133: Chapter 134 Poaching
The blond man offered an olive branch to Yun Yan in a patronizing tone.
"Your money can't even afford a single pair of my artist's shoes."
An Xin's shoes were custom-made by a high-end Designer. From a cobbler with a century-old heritage, a single custom pair started at 300,000.
The handmade leather shoes on An Xin's feet had cost 670,000 to have custom-made by a master at Heavenly Craft.
Teacher Xie's shoes from Heavenly Craft had always been a subject of study for major shoe merchants.
He was older now and rarely accepted orders.
Things are valuable because they are rare; the more expensive something is, the fewer people there are who truly know their worth.
As someone who could obtain a Class A invitation, the blond man had enough discernment from his time in the fashion circle.
He recognized the shoes as being in Teacher Xie's signature style, but he didn't consider them high-end custom work at all, viewing them instead as high-quality knock-offs.
Teacher Xie had announced his retirement three years ago and was no longer taking orders.
Shoes this new couldn't possibly be genuine.
Even for shoes mimicking Teacher Xie's style, the most expensive branded pair would only cost ten thousand dollars.
The things this Chinese woman said were truly laughable.
"How expensive can a generic shoe imitating Teacher Xie's style be? Women are just short-sighted; you don't even have the most basic ability to discern quality. Trying to act tough in front of me—aren't you afraid of embarrassing your artist? Oh, I forgot, the status of your artist is already embarrassing enough."
An Xin's unremarkable facial features left no impression, and the angles of his nose looked fake.
"The one without discernment is you, right? These shoes are genuine. If you can't buy them, it just means you don't have the status, not that the shoes have been discontinued."
An Xin's plain face didn't look like someone with any background or status.
The blond man sneered.
"I bet your shoes are fake. If they are genuine, I'll give you one million."
There was no reason to refuse free money.
"I'll take that bet, just don't regret it."
An Xin's expression was full of confidence.
"I don't want money. If your shoes are fake, let this woman be my maid for three years."
The blond man had taken a liking to Yun Yan's figure.
He had seen Chinese women before, but in the twenty-five years he had lived in Paris, this was the first time he had seen such a supreme beauty with such a charming figure and elegant demeanor.
The blond man's lecherous gaze made Yun Yan feel disgusted.
"Using me as a betting stake is fine, but don't bet against him; bet against me. If you lose, you wear a maid outfit and deliver one million in cash."
There was no reason to refuse money that was handed to him.
An Xin didn't really need the money, but this man had insulted Yun Yan and even fantasized about her body.
As a man, An Xin had to slap this face back.
"Do you think I haven't studied Chinese culture? Playing the 'husband sings, wife follows' routine to bluff me? Do you think I, a foreigner, would be intimidated by your presence?"
"That's right, we just wanted to scare you into admitting defeat, to scare you out of betting."
An Xin answered decisively, his tone full of disdain.
"I'm definitely making this bet. Waiter, please bring me paper and a pen; I want to sign and seal this."
Once he won the bet, he would be able to take Yun Yan away and bring her back to his villa for one-on-one education.
"Sir, here is the pen and paper you requested."
The Waiter brought the writing materials.
The blond man quickly wrote up the contract.
An Xin took the contract and checked it carefully.
"One million—the currency isn't specified here. Are you betting in US dollars, Parisian currency, or Zimbabwean currency?"
"Who do you think you're looking down on? Of course, it's US dollars."
To show off his financial power in front of a beauty, the blond man took a pen and added the currency unit to the contract.
An Xin checked it to ensure it was correct, then handed the contract to Yun Yan.
This was the first time Yun Yan had written her real name, Xia Yanran, in public.
An Xin noted down Yun Yan's real name.
Her name was as elegant and beautiful as she was.
The two finished signing, and the bet officially came into effect.
"How do you want to verify the authenticity of these shoes?"
"I have Teacher Xie's number. I can make a video call to him and let Teacher Xie verify his own work to ensure the fairness of the bet."
The blond man's name was James. His parents were minor nobles in Paris. A few years ago, when they traveled to China, he had managed to get Teacher Xie's number through his parents' connections.
It was currently 10:00 PM in Paris, which meant it was 5:00 AM in China.
It was a time when people were still sleeping.
James had no manners at all and called Teacher Xie directly.
Teacher Xie, who was sleeping on his sandalwood bed, was jolted awake by the ringing phone.
The old man opened his eyes in displeasure and looked at the phone glowing with white light in the dim room, which was playing "The Most Dazzling Folk Style."
"Who is so unlucky this early in the morning, disturbing an old man's sleep?"
Teacher Xie stepped into his straw sandals and picked up the phone from the table.
"What the hell? Are you sick?"
A classic Chinese profanity escaped his lips, the anger radiating from the phone's speaker; one could hear how irritable Teacher Xie was just by his voice.
Yun Yan lowered her head, unable to help but smile.
Teacher Xie was still as manic and bad-tempered as ever.
"Hello, Teacher Xie. I am James of the Tom family. Five years ago, my parents took me to Qingcheng to attend an exhibition, and you gave me your number..."
"Tom, why aren't you out catching Jerry? Why are you bothering me?"
Teacher Xie was old and had long forgotten James of the Tom family.
He hung up the phone in irritation.
Resentfully, he lifted his legs and walked back to the bed.
He had just sat down on the bed when that annoying phone lit up with white light again.
"You are the most beautiful cloud in the sky..."
The familiar ringtone continued to disturb the peace.
Teacher Xie walked back to the table with heavy resentment and picked up the phone.
"Damn it, I'm sleeping! If you disturb me again, I'll take my shoe awl and smash your pig brain for not knowing how to respect your elders."
"Teacher Xie, I have an urgent matter. I saw someone wearing your 'high-copy Xie' at a fashion show. I was afraid it would have a negative impact on your reputation, so I wanted to call and let you know."
James was frightened by the manic Teacher Xie.
He had studied Chinese for two years, so he could understand the profanity Teacher Xie used.
James hadn't expected Teacher Xie to be such a grumpy old man outside of exhibitions.
His disdain for China grew even more in his heart.
If it weren't for wanting to win over the Chinese model's little assistant, he wouldn't be taking this kind of crap.
He would have already started cursing back at Teacher Xie on the phone.
It was only 8:00 PM; what was there to sleep for?
"Is it a 1.88-meter-tall Chinese man wearing a pair of black handmade crocodile leather shoes?"
The tone of Teacher Xie on the other end of the phone suddenly became calm.
His question left James stunned.
"Teacher Xie, can you tell fortunes?"
"Bullshit. The shoes that man is wearing are exactly what I made. I didn't just make those leather shoes; I also made Han Dynasty military boots."
Teacher Xie's tone had suddenly smoothed out because he just wanted to confirm one thing: whether this man was picking on An Xin.
An Xin was seeking a way out for the artisans of Heavenly Craft; this was a major project for Heavenly Craft.
When traveling, one should be frugal at home but generous on the road.
Heavenly Craft could be poor, but An Xin's path had to be rich.
When Teacher Xie made shoes for An Xin, he didn't accept the checks An Xin offered, shoving them all back into An Xin's trouser pockets.
It wasn't easy for young people; money should be spent where it counts.