Becoming the Richest Man Alive

Chapter 256

Under the magnifying glass, a very lifelike tiny deer was seen clearly. It was none other than the marking of Francis.

“It’s a fake. An antique forgery.”

There was no other way to describe Catherine’s expression other than it was very interesting. She did not expect to make a mistake in front of so many people. As she was a proud woman, she was embarrassed to stay in the place after the incident.

Thus, she said, “I don’t feel quite well. Therefore, I’m afraid I won’t be able to be here with you at Antique Fair today. I have a proposal to make. I will buy Mr. Lane’s Claude Monet painting for twenty- two million. It will be a good start for the Antique Fair.”

Having said that, she turned and left the place. Casper gave a subtle smile. “It’s hard to find someone who is as proud as she is. The painting is only worth somewhere around fifteen million. If we were to auction it off, the highest amount that we can add is another two million. Old Mrs. Yaeger is buying it for twenty-two million. It is obvious that she wants to make up for her misjudgment with five million.”

The others nodded in agreement. Rich people are crazy. It’s amazing that she wants to use five million to make up for the embarrassing situation.

Meanwhile, the man was smug. With a laugh, he said, “I’ve told you before that you can’t see the fake markings. I’m the only expert who can find it.”

Someone in the crowd retorted, “What is there to be smug about? The young man and Mr. Lane have seen it as well.”

Upon recalling it, the man changed his expression.

“Isn’t it because I have hinted about it first? It’s the reason why they could see it as well,” he mumbled.

After that, Casper offered the enamel glass to him. “That’s impressive of you to see that the enamel glass is fake. Master, why don’t you teach us how did you find the marking for the antique forgery?”

The man stuttered, “I-It’s my secret technique. How can I tell you that?”

Casper nodded. “Well, I can understand you. Will you explain to us in detail about the real antique, then? Tell us everything about the time and place where it was made.”

All of a sudden, the man became silent. The crowd noticed that something was amiss. “If you can’t even tell us about the time when the real enamel glass was made, how can you know that it’s a forgery?”

Intending to run away, the man pushed Casper to the side. However, Casper had prepared for it. He tackled the man with his left leg slightly. Then, the man stumbled to the ground.

“Take him away.” Victoria’s subordinates immediately dragged the man away as if he was a corpse.

Tony patted Casper on the shoulder. “Well said, Casper. You’re an expert after all. Not only are you good at appraising antiques, but you are also good at judging people.”

Casper chuckled. He was going to give a modest answer when a roving hand touched his shoulder. “Casper, you’re good. No wonder Ms. Stalling holds you in such high regard.”

With a darkened face, Casper pushed Stephen’s hand away calmly. “Thank you for your compliments, Mr. Livingston. I merely had a stroke of good luck.”

Although the problem had been settled, someone had started to kick up a ruckus. “If Victoria’s Chamber can have antique forgery, how can we buy things without worry? Who can guarantee if the antique that we have bought for an enormous amount of money is genuine?”

Having said that, many people in the venue started to doubt it as well. He’s right. If the enamel glass wasn’t checked thoroughly, we would be the victims. How can we know? Perhaps Victoria’s Chamber has more fake antiques.

While waving her fan, Victoria said, “You have a point there. I don’t know how many fake antiques are here in Victoria’s Chamber. From the time that I entered the antique community, I have always taken great care of my reputation. If I am confident of its authenticity, only then will I dare to take it. If I can confirm that it is real but the price is too expensive, I will seek the help of an expert. It will serve as a dual guarantee. I have been paying the appraisal fees tenfold for my items every single time. I am confident that only Victoria’s Chamber can do this.”

As she spoke, she had changed her usual sexy and enchanting demeanor to a solemn one. It was as if she had asserted a domineering aura.

“Ms. Stalling is right. The field is all about the appraisal skill. Sometimes, people won’t tell you the truth. In turn, a fake antique can be an authentic one. You have been in the antique community for so long. I’m sure you must have made some misjudgments before. There are even people who paid a huge fortune for an item only to find that it was fake. But has it become a reason for you to stop? Aren’t you still here in Pine Street every day?” Tony said.

He was there to help her convince the others.

The crowd wavered. As Tony was deemed to be the leader in Horington’s antique industry, there was no reason for them not to believe in his words.

“Everyone, maybe I am not an expert. But if you think that the things that you want to buy are fake, I can help you to appraise them,” offered Tony.

The crowd went into a frenzy. “If Mr. Lane is willing to help us with the appraisal, we can’t say no to it. Normally, we won’t be able to request you to do it even if we have the money.”

Meanwhile, Victoria quickly thanked Tony. “Thank you so much, Mr. Lane. Victoria’s Chamber will pay for all the items that you have appraised today. In addition, we will pay two million as a gesture of our gratitude to you.”

Waving his hand dismissively, Tony said, “It’s fine. There are so many items here today. I don’t think I can appraise all of them. Are you willing to help me, Casper?”

Naturally, Casper nodded in acknowledgment. “Of course!”

Then, turning to the crowd, Tony shouted, “Everyone, this young man’s appraisal skill is equivalent to mine. You can also find him to help you with the appraisal.”

The crowd started to whisper among themselves. “Hmm… He’s only a young man. How is it possible that he has the skills for it? I will find Mr. Lane instead.”

“What do you know about it? It was the young man who first noticed the problem with the enamel glass. It’s his expertise. Moreover, he was able to find the mistake that Old Mrs. Yaeger could not. Are you still not convinced?”

Some people doubted Casper’s skills. Others, meanwhile, thought that he was impressive.

After the small incident, the Antique Fair organized by Victoria continued as usual. All of a sudden, Casper became a busy man. When he sat there, there were rows of people waiting for him to appraise their items. Fortunately, Casper was quick to appraise the items. He only needed to glance at the item briefly if it was an ordinary item. If they were not convinced by his appraisal, he would say a few words to convince them.

After appraising more than dozens of items, the crowd finally realized that Casper had amazing skills. No matter how rare and obscure the item was, he could tell them the name immediately. It could be

emerald, agate, ivory, or gems. None of them could escape his eyes. The moment he took it in his hands, he was able to see if it was genuine.

“Mister, you’re indeed an expert!” The crowd gave him a thumbs up. Casper only managed to walk away when the banquet in the evening started. It was an indication that the auction would begin soon. Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.

“Casper, thank you for the trouble.” Victoria approached him and put her hands on his shoulder. Then, she massaged his shoulders.

Casper felt energetic in an instant. Even if Victoria did not do anything, he felt that his shoulder would not hurt for half a year with just her hand on them.

“It’s not a big deal. Ms. Stalling, can you get anything from the so-called expert? I can see that he would tell you everything,” Casper said.

She nodded. “That’s right. The man has told us everything. They are a group of people who makes forgeries.”