Chapter 2: The Appraisal

Words : 1849 Updated : Feb 18th, 2024

The beautiful woman enjoyed the cherries. With a radiant smile, she turned to Daven. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Chloe Yelenski." "Oh, I'm Daven Walker," he replied quickly, a bit shy. "Are you heading for a ride?" Chloe asked, her bright eyes studying him closely. Daven nodded. "Yeah, I'm going to see my girlfriend. She studies at Javadoria." "Is that so? I'm actually from Javadoria. Once we get there, I'll treat you to a meal," Chloe said with a warm smile that didn't feel like mere politeness. Daven quietly tested his X-ray vision during the conversation. He noticed that he activated his X-ray vision when he focused his vision on an object. It worked on objects and humans. He could even see through walls to view what lay beyond. However, there were limits. His X-ray vision only reached about thirty feet and could not travel further. "So, Ms. Yelenski, what is your career?" Daven asked as they grew more comfortable talking. "I deal in antiques. This trip is actually to acquire a particular piece," Chloe explained. "It's not exceptionally valuable, but it has some collector's worth." After that, she set her tea down, opened her luggage, and took out a long, rectangular wooden box. She opened it to reveal an ancient sword, about a foot long, with a rustic, tarnished look. "This is a bronze sword from the Ancient War Period. It's in pretty good shape and well-preserved," she said. Daven examined it closely, noticing a mesh-like pattern along the blade and carvings, giving it an ancient feel. As he observed, he sensed a faint, eerie aura from the sword that gave out silent, battle-worn aggression. He blinked, wondering what it could be. Chloe glanced at him, then carefully placed the box back into her luggage. "Our company is planning a swords exhibition, so I'm in a rush to collect some pieces." Daven was intrigued by antiques, and asked, "How much would an ancient sword be worth?" "About sixty thousand dollars," Chloe replied. "If it were a famous sword, it'd be worth even more." Daven's eyes widened in disbelief. A sixty-thousand sword could easily cover a decade of his salary since he barely made ten thousand dollars a year. "Ms. Yelenski, did you say this sword is from the Ancient War Period?" he asked. "Yes, that's right," Chloe confirmed. "So, is it tough to appraise antiques?" Daven asked curiously. Chloe chuckled softly. "Of course. Developing a good eye takes years of practice. I've been learning from my grandfather since I was a child. After ten years, I still wouldn't call myself an expert." Daven found himself increasingly interested in antiques. He took the opportunity to ask Chloe questions about the field. Recalling the peculiar aura from the sword earlier, he began to wonder if his special vision could somehow help him assess antiques as well. With that in mind, he suggested, "Chloe, there are a bunch of antique stalls near the station. Want to check them out?" Chloe's eyes lit up. "Really? I love exploring stalls like that. Lead the way!" Familiar with the area, Daven guided her to a small square in a nearby park. A group of vendors would sell various art pieces and antiques year-round. Chloe looked excited, browsing from stall to stall, inspecting every corner. Daven wandered over to one of the stalls, where the vendor had a collection of old coins spread out on a gray cloth. Some were clean, while others were corroded with a layer of copper rust. He inspected a few, but they all looked rather ordinary, with nothing particularly noteworthy. After a while, Chloe joined him, bending down and carefully sifting through the coins with a smile. "Daven, these coins are in decent condition, you might want to check them out too." Daven was more interested in their value. He asked, "Are old coins worth the money?" Chloe nodded. "Depends on the coin. Some rare ones can go for millions, while others might be worth less than ten dollars." Daven kept scanning the stalls, his gaze shifting through the rows of items until something caught his eye. It was a silver coin buried beneath dozens of others. While the other silver coins looked ordinary, that one gave off a faint glow, as if it bore the weight of a bygone era. He fished out the silver coin, examining it closely. The front was embossed with "$1" and some intricate engravings, while the back read "Nummian Empire Silver Coin, 1911." After inspecting both sides, he asked, "How much for this coin?" The vendor didn't even glance up, sensing Daven was an amateur. With a lazy drawl, he replied, "A hundred dollars." "Can you go any lower?" Daven asked hopefully. The vendor rolled his eyes and replied, "Nope!" With a sigh, Daven reluctantly handed over the hundred dollars. The vendor smirked slightly. Most of his silver coins were high-quality replicas, with production costs under ten dollars each. Selling one for a hundred was a solid profit. As the vendor received the money, he added, "Once you pay, no returns." Daven chuckled. "No problem. I won't be returning it." He kept the coin. Seeing Chloe browsing nearby, he suggested, "Let's check out some other stalls." Chloe agreed, and they moved on. After a couple of stalls, Daven handed her the silver coin, looking expectant. "Chloe, do you think this one's valuable?" She gave him a slight smile. "Don't get your hopes up. It's not easy to stumble upon a treasure as a beginner." Taking the coin, she glanced at it. "If this silver coin from the 1910s is authentic, it could be worth something..." Her eyes widened as she examined it more closely under the sunlight. She studied both sides meticulously for nearly a full minute. Finally, she drew a sharp breath, staring at Daven in disbelief. "You're an expert. Why did you pretend you didn't know?" Daven shook his head quickly. "An expert? Hardly! I just felt there was something unique about it, that's all." Chloe's eyes sparkled with admiration. "If you're not an expert, then you're extremely lucky. From what I can tell, the coin looks genuine, easily worth at least two hundred thousand dollars." Daven's eyes widened in shock. "Two hundred thousand dollars?!" Chloe quickly shushed him, giving him a stern look. "Why are you shouting?" His heart racing, Daven whispered, "Two hundred thousand dollars! Of course, I'm gonna shout!" Handing the coin back, Chloe added, "Don't get too excited. That's just my initial assessment. When we get to Javadoria, I'll have my grandfather take a look at it." Daven nodded vigorously. "Yes, please! Get him to assess it." Elated by his unexpected find, Daven continued browsing other stalls, though nothing else sparked his interest. Chloe, meanwhile, seemed to view him in a new light. She even insisted he cancel his original train ticket so she could upgrade them both to business class. After collecting their tickets and passing through security, they arrived at the spacious business class section. Unlike other sections, the section had only four seats. Daven would never have splurged on by himself. The ticket to Javadoria was 200 dollars for business class. He would never paid that price if not for Chloe's insistence. The journey took two hours. While Chloe was engrossed in studying the coin, Daven secretly used his X-ray vision to watch her. When the train arrived, they exchanged numbers and said their goodbyes. After parting ways, Daven kept trying out his X-ray vision. But he soon discovered a major drawback. Using it too much would drain his energy, leaving him dizzy and fatigued. "Guess I can't just use this power whenever I want," he muttered. "And more importantly, I have to keep it a secret."

Chapter 2: The Appraisal

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