Free Web NovelChapter 8: Potential Offer
A day later, Richard went to the Glorietta Mall in Makati.
But before going straight to the watch sellers, he needed to look like the part.
He was inside the department store where he planned to buy clothes.
Honestly?
The place alone already felt different from the malls he usually visited.
The lighting looked cleaner.
The air-conditioning was colder.
Even the people walking around somehow looked richer.
Office workers.
Businessmen.
Women carrying luxury bags that probably cost more than his monthly salary before all this happened.
Richard quietly adjusted the cheap sling bag hanging from his shoulder while walking through the clothing section.
He honestly felt slightly out of place.
Especially when he caught his reflection from one of the mirrors nearby.
Plain faded shirt.
Cheap jeans. freewёbnoνel.com
Worn sneakers.
Meanwhile everybody around him looked polished.
Professional.
Comfortable.
Like they belonged here naturally.
Richard exhaled quietly afterward.
"Well... that’s exactly why I’m here."
If he wanted to sell luxury watches face-to-face, presentation mattered.
He learned that from browsing luxury watch forums all night.
Rich buyers subconsciously judged sellers immediately.
Especially in high-value transactions.
A guy wearing slippers while selling a six-hundred-thousand-peso Rolex?
Instant red flag.
So today?
Richard planned to invest in appearance.
He eventually stopped near the men’s casual formal section afterward.
Then immediately noticed how ridiculously expensive some clothes were.
"What the..."
Richard muttered quietly while staring at a polo shirt worth nearly four thousand pesos.
Four thousand.
For one shirt.
That already could buy groceries for their house before.
Still...
He forced himself to stay calm.
This was investment.
That was how he needed to think now.
Not expense.
Investment.
A female saleslady eventually approached him politely afterward.
"Good morning, sir."
Sir.
Richard almost instinctively looked behind him.
The word still sounded strange directed toward him.
The saleslady smiled professionally.
"Are you looking for formal wear?"
"Something semi-formal," Richard answered calmly.
"Like business casual."
The woman immediately nodded afterward.
"Would you prefer fitted polos or long sleeves, sir?"
Richard thought briefly.
Then answered:
"Fitted polos."
A few minutes later, the saleslady returned carrying several choices.
Black.
Navy blue.
Dark gray.
Minimalist designs.
Clean cuts.
Richard eventually entered the fitting room afterward.
The moment he wore the black fitted polo—
Even he paused slightly while looking at himself in the mirror.
The shirt hugged his body properly without looking too tight.
And since Richard used to do physical work carrying gadgets, boxes, and equipment constantly, his body naturally developed decent proportions despite not actively going to the gym.
Broad shoulders.
Lean frame.
Not muscular.
But fit enough.
Combined with his naturally sharp facial features?
The difference honestly surprised even himself slightly.
He suddenly looked older, sharper, and more professional.
Like some young entrepreneur or reseller.
The saleslady smiled immediately afterward when he stepped outside.
"That looks very good on you, sir."
Richard quietly looked at the mirror again.
Honestly...
She was right.
The transformation felt strange.
Because for the first time in years, he did not look poor anymore.
Then he bought dark slacks afterward.
Clean black leather belt.
Simple silver wrist accessories.
And eventually, shoes.
Leather loafers.
When he finally finished changing completely inside the fitting room, even Richard himself barely recognized the reflection staring back at him.
The old exhausted cellphone technician from Divisoria suddenly looked...
Presentable.
Professional.
Dangerously convincing.
Richard slowly fixed the sleeves slightly afterward while staring at himself.
Then something suddenly hit him emotionally.
Appearance really changed how people perceived you.
The moment he walked outside the fitting area, sales staff treated him differently already.
Politer.
More attentive.
More respectful.
And honestly?
That pissed him off slightly.
Because he was still the same person from yesterday.
Same Richard.
Same background.
Same struggles.
Only the clothes changed.
Yet suddenly people treated him like he mattered more.
"That’s life, I guess..."
He muttered quietly afterward.
Still, he could not deny the confidence boost either.
The fitted black polo alone made him look significantly more mature.
He didn’t bother taking off his newly bought apparels as he intended on canvassing for the watch. He paid 12,000 pesos, or about 100 USD in total.
After that, he went straight to the luxury watch section of Glorietta.
The atmosphere there honestly felt different immediately.
The stores were filled with bright glass displays containing watches that probably cost more than cars.
Rolex.
Omega.
Cartier.
Tag Heuer.
Names Richard only used to hear from celebrities or rich businessmen online.
Meanwhile now?
He was carrying a reconstructed Rolex worth several hundred thousand pesos inside his sling bag.
The thought still felt insane.
Richard kept his expression calm while walking through the area.
But internally?
He was paying attention to everything.
How employees greeted customers.
How buyers dressed.
How transactions happened.
He noticed something immediately afterward.
Nobody rushed here.
People casually walked into stores discussing watches worth millions like they were buying groceries.
One older man wearing a polo barong casually tried on an Omega while talking on the phone.
A young couple examined a Cartier display while laughing softly.
And nearby, two businessmen quietly discussed resale values of Rolex models over coffee.
This world honestly felt disconnected from reality.
Richard eventually stopped near one luxury watch reseller.
Not an official Rolex boutique.
A reseller.
Which was exactly what he needed.
Because resellers dealt heavily with secondhand watches.
Meaning they were used to private sellers.
The store itself looked intimidating though.
Clean white lighting.
Dark wooden interiors.
