Chapter 133: Exposed on the Spot

"What kind of favor?" Lin Feng asked, looking at her with curiosity.

"I need to pick something up from a jade shop later, but the item is quite valuable, and I’m afraid it’s not safe to go alone. Could you come with me?" Zhou Nianying asked, looking at him with a pleading expression.

She had heard before that the antique trade was as treacherous as the deep sea; one slight slip, and you could easily become a target. She had already suffered twice in the antique street—the first time, her purchase was swapped for a fake, and the second time, she was robbed. This was her third trip to the antique street, and because of the trauma, she didn't dare to go by herself.

Hearing this, Lin Feng smiled and said, "Alright, I'll go with you."

"Thank you, Lin Feng, you are truly the best."

Zhou Nianying thanked him excitedly, then pulled Lin Feng into her car and headed straight for the antique street. Before long, they arrived. After getting out of the car, Zhou Nianying led the way to find the jade shop she had booked.

However, after following her map for two laps without finding the destination, Lin Feng couldn't help but ask, "Miss Zhou, what is the name of the jade shop you're looking for? Let me help you find it."

"It’s called the Green Jade Pavilion. The owner told me it was definitely on this street, so why haven't we found it after searching for so long?" Zhou Nianying said, looking bewildered.

"Green Jade Pavilion?" Lin Feng found the name unfamiliar. They had walked from the east side of the street to the west, and they hadn't seen any such shop.

A moment later, Lin Feng asked, "Are you sure he said this was the place? Is it definitely the antique street?"

"It has to be. I couldn't have misheard. Jiangcheng only has this one street that sells antiques, and he specifically reminded me it was on the west side," Zhou Nianying said, pouting.

Just as she was feeling doubtful and preparing to call the shop owner, Lin Feng suddenly noticed a "Green Jade Pavilion" not far away. He quickly tugged at Zhou Nianying and said, "Miss Zhou, look, is that the one you're looking for?"

"Green... Jade... Pavilion? It’s actually here?" Zhou Nianying pointed at the sign and read it out loud, her face full of surprise.

She never expected that the "Green Jade Pavilion" she was looking for was nothing more than a small street stall, with a wooden board stuck to the side that had the three characters "Green Jade Pavilion" scrawled on it. Seeing this, Zhou Nianying felt an instant urge to curse.

She walked over indignantly and complained to the antique vendor, "Hey, are you the owner of the Green Jade Pavilion? You’re really good at swindling people, aren't you? Calling a tiny stall like this a 'pavilion'—you've had us searching for ages!"

"Are you 'Jiangcheng's Little Royal Sister'?" The vendor, wearing sunglasses, saw a long-legged beauty approaching his stall. He pushed his glasses up to get a better look, his face lighting up with surprise.

"Jiangcheng's Little Royal Sister" was Zhou Nianying's online alias. She had met this owner online and booked the antique through him.

Zhou Nianying was furious. It was bad enough that his "pavilion" was a street stall, but the owner was a fraud too. His online profile claimed he was a twenty-eight-year-old "rich kid," but the man before her was at least fifty, ugly, and looked like nothing more than a disheveled slob.

"Yes, I am. You deceitful old man, how many words out of your mouth are actually true? Don't tell me the He Clan White Jade Ring I wanted is a fake too?" she demanded coldly.

"Of course not! I have principles in my business. Look, beauty, this is the white jade ring you wanted. I searched all over Jiangcheng just to find this for you," the vendor said, pulling a white jade ring from his person and offering it to her.

Zhou Nianying took the ring and examined it carefully. It looked authentic enough—the jade felt dense, smooth, and warm, and it was carved with a dragon and a phoenix, looking quite exquisite.

"How much for this ring?" she asked after a moment, looking up at him.

"Heh heh, we’re such good friends now, talking about money hurts our bond. If you’d be willing to have dinner with me tonight and grab a few drinks..."

"Keep dreaming. Talk like a human being," Zhou Nianying cut him off, fuming.

The vendor was startled for a moment, then chuckled a few seconds later. "Alright, I'll be direct. I acquired this ring for two million. If you want it, I'll give you a 'friendship price' of 2.2 million."

"You're just helping me source an item, and you're charging me 200,000?" Zhou Nianying asked, stunned.

"Beauty, I went through hell and high water to find this! My fellow traders helped me search, and I can't let them work for free, can I? This 200,000 isn't just for me." The vendor’s eyes darted around as he explained, and he reached out to snatch the ring back, saying, "If you think it's too expensive, then just give it back."

"Wait! For the sake of all your hard work, I'll take it." Fearing he would back out, Zhou Nianying quickly put the ring away and pulled out her card for him to swipe. After all, the item was very important to her; even at a high price, it was worth it.

However, just as the vendor was about to take the card, Lin Feng’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. He let out a cold hum and said, "Boss, your heart is a bit too black, isn't it?"

"You actually have the nerve to ask for over two million for this cheap imitation? You probably polished this ring yourself out of glass and jade powder, didn't you?"

"Kid, you... who are you? Let go of me!" The vendor’s face turned pale; it was clear that Lin Feng had hit the mark. He had been counting on the fact that Zhou Nianying was an amateur, hoping to swindle her with flowery language and vanish as soon as the money hit his account.

Zhou Nianying looked at Lin Feng, confused. "What’s going on? Is there something wrong with this?"

"That’s right. The ring he gave you is fake. The cost of production isn't even twenty yuan; it's made of cheap jade powder and glass. The only 'expensive' part is the machine carving, which cost maybe ten yuan," Lin Feng stated bluntly.

"What?" Zhou Nianying’s eyes widened in shock. She turned to the vendor and shouted, "You greedy swindler! You really haven't said a single true word. You knew this ring was important to me, and you still dared to try and scam me with a fake!"

"Beauty, this ring is real! He's the one lying to you. I have an appraisal certificate right here—if you don't believe me, check my pockets," the vendor said with a look of feigned sincerity.

Zhou Nianying frowned. He didn't look like he was lying, so she reached out to check his pockets for the certificate.

But just as her hand moved forward, Lin Feng saw through the ruse and firmly stopped her. "Miss Zhou, don't fall for his trap. There is no certificate in there."

"Kid, you dare to meddle in my business? Go to hell!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the vendor pulled a dagger from under his stall and lunged violently toward Lin Feng’s chest.