Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 291 The Arrival of the Auction and Old Elm's Abnormalities
The twin beauties' fame continues to grow, but life is like this: you can't stop eating, sleeping, or having extra meals just because you're in the center of the storm.

Things that need to be done still need to be done.

"We're here! We're here! I said we're here! Why are you still pushing me back!"

On Saturday, a medium-sized truck arrived in Harbin, dusty and tired, and parked at the craft brewery at the back gate.

A newly hired C-level employee directed the truck to stop in front of the roller shutter door.

After getting out of the truck, the driver, holding the manifest, asked, "Who is the owner of the goods?"

Just then, Zhai Da rode up on his electric scooter, dismounted in a style reminiscent of Sun Ce, and said with a flourish, "Me!"

About ten days ago, Zhai Dafa ordered a new batch of miscellaneous items, which finally arrived today.

The delivery date of a judicial auction is not based on the purchase date, since there will be bidding during the public announcement period, so the delivery time can vary.

I bought over 300 miscellaneous items this time, spending a total of over 4000 yuan. I wonder how many I'll find when I unpack them.

The place where the miscellaneous items are piled up is where Xu Xuejun used to manufacture craft brewing equipment, but now they have all moved to the industrial park.

Zhai Da focused his mind and placed his hand on the truck's latch: "You didn't smuggle anything else in, did you?"

Last time it was half a truckload of dragon fruit, this time don't open it and it'll be full of seafood.

The driver glanced at him and said, "No, you can't do that. This is a special transport service."

Zhai Da nodded and opened the car door with a click.

At first glance, there was only a zigzag line, but Zhai Da was not flustered. He could only get the final result by slowly sorting through the clues. Many times before, the "special items" had been hidden inside the container.

The zigzag line in front of us comes from an ordinary gray toolbox, or rather, a "tool box".

It was very common in this era, and probably every household had one. It had a rough, gray, hard plastic shell, and inside it usually contained pliers, a small wrench, a combination screwdriver, and a whole row of blades that you would never use.

The one in front of me is about 15cm x 20cm, which is a bit larger than a typical household item. It might be a relatively professional version, but it's not exactly high-end.

"Congratulations, host, you have discovered a special white item, the 'Not-So-Bad Repair Toolbox': A good electrician may not know Ohm's Law, but he certainly knows the price of copper today."

Ownership: Owned, Not Activated.

"Equipment effect 1: Using this toolbox to repair anything is a waste of time."

"Equipment Effect 2: If you are seen carrying this toolbox, it increases your technical 'credibility' and makes you seem very professional."

"Note: The charlatan electrician eventually realized that making money was too slow, and later heard that optical fiber was much more valuable than copper!"

Zhai Da picked up the gray box, feeling that it was ridiculous to repair something that was essentially a waste of time, while repairing a person was "not a waste of time."
However, fiber optic cables are indeed valuable these days; they can even buy your life.

Effect 2 is barely useful, but I don't need to show off with such low-quality stuff.
Who's pretending to be a skilled worker?
Zhai Da took the "Not-So-Bad-Repair Toolbox" in his hand, then called out, and seven or eight young men with buzz cuts rushed out of the base, all running forward in the same manner.

The truck driver, who had been casually smoking, subconsciously straightened up a bit.

After everyone had moved most of the items, Zhai Dacai began to sort through the pile of miscellaneous items by himself.

Broken stools, Barbie dolls, nunchucks—these odds and ends are not "special items," but he still plans to deal with them the same way he always has: set up a stall at the door, and the elderly people passing by will clean them up in no time.

They would even come by tricycle to carry it.

I spent about an hour tidying up, checking every corner and storage space. I even twisted off the Barbie doll's head because something inside was dangling.

When it was taken out, it turned out to be a loose speaker; pressing it produced a sound.

Wow, you're awesome!

Zhai Da casually tossed it aside, a hint of disappointment on his face.
The drop rate this time is a bit worrying. Is it because he has almost swept up all the miscellaneous items that had been unsold for a long time?

So when exactly will Harbin launch "online judicial auctions"? Will people really have to go offline to bid?

Is that all? We've sorted out about 80% of it.

The rest were all large items. They could be seen at a glance and didn't look like they could be used to hide anything.

