Chapter 41: Fortune Antiques

I was momentarily stunned. What did a billion dollars even mean?

I couldn't even spend that much in a lifetime!

But Lorenzo wouldn't keep such a fortune; he'd donate it.

Lorenzo really thought so. After chatting with Brian for a bit, he put away the sheepskin calligraphy scroll. "I'll donate it to the museum; it's a national treasure."

I turned to the store owner, whose face was pale. "Let's not get into anything else. Just give us back our three hundred thousand dollars."

He had asked Brian to testify in front of so many people, so he couldn't back out now. He returned the three hundred thousand dollars to Lorenzo.

But I could see the reluctance and greed in his eyes.

With the excitement over, the crowd dispersed. It was only three in the afternoon, so the three of us kept strolling around.

We walked out of the art market alley, turned a corner, and entered a small street lined with two-story red buildings on both sides, mostly selling porcelain and ancient coins.

As we walked further, we saw a crowd in front of a shop not far away, seemingly holding some event.

Lorenzo had been to the cultural market many times before, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "That shop is Fortune Antiques."

Fortune Antiques?

I instantly thought of Gabriel.

The Majestic City Cultural Market, with nearly a century of history, steadily expanded to its current size. Fortune Antiques, enduring through the decades, was passed down to the present day, boasting a truly rich heritage. Last time at Ryan's house, although Gabriel didn't show he was upset, I did steal the spotlight from him.

Alicia loved the excitement and headed straight over when she saw the crowd.

As I followed, I asked Lorenzo, "Lorenzo, do you know the owner of Fortune Antiques?"

"No, I don't." Lorenzo's answer was a bit surprising. "In our circle, we hardly have any contact, and such family-run businesses usually don't participate in events even if invited."

"Who owns Fortune Antiques now?" I inquired.

"It's still Mr. Bruno Caldwell, who's probably pushing eighty. His son didn't take over the business; he passed all his skills to his eldest grandson, the Gabriel you met that day."

I remembered the three stones that day and asked, "Lorenzo, does Fortune Antiques have a lot of treasures?"

Lorenzo said evasively, "It's been passed down for hundreds of years, so there should be quite a few treasures." Then Lorenzo suddenly had a thought and turned to me. "Dennis, are you thinking of finding the Cancer Beneware here?"

I laughed. "I'd love to, but even if they have it, we wouldn't be able to find it."

As we chatted, we arrived at the entrance of Fortune Antiques.

To my surprise, the famous Fortune Antiques main store was just a quaint two-story building, with a storefront about the same size as Fiona's clinic. The whole place had a very "classical" vibe, and I could almost smell the mustiness of the old wood.

The store was packed, with two young guys at the entrance handing out flyers and explaining. "Hey folks, today at Fortune Antiques, we're throwing a customer appreciation event. Everyone who walks in gets a cool gift, and if you need advice or answers, you'll get a 50% discount."

Wasn't that fortune-telling!

Alicia, who had heard about my encounter with Gabriel, came over and tugged at my sleeve. "Hey, Dennis, let's go in and have him do a reading for us, okay?"

I was taken aback, knowing Alicia was just looking for fun. "A reading for what?"

Alicia fluttered her long eyelashes. "A reading to see if we have a romantic connection!"

Oh my!

I glanced at Lorenzo and almost choked.

Lorenzo looked at his daughter with exasperation and said angrily, "I've already done a reading for you two; you don't have a romantic connection and are even destined to clash, remaining single for life!"

Alicia stuck out her tongue. "Then how about a reading for our financial luck!"

Lorenzo stopped her. "Enough, stop fooling around. They are an antique shop, and they mainly appraise treasures."

With a firm voice, he said, "Let's go in and take a look."

The antique shop was entirely in a classical style, even the lights had an antique design. The first floor was a hall, with shelves arranged in the central area, and small compartments along the walls, likely for bargaining and transactions.

The second floor looked like a VIP area, with closed shelves, making it unclear what was inside.

In the approximately two thousand square foot hall, it was crowded, but most people were there for the promised small gifts and left after a quick look.

Ultimately, the antiques at Fortune Antiques were no ordinary treasures, commanding high prices. Those who didn't grasp their value deemed them expensive, while those who did wouldn't frequent such a place in search of treasures. It was my first time in such a place, and everything seemed new to me.

"Dennis?" While browsing, a familiar voice called out.