overnight.

Of course, there are also plenty of storage units filled with worthless junk.

Nevertheless, there is still a small group of people who enjoy the thrill of this treasure-hunting process, giving rise to a special profession - the warehouse treasure hunters.