Part 1The Million-Dollar Fake

During my livestream today, a little girl connected with me to get an antique appraised.

Staring at the battered vase in her hands, I knew instantly it was junk, not even worth fifty bucks.

But when I clicked on her profile, I saw a wall covered in academic awards and a medical report for a serious heart condition.

I kept a straight face. "This vase is from the Qianlong period. I'll buy it for $15,000."

I thought I was doing a good deed. I never expected a woman claiming to be her mother to jump on the mic:

"Streamer, that's not right. A Qianlong vase is worth at least $150,000! You're a big-shot influencer; you can't bully poor people just because we don't have power or money!"

* * *

Faced with this mother's aggressive tone, I didn't have the heart to tell her the vase was obviously fake.

Because her daughter had heart disease, this money could be a lifesaver.

I've done this before—pretending a client's item is real to give them financial support.

So I smiled. "Ma'am, the market price for this vase is exactly what I offered. I can't go higher."

Unexpectedly, the woman, whose voice had been gentle a moment ago, suddenly turned harsh.

"Impossible! A Qianlong vase is worth at least $150,000!"

"If I had known, I wouldn't have let my daughter connect with you. You're just bullying her because she's young!"

"I'm telling you, I won't take a penny less than $150,000. You need to send the remaining $135,000 right now!"

"We're already struggling enough. Why do you have to kick us while we're down?"

A fan checked her profile and immediately commented:

[Oh my god, her daughter has such good grades. How did she get heart disease?]

[If she can really sell it for $150k, the little girl can definitely get treatment and maybe even go to a good college. Streamer, don't take this black money, okay?]

[You need a conscience in this business. What kind of person bullies the desperate?]

I kept my patience.

"Ma'am, not all Qianlong pieces are that valuable. Who told you it's worth a hundred fifty grand? Can I see proof?"

The next second, she slapped a certificate of authenticity onto the screen.

"Don't try to trick me! The seller gave me this certificate when I bought it! See for yourself!"

On the certificate, the minimum valuation was written in bold:

$150,000!