Chapter 490: The Biggest Winner (6)

Chapter 490: Chapter 490: The Biggest Winner (6)

"Swindled?" Mr. Hale looked at Joel Xavier. "What do you mean?"

"The truth is, the ’Ancient Plum Blossom Poems Collection’ in your hands, sir, is a forgery, not the real thing! I was worried that you were so overjoyed now that you wouldn’t be able to handle the immense disappointment later when you found out the truth!" Joel Xavier’s words were so earnest that anyone who didn’t know better would have thought he was Mr. Hale’s son, and Jacinta Hale was just the adopted one!

Mr. Hale shot him a sharp glance, clutching the ’Ancient Plum Blossom Poems Collection’ tightly in his hands without saying a word.

"Mr. Xavier, don’t you stand there and spout nonsense! This is Shan Franklin’s ’Ancient Plum Blossom Poems Collection.’ It can’t possibly be a forgery. My mother and I bought this from The Hale Antique Collection, and in all its years in the business, The Hale Antique Collection has never made a mistake in its appraisals! It has never sold a single forgery! Don’t you dare spread lies!"

Shelby Fenton couldn’t stand it any longer and rushed right up to Joel Xavier. She couldn’t bear to see her and her mother’s efforts go to waste. "I get it now. You’re just bitter that The Hale Antique Collection acquired this ’Ancient Plum Blossom Poems Collection’ before you could, so you’re trying to frame Hale! Frame The Hale Antique Collection? Could you be any more despicable? You missed out on the ’Ancient Plum Blossom Poems Collection’ because your shop didn’t have enough capital, what does that have to do with Hale! Blaming him for this is completely unreasonable!"

"Miss Fenton, I am truly just discussing the facts of the matter! If Mr. Hale also believes that I’m just trying to cause trouble for Hale, that I’m just trying to oppose The Hale Antique Collection, then we can pretend I never said a thing." Joel Xavier, ever so good-naturedly, fell silent.

However, his behavior only made everyone else more curious. Was this precious ’Ancient Plum Blossom Poems Collection’ by Shan Franklin authentic, or a forgery? Had The Hale Antique Collection really sold a fake?

Mr. Hale’s gaze grew sharper. ’What a clever tactic—advancing by retreating! If I don’t let him continue, it will look like I have something to hide. If word gets out, the public will question the authority of The Hale Antique Collection! Everyone will think I’m stopping Joel Xavier from speaking just to cover up a scandal!’

’But if I let Joel Xavier continue, and what he says turns out to be true—that this ’Ancient Plum Blossom Poems Collection’ is indeed a forgery—then The Hale Antique Collection will take a massive fall! In the Antiques Circle, reputation is everything. A good name is your brand! The reason The Hale Antique Collection has stood firm in the industry for so many years, holding its leading position, isn’t just because of the Hale Group’s financial backing. More importantly, it’s because of its authoritative status, built on never having sold a single forgery since the day it opened!’

’If that authoritative mantle is stripped away today, The Hale Antique Collection will lose its leading position in the industry! Should I let Joel Xavier continue, or stop him now? Even I am finding it hard to decide for a moment! This Joel Xavier is truly something else, to have presented me with such a dilemma!’

"Grandfather, Hale is here!" As soon as trouble started, Justin Hale had someone fetch the manager of The Hale Antique Collection. Appraising antiques wasn’t his strong suit, and his grandfather hadn’t personally taken on such a task in a long time. Hale was far more experienced.

"Since Store Manager Xavier believes this ’Ancient Plum Blossom Poems Collection’ is a forgery, please, enlighten us with your analysis! If it is indeed a forgery, then it means we at The Hale Antique Collection have been careless and had our eyes pecked by a sparrow, breaking our record of never selling a fake. However, if it is you, Store Manager Xavier, who has misjudged, then you must publicly apologize to Hale!"

"After all, Hale is a titan of the Antiques Circle. Your accusation is no small injury to his reputation! We are all in the antiques business; surely you, Mr. Xavier, understand what a reputation means to an appraiser!" Mr. Hale’s tone was exceptionally grave, his sharp gaze turning colder still.