Although Xue Min had used technology to alter her face and figure, she was still a celebrity of sorts.
Having risen to fame by leveraging her looks, she had a considerable following.
Her latest stunt had further ignited fierce online discussions.
"Holy cow, Su Yang is such a show-off! Xue Min, a great beauty, politely asked him for a photo, and he yelled at her to refuse?"
"Exactly, he has no gentlemanly demeanor at all. What a waste of a handsome face."
"Su Yang is rich, so of course he's cold and arrogant. They say he got Mu Shuman pregnant and then abandoned her, leaving her for some decent guy to pick up..."
Public opinion was fickle. Yesterday, everyone had been envious of Su Yang and Yang Mange's perfect match.
Now, with one controversy after another, people began to doubt Su Yang's character and started to lash out.
Xue Min smiled and privately added Mu Shuman as a friend. The two women, each with their own agenda, began to plot further attacks on Su Yang.
...
From beginning to end.
Su Yang remained oblivious to the changing tides of online sentiment. At this moment, he was taking Yang Mange to an antique street.
Here, one could find antiques from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, as well as stamp collections from the last century, and more.
Truth mixed with falsehood, and falsehood with truth; the goods in the various shops were dazzling.
"Wan Bao Zhai?"
In front of an ancient pavilion, a golden signboard hung above the entrance. The weathered red pillars suggested that the shop had a long history.
In his past life, Su Yang had been poor and naturally wouldn't have ventured into such places.
Now, to prepare a gift for his grandfather's seventieth birthday, he had no choice but to explore the antique street.
Wan Bao Zhai was bustling with people, with customers coming and going incessantly.
Su Yang pulled Yang Mange inside, and a rich scent of ink wafted towards them.
On the walls of the inner chamber of Wan Bao Zhai hung works by calligraphers and painters from various dynasties.
Those who came here to select antiques were partly hoping to strike it rich with a hidden gem, while others simply wanted to buy genuine pieces to decorate their homes.
"Boss, how much for this 'Great Roc Spreading Its Wings'? Name your price, and I'll take it right away!"
An elderly man with white hair was haggling over a painting with someone.
The shop owner, wearing small round glasses, smiled so widely that his eyes were mere slits. He stroked his mustache and said with a smile.
"Old sir, this painting is a masterpiece by Tang Bohu, and it is worth a fortune..."
The shop owner deliberately diverted the old man's attention from the painting to the price.
The old man glared, stroking his beard, and cursed, "What? Do you look down on me?"
The old man waved his hand, and a bodyguard behind him handed over a leather briefcase. Upon opening it, it was filled with red banknotes.
By estimation, there was at least three million yuan in cash.
The surrounding crowd gasped, and no one dared to underestimate the old man anymore.
With a bodyguard and millions of cash carried around, everyone knew the old man was either wealthy or noble.
The shop owner with the goatee smiled broadly and nodded, saying, "Alright, since you like it, my humble shop won't turn away business."
"Someone, bring the contract."
The shop owner ordered two copies of the contract to be prepared, and his hired stooges began to make their appearance.
A refined middle-aged man politely cupped his hands towards the old man and said with a smile, "Congratulations, elder, on acquiring this rare work by a master. It truly makes us envious."
"Indeed. It's a shame I don't have enough money, or I would have bought it earlier. If I take it to auction later, making tens of millions won't be a problem."
"This elder has a discerning eye and recognizes true treasures. I truly hope you can offer some guidance, as I also wish to find a treasure to collect."
With the assistance of the stooges, both positive and negative, the old man also smiled and stroked his beard.
"I am not buying this painting for profit. What do you people know?"
"Yes, yes, elder, you have an imposing presence. You look like a scholar of Confucianism. We are the ones who are shallow..."
They exchanged smiles, and then the shop owner brought over two copies of the contract.
"The original price of this painting is 3.2 million. I've waived the odd figures for you, elder. Please sign here!"
The old man nodded, picked up the pen and paper, and was about to sign.
"Wait!"
Hearing the abrupt voice, everyone turned to look towards the entrance.
The newcomers were Su Yang and Yang Mange, currently two of the biggest internet celebrities.
Among the crowd, some had watched the show "Big Star Appointment" and naturally recognized them.
"It's Su Yang and Yang Mange! What are they doing here?"
"Quick, take pictures! I heard this kid is a cheater too!"
"Yeah, he got a female classmate pregnant and is now involved with a female celebrity." 138 Reading Network
The transaction was interrupted, and the shop owner's beard bristled with anger. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Sir, are you here to do business, or..."
Su Yang used his "Insightful Eye" on the painting "Grand Roc Soaring," once again discerning its authenticity.
[Tang Bohu Painting: "Grand Roc Soaring," High-quality replica, 8 years old]
[Flaws in the replica: Insufficient ink age, forged artist's signature]
Su Yang examined it closely. The signature of Tang Bohu indeed had issues.
Tang Bohu was known for his free and unrestrained nature, and his inscriptions were always casual, never so formal.
Finally, the Xuan paper used was also treated to appear old, mimicking ancient paper.
Su Yang smiled and took a few steps forward.
He unceremoniously took the painting and the two contracts.
The old man became anxious.
"Young man, you can't steal my love! I've already paid."
"Elder, don't worry. There's more to this painting than meets the eye. Don't you want to know?"
Su Yang smiled brightly. He had briefly scanned the contract and noticed that the shop owner had played word games.
After leaving the shop, the establishment would not be responsible for anything.
This reminded Su Yang of scenes from his previous life when he went to the bank to withdraw money.
If there was less, they were not responsible; if there was more, it was returned.
The shop owner, with his narrow eyes, was afraid Su Yang would ruin his scheme and urged the old man.
"Elder, don't listen to his nonsense. Hurry up and sign and take it home to display!"
The stooges around them chimed in, with some even saying that if the old man didn't buy it, they would prepare the money to buy it themselves.
With the treasure right in front of him, the old man feared it would be snatched away and became impatient.
"Young man, give me back the painting!"
The bodyguard behind the old man clenched his fists, his posture suggesting he was ready to act if ordered.
Su Yang sighed. If he didn't have his cheat, let alone him, even experts would struggle to tell if this painting was real or fake.
"Elder, this painting is just a replica. Are you sure you want it?"
The shop owner panicked and quickly reprimanded, "Brat, don't spout nonsense! My Wan Bao Zhai has stood in the Dragon Country for hundreds of years. How could we deceive people with fakes?"
Su Yang smiled, "The artist who painted this work has considerable artistic skill, and the calligraphy is strong and vigorous. Unfortunately, the ink is not old enough, the inscription has issues, and as for the paper, the aging technique is too poor."
Upon hearing this, the shop owner's small frame trembled. All three flaws had been pointed out by him.
Initially, the owner didn't intend to bring out this painting so soon, but a customer had requested a work by Tang Bohu, which reminded him of this highly realistic replica.
The old man was half-believing, half-doubting. He took "Grand Roc Soaring" and examined it back and forth under the lamplight.