Chapter 438: Who Schemed Against Whom (2)

Chapter 438: Chapter 438: Who Schemed Against Whom (2)

"Oh? And which antique shop might this lady be recommending? If there’s no need to wait, that would be even better!" Mr. Warren’s interest was piqued. The two of them completely ignored Joel Xavier, the store manager. They were standing right in his shop, yet they were discussing how to poach his business! What a truly bizarre situation!

"There’s a shop called Hale’s Antiques not far from here. You can go there. The manager is a middle-aged man; everyone in the business calls him Hale. He’s been in the antiques trade for at least thirty years, so in terms of experience alone, he has far more than Store Manager Xavier. Since Store Manager Xavier can appraise items himself, Hale certainly can too!"

Watching Joel Xavier’s expression grow darker and darker, Jacinta Hale’s smile grew even brighter, and her speech became more brisk and light. "Most importantly, I can guarantee that Hale’s Antiques won’t have a cash flow problem like Store Manager Xavier! It’s one of the oldest antique shops in The Gilt Alley, and it’s under Hale Corporation, so they’re extremely well-funded! If Hale confirms it’s authentic and finds the price reasonable, he’ll complete the transaction on the spot. He absolutely won’t drag his feet and claim to be short on cash like Store Manager Xavier!"

"Mrs. Fenton, isn’t this a bit unethical? First, you blocked my funds, and now you’re poaching my client! That’s no way to do business!" A dark aura radiated from Joel Xavier. He was truly enraged. The refined air he usually carried had vanished, replaced by a terrifying, grim intensity.

"You brought this on yourself, Store Manager Xavier! If you hadn’t ganged up with other customers to bully my daughter, you would have certainly closed this deal today! Of all the people to offend, you just had to cross our Little Princess! Knowing what you know now, wouldn’t it have been better to just sell us that last porcelain jewelry set earlier?" Jacinta Hale rolled her eyes at Joel Xavier, her gaze filled with mockery and contempt.

"Look, Store Manager Xavier, I’m not an unreasonable man. If you can produce three million right now to pay for it, I’ll sell this genuine Shan Franklin piece to you. I’m in urgent need of the money; otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought this treasure out in the first place!" Mr. Warren said this with great sincerity. It was a gesture of his good faith and the most he could do.

Joel Xavier pressed his lips together, a fire of rage burning in his gut. ’It’s true what they say: it’s better to offend a scoundrel than a woman! To have a sure thing slip through my fingers like this... If I could come up with three million right now, would I even be wasting my breath on Jacinta Hale?! Mr. Warren knows perfectly well I can’t produce that kind of money, but he says it on purpose! The older the ginger, the spicier it gets. He makes himself look good with just a few words—a bargain anyone would take!’

"Well, since Store Manager Xavier can’t produce the money, you can’t blame me. I can’t put all my eggs in one basket, after all. If I have more business in the future, I’ll still come see you, Store Manager Xavier! I just hope you’ll have your funds in order next time. Otherwise, a deal will be impossible, even if I want to make one with you!"

After saying a series of things that were enough to make Joel Xavier spit blood from rage, the old man took his genuine Shan Franklin piece and left Apex Collections. The crowd of onlookers also dispersed, leaving only the mother and daughter, Jacinta Hale and Shelby Fenton.

"Store Manager Xavier, remember not to cross our Little Princess again. Consider this a lesson; it won’t be this simple next time! But don’t be so upset. It’s just one business deal. It’s not a huge loss, really. At most, you just earned a little less. You should take a more long-term view. Sometimes, you don’t need to cling so stubbornly to this ’integrity in business’ nonsense! If you had just sold that newest jewelry set to Shelby, none of this would have happened! In the end, you have only yourself to blame!"