New Times, New Hell Chapter 89 - CEO Doesn't Understand Antiques

Chapter 89 - CEO Doesn’t Understand Antiques

Over the phone, Shen Wenrong had told Shang Que that this Song history symposium was going to be a relatively private event. When Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que arrived at the capital, though, they discovered that this symposium wasn’t private in the slightest. There was an impressive number of guests present: not only were there famous experts in the field, there were also several incredibly rich businessmen.

In comparison to the other guests who were being picked up and dropped off by luxury cars, Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que seemed extremely down to earth——they had taken a taxi over from the airport. Fortunately, the two of them used their exceptional appearances to maintain an air of elegance. Especially Shang Que’s face, which, when he wasn’t speaking, was strikingly handsome. No matter where he stood, he could instantly become the center of attention.

The location of the symposium was a relatively famous high-end convention center. When Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que arrived, Shen Wenrong’s a.s.sistant came out to receive them.

“Right now, Professor Shen and his teacher, Old Mr. w.a.n.g, are getting interviewed by the media. He can’t leave at the moment, so has told me to show you guys around first,” the a.s.sistant explained while leading them around.

Yu Zhengdu asked, perplexed, “Isn’t this a private symposium? How come there are interviews with the media?”

“Oh, it’s a private symposium in that all the attendees are attending under their own name. There aren’t any guests from organizations. However, the symposium is open to the public,” the a.s.sistant shared. “The media were invited by the event organizer as well. They’re all very credible media sources. You’ll see in a bit.”

Then, he listed a few of the media sources present today. As soon as he heard their names, Yu Zhengdu thought as expected, they really are famous. There were even two top-tier official media sources.

Yu Zhengdu smiled and said, “The event organizer has a lot of prowess.”

“Right?” The a.s.sistant thought that the two of them were good looking. Yu Zhengdu was also a good conversation partner. Thus, he couldn’t help diverging a few additional details. He lowered his voice and said, “I’m going to tell you guys the truth. This time, on paper, the event organizer is the Gou family. In actuality, though, they also have Meng Hua’s resources secretly helping them.”

“Meng Hua is?” Yu Zhengdu became curious after hearing this.

He was a homebody technician with no talent for art whatsoever. Before this, he had never paid attention to any news regarding this field. He had only looked up some information about the event organizers because he was going to attend this symposium. He knew that the Gou family, who were the hosts this time, were a very influential family in the historian circle. They were especially educated in Song history. Old Mr. Gou, the head of the Gou family who had pa.s.sed away a few years ago, had been the utmost authority in the Song history field. Many of the famous historians in the field now all had some connection to him. Additionally, the Gou family also had a large collection of antiques. According to rumors, their family owned several antiques that could be considered national treasures.

Because of the Gou family’s reputable background, Yu Zhengdu had never really formed any expectations for how majestic this symposium would be. He had thought that this was all due to the Gou family’s connections. Unexpectedly, there was also another source of power behind everything.

However, Yu Zhengdu had a limited understanding in this regard. For example, the name “Meng Hua” that the a.s.sistant had mentioned was completely foreign to him.

“They’re an auction house that has recently started gaining traction. They mainly auction off antiques from the Song Dynasty,” the a.s.sistant replied.

Shang Que suddenly b.u.t.ted in from the side, “Their name is taken from ‘Dong Jing Meng Hua Lu,’ right?”

“Yes.” The a.s.sistant nodded. He looked around and, after realizing that n.o.body was paying attention to them, scooted close and said, “The CEO of Meng Hua is named Liu Ao. He was a student of the now deceased Old Mr. Gou.”

Yu Zhengdu glanced at the a.s.sistant. He felt like the other’s words were hinting at a deeper truth. But the little a.s.sistant only gossiped for a moment. There were lots of strings attached to resources such as these. Obviously, someone of his standing wouldn’t be allowed to touch these secrets.

