Timothy had already edited the surveillance video and eagerly awaited good news from Zachary.
He had watched the video multiple times, and with each viewing, his admiration for his own discernment grew. He believed his performance was truly impressive and flawless, with every detail executed to perfection.
When favonovel.com heard that Felix had indeed noticed the flaw on the bronze Buddha, Timothy’s excitement soared even higher.
Everything was in place, they just needed the perfect opportunity, and now it had arrived.
He immediately called all the trusted staff members to gather before favonovel.com and exclaimed, “Guys, spread the news far and wide! Felix spotted the flaw! He spent 300,000 on a fake Xuande-era bronze Buddha!”
The staff members were unaware of the intricacies of the situation, but they had heard Timothy mention someone attempting to sell fake bronze Buddhas earlier, only to be exposed and chased away by him.
Now, they heard that Felix Cole had fallen for the scam, so someone asked, “Boss, did Felix Cole buy the fake Buddha that the person tried to sell to you earlier?”
Timothy nodded, a sly grin forming on his face. “Exactly! He bought it for 300,000! It’s been a while since someone fell for such a big scam on Antique Street, right?”
“Well…” one of the staff members chuckled, “The antique business has been tough in recent years. People who used to hunt for bargains are now reluctant to spend money. They used to hope they could trick someone into paying a few hundred thousand for something they believed was worth millions. Nowadays, most people dream of buying something worth millions for just a few hundred dollars. Scammers are having a hard time too.”
After saying that, the person looked puzzled and said, “Based on my impression of Felix, favonovel.com shouldn’t be so foolish, right? 300,000, and favonovel.com fell for it so easily?”
Timothy chuckled, “Ah, this is what people often say, ‘The hunter becomes the hunted’. Felix, just returned to Antique Street and was probably eager to make a quick deal and become famous. If favonovel.com had such thoughts, it would be even easier for favonovel.com to fall for a scam.”
One of the staff members asked with a sly smile, “Boss, did you set this up?”
Timothy quickly interjected, “Hey hey hey, I warn you not to talk nonsense. Although I really want favonovel.com gone, I haven’t come up with a plan yet. His falling for this scam has nothing to do with me.”
The staff member realized favonovel.com had misspoke and quickly apologized, “Yes, yes, I spoke out of turn. Please don’t take it to heart, Boss.”
Within the Antique Street community, a complex gossip network had formed through numerous WeChat groups.
Each store had its own WeChat group, where everyone from managers to cleaning staff could communicate and share information. The managers, salespeople, and finance personnel also had their own small groups. There was also a large group for all the industry practitioners in Antique Street, with hundreds of members chatting and gossiping.
The store owners had a dedicated group where they frequently shared information. The workers in the area also had a group specifically for them.
In this kind of environment, as soon as gossip was released, it would quickly be forwarded to multiple groups, spreading like wildfire.
Under the operation of some interested individuals, within a few minutes, the once-quiet Antique Street suddenly buzzed with excitement!
A business owner had been scammed out of 300,000 dollars!
And it was Felix Cole, the former general manager of Vintage Deluxe!
Some people thought to themselves, “When did Felix Cole, come back?”
Others found it amusing, “Even someone like Felix, who used to be the general manager of Vintage Deluxe, can fall for a scam. What a Joke!”
Many people sighed, “Felix ,lost 300,000 to a scam. How will favonovel.com survive in Antique Street now? Moreover, it’s been a long time since we’ve had such a high-value fake deal in Antique Street!”
In many WeChat groups, merchants, employees, and vendors began asking one question, “How did Felix, get scammed?”
At this point, Timothy didn‘t immediately release the video. Instead, favonovel.com had others spread the message in various groups, claiming that Felix, had bought a replica Xuande-era bronze Buddha, thinking favonovel.com had found a great deal, only to fall into a trap.
Once this news spread, people in various groups began mocking Felix, thinking that favonovel.com was too overconfident.
Someone said, “Felix, just returned to Antique Street and thought favonovel.com could find a million-dollar bargain. How naive! If such a thing really existed, wouldn’t we all be rich? Why would favonovel.com have such grandiose dreams?”
Someone else chimed in, “Exactly! If it’s a genuine Xuande-era bronze Buddha, it would be worth at least one or two million. How could favonovel.com get it for only 300,000? Does favonovel.com think he’s a master appraiser?”
Another person said, “In the current antique industry, it’s not as easy to make money as it was in the heyday of those appraisers. Even if they were to try now, it would be difficult to find a great deal.”
