My Slum Apartment Hides a Gold Mine

I'm about to buy a house before getting married. With my budget in mind, the real estate agent recommends a run-down apartment in a 30-year-old building. My girlfriend explodes on the spot, saying that the real estate agent is looking down on us. Her friends all live in high-end apartments. She threatens to break up with me if I buy a run-down apartment for us to live in after we get married. I'm about to defuse the situation and suggest we check out other places when an old, raspy voice echoes in my mind. "This young woman can't tell treasure from trash. I've got 110 pounds of gold in these walls. That's enough to buy a few high-end apartments! "A fortune is right in front of you, and you're letting it slip away. You deserve to be poor forever!" Chapter 1 I froze, staring at the wall between the living room and bedroom. I wondered if I had imagined that voice. Still, that wall did seem thicker than the others in the house. 110 pounds of gold… At the current price of gold at 4,100 dollars per troy ounce, that was worth over six million dollars! My girlfriend, Julie Slade, nudged me. "Why are you spacing out? What's so interesting about this dump of an apartment?" When I came to my senses, Peter Locke, the real estate agent, was still standing there, smiling ingratiatingly at us. "Miss, the apartment might be a little run-down, but you really can't beat the location. This place is 0.31 miles away from the subway station. "The school district's pretty decent too. And the best part is, this apartment is affordable—" Julie cut him off immediately. "It's a 30-year-old shabby apartment that's only 538 square feet, and you're asking 800 thousand dollars for it? And you call that affordable?" Peter was visibly embarrassed. Julie glared at me. "Let me make it clear. If you dare buy this dump for us to live in after we get married, we're done. I refuse to be humiliated like this!" I was about to calm her down when that old voice rang out again. "Ha! What shortsighted fools. I've got three million dollars in cash hidden in the ceiling and another 110 pounds of gold inside the walls. There's a fortune right here, and you still think I'm a dump? "Birds of a feather flock together. The woman can't recognize value when she sees it, and the guy is a spineless pushover. They're perfect for each other!" My legs turned to jelly, and I almost fell to the floor. There were another three million dollars in cash stashed in the ceiling? I couldn't help but glance up. The apartment was in an old concrete-panel building, with a simple drop ceiling installed. Nothing looked out of place. Peter hurried over. "Milo, you think this place is actually quite decent too, right? Mrs. Aston is in a hurry to sell the apartment. "Her husband was an accountant at a foreign firm before he retired. He was a really good guy, but he died all of a sudden and didn't even leave a will. "Mrs. Aston is afraid to live here alone, so she wants to move abroad to be with her daughter. That's why she's selling the apartment so cheap. This place is probably worth at least 1.1 million dollars on the market." Mr. Aston worked as an accountant at a foreign firm? How did he get his hands on 110 pounds of gold? And why did he hide them in the wall? "Does the homeowner have any other family members?" "Just one daughter, who's already made a life overseas. But it's not convenient for her to fly back. Mrs. Aston said everything inside comes with the apartment. You can do whatever you want with the furniture and appliances. She doesn't want to take anything with her." My heart skipped a beat. Did that mean the gold in the walls and the cash stashed in the ceiling were included too? I pretended to take in the house and slowly walked over to the thick wall. I reached out and rapped my knuckles against it twice. The sound was dull—there was a hollow space inside. Next to me, Peter continued, "The biggest advantage of these old, run-down apartments is that you can change the layout however you like. "Check out this wall between the living room and bedroom. It was probably added later, so it's not a load-bearing wall. If you tear it down and redesign the layout, you'll have a living room twice the size. It'll be just as good as a new apartment." I was afraid Peter might notice something was off, so I quickly pulled my hand back. I headed for the bathroom and pretended to inspect the pipes. "Can the price go any lower?" Peter's eyes lit up. "800 thousand dollars is as low as she'll go, but if you really want this place, I'll try talking to Mrs. Aston and see if I can get her to knock another 20 or 30 thousand dollars off." Julie stared at me in disbelief. "Milo Quick, are you insane? Don't tell me you actually want to buy this dump? "Didn't you notice how much the walls are peeling? The bathroom's so small too. There isn't even a window in the kitchen. Do you really think I should settle for a place like this?" Chapter 2 I opened my mouth, wanting to explain, but I couldn't exactly tell Julie that there was gold stashed inside the wall while Peter was still there. Just then, the old voice rang out again, dripping with mockery. "Bah! Trying to haggle the price down? Don't you know there are plenty of people out there dying to have me? "Owen Sullivan, the guy next door, tried to marry Barry Aston's daughter back then so he could get his hands on the Astons' assets, but he failed. Now that Barry's dead, Owen's set his sights on this apartment too. "He's coming to see the place tomorrow. When he snatches it up, don't come crying to me later!" My mind went blank for a moment, and I blurted out, "I really like this place. Why don't we sign the contract today?" Peter hurriedly pulled a contract out of his bag. "That would be great, Milo! If you sign the contract today, we can start the paperwork tomorrow!" Just as I finished speaking, someone knocked on the door, and Peter went to open it. Standing outside was a man in his 30s. He