Chapter 38: The Infatuated Fool

In the car, Arthur Vane gave Seren Thorne a brief rundown of the "wealthy mark" they were going to see today.

"The man we’re meeting today is named Danton Yang, the owner of an auction house. This man is a notorious profiteer in our circle, frequently selling counterfeits; many people have fallen for his tricks.

"His reputation in the upper social circles of City A is absolute garbage, but because his wife is the CEO of a major corporation, many people try to flatter her through him. Usually, when people buy fakes from him, they just have to suffer in silence.

"A few years ago, when I first started getting into antiques, I bought a fake vase at his auction house. When I found out it was a counterfeit and wanted a refund, Danton refused to admit it. He even turned around and accused me of forging a fake to extort him.

"Eventually, I took him to court. The legal battle lasted for over six months before I finally managed to get my money back."

Mentioning this, Arthur still gritted his teeth in anger. That vase was only worth a few million—not a large sum for the Vane family. He wasn't angry about the potential loss of money, but about the fact that he had been swindled in the first place.

Seren listened quietly as Arthur spoke. Soon, the car pulled into an antique street.

Arthur continued, "In Danton’s household, his wife is the breadwinner. He usually runs businesses as a hobby. Aside from a low-income auction house, he owns several antique shops. When he’s free, he basically spends all his time here."

The roads in the antique street were narrow and inconvenient for cars. The vehicle stopped at the entrance, and Seren and Arthur got out to walk the rest of the way. Danton’s antique shop was only a dozen meters from the street entrance; the pair reached it in less than a minute.

It was nine in the morning. Many shops in the area were just opening, and staff were still busy organizing and cleaning.

When Seren and Arthur entered, Danton Yang was sitting in a lounge chair swinging his legs, chatting with a male employee with a beaming smile.

Seeing Danton’s face, which was heavy with rolls of fat, Seren was quite surprised. Hearing Arthur describe him as a man living off his wife, she had expected a handsome "pretty boy." She hadn't expected a middle-aged uncle with a beer belly. Judging by his looks, he probably wasn't particularly handsome even in his youth—at best, he was average.

Noticing the two people entering, Danton was momentarily stunned. He clearly hadn't expected Arthur Vane, with whom he had clashed before, to appear here. However, he quickly composed himself. A smile spread across his round, plump face as he stood up to greet them.

"Old Mr. Vane! What brings you to my shop today? Is there something I can help you with?"

Danton’s smile was simple and honest; on the surface, he looked like a kind, reliable man. But Arthur had dealt with him countless times during the lawsuit and knew full well that this man was a hypocrite and a true scoundrel.

Regardless of the man’s character, since he was greeting them with a smile, Arthur had to give him face. After all, he was here to trick him out of money today. If he kept a sour face, the money would be hard to earn.

He returned a fake smile and said, "I heard you recently started a stone gambling business. I’ve never played with those before, so I came over to broaden my horizons."

If he told the man outright that he brought his granddaughter-in-law to read his fortune, Danton might just kick them out. Arthur found an entry point first, intending to mention the matter casually once they were inside.

Danton didn't believe for a second that Arthur was actually there to look at stones. They had fallen out so spectacularly before that their relationship was effectively dead. The old man hadn't contacted him in years; showing up today definitely meant he had another agenda—likely trying to set a trap for him.

But Danton wasn't afraid. After all, he was always the one swindling others; no one had ever successfully extorted him. He had actually won that vase lawsuit initially. If Alaric Vane hadn't personally intervened, there was no way he would have returned those millions to Arthur.

Keeping his thoughts hidden, he smiled. "Old Mr. Vane, you certainly are well-informed. I have indeed started a stone gambling business recently.

"My stock just arrived not long ago. Would you like to go have a look now?"

Since the old man delivered himself to his doorstep, Danton intended to fleece him thoroughly.

Arthur nodded. "Lead the way."

As Danton calculated how to overcharge Arthur, several people entered the shop. Leading them was a young man in his early twenties with a handsome, sharp face and spirited eyes. He called out as he entered, "Dad, I brought two friends over to see the stones. Help me entertain them."

Seren turned her head at the sound and saw that alongside Danton’s son, Hunter Yang, stood the two Ruan siblings.

Mabel Ruan hadn't expected to run into Seren here either. Remembering the humiliation in Alaric’s office yesterday, a surge of anger rose in her heart. This bitch really was everywhere—she even ran into her while out shopping.

Mabel wanted to tear Seren to pieces in her heart, but since Seren still held leverage over her, she had to maintain a polite facade. She forced a smile and called out, "Sister, what a coincidence! Are you here for the stone gambling too?"

"Don't try to claim a relationship," Seren said slowly, her tone laced with indifference. "You and I share no blood."

Mabel bit her lip, looking aggrieved yet sensible. "I’m sorry, I overstepped. A child from a poor family like me isn't worthy of calling you sister."

Seren arched an eyebrow.

{Isn't that Ethan Hart's line? Did Mabel go to that male 'Green Tea' to get some tips? Or do all 'Green Teas' just taste the same?}

"Seren Thorne, speak to Mabel with some respect!" Just as Seren was thinking, a man's voice, stern and tinged with anger, rang out.

Seren shifted her gaze and saw Silas Ruan, the eldest of the Ruan family, standing next to Mabel.

{Tsk. These three Ruan brothers really are all idiots. Yesterday, after Xander Ruan learned of Mabel's behavior, he went back and told the other two brothers what she had done at Huaifeng Group. In the end, the eldest and second brothers didn't believe him at all.}

{The eldest is the weirdest of them all. Even with the evidence of his younger sister’s forged degree right in front of him, he still believes Mabel is a pure, kind, and beautiful girl. After she said she’d accept his marriage proposal, he immediately went back to being a devoted follower. He even brought her here to gamble on stones today, wanting to pick a piece of top-quality jade to make jewelry for her.}

{Speaking of which, this fool is quite infatuated; he’s waited for Mabel until he was thirty. Unfortunately, while he wants her heart, she wants a promotion, wealth, and a dead husband.}

{Once they get married, Mabel plans to take the entire Ruan family on a trip and arrange for them to encounter a disaster at sea. Once the entire Ruan line is dead and she’s the sole survivor, she can naturally inherit all their family property.}