I Become The Richest Man With A monthly Salary of Twenty Thousand Yuan-Chapter 531 - 435 Really!_2

Xia Liang, on the other hand, seemed particularly relaxed, strolling around Elder Master Mu’s antique shop several times. Removing the fake painting was a delicate process that took quite some time, so the two of them ended up waiting for a full hour.

One hour later, as the last corner of the forgery was carefully lifted away, a complete painting was revealed beneath.

He set the fake painting aside. Staring at the genuine work beneath, Elder Master Mu’s entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. He took out a magnifying glass, examining every single inch of the painting. The more he checked, the more violently his body shook, and beads of sweat began to drip from his forehead. Fearing the sweat might damage the artwork, he kept wiping his brow as he worked. Before long, Elder Master Mu couldn’t even stand steadily and needed Xia Liang to support him as he continued his appraisal.

Only after confirming, time and time again, that the signature of "Tang Yin" in the corner could not possibly be a forgery, did Elder Master Mu finally set down the magnifying glass with trembling hands. Xia Liang helped him back to his lounge chair; his lips were parched. After resting for a while and drinking several sips of water, he finally looked at the expectant Fang Youxue and slowly began to speak.

"This painting... it’s a genuine Tang Yin! I never thought the ’Rain in Mountain Residence Painting’ truly existed! The old rumors weren’t false! This painting is real! To be able to witness its emergence... I am truly, deeply honored!"

The more he spoke, the more excited Elder Master Mu became. It took Xia Liang’s continuous efforts to calm him down before he finally regained his composure.

Now that the painting’s authenticity was confirmed, Fang Youxue’s excitement was no less than the elder’s. "So, what do you estimate the value of this painting is, Elder Master Mu?" she asked eagerly.

Elder Master Mu took another large gulp of water. He stared at the "Rain in Mountain Residence Painting" for a long moment before finally answering, "This painting and Tang Yin’s ’Bamboo in the Rain’ were likely painted around the same time. ’Bamboo in the Rain’ was auctioned for over twenty million US dollars, so the price of this ’Rain in Mountain Residence Painting’ would be no less. At least... 100 million Yuan!"

"One hundred million!" Even Fang Youxue swallowed hard upon hearing the figure, her expression deeply moved.

After composing himself, Elder Master Mu continued, "I would love to add this painting to my collection. I wonder, would the two of you be willing to sell it? I will absolutely offer you a satisfactory price!"

Hearing this, Xia Liang glanced at Fang Youxue, who quickly replied, "This painting doesn’t really have much to do with me. I’m already so grateful for your help today. If it weren’t for you, I would never have known all those things in my house were fakes, let alone found this painting. So whether you take it with you or sell it, the decision is yours!"

"Then I’ve made my decision." As he spoke, Xia Liang smiled and slowly rolled up the painting, handing it to a stunned Fang Youxue. "This painting was Luo Bupan’s compensation to you, so it was always yours. I’m not interested in it. You should keep it. It belongs in your home."

With that said, Xia Liang and Fang Youxue walked toward the exit. At the door, Xia Liang glanced back at Elder Master Mu. "Thank you for your trouble today, Elder Master Mu. That fake painting is worth a few cents; consider it our fee!"

As soon as he finished speaking, their figures gradually disappeared down Antique Street.

"I’m going to an antique appraisal event tomorrow. Would you like to come?"

Xia Liang thought for a moment and nodded. "Of course. How could I refuse an invitation from a beauty?"

「 」

As Xia Liang and Fang Youxue’s figures vanished, a furtive man slipped into Elder Master Mu’s shop. It was Luo Bupan, who had been following them the whole time. He had waited outside the shop for a long while, and the moment they left, he hurried inside.

Looking at the discarded fake painting on the table, Luo Bupan swallowed hard, his lips turning pale. "Elder Master Mu," he asked anxiously, "what painting was under that fake one just now? How much is it worth?"

"Beneath the fake painting was a genuine one. The legendary ’Rain in Mountain Residence Painting’ by Tang Yin. It’s worth at least 100 million Yuan!"

PFFT!

Hearing this answer, Luo Bupan felt a surge of blood rush to his head. He was so overcome with rage that he spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

「The next day」

A stage had been erected in the square, where three elders were seated. In front of them was a table where a continuous stream of people brought antiques up for appraisal. However, most of the items were worthless fakes. Xia Liang even noticed someone in the queue below carrying a Mona Lisa.

Are you kidding me?

To the left and right of the trio, a young woman in a white dress was live-streaming with a selfie stick. Her beauty was nearly on par with Fang Youxue’s. Seeing her, Fang Youxue looked pleased and waved toward the stage.

"Mumu!"

"Xue’er? You’re here!" Upon seeing Fang Youxue, Chu Lingmu hurried down from the stage to greet them.

"Is this the expert you mentioned? The one no antique can fool?" Chu Lingmu asked, her eyes flickering with skepticism as she looked at Xia Liang standing beside Fang Youxue.

"That’s right. There’s nothing he can’t tell is real or fake," Fang Youxue said confidently. After the events of the previous day, she no longer had a shred of doubt about Xia Liang.

Xia Liang noticed Chu Lingmu’s skeptical gaze, which looked as if she was about to object, so he promptly interjected, "Xue’er, why don’t you introduce us first? Who is this?"

"Oh, right, I forgot! This is Chu Lingmu, a famous anchor on Xiami Live with several million fans. Mumu’s streams are all about antiques, and she sometimes appraises treasures, too. It’s not easy to get that many followers." Fang Youxue then gestured to Xia Liang. "And this is my friend, Xia Liang. He’s also very interested in antiques. His eye for them might not be any worse than yours, Mumu."

"Is that so?" A hint of skepticism flashed in Chu Lingmu’s eyes. Her family had been collecting antiques for generations. She had been surrounded by them since birth. While she couldn’t compare to top-tier appraisers, her judgment was already far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Meanwhile, seeing that Chu Lingmu hadn’t interacted with her stream for a while, the viewers in her live chat were getting restless.

"Where’s Mumu! Did she abandon us? She promised a live treasure appraisal today!"

"Hurry up, I saw someone bring up a Mona Lisa. I want to see Mumu appraise that."

"Is the guy above me an idiot? Does that even need an appraisal? I can tell you it’s fake!"

Chu Lingmu finally turned back to her stream and gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, everyone. I just ran into a couple of friends."

She pointed the camera at Xia Liang and Fang Youxue. "This lovely lady is your Sister Xue’er, and this handsome guy is supposedly an appraisal expert. We’ll have him show off his skills for you all in a bit."

After the audience got a clear look at Xia Liang and Fang Youxue, the chat exploded with messages.

"Good heavens! Of course, a beauty’s friends are all good-looking. How are the rest of us supposed to live!"

"But that guy is so young. His appraisal skills can’t be that great, can they?"

"Right? I haven’t seen anyone our age with a better eye for antiques than Mumu!"

The viewers in the live stream clearly had little faith in Xia Liang’s abilities.

Just then, a cry of astonishment rang out from the stage, drawing everyone’s attention. The speaker was one of the three appraisers.

"Mumu, come up here and take a look! This piece seems rather extraordinary!"

"Coming!" Hearing the call, Chu Lingmu smiled, picked up her selfie stick, and returned to the appraisal table on stage.