wasn't very tall and was wearing a navy blue jacket. An old woman with graying hair stood next to him, holding onto his arm for support. "Owen? What brings you here today?" Peter was startled. Owen Sullivan stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his gaze sweeping over Julie and me. "Mrs. Aston wants to look around the place again. She was worried it might be too late tomorrow. This place hasn't been sold yet, right?" Peter looked a little awkward. "About that… Mr. Quick is currently negotiating with me. He seems genuinely interested." "Let's not waste time." Owen interrupted him right away. "I'll raise the offer by 50 thousand. That'll be 850 thousand dollars. I can pay you in full and transfer the money by today." The old voice suddenly grew agitated. "I knew it! That bastard was desperate to marry into the Aston family, but Barry didn't think much of him. "Now that Barry's gone, Owen's set his sights on this house. Who knows what he's really up to? Could he have known that Barry hid his stash here?" I acted on impulse and blurted out, "I'll raise it by 200 thousand!" The entire room fell silent. Julie was glaring at me, and Peter just stood there, his mouth hanging open. Owen sneered, disdain written all over his face. "Can you even come up with a million dollars?" Peter seemed torn. "Owen, Mr. Quick was here first…" Owen patted his jacket pocket. "I have 850 thousand dollars in my account. I can transfer the money to you anytime. I'm just worried that he doesn't actually have the money and is just putting on a front." I clenched my fists. I only had 500 thousand dollars in my bank account, so I would have to borrow the rest. But when I thought about the gold hidden in the walls and the cash stashed in the ceiling… "I'll have the full amount ready in three days. Let's sign the contract today." Owen looked at me coldly. "Don't say I didn't warn you. If you sign the contract and can't pay later, the deposit is non-refundable." Peter quickly chimed in. "That's the policy. Milo, why don't you think it over again?" Julie could no longer take it. She dragged me into the stairwell and hissed. "Milo, are you nuts? You want to spend a million on this dump of an apartment? "Where are you going to get that kind of money? Did that real estate agent brainwash you or something?" My mind started racing when I saw how frantic and angry Julie was. Should I tell her the truth? Would she even believe me? "Julie, just trust me this once. This house really does have…" "What does it even have?" Tears rolled down Julie's cheeks. "We've been together for three years, yet you can't even buy us a decent house to live in. "All my friends moved into brand new, fully finished apartments when they got married. I didn't give you a hard time about it, but look at what you've done! "You actually got me an old, run-down apartment! If you want this place, go ahead and sign the contract. Once you sign those papers, it's over between us!" Julie turned and ran downstairs. When Peter handed me the contract, my hands were trembling. After I signed the contract, Peter tucked the contract away, smiling from ear to ear. "Milo, you're not one to waste time, are you? I'll take care of the paperwork tomorrow. Just pay me the full amount in three days." Owen sneered. "You'd even break up with your girlfriend just to buy this rundown apartment. Don't tell me you actually discovered something in this place?" Chapter 3 My heart lurched. The old voice chimed in too, clearly enjoying my predicament. "This bastard's pretty perceptive. Could he have figured out there's gold stashed in the walls?" I stepped forward, pointing at the old-fashioned carved wooden bed in the bedroom. "I'll be honest with you. I'm interested in this bed since it's an antique." I acted like I knew what I was doing and patted the bed frame. "If it really is the real deal, it's worth more than the apartment itself." The corner of Owen's mouth twitched. "Buddy, are you certain?" "The contract says I get everything inside the house, right? That means the bed is mine too. Don't even think about taking it from me." Owen's eyes flickered as he walked over to examine the bed. He reached out and ran his fingers across the carvings on the bed rail. His brows knitted as he looked at me again. I didn't give Owen another chance to pry and pushed him and Peter out the door. "Alright. I have to go. We'll handle the paperwork tomorrow morning." I rode my scooter two blocks away before stopping by the roadside to give Julie a call. I called her seven times before she finally answered. "Did you sign the contract?" "Yeah." She fell silent for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "Milo, it's over between us." "Julie, hear me out! I had a dream last night. I dreamed that my grandpa told me this apartment has something stashed away in the walls…" Before I could even finish speaking, Julie hung up on me right away. I sighed. It was fine if she didn't believe me. Once I dug the gold out and showed her the money, she would have no choice but to believe me. It was 11:00 pm, but I couldn't sleep. I climbed in through the balcony and slipped into the old, run-down apartment in the dark. I turned on my flashlight and fished out a metal detector from my bag. I crouched in front of that wall and pressed the sensor against it. The metal detector started beeping. My hand trembled slightly as I scanned the wall again in a few different spots. The metal detector showed no response at the upper section of the wall. In the middle, it started giving off a faint signal. The lower it went, the sharper the beeping became. I slumped to the floor, my back drenched in sweat. I couldn't stop myself from smiling. There was really something stashed inside the wall. My head was spinning. I sat alone in the dark living room, grinning like an idiot. With that kind of money, I could just relax and enjoy life. It didn't matter if Julie broke up with me. By then, I could just put the money