They had entered the convention center during their conversation. This convention center had originally been high-end. Now, it had been additionally decorated to appear even more splendid. The overall style was rather unique. Even Yu Zhengdu, a homebody technician who didn’t have much of an eye for beauty, couldn’t help expressing his awe.

Also, exactly as Shen Wenrong had previously told Shang Que, this symposium had invited several private collectors to lend their collectibles to the main event sponsors, in addition to inviting many famous experts. The amount of security on site was exceptionally high. Though the entire event wasn’t comparable to an official exhibition, many of these private collectibles usually weren’t allowed to be seen by the general public. There weren’t too many items, but it wasn’t too exaggerated to describe the items present as priceless. The people wandering around the symposium were also adorned in jewels and carrying themselves with a haughty air. It was obvious that they were all rich and wealthy.

While walking, the a.s.sistant introduced the private collectibles on display today. He himself was also part of the Song history research a.s.sociation, meaning he was pretty interested in these items. His explanations were very detailed. Halfway through the tour, they noticed a middle-aged man helping a hale and hearty old man walk over from the direction of the reception area. There were also a few other people behind them.

“Professor Shen and Old Mr. w.a.n.g are here,” the a.s.sistant told Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que. Then, he led them forward to greet Shen Wenrong.

“Mr. Shang, we finally meet.” Originally, Shen Wenrong’s expression hadn’t been too pleased. After seeing Shang Que, he finally brightened up a bit. He introduced Shang Que to the elderly man beside him with a smile, “Teacher, this is Mr. Shang Que, the one who helped me resolve several difficult academic problems.”

He also said to Shang Que, “Mr. Shang, this is my teacher. You’re so educated in Song history, you must have heard of his name before: w.a.n.g Gezhi.”

Yu Zhengdu had originally been smiling off to the side, remaining silent and doing his best to pretend to be a professional employee. As soon as he heard Shen Wenrong say this, he hurriedly turned to look at Shang Que. As expected, Shang Que’s expression read never heard of him. Yu Zhengdu was terrified that Shang Que would directly say what he was thinking, so instantly pushed the other’s hands down and replied for him with a smile, “Of course we’ve heard of him. Old Mr. w.a.n.g’s name is quite famous. His reputation precedes him.”

Shang Que side-eyed Yu Zhengdu. Then, he nodded as well and calmly said, “Un, I know him.”

Yu Zhengdu sighed in relief before secretly pulling out his phone to look up w.a.n.g Gezhi’s name. As expected, he really was a famous person – the kind who had their own Baike page.

It turned out that Old Mr. w.a.n.g was a very reputable scholar in the Song history circle. Not only so, he was also an authority figure when it came to authenticating Song Dynasty antiques.

Yu Zhengdu combined all the circ.u.mstances regarding today’s supposed symposium and came up with a guess in his heart. Rather than saying this was a discussion about Song history, it was more accurate to say this was an antiques exhibition carrying on under the guise of a Song history symposium.

Among the experts present, aside from Shen Wenrong and his teacher, a majority of them were antique identifiers, not historians.

Old Mr. w.a.n.g Gezhi’s expression thawed. He told Shang Que, “Wenrong mentioned you a lot in the past. A pity that I never got the chance to converse with you face to face. I never expected for you to be so handsome as well.”

At this time, a smartly dressed woman suddenly looked at Shang Que in shock from behind the old mister. She asked, “Could this be the owner of the famous Weibo account, From Today On I Will Be A European G.o.d?”

Yu Zhengdu almost burst into laughter on the spot.

Shang Que’s Weibo ID seemed normal when you saw it online, but when someone read it out loud so officially, it suddenly felt very embarra.s.sing.

Old Mr. w.a.n.g probably didn’t use Weibo. For a moment, he didn’t understand. Shen Wenrong’s expression started turning green, though – it was obvious that he was holding his laughter in. However, he ultimately succeeded in not laughing and introduced, “That’s him. However, we usually don’t call him that.”

That woman hurriedly nodded. “Right right right, I know. Everyone online calls him CEO.”

