Chapter 19

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“What!”

Except for Xu Yang, everyone else was shocked.

The others didn’t believe that it was possible because Gao Chengwen had already appraised it, and it was a forgery. Moreover, Guo Shan bought it for 500 yuan from a street vendor. They were shocked to find it genuine.

“Mr. Tang, did you make a mistake? This can’t be genuine. I might not be as knowledgeable in antiques as you, but I can see that the painting is very blurry. It’s obviously a forgery,” said Gao Chengwen.

Gao Chengwen refused to believe that it was genuine and had very valid reasons for his disbelief, the painting was blurry and couldn’t possibly be genuine. He had seen genuine works by Wu Daozi just last year. Those were incredibly clear compared to this one.

“I didn’t make a mistake,” Tang Zhengqi said. “Mr. Gao, your store has been open for more than ten years. If a treasure like this comes to your door, and you can’t recognize it, it means your skills have declined.”

Gao Chengwen took a deep breath and asked, “Mr. Tang, is this really a genuine painting?”

Gao Chengwen was having trouble accepting that. If it was genuine, then this was a significant loss. Wu Daozi’s paintings were worth at least several million yuan.

“I can’t lie about it.” Tang Zhengqi replied as he glanced at Gao Chengwen.

“No,” said Gao Chengwen as he hurriedly shook his head. “Mr. Tang, I can’t tell. Please enlighten me.”

If Gao Chengwen didn’t understand the reason why he couldn’t see it, he wouldn’t be satisfied.

Tang Zhengqi smiled slightly and looked at Xu Yang. Tang Zhengqi said, “Young man, I know you must be aware of the reason behind the blurriness of this painting. Would you mind explaining it to us?”

Xu Yang shook his head and said, “I’m not sure. I just thought this painting looks good.”

Xu Yang didn’t admit it, nor did he want to explain anything.

Tang Zhengqi seemed to understand Xu Yang’s intentions better now and regarded him with even more respect. If it were other young people, they would have been showing off their knowledge excitedly. Not many young people could stay so composed in this situation like Xu Yang.

Tang Zhengqi introduced himself, “I’m Tang Zhengqi, the Vice President of the Jaster City’s Antique Appreciation Association. May I know your name?”

“Xu Yang,” Xu Yang replied with his name.

Tang Zhengqi continued, “Mr. Xu, would you mind if I shared some insights?”

Although Xu Yang possessed the Master Appraiser skill, this was his first time dealing with antiques. He saw no harm in listening and considered it an opportunity to learn.

Xu Yang nodded. “Please, go ahead.”

Tang Zhengqi smiled and glanced at Gao Chengwen before saying, “Mr. Gao, what you said earlier was correct. The painting does appear quite blurry, which is a typical characteristic of forgeries.”

Gao Chengwen nodded vigorously. “Exactly, that’s what I said. The blurriness alone should prove that it’s not genuine.”

Tang Zhengqi continued to explain, “However, this blurriness is artificial.”

Gao Chengwen was taken aback. “Artificial?”

Tang Zhengqi nodded. “Yes, it’s artificial. Someone applied a transparent coating to the surface of this painting, which resulted in the blurry appearance.”

“What?!” Gao Chengwen exclaimed. “How is that possible? If this transparent coating is applied to a painting, wouldn’t it ruin it? And I couldn’t see any traces of it being applied!”

Tang Zhengqi explained, “It’s challenging to detect. If it weren’t for a book I recently read, I wouldn’t have noticed it. This kind of coating existed as far back as the Song Dynasty. When it’s applied to the surface of a painting, it forms a thin film that protects the artwork. However, it does emit a faint fishy odor, which is hard for ordinary people to notice.”

Gao Chengwen asked, “Is it possible to prove that this coating was applied? Just based on the smell?”

Gao Chengwen leaned over to the painting and sniffed it, confirming a faint fishy odor.

Tang Zhengqi continued, “That’s one aspect. As I said earlier, when this kind of paint is applied to the surface of the painting, it will form a thin film. As long as a small gap is made, it can be directly torn off.”

Then, Tang Zhengqi looked at Xu Yang and said, “Mr. Xu, I’m very happy to see Wu Daozi’s Hundreds of Beasts. Can I verify it on the spot and tear off this film?”

If Tang Zhengqi was to do that, it would be equivalent to him personally appraising the painting. That would definitely be enough for him to brag for a while.

Xu Yang nodded, saying, “Please, go ahead.”

It didn’t matter who did it as long as it was done carefully. Xu Yang wasn’t an expert in the antique industry, so he wasn’t concerned about the specifics. He was focused on selling the painting. Since Tang Zhengqi was the vice president of the Antique Appreciation Association, Xu Yang thought Tang Zhengqi wouldn’t use any tricks to destroy his painting.

“Thank you,” Tang Zhengqi said. He asked Gao Chengwen to fetch a small knife and proceeded to make a careful incision along the edge of the painting.

Then, Tang Zhengqi tore off the thin film. The entire painting now appeared different. What was once blurry had become crystal clear.

Tang Zhengqi said, “Look, Mr. Gao.”

“It really is genuine. I’ve missed out on a genuine masterpiece.” Gao Chengwen muttered.

Gao Chengwen regretted not contesting with Xu Yang earlier. If he did, he might have been able to acquire it. Wu Daozi’s works were worth millions, after all.

‘Even if Xu Yang had recognized it as genuine, he probably couldn’t have afforded it. Just looking at Xu Yang’s clothes and demeanor, he seemed like an ordinary person. If I wanted to compete, I would definitely have a good chance of winning. It was a pity that such a work had brushed past me. No, it wasn’t just passing by. Instead, someone had given it to me and I had pushed it away.’ Gao Chengwen thought.

Thinking about it, Gao Chengwen cursed himself inwardly for his poor judgment.

“Mr. Tang, how much is this painting worth since it is genuine?” Zhao Yulu couldn’t help but ask. She was most concerned about money.

“At least tens of millions,” Tang Zhengqi said lightly.

‘Tens of millions?’ Zhao Yulu was dumbfounded. ‘So, Xu Yang had earned tens of millions after spending 50,000 yuan?’

That thought made Zhao Yulu feel uneasy. She had been trying to borrow money from everywhere to invest in stocks, he had to borrow money everywhere. Even if she received one or two million, she would not earn more than ten million. However, Xu Yang already had tens of millions.

“Even if it’s authentic, it can’t be worth that much money, right?” Even Chen Guanglei, who came from a wealthy family, was somewhat astonished.

Several million yuan was not an amount anyone could easily produce. Chen Guanglei was currently working in his father’s company and received a monthly salary of just a few thousand yuan. His living expenses were covered by his father, totaling half a million yuan per month. If he wanted to make larger purchases like cars or houses, he would need to ask his father for more.

Yet, Xu Yang, whom Chen Guanglei had previously looked down upon and mocked relentlessly, had suddenly earned millions. Chen Guanglei couldn’t help but speak his mind, despite not fully grasp the true value of Wu Daozi’s artworks.

Although Chen Guanglei had some knowledge of antiques and the antique market, he had no idea how much Wu Daozi’s paintings were worth. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such a thing and embarrassed himself in front of Tang Zhengqi and Zhao Yulu.