“Dr. Li is a guest of our Wei family. I am here to invite him to see my grandfather. Do you need him for something?” Wei Xueru said calmly.
Captain Liu didn’t know how to answer. He had come to find Li Se because of Shen Long’s arrangement, but now that the Wei family had appeared halfway, it was difficult to handle.
“Miss Wei, it’s like this.” Captain Liu had no choice but to explain to Wei Xueru about Li Se treating Shen Long’s child, and then added, “This involves illegal practice, and the child’s condition is getting worse. I mainly want to take Li Se back to understand the situation.”
Wei Xueru frowned: “Shen Long? The hospital can’t handle it, and they blame it all on Dr. Li. How interesting. Come back for him when you have substantive evidence. Remember, he is a distinguished guest of our Wei family!”
With that, Wei Xueru took Li Se and left.
Captain Liu had no choice but to call Shen Long.
On the way to the Wei family, Li Se thanked Wei Xueru gratefully: “Thank you. Otherwise, I would have been taken away by them.”
If he were really taken away, the trouble would be truly significant.
Wei Xueru smiled and said, “You saved my grandfather, so you are naturally a benefactor of our Wei family. By the way, what exactly happened between you and Shen Long?”
Li Se sighed and briefly recounted what happened at the hospital to Wei Xueru.
“Shen Long dared to threaten you like this!” Wei Xueru was also a little angry after hearing this. “Don’t worry, with our Wei family here, he can only obediently ask you to treat his son!”
They soon arrived at the Wei family.
The Wei family was a large courtyard with two stone lions at the entrance, exuding immense power.
“Ah, little doctor, thank you for going to such trouble to make a special trip for me.”
Wei San was admiring calligraphy and paintings with a friend when he saw Li Se arrive and immediately got up to greet him, showing his respect for Li Se.
The middle-aged man beside him’s pupils contracted, and he kept sizing up Li Se. Wei San held a significant position in Qingyun City, so anyone who could make the dignified Wei San rise to greet them could not be an ordinary person.
Behind the middle-aged man was a young man. Seeing Li Se, his brows furrowed, but he said nothing.
“Old Master Wei, you are too kind.” Li Se treated Wei San with great respect.
“You’ve come at the right time. What do you think of this painting?” Wei San unfurled a painting, a landscape. “I went through a lot of connections to get this painting, and it is said to be a genuine work by Tang Bohu!”
There are many scattered calligraphy and paintings nowadays, and many are collected by wealthy people, but more are fakes or imitations. Getting a genuine piece is not just about having money, but also needing a discerning eye.
Wei San was a collector of calligraphy and paintings, especially interested in Tang Bohu’s works. He had paid a considerable sum to obtain such a genuine piece.
Li Se looked at the painting carefully, and his brow furrowed.
Noticing Li Se’s expression, Wei San was a little surprised. “Dr. Li, is there something wrong with this painting?”
“Old Master Wei, I am just an ordinary doctor and don’t know much about calligraphy and paintings,” Li Se said humbly. In fact, he could tell at a glance that the painting was fake and not a genuine work by Tang Bohu.
The inheritance from his ancestor was not just medical skills and martial arts, but also a discerning eye. Authenticating paintings was a simple matter for him.
This painting by Tang Bohu was indeed very well imitated, and even professional appraisers would find it difficult to determine its authenticity. However, any fake painting would eventually reveal its flaws.
“You are truly humble.” The young man beside him was displeased with Li Se’s expression. “I think you seem to think there’s a problem with this painting. Since you can see the problem, tell Old Master Wei. Why hide it?”
His implication was that he was mocking Li Se for pretending to know something he didn’t.
Li Se glanced at the young man, feeling helpless, and said to Wei San, “Old Master Wei, although I am not a collector of calligraphy and paintings, I have some research in this area. This painting should be fake.”
“What, fake?” Wei San’s expression changed slightly.
Li Se had not really wanted to say anything, as it would spoil Wei San’s enjoyment. He had intended to remind Wei Xueru when he left, but now, with the young man’s words, he was forced to speak. Since that was the case, he had no choice but to tell the truth.
“Nonsense!” The middle-aged man thought Li Se was some capable young man, but it turned out he was just an incompetent fop who pretended to know things. “Do you know who appraised this painting?”
“No,” Li Se shook his head slightly.
“It’s from Zhongbaoge’s top appraisal master, Master Shang Yuan!” the middle-aged man said with a sneer. “There’s even an appraisal certificate here. You actually say this painting is fake. Young man, don’t pretend to know what you don’t. Wanting to show off is good, but overdoing it is not.”
“Heh heh, it’s alright. Everyone is just looking for fun. Some think it’s real, some think it’s fake. This is normal. Dr. Li, you don’t need to mind,” Wei San said with a smile, smoothing things over. He clearly trusted Zhongbaoge’s Master Shang Yuan more, as the painting had been appraised by this master and couldn’t be wrong.
What kind of place was Zhongbaoge? It was an authoritative institution for appraisal!
Li Se was a little annoyed. He said, “Can a fake painting become real after being appraised by Master Shang Yuan?”
As soon as he said this, everyone’s expressions changed.
“Dr. Li, let’s just let this matter pass,” Wei San quickly reminded him. Zhongbaoge was an authority in this field. Although Li Se’s medical skills were excellent, he was not proficient in appraisal.
“Interesting!” The young man laughed. “Since someone dares to question Zhongbaoge’s appraisal, then tell me, what exactly is fake about this painting? Let me tell you, questioning Zhongbaoge has a price. Be careful what you say.”
Wei Xueru said with some concern, “Dr. Li, it’s better to say less. After all, Zhongbaoge is an authority in appraisal, and antiques from them are almost never misjudged.”
Li Se was not afraid. He smiled, fully unfurled the meter-long painting, and placed it on the table. He looked at the middle-aged man and the young man, then finally his gaze fell on Wei San and Wei Xueru, smiling as he said, “In contemporary painting appraisal, unless one is very familiar with the artist’s style, it is usually done through three methods.”
Seeing that Li Se seemed knowledgeable, Wei San couldn’t help but ask, “Oh, Dr. Li, what three methods?”