Chapter 152

“Tang Feng? How did you end up here?”

When Xu Xinling saw Tang Feng, she was clearly taken aback.

Before Tang Feng could answer, she was overtaken by her garrulous spirit again, “Oh, I get it, you’re here to pick up some overlooked treasures, right?”

“That’s not acceptable, you know. Although you do have impressive luck, you can’t always just skate by with such opportunistic methods.”

“I think it would be better for you to find a stable job. If you need help, I could introduce you to a few…”

Tang Feng couldn’t get a word in edgewise and was left speechless.

It seemed that in this woman’s eyes, he had become a drifter who lived on luck alone.

He waited patiently for her to finish, before interjecting, “I think you’re mistaken, actually, I work here.”

Xu Xinling suddenly paused, “You work at Ya Garden?”

Tang Feng nodded, “Yes, is there a problem?”

Confusion spread across Xu Xinling’s face, “That’s odd, I come to Ya Garden often, how come I have never seen you before?”

“I’ve only arrived a few days ago, it’s perfectly normal that you haven’t seen me.”

Tang Feng explained with a smile, and since the hall was in disarray, he invited her to the adjacent reception room. “By the way, my master mentioned you were coming over for an appraisal today and told me to take care of you. What are you looking to have appraised?”

Xu Xinling was stunned again, “Your master is Mr. Zhang? You’re an appraiser at Ya Garden?”

Tang Feng poured her a cup of tea, smiling unconcernedly, “Yes, does that surprise you?”

The revelation had such an impact on Xu Xinling that she sat in silence for a long time.

No wonder this guy was so good at gambling on stones and opening blind boxes.

So the ‘European king’ was a sham, and he was actually an appraiser?

And since Zhang Jicheng was confident enough to have him receive her, he clearly thought Tang Feng was capable enough to stand on his own.

Although she wasn’t very familiar with the antique industry, she knew how difficult it was for an appraiser to gain the ability to operate independently.

Not only did they need to have strong appraisal skills and experience, but they also had to be adept at socializing and dealing with people.

Haven’t you seen that most appraisers in antique shops are seniors?

An appraiser like Tang Feng who, at such a young age, was trusted with such responsibility, was rarer than a panda.

“I’m asking you something, what’s on your mind?” Tang Feng, seeing her lost in thought, had to wave his hand in front of her to catch her attention.

That’s when Xu Xinling remembered why she was there and hurriedly placed a wooden box on the table, “I came here to have this piece of calligraphy appraised.”

Upon opening the wooden box, Tang Feng saw a well-mounted scroll inside, using paper with silk borders—a hallmark of exquisite mounting, certainly the work of a master mounter.

As they say, the mounting makes up for three parts of the artwork’s appeal.

Aside from the artwork itself, the mounting is equally important, holistically enhancing the perceived value of a piece.

It was clear that the owner of this piece valued it greatly.

However, as he unrolled the scroll bit by bit, his expression gradually turned more and more peculiar.

By the time he got to the last bit, he was struggling to hold back a laugh.

Wasn’t this the piece of Zhang Daqian’s calligraphy he had just picked up in Antique Street?

Except the piece he had was genuine, whereas this one was a counterfeit.

What a coincidence.

“Where did you buy this calligraphy?” he asked casually, putting the piece down and turning to look at Xu Xinling.

“It wasn’t me. My dad bought it. He enjoys collecting these things. He bought this piece of calligraphy a while ago and has been showing it off to everyone,” Xu Xinling couldn’t help but complain about her father.

“Uh… this…”

Tang Feng didn’t know how to break the truth to her.

Xu Xinling, sensing that he was holding back something, became curious and pressed him, “What’s wrong? Is there an issue with this piece of calligraphy?”

Tang Feng coughed twice, “Give me a moment.”

He then stood up to call his master, Zhang Jicheng, out from inside.

Zhang Jicheng, who had been admiring the calligraphy, followed out of curiosity due to his disciple’s strange behavior and unwillingness to explain.

When he saw the piece of calligraphy Xu Xinling had brought, his expression turned intriguing.

Xu Xinling, noticing their evasiveness, grew a bit irritated, “What have you found out? Can you just be clear?”

Tang Feng took the genuine piece from his master’s hand, laid it out on the table, and turned to look at Xu Xinling, “Can you see any differences between these two pieces?”

As Xu Xinling looked down, she was immediately baffled, “How come these two calligraphy pieces look identical?”

Tang Feng placed the two pieces side by side, “Isn’t it obvious? If two pieces look exactly the same, one of them must be fake.”

Xu Xinling looked back and forth between the two pieces but couldn’t discern any difference. “Which piece is the counterfeit?”

“Feng, why don’t you explain it to Miss Xu,” Mr. Zhang finally spoke up, clearly intending to test his pupil.

Tang Feng didn’t keep them in suspense any longer. He swiftly scanned the pieces with the system and then pointed out all the suspicious elements in the counterfeit piece.

“Actually, visual inspection is a fundamental skill in art appraisal. For professional appraisers, the first glance is often the most sensitive and profound observation…”

“As for real masters, their work contains a unique vigor that comes from years of accumulation. Imitators can often only replicate the form, never capturing the true spirit…”

“Zhang Daqian’s calligraphy is referred to as the ‘Wind Banner Style,’ characterized by its towering and semi-hidden strokes. To put it simply, his writing has a very distinctive ‘flair’. But this piece you have…”

Following the system’s prompts, he pointed out all the inconsistencies in the piece brought by Xu Xinling.

Even Mr. Zhang Ji, who was standing aside, felt inwardly amazed.

Some of the discrepancies mentioned by Tang Feng had also been noticed by him, but there were some he hadn’t even seen.

After all, it was impossible to identify all the issues in such a short time.

Yet the level of expertise displayed by Tang Feng left even his own master feeling sheepish.

Mr. Zhang faced a profound conflict.

On one hand, seeing his disciple surpassing the master filled him with pride.

On the other hand, the speed at which Feng was “outstripping the master” was cause for concern.

He wondered what else he had left to teach him.