Shen Wenrong then introduced the woman. It turned out that she was a reporter for an official media source and was named Shu Yujing. No wonder she acted so serious, even reading a Weibo ID out loud.

“I hadn’t expected that CEO would attend too. I’ll need to interview you in private later. That way, people will be sure to click our link,” Shu Yujing joked. Shang Que wasn’t extremely influential among the historians, but he was viral online.

w.a.n.g Gezhi didn’t understand these Internet matters. He was also rather cold to Shu Yujing. Thus, he didn’t respond to her joke. He decided to say to Shang Que instead, “Wenrong said that Mr. Shang is very educated in the culture of the two Song Dynasties. When we have the time later, why not sit down and have a discussion?”

Shang Que didn’t care either way. He casually nodded. “Un.”

Shu Yujing got ignored, but whether this had been intentional or unintentional couldn’t be known for sure. She felt a bit humiliated, so changed the topic in embarra.s.sment. Coincidentally, they were standing next to an item on display. Thus, she pointed at the item and asked Shang Que with a smile, “Oh right. Mr. Shang is an expert on Song history too. You must be quite informed about these things too, right?”

Yu Zhengdu turned to look at Shang Que as well. Speaking of, Shang Que seemed to be someone who had lived through that era. As such, he ought to be more familiar with these items than others would be.

Only to see Shang Que casually glance at that display item and calmly say, “Nope. Not informed at all.”

Shu Yujing had originally been waiting for Shang Que to share some impressive insight. Upon hearing this, she had no response. She could only awkwardly ask, “Is that so?’

She couldn’t help muttering to herself at any rate, this Mr. Shang is still a relatively famous expert on Song history online. How come he doesn’t act like an expert at all?

Yu Zhengdu was slightly surprised too. He looked at Shang Que. “I thought that you would be quite familiar with these things?”

“These are antiques.” Shang Que furrowed his brows. “I’m only familiar with life during the Song Dynasty. I know nothing about antiques.”

Yu Zhengdu reached a realization after brief consideration. Though Shang Que had lived during that era, that didn’t necessarily mean that he could identify antiques from that era.

Antique identification was a very advanced skill. One needed to be able to establish the antique’s age, place of origin, authenticity, etc. These weren’t things that people who had lived in that era could easily determine. This was just like people who lived in modern times: they were extremely familiar with the things belonging to their era, but for most people, they couldn’t even tell if a high quality counterfeit purse was the real deal or not. It was even more impossible for them to identify antiques.

w.a.n.g Gezhi glanced at Shu Yujing, displeased. “You reporters need to stop asking about things you don’t understand. These are two different fields.”

Though Shu Yujing wasn’t a petty person, she was still an official reporter. Being scolded by w.a.n.g Gezhi like this in public made her more or less feel a bit humiliated. Thus, her expression darkened. Just as she was about to turn around and leave them, a large commotion sounded out from the main entrance.

Everyone looked in that direction, only to see a tall, st.u.r.dily built middle-aged man with a beer belly walk in. He was surrounded by a crowd of people. Behind him, a swarm of reporters followed as well. Their camera flashed incessantly.

w.a.n.g Gezhi and Shen Wenrong’s expressions instantly became foul.

Shu Yujing’s eyes lit up, though. She hurriedly told the cameraman following her, “Gou Shiw.a.n.g is here. Hurry and get a few extra pictures.”

It turned out this man was the host of today’s symposium – the current head of the Gou family, Gou Shiw.a.n.g.

Only to hear w.a.n.g Gezhi say through clenched teeth from nearby, “Covered in filthy money. He’s forgotten his roots.”

Yu Zhengdu couldn’t help glancing at w.a.n.g Gezhi.

At this time, Gou Shiw.a.n.g noticed them too. He instantly revealed a smile and walked over, politely bowing to w.a.n.g Gezhi. He shouted, “Shishu, how wonderful that you could make it.”