right in front of her. I would have enough to buy several high-end apartments. My smile quickly faded. I had raised my offer to a million dollars just to sign the contract for the apartment. I had to pay the full amount within three days. I had 500 thousand dollars in my account, but I was still short another 500 thousand dollars. The gold was hidden in the walls, and the cash was stashed in the ceiling. Without the keys, I couldn't tear down the walls. Where was I supposed to get another 500 thousand dollars? I stared at my contacts list in a daze. I scrolled through my contacts until I came across Thomas Nash, a high school classmate. The guy was a private lender. After we talked for a while, Thomas went silent for a few seconds. "Milo, have you been scammed? Could a dump at Rosewood Apartments be even worth more than a million dollars?" "Just help me out. You can set the interest rate." Normally, I wouldn't dare do something like this, but things were different this time. In three days, I would get the keys to the apartment. On the same night, I could start breaking through the wall. By then, I would have several million dollars in my hands. What was a high-interest loan compared to that amount? On the day I received the money, Dad called me. "Milo, are you nuts? Thomas told me that you took out a high-interest loan to buy a house. "Are you trying to get into real estate speculation just like everyone else? Your mom was so worried that she couldn't sleep all night. For generations, our family has always worked hard and lived within our means. "I think you've been taken in by that agent. Quickly return that money to Thomas. Don't buy that house anymore. Do you hear me?" I held my phone and said nothing. Dad cursed me out a few more times before ending the call. The three-day deadline was up. I transferred the one million dollars I had scraped together to Peter. After receiving the property deed and the keys, the first thing I did was change the locks. I then shut the door and drew the curtains. Tonight, I was going to tear down the walls. Chapter 4 Julie came by the apartment at 6:00 pm. She stood at the door, her eyes bloodshot. Her voice trembled as she said, "Your dad called me, saying that you had taken out a high-interest loan to buy this dump. Milo, have you lost your mind?" "Come in. I'll tell you why I bought this place." Julie hesitated for a few seconds. She then bit her lip and walked inside. I guided her to the wall, crouched down, and pressed the metal detector against it. It started beeping. Julie froze. "What is that?" "It's a metal detector." I looked up at her. "There's something inside this wall." She gaped. "Could your dream actually have been real?" I didn't even flinch. "Yeah. I wasn't convinced, so I came over to see for myself. There really is something in the wall. "Tonight, I'm going to tear it down. If there really is gold inside, we'll get married tomorrow and buy a high-end apartment. All your friends will be so jealous of you." Julie teared up. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around me. "I'm pregnant," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "I found out two days ago. I was going to abort it after we broke up…" Julie looked up at me, tears staining her face. "Milo, don't let me down." "I won't. After tonight, everything will be fine." At 9:00 pm, the neighborhood was completely silent. I pulled a sledgehammer and a crowbar out of my bag. Julie sat on the couch, anxiously wringing her hands. Just before I swung the sledgehammer, I didn't know what came over me. I spoke to the wall. "I'm sorry about this. Once I get the money, I'll renovate this place." But the old voice didn't respond. I suddenly felt uneasy, but the feeling disappeared almost as quickly as it came. I already heard the metal detector go off. How could I be wrong? I brought the sledgehammer down. A large chunk of plaster fell off, revealing the red bricks underneath. I tossed the sledgehammer aside and dug at the bricks with my bare hands. Broken pieces began raining down. The space behind the brick wall was empty. My hand froze in midair. "Where's the gold?" Julie peeked over my shoulder. Without a word, I began tearing out the bricks from the whole wall like a madman. The opening grew wider, revealing the entire hollow space. There was still nothing. "That's impossible…" My voice became shaky. Julie's hopeful expression faded, and she went deathly pale. "Milo, don't scare me." I hurled a brick at the ceiling, and the plaster ceiling gave way after just one hit. A cloud of dust came raining down on my face. I reached inside and felt around, but all I felt was more dust. There was nothing up there. I slumped to the floor, surrounded by bricks and plaster chunks. I was trembling from head to toe. Julie crouched beside me, covering her mouth. Tears streamed through the gaps between her fingers. "Milo, where's the gold?" I opened my mouth, my face pale. "Julie, hear me out…" Julie shot to her feet, wiping the tears from her face. "Milo, I'm getting rid of our baby. You're on your own!" She then turned and dashed out the door. I sat alone amid the wreckage. Above me was a large hole in the plaster ceiling, exposing the pitch-black space above. The room was thick with dust, mingled with the musty smell of old plaster. Just then, my phone rang. It was Dad. I answered the call, and Mom's tearful, hoarse voice came through the phone. "Milo, you need to come home now! "Your father just had a heart attack. He's at the hospital right now! The doctor said he needs emergency surgery, but I don't have enough money…" My phone slipped from my hand, falling to the ground, and the screen shattered. "The metal detector clearly went off. How could there be nothing?" I muttered to myself in the empty apartment, but there wasn't even an echo. I fixed my gaze on the wall I had smashed open. Just when I thought I had gone numb from despair, the familiar old voice suddenly rang out again.