5: Julia joins the treasure hunters

The price of used cars in the US is almost transparent, leaving little room for manipulation.

Qin Yun thought the boss wouldn't offer much of a discount, but unexpectedly, he gave an 80% discount immediately. Smiling, Qin Yun nodded in agreement and promised to look for him if he ever found any Lakers collectibles.

Returning to his rented apartment feeling satisfied, he looked at the dilapidated small room and listened to the wooden floor creaking. He decided to earn more money and move to a new place.

It would be even better if he could upgrade directly to a large, detached villa.

The next morning, Qin Yun arrived at Hank's house with the photo album as agreed.

Hank's house was a villa in an upscale community, featuring neatly trimmed flowers and plants outside, along with a swimming pool with clear water.

Looking at the luxurious villa, which resembled a garden,

Qin Yun grew even more eager to own a villa.

He pressed the doorbell, and to his surprise, a blonde girl opened the door.

She was tall and slender, wearing a fitted black professional suit. Her long blonde hair draped over her shoulders, adding a touch of languidness to her aura.

Her skin was smooth and delicate, complemented by indigo eyes with hints of black, and a faint, subtle fragrance. She exuded a gentle, intellectual beauty.

Seeing this mixed-race beauty, who fit the aesthetic standards of Daxia, right before him, Qin Yun's heart rate quickened slightly.

"Excuse me, who are you looking for?" the blonde beauty asked.

Her ethereal voice pulled Qin Yun back to reality. He checked Hank's business card in his hand, confirming the house number was correct.

"Excuse me, is this Hank's house? I arranged to meet him yesterday."

Upon hearing Qin Yun's reply, the blonde beauty rubbed her eyes, covered her mouth with her hand, and showed an expression of ecstatic joy.

"You must be the Qin Yun Dad mentioned! The storage unit you bought yesterday caused quite a stir in the Treasure Hunting Circle!"

The blonde beauty was excited; clearly, she had also seen the video mentioned by the car dealership owner.

"It was just luck. Is Hank home?"

The beauty stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.

"I'm Hank's daughter, Julia. Dad is inside, please come in quickly."

After closing the door, she walked inside, shouting as she went.

"Dad, Qin Yun is here, come out quickly."

After seeing her father come out, she secretly glanced at Qin Yun before immediately shifting her gaze away.

"You two get down to business. What would you like to drink, coffee or tea?"

Like Hank, Qin Yun chose coffee, then followed Hank to the study.

After Hank sat down, his eyes were fixed on Qin Yun's backpack, his hands clasped together, looking somewhat impatient.

Qin Yun noticed Hank's eagerness, so he didn't waste time with pleasantries. He got straight to the point, taking out the photo album and placing it on the table.

"This is the photo album I found. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Based on their previous interactions, he trusted Hank's character.

"We can start the investigation with the family in the photos. I only have some connections, and I don't know how much help I can be. If you regret this, you can take it back."

He reluctantly glanced at the photo album. After so many years, he had long given up hope of possessing a treasure like the yongle encyclopedia; just being involved in the search process was good enough.

Since this concerned a priceless treasure, it was better to be upfront about the potential difficulties.

Qin Yun showed no hesitation on his face and pushed the photo album forward.

"Since I came to you, I trust your character. Go ahead and look."

The yongle encyclopedia was a priceless treasure, and human nature could not withstand temptation, but he trusted his own judgment of people.

Besides, he intended to be careful and cautious; with his unique ability, the yongle encyclopedia couldn't escape his grasp.

Seeing Qin Yun agree, Hank finally sighed in relief. He carefully picked up the photo album and began flipping through it.

After ten minutes of flipping through it, he put the album down, leaned back in his chair, and exhaled the stale air from his chest.

"I have some leads regarding the family in the photos. I will use my network to help you search for clues about the yongle encyclopedia, but after you find it, I want to make a copy for my collection."

As long as it could be found, copying it wouldn't damage the yongle encyclopedia. Qin Yun agreed readily.

"No problem. As long as we find the yongle encyclopedia, everything is negotiable."

After finalizing the terms, the two drank coffee and chatted about various rumors in the Treasure Hunting Circle.

When they talked about happier topics, both men laughed spontaneously.

Julia had been standing by the door, eavesdropping on their conversation, a hint of longing hidden on her beautiful face.

"What do you think of my daughter?"

While they were chatting, Hank suddenly asked this out of the blue.

Qin Yun was stunned by the question, unsure what Hank meant.

"She's great. Very pretty, and the coffee she brewed is delicious too."

They had just met and hadn't exchanged words, so he could only offer compliments in front of Hank, her father.

Hank kept his eyes on Qin Yun, and after Qin Yun finished speaking, he nodded with a smile.

He looked up at the ceiling, sighed deeply, seemingly lost in thought.

"My daughter is good in every way, except she doesn't like making friends. She never attended parties or gatherings in high school, and rarely went out after starting university, dedicating herself entirely to her books. Right after graduating, she passed the Lawyer Qualification Certificate exam, ranking first in her class."

Hank started with a sigh, but when speaking of his daughter's achievements, his face was full of pride.

Qin Yun was puzzled. He listened quietly without speaking.

Many thoughts flashed through his mind. What was Hank's intention in telling him all these things about Julia?

Was he trying to introduce Julia to him? Presenting her credentials right away—this scene felt increasingly like a Matchmaking Event.

"Now that Julia has her Lawyer Qualification Certificate, she should relax a bit."

"She has always been quite interested in Warehouse Auctions. Could you possibly take her along to see one? Even if she just serves as your assistant, it would be good for her to gain some experience."

Hank rubbed the sparse hair on his head. When he made this request, his tone held a hint of difficulty.

After getting off work yesterday, he casually mentioned Qin Yun selling the gun to his daughter, and he hadn't expected her reaction to Qin Yun to be so strong.

She kept talking about it non-stop, skipped the library today, dressed up meticulously, and even brewed two cups of coffee—a first for her.

She kept nagging him about wanting to go Warehouse Treasure Hunting with Qin Yun, so he had no choice but to swallow his pride and ask Qin Yun.

"If she's interested in it, we can try it. I have no problem with that."

Faced with Hank's request, Qin Yun found it difficult to refuse immediately, so he thought of giving a perfunctory answer. After all, Warehouse Treasure Hunting required constant travel, and a girl might not be able to stick with it.

Besides, if such a beautiful woman were genuinely willing to be his assistant, why wouldn't he be happy about it?

But Qin Yun hadn't expected that the moment he said that, Julia, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, immediately pushed it open and walked in.

"Really? Did you really agree to take me Treasure Hunting with you? That's wonderful!"

Julia seemed unable to believe her ears and confirmed it once more, but upon seeing their surprised expressions, she immediately realized what had happened.

A blush immediately spread across her pale cheeks. She feigned composure, walked behind Hank, and held the chair, but her eyes remained fixed on Qin Yun.