Yu Zhengdu felt a bit surprised upon hearing the term Gou Shiw.a.n.g used to refer to w.a.n.g Gezhi. He instinctively turned to look at Shang Que. He only realized after already turning around that Shang Que probably didn’t know anything about the relationship between them either.

Shang Que truly didn’t know. However, upon noticing Yu Zhengdu’s curious gaze, he thought about it and took the rare initiative to ask Shen Wenrong, “What’s their relationship?”

Shen Wenrong said, “Gou Shiw.a.n.g’s father, Old Mr. Gou, is my teacher’s shixiong.”

Shang Que nodded. He turned to look at Yu Zhengdu. Yu Zhengdu returned the gaze: Got it!

On the other side, w.a.n.g Gezhi’s expression had already hardened. “Don’t get happy so soon. I’m only here to see what embarra.s.sing things you’re capable of doing.”

He was very impolite, but Gou Shiw.a.n.g didn’t seem to care at all. He even stated, rather pleased, “Shishu, how could this be considered embarra.s.sing? Look at how successful today’s symposium is. There are even several credible reporters here. When the news articles get published, they’ll definitely be able to garner an enormous response from society. Our influence will definitely become even greater too.”

w.a.n.g Gezhi scoffed, “We’re researchers. Why do we need influence?”

A man standing next to Gou Shiw.a.n.g spoke up with a chuckle, “Shishu, you’re too old-fashioned. There’s a gold mine before you, but you refuse to extract any gold from it. What a waste of the connections and reputation you have in this field.”

Yu Zhengdu turned to look at Shang Que. Thus, Shang Que asked Shen Wenrong again. Shen Wenrong answered, “He’s Old Mr. Gou’s student, Liu Ao.”

Yu Zhengdu was struck by realization. So this was the CEO of Meng Hua.

Though Yu Zhengdu didn’t understand the rules of this field, the fact that the head of the Gou family and the CEO of an auction house had appeared together more or less caused him to make some connections, even though he was an outsider to this field.

As expected, before w.a.n.g Gezhi could fly into a fit, a man dressed in a tailored suit walked over, surrounded by a crowd of people. He greeted w.a.n.g Gezhi before shaking hands with Gou Shiw.a.n.g and Liu Ao. “Boss Gou, Boss Liu, you’re finally here. I’ve waited a long time for you two.”

This time, Yu Zhengdu didn’t need to signal to Shang Que through his gaze anymore. Shang Que himself very conscientiously turned to Shen Wenrong. Shen Wenrong had also developed a conditioned reflex. “He’s the wealthiest businessman in the capital and is also very famous among the antique collectors. His name is Zhan Wei.”

Liu Ao said with a smile, “Please forgive us, Boss Zhan.《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》is a collectible that could be considered a national treasure. We naturally had to be careful and cautious, which is why we’ve arrived a little bit late.”

“Of course, of course,” Zhan Wei replied. “How rare that Boss Gou is willing to take《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》out for everyone to see. It’s worth it for us to wait a while longer.”

w.a.n.g Gezhi’s eyes widened beside them. He pointed at Gou Shiw.a.n.g and asked, “You brought《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》out?”

“So many collectors have lended their collectibles out for display this time. I obviously need to do my part too,” Gou Shiw.a.n.g said.

An argument was taking place on that side. On this side, Shen Wenrong heaved out a long sigh.

Yu Zhengdu asked, “What’s wrong, Professor Shen?”

“From now on, things probably aren’t going to go the way Teacher wants them to,” Shen Wenrong softly explained. “This Liu Ao is supported by immense wealth. He’s always wanted to use the reputation of the Gou family to increase his range of influence. However, when Old Mr. Gou was still alive, he didn’t allow their plans to prevail. Now that Old Mr. Gou has pa.s.sed away, though, Gou Shiw.a.n.g and Liu Ao have immediately started collaborating……”

Like this symposium. On the outside, the Gou family was hosting. But in actuality, it was being pushed into existence by the resources of Meng Hua. Otherwise, the influence of the Gou family alone wouldn’t be enough to get so many experts to attend. It also wasn’t enough to get all these collectors to lend out their collectibles.

w.a.n.g Gezhi and the deceased Old Mr. Gou were the best of friends and brothers. Naturally, he was incredibly displeased with the way Gou Shiw.a.n.g was using the Gou family reputation right now. Only, no matter how displeased he was, he was ultimately still an outsider. He had no power to alter Gou Shiw.a.n.g’s decision.