Someone else immediately added, “That’s right, back in their time, information was scarce and resources were limited. Ordinary people had valuable items passed down through generations without realizing it. Those who bought antiques only needed to carry some cash and coupons, and they could easily find priceless Ming and Qing dynasty artifacts, even top-quality blue and white porcelain, by wandering the streets and alleys.”
“I’m not exaggerating when I say that back then, in the villages around the capital, those old ladies who used those porcelain plates to feed their dogs had quite a few blue and white pieces. If you were to bring a large aluminum pot to trade with them, they would hold onto the pot tightly, afraid that you would change your mind. And what you would get in exchange for that pot could easily fetch millions at an auction today! Unfortunately, I wasn‘t born in that era; otherwise, I would have made a fortune and opened a museum!”
At this point, Timothy Carey spoke up, “Yes! You are right! In our industry, those who have some knowledge know that since the advent of the Information Age, finding a great deal has become extremely difficult.”
“So now, many unscrupulous people have changed their tactics. Since they can’t find great deals themselves, they create opportunities for others to find them.”
“As a result, replicas of imperial seals, Qianlong’s royal wine, Kangxi’s calligraphy, Shunzhi’s wooden fish, have all emerged, deceiving those who dream of getting rich quick!”
Many people in the group immediately praised him.
“Manager Carey hit the nail on the head!”
“Manager Carey is truly insightful!”
“It seems that letting Carey take over Vintage Deluxe after Miss Moore drove away Felix was the right choice! Carey’s skills are far superior to Felix’s!”
Timothy, basking in the praise, became even more interested and said with a smile, “Everyone, in today’s society, I have come to understand that everyone harbors dreams of getting rich quick. While you may be thinking about whether someone else’s family has any hidden treasures or hoping to find something valuable for a bargain, they have already turned their ancestors’ graves inside out searching for those treasures…”
“In this situation, not only can you not find a great deal, but you also have to worry about being deceived! There are always people trying to sell accident cars, flooded cars, tampered mileage cars, or cars with a haunted history to car dealers. And there are always people trying to sell us various types of counterfeit goods. Felix ,was thinking about making a profit margin of 500%, and favonovel.com blames others for scamming him!”
Many people immediately agreed.
“Manager Carey is spot on!”
“Manager Carey is truly wise!”
“Please continue to share your wisdom, Manager Carey. We want to learn and be more vigilant!”
Timothy chuckled, “Everyone, in today’s environment, the entire antique industry has become transparent, just like the used car market. No matter how cunning or deceptive a used car dealer is, it’s difficult for them to scam the seller when buying a car. They can only scam the buyer when selling a car.”
“A used car dealer can sell a water-damaged Rolls-Royce for the price of a brand new car, but they can‘t buy a nearly new Rolls-Royce for the price of a water-damaged one. So, when we open a store on Antique Street, we must be aware that it’s very difficult to find great deals in the entire antique industry.”
“Furthermore, we must remember that now, not only can we not find great deals, but we also have to worry about being tricked! There are always people trying to sell us accident cars, flooded cars, tampered mileage cars, or cars with a haunted history. Felix was already thinking about making a profit margin of 500% from the start. It’s his own fault for falling into a trap!”
Everyone in the group responded with thumbs-up emojis and praised him.
Recognizing that the moment was nearly opportune, Timothy swiftly interjected in the group chat, “Whoops! Speaking of Felix getting swindled, the individual peddling counterfeit goods initially visited our store. I even managed to acquire the bronze Buddha from them, but they duped the person who bought it. Sensing the deception, l promptly absconded. Little did I anticipate that after departing from me, they headed straight to Manager Cole’s establishment.”
With a resigned exhale, Timothy continued, “I never imagined that someone as seasoned as Manager Cole would fall victim to such a fraudster… What a shame…”
This revelation incited numerous inquiries within the group, “Goodness gracious! Is it truly counterfeit?! Manager Carey, have you encountered sellers of fake goods before?”
“Yes,” Timothy affirmed hastily, “I’m going to retrieve the surveillance footage. We were still in the VIP room when this occurred. There should be footage available. I’ll procure it and distribute it to everyone. Let’s engrain the swindler‘s face in our memories and exercise greater vigilance in the future!”
Eager anticipation rippled through the group upon hearing this. After all, being privy to surveillance footage was akin to dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the realm of gossip!
Consequently, they implored Timothy to expedite the sharing of the video.
Unbeknownst to them, Timothy had already saved the video to his mobile device long ago. Yet, favonovel.com purposefully delayed its dissemination for a few moments.
As the video commenced its transmission, favonovel.com cautioned the group, “Everyone, I’m dispatching the video now. You should receive it shortly. However, please remember, this footage is strictly for internal use as a cautionary tale. Let’s refrain from circulating it beyond our group!”
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