Chapter 240: Fake Bags
Back in China, Xu Youyou rarely encountered shops that were closed during regular business hours.
Even at a secondhand market, this was a rare sight.
Now, seeing the situation, Xu Youyou had no choice but to leave someone behind to keep an eye on the place.
After spending so much time getting here, she wasn’t ready to leave just yet, so she decided to walk around the secondhand market.
With so many bodyguards around her, the scene was quite a spectacle, attracting attention wherever she went.
“Which young lady is out today? Even the French president doesn’t have this many bodyguards.”
Xu Youyou suddenly heard familiar Mandarin and looked over at the person speaking, seeing a Chinese face.
The young woman seemed to realize that she had spoken too loudly and didn’t understand why Xu Youyou was looking at her.
“I’m not some rich young lady,” Xu Youyou said directly.
The young woman’s face immediately turned red, and she quickly apologized, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have talked behind your back.”
Xu Youyou didn’t hold it against her and asked, “Do you come here often?”
The young woman, dressed in plain clothes, nodded and said, “This is my second year studying in France. My school is nearby, and I come here to pick up deals to earn pocket money, so I’m here a lot.”
Xu Youyou complimented her, “You must have a good eye then.”
The young woman shook her head and lowered her voice, “These foreigners are good at bargaining, but the stuff here can be real or fake. It really tests your eye for quality. I mainly do resale business.”
The young woman seemed to think that Xu Youyou was a wealthy person who wouldn’t be competing with her, so she freely talked about her business.
Xu Youyou found her chatty but admired her independent attitude. “Reselling is still hard work.”
The young woman blushed at the compliment and then asked, “Is this your first time here? Do you need a guide? You seem like a nice person. I’ll be your guide for free.”
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but laugh. This secondhand market had both indoor and outdoor areas, with many shops, making it feel like a maze. Without knowing the place, it would be easy to get lost.
“Sure, then I’ll treat you to a meal later,” Xu Youyou said with a smile.
The young woman immediately agreed. Her name was Chen Moli, and she led Xu Youyou around the market, offering commentary as they walked.
“This shop’s owner is pretty fierce, she doesn’t like bargaining.”
“This owner is a bit clueless, you can bargain here.”
“This shop doesn’t know much about antiques. Even if they get good stuff, they can’t tell.”
Xu Youyou listened, impressed by how familiar she was with the place, which made her believe the young woman’s earlier self-introduction.
At an outdoor stall, Chen Moli suddenly stopped, picked up an LV bag that was hanging in the shop, and showed hesitation.
“This is an authentic secondhand bag, nearly new. If you like it, I’ll sell it to you for 200 euros,” the shop owner said in French.
“200 euros is too expensive. I’ll buy it for 15 euros right now,” Chen Moli replied with a sharp bargain.
The shop owner shook his head. “Little girl, are you joking? I won’t sell it at that price!”
Chen Moli, however, pretended to really like the bag and said, “I really want it. Come on, just think of it as a good deed.”
The shopkeeper showed signs of hesitation, as if considering whether to accept the deal.
At this moment, Xu Youyou suddenly took the bag from her and examined it thoroughly, then said in Mandarin to Chen Moli, “This is a fake.”
Chen Moli nodded. “I know.”
Xu Youyou: ?
Xu Youyou didn’t understand.
Chen Moli explained, “This bag was likely exported from East Guangdong in China to France. It uses the same leather material as an authentic LV bag, but there are subtle differences.”
“Since you know it’s fake, why would you buy it?” Xu Youyou asked.
Chen Moli stood tall and said confidently, “I paid real money for it, so it’s a real bag to me.”
Xu Youyou had no words in reply.
Chen Moli continued, “The shop owner probably knows it’s fake too, but he’s trying to trick people from China into thinking they’ve found a bargain. I’m not going to use this bag, but I can resell it and make some money.”
After thinking for a moment, the shopkeeper waved his hand, “Alright, alright, I’ll sell it to you.”
It seemed that people abroad were quite sensitive about being caught selling fake goods. The shopkeeper sold the bag for just 30 euros, not expecting Chen Moli to call him out.
Even in China, such high-quality counterfeit bags wouldn’t go for just 30 euros.
Chen Moli turned to Xu Youyou and said, “I’ll sell this to an unsuspecting French person for at least 70 euros. That way, I’ll make a profit of 40 euros, enough to cover my meals for the day.”
Xu Youyou didn’t ask about her specific sales channels. Even in a market that severely cracked down on counterfeit goods like in France, it was impossible to completely eliminate them.
After completing the transaction, Chen Moli took Xu Youyou into an indoor market. There were many shops, but just like the outdoor market, only about half of them were open.
“I’ve seen a few shops here selling porcelain. I’m not sure if you’ll find anything you like,” Chen Moli explained.
Xu Youyou, being an expert in porcelain identification, naturally gravitated toward the porcelain shops in the secondhand market.
Seeing Xu Youyou carefully examining the porcelain, Chen Moli remembered Xu Youyou’s earlier comment about the fake bag. Even though Xu Youyou didn’t need the reminder, she appreciated it. At that moment, she leaned closer and whispered in Xu Youyou’s ear.
“Miss Xu, be careful not to get tricked by these foreigners. Although they took many of our porcelain items in the past, these people are shrewd. They know what’s valuable. The fake porcelain here is just as common as in China.”
Xu Youyou smiled and said, “Moli, thank you for the reminder.”
Chen Moli blushed when she was sincerely thanked by the pretty young lady and said, “I had a classmate who got tricked here. She thought she found a Qianlong-era porcelain piece, but it turned out to be a high-quality fake sent abroad.”
As she spoke, Chen Moli lowered her head and noticed that the porcelain Xu Youyou was holding had the “Made during the Qianlong reign” mark on the bottom.
Xu Youyou took the porcelain and instructed the translator and the shopkeeper to inquire about the price, her expression showing clear interest.
