146: Danger lurking everywhere

Haishizi let out a laugh of relief.

"Good, as expected of the most prestigious Treasure Hunter of the past few months, you've got guts."

"I guarantee you won't regret this decision. Come, have a seat."

Excitedly, Haishizi invited Qin Yun and Julia to sit on the luxurious sofa and personally poured them each a glass of red wine.

"This is a 1987 Bordeaux, one of my few prized collections. Cheers to our successful cooperation."

Haishizi took a sip and closed his eyes, looking completely intoxicated by the flavor.

Qin Yun picked up his glass and took a small sip.

Aside from a sweet aftertaste, there was nothing particularly surprising about it.

"The wine is good. Can you tell me what your goal is for this trip so I can be prepared?"

Arriving in Belgium, which was in the midst of war, Qin Yun knew he couldn't be too careful.

Tycoons don't care much about money; a few tens of millions of dollars wouldn't be worth the risk for Haishizi.

Given Haishizi's style, having invested so much and risked his life, he wouldn't be going to Belgium if there wasn't a very precious treasure involved.

He was curious about what Haishizi was actually after.

Haishizi took a large gulp of wine.

This time, he didn't savor it but swallowed it directly.

"Belgium is in a state of war, and that's the best opportunity to make a fortune!"

"Many powerful aristocrats, warlords, and wealthy merchants will do anything for US dollars, weapons, and supplies."

"Private collections, looted spoils of war, even antiques packed straight from museums—there are things you can't even imagine."

"You don't need to worry too much about the chaos. The Warehouse Auction there is used by various factions to raise funds. Generally, no one dares to make an enemy of all the domestic forces, so our safety is guaranteed."

Haishizi gestured with his hands, talking incessantly with an animated expression.

His excited look made it seem as if the treasure was already in his pocket.

Qin Yun hadn't expected someone like Haishizi to profit from war through a Warehouse Auction.

He was also amazed by Belgium's methods of raising funds.

These people were truly talented; if they had focused on enriching the people and strengthening the nation, Belgium certainly wouldn't be in its current state.

Qin Yun wanted to see a different kind of Warehouse Auction.

However, he wasn't blinded by Haishizi's description.

Everything comes with a price.

If it were that easy to get rich, Belgium's Warehouse Auction would have been known to everyone long ago.

"I'm already satisfied with having the yongle encyclopedia. I don't expect to make a fortune from the Belgium Warehouse Auction; I just want our safety to be guaranteed."

Qin Yun replied flatly, showing little excitement.

Julia was captivated by the scene Haishizi described.

Taking a sip of red wine, she couldn't help but ask, "How do you bid in this kind of auction? Will anyone tamper with the warehouses?"

Julia didn't trust the character of those warlords.

If these people really had any integrity, they wouldn't be resolving issues through war.

"They prefer gold and cryptocurrency there; they rarely accept transfers. Even US dollars are only worth eighty percent of their value. Since no legitimate institution dares to do business openly with warlords, they have no choice because they fear other countries won't honor the debts."

"The warehouses up for auction aren't ones that people forgot or abandoned; they are specifically selected by the warlords. They could contain priceless royal treasures or worthless modern handicrafts. It requires a very keen eye, which is why I invited Mr. Qin to join US."

"As long as we buy the warehouse, they definitely won't cause trouble, because this is one of their few sources of income. They wouldn't sabotage it for a tiny bit of profit!"

Since the plane had already taken off and Qin Yun could no longer back out, Haishizi explained the general situation of this Warehouse Auction.

"That's good. When it comes to Warehouse Auctions, I've never seen anyone better than Qin Yun."

Julia said with a face full of pride.

Qin Yun gave a self-deprecating laugh. "There's always someone better. I've just had good luck lately. One must stay grounded to go far in life."

After some turbulence, the plane reached the stratosphere, about nine hours away from Libya.

Haishizi reclined the leather sofa, covered himself with a blanket, and began to rest.

Realizing that he would need sufficient focus in Belgium, Qin Yun also closed his eyes to rest.

Julia watched the clouds outside the window for an hour, then felt bored and started to sleep.

Eight hours later, the three were awakened by the bodyguards and told they were now over Libya and needed to be alert for their safety.

The three woke up instantly; no one wanted to die without knowing why.

They all looked out the window, feeling tense, and no one spoke first.

Qin Yun's heart pounded violently. If the plane were attacked...

No one on board would survive.

As for Haishizi's promise, even Haishizi himself didn't fully believe it, so Qin Yun certainly wouldn't have total confidence in it.

Half an hour later, the plane's altitude gradually decreased; it was almost time to land.

Qin Yun could vaguely hear the roar of artillery shells.

Inwardly, he cursed Haishizi for being such an unreliable fellow.

What use was a bulletproof plane? It couldn't withstand artillery.

If they really encountered danger, he would throw Haishizi out before the plane exploded and then parachute down with Julia.

Haishizi also began to clench his fists and pray to God.

He hoped the plane would land safely.

Julia came to Qin Yun's seat and gripped his hand tightly; only then did she feel her body stop trembling so much.

Ten minutes later, the plane landed safely at a remote military airport.

Everyone finally breathed a secret sigh of relief and stepped off the plane. Seven or eight jeeps were already parked outside.

The drivers were soldiers holding long rifles, wearing ill-fitting uniforms.

Two machine guns were mounted on the back of two of the jeeps.

Many of the soldiers looked very young, and there were even quite a few minors.

Car horns blared along with the roar of engines as the soldiers, holding steel rifles, stood in two serious-looking rows.

A Land Rover sped from a distance into the middle of the soldiers, who saluted with somewhat inconsistent movements.

An officer stepped out from the passenger seat and opened the rear door. A large, fat man wearing a patterned Givenchy shirt stepped out of the car with great flair.

The fat man hugged Haishizi with a smile.

"My good friend, we finally meet again."

Facing the fat man's warm welcome, Haishizi also excitedly embraced him.

"It's been so long. Primo, your power and reputation are growing by the day. I've heard about you many times even in the US. I'll be relying on your help this time."

Haishizi set aside his usual pride and complimented Primo several times.

"Hahaha, what you heard about me probably wasn't good. Others don't matter, but I'm loyal to my friends. This way, please. I've already prepared rooms for you."

After saying this, Primo loudly ordered the soldiers to make way for three jeeps.

He invited Haishizi to sit in the Land Rover and led the way toward the hotel.

Qin Yun hadn't expected Haishizi to be dealing directly with warlords, and he felt a vague sense of foreboding.

These kinds of people only care about money and the weapons in their hands; they certainly wouldn't take friendship or integrity seriously.

However, the fact that Haishizi dared to come here and deal with such a person suggested there must be something good in the warehouses.

He began to look forward to what rare treasures might be waiting for him to discover.