Chapter - 5737

Jacob felt a surge of joy as he confirmed the authenticity of the bronze Buddha statue, a remarkable imitation from the late Qing Dynasty's Xuande reign. With the statue and its base securely in his possession, he transferred 98,000 to Teacher Ewing. His mind filled with visions of Felix purchasing the artifact at a staggering price of several hundred thousand.

Upon receiving the payment, Teacher Ewing glanced at the transaction details and noticed the name "Jacob Wilson" next to the 98,000 dollar record. He felt a slight confusion and wondered, "Isn't this Mr. Murong? Why is he now using the name Jacob Wilson?"

However, he brushed off his puzzlement. It was common for those dealing with counterfeit antiques to adopt aliases. Hence, it seemed reasonable for someone to have multiple names.

With utmost care, he wrapped the bronze Buddha and its base, handing them over to Jacob. Politely, he inquired, "Mr. Murong, do you have any other requests? I have many other valuable items here. Allow me to introduce them to you."

Jacob waved his hand dismissively and replied, "No need for now. Let's begin with this one. It's our first collaboration, and I'm uncertain about the authenticity of your other pieces. Let me test this one first. If it proves satisfactory, I will undoubtedly purchase more in the future."

Teacher Ewing couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment upon hearing this. He thought to himself, "Zachary claimed he was a big-shot, yet he only spent 98,000. What kind of big-shot is he? Under normal circumstances, a customer with a single purchase of 98,000 wouldn't even be allowed into my workshop."

However, mindful of Zachary's reputation, he held his tongue and could only politely respond, "Mr. Murong is right. It is necessary to verify and establish trust in our initial partnership. After you take this bronze Buddha back, remember not to show it to anyone lacking a deep understanding of antiques. This item is designed to deceive experts. Of course, it won't fool those extremely knowledgeable individuals who have encountered numerous genuine pieces. If you wish to deceive ordinary connoisseurs, feel free to do so. I assure you, it will be effective."

Satisfied, Jacob nodded to himself, thinking, "Isn't Felix precisely the type of connoisseur Teacher Ewing mentioned? He may not be a top expert, but he possesses more knowledge than the average person. It seems this item is tailored specifically for him!"

Impatient to proceed, he turned to Zachary beside him and exclaimed, "Zachary, time is of the essence. Let's depart swiftly."

Understanding Jacob's urgency, Zachary replied, "Certainly, Mr. Murong. We can continue our conversation another day."

With that, he addressed Teacher Ewing, saying, "Mr. Ewing, we'll take our leave now with Mr. Murong. We'll talk again soon."

Teacher Ewing hurriedly responded, "I'll see you off!"

Accompanied by Teacher Ewing, the two men returned to their parked car at the village entrance. After bidding him farewell, they drove back to the city.

As the car revved into motion, Jacob, seated in the passenger seat, brimmed with excitement. He couldn't contain himself and eagerly asked Zachary, "Zachary, when do you think is the opportune moment for us to strike? I can't wait any longer."

Zachary promptly replied, "Strike while the iron is hot. I believe today is the perfect day! I will find a trustworthy subordinate who will take this item to Felix's shop and allow him to examine it closely. Since Felix has recently returned to Antique Street, he desperately needs a profitable deal to boost his morale and enhance his reputation. Therefore, he won't miss the opportunity to acquire this bronze Buddha."

Jacob nodded eagerly and said with a smile, "I concur. Today is the most suitable day because I will be departing for Dubai on vacation soon. I'm simply waiting for this matter to be resolved before I leave. If you can handle it today, I'll purchase a ticket for tomorrow morning and fly directly to Dubai!"

Zachary assured him, saying, "Don't worry, President Wilson. We will get this done today."

He then added, "However, please be patient. We need to execute our plan this evening, just before Felix's shop closes."

Curious, Jacob inquired, "Is there a particular reason for that?"

