As soon as she got in the car, the beautiful woman couldn't hold back her curiosity. "Do you really know that bastard's father?"
"My name is Chen Junheng. I come from a tiny, remote mountain village, so how could I possibly know his father?" Zhang Bin explained. "I was just worried that a country bumpkin like me would get bullied in the Magic Capital, so I researched the city's powerful figures and their children beforehand. I never expected it would actually come in handy."
"My God, you're something else! You completely fooled that bastard and even scammed a jade ring from him," the woman exclaimed, staring at Zhang Bin's simple, honest face as if he were a monster.
"It's not a scam," Zhang Bin replied. "It's robbing the rich to help the poor. I'll cover the fare for both of us later. See? You benefit too, right?"
The woman let out a delicate laugh. "You're terrible. But what you did back there was brilliant; it was so satisfying."
They began to chat, and Zhang Bin quickly learned the woman's name. After having Tutu do a quick online search, he knew almost everything about her. Her name was Yang Yiyi, a sophomore majoring in calligraphy and painting at Qing Mountain University's Art Department and the undisputed top beauty on campus. She came from a poor, rural family and had come to the Magic Capital for the same reason as Zhang Bin: to sell her artwork. That was why she was also heading to Lanting Villa.
Lanting Villa was the most famous landmark in the Magic Capital, renowned even throughout the world. This fame was not due to any historical relics, but because its owner was Lin Lanting, a Grandmaster Level painter and calligrapher on par with the legendary Qi Baishi.
Lin Lanting was eighty-nine years old but still in excellent health, having recently married a twenty-five-year-old woman. He hailed from a long line of scholars and possessed exceptional talent. His father was a famous painter, so he began learning painting and calligraphy at the age of three, studying under numerous masters. By twenty, he had already achieved great proficiency in both arts, and by sixty, he had become a master. After more than two decades of further refinement, he had reached the Grandmaster Realm.
He excelled at painting flowers, birds, insects, fish, landscapes, and figures. His brushwork was powerful and fluid, his colors rich and vibrant, his forms simple yet vivid, and his artistic conception was profound and unpretentious. His paintings of fish, shrimp, insects, and crabs were bursting with natural charm. His calligraphy excelled in the seal and clerical scripts, drawing inspiration from the stone tablets of the Qin and Han dynasties. His running script possessed a quaint charm, and his seal carving style was entirely his own.
His most expensive piece of art sold for the astronomical sum of 400 million RMB. It was safe to say that Lin Lanting was the most famous living Master of Calligraphy and Painting in all of China.
Countless people visited his villa, creating a scene so bustling that the crowds were often shoulder to shoulder. Any artist with even a shred of a reputation hoped to receive guidance from Lin Lanting. A few words from him could be life-changing. Moreover, if one's art was truly distinctive and earned his recognition, they could become famous overnight. The value of their work could multiply, sometimes by dozens of times. A single visit to Master Lin at Lanting Villa could mean their pieces might fetch millions at auction. How could artists not flock to him?
Lin Lanting actually enjoyed the lively atmosphere and was willing to guide the younger generation. He hoped to see more master artists emerge and witness the creation of more works that would be passed down for centuries. Because of this, he long had a habit of setting aside one day each week to meet with visiting artists and geniuses. His Lanting Villa even had a special building for this purpose—the Hall of Talents.
However, Lin Lanting was getting on in years. Although he practiced a secret health-preservation technique that kept his body strong, his eyes clear, and his hands steady enough to continue creating, his stamina was no longer what it once was. He had even fathered a son at the age of eighty-eight with his twenty-five-year-old wife. But his wife and older children didn't want him to overexert himself, so the weekly reception was changed to a monthly event.
The number of guests was also strictly limited to just ten people. With hundreds of visitors vying for a spot, how were the ten selected? This was resolved through an assessment, from which the ten most suitable individuals, including three of the most talented newcomers, would be chosen. The person in charge of this assessment was none other than Lin Lanting's granddaughter, Lin Youlan.
Today was the day Master Lin would meet with talented artists and renowned masters. As a result, an overwhelming number of people were waiting for the assessment. As far as the eye could see, there was a dense sea of people—men and women, young and old, each carrying a scholarly air about them. Clearly, they were all either famous artists or undiscovered prodigies. Zhang Bin and Yang Yiyi were, naturally, two among them.
"Chen Junheng, we have the same goal: to meet Master Lin, have him appraise our art, and give us a good evaluation. That way, our work can sell for a high price," Yang Yiyi said, growing worried as she took in the size of the crowd. "But look at all these people, and most of them are famous artists. Do we even stand a chance of meeting him?"
"Don't worry. With me here, we'll definitely meet Master Lin," Zhang Bin boasted, thumping his chest. "I'll even get him to write a certificate of appraisal for both our pieces. With that, even Master Lin's written appraisal alone would be incredibly valuable. Heh, we're about to strike it rich."
"Chen Junheng, I'm counting on you then," Yang Yiyi said, feeling slightly more at ease.
"Hahaha..."
A young man in his twenties with an extraordinary air overheard their conversation and doubled over with laughter. "That's hilarious! Truly hilarious! Someone's actually daydreaming this vividly. Who do you think you are? You think you can meet Master Lin? And you're even dreaming about him writing an appraisal for your art?"
"Brother Yang, who's this guy? How can he be so delusional?" two other young men chimed in, gathering around and staring at Zhang Bin with contempt.
These three were exceptionally talented prodigies in calligraphy and painting. Hailing from the south, they were known as the Three Great Talents of the South. The one who had just laughed was named Peng Yang; the other two were Guan Shanyue and Wu Xingxing. They were not yet thirty but were already famous artists who had visited Master Lin several times and received high praise. Because of this, outsiders also called them The Three Talents of Sun, Moon, and Stars.
Though young, they were already making a splash in the art world and knew of or had met nearly every young artistic talent. But they had never seen Zhang Bin before. He looked too young, only in his early twenties, and his rugged appearance made him look more like a martial artist than a painter. They concluded he was just a naive, overconfident kid.
Ordinarily, they wouldn't have bothered with him, but he was with a beautiful woman and speaking with such arrogance. Naturally, they felt the need to put him in his place. Who knew? Perhaps the beautiful woman might take a liking to one of them in the process.