Chapter 403

Chapter 403 - Lee Zhanmu

As anticipation filled the air, a series of footsteps approached the doorway. A young man, dressed sharply in a suit and tie with leather shoes and a watch, strode in with confidence, his head held high. His hair was slicked back, and upon his entrance, he greeted everyone in fluent English, leaving the room in a state of shock.

Who was this stranger?

Why had the elder invited a foreigner to his birthday celebration?

They weren't aware of any foreign relatives in the old man's family.

And what was with his flashy attire?

It was a good thing the lights were off; otherwise, his outfit would have been blindingly bright, making it difficult for them to even keep their eyes open.

If he had come to boast, he was sorely mistaken.

It was akin to a beggar finding a dollar and claiming wealth at a bank.

The room buzzed with confusion and murmurs.

Xiao Ke'er's brow furrowed in slight annoyance at the sight of him, her face etched with distaste. “Why are you here?” she asked, her tone edged.

”I heard your grandfather is celebrating his birthday today, so I decided to come and pay my respects,” he replied, standing tall with his hands clasped behind his back. Despite being a foreigner, his Mandarin was impressively good.

He seemed to think he was the epitome of cool, drawing all eyes to him as soon as he made his entrance.

“Who is he?” the old man asked, his brow creased with curiosity.

With a hint of resignation, Xiao Ke'er explained, “Grandpa, he's a colleague of mine.”

Recently, Xiao Ke'er's employer had brought in a consultant from overseas. The consultant was of mixed heritage, with a name too long for Xiao Ke'er to remember, but he went by the Chinese name Lee Zhanmu. His good looks and wealth had made him quite popular among the young ladies at the company.

However, he had set his sights on Xiao Ke'er, persistently pursuing her despite her lack of interest.

Xiao Ke'er had taken leave to escape Lee Zhanmu's advances, never imagining he would boldly show up at her family's doorstep.

The old man nodded in understanding. “Ah, so you're Kemeng's friend. Please, come in and sit down.”

“Thank you, sir,” Lee Zhanmu responded, nodding in return.

With the eyes of the room upon him, he entered with an air of superiority, convinced he was the most impressive person there.

As Lee Zhanmu was basking in his own glory, the elder's attention shifted to Su Ming. “Mr. Su, please take a seat,” he said.

At the mention of this title, Lee Zhanmu's brow furrowed slightly, and he turned his attention to Su Ming.

Who was this man?

Why did the elder refer to him as Mr. Su?

Was he trying to usurp the spotlight from him today?

The bracelet was indeed meant to be a jade piece, but it was clearly made from counterfeit jade.

The market had seen the rise of a new forgery technique.

Unscrupulous merchants would grind jade into powder, mix it with a special adhesive, and pour it into a mold.

Once the adhesive set, it formed what appeared to be a solid piece of jade.

This kind of fake jade could fool only the uninitiated.

Anyone with a modicum of experience could spot the fake immediately.

Even an average person, with a bit of online research on how to identify genuine versus counterfeit jade, could easily recognize the sham.

After all, buyers are always cautious when purchasing jade, wary of being duped.

Lee Zhanmu, however, didn't know how to tell the difference.

When he saw the bracelet's excellent color and purity, he assumed it was highly valuable.

Thus, he promptly spent five million yuan on the bracelet, intending to flaunt his financial clout.

He believed that the jade bracelet, which cost him five million yuan, would surely impress many.

Ultimately, everyone was indeed impressed.

But the reason for their astonishment was quite different.

Lee Zhanmu thought it was his wealth and aesthetic discernment that had wowed the crowd. In reality, they were astounded by his foolishness.

When Lee Zhanmu caught the shocked expressions on the faces of those around him, he couldn't help but let a smug smile spread across his own.

Old Master Xiao, upon glancing at the jade bracelet, involuntarily twitched at the corner of his mouth.

He exchanged a look with Old Master Tang, both uncertain of how to proceed.

Informing Lee Zhanmu that the bracelet was a counterfeit would come across as impolite. Yet, saying nothing left them feeling uncomfortable.

It was at this juncture that Su Ming chimed in, “What a fantastic gift. You're incredibly generous—a true hallmark of the wealthy!”

Lee Zhanmu, basking in Su Ming's compliment, felt his vanity swell.

He believed he had triumphed over Su Ming through his financial prowess.

He thought Su Ming had started to butter him up.

But the onlookers nearly burst into laughter at his display.

They were connoisseurs in distinguishing genuine jade from the counterfeit and could easily spot the fake in the bracelet.

They were well aware that Su Ming's comments were a sly dig at Lee Zhanmu's foolishness.