Zachary explained, "You see, despite Felix opening his shop for business, he doesn't have any items on display. This means it will be challenging for him to attract customers. Even if someone wishes to sell something, they wouldn't choose a shop with an empty inventory, right? Therefore, I speculate that regardless of what time he closes, he probably won't have made any sales. Imagine, after guarding the shop all day without any business, he will feel somewhat disheartened. However, just as he is about to close, the sudden arrival of a potential customer will come as a pleasant surprise. Subconsciously, his guard will be slightly lowered."

"Another reason is that no matter how good the lighting is at night, it will never compare to the daylight when it comes to examining items. It's not that his shop lacks brightness, but after straining his eyes all day, fatigue sets in as darkness falls. At this point, his eyes will be tired, and he may overlook certain flaws that he would have noticed otherwise."

Continuing, Zachary elaborated, "In addition to these two reasons, I need one of my subordinates to come up with a story. Think about it, why would someone be willing to sell an item worth millions for just a few hundred thousand yuan? There must be a convincing reason."

"So, my idea is to find someone who claims that their grandfather recently passed away, and they secretly took this bronze Buddha from their home while their siblings were not paying attention. They simply want to keep it low-key and sell it quickly for cash, so they dare not openly trade or participate in an auction."

"With a guilty conscience, they will be willing to sell it at a low price. This logic is flawless. When Felix considers it, he will believe that he has struck gold, encountering a desperate seller with a valuable item on his first day of business. As long as he can acquire the item at a reasonable price, it will be a grand opening for him. Everyone knows that starting a business is challenging, especially when you begin from scratch and gradually build your foundation. Achieving instant success is the best strategy and a perfect start. In that moment, he will feel that his luck has arrived, and he'll be over the moon!"

"This person, they fear nothing except overconfidence! Once they become overconfident, it's all over!"

"Consider why casinos make money. They allow first-time customers to win small amounts, giving them a taste of victory in the gambling hall. This makes them feel chosen, invincible, and destined for success in every situation."

"Once they reach this extreme state of blind self-assurance, no matter how much money they have, they will lose it all in the casino. If you want their money, you can take it all. If you want their house, you can win it. If you want their wife, you can win her. If you want their children, you can win them. Even if you want their life, you can win it."

After expressing this, Zachary smiled and looked at Jacob, asking, "President Wilson, with all these factors aligned, along with the valuable item in your possession, is there any chance that Felix won't fall into the trap?"

Jacob laughed and said, "This is a flawless setup, one trap after another. It's impossible for him to escape it! I believe Felix is destined for failure this time!"

Zachary smiled and said, "So, don't worry. I will arrange the necessary manpower, and we will ensnare Felix in our trap this evening!"

"Excellent!" Jacob exclaimed excitedly. Simultaneously, he couldn't help but sigh, "Damn it, it would be even better if I could witness Felix falling into the trap! But if Felix recognizes me, he will undoubtedly grow suspicious."

Zachary assured him, saying, "Witnessing it is simple. I will have someone bring a live streaming device. It will be inconspicuous, even if you give him a hundred pairs of eyes, he won't find it. Take your phone, for example. You know the SIM card slot, right?"

"Yes," Jacob nodded. "You mean the place where you use a needle to open it? What about it?"

Zachary replied mysteriously, "Nowadays, there's a device that can hide a camera inside that needle hole. Moreover, this camera can be connected to a phone. It can livestream the footage captured by the camera in real-time through the phone's network. The person I found will simply place the phone aside after entering Peter's shop, and he won't suspect a thing. The camera on the side of the phone will record him without his knowledge. We can watch the livestream on our phones from the car."

Jacob exclaimed, "Wow, such a thing exists? Can a camera really fit into such a small needle hole?"

Zachary chuckled and said, "For things like this, if you can imagine it, someone can make it happen."

"Amazing!" Jacob exclaimed, giving a thumbs up. "This is incredible! I can personally witness Felix falling into the trap with my own eyes!"