Chapter 8: A New Opportunity

After submitting the paper, the next step was waiting for the review from the other party. Traditionally, newcomers like Liang En would find it difficult to capture the attention of such a renowned journal and have their content published.

However, considering that this paper had taken a significant step forward in deciphering ancient Egyptian texts, there was a reasonable chance that Liang En, as a newcomer, might be given an opportunity.

Regardless, whether the paper would be published after submission depended on the reviewers and editors. For Liang En, this task concluded naturally with the submission of the paper.

With this in mind and upon realizing that today was the day of the auction, Liang En immediately headed to the Emerald Gem Antique Store to inquire about the results of the auction.

"You're here quickly. I was actually thinking of calling you to come and collect your money," Pierce said, showing a surprised expression as he saw Liang En enter the store while he was taking off his coat.

"I finished submitting that paper just over an hour ago. I had breakfast downstairs and hurried over," Liang En said as he walked up to the counter, leaning against it. "How's the auction going today?"

"Very well. All four items I consigned received considerable attention," Pierce replied, stepping out from behind the counter after locking the shop door. He then handed a backpack to Liang En.

"Your money is in here. Go ahead and check."

In contrast to regular large transactions made using credit cards by the general public, many antique dealers and treasure hunters preferred cash for such exchanges. So Liang En naturally took the backpack and began counting the bills inside.

"Why are they all 50-pound notes?" Liang En furrowed his brow slightly as he looked at the stacks of crisp red banknotes.

"Can't help it. Those nobles took our preference for cash into account. But it's just scratching the surface. And I can't say much about that," Pierce shrugged.

"£18,200, are you not giving me extra? I remember you owed me only £15,000 for that gun." After counting the money twice, Liang En asked with some confusion.

"Of course not giving you extra. Your necklace with the dragonfly eye sold for £3,200. And considering the good price I got for the gun, I decided not to take a cut from this transaction."

"£3,200? But I remember the overall condition of that dragonfly eye was rather average, so its market price is around £800 to £900. With the trade beads, it shouldn't have sold for more than £1,500 at most."

"What you're talking about is selling the beads individually, but your original necklace, with its historical significance, added extra value, so doubling the price at the auction is normal."

As Liang En stuffed the cash into his wallet, he proceeded to inquire about the specific details of the auction. "You mentioned that you successfully sold all four items you brought to the auction. Does that mean you've entered their circle?"

"It's not that easy. I've only managed to stick a small toe into that circle for now," Pierce said, suddenly becoming enthusiastic.

"But even a small toe is a huge opportunity for us. For example, this time—"

Indeed, different circles carried different pieces of information. And for Pierce, this auction not only brought him profit but also opportunities he had never encountered before.

For instance, this time he learned that a Russian magnate wanted to sell a mansion in Carlisle due to liquidity issues, and he needed professionals to clear it out.

"What's the deal they're offering?" Liang En asked with a serious tone. People with wealth and influence often came with numerous rules, and their generosity in payment wasn't guaranteed. Therefore, it was better to clarify such matters.

"Because I have a connection with the old steward from the auction house, we can make £600 a day without any middlemen taking a cut. Plus, whatever we clear out belongs to us," Pierce explained.

"All ours?" Liang En exclaimed in surprise as soon as Pierce's words settled in.

Normally, during clean-up jobs, valuable items and possessions related to the employer would need to be turned over to the responsible party, unless given permission to keep them.

However, even with this rule, those items taken away by the cleaners could often yield a decent profit, which was indeed one of the most enticing aspects of such jobs.

Given these norms, hearing that this time the employer didn't require them to turn over anything naturally came as a shock to Liang En due to the unusual nature of the situation.

"Don't worry, it's safe. At least, this channel is quite reliable. As for why they're not asking for anything this time, they didn't elaborate. Of course, I didn't push on that matter either."

"In other words, the contents of the rooms this time might be mostly rubbish," Liang En raised an eyebrow. "Otherwise, they wouldn't simply let us take everything."

"You're right, but the thing is, the money they're offering is just too good," Pierce shook his head.

"Forget about the fact that they're paying us £1,800 for three days, just the stuff those wealthy folks don't want will be enough for us to make a good profit."

Early the next morning, Liang En followed behind Pierce's medium-sized truck in his own small van as they headed to Carlisle, the northernmost part of England.

As Pierce had said, although the work might be demanding, the amount of money they were being paid was enough to convince Liang En, who currently had no pressing matters, to make the trip.

The journey from London to Carlisle covered over 400 kilometers, spanning across the entirety of England.

Fortunately, the road between the two places was a well-maintained highway, so starting at 8 in the morning, they managed to arrive around 4 in the afternoon.

After spending a night at a safe little inn, the two of them headed directly to the Russian magnate's estate the next day.

Situated in the outskirts of Carlisle, this mansion was a medium-sized Victorian-era estate. Just from the expansive grounds that covered at least an acre, it was clear how lavish the estate was.

Upon entering the main building with its beige walls and black roof, Liang En and Pierce, along with a dozen others, entered the living room where a middle-aged man who looked more like a tough character than a butler was assigning tasks.

Perhaps because they were newcomers, Liang En and Pierce were assigned to the servant's kitchen and three maids' rooms, respectively.

"Bullying the new guys, huh?" Liang En muttered in a dissatisfied tone after receiving their assignments. By his side, Pierce's expression wasn't any better.

It was well known that in this kind of clean-up job, the best chances for significant findings were often in rooms that belonged to the master and storage spaces. As for rooms associated with servants, one could only hope that there would be a sufficient quantity of items to make modest profits through resale.

However, after voicing their complaints, they still had to do the work at hand. After all, as soon as they arrived, half of the payment had already been made. So, considering the £1,800, Liang En would persevere.

Descending from the second floor along the staircase, Liang En and Pierce bid each other farewell at the landing, then headed to their respective assigned rooms to begin work.