Chapter 0001: Sudden Misfortune

In December, Zhonghai City has long nights and short days. Just past six o'clock, the sky outside gradually darkened, and the streetlights on both sides of the road slowly lit up, keeping the city bright. The crowds leaving work filled the city's streets and alleys like a vast spider web, with all kinds of sounds echoing above the city.

"Whoosh..."

Ryan Bennett pulled the shop's rolling shutter door down halfway, carried several metal boxes—each packed and sealed with labels—behind the counter, and casually closed the security door. The items in these boxes were worth millions. Normally, two security guards would help Ryan Bennett with the handover, but today was the weekend, and the security company had called them back for training.

The workday was about to end. Although it hadn't been very busy, a trace of fatigue still showed on Ryan Bennett's young face. Maybe it was because the year was ending, and having not been home for a year, Ryan Bennett was feeling a bit homesick.

Ryan Bennett was 24 years old, born into a single-parent family in an ancient city in northern Jiangsu. He stood 1.8 meters tall. Though not exactly handsome, his smile gave people a sense of warmth, and his gestures revealed a touch of steadiness, making him look a few years older than his actual age.

Back in college, Ryan Bennett was someone who enjoyed lively crowds. But after graduation, things didn't go smoothly, making Ryan Bennett much more reserved and mature. Aside from cursing at the football association while watching games, he spent most of his time after work in his rented apartment reading historical novels. Just a few days ago, he bought a set of "Emperor Kangxi" by Er Yuehe. If he wasn't worried about the impression it would make, he would have brought it to work to read.

In 2000, Ryan Bennett graduated from a prestigious university in Zhonghai with a degree in finance and accounting. At that time, college graduates were still in high demand, and finding a job wasn't difficult. However, Ryan Bennett wasn't so lucky. Just a few days after graduation, he fell ill and missed that year's civil service exam. After recovering, he worked for a few days at a small company in his hometown, but seeing no prospects, he returned to Zhonghai and joined this pawnshop as an accountant.

Generally, private companies prefer to hire experienced accountants, while government jobs require connections. When Ryan Bennett first arrived in Zhonghai, he couldn't find a suitable job for over a month. In the end, it was thanks to a college classmate and dorm leader from Zhonghai that he managed to get into this newly established pawnshop.

When people think of pawnshops, their first impression is probably of an old-style pawnshop. And when they think of that, the lyrics "moth-eaten, rat-bitten, bare and hairless, a tattered coat" from a recently aired TV drama immediately come to mind.

In reality, with the times changing, pawnshops have become multifunctional venues for financing, treasure hunting, and storage.

In the forfeited goods section of the pawnshop where Ryan Bennett works, there are diamond rings, jade bracelets, luxury watches, and other items. Since the purchase price for these items is usually about half the original price, once they are forfeited, the selling price is only slightly higher than the purchase price. For those who are short on cash but still want branded luxury goods, this is very attractive.

Ryan Bennett had seen many stylish men and women come here, directly forfeit jewelry they didn't like, and then go to the forfeited goods section to look for items they preferred. This way, not only did the forfeited items circulate, but it also prevented capital from being tied up.

The personnel structure in the pawnshop was simple. The chief appraiser, Uncle David, also served as the manager. There were two young appraisers who had returned from abroad, mainly responsible for appraising foreign artworks and luxury goods. Both were in their early thirties, had been in the industry for a while, and were professionally trained. However, these two usually thought highly of themselves and were never favored by Uncle David. Then there was the cashier, Linda Clark, and the sales clerk in the forfeited goods section.

Uncle David's full name was Madeline Brooks. Before the liberation, he worked as an apprentice in a pawnshop in Zhonghai, and later continued working in the excavation and appraisal of cultural relics, specializing in miscellaneous items and calligraphy and painting. He was highly respected in Zhonghai's antiques and collectibles circle. Before the pawnshop opened, a lot of effort was spent to invite Uncle David, who had retired from the Zhonghai Museum, to serve as the chief appraiser and manager. In the old days, he would have been called the "head manager" of the pawnshop.

Uncle David was very fond of the diligent and reliable Ryan Bennett, and wanted to bring him into the trade. Unfortunately, although Ryan Bennett liked reading historical novels, he wasn't very interested in antiques. Uncle David's teachings went in one ear and out the other, and the conversation would often drift to some historical figure or story, frequently leaving Uncle David fuming with anger.