"What do you mean?"
The young man sneered, not believing Lin Xiaotian could uncover the secrets of antiques.
Lin Xiaotian didn't explain. Instead, he picked up the luminous tool in his hand and disassembled it with a series of clicks, saying with a faint smile, "Besides switching our shop's antiques, you also switched the appraisal tools."
"This set of luminous tools looks the same as ours, but the lenses inside have been treated with a special chemical powder. As far as I know, you must know one of our employees, and it was he who tampered with the lenses, right?"
What?
Upon hearing Lin Xiaotian's explanation, Old Zhou and Tang Jingde exchanged surprised glances.
Could there be a mole in the shop?
They turned back to look at the young man, who was darting his eyes around, appearing very guilty, as if he had been found out.
"You... what nonsense are you talking about? Who tampered with your lenses? I don't know any of you."
Noticing the strange looks from the people around him, the young man quickly denied it. "You sold me fake antiques, and now you're making excuses? I'm telling you, I'm not someone you can bully. I'm going to report you to the Appraisal Association right now."
"If you want to report us, then go ahead. Anyway, by the time they arrive, the special material on these lenses will have completely disappeared, and anyone will be able to see whether the antiques were switched or not."
Lin Xiaotian was not afraid at all. He picked up a lens, pointed it directly at the sun outside, and shone it gently. A layer of white smoke emanated from the surface of the lens, shocking everyone again.
After a moment, the smoke on the lens disappeared, and the color of the lens seemed to have changed slightly.
Lin Xiaotian directly handed the lens to Tang Jingde beside him and said with a slight smile, "Elder Tang, please take a look at the engraving on that antique again and see if it's the same as before."
"Alright."
Tang Jingde nodded in agreement, took the lens with a serious expression, and carefully examined the antique.
In just over ten seconds, his brows furrowed deeply. After confirming multiple times, he looked at the young man with a cold expression, slammed the lens onto the table, and said directly, "It's indeed you who switched the shop's lenses. The engraving seen through the lenses now is not our shop's engraving at all."
"What? The lenses were actually tampered with?"
Old Zhou, looking surprised, also came over to observe. After his appraisal, he glared angrily at the young man and said, "You dare to deceive us, you little brat. You've got the guts of a bear."
"Now that the evidence is conclusive, what else do you have to say? I think I don't need you to make the call; I'll personally call the Special Investigations Department to find out how you've been deceiving people."
With that, Old Zhou took out his phone to make a call.
The young man's eyes darted around, and sweat dripped from his forehead uncontrollably. He quickly shook his head and said, "No, don't call. I admit it. I did switch the antiques, and I switched the lenses too."
"But it was your shop manager who deliberately set me up. He told me to do it."
"You say who?"
As soon as his finger pointed at someone, Sales Manager Hao Jianhong walked forward with a stern expression, snorted coldly, and said, "You're lying here, and you want to frame me?"
"Elder Tang, Manager Zhou, tear this kid's mouth apart immediately and kick him out. This has nothing to do with me."
For a moment, Old Zhou and Tang Jingde were both filled with doubt.
Hao Jianhong had always behaved well in the shop and definitely didn't seem like someone who would do such a thing.
What was going on?
Lin Xiaotian showed a faint smile, as if he had seen through everything. He gradually walked up to the young man, grabbed his collar, and said, "Are you still not going to tell the truth? You say this manager told you to do it, so do you know his name?"
"Also, what benefits did he give you for doing such a risky thing for him?"
"This..."
The young man was momentarily speechless, rendered mute by Lin Xiaotian's questions.
Old Zhou now saw the cunning in his eyes and said sternly, "It seems you won't tell the truth unless I report this. I'm calling the highest investigative department now."
"No... I'll talk, I'll tell you everything."
The young man's eyes widened, and he said with a wry smile, "Actually, no one in your shop told me to do this. It was all my own initiative. I wanted to swindle you out of some money."
"As for the lens earlier, I found a discarded one in the trash outside. I specifically found someone to modify it so that it could recognize the engraving on my imitation antique and match yours."
"Then how did you know our shop's engraving pattern? Only people in our shop know that," Old Zhou continued to ask.
"I copied that pattern from the antique I bought. I know a master of imitation, and he helped me make it," the young man confessed.
Old Zhou was very puzzled. There were very few people in Songzhou City who could do this.
Even Tang Jingde didn't know of such a master in the city.
A few seconds later, Old Zhou asked curiously again, "What's his name? And what's your relationship with him?"
"I..."
The young man's eyes darted around, and he was unwilling to confess honestly.
Lin Xiaotian stepped forward with a smile, glanced at Old Zhou, and shook his head, saying, "Do you really believe what he says? If he knew such a person, he wouldn't be dressed like this. He would have gotten rich in the city already."
"Everything he said just now is a fabrication. The real truth is on him."
With that, Lin Xiaotian walked directly towards the young man.
The young man was extremely guilty, his eyes wide. He asked Lin Xiaotian in fear, "What do you want? I'm telling you, if you dare to touch me, I'll lie on the ground and extort you to death."
"Stop the nonsense. I want the evidence on you."
Lin Xiaotian walked up to him and unceremoniously tore open his shirt. A wireless receiver immediately fell out.
The young man's heart sank. Seeing Lin Xiaotian pick up the wireless receiver, he turned pale with fear and turned to run without a word.
Lin Xiaotian gave Old Zhou a look, and Old Zhou immediately ordered the security guards at the entrance to stop him.
As the young man reached the door, he was simultaneously grabbed by the shoulders by two security guards and pulled back forcefully.
"Let me go, let me go..."
The young man, unable to escape, could only beg Lin Xiaotian to let him go.
Lin Xiaotian held the wireless receiver, plugged the miniature earpiece into his ear, and pressed the voice recording button. It contained all the recorded conversations between the young man and the owner.