Brandon and Cheryl exchanged a look when they heard that—they nodded after mulling it over.
The stall owner presented a pair of jade earrings carefully as though they were his most precious belongings. Cheryl fell in love with them the moment she saw the earrings because the color was translucent, looking like ice variants.
The ice variant was considered the best quality among all jade variants. The particular variant was rare and fetched a high price. Hence, they were gems that were hard to come by.
Janet crouched down to take the jade earrings from the owner, squinting to observe it.
“Janet, why did you take those away? The boss is giving me that pair of jade earrings,” Cheryl snapped .
Janet weighed the jade earrings in her hand before looking up at the owner. Her lips curled into a ghost of a smile. “Are you saying that these quartz stones are yours?”
“Quartz stones?” Cheryl sounded confused.
She did not know how to differentiate jade stones—in fact, the only thing she knew was that jade stones were expensive.
Cheryl looked at the stall owner with a deep frown. “Are you giving me quartz stones? Do you even have a conscience?”
The stall owner was tongue-tied in frustration, glaring at Janet. “Are you saying that these are quartz stones? Have you seen quartz before?”
Janet chuckled lightly. “Not only have I seen them, but I even know how they are being manufactured to look like jades to be sold as jade stones.”
“Its exterior usually features a certain amount of translucency with a glass luster. In the past, its color has appeared too homogenous, so it’s either bluish or yellowish. This means that it doesn’t seem natural enough. However, the products nowadays look more authentic because their colors have a gradient owing to their light colors. Hence, they now look more natural. These cheap raw materials are merely nice to decrease the costs of producing imitation jade.”
With that, she took out a small torchlight from her bag to shine at the side of the earrings while beckoning Cheryl. “Can you see the quartz’s granular-like lace structures? Do you still believe that these are jade stones?”
“Well…” Cheryl was still hesitant. Upon noticing her doubts, Janet commented calmly, “If you don’t believe me, feel free to verify its authenticity. If it’s proven that these jade earrings are indeed made of jade stones, I’ll buy them and give them to you as presents, no matter how pricey they are.”
The stall owner’s expression drastically changed when he heard Janet’s suggestion and did not want her to say another word. In fact, the only thing he wanted was for her to leave as soon as possible. It’s almost impossible to fool this little girl. Could she be a professional within the industry? Is she here to gather information? “You must be here to cause trouble for me, am I right? Tell me, which shop has sent you over as a spy?”
Upon noticing the stall owner’s attitude, Brandon immediately knew that the owner was indirectly admitting the fact that the jade was fake. Damn it, I’ve wasted a few hours on this fruitless discussion.
Having nowhere to vent his frustration, he picked up his mobile phone to report the stall owner.
After half an hour, the Urban Management Bureau and Trade and Industry Bureau arrived simultaneously as they wanted to take the stall owner back to assist in their investigations. Amidst the chaos, the middle-aged woman, who was lurking in a corner, ran away in silence.
Janet indifferently made her way to block the middle-aged woman. “Why are you in such a rush? It’s important for both husband and wife to share the burden. How could you abandon him when he’s in trouble?”
The middle-aged woman looked up at Janet and answered in a panic, “What nonsense are you spouting? How could we possibly be husband and wife? You must be insane! Why would I buy Master Nato’s painting if I’m his wife?”
Janet burst out in laughter as she casually tossed her hair. “Isn’t the reason obvious? You are his accomplice!”
The only unbreakable rule in the antique market was to ask an accomplice to sell something off by encouraging a higher price with an external bidder. That method was a taboo in international antique markets.
Upon hearing her remark, the surrounding stall owners started a heated discussion.
“Damn it, Mr. Schneider! No wonder your business is booming! I suppose you’ve hired countless accomplices in the past?”
“Not only do you sell imitation goods, but you even went so far as to hire accomplices! Stop tainting the antique industry!”
“Get lost!” The other stall owners were clearly infuriated by his actions.
When the Trade and Industry Bureau heard the sudden uproar, they brought Mr. Schneider and the middle-aged woman back for further investigation.
Janet knew that she had accomplished her mission after witnessing that. At least the person, who sells imitation paintings of mine in the market, has received what he deserves. However, why are Uncle Brandon and Aunt Cheryl so foolish to have been easily deceived…
“Stand right there!”
Janet turned and heard Cheryl’s immediate comment. “You are so young, but it seems like you know a lot!”
Janet giggled quietly. “I think anyone with a brain would have read through his tricks. If you have the time, it’s best that you read more books on antiques. I’m sure you don’t want to be cheated the third time.”
