Chapter 52: Henry's Test
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Chapter 52: Henry's Test
While on the way, although Li Yi had been talking to Henry and Jason, his mind was already focused on the next steps.
Making money while standing still is not easy.
The first priority is to find genuine jade—not for anything else, but because the jade must be authentic. This is crucial!
Although Li Yi is eager to make money, he does not want to do so by deceiving others. That's not only unethical but could lead to disputes or even accusations of fraud.
Therefore, the jade he sells to Henry must be real.
At present, the only piece of jade Li Yi is certain of being genuine and valuable is the one he has.
Secondly, it's important to make Henry trust him completely. Otherwise, Henry may not be willing to pay a high price for the jade!
Although Henry only has one friend now, from Li Yi's observations, Henry is definitely no fool!
In other words, there are very few naïve people among foreigners who dare to do business in places like Guangzhou and Shenzhen!
They all share the same goal: to make money. Can a fool really make money?
Even if there are a few people who are rich but foolish, they're often taken advantage of deliberately.
In fact, Li Yi already knew that Henry had clearly noticed something off with the finger pull earlier!
But Henry didn't say anything. Instead, he made a ridiculous offer of one hundred pounds!
To put it in perspective, one pound could be exchanged for about 11 yuan in Dragon Kingdom currency. One hundred pounds would be equivalent to 1,100 yuan, which is quite a lot!
Clearly, it wasn't just Li Yi testing Henry—Henry was testing Li Yi too!
Henry wanted to see if Li Yi was reliable!
Henry's family prioritizes profit above all else.
As long as someone brings in reasonable benefits, they are considered friends!
Li Yi knew that if he showed even a hint of greed earlier, Henry would have immediately turned and walked away.
However, compared to Li Yi, who had been through two lifetimes, Henry was just a novice. How could he hide his tricks from Li Yi?
Thus, Li Yi passed the test with ease!
As they continued on, Li Yi assumed the role of translator and tour guide for the two of them. Not only did he introduce all the scenery along the way, but he also shared local customs and traditions, captivating Henry and Jason.
Li Yi was well-informed, and his knowledge came not just from reading books but from having traveled extensively across the country in his previous life while searching for his daughter.
From major cities like Guangshen to even the most remote mountainous regions, Li Yi had been everywhere, making his knowledge incomparable to that of ordinary people.
Soon, the group of three arrived at the main entrance of Dongyuan Antique Market.
"Arrived!" Li Yi said.
Henry and Jason looked up at the same time and saw a huge iron sign hanging high over the archway.
The foreign duo could vaguely see the bustling scene of the market from here, and it left them speechless.
"It's really lively here! It looks even more impressive than the market in Birmingham!" Henry remarked.
Li Yi couldn't help but feel disdain in his heart. What's the population of Birmingham? That place was barely a small county town in Longguo. How could it possibly compare to Guangshen, a city with over 10 million people?
But he didn't voice his thoughts.
"Each place has its own merits. Dongyuan Antique Market is larger with more foot traffic, but it isn't as standardized here!" Li Yi replied.
"The market in Birmingham is smaller, but it's more mature and regulated. Plus, they have the best rum in Europe!" Li Yi added.
Henry and Jason exchanged a glance and smiled, nodding in agreement. It felt nice to hear someone praise their country.
As they were chatting, they reached the entrance of Dongyuan Market.
Li Yi had deliberately taken them to the north gate this time, avoiding the west gate. He had already explored the west gate yesterday and found that it didn't have the treasure he was looking for.
"Come, come! Take a look! These are all collectible antiques! If you don't buy them, you'll regret it, and don't get fooled!" shouted a hawker.
Li Yi immediately frowned. Can you still sell antiques like this?
This was the first time he had encountered such a tactic.
Li Yi approached the stall, already suspecting that the hawker was selling fake goods. The hawker's approach was clearly designed to attract the attention of foreigners.
Anyone who was knowledgeable about antiques would understand one thing: Only what you desire or what you come across by chance has meaning to you. If it's not yours, no matter how much you try to force it, you won't be able to keep it.
Li Yi didn't avoid the hawker's stall, though. Instead, he walked directly over with Henry and the others.
His goal was simple: to buy time!
He wanted to create the illusion that there were no genuine goods in this massive antique market. In fact, this was somewhat true!
This would set the stage for him to present the treasure he had prepared!
But all of this relied on Wei Sanpao's ability to locate the jade and his own ability to stall for time!
At this point, everything depended on cooperation.
"Henry, my friend, let me show you some of the fine items in Dongyuan Market!" Li Yi said with a smile.
Henry's interest was piqued. "Sure, let's take a look!"
Li Yi smiled sincerely, his expression flawless, and slowly approached the stall.
The stall owner immediately stopped his hawking as soon as he saw someone approaching, and greeted Li Yi with a smile.
"Hey, brother, I've just gotten a lot of good things! All of them are antiques. Would you like to take a look?" the stall owner asked enthusiastically.
"Let's take a look," Li Yi replied casually.
"Just take a look! If you see something you like, I'll tell you the story behind it!" the stall owner offered eagerly.
Li Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. The stall owner was clearly resourceful, using this trick to lure people in.
If an ordinary person had heard this, they would likely have thought that these trinkets on display had an impressive backstory!
But Li Yi was no fool. He stepped forward and began carefully inspecting the items on the stall, looking very serious.
The stall owner's gaze was fixed on Li Yi, not blinking.
Li Yi had already noticed the stall owner the moment they entered Dongyuan Market. From their conversation, he could tell that Li Yi's relationship with the two foreigners was no ordinary one.
If he could win Li Yi over, it could be a good business day for him.
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