Chapter 19: A Brawl on the First Day on the Job

As soon as Xiao Ran drove away from the apartment building, he pointed to the high-definition camera pinned on his chest.

“Elena, I’m doing a live video broadcast. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Some of my friends want to watch the warehouse auction, so I decided to go live.”

Elena glanced at the HD camera, then waved her hand in front of it.

“Hello everyone, I’m Elena. Nice to meet you all.”

Seeing that this beauty was so outgoing, the viewers in the livestream instantly became excited.

“No way! She’s really treating us like old friends!”

“Xiao Ran, send me this French beauty’s number later. I want to experience a passionate foreign romance.”

Xiao Ran smiled wryly and then said to Elena,

“Many people in the livestream call you the French Rose, and some even want to have a cross-cultural romance with you.”

“So, Elena, are you interested? Should I introduce you?”

Elena laughed heartily but shook her head.

“Thanks for their compliments, but I’ll pass. If I’m looking for a boyfriend, it will only be in the real world, not online.”

“Love requires mutual understanding and nurturing; it’s a sweet experience that online romance clearly cannot provide.”

Xiao Ran nodded before switching to Mandarin.

“Did you hear that? You can forget about it!”

His words caused a collective groan in the livestream chat.

Next, Xiao Ran briefly explained the rules of the warehouse auction to Elena.

As for the people in the livestream, he had already introduced it to them before.

To prepare for this game, they had searched online for related information and watched some videos, so they understood it to some extent.

UCLA was just west of Beverly Hills, very close by.

In about fifteen minutes, Xiao Ran arrived at Richard Storage Company, where the auction was to be held.

There were still more than twenty minutes before the auction began.

Although it was early, there were already quite a few people gathered at the storage company’s entrance—about twenty or thirty—chatting in small groups.

No doubt, these people had come after hearing about today’s warehouse auction.

The Beverly Hills warehouse auction clearly held great appeal, hence the lively crowd.

And this was only a portion of the participants; more would surely arrive.

Among those present were people of various ethnicities.

There were the old and young, men and women, and several Asians among them.

Who among them were seasoned professional treasure hunters and who were merely curious passersby hoping to snag a bargain remained unknown.

Within the crowd, Xiao Ran recognized several familiar faces.

He had seen these guys before at the lost luggage auction at the airport.

Clearly, these men were likely professional treasure hunters.

But Sylvia was not among them, probably not arrived yet.

After parking the car by the roadside, Xiao Ran and Elena got out and walked together into the storage company’s main entrance.

The moment they appeared, all eyes turned toward them.

At the sight of Elena, every man present seemed to light up, their eyes shining.

Whistles broke out immediately.

Accompanying this were rounds of admiration.

“Wow! A beautiful girl just showed up. She’s stunning!”

“This is Beverly Hills. Could she be a movie star? Though that car looks pretty beat up.”

“Could be. Richard Storage Company has many celebrity clients. Maybe she’s here to pick up something.”

Amid the murmurs, some restlessness stirred.

The guys from the airport lost luggage auction stared intently at Xiao Ran, eyes full of surprise.

As soon as Xiao Ran entered the door, they recognized him.

“Fuck, why is this Chinese kid here? Is he a professional treasure hunter too?”

“That kid made a lot last time, has some skills, and is loaded. We better watch out.”

As they whispered, Xiao Ran nodded to them and then, with Elena, entered the office building to register.

During registration, Xiao Ran asked about the auctioneer for the event.

He inquired if video streaming of the auction was permitted so he could broadcast the scenes to his livestream followers.

After a moment of thought, the auctioneer agreed.

For Richard Storage Company, this was a chance to expand their influence and they naturally wouldn’t refuse.

Not only that, the auctioneer and his female assistant smiled and encouraged them to dress well and show their best selves.

About five or six minutes later, Xiao Ran and Elena emerged from the office building.

No sooner had they stepped out than someone approached.

“Good morning, guys. You here for today’s auction?”

It was one of the men Xiao Ran had seen at the airport.

Xiao Ran turned, smiled, and nodded.

“Good morning. Yes, we’re here for the warehouse auction, just to join the fun.”

“I’m Shawn, a new professional treasure hunter. Nice to meet you.”

With that, Xiao Ran bent his elbow forward, ready to bump elbows.

Given the special times, this was the handshake substitute.

The other man hesitated briefly, then bumped elbows.

“I’m Jeremy, also a professional treasure hunter. Nice to meet you. Looks like we have a new competitor.”

Jeremy then introduced two companions, also treasure hunters who often worked with him and stayed together.

After getting Elena’s consent, Xiao Ran introduced her as well.

They soon fell into casual conversation.

“Jeremy, can you share any hints about what good stuff might be in today’s auction warehouses?”

“You know I’m a rookie with no inside sources, just what the association announces.”

Xiao Ran asked.

After a pause, Jeremy replied,

“I don’t know if there’s anything valuable, but I heard one warehouse once belonged to a movie star.”

“Maybe there’s some good stuff there. Besides, this is Beverly Hills—only rich people and celebrities live here.”

“The warehouses rented by these folks must hold quality items. That’s why so many showed up today.”

He gestured toward the crowd ready to participate.

At that moment, a white guy in his twenties wearing hip-hop clothes suddenly walked over.

He headed straight toward Elena, clearly with ill intent.

Xiao Ran’s expression immediately hardened.

He stepped forward to stand in front of Elena, blocking the man.

At the same time, he quickly activated his X-ray vision, thoroughly scanning the man.

After a week of continuous experimentation, Xiao Ran had learned to use his X-ray ability smoothly.

He could now activate or deactivate it at will.

The white man was unarmed, which somewhat relieved Xiao Ran.

Seeing Xiao Ran blocking Elena, the man stopped but his eyes flashed with jealousy and anger.

“Dude, no need to get tense. I just want to get to know this beautiful lady and maybe get her number. No harm intended!”

The man swayed his head.

“I’m sorry, but this lady is with me. I won’t be giving you her number. Please leave!”

Xiao Ran rejected him coldly, making a dismissive gesture.

Offended by such a blunt refusal, the white man grew angry.

“Fuck you! Who the hell are you? What’s your relationship to this girl? Mind your own business!”

Xiao Ran sneered and retorted quietly,

“Idiot, you don’t need to know who I am. Get lost before you make a fool of yourself!”

The white man clenched his fists, ready to punch Xiao Ran in the face.

Just then, a security guard nearby stepped over.

“Guys, take any fighting outside. Any brawling inside will get you disqualified from the auction and the police will be called immediately.”

Hearing this, the white man stopped, glaring fiercely at Xiao Ran.

At the same time, two SUVs suddenly pulled up outside the gate and parked by the roadside.

Meanwhile, the livestream chat erupted with shouts.

“Hero saving the beauty! Nice one, Xiao Ran! Real man!”

“No way, just became a pro treasure hunter and already ready to fight? This job looks dangerous!”