Reborn As Super Heiress

Huo Sining had long suspected there was something off about this man, but adhering to the principle of customer first, she didn’t directly expose him. Instead, she calmly negotiated with the man. Now hearing him ask for her to write a guarantee, Huo Sining was momentarily speechless.

She had been running the shop for quite some time, mingling in the antique circles for over a year, and had never heard of an antique purchase requiring a guarantee from the shop owner. It was utterly ridiculous.

”Sir, I’m a bit unclear about what kind of guarantee you’re referring to,” Huo Sining said with a smile, casually picking up the teacup from the table and taking a sip.

”It’s like this, boss. I’ve paid a deposit for this painting. When I come in a few days with an appraiser, I want you to write a guarantee. If the painting is genuine, I’ll pay the rest and take the painting. If it’s a fake, I won’t take the painting, you’ll refund me, and I only ask for double my deposit in compensation.”

The middle-aged man spoke with utmost seriousness, as if his request was perfectly reasonable and not outlandish at all.

Li Quan and Jiang Xiaoqin listened, both utterly bewildered, almost on the verge of scolding.

After all, their shop had been open for about four months, yet this was the first time they had encountered someone so bizarrely shameless.

”Sir, since you’re into antiques, you should know the rules of this trade. I’ve never heard of any rule requiring shop owners to write guarantees for antique purchases. The rule is always payment upon delivery. If you like the painting, buy it. If not, please leave. Once you buy something from my shop and step out the door, whether the painting is authentic or turns into a sheet of toilet paper, the shop takes no responsibility!”

That’s the rule in the antique business. This trade is all about judgment. If your sharp eye lands a treasure, that’s your skill. But if you are misled, you can only blame your lack of learning, having paid the tuition, to complain about others. If everyone wanted the shop owner to write a guarantee, anyone who made an error in judgment would come back to the shop to make a fuss. Isn’t that a joke?

By now, Huo Sining had already guessed that this man was here to set up a trap, and clearly, he knew Shen Zhou’s painting was a counterfeit. That’s why he mentioned the deposit and wanted her to write a guarantee. That way, black and white on paper would prevent denial. Once he had the guarantee, if the painting proved fake later, she wouldn’t just have to pay him double the deposit; this man might also make sure the entire street knew. At that time, Jubao Pavilion’s reputation would likely be ruined.

Huo Sining speculated accurately and thought that this man was likely sent by the Liang Family. It seemed the Liang Family only knew Tang Jinchuan’s painting was sold to Jubao Pavilion, but didn’t know they had already identified it as fake. Thus, they set up this trap, the purpose being obvious—to ruin Jubao Pavilion’s reputation, force her shop to close, and further, to create a scandal in the antique circle, tarnishing her reputation there so that she could hardly make a living in the circle afterwards.

However, the Liang Family’s deep calculation hadn’t foreseen that Huo Sining and her colleagues had already discovered the painting was problematic. Furthermore, with Tang Jinchuan’s tip, Huo Sining was already on guard. This man’s trap might not yield any gains in her hands.

The middle-aged man also expected that Huo Sining wouldn’t agree, but he hadn’t anticipated her directness. His expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant:

”Boss, I naturally understand the rules of this trade, but after all, this is a two-million-dollar deal, which isn’t a small amount. If you don’t write me a guarantee, I won’t feel assured, perhaps... I’d say let’s forget this business deal.”

The middle-aged man spoke, deliberately lifting his head to gauge Huo Sining’s reaction.

Sure enough, when he mentioned ”let’s forget this business deal,” the woman opposite him showed a flicker of anxiousness in her eyes, swiftly concealed, but still captured by the man.

The middle-aged man felt more confident, assuming Huo Sining really wanted to close this deal. He then stopped talking, smiled slightly, and leisurely picked up the tea Jiang Xiaoqin brewed for him, sipping comfortably.

Seeing the man so gloatingly thinking he had seized her weakness, Huo Sining couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, contemplating how foolish the Liang Family was for sending such a person, one whom she was playing like a fiddle, yet who remained smug.

Thinking thus, Huo Sining did not reveal anything on the surface but, after contemplating for a moment, nodded in agreement:

”Alright, as you said, this painting is a precious masterpiece of Shen Zhou, a rare gem. I’m quite fond of this painting myself. Signing a guarantee isn’t entirely out of the question. Here’s what we’ll do. Please wait here while I go print out a guarantee for you.”

Beside her, Li Quan and Jiang Xiaoqin were stunned to hear Huo Sining’s words. Li Quan’s eyes showed signs of worry, seeming about to say something but stopped by Huo Sining’s glance. Her eyes blinked slightly, her mouth curving into a fox-like sly grin.

Li Quan halted his steps, seemingly guessing something, closing his mouth tightly, ceasing his words.

When the middle-aged man heard Huo Sining say she was going to print a guarantee, a look of joy rushed into his eyes. He eagerly stood up and said, ”Okay then, boss, hurry up. I’ll wait right here.”

Huo Sining rose and went to the back hall, shortly afterward producing two copies of the guarantee, with two or three hundred words on each, emphasizing the crucial clause that if Jubao Pavilion sells Shen Zhou’s ”Bamboo Mountain Evening Rain Painting” as a forgery, the transaction is void, and Jubao Pavilion will compensate double the deposit. If it isn’t a forgery but the buyer refuses to pay, it will be regarded as a withdrawal from the purchase, and the deposit of ten thousand dollars will be non-refundable.

At the bottom of the A4 paper, she also marked places for the signatures and fingerprints of both parties and intentionally drew a line for filling in ID numbers.

After printing the guarantee, the middle-aged man picked it up and carefully scrutinized it several times, checking both copies before finally confirming there was no issue. He nodded and said, ”That’s fine, boss. You’re very efficient. Since there’s no problem, shall we sign?”

Huo Sining smiled and nodded, then suddenly thought of something and said, ”Since we’re being formal, let’s verify each other’s ID information first. This is for the protection of both parties’ interests, wouldn’t you agree?”

With that, Huo Sining took out her ID. The middle-aged man paused upon hearing this but soon realized and also took out his ID.