Watching Chen Ou's furious demeanor, Wu Tian found it somewhat amusing.
Weren't they the ones who agreed to a competition? Why was Chen Ou the one getting so agitated now?
Meanwhile, Yang Huilan remained deeply worried.
She couldn't help but whisper, "Wu Tian, are you really confident?"
"This isn't an ordinary opponent. If you lose this…"
Wu Tian understood Yang Huilan's concern. He smiled and said, "Huilan, don't worry. With me here, everything will be fine!"
Hearing Wu Tian's words, Chen Ou's forehead veins bulged with anger.
He gritted his teeth and declared, "Fine, is it? Just you wait. I'll make sure you have nothing to say later!"
The atmosphere was thick with tension.
The spectators, naturally, relished this scene, eagerly anticipating the final outcome of the competition.
With both parties ready, Wu Tian and Chen Ou stepped onto the stage. The chairman then had the items for appraisal brought forth.
It was a treasured sword. The chairman introduced, "Everyone, please take a good look. This is a treasured sword passed down from the Tang Dynasty."
"And its owner is someone everyone knows, the renowned Poet Immortal, Li Bai!"
"The market value of this sword is over ten million. However, it's not necessarily genuine. So, please, both of you, appraise it carefully and determine if this sword is truly worth that price!"
Chen Ou, looking down on Wu Tian, arrogantly stated, "Kid, don't say I'm bullying you. You can appraise this sword first."
Wu Tian smiled, "How can that be? You are the senior, and I am the junior. Shouldn't you appraise it first?"
Chen Ou sneered, "Kid, are you perhaps planning to copy my answer?"
"Let me tell you, there are rules in appraisal competitions. Even if your answer is the same as mine, if I appraise it first, my answer will be taken as the standard. Therefore, if you're trying to copy my answer to force a draw, such a thing is impossible!"
Wu Tian chuckled, "Are there such rules? My apologies, I genuinely didn't know."
Chen Ou assumed Wu Tian was backing down.
He said with a sinister grin, "Is that so? Well, it's not too late for you to know now."
"If you're scared, you can still surrender now. It would save you embarrassment later, wouldn't it?"
Wu Tian shook his head and smiled, "I never said I was scared. Now that I know the rules, let's proceed as agreed. You go first."
Chen Ou was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Wu Tian to still dare to compete with him after all this.
He said darkly, "You're that desperate to save face, aren't you?"
"No problem. But if you lose face later, don't blame me for not giving you a heads-up!"
With that, Chen Ou took the sword from the chairman and began to examine it closely.
The entire venue fell silent.
Everyone held their breath, clearly very invested in the final outcome of this competition.
Chen Ou did not take it lightly and examined it with utmost care.
After about ten minutes, he returned the sword to the chairman and declared, "I have completed my appraisal. This sword is genuine, and it is indeed Li Taibai's personal sword."
"I have studied Li Taibai extensively and have appraised his authentic works. I can say I understand him very well."
"Therefore, I can confidently state with one hundred percent certainty that I am correct."
The chairman nodded and then addressed Wu Tian, "Alright, young man, it's your turn to appraise."
As soon as Wu Tian took the sword, Chen Ou sneered, "Kid, I think you should just give up. No matter how you look at it, the result will be the same as mine. What else is there for you to see?"
Wu Tian smiled faintly, "Who said my result will be the same as yours? You say this sword is genuine, but I say this sword is fake!"
"What did you say?!" This statement shocked not only Chen Ou but also the entire audience.
Chen Ou quickly roared in anger, "Absurd! Utterly absurd!"
"From what I see, you don't know how to appraise at all!"
"You took this sword, and before even looking at it, you declared it fake. What basis do you have for saying that?"
"You're just deliberately saying the opposite of me and gambling on luck!"
"What do you think this is? This is appraisal, and it requires professional skills!"
"You think you can win by relying on luck? Let me tell you, that's wishful thinking!"
Wu Tian smiled faintly, "Why are you getting so worked up? How do you know I haven't looked at it seriously?"
"In any case, I'm saying it's fake. That's not copying your answer, is it?"
Hearing Wu Tian's words, the spectators couldn't help but shake their heads.
In their opinion, Chen Ou was right. Wu Tian was deliberately contradicting Chen Ou, which was why he declared the sword to be fake. But Chen Ou was a Level 5 appraiser. Could the words of a Level 5 appraiser be wrong?
At that moment, they all categorized Wu Tian as someone who lacked ability and only boasted verbally.
Chen Ou, of course, was full of confidence. He believed victory was within his grasp and said, "I really don't know how Manager Yang values someone like you. What's the point of opposing me? Let me tell you, you'll just have to accept defeat!"
He then turned to the chairman, "Chairman, reveal the answer now, and let this young punk know that appraising isn't that easy!"
However, to his surprise, the chairman did not immediately give the answer, and his expression became somewhat unnatural.
"Chairman?" Chen Ou looked puzzled.
"What's wrong? What's the answer, just say it!"
"I know, you're probably being kind, not wanting to embarrass him, right?"
"But he brought this upon himself. Why are you concerned about his face?"
The chairman found it difficult to speak. With a strange look at Chen Ou, he finally said, "Chen Ou, I'm not afraid of him losing face. I'm afraid you will!"
"Because this sword... is indeed a fake!"
"What?!" The moment these words were spoken, it was like a torpedo hitting the lakebed, causing a massive ripple.
This sword was fake? How was that possible?
Chen Ou exclaimed in shock, "Chairman, what are you talking about?"
"This sword is clearly genuine. How can it be fake? You're not joking, are you?"
The chairman said with a bitter tone, "Chen Ou, although you are a member of our association, I must be fair and just."
"This sword is fake. You lost this time..."