âBoss, do you remember the things weâve prepared for the Antique Fair? Most of them are worthless trinkets; this porcelain jar is perfect for the occasion!â
Casper slapped the back of his head at the ridiculous suggestion. âWhat are you thinking? We canât just take something that belongs to another. Isnât it too unbecoming?â
Stallion cowered. âBoss, youâve misunderstood me. We can take the jar to the Antique Fair. After we sell it, we will give the old man the money.â
Casperâs eyes lit up at the genius idea. âNot bad. I have to give you credit for this.â
He then led Louis aside. âMr. Leuthold, I am participating in an Antique Fair soon. If youâre agreeable, I will auction off your jar at the event and give you the money after selling it.â
âNo, no, no. You can keep it.â
âWhy are you being so stubborn?â
The jar was an impressive item. Casper could show it off at Victoriaâs Chamber. However, he didnât want to take it for free. After a long consideration, he proposed, âMr. Leuthold, why donât I give you a five percent stake in Tycoon in exchange. You must agree or I wonât accept it. If you still insist on giving it to me, I will break it.â
Louis had no choice but to relent. Obviously, Casperâs threat was a clever trick to make him agree to the proposal.
Stallion watched Casper filled a box with sponge. Then he asked Louis, âMr. Leuthold, what were you using the jar for?â
âI used it to ferment food.â
Casper laughed out loud. Itâs such a luxury to use a jar worth two million to ferment food.
Stallion gave Louis a thumbs up. âYou have really done it. Even the richest in Horington wouldnât use such a valuable antique for fermentation. You certainly outdid yourself this time.â
After sending Stallion away, Casper and Elena headed for Victoriaâs Chamber to see Victoria.
The secretary was intrigued to know of her bossâ dealings with antiques. âMr. Simpson, where did you learn to differentiate the fakes from the genuine ones?â
âItâs simple!â He raised a brow smugly.
âIf itâs simple, tell me!â Elena pouted at the suspense.
Is she trying to act cute?
Casper didnât expect Elena to employ such a tactic. âFine, fine. Iâll tell you. Have you heard of a man named Augustus?â
Elena nodded. âHe was the last emperor of Chanaea who was also forced to abdicate.â
âCorrect. I bet you didnât know he returned to the palace as a manager to supervise his former home after he became a civilian.â
âWow, that must be a real insult to him.â
âThatâs right. An antique dealer once showed him a particular piece and bragged about its value.
However, the moment Augustus saw it, he pointed out that it was a fake. The dealer didnât believe him, but Augustus said he grew up surrounded by countless treasures so he could spot a fake at one glance.â
âMr. Simpson, are you telling me you can spot a fake at one glance like Augustus?â
Casper coughed. He couldnât tell Elena there were antiques laying in every corner of his house. Even though they werenât used for fermentation, he used many antique teacups for tea.
When he was young, he was beaten badly for shattering a porcelain teacup that belonged to Alfred.
Later on, he realized the elderly man had dozens of them.
However, he deserved the beating for breaking an expensive one. Ever since then, he would be very careful and remember the locations of the more valuable ones to prevent history from repeating itself.
Gradually, he learned to appraise them.
With that as his foundation, his family subsequently found him an antiquarian to educate him on the rules and the various valuation techniques of the trade.
When Casper and Elena arrived at Victoriaâs Chamber, her eyes darted around excitedly since it was her first time there. They bumped into Victoria, who was on her way out.
The high-slit dress revealed her porcelain thighs fleetingly as she sauntered toward them. While Casper ogled at her cleavage, her charming elegance mesmerized Elena.
âWow, those are humongous.â
The secretary had always been proud of her figure, but those bosoms put her to shame.
âCasper, it seems you have brought something interesting with you today.â
Victoria covered her mouth as she giggled softly at the tattered box that Casper had found in Louisâ
place.
One had to read between the lines to understand what she said. It was a taboo to judge a book by its cover in their industry. The more precious an item, the simpler its packaging.
âThis isnât just something good. Its value and pristine condition will astonish you.â
Giselle was the previous recipient of Victoriaâs alluring wink. This time, she lifted Elenaâs chin slowly and slipped a finger into her mouth seductively.
The latter instinctively sucked on the finger as though it were the most delicious thing in the world.
The provocative sight aroused Casper like wildfire. The flirting between the women turned him on beyond his imagination.
âDoes it taste good?â
Elena jolted back to her senses and spat the finger out. Blushing like a tomato, she was surprised that she had succumbed to anotherâs womanâs teasing right in front of Casper.
âI think it does. You seemed to enjoy yourself,â Victoria teased.
Casper was about to tell Victoria to stop messing around, but he only gulped at what happened next.
The latter put the same finger that Elena had been sucking moments ago into her mouth and polished his secretaryâs saliva off with her tongue.