David Thompson had not been in the United States for long and was still unfamiliar with local life. He had heard of warehouse auctions as a business practice, but didn’t know the details.

America is different from other countries; it has a unique warehouse culture.

Because there are no restrictions like household registration, young people in the U.S. don’t like to buy property but prefer to rent. However, moving every time is troublesome, so the warehouse rental business has flourished.

In this business, warehouse companies select a piece of land and build a batch of warehouses, renting them out for profit, while people use fixed warehouses to store their belongings.

If the rental fee isn’t paid after a certain period, the warehouse is legally considered ownerless, and the warehouse owner can dispose of it as they wish.

Generally, the way to dispose of it is to auction it off.

People who do this kind of work are called treasure hunters. David Thompson only knew that Henry did business outside, but didn’t expect it was this kind of business.

He didn’t understand this business model. While waiting for pizza, he curiously asked, “How do you plan to operate? Are you the only one who knows there’s a massage chair in the warehouse?”

Henry shook his head and said, “No, a lot of people know about it. There are eight warehouses in this auction, and the massage chair is in one of them. No one knows exactly which one, so I have a one-in-eight chance of getting the massage chair.”

“A one-in-eight chance?! How is that different from buying a lottery ticket?”

“There’s a big difference. The lottery is a one-in-eight-million chance, OK?”

David Thompson couldn’t understand this kind of risk-taking mentality. This was the difference between him and Henry: he was a Confucian scholar deeply influenced by the doctrine of the mean, while Henry was an ambitious adventurer.

He shrugged, wanting to leave, but then he happened to see the little bug tattoo on his palm, and an idea suddenly came to him:

“Buddy, does no one know exactly which warehouse the massage chair is in?”

“Of course!”

“If you could determine which warehouse it’s in, would you definitely win the bid?”

“Of course!”

“Then why don’t we work together? I’ll help you find the right warehouse, you win the bid, and then we split the money. How about it?”

Chapter 0004: The Leather Throne

As the sun set behind the western hills, sunlight spilled over the streets of Flagstaff, making the small buildings and apartments look even more exquisite.

Henry was driving his Ford F150 like the wind down the road. It was rush hour, and traffic was heavy, but the F150 sped along, constantly overtaking other cars.

David Thompson exclaimed, “Watch out, Henry, can you slow the hell down?”

Henry glared at him, “Then can you eat pizza any slower? Damn it, didn’t we agree that three-quarters was mine? And stop calling me by my name—call me Boss Fox, got it?!”

“Wrong, it’s two-thirds!”

“OK, then two-thirds. But why are there only two slices left now? You ate six! You ate three-quarters!”

David Thompson laughed awkwardly. Controlling the little bug consumed energy, and he was starving.

The warehouse was located in the northeast corner of Flagstaff, carved out of a stretch of wasteland about a hundred acres in size, with hundreds of warehouses built on it, neatly arranged in rows and columns.

By the time they stopped the car, there was only one slice of pizza left in the box. Henry shouted, “Damn it, when did you eat another one?!”

David Thompson pretended not to hear, and went to look at the bulletin board at the warehouse company entrance. There was a big white sheet posted on it, which read:

[Smith Warehouse Company of Flagstaff, California, entrusted by the Property Assistance Court of the Flagstaff Municipal Court, will hold a public auction at 9:00 a.m. on February 1st of this year at the company’s warehouse department, for a total of 8 private warehouse units (No. 202 to 209) located at 10 Qianjie, Train Street, Flagstaff, Smith Warehouse Company. For details, see the “Appraisal Report” and related materials.]

[The total building area of the 8 warehouses is approximately 405.78 cubic meters. After obtaining the property rights, the successful bidder may acquire all property inside, except for the land and the warehouse itself.]

[Additionally: From the end of the auction, the warehouse ownership belongs to the successful bidder for 24 hours. After 24 hours, the right to use the warehouse and any property inside reverts to Smith Warehouse Company of Flagstaff.]

[Exhibition registration time: From the date of publication to 9:00 a.m. on February 1st of this year.]

[Exhibition location: At the site of the property.]

[Auction address: 10 Qianjie, Train Street, Flagstaff.]

[Please note: The above property is auctioned as-is. Our company assumes no responsibility for any defects in the property. After the auction, the consignor is responsible for handing over the property. Interested bidders, please contact the following phone numbers in advance...]

He had never attended a warehouse auction before, so everything was new to him.

But Henry had seen plenty. He wolfed down the pizza and said impatiently, “Alright, Chinese boy, stop wasting time. I’ll take you inside for a look.”

David Thompson said, “Have some patience, Henry...”

“Call me Boss Fox. As long as we’re at the auction, no matter when, call me Boss Fox!” Henry said very seriously.

“Then don’t call me Chinese boy either. Call me Thompson!”