As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 93

The program’s opening remarks were brief. After thanking the few sponsors and the museum providing the venue, it quickly got down to business.

People brought various odd items for the appraisers to examine and identify.

Most were inexpensive trinkets, though some were antiques with cultural heritage and collection value.

The appraisers spoke with professional calm, and those seeking appraisals mostly tried to remain composed.

However, some situations seemed a bit performative.

For instance, an elderly man who had bought an antique for two hundred dollars in the 1970s was told its estimated value was around six hundred thousand dollars.

Despite the thousand-fold difference between cost and profit, the old man appeared rather stoic.

Many viewers were accustomed to this sort of thing.

TV shows always need some entertainment value and gimmicks; who can really tell what’s real and what’s not?

Many younger viewers had already started reaching for their remotes to change the channel.

Just then, the scene shifted to a young Asian man.

Seeing this, those who had seen the previews perked up.

This was it!
That sharp-tongued young antique shop owner!

The young man carried himself differently from the other appraisers, with a relaxed, leisurely air.

But his leisure was short-lived. Soon, his first client approached.

The man was well-dressed, exuding the confidence of someone successful.

After taking the item from his box, the man gave an introduction.

The young man seemed intrigued by his words, even sitting up a little straighter.

The result, however, was astonishing. The item the man brought turned out to be a mere promotional gift from a foreign instant noodle company.

The stark contrast embarrassed the man so much that he fled in a hurry.

The young man casually waved from behind, reminding him that he had forgotten to take his porcelain plate.

This scene made many viewers burst out laughing.

Especially the older men gathered around their TVs, who laughed heartily.

“Damn, that looked like a scene from an old movie where they wave handkerchiefs goodbye.”

“You can tell he was deliberately drawing out his words.”

“A promotional gift from an instant noodle company? I can’t believe he came up with that.”

“Should’ve learned Chinese before getting into the Chinese antique business… Hahaha!”

Some of those who were about to change the channel put down their remotes.

At that moment, many viewers’ focus shifted from the clients to the appraiser himself.

They wanted to see what else this antique shop owner would do.

He did not disappoint. The next person to appear was even more of a spectacle.

The level of abstraction displayed by the antique appraiser completely redefined many people’s perceptions of this type of program.

The heated argument was so intense, one might have thought they were watching a paternity reveal show.

The fact that the old man ended up so angry he fainted and had to be sent to the hospital further shocked the audience.

An ambulance was called; it clearly wasn’t an act.

This young man nearly talked someone to death.

He’s ruthless.

…

In her apartment, Scarlett, watching this scene, was reminded of her first meeting with Su Fan.

‘New. Brand new. Undeniably new.’

The familiar, soul-crushing trio of phrases caused Scarlett’s red lips to curve into a smile.

Somehow, when she recalled her entire struggle against the Grim Reaper now,

although it still felt thrilling, there was also a sense of nostalgia.

What was she nostalgic for?

She already had the answer in her heart.

…

“That old man was so arrogant, talking about parents and all. No wonder Su didn’t give him any face.”

Annie had now come out of the dressing room. Watching the video of the old man being loaded into the ambulance, she looked thoroughly pleased.

“Serves him right for trying to make Su lose face.”

Rachel looked at Annie, hesitating to speak.

You and he aren’t even an item yet, and you’re already so naturally seeing things from his perspective.

Have you already cast yourself as the official girlfriend?
Get a grip!
…

Meanwhile, on the other side, the show’s producer, learning about the rising ratings, was absolutely ecstatic.

Most people don’t really understand that much about antique culture.

They just understand whether something is valuable or not; they just want to see stories about unexpected windfalls and lucky finds.

But Su Fan’s appearance had created a new niche for this type of antique appraisal show.

That young man was simply a godsend for their program.

Those two segments were aired completely unedited, in their original flavor.

How often does the average person encounter such bizarre clients?

But Su Fan ran into two in just one appearance. He was a natural born reality TV star, bringing his own entertainment value!

…

Su Fan himself, having watched this far, turned off the TV.

Well.
It seemed he was really about to become famous.

He just couldn’t tell if it would be glowing fame or notorious infamy.

He knew from his past life that traffic could be both good and bad.

Right now, he both wanted his antique business to thrive and worried that he might end up like that old fish seller from Singapore in his previous life, driven to frustration by the stream of visitors just there for the laughs.

“Maybe I should hire someone to mind the shop…”

Su Fan couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

When he went out, someone could keep the shop running normally.

They could handle the accounts and deal with… certain difficult customers.

He would also have more time to study Taoist texts and improve his own cultivation.

Not bad.

The more Su Fan thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He immediately started drafting a job posting in his mind.

But as it turned out, wanting to hire someone now was a little too late.

Early the next morning, Su Fan was shocked as soon as he opened the shop door.

There was already a queue forming outside his antique shop!

It wasn’t quite the scene of a new iPhone launch, but it was rare to hear of any antique shop attracting customers who lined up first thing in the morning.

Su Fan knew his busy day had officially begun.

These customers had all come because of his newfound fame. A significant portion just browsed around the shop briefly before leaving.

But more of them were there to ask Su Fan to appraise their items.

Sticking to his service principles, he gave his assessment for most of the items.

While waiting in line, some customers also took a liking to items in the shop.
By the end of the day, Su Fan had actually made a decent amount of money.

“My lips are practically worn out,” Su Fan thought, taking a sip of tea and sighing inwardly.

This luxurious problem had actually landed on his doorstep. A few months ago, it would have been unimaginable.

No wonder those top streamers in my previous life made a fortune from selling products through live streams.

The profits from converting traffic and fame into income could almost be described as astronomical.

And to achieve this result, all Su Fan had done was appear on one TV program.

When money comes too easily, you lose perspective on how hard it can be to earn.

Leading to the birth of famous quotes like, “Have you ever reflected on whether you worked hard enough?”