"Mr. Li... President Li."
Seeing the person who arrived, Zhang Chi inexplicably tensed up and explained, "This kid is careless and broke the shallow-rimmed bowl with green glaze that I just received."
As he spoke, Zhang Chi added fuel to the fire and recounted the entire incident.
Yang Chen sneered inwardly.
Framed?
And framed someone universally acknowledged as a fool, what a wicked thing to do!
He instinctively wanted to speak up and explain, but recalling Zhang Chi's conversation with the tall man, he opened his mouth, then dared not expose himself in front of others.
He could only cast a pleading gaze towards the beautiful boss – Li Yu.
Li Yu possessed a pure, beautiful face, exuding a cool and elegant aura. Her curvaceous, graceful figure, paired with a black dress, gave people a sense of untouchable distance.
Upon hearing this, Li Yu frowned slightly, glanced at the nervous and helpless Yang Chen, then at the furious Zhang Chi.
She asked, bewildered, "Master Zhang, how did the antique you acquired end up in Yang Chen's hands?"
Zhang Chi glanced at Yang Chen, snorted, and said, "This kid took it upon himself when I wasn't paying attention, and he dropped it as soon as he picked it up."
"How much was it worth?"
Li Yu asked.
Zhang Chi replied, "Don't be fooled by its size, this is a shallow bowl from the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, made with overglaze enamel."
"In this condition, one would cost at least 150,000 yuan. The seller was in urgent need of cash, which is why they brought it to our shop, but they said they would redeem it in three days for 200,000, with principal and interest."
One hundred and fifty thousand?
Yang Chen pinched his thigh hard, almost unable to contain his reaction.
This shameless fellow was clearly trying to swindle the company!
A broken bowl, and a fake one at that, daring to quote 150,000 right off the bat.
How much was his monthly salary?
Just over two thousand yuan a month, how long would it take to repay that!
"President Li, this is not something worth a few thousand yuan, and he broke it, so he must compensate!"
Zhang Chi insisted that Yang Chen was the one who broke it.
Shameless to the extreme!
If not for his reservations, Yang Chen would have exposed his despicable scheme right then and there.
"Master Zhang, you know Yang Chen's situation, how can you ask him to compensate?"
Li Yu looked at Yang Chen with a hint of helplessness, then said, "Make out a bill later. Once the other party comes to redeem it, this money will come from the company."
She added, "In the future, please take good care of valuable items and don't leave them lying around."
"President Li, you are too kind. Otherwise, I wouldn't let this kid off the hook today; he needs to be taught a lesson."
Zhang Chi glanced at Yang Chen, feigning anger.
Internally, however, he was quite smug. Fifteen thousand was no small sum.
With Yang Chen, the fool, as a shield, his life would finally become a bit more comfortable.
However, just as he thought the matter was settled.
Yang Chen suddenly spoke, stammering, "Fake... fake..."
"What's fake?"
Li Yu's brow furrowed.
Zhang Chi panicked, his heart skipping a beat. He grabbed Yang Chen's collar and immediately berated him, "President Li will cover this amount for you."
"Have you not learned your lesson yet?"
"Let me tell you, this is a unique piece. If it weren't for President Li's generosity, you wouldn't be able to afford it even if you sold yourself!"
Zhang Chi was a little flustered. The item was indeed fake; he had already hidden the real one.
His plan was to have the shop pay the customer 150,000 yuan, and then he could sell the genuine item later for a substantial profit.
If Li Yu discovered anything, he was finished.
Li Yu cast a meaningful glance at Zhang Chi, thought for a moment, and said nothing.
She bent down and picked up a broken piece of porcelain from the ground, examining it closely. She couldn't discern anything amiss.
Although she was the owner of an auction house, her appraisal skills were only rudimentary.
If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have hired Zhang Chi at such a high price.
"Master Zhang, we'll let it slide this time."
Li Yu dropped the shard, clapped her hands, and signaled Zhang Chi to release Yang Chen.
"Hmph!"
Zhang Chi let go, and a venomous glint flashed in his eyes as he stared at Yang Chen.
'Fool, you think you can tell whether this porcelain is real or fake? Delusional,' he scoffed inwardly.
Zhang Chi then turned to Li Yu and said, "President Li, you are too kind. This kid made a mistake, and now he's slandering me.
"He might cause trouble for the company in the future."
Seeing that Li Yu had believed Zhang Chi, Yang Chen became anxious, unsure how to explain.
In his desperation, he picked up a shard from the ground in front of everyone and licked it with his tongue.
Li Yu's expression jolted, and she exclaimed in shock, "Yang Chen, what are you doing!"
Zhang Chi was also taken aback. Just as he was about to lash out, he saw Yang Chen pick up the porcelain shard and say with a foolish smile, "Sweet, it's sweet..."
Li Yu looked at the porcelain shard in his hand. The colored glaze had softened, and wrinkles had appeared between the lines.
All porcelain has a characteristic: it does not dissolve in water.
Especially overglaze enamels; even if exposed to rain for years, their form and color would remain unchanged.
How could the glaze on this shard melt with a lick?
In an instant, Li Yu understood. She looked at Zhang Chi, whose face had turned ashen, and her brow furrowed.
He was the chief appraiser of the auction house; how could such a mistake occur?
Zhang Chi hadn't expected his flawless plan to be ruined by a fool.
He stammered in panic, "President Li, I... I might have misjudged it."
Li Yu looked at him coldly, "Even Yang Chen could tell, and you, a chief appraiser, couldn't?"
"I think you should pay the 150,000 yuan yourself."
With that, she ignored Zhang Chi and looked at Yang Chen, "Come with me to the office."
Zhang Chi's face turned pale. Watching Li Yu's retreating figure, his body trembled uncontrollably.
It seemed he had truly fallen this time!
Not only would he not make any money, but if Li Yu became suspicious, his career as an appraiser would be over.
Damn it!
Shame, utter shame!
Thinking of this, Zhang Chi's hatred for Yang Chen intensified. It was all because of this fool!
...
At this moment, Yang Chen followed Li Yu into the office. He stood by the desk, confused.
He was wondering if he should take this opportunity to explain everything to Li Yu, as he couldn't pretend to be a fool forever.
But before he could speak, Li Yu spoke first. She looked at Yang Chen, "You fool, you really have the luck of the simple-minded."
She shook her head, not mentioning what had just happened, and took out an envelope.
Inside was ten thousand yuan, intended for Yang Chen's mother's medical treatment.
A small gesture of goodwill.
But she worried that such pity might hurt Yang Chen's pride.
So, she devised a plan.
"My shoulder's been a bit sore lately. Come and give me a massage. I'll give you a reward afterward."
Li Yu rubbed her shoulder.
By asking Yang Chen to massage her shoulder, she had an excuse to give him the money, which she considered being considerate.
Yang Chen agreed and woodenly moved behind Li Yu.
He placed his hands on her delicate shoulders.
But the next second, soft, plump flesh appeared before Yang Chen's eyes.
Li Yu was wearing a dress, and as she sat down, her neckline loosened. From Yang Chen's perspective, looking down, it was bright and direct...
Yang Chen's eyes immediately widened, and he swallowed hard.
A surge of heat followed.