Chapter 330

Orion's assistant sneered, "This kid knows nothing about antiques, and as for experience—hell, he's barely old enough to drive! Just kneel before Mr. Kelce and admit you're wrong, kid. That's how youngsters like you should behave."

"These jerks are going too far," Francesca grumbled.

Andrew picked up both porcelain bowls, one in each hand, and asked with a smile, "Ms. Santana, these bowls are competition property, correct?"

Elsie nodded, puzzled. "Yes, Mr. Lloyd. Competition rules state that all antiques and items must be from registered dealers."

"Then I'd like to ask the owner of these bowls to step forward," Andrew announced.

Orion laughed coldly. "Do you really think the owner would tell you which is real? Stop playing games and admit you don't know anything."

"Patience. You'll be crying soon enough," Andrew replied with a smirk.

The bowls' owner, an elderly man in a burgundy suit with kind eyes, stepped forward. "Young man, Mr. Kelce is a renowned expert. I can't interfere in your bet, so good luck."

"Don't worry, sir. I won't ask which is real or fake," Andrew assured him. "I just have a simple question."

The owner frowned but nodded. "As long as you don't ask about authenticity, I'll answer any other questions."

Aspen scoffed, "What a show-off. Even I can't tell these apart, let alone you, Andrew."

Christina turned to her in surprise. "Aspen, even you can't tell the difference?"

"I'm not ashamed to admit it," Aspen replied proudly. "Maybe in ten years, I'll reach Mr. Kelce's level of expertise."

Christina sighed. "Then Andrew has no chance of winning."

The crowd watched curiously as Andrew asked his first question: "Sir, how much are these bowls worth?"

The owner straightened up proudly. "This is one of a set of porcelain pieces from about 700 years ago. Most pieces from that set have been lost, damaged, or disappeared—this is one of the few surviving pieces. Given its rarity and craftsmanship, it could easily fetch several million at auction."

"So one bowl is worth millions," Andrew continued. "What about the fake one?"

The owner's expression changed. "Who'd want the fake? Foreign workshops mass-produce them using computer programs—they sell them in bulk for about fifty dollars each."

Andrew smiled and asked, "That's quite cheap. Do you treasure these bowls?"

The owner was obviously annoyed. "Mr. Lloyd, what kind of question is that? Of course, I treasure a piece worth millions!"

Andrew nodded with satisfaction. "Good. I'm done with my questions."