The police officer said that and left with the crystal.
The woman's face flashed with a smug look; the so-called appraisal was nothing more than a formality.
"Look here, lad, paying US$ 5,000 now is still an option for you, and you'd be wise to take it—it's not too late. Once the appraisal results come back, it won't be as simple as just that sum anymore."
Shen Congwen watched the woman's arrogant demeanor, and a flicker of doubt crossed his mind.
Surely the crystal must be fake, wouldn't a gang of scammers roam about with a real crystal?
Then he thought further and his heart sank.
He figured that these scammers might indeed use a real crystal for their cons, after all, that real one could be dropped time and again without consequence—regardless of how many times, since the money for the crystal would have been swindled in one go.
A sudden uneasy premonition arose in Shen Congwen's heart, and he whispered to Chu Ge, "Maybe that crystal is real."
