Chapter 1

When Ye Tian slipped and fell from the Brooklyn Bridge, he couldn't help but look back at Manhattan, which was still so prosperous, luxurious, and dazzling, a place of yearning.

But all of this was no longer relevant to him; Manhattan had exiled him!

A wave of sorrow and despair surged in Ye Tian's heart. At this moment, the rippling water seemed less terrifying.

"To hell with the American Dream! To hell with New York! I'm done with this!"

The events of the past six months began to flash through his mind.

Unemployment, bankruptcy, breakup, his house taken by the evil bank, days of constant anxiety, countless job applications met with cold rejection, and now, nearly penniless and with no way out!

It had been a dark six months, filled with disappointment and pain, with not a single moment of happiness or joy.

He had only fifty dollars left. Tomorrow, he would have to go to a shelter to register for unemployment benefits, or he would starve to death on the street.

This was a way of life he could not tolerate or accept. The last bit of dignity in his heart would not allow him to live on charity!

The so-called American Dream was completely shattered, and all the hard-earned achievements had vanished into thin air!

At this thought, a bitter smile appeared on Ye Tian's face.

"Since the world has abandoned me, I can only abandon the world!"

He was getting closer to the water, about to make intimate contact.

The anger and despair on Ye Tian's face had disappeared. He was now very calm, his eyes lifeless, without any sense of tragedy or fear.

In the last instant before hitting the East River, Ye Tian caught a glimpse of a white light streaking across the sky, rushing towards him, and then it vanished into his body like lightning.

"What is this? How did it enter my body?"

But he immediately dismissed these thoughts.

"Let it be, who cares!"

"Slap!"

Ye Tian hit the water with a heavy splash, sending waves in all directions.

Everything was over!

...

"Spit!"

A mouthful of river water was violently spat out.

The next second, Ye Tian slowly opened his eyes.

Perhaps he was already in the underworld!

But the sound in his ears made him realize he was still in the human world, still in the damned New York!

"You're awake! This guy is finally awake, he really drank a lot of water!"

It was English, with a strong Brooklyn accent.

Clearly, he had been saved.

"Damn, even death is a failure! I can only live on!"

Ye Tian muttered with a bitter smile, speaking in Chinese.

At this moment, he felt no excitement at surviving, no gratitude towards his rescuers, only endless disappointment!

The two middle-aged black men who saved him were cleaning the river surface.

Seeing Ye Tian fall into the water, they immediately came over in their garbage boat, rescued him, and brought him to the shore.

Once his mind cleared a bit, Ye Tian stood up and said to the two black men with a bitter smile:

"Thank you for saving me, I'm fine now."

"Kid, I don't understand why you jumped, but I know it's the stupidest choice!"

The taller black man said.

"Can I say I fell because I was trying to retrieve something that dropped over the bridge?"

Ye Tian thought, but it seemed there was no need to explain.

"Indeed, no matter how difficult and desperate life gets, it's still better than death!"

The other black man also spoke, with a touch of motivational tone.

"Thank you, can I leave now?"

"Of course, you can leave anytime, but I don't want to see you jump again!"

"I won't! Since heaven won't let me die, I'll live and see what the future holds."

Ye Tian forced a smile, bowed to the two black men, and then turned to walk towards the nearby street.

Death is the hardest thing to achieve!

After experiencing this, other difficulties seemed less terrifying and less hopeless. The dense clouds in his heart began to dissipate, and his breathing became smoother.

Ye Tian's resolve to die had vanished, and he was ready to face life again.

Crossing the street, he threw his waterlogged phone into a trash can and continued walking. It was not far from his residence, just a ten-minute walk.

Back home, he would need to pack his things, as he would soon be living on the streets.

...

After about ten minutes, he was close to his residence.

Ye Tian was in a very low mood, thinking about what to do next.

Wall Street was definitely out of the question; the financial investment field had completely closed its doors to him. It seemed he would have to start from the bottom, doing jobs he once despised, like delivery, dock worker, or salesperson.

First, he needed to ensure his survival, and then he could hope for a turnaround in the future.

