Huo Ersi's face was gloomy as he signaled to his bodyguards to ask all the guests to leave the hall. The few noblewomen left with red faces, abandoning Mina as they hurried away.
The spacious hall quieted down.
Mina's face was pale and she cried as she looked pleadingly at Huo Ersi, "Mr. Huo Ersi, I have appraised all these items personally, there is absolutely no way they could be fake."
"There must have been some accident during the transportation, this is definitely not an issue with my expertise."
She should have dealt with that Oriental woman differently if she had known how detestable Song Xuechun would be!
Song Xuechun held her phone quietly to the side, using the translation software. As soon as Mina finished speaking, the software translated her words.
She immediately glared at Mina, clenching her phone, "Ms. Mina, you are clearly making excuses!"
"That porcelain vase was set down by you just now. If there is no issue with your expertise as you claim, then how did you fail to discern it earlier?"
The translation software worked quickly to translate her words in real-time. Mina's face turned red then green as she was rendered speechless.
"Besides, if you hadn't stubbornly tried to embarrass my Dai'er, who would have poked their nose into this? These items belong to China in the first place!"
"A bunch of thieves still dare to call themselves professionals! Are you trying to make me laugh to death?!"
Song Xuechun flared up in anger, forgetting Rong Dai’s earlier advice to her.
Rong Dai resisted the urge to facepalm. She wasn't worried anyway since they wouldn't stay in France for long.
"Sorry, my friend is a little...excited. This is history, we have failed before, we have to admit that."
After letting Song Xuechun vent, Rong Dai smiled apologetically at Huo Ersi to apologize.
Huo Ersi did not actually mind any of this. As a businessman, he only cared about profits.
Song Xuechun belatedly realized she had been too impulsive, blushing in embarrassment as she looked uneasily at Rong Dai.
Rong Dai gave her a faint smile and shook her head to indicate she needn't worry about it.
Certain things did need to be pointed out after all.
"It's alright. Thank you Mrs. Huo for the professional assessment."
"Fortunately these collections haven't been opened to the public yet. Otherwise I would have become a real laughingstock."
Huo Ersi smiled mildly and shook his head, his icy gaze glancing over Mina.
"There are still many collections here. If Mrs. Huo doesn't mind, could you help assess them?"
Huo Ersi asked respectfully in Chinese with a thick accent.
Rong Dai shook her head gently, the faint smile still on her delicate face, "I'm afraid I'm not up to the task, Mr. Huo Ersi."
"What I said earlier was just some superficial knowledge from reading a lot. I'm no expert."
"I suggest Mr. Huo Ersi invite a professional expert to appraise instead. If I make a mistake like Ms. Mina did, it would be my fault."
She did know a fair bit about antique appreciation. But there was no need to overstep.
Although Huo Ersi was genuinely asking, he did not press her when she declined.
He then personally called to contact others after arranging for Rong Dai and Song Xuechun to rest in a lounge next door.
"Dai'er, since when did you get so knowledgeable about antique appraisal?"
Bored in the lounge, the ever-curious Song Xuechun started probing again. It was her defining trait.
"I read it in books, believe it?"
Rong Dai replied perfunctorily with a faint smile.
But Song Xuechun nodded without hesitation, looking at her with absolute trust, "I believe you!"
"I believe anything Dai'er says!"
Rong Dai didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but her heart also warmed.
"But this way we have offended Mina. Although her expertise seems lacking, Mr. Huo Ersi trusts her a lot."
"We didn't give them any face today, what if it impacts Mr. Huo Ersi's ability to help us?"
Song Xuechun started worrying anxiously again.
