"Showmanship!"
Chu Xiang’s face displayed a scornful smile, and she said with displeasure:
"You want to attract my attention and prove your ability, but you've come to the wrong place!"
She deliberately raised her wrist and said triumphantly:
"This ice-type jade bangle carved with a phoenix is a gift for my eighteenth birthday, custom-made by the renowned contemporary carving master, Elder Wei Tianheng. It's absolutely impossible for it to be a fake!"
Hearing this, Li Yu's face, which had just lit up with hope, turned crestfallen. She thought to herself, "Yang Chen didn't judge the pearl earrings very well. This jade bangle is worn by Chu Xiang every day, so how could he be foolish enough to say it's a fake!"
But then she thought, wasn't Yang Chen the fool in others' eyes?
"Alas, his mind isn't sharp enough. It seems I was too hasty in letting him replace Zhang Chi as the chief shopkeeper!"
"No, this jade bangle of yours is definitely a fake, and it couldn't have come from Elder Wei Tianheng!"
Yang Chen insisted on his judgment with firm resolve:
"I've seen several pieces carved by Elder Wei Tianheng. He deeply understands the essence of the Han Dynasty's 'Eight Strokes of Han Carving,' emphasizing the principle of simplicity. He carves dragons and phoenixes without needing more than eight strokes to capture their spirit and form.
While the phoenix carving on your jade bangle attempts to imitate Elder Wei's style, it only grasps the superficial aspects and misses the spirit.
Look at the phoenix wings, hair, and whiskers. They are carved with thick, incised lines, with neat edges and no chipping. Only at the curves are there more obvious chips, clearly indicating that the carving skill has not yet reached the realm of returning to simplicity."
Seeing him speak so articulately, Chu Xiang took the jade bangle off her wrist and examined it closely under the light. She vaguely felt that it was indeed as Yang Chen said.
"This phoenix carving seems a bit different from what I've seen before!"
"Is it my illusion from not wearing it for a long time, or is it really a fake?"
However, she quickly dismissed her own thought.
"Although I don't wear this jade bangle often, it's always been kept in a safe. It's impossible for an outsider to have swapped it!"
Seeing her expression waver slightly, Yang Chen pressed on:
"I can guarantee with my reputation that this jade bangle of yours did not come from Elder Wei Tianheng!"
"Then your reputation isn't worth much."
Chu Xiang sneered and said:
"I can call Elder Wei right now to verify its authenticity. What if you are wrong?"
"If my judgment is wrong, then my skill is insufficient. I will resign from my position as chief shopkeeper, leave the company with nothing!"
Yang Chen's gamble was carefully calculated. He had only become the chief shopkeeper less than an hour ago, so there was no loss even if he resigned.
Moreover, he didn't believe his special ability would fail him at this moment!
"Fine!"
Chu Xiang took out her phone and started dialing, while saying to Li Yu:
"Sister Yu, today I've found a reckless person with little skill but a big mouth for your store. You'll have to treat me to a meal to thank me later!"
As she spoke, the video call to Wei Tianheng was connected. After some pleasantries, she directly said:
"Grandpa Wei, a reckless person just claimed that my jade bangle is a fake and that the phoenix carving is not yours. Please verify it for me."
"Hmph, why are you little girls bothering this old man with such calls? So it's for this reason."
Wei Tianheng laughed heartily from the other end of the phone.
"Alright, point your phone camera at the jade bangle, and I'll take a look to prove it for you."
Chu Xiang placed the jade bangle on the counter and switched to the rear camera, aiming it at the bangle.
"Grandpa Wei, this is the one you carved for me..."
"No!"
Wei Tianheng's expression changed drastically on the other end of the phone, and he said urgently:
"This is not the jade bangle I carved for you!"
What!
Could it be that Yang Chen was right, and it was a fake?
Chu Xiang said in disbelief:
"Grandpa Wei, is it the light? I'll turn on the flash so you can see it more clearly!"
"No need."
Wei Tianheng shook his head and said:
"The phoenix carving I did for you uses the Eight Strokes of Han, emphasizing minimalist lines and masterful simplicity. Although the carving on this jade bangle imitates it closely, it lacks the essence.
Look at the phoenix wings, hair, and whiskers. They are carved with thick, incised lines, with neat edges and no chipping..."
The rest of Wei Tianheng's evaluation of the carving was exactly the same as what Yang Chen had said, leaving Chu Xiang and Li Yu stunned.
"Xiao Xiang, I can 100% confirm that this jade bangle is not the one I carved for you. You should check quickly and see when the real one went missing!"
"Okay... okay, I won't keep you then. I'll call you back later."
Chu Xiang hung up the phone and looked at Yang Chen with completely different eyes.
"You... you are very good..."
Yang Chen knew he had completely won her over and said with a faint smile:
"Miss Chu, the priority now is to find out who swapped your jade bangle."
"That's right."
Li Yu added:
"The jade bangle is a personal item of yours, and you have so many bodyguards around you. It should be difficult for outsiders to get close to you. The person who swapped your jade bangle must be someone close to you!"
Having experienced the incident with Zhang Chi, she had a deep understanding of betrayal from within.
"I usually don't wear this jade bangle. I only take it out of the safe when attending important banquets... I know who it is!"
Prompted by Li Yu, Chu Xiang quickly had a suspect in mind and made a phone call.
A moment later, a series of mournful screams could be heard from outside.
Li Yu and Yang Chen were bewildered.
Chu Xiang said calmly: "Don't be nervous. My bodyguards are interrogating the mole. I've instructed them to go easy, so it won't mess up the place."
Hearing the pig-like screams from outside, the two exchanged glances, both thinking, "This is going easy?"
Less than a few minutes later, a tall bodyguard bustled in.
"Miss, Li Sen confessed. He's the one who swapped the jade bangle!"
He said, placing an ice-type jade bangle on the table. Chu Xiang didn't take it and looked at Yang Chen: "Take a look, is this the original one of mine?"
Yang Chen picked it up, examined it, and put it back on the table, nodding: "This is indeed Elder Wei's carving, and the jade is of top-grade ice type."
"Good!"
Only then did Chu Xiang put the jade bangle back on her hand and ask the bodyguard:
"Did Li Sen explain why he switched them?"
"He said he had gambling debts... so he had a moment of temptation. He also... also begged you for another chance."
"Once disloyal, never to be trusted again. Such a person cannot be kept around."
Chu Xiang shook her head:
"Considering our past master-servant relationship, give him ten thousand yuan and let him get lost!"
"Yes!"
After the bodyguard left.
Chu Xiang stood up and looked at Yang Chen with satisfaction, nodding.
"Get ready. I'll pick you up at eight tonight. You'll be coming with me!"
"Alright!"