Exposed

"This is indeed a counterfeit." Jake said.

"You dare say that, believe it or not, I'll hit you!" the shopkeeper angrily retorted.

If someone else had said that the items on his stall were counterfeits, he might not have been so angry, and he could have confidently argued with the other person. However, when Jake explained the details of the counterfeit so accurately, the shopkeeper felt uneasy, as if Jake knew something. Therefore, he just wanted Jake to leave quickly and not spoil his good fortune.

"What's the matter? Are you angry because you're embarrassed?" Jake remained composed, not the least bit flustered. As a Dark Energy Master, he could handle much more than a stall owner.

"You brat, you're asking for trouble!" The shopkeeper swung his fist in anger and tried to strike Jake.

Jake casually extended his right hand and effortlessly caught the shopkeeper's fist, saying calmly, "What? Do you still want to resort to violence?"

The shopkeeper, seeing himself being easily thwarted by Jake, became even more furious. He desperately exerted force, attempting to break free from Jake's grip. However, no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free. Jake's hand was like a vice, firmly holding onto his fist.

With a slight exertion of force, Jake caused the shopkeeper to scream in pain. His face, initially reddened due to his excessive force, turned deathly pale. After giving this stall owner a bit of a lesson, Jake finally released his grip.

The shopkeeper rubbed his hand, which had already turned red and had a few marks on it from being held tightly. He glared at Jake with resentment, but he also harbored a deep fear of him.

Unaware of it, while he was teaching the shopkeeper a lesson, Jake didn't notice that the elderly man beside him was showing increased interest. His eyes were fixed on Jake with curiosity, as if he had seen something quite intriguing.

"I'm telling you, this item is fake, and it's definitely fake!" Jake continued, "The craftsman who made this porcelain plate has a peculiar hobby. He likes to carve a small 'Li' character inside the pattern on the bottom of the plate. It signifies that the plate was made by him. The character is very small and cleverly hidden within the design. If you don't look carefully, you won't see it. Of course, this is probably also a way for him to show off his skills and demonstrate that the buyers can't distinguish between the real and the fake."

"There's a character carved?" The elderly man listened to Jake's explanation, took the porcelain plate from him, and carefully examined it. He even took out a magnifying glass from his pocket.

"It's really there!" Not long after, the elderly man exclaimed with excitement, astonishment evident in his voice.

"Are you convinced now?" Jake said.

"I am, I am." The elderly man admitted, "I never expected that your expertise in antique appraisal would be so strong. You can even discern high-quality imitations like this."

The elderly man sighed inwardly at this point. He had bragged about his strong ability to appraise antiques in front of Jake before, boasting that he rarely made mistakes. Yet, he almost got fooled just now.

"Old man, in fact, I believe that if you had looked carefully, you could have discovered it as well," Jake said with a smile. "It's just that you were misled by their coordinated performance, which distracted your attention."

"Coordinated performance?" The elderly man hesitated for a moment before his gaze shifted between the shopkeeper and the middle-aged man beside him, and then he suddenly realized, "Are you saying they were in cahoots?"

Jake nodded, and the middle-aged man beside the elderly man's face turned slightly embarrassed and angry. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said with a snort, then got up and left.

Seeing that the elderly man had already realized the porcelain was fake and there was no point in buying it, he didn't need to stay and pretend anymore.

The elderly man took one look at the middle-aged man's expression and knew Jake's words were accurate. It seemed that the man and the shopkeeper were indeed in collusion.

"Young man, if it weren't for you, I would have been swindled miserably," the elderly man exclaimed. It wasn't about the money for him; he didn't care about the small amount. What he cared about was his reputation. He enjoyed showing off his collection to his friends and boasting about his discerning eye. If he were to present a fake item to others, it would be incredibly embarrassing.

"I was just talking casually," Jake chuckled.

Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing in front of him, the shopkeeper was infuriated. He particularly despised Jake and wished he could pound him to death. However, he knew he wasn't Jake's match and didn't dare to make a reckless move.

"Young man, we seem to get along well. How about finding a place to have some tea and chat?" the elderly man suggested.

"Sure." Jake didn't refuse.

Initially, Jake had come hoping to pick up some bargains and make some money, but upon arrival, he realized that picking up bargains wasn't that easy. These antique dealers were all shrewd and had sharp eyes. Unless there were special circumstances like that night, it was quite difficult to find hidden treasures.

Of course, Jake had come with the mindset of trying his luck. So, even though he didn't succeed in finding hidden treasures, he wasn't too disappointed. Leaving the place together, the shopkeeper was full of bitterness. A big deal had slipped through his fingers, and he harbored deep resentment towards Jake.

Jake and the elderly man arrived at a teahouse outside WY Street. After introducing themselves to each other, Jake learned that the elderly man's surname was Fang and he was from the capital city. He was a collector of antiques who had come to J City to participate in the JH Summer Auction tomorrow evening.

"What a coincidence, I'm also attending that auction tomorrow night. We'll meet again then," Jake said with a smile.

"Young man Jake is going too?" The elderly man's eyes lit up upon hearing Jake's words. "Makes sense, with your expertise, you must have a lot to offer in terms of antique collecting. Such a grand event is not to be missed. We can exchange more thoughts on the spot."

It was evident that Bob held a lot of trust in Jake's ability to appraise antiques, and he wanted to exchange more ideas on this topic with him.

"I'll be seeking advice from Grandpa Bob," Jake said.

"Seeking advice is unnecessary." Bob chuckled and said, "If it weren't for you today, I would have definitely fallen for the scam. If my friends found out that I was fooled, they'd probably make fun of me for a long time."

Jake smiled; Bob was clearly concerned about his reputation.

The two of them chatted at the teahouse for quite a while, mostly discussing topics related to antiques. Jake didn't have a deep understanding of antiques, so Bob did most of the talking while he listened.

It was clear that Bob had been immersed in the field of antiques for many years. He effortlessly shared a wealth of knowledge and anecdotes. Compared to Jake, who had only recently started, Bob's knowledge was far more extensive. In today's incident, if it weren't for those two people's coordinated deception, Jake believed that Bob would have been able to discern the truth as well.