"Fake?"
Lin Xiao smiled and said, "I think it's real."
The vendor: "..."
This young man, though handsome, clearly wasn't very bright.
He shook his head and didn't bother to say more.
Having been in the stall business for so many years, the vendor had seen plenty of people like Lin Xiao.
They thought they were picking up a good deal but were simply walking into someone else's trap.
What was worse was that they were incredibly confident and wouldn't listen to anyone.
Just wait, this young man would definitely go to a nearby shop for an appraisal, and that's when he would find out if it was fake.
Sure enough, Lin Xiao took out his phone and made a call.
"Boss Xu, do you want a Yuan Shikai silver dollar?"
"Want it? Alright, I'll come over."
After hanging up, Lin Xiao made his way toward Baibao Pavilion.
Several vendors nearby shook their heads.
"This kid really thinks he's picking up a good deal?"
"Can't even see a clear setup like this, and he wants to pick up good deals?"
The vendors looked at Lin Xiao's back with the kind of pity one reserves for someone who clearly doesn't know any better.
Lin Xiao's reaction was all too predictable.
Thinking he'd picked up a genuine Yuan Shikai coin, he was eager to get it appraised.
When he was told it was fake, he'd probably be dumbfounded.
35,000 Yuan!
Each vendor felt like they'd missed a chance to strike it rich.
...
"Boss Lin, are you serious?"
"Are these Yuan Shikai coins really all real?"
"Wasn't that a setup just now?"
The viewers, eager for answers, bombarded Lin Xiao with questions.
Lin Xiao casually picked up one coin and said, "Tianjin Mint trial strike coin, Year 3 of the Republic of China. I have some knowledge about coins, so I don't think I'm mistaken."
He was being modest.
"So, it's real?"
"I'm just curious, how much is this one worth?"
"The seller didn't give it away cheaply, asking 5,000 Yuan. Even if it's real, it probably won't sell for much."
Lin Xiao chuckled, "Don't rush. You'll find out once we get there."
A few minutes later, he walked into Baibao Pavilion.
After receiving the call, Xu Rushan had been waiting in the store. He knew a bit about Yuan Shikai coins.
He could usually tell whether they were real or fake just by holding them, based on the feel and details. He was curious, though—where did Lin Xiao get these?
It hadn't been long since Lin Xiao left; it hadn't even been half an hour.
"Boss Xu."
Lin Xiao walked in, not bothering with pleasantries. He took a seat, laid down seven Yuan Shikai coins, and said, "I'll let you appraise these."
"I'll take a look." Xu Rushan sat down, picked up a coin, and began to examine it.
Lin Xiao looked around and asked, "Has Boss Feng gone?"
"He's gone." Xu Rushan responded without looking up, holding the coin in his hand, flipping it over and over, then putting on his glasses to examine it more closely.
After just a glance, he felt a sharp sense of unease.
As someone who had worked with antiques for many years, he could tell whether something was real or fake right away.
This coin was most likely real.
After about three minutes, Xu Rushan set it aside and picked up the second coin.
He repeated the process, examining each coin for about three minutes.
He could have been faster, but he preferred to check every detail carefully to be sure.
About twenty minutes later, Lin Xiao had already drunk several cups of tea. Finally, Xu Rushan finished examining the last coin.
Lin Xiao asked, calm and unhurried, "What do you think?"
The viewers were on the edge of their seats, eagerly waiting for an answer.
Xu Rushan took off his glasses and nodded. "Genuine."
"Damn!"
"It really is real!"
"Boss Lin's eye for these things is incredible!"
"Is this the legendary expert at picking up good deals?"
"If Boss Lin had been born a few decades earlier, he probably could have collected a few courtyards in Beijing just from picking up good deals!"
Xu Rushan's confirmation only made the viewers admire Lin Xiao even more.
The antique market today was nothing like it used to be. Back in the day, there were plenty of real items.
Even real antiques back then weren't necessarily very valuable.
But today, the market had changed.
Especially with modern coins, there were so many fakes that even museum professionals would get fooled.
Finding a real coin among so many fakes was almost as difficult as climbing to the sky.
Yet Lin Xiao, in one morning, had already picked up two genuine items!
Lin Xiao nodded. Boss Xu really knew his stuff.
If Boss Xu couldn't even tell the difference between real and fake, Lin Xiao would have to consider finding another place to offload his finds next time.