The car gradually came to a stop.

Nonetheless, Albert couldn't hold himself back and persuaded Matthew again, "Mr. Larson, Old Master Bane really doesn't care about such formalities. Your presence alone is enough."

Matthew merely turned his head and intoned seriously, "It's impolite of me to go empty-handed since this is my first visit. Albert, do you mind waiting for me out here for a while? I promise to make this quick." As he spoke, he had already gotten out of the car.

Albert could only smile wryly and shake his head when he saw that his persuasion had fallen on deaf ears.

Generally speaking, elders naturally preferred collecting items such as antiques and artifacts.

For that reason, Matthew stopped by the antiquities piazza in order to get Old Mr. Bane a gift.

Still, Matthew chose to shop at The Whimsical Antiquities Emporium due to time constraints, as it is the largest antique store in the entire antiquities piazza.

The store's design adopted a railing-style archaic framework, and the materials used for its construction were entirely made of wood.

Although it was lofty, the entire store only had three floors.

Under the cornices of the front entrance stood 12 straight pillars made of golden Phoebe wood.

A signboard with gold-inlaid characters of the store's name, The Whimsical Antiquities Emporium, was hanging high above the main entrance.

The store's interior was luxuriously decorated, exuding a resplendent atmosphere, especially under the gigantic, dazzling crystal chandeliers.

Various antiques and artifacts were placed in an orderly yet artistic manner in the spacious lobby.

As soon as Matthew entered the store, the manager, who was not far away, came over to greet him, "Hello, sir. Welcome to The Whimsical Antiquities Emporium. I'm Mr. Wadley, the manager of the store. How may I help you, sir? Is there anything you're looking for? I can show you."

Since Matthew didn't have a specific antique in mind, he replied casually, "Well, I'll take a look around first."

"Of course, sir. Right this way, please."

With that, Mr. Wadley immediately led Matthew to the third floor.

This floor was considered to be the floor displaying items of the highest grade in The Whimsical Antiquities Emporium. The lowest selling price of all the antiques on this floor was above 15 thousand. Years of engaging in this industry have enabled me to master reading people perfectly. I know that this young man isn't the kind of person who is strapped for cash with just a glance. Besides, youngsters nowadays won't think of shopping at a place like this unless they are getting their elders a gift.

He immediately devised a promotion plan when he arrived on that train of thought.

"Sir, this purple clay teapot set is our store's finest quality set of teapots, and it's not expensive either. It's only 50 thousand."

"

As he spoke, Mr. Wadley wore white silk gloves before picking up the whole set of purple clay teapots next to him.

However, Matthew dismissed his purchase desire after simply casting a glance at the teapot set. This is too new. For an elder such as Old Master Bane, the aspect he values in personal items such as purple clay teapots and jade pendants isn't only about the price or the quality. Instead, it's more about the years of companionship it had with its previous owner. Take the antique walnut for an example. It may be worthless to others, but it's a priceless treasure for the elders who have been using it for decades.

Even though the store was spacious and had several items on display, there were pitifully few items that truly caught Matthew's eye.

Matthew concluded his gift-buying mission to be accomplished after he picked a pair of gilt celadon vases and a set of pens and inks.

Nonetheless, just when he was about to go downstairs, he caught a glimpse of a painting on the wall out of the corner of his eye. When he caught sight of it, he immediately stopped in his tracks.

"Is this for sale?" Matthew asked while gesturing at the painting.

Next to him, Mr. Wadley's eyes instantly lit up before he swiftly concealed his excitement.

"Uh... This painting is a part of our store's decoration. It's not for sale."

But, after a brief hesitation, he continued cautiously, "But sir... If you're truly interested in this item, we can bear the pain and part with it. After all, we strive to ensure our customers' maximum satisfaction with each purchase!"

Mr. Wadley vividly expressed the look of reluctantly parting with the item he cherished.

Of course, the not-for-sale sign hanging in the corner of the painting also verified the truth in Mr. Wadley's statement earlier.

After all, Mr. Wadley was the one who personally bought this painting known as Two Swallows in a Spring Pond. Although it was a counterfeit that he bought for 80 dollars at a roadside stand, its fidelity was truly impressive.

Mr. Wadley had identified Matthew as someone he could scam easily from the moment Matthew inquired about the painting.

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