Chapter 26: Spilling the Vinegar Jar

"Why are we at the police station, Sean? Is something wrong?"

Elaine looked out the window in surprise. After leaving the storage facility, Sean hadn't driven directly back to UCLA; instead, he had pulled into the nearest police station. Since it was close to the university and he often came to the area for various errands, he was familiar with the layout and knew exactly where the station was located.

"It's nothing. That idiot who tried to harass you earlier is tailing us, so I came here just to be safe," Sean explained briefly.

"Oh!" Elaine gasped, immediately turning to look behind them.

The live stream was also in an uproar.

"No way! You’re being followed? Be careful!"

"I knew it. Sean was being so arrogant earlier, he was bound to make enemies."

"Besides, this is America—a place where everyone has a gun. You might even get shot!"

Sean, however, remained relaxed and showed no signs of tension. "I happened to spot that moron when we were leaving the facility. He and his partner were sitting in a Mustang, keeping a close eye on the front gate. Once I noticed them, I decided to play it safe and head straight to the police station. Sure enough, that Mustang followed us immediately. They clearly have bad intentions."

Before he had even finished speaking, Elaine spotted the target. "I see the Mustang. It's about a hundred meters behind us. It really does look like that guy from earlier."

Sean nodded and added, "Don't worry, Elaine. If you run into that idiot again, just call the police immediately. I'm going to get out now and report that we're being followed and that they’re attempting a robbery. I bet those two idiots will drive off the moment they see me walking toward the station."

"Alright, Sean." Elaine nodded, not appearing overly frightened. Having grown up in Paris, where the streets were often more dangerous than in Los Angeles, she had likely encountered such situations before.

Sean opened the door and stepped out. However, instead of heading straight for the police station, he turned toward the two fools sitting in their car and held up a prominent middle finger. Seeing the highly insulting gesture, the two men knew exactly what was happening.

"Fuck! That bastard saw us coming and is going to the police!"

"Let's get out of here! We can't let those idiot cops catch us, or we'll be in real trouble!"

After cursing in frustration, the two men immediately made a U-turn and sped off in a panic. Seeing them flee, Sean decided against entering the station and returned to his car. He drove away, taking a different route back to UCLA. Just as he had done before, he took a long detour through the campus before finally returning to his apartment building.

When they arrived at the entrance, dusty and travel-worn, several people standing nearby stared in confusion.

"Sean, Elaine, where have you been? Why are you covered in dust?" one of them asked curiously.

Sean looked at him and replied casually, "We picked up some pottery, that's why we're so dusty." It wasn't exactly a lie, as the car was indeed filled with ceramic pieces—though they hadn't crafted them themselves, but had won them at the storage auction.

Immediately, the crowd began to jeer.

"Pottery? Like the movie *Ghost*? How romantic."

"I heard you two were dating, but I didn't believe it. I can't believe it's actually true!"

"Why, Elaine? Why choose Sean instead of me? What do I lack compared to him?"

Elaine looked at them and replied with a playful, sharp smile, "The reason is simple: you aren't as handsome as Sean!"

A chorus of mock wailing broke out. The live stream was even livelier, filled with jeers and teasing.

"Is Sean really that handsome? I don't see it. He’s not as good-looking as me—I’m the one who’s truly dashing!"

"No way, is this French beauty making a move on Sean? Does she not know the concept of first come, first served?"

"Why do I smell something sour? Whose jealousy jar just tipped over?" Sean joked.

As he spoke, he opened the trunk, grabbed the four porcelain panel paintings, and headed upstairs with Elaine. It took two more trips to bring all of today's haul into the apartment. Once they were inside and had set everything down, Elaine headed back to her own apartment to shower, agreeing to meet Sean later for dinner. After a long, hard day with such a bountiful harvest, they certainly deserved a big meal to celebrate. Elaine hadn't hesitated to agree.

After she left, Sean tidied up a bit and spoke to the audience in his live stream: "Guys, I'm going to take a shower, so I'm ending the stream here. We'll admire these four green-landscape porcelain panels once you're all awake again, and we can discuss the trade. In the meantime, feel free to have them appraised by experts so you have a better idea of their value; I'll be doing the same."

The audience had no objections. They were all exhausted and in desperate need of a good rest. After ending the stream, Sean stripped off his dirty clothes and headed to the bathroom. While showering, he thought about Elaine washing up right next door and was tempted several times to use his vision to take a peek at the beautiful scenery, but he ultimately held himself back. They still had dinner ahead of them, and he didn't want to get himself too worked up.

...

In the blink of an eye, it was around nine in the evening. The sky had turned completely black, but the apartment building was becoming even livelier. Music played in the hallways, accompanied by the sounds of laughter and play. Only Sean’s apartment remained remarkably quiet.

Inside, Sean was studying and admiring the four priceless porcelain panels, his eyes filled with obsession and intoxication. On the floor nearby, the ceramic pieces they had brought back earlier were spread out.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Startled, Sean looked toward the entrance but didn't immediately get up. A split second later, his vision pierced through the wooden door to see the hallway outside. It was Elaine, dressed in comfortable loungewear with her hair in a ponytail, looking casual and natural. Even as a French beauty, she possessed a sense of purity that felt untouched by artifice.

Naturally, Sean saw much more than that. After savoring the sight for a few moments, he finally stood up to open the door.

Once inside, Elaine’s eyes lit up immediately as she spotted the four panels on the coffee table. "Sean, have you reached any conclusions? Which master artist created these, and what is their value?"

Sean shook his head with a smile. "No results yet. I sent videos and photos of the panels to some friends back home and to my father, asking them to have experts appraise them. The results aren't in yet, but I'm waiting for a call. I hope there's a pleasant surprise! I have a feeling these panels are extremely rare and very valuable."

"If that's the case, then that would be wonderful," Elaine nodded, her face full of anticipation.

After a few more minutes of casual conversation, Sean changed the subject. "Here is one thousand dollars, Elaine. This is your pay for joining me at the auction today." He picked up an envelope from the coffee table and held it out. Inside were a thousand greenbacks. While it wasn't a fortune, it was a generous sum for a day's work.

Elaine didn't reach for it; she froze, looking at Sean in surprise. A moment later, she came to her senses and shook her head. "Thank you, Sean, but I can't take this. I only went to the auction today because I was curious. Besides, I didn't really do anything, so how could I accept payment?"

Sean pushed the envelope into her hand. "Who said you didn't do anything? Didn't you help me clean out the warehouse? Since you put in the labor, I should pay you. During the auction, you also provided suggestions and appraisal opinions that were helpful to my decision-making. I have to pay you for that, otherwise, wouldn't I be too stingy?"

Hearing him put it that way, Elaine found it hard to argue. Just then, Sean’s phone suddenly rang. It was a video call from his father.