C59 I will Take This Painting Back

Pei Qiuyu was feeling unsure. She knew the card she had given Lin Xuan contained only three thousand yuan. Even if it was completely spent, it wouldn't come close to twenty thousand!

She suspected that Lin Xuan might have stretched the truth just to save face.

Tugging gently at Lin Xuan's sleeve, she whispered, "Lin Xuan, why not just admit your mistake now and let's leave? There's no point in being stubborn."

Yet Lin Xuan appeared unfazed and replied, "Honey, don't worry. If they doubt it, we can have a professional appraise it."

He then turned to Lee Baolai and reminded him, "Remember your words. If you lose the bet, you'll be eating this bowl."

Lee Baolai nodded emphatically, "Fine, since you insist on being obstinate, I'll show you the consequences. If your pathetic painting isn't worth twenty thousand yuan, you'll be eating it as well!"

Guo Zipeng chimed in, "And remember, you need to bow three times to Director Lee and admit you were wrong, admitting you're nothing but a poor loser."

Lin Xuan nodded, "Out of respect for Qiuyu, I came to wish you well on your opening and brought a gift. Instead of gratitude, I'm met with sycophancy."

Guo Zipeng, who had little regard for Lin Xuan, dismissed him with a flick of his wrist, "Enough talk! Are you going to admit your mistake or not?"

Lin Xuan responded, "If I'm wrong, I'll concede and follow your demands."

"Good! Let it be known to everyone present!" Guo Zipeng announced, sweeping his gaze over the classmates. "This is not coercion; he's agreed to it voluntarily!"

At that moment, Xu Wanhua quickly stood up and tugged at Guo Zipeng, "Zipeng, we're on good terms. Let's just drop it, okay?"

While others were in the dark, Xu Wanhua was well aware of Lin Xuan's extraordinary status.

Who else could command such respect from a figure as formidable as Master Hu?

Her interjection was purely in Guo Zipeng's interest, to prevent him from digging his own grave with no way to back out.

But Guo Zipeng misread her intentions, assuming she was interceding on Lin Xuan's behalf.

With a sneer, he pointed at Lin Xuan and turned to Xu Wanhua. "Is this the guy you were hyping up yesterday? The one beyond our wildest dreams? Hehe, I truly can't imagine it!"

"He's made his bed, now he's got to lie in it. No one can save him this time!"

Xu Wanhua shook her head, puzzled by Lin Xuan's confidence. Yet, she couldn't deny that at Heroes Manor yesterday, even the renowned Master Hu had treated him with great deference. She didn't fully grasp the situation, but she knew there was more to Lin Xuan than met the eye.

Lee Baolai was eager to make an impression on Pei Qiuyu. "Zipeng, just leave the painting here. I'll call my art appraiser friend right now to come take a look!"

No sooner had Guo Zipeng laid the Ukiyoe on the tatami than an exclamation rang out, "Wow!" All eyes turned to see an elderly gentleman, smartly dressed in a suit, rise from a nearby table and stride towards them.

Arriving at the Ukiyoe, the old man inspected it closely. Despite his heavily accented Mandarin, he couldn't contain his excitement. "This is indeed an authentic masterpiece!"

What?!

The room fell silent, everyone taken aback by his declaration.

Lee Baolai, who hadn't even had the chance to dial, furrowed his brow and questioned the old man. "And who might you be to declare it a masterpiece?"

The elder bowed graciously before presenting his business card with both hands. "I am Matumoto Yuan, Chairman of Aota Corporation and President of the Antique Appraisal Association. I'm at your service."

Lee Baolai, baffled, accepted the card. "What's all this, then?"

Just then, a student recognized the old man and gasped, "Wow, it's President Matsumoto! I've seen him on the treasure appraisal TV show. He was a special guest who appraised an ancient artifact!"

"He's not just a revered national treasure appraiser from Japan; he's also a connoisseur of Chinese culture!"

"Oh?" Lee Baolai, now intrigued, gestured towards the Ukiyoe. "Well then, please, would you do us the honor of appraising this piece? Some say this tattered old thing could be valuable!"

With that, he cast a scornful glance at Lin Xuan.

A nobody like him gifting valuable paintings? Who's he kidding?

No need for an appraisal to know that painting's a dud!

Everyone there was on the same page.

Nobody bought that Lin Xuan could actually hand over something of value.

Matumoto Yuan pulled out a pair of glasses and scrutinized the Ukiyoe.

Someone jeered, "Don't bother examining it. It's clearly worthless!"

"Exactly, and he thinks he can go head-to-head with Director Lee? He's just embarrassing himself!"

"That painting's probably not even worth the cost of its frame. I wouldn't take it for fifty yuan!"

After a thorough inspection, Matumoto Yuan looked up and inquired, "Who owns this painting?"

Guo Zipeng smirked, "Somebody gave it to me. It's just worthless junk. Be straight with us. Shouldn't we just toss this kind of trash?"

"Throw it away?"

Matumoto Yuan's shock was evident as he questioned, "You're talking about discarding such a precious masterpiece?"

The room fell silent at his words.

Did he just call it precious? This piece of junk?

Lee Baolai burst into laughter, "What are you on about? This isn't even marketable. It's barely a second-hand fake. And you're calling it precious?"

With that, he flung Matumoto Yuan's business card away.

"How dare you!"

Suddenly, two suited enforcers emerged from behind Matumoto Yuan. One seized Lee Baolai as the other pinned him down on the tatami.

"The audacity to disrespect the chairman!"

"Pick it up!" barked the enforcer at Lee Baolai.

"Ow, that hurts! Let go... I'll pick it up, okay? I'll pick it up."

Once Lee Baolai retrieved the business card, Matumoto Yuan gestured to the suited men, who then stepped back.

Matumoto Yuan then declared with gravity, "This Ukiyoe is 'Beauty in Art,' a work by the late-Edo period Ukiyoe artist, Birdwenzhai."

"While it may not hold the same value as your Hua Nation's prized art, he is nonetheless one of the esteemed few in our country."

Matumoto Yuan nodded as he spoke, "I estimate the market price for this Ukiyoe is no less than two hundred thousand. At a pawnshop auction, it could fetch upwards of three hundred thousand!"

Lee Baolai and Guo Zipeng's jaws dropped upon hearing this.

"Is it really that pricey? This piece is worth so much?" Lee Baolai exclaimed in astonishment.

Guo Zipeng, realizing the Ukiyoe's value, was overjoyed, practically dancing with excitement. He couldn't believe that this old painting, which seemed unremarkable at first glance, could be so valuable!

The other students in the room were equally shocked. Now, they wouldn't dare dismiss Lin Xuan's gifts as trivial—each one was a treasure in its own right!

At that moment, everyone was green with envy over Guo Zipeng's good fortune.

He had struck gold!

"Zipeng, you've hit the big time!" they cheered.

"Absolutely, what a windfall!"

But just as Guo Zipeng was reveling in his excitement, Lin Xuan interjected, "I'll be taking back the painting."

...!!!