After Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez finished speaking, everyone immediately exclaimed.
"Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez, is it an antique?" Mr. Kurt Thompson expressed doubt.
"Kurt, you know me well, have I ever made a mistake?" Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez stood tall and looked at Mr. Kurt Thompson, replying.
Mr. Kurt Thompson raised an eyebrow, showing disbelief.
"This is truly a priceless treasure!" Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez exclaimed.
Many people started to nod and whisper among themselves. Many people showed skepticism and didn't believe this was true.
"Could Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez be mistaken? How can Andrew's old bowl turn out to be an antique?" Mike expressed doubt.
Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez glared at Mike, saying, "You can disrespect him, but you can't doubt my professionalism!"
Mike immediately felt ashamed and remained silent.
"My bowl is indeed an antique, but the piece of magatama you gave to your grandfather is not an antique, it's just an ordinary gem," I said coldly to Mike.
"Nonsense!" Mike's face changed.
"I'll prove it to you!"
After saying that, I walked up to Mr. Kurt Thompson, saying, "Grandpa, let me borrow your magatama for a moment!"
I did not care whether Mr. Kurt Thompson agreed or not and directly took the gem.
I placed the gem in front of my mouth, then breathed on it, and sniffed it a few times.
"Just now, you said this is a magatama from hundreds of years ago, but it doesn't have the distinct smell of long-term preservation. If this gem is several hundred years old, why doesn't it have any scent?"
Mike's expression changed, and then he glanced at Ellie.
Ellie's face also turned pale.
Mr. Kurt Thompson frowned, feeling somewhat unhappy inside.
Meanwhile, Emma and Mrs. Brebeca were eagerly awaiting the entertainment.
"Furthermore, if it is a genuine antique, the surface of the gem should be weathered and corroded. But the gem in my hand is smooth. How could it be an ancient artifact? Moreover, the color intensity of the gem in my hand lacks the contrast of a genuine antique. It can only be considered an average-grade imitation. It lacks sophistication," I explained.
"You... You're talking nonsense!" Mike immediately retorted.
"You're just a poor country bumpkin who married into the Thompson family. What do you know about antiques?!"
"If you don't believe me, you can find an expert for appraisal!" I shrugged.
"Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez, you are a professional antique appraiser. Please tell them whether this magatama gem is genuine or not," I said, handing the gem to Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez.
Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez examined the gem and then frowned.
"Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez, tell everyone that my gem is genuinely an ancient artifact!" Mike angrily demanded.
"Well..." Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez hesitated, briefly glancing at Mr. Kurt Thompson.
After seeing Mr. Kurt Thompson's displeased expression, he immediately concealed the truth.
He knew that if he declared Mike's magatama as an imitation, it would not only embarrass Mike's family but also cause Mr. Kurt Thompson to lose face.
"I need to observe this magatama more carefully to determine whether it is a genuine antique or not. I think I should use professional appraisal tools to distinguish its authenticity," Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez vaguely replied.
Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez did not want to embarrass Mike, so he gave a perfunctory response.
However, a few astute guests realized that Mr. Cuthbert Rodriguez was just buying time and not genuinely uncertain.
As a professional appraiser, he didn't need any tools to determine whether the gem was an antique or not.
"Alright, let's not discuss the gifts anymore. Whatever gift you all have given me, it's the best thing to me!" Mr. Kurt Thompson spoke up.
As I listened to Mr. Kurt Thompson's words, I smirked mockingly.
I knew Mr. Kurt Thompson was biased toward Mike.
I returned to my seat and placed the blue-glazed Sangkhalok bowl back into the box. The entire family of Mike intended to take advantage of the opportunity to humiliate me and make the entire family of Emma feel ashamed, but in the end, they became the ones who had to feel ashamed due to their deceitful actions.
Perhaps they never even dreamed that the bowl I possessed was an authentic antique. Emma, Mrs. Brebeca, and Mr. Axel also were not pleased that I had an antique.
Their gaze towards me was filled with doubt.
They couldn't understand why I possessed such a valuable antique bowl.
"Andrew, show me your antique bowl," suddenly said Mr. Kurt Thompson, laughing at me.
Anyone with a clear mind could understand that Mr. Kurt Thompson wanted to take possession of my antique bowl.
"Grandpa, didn't you just say that my bowl is trash? If it's trash, then you don't need to look at it or touch it, to keep your hands and eyes clean," I sarcastically replied to Mr. Kurt Thompson.
Mr. Kurt Thompson frowned, his veins pulsating on his forehead.
Others were taken aback, not expecting me to speak to Mr. Kurt Thompson in such a manner.
I approached to congratulate Mr. Kurt Thompson on his birthday, but he treated me just like any other member of the Thompson family, considering my gift to be worthless trash.