"No problem, sir, please follow me."
The store manager was overjoyed to finally encounter such a significant client and was determined not to let him leave empty-handed.
With a flattering smile, he eagerly led Li Yang to the warehouse. This antique shop's warehouse was vast and well-stocked, receiving a large shipment of new goods daily.
Upon arriving at the warehouse, the manager enthusiastically introduced the provenance of the antiques to Li Yang as they walked through different sections.
Li Yang observed the items, appearing to listen attentively, but felt deeply disappointed.
The manager's demeanor was pleasant, but his intentions were clearly avaricious.
While the antiques on the display shelves downstairs were overwhelmingly genuine, nearly half of the items in the warehouse turned out to be fakes.
What was worse, the manager presented all these fakes as authentic, instantly eroding Li Yang's good impression of him.
"Sir, these are all the antiques in our shop. If you are sincere, you can pick anything you like for a lump sum of five million." The manager, regaining his composure, said to Li Yang with a smile.
"Five million? Pick anything?"
Li Yang smiled calmly. He had initially intended to expose the manager's deceptive scheme but then reconsidered, thinking it would be more effective to teach him a lesson.
So, Li Yang nodded and said with a smile, "Alright, I won't be polite then. Whichever item I point out, you'll have someone help me move it out and deliver it directly to my shop."
"No problem, sir, please pick freely!" the manager readily agreed.
He clearly hadn't anticipated the impending disaster. Li Yang scanned the entire area and then pointed to several antique pieces in the distance. "Please help me load those porcelain and jade items onto the vehicle first, along with the five scroll paintings by the wall, and the ten bronze swords over there, and..."
Li Yang listed dozens of antique items, all of which were undoubtedly genuine.
The smile that had been on the manager's face moments before vanished completely.
He looked at Li Yang with some surprise, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, clearly not expecting Li Yang to be an expert appraiser.
"Wait a moment!"
As Li Yang continued to select antiques, the manager suddenly stopped him and then, feigning politeness, said to Li Yang, "Sir, I cannot allow you to personally select the remaining antiques. My staff must randomly pack them for you."
"If you refuse, either increase the price, or this transaction is canceled!"
"Manager, what do you mean by that? We clearly agreed on the terms just now, why are you going back on your word? This is not in line with the rules of the antique trade," Li Yang asked, shrugging.
"What rules? You are in my shop now, and my word is the rule!"
The manager was clearly displeased and stared sternly at Li Yang, saying, "If you are unwilling to trade, no one is forcing you."
"Heh, Manager, you change your tune fast. I haven't even mentioned your selling of fake antiques and your deliberate attempts to trap people, and you're already turning on me?"
Li Yang saw no need to indulge him. Since the manager refused to continue selling antiques, he directly revealed his scheme. "With such a large antique shop, if word gets out that the warehouse is full of fakes, who do you think will suffer more?"
"Kid, what nonsense are you spouting? My warehouse is full of genuine goods, not a single fake antique. If you dare to speak nonsense again, I'll have someone rip your mouth apart."
The manager was clearly flustered, his eyes darting around as he spoke.
Li Yang chuckled dismissively, "If I'm talking nonsense, I can take responsibility for my words, but can you take responsibility for yours?"
"Also, if your antiques were all fine, why did you stop me from selecting more just now? You probably didn't expect me to sort out all the genuine items here."
"Kid, do you know whose territory this is? This is the territory of Gambling Saint Master Jiang. If you want to live a few more days, you'd best shut your mouth and not let a single word of what happened here get out."
"Otherwise, if Master Jiang finds out, you'll be in serious trouble!" The manager, unable to argue further, realized this young man was an expert appraiser.
He also noticed at this moment that the prize for the "Vast Seas" competition, the Bronze Seven-Story Pagoda, was in Li Yang's possession, indicating his appraisal skills were indeed high.
If he had known this earlier, he wouldn't have been so careless as to bring him to the warehouse.
Upon hearing the threat, Li Yang remained unfazed, sneering, "You mean Jiang Long told you to keep these fakes in the warehouse?"
"What a coincidence, I'm good friends with your boss Jiang. From what I know, he's not that kind of person. Are you sure you want to shift the blame to him?"
"What did you say? You know our boss Jiang?"
The manager's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh contemptuously, "What an arrogant boast. Look at who you are, what right do you have to know our boss Jiang?"
"Do you think you are capable enough, or do you hold high status in the antique world?"
"You can choose not to believe me, but you will soon pay the price for your words. As the manager of this establishment, you should recognize this card, shouldn't you?"
Li Yang calmly took out a membership card from his person and handed it to the manager, asking in a cold voice.
"A platinum card from Vast Seas Pavilion? How do you have this card, kid? Where did you pick it up?"
The manager was astonished at the sight of the card.
There were no more than five such cards in the entire city. Those who possessed this card were all prominent elders and seniors in the provincial antique circle, and he had met them all.
However, he had never seen Li Yang's face before, so he was certain that Li Yang must have found the card.
Li Yang smiled indifferently and said dismissively, "Who told you I picked this card up? Jiang Long gave it to me personally. You should know the status of this card, shouldn't you?"
"Even your Master Jiang has to be polite to me. What are you, to dare to be so arrogant with me?"
"You..."
The manager's face turned red with anger, his fists clenched. "You good-for-nothing, you're threatening me with Master Jiang? I think you're utterly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth!"
"If you know Master Jiang, I'll take your surname from now on."
"Hey, Jiang Long, I'm giving you five minutes. Get over to your shop immediately!"
Li Yang directly took out his phone and called Jiang Long, his tone exceptionally cold.
Jiang Long's heart skipped a beat. He wondered what had happened. Why was Mr. Li so angry?
He dared not voice any objection over the phone and quickly replied, "Alright, Mr. Li, I'll be there shortly."
After hanging up, he was in the middle of discussing antiques with friends but could no longer afford to be distracted. He immediately rushed back to the shop.