Chapter 435: The Charm of the US Dollar
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
These plates were very beautiful; they had a brilliant color, and looked both charming and elegant. They felt delicate in Li Du's hands and he was unwilling to put them down.
He was not feeling particularly excited about them as he did not think they were very precious. Otherwise, the little bug would have had a reaction to them.
He used the time travel ability and many past scenarios appeared before him:
Someone wearing a T-shirt was waving and drawing on the plate. There was the image of a green pine tree, and he saw that the design was exactly that of the plate he was holding in his hands.
Needless to say, these were imitations. The genuine item would be from the Qing Dynasty, and nobody would have been wearing T-shirts then. Furthermore, the wording on the T-shirt was "Dash to Japan Island. Catch **** alive…"
He was meticulous, and took a good look at the plates and vases. They were fakes and had been produced only recently. They were not considered junk but definitely not worth any money.
After sighing a few times, he put the plates into a bag, planning to show them to Zhang Kai before taking photos of them.
He was sure these were worthless fakes but would not be able to explain this fact to Zhang Kai. After all, he had already said that he knew nothing about famille rose.
He could only photograph them and then get someone to verify before sharing the outcome with him. He would let him identify the plates and vases in the photograph, in case he was suspected of switching them with fakes to trick him.
Hans and the other treasure hunters were circling around the Alien Motorcycle. When he got back, Godzilla and Big Quinn had already cleaned up storage unit 54 with the shotguns.
Li Du waved at him. "Put the motorcycle onto the truck, we should go."
Hans had not had enough fun yet. He knew that once on the road outside, Li Du would not allow him to ride the bike. Hence, he pretended that he did not hear him and turned around midway to continue riding his bike.
Li Du was amused; he waved him over. "Are you some veteran? Come here, I've got some good stuff to show you."
Hans could not continue to pretend that he didn't hear him; he asked cautiously, "What stuff? I still want to ride the bike." Like a kid who had just gotten a toy he loved, he felt as though he could not part with the motorcycle.
Li Du said, "I won't lie to you, it's really good stuff. Come quick."
Hans walked over to the truck doubtfully, and then saw the beautiful porcelain ware.
All of a sudden, he gasped, "God! God!"
Li Du said, "China porcelain, palace treasures, magnificent famille rose!"
Hans said excitedly, "This... this is real? Real stuff? China china?"
The country and the type of porcelain were both referred to as "china," except the former started with an uppercase letter and the latter with a lowercase letter. They sounded the same when spoken and so when Hans said them both together, it sounded amusing.
Li Du laughed along, "No, these are fakes."
Hans was dumbfounded. "Huh? You were pulling my leg earlier?"
"Really," Li Du laughed, "these are fake, worthless. Well, doesn't this prove that life's full of ups and downs?"
It did not prove anything; Hans was going to explode in anger. "You lied, where's the good stuff?"
Li Du waved at Big Quinn; he pulled out a gun from underneath the seat and passed it to him.
Hans was a little disappointed to see this brown, wooden shotgun. "Oh, not bad, Remington 700BDL. An old gun, but well-kept."
"How much can it sell for?" Li Du asked.
"Looking at its quality, maybe 1,000 dollars if we can find the right buyer." Hans did not sound that interested.
Li Du was disappointed. "So low?
"It's not low, buddy," Hans said. "Without a gunsight, a brand new M40A1 would cost only 800 dollars. This type, the 700BDL, is of slightly higher value, but as it's secondhand, and also common, it can't fetch a high price!"
Li Du said, "Well, I thought we could make a fortune, since we've got 10 of these guns."
Hans was surprised. "Ten?"
Li Du nodded. "Yes, why?"
Hans explained, "Better take them out and register them at the storage company and local police station. D*mmit, if we were to get checked on the road, the police could arrest us!"
Li Du had thought that Americans had the freedom to own guns. They had even bought machine gun cannons before without any issues. It appeared that it was not that way.
Hans was responsible for settling the paperwork, and so while he did the registration, Li Du moved the motorcycle onto the truck, and left it with the other treasure hunters.
When Hans returned with the documents and saw that the motorcycle was gone, he sulked. "Where is my Alien? Let it out."
Li Du said crossly, "You wanted to ride it on the road?"
Defeated, Hans said, "I'll ride it slow, okay?"
"No way. Let Stephen check it first and get rid of that head. Only when we confirm there is no problem can you then ride it on the road." Li Du was adamant about this, and would not let it rest.
This bike's exterior was too ferocious-looking. Besides, there was the warning of its last owner having died in an accident on the bike. He did not wish for the same fate to befall Hans.
They had reaped their rewards and could leave for home, but Li Du was not willing to. He had not toured the place; since it was a tourist destination, how could they leave without taking a look around?
Knowing that he wanted to tour around, Hans nodded. "It's also true that autumn is a great time to visit Page's various attractions. We also have a fishing machine that we can use to fish at Lake Powell. Besides, I have to make a trip to Old Oraibi."
Hence, the treasure hunters who were also preparing to return home, also stopped and asked to stay on with Li Du to sightsee.
Almost all of them had more or less made money at this auction.
Except for the storage units with the motorcycle and shotguns, Li Du had pointed out the rest of them to his fellow treasure hunters and had shared their estimated value so that they would have a better idea.
Between nations, although they may not be allies forever, they could still continue to seek mutual benefits from their relationship. It was the same between people: the motivation to benefit is paramount, especially when they were just starting to form a relationship.
Turis said, "I'm also not going back. What's the point in going back when it's already so late? It's too dangerous to take the road at night, so I'm staying here."
The treasure hunters would usually return home on the day the auction ended to save on motel expenses as well as to prevent their things in the car from being stolen.
Three or four dozen of them answered Li Du's call to stay.
The next day, he rented a car to visit the various attractions. In the end, most of them tagged along. Olly said, "Actually, I've never been to Page."
Of course, their main motive was to deepen their friendship with Li Du.
This was the charm of the US dollar: it could transform someone from being a former reject to the being most popular person around.
In addition, the Flagstaff treasure hunters not only welcomed Li Du, they even followed his lead.