Just as he was wondering whether to press on with his momentum or wash his "black face" to clear his head, Zhai Da suddenly realized that he could use the [Pure Gold Secret Staff]!
Although the white model world cannot replace the naked eye in allowing him to see the "zigzag lines," it can at least help him check for any omissions and see if there are any hidden storage spaces.

What if?
With a snap of his fingers, a pure gold cane appeared in his palm. This piece of equipment was stored in his "equipment inventory" for a long time because of its powerful effect, and it was always in the unfolded state so as not to have to take it out and press the switch again.

The cane lightly tapped the ground, creating invisible ripples. Zhai Da closed his eyes and searched, and after a moment, he indeed found something.
Zhai Da opened his eyes and looked at a worn-out sofa, or more accurately, the cushions on it.

This was also the largest piece of junk in this auction. He usually wouldn't buy large items; it's troublesome, expensive, and the drop rate is low. However, the case associated with this auctioned item is quite interesting—it involved a subordinate poisoning his superior.
I figured he must be very resentful, so I bought it.

Zhai Da found a utility knife and cut open the cushion. Sure enough, he found a rag doll among the large amount of foam.

It was quite ugly, even somewhat bizarre, with eyes replaced by buttons, and its hair was a mess of brown yarn. It had no clothes, which made it look rather unpleasant.

There appear to be many needle marks on the body.

"Congratulations, host. A green special item has been discovered: [The Witch Doll Who Suffered from Its Own Mistakes]: It was useless before, but now it's actually quite magical."

Ownership: Owned, Activated.

"Equipment effect: Put the opponent's personal belongings into the doll, then prick it with three needles. This will make the opponent feel happy for three hours (does not affect the user). This effect can be accumulated."

"Special effect: After being filled with nine needles, 90% of the negative status effects on the other party will be transferred to yourself, lasting for 24 hours."

"Unsealing Mission: Treat your subordinates well (0/10)"

"Note: It is important to stop in time, but unfortunately the original owner got deeper and deeper into it. After realizing that his clumsy tricks were ineffective, he turned to crime."

Zhai Da scratched his head.

What's going on today? Not only is the drop rate low, but there are also a lot of nonsensical negative effects.

A toolbox that's "too much trouble to fix," and a cursed doll that "makes people feel better by stabbing them."
The original owner, what was he worried about, what grievances did he have? He even made a voodoo doll for his boss.
Just as I was thinking this, a new message popped up from the system: "【Self-Inflicted Witch Doll】Unsealing Quest 'Treat Your Subordinates Well' is complete, current progress (84/10)"

Zhai Da:
Well, it seems there are different kinds of bosses; the completion rate exceeded eight times in an instant.
Remembering the instructions on how to use it, Zhai Da curiously flipped the doll over and, sure enough, felt there was something inside; it was a nesting doll.
Unravel the thin thread on the back to reveal what's inside: a small bag of "Du Gang Gang," which is a small rubber umbrella.

Zhai Da remained silent for a long time, and then he probably understood what the original owner was worried and resentful about.

Two items were acquired, but neither was of much use; this was probably the most disappointing auction I've ever had.

After carefully storing the two items, Zhai Da used the [Pure Gold Secret Staff] to confirm one last time that there was nothing else, and then instructed the company's people to dispose of them.

I hopped on my electric scooter and headed back to school. Before I even reached the back gate, the delivery truck that had been there earlier actually drove back.

The driver stopped immediately when he saw Zhai Da: "Boss, I forgot something in the car. I don't know if it's important, could you please take a look?"

Zhai Da was taken aback, thinking to himself, "You're actually a pretty nice person!"

In general, nothing can change this kind of situation; once the contract is signed, it's already been thrown away.

Little did he know that the driver was a local who had picked up a job on his way back from the province selling bulk goods. Seeing the situation here, he was hesitant to cause trouble, so he turned around and drove an extra ten kilometers.

The other party didn't get out of the car; they simply handed over a card from the driver's seat.

The laminated card has only five words on it: Temporary Pass.

Moreover, the color has faded noticeably from the sun, and other details are no longer visible.

You can hardly tell if it's red or black, and there's something written on the mottled patch below.

