Upon seeing the cryptic text, Maria wasted no time chiming in, her voice laced with curiosity, “Maria, I’m pretty sure the borough in question here is Queens, New York. That photo? Yep, definitely Queens. Now, this guy “Cole”, is obviously a last name. And I can tell by his look that he has Chinese descent. The catch? We don’t have a clue what his first name is.”

“You’re spot on,” Jagoan concurred, his brow furrowing in deep thought.

He mused, “There’s something oddly familiar about this Cole fellow. But, try as I might, I can’t put my finger on where I’ve seen him before.”

Maria reassured him, “Don’t rush it, Master. That sense of familiarity might stem from a fleeting memory. It’s there, just beneath the surface. All you need is to give it some time, let it simmer. Trust me, the answer will come to you.”

She probed further, “Besides the familiarity, anything else about this whole scenario that strikes you as odd or strangely familiar?”

Jagoan, still massaging his temples, replied, “You know, Maria, there’s more to it than just the familiarity. Looking at this picture, I sense something deeper, something profoundly familiar. But the specifics, they elude me.”

Maria breathed a sigh of relief, “Master, don’t fret. Let’s piece this puzzle together. First, let’s talk about the attire of your dad and this Cole character. Anything noteworthy there?”

Jagoan scrutinized the photo and replied, “Dad’s sporting late 20th-century gear, a bomber jacket—pretty trendy back then. Cole, on the other hand, has on a regular woolen windbreaker, typical attire for the time.”

Maria probed further, “And what about Queens? Your parents lived in the States for years. Did Queens ever come up in your conversations or visits?”

Jagoan pondered for a moment before responding, “In my recollection, the States trips with my folks or visits to relatives with Mom usually centered around Long Island. Apart from that, we were Manhattan regulars. Queens? It’s all a bit fuzzy.”

Then, he added, “Even this antique shop—I only learned about it from my uncle a few days back. Never heard a peep about it from my parents.”

At this point, Jagoan’s expression froze suddenly.

Unaware of his abrupt change, Maria remained focused on the photo and suggested, “Perhaps we could contact your father’s former colleagues. They might recognize this person.”

But Jagoan, deep in thought, didn’t respond.

Perplexed, Maria prodded, “Master?”

Jagoan snapped back to reality at Maria’s query.

bead on his brow and cheeks as he stammered, “I… I think I know why this man seems

was taken aback and pressed, “Young master, do you

Cole, and I had this strange sense of déjà vu. And then, there’s that antique shop in

my father-in-law had no idea what he was

responded instantly, “Of course! The Young Master got the ‘Apocalyptic Book’ from the remains of that very

pointed to the man beside his father in the photo, muttering, “He was the

ago, taken with your father in New York, later worked at an antique

family. At the time, it wasn’t a prominent part of

his

to the Apocalyptic Book,’ hinting at a connection between the

was Felix who had handed the jade pot and spring

his phone and dialed Jasmine’s number. If

lighthearted, “Why the

“Jasmine, can you tell me if Felix, the former manager of Vintage

to recognize the true value of the jade

go?” Jagoan probed further. “Do you have any idea where he

have no idea,” Jasmine admitted. “I never saw him again after that

“And when did

“He was there for

deliberate, like Felix had joined Vintage Deluxe

you the one who hired

Jasmine confirmed. “At the time, the Moore family didn’t take me seriously, and I had my share of issues with my uncle and cousin. So they handed me Vintage Deluxe. It was struggling, and internal problems ran rampant. I fired everyone and brought in a fresh team. That’s when Felix

further, “Why did

had a compelling demeanor. His answers during the interview

I know he’d turn out so ill-tempered, insulting your father-in-law and failing to recognize your incredible restoration skills. My judgment clearly failed me.

who appeared so knowledgeable, humble, and well-educated is likely

the phone, “Jagoan, what sparked

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