Chapter 2: Time to Make Some Money!
After a few experiments, Rhodes concluded that the essence of his third power, Equivaria, indeed provided an equivalent exchange. But what counted as “equivalent” wasn’t always what he expected.
For instance, a modern designer clock and a beat-up antique from the last century were considered of equal value. A finely crafted wristwatch and a pile of factory-fresh watch parts were also equivalent. Even a sofa and a pile of rotten wood qualified as equal in the system’s eyes. In short, the returns from each offering seemed completely random, like a roll of the dice.
Rhodes looked over the random collection of items that had resulted from his recent attempts. Several silver coins of varying styles, seemingly quite old but still about 90% new, were the ones he got in exchange for his last few U.S. dollars. The result of his venture was as follows: A well-preserved guitar, a gold-plated antique mantel clock in European style, a pile of scattered mechanical parts, and some materials so useless they didn’t even qualify as junk.
“Well, these should be worth something,” Rhodes muttered, eyeing the antique clock in particular.
It was hard to pinpoint the exact era it came from, but it definitely looked valuable, and it was in excellent condition. He packed the clock and a few other odds and ends into a box, then rode his bike to the largest antique store downtown.
This place didn’t just sell antiques—it also bought them. The owner was a wealthy collector who ran the shop out of passion rather than profit. When something caught his eye, he wasn’t shy about opening his wallet.
The bell above the door jingled as Rhodes stepped in.
Inside, a white-haired old man in his sixties or seventies, wearing glasses, was carefully polishing a silver pistol. The massive antique store had several tall, muscular staff members standing around the room. In a country , where “zero-dollar shopping” (a.k.a. looting) was practically a meme, any store dealing in high-value goods needed serious security.
From the way they stood, Rhodes could tell these men were likely ex-military.
Tch. This place has a serious background.
Without wasting time, Rhodes approached the counter.
“I’ve got something to sell. How much do you think it’s worth?”
He opened the box and carefully placed the gold-plated mantel clock on the counter.
The old man’s eyes lit up behind his glasses. He immediately put on a pair of white gloves and gently picked up the clock to inspect it.
“Central European, palace-style, gold-plated mantel clock… It’s rare to find one in such good condition.”
He turned the piece over in his hands, clearly enamored with it.
“Based on the market, this would normally be worth $8,000 to $10,000,” the man said. “But since it’s so well-preserved—and I personally like it—I’ll offer you $15,000. You won’t find a better offer anywhere else. Think it over, young man.”
Rhodes blinked. Fifteen thousand dollars?!
He hadn’t expected that at all. That industrial art piece he exchanged was worth less than a hundred bucks, and now he was getting fifteen grand in return!? Talk about a massive profit. This was practically daylight robbery!
“Deal!” Rhodes said without hesitation. It was free loot, after all. No need to haggle.
As the old man carefully stored away the mantel clock, Rhodes pulled another item from the box, it was a guitar case.
“How about this? I want to sell it too,” he said, placing it casually on the counter.
He didn’t expect it to be worth much. Unlike the antique clock, this was just a guitar. Maybe worth a few hundred at best. The old man glanced at it and gave a brief, uninterested response.
“It’s a standard handmade guitar. If you’re selling, I can give you $1,000 for it, no more.”
Rhodes had expected less, honestly. He was about to accept the offer when suddenly, a voice spoke up behind him.
“Mind if I take a look at that?”
Rhodes turned around, surprised to see a middle-aged man who had somehow approached without him noticing. The man was staring intensely—not at the guitar itself, but at the case.
“Sure,” Rhodes replied, a bit puzzled.
What is so interesting about a guitar case?
The man ignored the guitar and inspected the case closely.
“Just as I thought…” he murmured.
After a few minutes of careful study, he looked Rhodes straight in the eye and named a price that nearly knocked the wind out of him.
“I’ll give you $100,000 for this case.”
Rhodes’s scalp tingled.
What?! A mere case was worth that much?!
Seeing the disbelief on Rhodes’s face, the man explained, “This guitar case was custom-made by Hermès for legendary guitarist Eric Clapton. It’s worth a hundred grand, easy. I don’t know how it ended up in your hands, but for me, this is a highly valuable collectible.”
As he spoke, the man handed Rhodes a business card.
Carl Brown – President of Hermès.