Hearing this, Seraphina Sterling dropped the act. ’He’s a true dark horse of the future Antiques Circle, with a sharp eye indeed!’

"Store Manager Xavier, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Seraphina Sterling, and I’m your new boss."

"It seems the ’little boss’ has already investigated me, so I won’t need to introduce myself. Are you here to take inventory or to fire someone? Or perhaps both?" Joel Xavier sat down at the coffee table and leisurely began to brew tea.

"’Little boss’? I don’t care for that title. I hope you’ll just call me Manager from now on, Store Manager Xavier." Seraphina Sterling paid no mind to his discourtesy and sat down directly across from him. She watched him brew the Pu’er tea with unhurried, graceful movements. It was truly a pleasant sight to behold.

"So, does this mean I get to keep working at this antique shop?" Joel Xavier showed no surprise, continuing to brew his tea.

"That depends on your own abilities, Store Manager Xavier. I don’t keep useless people in my employ. Especially not in an antique shop, where standards are even higher. At a minimum, the manager must have the eye to tell a real antique from a fake. Your sales skills are decent, but sales can be taught quickly. Appraising antiques, however, requires long-term study, vast knowledge, and a wealth of experience. That requires real substance."

Seraphina Sterling, without a hint of ceremony, picked up the tea Joel Xavier had just brewed and took a sip. ’She knew he resented being subservient to her. After all, she was just an underage high school student. No man with any talent would be willing to work under a boss like her.’

’Her age made it so she wasn’t trusted, wasn’t respected. That’s why she didn’t mind Joel Xavier’s discourtesy. Everyone wants the shade of a big tree; it’s just human nature.’

’Every employee wants to work for a talented and capable boss. They want their company to have potential, to have a future. Only then can they truly showcase their skills and make their mark.’

’Therefore, to keep this employee, she had to earn his genuine respect. She had to put his arrogance in its place.’

"We’ve only just met, and this store hasn’t sold a single antique in a month. How could the ’little boss’ possibly know if my sales skills are any good?" Joel Xavier clearly didn’t take Seraphina Sterling seriously, still pointedly calling her ’little boss’.

"It’s simple. A moment ago, I merely described what I was looking for, and you immediately recommended the Ancient Jade Goddess priced around 200,000. Later, even when I insisted on the Violet, you still recommended the 200,000 Ice Type." Seraphina Sterling set down her teacup, not letting the issue with the title bother her.

"And you judge my sales skills to be up to par based on that alone?" Joel Xavier’s gaze flickered, and his hand paused for a fraction of a second as he poured the tea.

"Is that not enough?" A faint smile touched Seraphina Sterling’s lips. "First, you recommended the 200,000 Ancient Jade Goddess because you judged from my clothes and accessories that my spending power was in that range. Am I wrong?"

Joel Xavier stopped brewing his tea and listened intently.

"Next, when I insisted on the Violet with an absolutely atrocious attitude, you didn’t resort to insults and continued to greet me with a smile. That shows you understand your position and what your job entails. As someone in the service industry, the customer is king. Your mindset is solid."

Joel Xavier lowered his head and took a small sip of tea, hiding the complex expression in his eyes.

"Finally, after telling me the price of the Violet Ancient Jade Goddess, you still strongly suggested I buy the 200,000 Ice Type. You were actually giving an arrogant, conceited customer like me an out—a way to save face. You made it so that even buying the 200,000 piece wouldn’t feel like a loss of dignity. This shows your grasp of customer psychology is spot-on."

Seraphina Sterling met Joel Xavier’s gaze. "I believe that for a salesperson, having those skills is more than enough. Wouldn’t you agree, Store Manager Xavier?"

Joel Xavier downed the tea in his cup. "Thank you for the praise, little boss." ’So, this Seraphina Sterling really is something else,’ he thought. ’Her eye is sharp, her powers of observation, formidable. But this alone isn’t enough to make me follow her.’

"But as I said, sales skills can be cultivated quickly. What I need is a store manager who can appraise antiques with precision. If your eye for these things isn’t even as good as mine, then you’ll have no reason to stay here."

Seraphina Sterling had delivered the finishing blow. ’With employees this proud and talented, they’ll never submit unless you knock them down a few pegs.’

Sure enough, Joel Xavier’s demeanor turned serious at her words. "I didn’t realize the ’little boss’ was an expert. As it happens, the last batch of antiques Mr. Hale brought in hasn’t been appraised yet. Why don’t you have a look?"

With that, the two of them closed up the shop and headed into the warehouse.

Joel Xavier opened a wooden crate. Wearing a pair of silk gloves, he carefully removed ten antiques from the box and placed them on a table.

Seraphina Sterling’s gaze swept over the items. There were ten in total: three porcelain pieces, three gold ornaments, three jade ornaments, and one dagger.

"After you, little boss. See if you can tell which of these ten are real and which are fakes." Joel Xavier was making a strategic concession. ’He wanted to see for himself just what this girl, not even eighteen, was capable of.’

Seraphina Sterling knew exactly what he was thinking, so she didn’t hesitate.