Glass displays everywhere.
Employees dressed sharply in suits.
Richard quietly exhaled afterward before walking inside.
The moment he entered, a male employee immediately approached politely.
"Good afternoon, sir. Are you looking for anything specific today?"
Richard kept his tone calm.
"Just canvassing for now."
The employee nodded smoothly afterward.
"Of course, sir."
Richard slowly approached one of the display cases afterward.
Inside sat several Rolex Submariners nearly identical to the one currently hidden inside his sling bag.
His heartbeat subtly accelerated.
One listing immediately caught his eye.
Rolex Submariner Date.
Complete box and papers.
₱728,000.
Richard genuinely almost froze internally.
Seven hundred twenty-eight thousand pesos.
For a watch.
Meanwhile the reconstructed Rolex inside his bag looked almost identical.
"What the hell..."
He muttered quietly under his breath.
The employee beside him smiled slightly.
"Rolex prices increased a lot over the years, sir."
"No kidding."
The employee chuckled softly afterward.
"Submariners are especially popular. Very liquid in the market."
Liquid.
Richard remembered reading that term online.
Meaning easy to resell.
Like investment assets.
Not just watches.
The employee continued professionally afterward.
"Most buyers prefer complete sets nowadays."
"Box, warranty card, manuals, tags..."
Richard’s heartbeat subtly accelerated again.
Because the system reconstructed all of those.
"Especially if the serials match properly."
Richard almost laughed internally.
They did.
Every single one.
The employee eventually glanced toward Richard’s wrist afterward.
Probably instinctively checking whether he wore a watch himself.
Richard calmly kept both hands inside his pockets.
No need to expose the Rolex immediately.
Not yet.
Instead, he continued asking questions casually.
"So how do you usually verify authenticity?"
The employee answered smoothly like he had repeated this explanation hundreds of times already.
"Well first, we inspect the condition physically. Buyers usually check if the polishing is original or if the watch was heavily refinished before."
He pointed toward one Rolex inside the display.
"Then weight. Genuine Rolex watches have a very distinct weight because of the materials they use. Fake ones usually feel lighter."
Richard quietly nodded while listening carefully.
"After that," the employee continued, "we check the movement. That’s one of the biggest things. The second hand sweep should be smooth, and the internal movement should match the correct caliber for the model."
Richard’s eyes subtly narrowed.
Then the employee added,
"Serial numbers too. Rehaut engraving. Laser etching on the crystal. Bracelet quality. Clasp feel. Tiny details basically."
"And the papers?" Richard asked.
"Very important," the employee replied immediately. "Especially for higher-end buyers. Complete box and papers make the watch much easier to sell."
He smiled slightly afterward.
"I see," Richard said calmly afterward. "Well, I do have a Rolex Submariner here that I would like to have checked."
The employee’s expression immediately became more attentive.
"Of course, sir."
Richard slowly removed the green Rolex box from inside his sling bag afterward before carefully placing it on the glass counter.
The employee’s eyes subtly sharpened.
Because presentation alone already looked convincing.
The green box.
The gold crown logo.
The condition.
Everything screamed luxury.
The employee immediately put on white gloves afterward before opening the box carefully.
The moment the Rolex Submariner appeared, even the employee paused very slightly.
Richard noticed it instantly.
That tiny reaction alone already told him a lot.
The employee carefully lifted the watch afterward.
Then inspected it beneath the bright store lighting.
Richard calmly maintained his expression.
But internally?
His heartbeat was pounding hard.
Because this was the real test.
If the system-created Rolex passed inspection here...
Then things would become genuinely terrifying.
The employee rotated the bezel slowly.
Then he checked the bracelet.
The clasp.
The engravings.
The crystal.
After that, he held the watch closer toward the light while examining the rehaut engraving carefully.
Several seconds passed quietly.
Then the employee looked toward Richard again.
"Do you have the papers, sir?"
Richard calmly slid the warranty card and booklets across the counter.
The employee inspected them afterward.
Serial numbers.
Dealer code.
Warranty details.
Everything.
Richard watched carefully while suppressing his nervousness.
Then the employee nodded slightly afterward.
"Looks complete."
The employee then walked toward a machine near the side counter.
Richard recognized it immediately from his research.
Timegrapher.
A device used to measure watch movement accuracy.
The employee carefully placed the Rolex onto the machine afterward.
Several beeping sounds followed.
Numbers immediately appeared on the monitor.
The employee stared quietly at the readings.
Then one of his eyebrows subtly lifted.
Richard’s heartbeat slightly accelerated again.
"What?" he asked casually.
The employee looked toward him afterward.
"It’s running very well."
"May I ask where you got it from, sir?"
There it was.
The dangerous question.
Richard already expected it.
"Well, I’m in a buy and sell business," Richard answered calmly. "And I purchased it. Of course, I won’t reveal the price, and I intend to sell it here if I get a reasonable offer."
The employee nodded slowly afterward.
Honestly, that answer sounded believable enough.
A lot of luxury watches changed hands privately anyway.
Especially in the Philippines.
The employee carefully held the Rolex again while inspecting the bracelet beneath the lighting.
"Well sir, visually speaking, it’s very clean."
"Meaning?"
The employee smiled slightly.
"Meaning if this were fake, it’s an extremely good one."
Richard almost laughed internally.
"Would you like us to make an offer for that watch of yours?"
Well, he intended on canvassing but if he got a great offer from this store, he would immediately sell it.
"Why not? Go ahead."