"Congratulations, host. A special white item has been discovered: [Confusion Pass]: A corporate spy, relying on this piece of paper and an impatient yet confident expression, frequently manages to enter places that are normally inaccessible."

Ownership: Owned, Activated.

"Equipment effect: When this pass is placed in the vehicle, gatekeepers, security guards and other personnel will be confused and mistakenly believe it is their own pass."

"Note: This is ineffective on machines and equipment, and it only confuses people. If the other party is serious, they can see through it, so be careful to keep a cool expression."

Holding the [Confusion Pass], Zhai Da thought to himself, "This is pretty good! It's perfect for the [Mechanical Core]!"

I don't know when I'll need it, but it won't get in the way if I put it under the windshield.
I wonder if there's a way to make the [Mechanical Core] absorb it; the mechanism of action might even change.

Zhai Da thanked the truck driver and then continued riding his bicycle into the campus.

Seeing Lu Wei waiting for him by the wall in the distance, Zhai Da accelerated and turned the handlebars, preparing to take his beloved girl home.

At this moment, his phone rang. Zhai Da drove with one hand and took out his phone to answer the call (those without cheat codes should not imitate this).

The caller was Lu Tao, an architectural genius who had been away on a research trip for a week; his code name was "The Painter."

"President, I'm already in Dongyang, but something seems off."

--------

Ten minutes ago, a thousand miles away, in Dongyang County.

In order to create an excellent "inverted planting" device, Lu Tao embarked on a research trip, visiting several exhibitions in Shanghai and then going to Suzhou to study gardens and traditional crafts.

Since he came out for this matter, it would be natural for him to stop by Dongyang to see the tree. Before Lu Tao set off, Zhai Da had already given him the key to the gate of No. 99 Luochuan Road.

Lu Tao was actually very curious about Zhai Da's hometown, especially after seeing the news on the way there that, in addition to a famous writer, two "twin beauties" had emerged from there.

Unfortunately, he didn't know anyone there, so he could only be a passerby.

Even through the courtyard wall of No. 99 Luochuan Road, Lu Tao could already see the tree. Its canopy was like an umbrella, and its branches and leaves were lush. However, in the bleakness of the evening sun, it did not look so healthy, but rather a bit withered and old.

Lu Tao tightened his backpack and opened the courtyard gate.

Once inside the courtyard, he realized something was strange.
There should have been some other low shrubs and trees in the yard, maybe five or six scattered around, but they were all withered and shriveled like pieces of firewood.

The only large tree had small bumps at its base. Lu Tao rubbed his eyes and approached it with some confusion to take a closer look.

The small bumps were actually animal carcasses.
Most of the dead rats, birds, and squirrels were buried in the soil, with only a few exposed, their rotting eyes staring at Lu Tao.

This completely stunned Lu Tao, who was caught off guard, and he felt a chill run down his spine!

He thought to himself: Wait a minute, didn't the president say that someone would come to take care of this place? Is it really being taken care of like this?
Lu Tao took a few steps back and nervously dialed the phone.

Before the call could be connected, several crows suddenly flew in from the horizon.

Because it was flying very low, it seemed to be particularly large.

"quack!"

The crows seemed surprised as well, circling in mid-air and observing the uninvited guest. Two of them appeared to be working together, grabbing at something.

Lu Tao took two steps back, one foot already outside the yard.

Something is wrong, one hundred percent wrong.

The call was finally connected.

"President, I'm already in Dongyang, but something feels off."

On the other end of the phone, Zhai Da's voice, along with the sound of the wind, filled Lu Tao's ears: "Have you arrived? What's wrong?"

The crows seemed quite pleased that the intruder had left on his own, so they stopped circling and landed on the canopy of the old elm tree.

The two crows that had been gripping something together suddenly released their claws.
With a thud, a soft, fluffy thing fell to the ground.

Lu Tao looked closely and exclaimed, "Holy crap!"

That was half a dead cat.
The internal organs and fur were stuck together, as if the animal had been crushed to death.
Several crows landed on the ground, pawing at the earth with their claws. They seemed quite adept at digging and burying corpses, but because the pits weren't deep enough, the heads of the dead bodies were still visible.
(End of this chapter)