For today’s meeting, Gou Shiw.a.n.g had used the ruse of a Song history discussion to invite w.a.n.g Gezhi and Shen Wenrong. Additionally, there were many rare antiques being put on display. w.a.n.g Gezhi had thought that Gou Shiw.a.n.g had finally abandoned the wrongful path and found his way back to the light. But when he had arrived on site, he had instantly been pushed to accept an interview with the media.

Why were interviews necessary at a private symposium?

w.a.n.g Gezhi thought of all the things Gou Shiw.a.n.g had done in the past and naturally made a largely accurate a.s.sumption about his true intentions.

This supposed symposium was most likely a stepping stone for Meng Hua Auction House. All of these experts were only tools for Meng Hua to prove their professionalism.

After hearing Shen Wenrong’s explanation, Yu Zhengdu finally understood. No wonder Old Mr. w.a.n.g had looked so angry this whole time; no wonder he had been so cold towards the reporters.

Following Gou Shiw.a.n.g and Liu Ao’s arrival, all the reporters and attendees surrounded them. Obviously, everyone knew that the climax of today’s meeting was about to begin.

This convention center had been carefully set up. There was a small stage in the middle of the convention center. Gou Shiw.a.n.g stepped onto it at the urging of everyone else. The cameras immediately started rolling.

As a reporter from an official media source, Shu Yujing walked forward first. She asked, “Boss Gou, I’ve heard that today, you’re going to display the Gou family’s rare and prized treasure,《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》, the work of famed Northern Song artist Qu Lanzhi. Is that correct?”

As soon as Shu Yujing asked this question, everyone present fell silent in antic.i.p.ation. Obviously, aside from w.a.n.g Gezhi and his student, everyone else had already heard the news in advance.

Even Yu Zhengdu, someone who didn’t understand antiques at all, felt surprised. There was no other reason – Qu Lanzhi was honestly too famous. He was one of those historical figures that often appeared in history textbooks.

As a celebrity from the Song Dynasty, Qu Lanzhi had supposedly been an expert calligrapher and artist. His art and calligraphy pieces were all treasures in Huaxia history. His current surviving works were basically only viewable at national museums. It was exceptionally rare for any private collectors to own any.

Yu Zhengdu pulled out his phone and looked the t.i.tle up.《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》was an early piece by Qu Lanzhi. It wasn’t very famous compared to his other works, but it combined both his artistic and calligraphy talents, making it a very valuable collector’s piece.

The Gou family actually owned Qu Lanzhi’s work. No matter which piece of work it was, it was more than enough to outshine all the items on display right now. No wonder the other collectors were willing to lend out their collectibles. First, disregarding any possible benefits Meng Hua was secretly giving them, the simple fact that Gou Shiw.a.n.g was willing to bring《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》out was sufficient to tempt all the other collectors.

“What a rare opportunity that so many people of the same taste could be here today. It is my honor to have the chance to discuss the identification and appreciation of antiques with everyone.” Gou Shiw.a.n.g waved his hands, gesturing for the workers to move《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》onstage. “I’ll have to ask all our friends in the media to turn off your flash before taking any pictures.”

《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》was carefully protected by reinforced gla.s.s. The workers cautiously carried it onstage.

As soon as this rare treasure appeared, various exclamations of shock instantly sounded out from the audience. The media also charged forward to take innumerous photos. Fortunately, the convention center was well prepared for this: they had arranged for security guards in advance. By splitting up the crowd of viewers, they managed to avoid chaos.

