chapter 8 Slap your love rival in the face

"Hmph, if you don't trust my ability to appraise antiques, you should find someone else. Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Richard Xu made sarcastic remarks and asked Stanley Du to leave. Stanley Du nodded and replied with a smile, "Even the most famous appraisers can make mistakes. Since Old Relics Shop doesn’t welcome me, I'll go to Vintage Grace Antiques and ask Flora Han for an appraisal. Goodbye." Richard Xu’s face darkened even more at the mention of Vintage Grace Antiques. Vintage Grace Antiques is ranked among the top three antique shops in Ning City. Although Old Relics Shop is wealthy and influential, it pales compared to Vintage Grace Antiques. And Flora Han from Vintage Grace Antiques is a renowned appraisal master in Ning City. In terms of fame and skill, Flora Han far surpasses Richard Xu. As Stanley Du was about to leave, a man in his fifties entered from the main door of Old Relics Shop. "Boss, you're back." Richard Xu hurriedly greeted the older man. "Mr. Ma, you look well today." "Charlie, you've come back just in time. Someone's challenging Old Relics Shop’s reputation." Several customers who recognized the older man greeted him. It turns out, this older man is the owner of Old Relics Shop, Charlie Ma. "Richard, what's going on?" Charlie Ma glanced around and finally looked at Richard Xu. Richard Xu pointed at Stanley Du, briefly explaining the situation. Charlie Ma gave Stanley Du a once-over and smiled, "Young man, may I see your watch?" In Ning City’s antique circle, Charlie Ma's reputation and appraisal skills are no less than Flora Han’s. Stanley Du silently handed over the watch. Charlie Ma weighed the watch in his hand, studied it briefly, opened the back cover, and let out a surprised sound. Inside the cover was an emblem, a golden lion standing upright, wearing a crown, and holding a short sword. "This emblem is interesting." "Could it be the coat of arms of some old European nobility?" "If that's the case, this watch, cherished by the nobility for years, is vastly undervalued at 150,000!" Several customers in the shop began discussing. They were wealthy and mingled in the antique circle for years, so they had some insights. Listening to their discussions, Willy Liu became nervous. Could 150,000 not be enough to compensate for the watch? What kind of watch is this? How could it be so valuable? Dinah Yang was shocked. Where did Stanley Du, who seemed not to have much, get such an expensive watch? Did he steal it? Suddenly, Charlie Ma offered, "Young man, if you're willing to part with it, I'll buy your watch for 500,000." The room went silent, everyone taking in a sharp breath. Previously, Richard Xu had estimated the watch, if undamaged, to be around 150,000. But now, Charlie Ma was willing to pay 500,000 for the same watch, which was slightly damaged! It was well-known that Charlie Ma’s reputation and skills surpassed Richard Xu's. As a successful businessman, Charlie Ma was profit-driven. His offer implied that the watch was worth much more than 500,000! Richard Xu understood this and couldn't bear to meet Stanley Du's gaze. Stanley Du didn’t even look at Richard Xu. He snorted and said, "Mr. Ma, you've recognized the origin of this emblem, haven't you?" "I have some ideas, but I'm not entirely sure," Charlie Ma chuckled, playing coy. "Heh, pretending not to know when you do. You're not sincere." Stanley Du quickly snatched the watch back from Charlie Ma, "I won't sell this to you. Goodbye." "One million!" Charlie Ma raised his offer, leaving everyone stunned. The price had doubled in an instant. It was clear the watch was a treasure. Willy Liu felt even more flustered than before. To him, one million was a significant sum of money. If Stanley Du insisted on making him pay for the damaged watch, he would have to scramble to gather that much money. "I'm not selling!" Stanley Du once again declined Charlie Ma's offer. At this, even Willy Liu had to admire Stanley Du a little. Charlie Ma had offered a whole million, yet Stanley Du rejected it without hesitation. Such a calm and composed demeanor was truly rare. While Stanley Du remained calm and collected, Charlie Ma became agitated. He said, "Young man, it seems you know quite a bit about antique watches. Since we are experts, let's be straight with each other." He deliberately paused for a few seconds before seriously saying, "The gold emblem inside the back cover is the royal crest of the Netherlands, am I right?" "Heh, Mr. Ma, you have a sharp eye indeed," Stanley Du replied with a smile. "The watch from the Netherlands, specifically for the royal family, and you offered one million for it. If I sold it to you at that price, I'd sell myself short." Hearing their conversation, all the wealthy individuals present glued their eyes to the broken watch in Stanley Du's hands. The Netherlands is a small country in Western Europe with a thriving economy. The men's soccer team from the Netherlands is a traditional powerhouse in world football, having made it to the World Cup semifinals several times. And the royal family of the Netherlands holds a high reputation in Europe. A watch specifically for the royal family members is indeed a rare treasure. It could fetch a satisfyingly high price at a proper auction. "Ladies and gentlemen, this watch, named 'Royal Ambition,' was produced in 1880 for the royal family of the Netherlands, and only ten were made worldwide," Stanley Du introduced the watch. "If this watch were in perfect condition, without cracks, its value would be no less than 5 million yuan!" Upon hearing this, everyone gasped. A nearly bald wealthy man shakily asked, "Mr. Ma, is this watch really worth five million?" "It's close to that. If it were in perfect condition and taken to a major auction house, it might fetch between five to six million," Charlie Ma confirmed. Hearing this, Willy Liu felt like he had been struck by lightning, turning pale, utterly stunned! A precious antique watch worth five to six million, Willy Liu really couldn't afford it. But Willy Liu's parents might be able to cover the cost. However, if they had to pay to settle Willy Liu's debt to Stanley Du, his parents would probably break his legs! Meanwhile, Dinah Yang, with her mouth wide open in shock, stared at Stanley Du, her eyes filled with astonishment and curiosity. Stanley Du's watch was worth five to six million? With that amount, he could even buy her family's small hospital! Suddenly, snapping back to reality, Willy Liu loudly challenged Stanley Du, "This can't be true! How could a watch for the Netherlands's royal family end up in your hands?"