"Your analysis is correct. The vase is worth two million bucks if it is still in pristine condition." Darryl continued "However, you missed something, the time when the vase was broken."
Shawn's expression changed, but he did not say anything.
"Kid, you're acting like you know more than a museum employee."
"You looked like a security guard. Wait, you smell like you just came out of a washroom. Are you also a janitor?"
The crowd laughed; Darryl indeed smelled like he had urine on him.
There was one person who did not laugh; Dora stared at Darryl frozenly.
Darryl crouched and took a piece of the shattered vase. "Experts would know that the Yuan Dynasty's delftware was amde from a mixture of two ingredients - china stone and kaolinite. Therefore, when a delftware item broke, its yellowish base would get dark if it was exposed to air."
Darryl handed a piece of the porcelain to the middle-aged man. "The pieces in the luggage can prove that the vase was broken quite some time ago. Based on the dark base, I'd say that it broke decades ago, possibly when it was unearthed."
Darryl shifted his gaze to the con men. "These pieces are only worth eight or nine hundred bucks, at most. Your luggage bag was only filled with broken pieces. Are you not ashamed to con people with this tactic?"
The crowd grew silent in an instant!
Shawn's fingers trembled as he held the porcelain piece. As someone with 20 years of experience in the museum, he had always believed that he was the best in Donghai CIty! Not even Yvonne and Kingston Young could compare to him!
He was ashamed that a young lad in his 20s was more learned and knowledgeable than him!
Shawn's wife stared at Darryl with curiosity; his knowledge amazed her!
"My name's Shawn Larson. Young man, you are very wise. I am impressed!" Shawn walked toward Darryl in a daze and handed him a name card. "This is my card. Please contact me; perhaps we can have tea when you are free!"
The crowd was in shock!
"The luggage was filled with shards?"
"How immoral!"
Dora felt like she was in a dream.
She had fallen into despair, and she even racked her brain to think of ways to get two million bucks. However, the situation had reversed in the blink of an eye.
She looked at Darryl with gratitude.
The con men glanced at each other before they pointed at Darryl and said "Kid, are you saying that our vases is already broken before this incident? Who the hell are you? What do you know about antiques? Stop with your bullsh*t! It's either she pays, or you pay! Maybe you can pay for her if you want to be the hero!"
The fat man took out a switchblade from his pocket and flicked it open.
It seemed like that was not their first time; they must have been in a similar situation before that day.
They were confident that Darryl was just an insignificant security guard, so they were not worried at all.
The people were shocked when they saw the switchblade. No one dared to say anything or stand up for Dora.
Darryl laughed. "Fine, I can pay you, but give me a minute. let me call a friend to bring me the cash."
"That's more like it!" The con men glanced at each other again. 'That kid got scared the moment he saw the switchblade. What a coward!'
Darryl took out his phone and made a call.
Dora panicked and pulled on Darryl's sleeve. "No, please don't ask your friend to bring the cash. I got myself into trouble. I'll pay them back myself."
Dora could not think of a way to get that massive amount of money. However, she could not let a stranger pay two million bucks for her! Her mother taught her to take responsibility for her own mistakes, even though they were poor.
Darryl waved his hand, but he did not speak.
The call went through, and Darryl turned on the speakerphone.
"Hey, Younger Brother! What's up?" Megan Castello smiled and said on the other line.
She had called him her younger brother the moment she had nothing to ask from him. Her change of attitude was really incredible.
'Hmm?'
The con men's expression changed drastically.
"F*ck! That voice sounds familiar..." The fat man frowned.
The skinny man gulped and nodded before he said softly "Why does she sound like Sergeant Castello?"
The two of them were habitual offenders for highway robberies.
Megan had managed to catch them and subsequently sent them to prison multiple times.
They feared Megan more than any other policeman, so they fled like mice when they heard her voice over the phone.