While he was thinking, a commotion caught his attention.

Looking up, he saw a crowd of twenty to thirty people gathered at the entrance of a storage company, chatting and laughing.

This scene was very familiar to Ye Tian. There was clearly a warehouse auction today.

He had participated in such auctions before in college, hoping to find cheap items, but always left disappointed, buying mostly useless things or junk.

Many of the people gathered here lived nearby, hoping to find a bargain, while others were professional treasure hunters, trying to profit from abandoned warehouse auctions.

Seeing them, Ye Tian immediately remembered he had a storage unit here.

After his house was taken by the bank, he had stored some items here, which he later sold to support himself.

He had paid rent for six months, and the next month would be the end.

It seemed impossible to renew the lease, and the storage company would likely auction it off.

But whoever bought it would be in for a loss, as the contents were mostly junk.

He decided to check the storage unit, hoping to find something to sell for a bit of money.

Thinking this, Ye Tian felt in his jeans pocket; the key was still there, along with the remaining fifty dollars.

"Steven, what happened to you?"

As he approached the storage company, someone greeted him. Steven was Ye Tian's English name.

It was Jason, who lived in the same building and was somewhat familiar.

At this moment, Ye Tian was drenched, his clothes clinging to his body, looking very disheveled, with a defeated expression.

Fortunately, it was summer; otherwise, he would have frozen to death before starving!

"I fell into the water, that's why I look like this."

Ye Tian replied with a bitter smile.

"You're really unlucky! Why didn't you go home immediately? Why come to a warehouse auction?"

"I'm not here for the auction. I have a storage unit here and came to get some things."

"I see."

"What about you? Looking for bargains or hoping to strike it rich?"

"I'm looking for bargains, but making a little money would be great too!"

Jason replied with a bright smile.

As they were talking, the auctioneer came out and began to announce the rules.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Today we have four storage units for auction, cash only. The cash in your pocket is your maximum bid. No ATM or bank withdrawals, no entering the units, no touching the items. Understand?"

"Understood!"

The crowd responded in unison.

"Everyone, please come in. The auction begins."

The auctioneer then led everyone inside.

There were also two storage company staff members, one lady recording the auction prices, and another with a hydraulic cutter to open the units and maintain order.

The auctioneer glanced at the disheveled Ye Tian but paid no attention, as all sorts of people attended warehouse auctions, including homeless people.

Ye Tian didn't care about others' gazes and followed the crowd into the storage area.

...

The first auction was for Unit 106, on the first floor, near the elevator.

The crowd gathered at the unit's door, blocking the hallway.

Ye Tian's unit was on the second floor. Although his clothes were half-dry, pushing through the crowd to the elevator would be inappropriate and would likely draw complaints.

Since he had nothing else to do, he decided to watch the auction.

"Click!"

The staff member used the hydraulic cutter to cut the lock and open the abandoned unit.

"Okay, you can take a look. No entering the unit, no touching the items. Five minutes to inspect, about ten seconds per person. Don't linger at the door. Understand?"

The auctioneer announced, stepping back to supervise.

"Got it!"

The crowd responded and began inspecting the items, estimating their value.

From the way they inspected the items and the equipment they used, it was clear who the professional treasure hunters were and who were just there for bargains.

The treasure hunters usually worked in groups of two or three, holding powerful flashlights that almost blinded people.

They inspected the items carefully, discussing quietly to make precise estimates and set bid limits based on the expected resale value of the items.

For items they couldn't see, they made rough predictions and assessments based on packaging, small details, and the overall condition of the unit, setting their mental prices.

In most cases, they based their estimates on visible items and would immediately stop bidding if the price exceeded their limit, showing great professionalism.

The ordinary treasure hunters, on the other hand, only looked for items that caught their interest, inspecting them carelessly and making inaccurate estimates based on their preferences.

They had no professional equipment, using household flashlights or even no flashlights at all, just glancing briefly.

Watching this scene, Ye Tian couldn't help but smile bitterly.

It wouldn't be long before his unit's door would be similarly crowded!