Gou Shiw.a.n.g generously stood off to the side and allowed the media to take pictures. Meanwhile, he introduced the history behind《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》: “……As everyone knows, there are an exceptionally small number of Qu Lanzhi’s works that have survived. Currently, only the Capital Museum and Bian Provincial Museum are in possession of his work. As for pieces belonging to private collectors, I fear that only the《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》of our Gou family exists.”

w.a.n.g Gezhi quietly condemned, “The treasure of the Gou family, being used in this manner to make him appear more reputable……”

“Teacher, calm down,” Shen Wenrong placated. Before he could finish his sentence, though, he heard Gou Shiw.a.n.g announce an astonishing piece of information.

“Next, I plan to entrust《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》to Meng Hua Auction House for auctioning. The time of sale has been set for New Year’s Day. Those interested can ask for more information,” Gou Shiw.a.n.g said.

w.a.n.g Gezhi’s eyes widened. He no longer cared about all the media present. He pointed at Gou Shiw.a.n.g and yelled, “What did you say?”

The old man had a loud voice. He instantly garnered a lot of attention. w.a.n.g Gezhi’s face was red with anger. “You unfilial son. You actually dare to auction《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》off. Don’t you think you’re letting your father down?”

Gou Shiw.a.n.g looked over at him, completely composed. He smiled and said, “Shishu, this is the Gou family’s possession. It’s not up to outsiders to question what I do with it, right?”

w.a.n.g Gezhi was so outraged that his entire body was shaking. “Your ancestors in the Gou family spent generation after generation carefully protecting this painting. Yet you’re ruining it just like this?”

“How could this be considered ruining?” Gou Shiw.a.n.g asked. “As everyone knows, Meng Hua Auction House is currently the most professional auction house in the nation. Whether you’re considering the collectibles being auctioned off or the consumers buying these collectibles, we are the top of the game. It absolutely cannot be considered ruining if this painting is auctioned off by Meng Hua.”

w.a.n.g Gezhi wanted to say something else, but he had already gotten held down by the workers who had been placed next to him ahead of time. They didn’t give him the opportunity to speak again.

Liu Ao picked this time to add, “Old Mr. w.a.n.g knows that this is an authentic artifact that has been pa.s.sed down for generations in the Gou family. Thus, his heart hurts. But I trust that the results of Meng Hua’s final transaction won’t disappoint the old mister.”

By now, Yu Zhengdu finally understood the true purpose of this symposium.

Just as w.a.n.g Gezhi had guessed at first, this symposium had been held to increase Meng Hua Auction House’s influence. The experts, wealthy businessmen, and media were all there for promotion, but also for endors.e.m.e.nt.

However, the most important part of the plan to increase Meng Hua’s influence was to auction off a rare, authentic antique.

《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》was this representative piece.

w.a.n.g Gezhi was also part of their plan. They clearly knew that w.a.n.g Gezhi would publicly object to their actions, but had still invited him to attend. This was because he was very influential and also the shidi of Old Mr. Gou. Additionally, his emotional reaction would provide the most convincing argument to prove that this《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》was truly an authentic antique.

Yu Zhengdu glanced at w.a.n.g Gezhi with sympathy. The old mister was in the middle of panting. Shen Wenrong was beside him, helping him smooth out his breathing. However, the workers were also right next to him. They refused to let the old man get close to the stage.

Onstage, Liu Ao revealed a smile. “We have already invited experts to approximate the value of《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》. Our final decision is that we will start the auctioning price at one hundred million RMB.”

A tumultuous commotion instantly broke out. Furthermore, the cameras kept clicking away.

w.a.n.g Gezhi pounded on his chest. “What a sinner. If Shixiong were still alive, he absolutely wouldn’t have allowed《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》to be used by merchants in such a manner.”

