THE ABSOLUTE APPRAISER SYSTEM

Chapter 6: The Corporate Arc

The glass towers of the Vance Group headquarters soared into the morning clouds, reflecting the sunlight like a massive crystal monument. Ryan walked through the grand lobby, no longer dressed in his old, grass-stained country club clothes. He wore a crisp, dark tailored suit that Victoria Vance had sent to his apartment earlier that morning. Though he still looked young, his eyes held a calm, sharp authority that made the passing corporate executives look twice.

He was escorted directly to the top-floor executive boardroom. As the heavy mahogany doors opened, Ryan stepped into a room filled with tension. A dozen elderly board directors in expensive suits sat around a massive marble table.

Sitting at the head of the table was Victoria, looking radiant but visibly stressed. Directly opposite her sat a heavy-set man with graying hair and an arrogant expression. This was Arthur Vance, Victoria’s ambitious uncle, who had been trying to seize control of the family business for years.

"Victoria, you must be joking," Arthur scoffed, throwing a file onto the table as Ryan walked in. "You passed over five veteran appraisal firms to hire a twenty-year-old kid as our Chief Consultant for the Global Heritage Gala? The Vance Group's stock is dropping, our rivals at the Genesis Group are breathing down our necks, and you bring a university student to protect our multi-million-dollar catalog?"

Several older board members murmured in agreement, casting cold, judgmental glares at Ryan.

Victoria maintained her composure, her voice freezing the room. "Ryan’s insights saved our shipping data last night, Uncle Arthur. His eye for detail is unmatched. He has my complete authority."

"Authority is earned with results, not favoritism!" Arthur shot back, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. He turned his gaze to Ryan, sneering. "Since you're the new expert, let's see what you've got. Bring out the crown jewel."

Two security guards entered the room, carrying a heavy, biometric steel briefcase. They placed it on the table and typed in the security codes. The lid clicked open, revealing a breathtaking, imperial artifact resting on velvet padding. It was a flawless piece of translucent green jade, carved into the shape of a coiled dragon—the legendary Imperial Jade Dragon Seal, valued at seven million dollars.

"This is the centerpiece for the gala," Arthur smiled coldly. "Our resident chief appraiser, Master Thomas, has already inspected it and verified its authenticity. If you are as brilliant as Victoria claims, kid, go ahead and verify it. But if you waste our time, you leave this building in handcuffs."

An elderly man with thick glasses and a gold loupe stood up proudly. "I have appraised jade for forty years, young man. The color, the texture, and the mineral density of this seal are absolute perfection. There is nothing to critique."

Ryan didn't answer right away. He stepped up to the table, his eyes narrowing as he triggered his newly upgraded system feature. Suddenly, his vision flared with a deep amber light, expanding his scan right past the physical object and directly onto the humans in the room.

[System Feature Activated: Tier 2 Aura Reading.]

[Target: Master Thomas (Chief Appraiser). Current Aura: Murky grey. Internal state: High anxiety, guilt. Secret data: Accepted a $500,000 bribe from Arthur Vance to sign off on a fake.]

[Target: The Imperial Jade Dragon Seal. Analysis: High-quality synthetic polymer mixed with real jade dust. Center contains a hidden lead core to replicate the exact weight of the original. True Value: $300. Status: Counterfeit.]

[Target: Arthur Vance. Current Aura: Dark crimson. Secret data: Has successfully smuggled the real Jade Dragon Seal out of the vault to sell to the Genesis Group tonight.]

A wave of absolute certainty washed over Ryan. The system’s new human aura reading feature made the corporate battlefield completely transparent.

He looked away from the artifact and locked eyes with Arthur, a sharp, mocking smile spreading across his face. "Master Thomas says he has forty years of experience, but it seems those forty years didn't teach him how to spot a three-hundred-dollar piece of plastic."

The boardroom erupted into chaos.

"What did you say?!" Master Thomas slammed his fist on the table, his face turning bright red. "You arrogant brat! You dare insult my professional reputation?!"

"Security, drag this lunatic out!" Arthur roared, standing up and pointing an angry finger at Ryan. "Victoria, look at the trash you brought into our boardroom!"

"Quiet!" Victoria’s voice cut through the shouting like a blade. She looked at Ryan, her eyes filled with intense trust. "Ryan, explain."

Ryan calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out a high-intensity laser pointer he had bought on the way over. He clicked it on, aiming the narrow purple beam directly at the base of the jade dragon.

"If this were genuine imperial jade, a high-frequency UV laser would pass through the mineral layers smoothly," Ryan explained, his voice echoing clearly over the murmurs. "But look closely at the underbelly of the dragon's claws."

Everyone leaned forward, including Victoria. Under the purple light, a tiny, glowing white spiderweb of lines appeared beneath the surface—chemical bonding resins used to hold synthetic dust together.

"Furthermore," Ryan continued, picking up the heavy seal effortlessly and tapping it against the marble table. The sound it produced wasn't the clear, musical ring of pure jade, but a slightly dull, heavy thud. "The weight has been artificially faked by melting a lead core into the center. Your 'authentic' seven-million-dollar artifact is nothing but a cheap paperweight."

Master Thomas collapsed back into his leather chair, his face completely pale, his hands shaking so violently he dropped his gold loupe. He didn't even try to defend himself. His silence confessed everything.

Victoria’s eyes blazed with an icy, dangerous fury. She turned her gaze slowly toward her uncle. "Uncle Arthur... the seal has been inside your private vault since last week. Care to explain how the crown jewel of our gala turned into a counterfeit?"

Arthur’s heart hammered against his ribs. He staggered back a step, sweat pouring down his neck. The perfect trap he had set to ruin Victoria's gala had been utterly shattered in less than two minutes by a kid he had dismissed as a beggar.