C9 Verification

Huang Feng's destination, the shoe store where he had purchased leather shoes the day before, was conveniently close to his residence, allowing him to arrive in no time. As he had hoped, the store was still open.

Upon entering, Huang Feng made a beeline for the same display where he had found his leather shoes yesterday. Several pairs identical to the ones he had bought were still there. He picked up a pair and examined it closely, oblivious to the salesperson's puzzled look. Despite his intense scrutiny, the words he was searching for were nowhere to be found.

Undeterred, Huang Feng grabbed another pair, but to no avail. The saleswoman watched as he peered at each pair, his eyes nearly glued to the shoes, and finally approached him, "Sir, are you looking for a particular style? I can assist you in finding it."

"No, I'm just looking for now," Huang Feng replied, continuing his search.

"Very well, sir. If you require any assistance, please let me know," the saleswoman offered, though she lingered nearby. She couldn't help but worry that Huang Feng might damage the shoes, especially since the store's inventory consisted of low-quality knock-offs.

"No, not this pair either. How can they not be here? I clearly bought them from this very place yesterday," Huang Feng muttered to himself as he sifted through the shoes.

After scouring the entire cabinet and finding no shoes with the mysterious inscription, Huang Feng wondered if the words were unique to the pair he had purchased. It seemed too coincidental.

"Sir, can I help you with anything?" the saleswoman asked again, noticing Huang Feng's growing frustration.

"Could you check if you have any shoes like the ones I'm wearing?" Huang Feng asked her.

The saleswoman glanced at Huang Feng's feet and responded, "Sir, we don't carry that shoe here. You might want to try looking in other stores."

"What? That's impossible. I just bought them here yesterday. How could they not be here? Aren't all these the same?" Huang Feng protested, gesturing towards the shoes on the cabinet behind him.

The saleswoman had a hunch that Huang Feng was there to complain about the quality of the shoes. Their store might sell knockoffs, but they still allowed exchanges within seven days. Refunds, however, were out of the question. She guessed that Huang Feng was probably there to swap his shoes, which is why she needed to take a closer look at them.

Upon inspecting Huang Feng's shoes once more, she confirmed they weren't from their store. It seemed Huang Feng was either mistaken or had come to deliberately stir up trouble.

"Sir, the shoes you're wearing definitely aren't from our store," the saleswoman explained. "The shoes in the cabinet behind you aren't the same model as the ones on your feet. Plus, we've never sold the type of shoes you're wearing." Having worked there for quite some time, she was familiar with all the styles and types of shoes they carried, and she knew for certain they had never stocked Huang Feng's shoes.

"How can that be? I bought these here just yesterday. How could they be different?" Huang Feng protested.

Then it clicked for the saleswoman. She did recall Huang Feng's visit the day before, but she was positive that he hadn't purchased the shoes he was currently wearing from their store; they had never even stocked that particular pair.

"Sir, I remember now. You did buy shoes here yesterday, but the pair you bought is from the cabinet behind you, not the ones you're wearing."

"What's the difference? Aren't they the same?" Huang Feng challenged, having picked out a pair from that very cabinet the day before.

"There's a big difference, sir. Could you please take off one of your shoes for me?" she requested.

Without hesitation, Huang Feng removed a shoe and handed it to her. She fetched a similar shoe from the cabinet and placed them side by side. "Sir, take a look. At first glance, these two shoes might appear similar, but there are several differences. The colors vary—one is darker, the other lighter. The heel of one has a pattern, while the other is plain. The toe of this shoe is pointed, whereas that one is more rounded. Also, notice the brand on the sole of our shoes? Yours lacks that branding, which is printed on and wouldn't just vanish in such a short time."

The saleswoman meticulously pointed out the differences between the two shoes, and Huang Feng was only now realizing how many there were.

"Furthermore, sir, if you take a closer look, you'll notice some subtle differences in the design of these shoes. And when you hold them, the feel is distinct. So, I'm certain that this pair doesn't come from our store; we've never sold shoes like these," she explained. Internally, she scoffed, thinking, "The feel and craftsmanship of your shoes are clearly superior to ours. They're genuine, not at all like our knock-offs."

Huang Feng examined the shoes in his hands, recalling that the pair he had purchased the day before was identical to the one the saleswoman was holding. He had received a thorough introduction to them. The pair he now held was clearly not the same. Could someone have switched his shoes? But that seemed unlikely. Who would swap for a pair that was only worth a little over a hundred yuan, especially when the quality of the current pair was obviously better?

"Could you take another look at this shoe and see if there's anything unusual about it?" Huang Feng handed the shoes back to the saleswoman.

"Unusual? What do you mean?" she asked, taking the shoes with a puzzled expression.

"Just examine it closely, really focus," Huang Feng urged.

Though somewhat reluctant, the saleswoman didn't detect any foul odor, so she inspected the shoes closely, just as Huang Feng had done.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary," she said after a thorough check, finding nothing.

"Did you notice any writing?" Huang Feng prompted.

"Writing?" She scrutinized the shoes once more, perplexed. "No, the surface is quite smooth. There's no writing."

"Oh, I see. Well, thank you for your help. I must have been mistaken earlier. My apologies," Huang Feng said, accepting the shoes back.

"Not at all. Sir, would you like to browse for another pair before you decide?" the saleswoman replied, her demeanor still pleasant as she seamlessly shifted back to business.

"No need at the moment—I just made a purchase yesterday. I'll come back when I need more," Huang Feng said.

"Sure thing. We look forward to welcoming you back, sir!"