Liu Ao smiled and said, “Old man, we’re going to need to perform another round of authentications prior to the official auction. As long as you don’t mind, we’d be more than happy to have you join our team of authenticators. After all, you’re the one who currently understands《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》best in this country. If you’re the authenticator, our clients will be able to rest more at ease.”

How could w.a.n.g Gezhi not know that he had been used? He instantly became even angrier; he couldn’t even get a single word out.

Yu Zhengdu’s gaze was full of pity. He sighed, “I believe that at this time, the old mister would probably rather find out that this《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》is fake.”

Shang Que calmly stated from next to him, “It is fake.”

Yu Zhengdu temporarily couldn’t react to this statement. He went, “Huh?” Then, he turned around to look at Shang Que. “What did you say?”

“Their《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》……” Shang Que glanced onstage at the famous painting being held up by workers, “is fake.”

Shang Que didn’t speak very loudly, but because they were close to w.a.n.g Gezhi, which was an area many people were paying attention to, a lot of people still heard him.

Coincidentally, Shu Yujing was nearby too. Upon hearing this, she quickly asked, “Mr. Shang, may I ask if you just said that this《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》is fake?”

Shu Yujing had her own photographer. As soon as she asked her question, the camera immediately turned around and focused in this direction, which caught the interest of several people.

At this time, other reporters recognized Shang Que too. They started asking, “Isn’t this person that Internet-famous Song historian on Weibo?”

“Yes, he’s really famous. What’s his name again? From Today On……？”

“CEO, they call him CEO. I recall that Professor Shen Wenrong admires him a lot.”

“Right right right. That’s him.”

Some people recognized him, but there were also people who didn’t recognize him. That didn’t matter, though. After hearing the discussions of those around them, they learned that this person had great influence online and was also quite professionally educated. Didn’t this mean that his words ought to be carefully considered?

Especially because he had such an exceptional outer appearance. If not for anything else, it was still worth it to take a few extra photos of him.

In only an instant, all the cameras had already turned to focus on Shang Que. “CEO, did you just say that this《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》is a fake??”

Shang Que was a bit impatient, but, out of regard for Shen Wenrong, he still patiently replied, “Yes, it’s a counterfeit.”

As soon as he said this, Gou Shiw.a.n.g’s expression darkened. He yelled, “Who are you? How dare you spout bulls.h.i.t here?”

If this were a n.o.body, that would be fine. However, this person actually seemed like he had some sort of fame. Liu Ao hurriedly pulled a reporter he was familiar with over to ask. After learning that this was an Internet celebrity, he calmed down. He walked forward and said with a smile, “Sir, you can’t just say things like that.”

Shang Que was half a head taller than him. He stared down at the other. “I can prove it.”

Liu Ao had no response. Everyone else almost choked on air.

Gou Shiw.a.n.g couldn’t help it anymore. He walked forward too and scoffed. “《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》has been pa.s.sed down for generations in my family. This is my first time hearing anyone dare to say it’s counterfeit. I guess you mustn’t have a great understanding of the Gou family’s history.”

The media around them were very excited about this drama. They caused an uproar. “CEO, do you have any evidence to prove your statement?”

Liu Ao stopped being so polite. Expression hard, he said, “You only understand a bit of Song history. Understanding history and understanding antiques are two different things.”

His words reminded Shu Yujing. Shu Yujing made a sound of suspicion and asked, “Speaking of, CEO, didn’t you just say that you don’t understand antiques? How come you’re so sure now that this painting is fake?”

Her words gained a lot of attention. Everyone’s gazes suddenly turned dubious as they looked at Shang Que. “CEO, so do you understand antique identification or not?”

“No,” Shang Que replied very briskly.

As soon as he said this, all the media present instantly went: = =

Liu Ao and Gou Shiw.a.n.g simultaneously chuckled coldly. Just as Liu Ao was about to mock Shang Que, he heard Shang Que continue to say, “However, the real《Trip to Songfeng Pavilion》is in my possession.”

The author has something to say:

Is Boss a broke-a.s.s today? Not anymore!