Becoming the Richest Man Alive

Chapter 222

“Ah!”

It never crossed Elena’s mind that another woman would tease her. They even kissed indirectly! Covering her face, she ran out of Victoria’s Chamber.

Her shriek brought Casper back to reality. Clearing his throat, he pretended to look serious and censured, “Ms. Stalling, you’re embarrassing my secretary.”

Victoria winked at Casper. “The teacher you brought previously was too reserved. I like this one better. You shouldn’t let the opportunity slip.”

Stumped, he placed the box on her desk. “This is what I’ve brought for your appraisal today, Ms. Stalling.” After that, he turned and chased after Elena.

The moment Victoria opened the box and saw its content, her eyes glistened in surprise.

By the time Casper caught up with Elena, she was burying her flushed face in her hands.

“She’s crazy.”

He chortled and crouched beside her. “You licked her finger. What’s wrong with that?”

“Stop reminding me! It’s too appalling and embarrassing.”

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious.” Casper comforted her with a smile. Despite being in the workforce for so long, Elena’s mindset still resembles a child.

After his repeated coaxing, they finally returned to Victoria’s Chamber.

“Casper, you have an excellent eye. This is an extremely valuable item.”

Victoria was all smiles when they returned. Her staff had determined the jar’s authenticity with an estimated value of well over two million.

“Good to know it’s real. Ms. Stalling, if you are agreeable, I want to put this up for auction at the Antique Fair.”

“Casper, it’s really extravagant of you to put out an imperial porcelain piece on your maiden appearance at the fair. This item is worthy of being the finale piece. By the way, where did you get this?”

“I came upon it with a stroke of luck.”

“Why can’t I have your goof fortune? As an antique collector, an excellent eye is crucial to spot diamonds in the rough, especially during appraising and scavenging. Given your exceptional eye, can you tell me who you trained under?” © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Ms. Stalling, you flatter me. Most of the time, I go with my gut feel which has proven to be very accurate.” Casper burst into laughter.

Victoria didn’t press any further. After all, it took talent and endless practice for one to gain a name for oneself in the industry. Some relied on their gut feel, like Casper.

“Anyway, are you busy today? Can you do something for me?”

“Your wish is my command.” He made an elaborate bow.

Victoria swaggered to his side, took something out of her pocket, and put it in his hand.

“This is a rare amber pendant.” He could tell at one glance.

“This is your reward for helping me with the appraisal later.”

Her lingering scent on the pendant found tickled his nostrils. However, he remained respectful to avoid offending her.

“Given how generous the reward is, what interesting items are you looking for?” Casper asked.

“I’m looking for two pieces of treasures.”

Casper raised his eyebrows. He didn’t expect Victoria to splurge on two treasures at the same time. A treasure was an industry term used to describe priceless porcelain antiques.

Many were sold as the finale piece at auctions. Therefore, he gathered that she was acquiring them for the Antique Fair.

“Alright. It will be an eye-opening experience for me too.”

At Victoria’s request, Casper waited for the seller to arrive while Elena continued to be fascinated by the items in the chamber. After a full tour, she asked, “Mr. Simpson, do antiques appreciate over time?”

“Of course not.”

He gave her a crash course before she said something to embarrass them both. “Not all artifacts are antiques. Artistic value is usually the key factor when appraising a piece. Besides, the year of origin and condition of an artifact plays a part too. Porcelain wares, portraits, and calligraphy fetch the highest price in our trade because they are the hardest to preserve, and showcase the craftsmanship of their time. These three categories also have the largest number of followers and the most imitations.”

“I’m curious. Why are people duped into buying imitations when there are machines to validate the authenticity?”

Casper burst into laughter. Elena had gotten to the crux of a problem commonly faced by amateurs.

“Well, an appraisal takes time, including one by the machine. Not everyone has that luxury. Without a fixed rate, most prefer to rely on their judgment, which is more efficient. Besides, forgers have caught up with the times. Do you know how smart people are nowadays?”

Casper pointed to a porcelain bowl in the room. “A forger can manufacture an imitation with a shard from an antique porcelain. Take this bowl, for example. The forger could recreate the whole bowl using the bottom piece from the genuine one. By showing only the bottom of the bowl during a machine appraisal, it will authenticate an imitation as the real one. It’s flawless.”

Elena gasped at his explanation. The antique industry was a landmine of deceits. It was a complicated and tedious trade.

Casper suddenly laughed. “Remember, a fake can be the real thing as long as no one exposes the lie. The logic applies to the real thing too.”

Despite the long explanation, she was proud of herself for understanding half of it.

“Mr. Simpson, you’re amazing! Not only can you fight and cook, you even have an eye for antiques!” Elena exclaimed, impressed with his capability.

As a well-educated and knowledgeable woman, she thought Casper was a bashful kid who had never held a girl’s hand on their first encounter. However, she witnessed his resourcefulness and unwavering leadership in her short time as his secretary.

Knowing how to cook and fight was nothing, but the flare and proficiency in both skills demonstrated by Casper dumbfounded Elena. The cooking competition made her realize cooking could be technically demanding yet rewarding delicious food. It was unimaginable for her, a distinguished graduate from an ivy-league high-school.

He really is an exceptional boss.