Chapter 61: The Real Easy Mark Was Me
HAHAHAHAHA! I struck gold!
My acting was superb! I successfully tricked the owner, spent a little extra, and got a genuine Huangshan Gu painting worth over 100 million!
Owner, you wouldn’t believe it, my target was the “Grass Script Classic Scroll” you thought was a forgery. I didn’t intend to scam you, you’re just dishonest in your business dealings.
I just wanted to see your character. I asked about the price of a genuine Wen Zhengming painting, and you wanted five million for a piece worth a little over one million!
Don’t blame me for tricking you.
You overcharged me 100,000 on each piece of jade jewelry, and tens of thousands more on the Wen Zhengming painting. Don’t blame me for taking the three-hundred-million-yuan Huangshan Gu “Grass Script Classic Scroll.”
My performance as an inexperienced, frugal buyer was perfect.
Gu Wanrong watched the Ju Zhen Ge employee carefully package her purchases, her inner excitement bubbling beneath her calm exterior.
The old man who’d been observing Gu Wanrong secretly waited for her to leave Ju Zhen Ge to offer advice: Don’t buy so much on your first time, money isn’t everything.
But he noticed the hint of glee behind Gu Wanrong’s calm facade. With decades of experience, he sensed something was wrong. He focused on the items being packaged, approaching cautiously.
Huangshan Gu, one of the “Four Great Masters of Song Dynasty Calligraphy”, commands high prices.
This scroll, initially dismissed as a forgery of Huangshan Gu’s “Grass Script Classic Scroll”, had recently been auctioned in Japan for 5.99 billion yen, equivalent to 300 million yuan. His most expensive piece, “Di Zhu Ming,” sold for 460 million yuan a decade ago.
Was the scroll auctioned in Japan a fake, and the one dismissed as a forgery, gathering dust in Ju Zhen Ge, the genuine three-hundred-million-yuan masterpiece?
“Stop! Don’t get any closer!”
Tong Shenba stepped in front of the approaching old man. She’d noticed him eyeing them since the jade bowl purchase, but now he was too close to Gu Wanrong.
Gu Wanrong, hearing Tong Shenba, looked at the neatly dressed old man.
The old man, realizing how close he was, blushed and stammered, “Excuse me, young lady, may I have a closer look at that scroll?”
The owner, finishing packaging the jade bowl, recognized the old man as Shan Xueyong, a legendary figure in the antique world, exceptionally low-key.
The owner was thrilled: The industry’s grandmaster was in his shop!
He excitedly shook Shan Xueyong’s hand, “I knew something good was happening today! It’s an honor to have you, Master Shan!”
Shan Xueyong politely waved him off, and turned back to Gu Wanrong, “Young lady, I’m Shan Xueyong. I have some knowledge of calligraphy and antiques. Could I examine this scroll closely? I promise to be careful and won’t touch it.”
Gu Wanrong, seeing his sincerity and lack of malice, agreed.
The owner’s heart sank.
Wasn’t the genuine Huangshan Gu “Grass Script Classic Scroll” auctioned in Japan for 300 million?
Why is Master Shan interested in this supposed forgery? Could the auctioned one have been a fake?
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
Perhaps this forgery was by a famous artist, thus valuable.
Still, it was heartbreaking!
He hadn’t made a mistake in years, yet a young girl had scored a major find.
Unlike the nervous owner, Gu Wanrong was calm and smiling, unconcerned about Shan Xueyong’s assessment.
A crowd gathered. The shop became crowded.
The owner, regaining his composure, instructed his staff to close the shop.
They moved to the inner courtyard, away from the crowd.
Curious onlookers asked Gu Wanrong, “How did you find this treasure? Your eye is amazing!”
Gu Wanrong, feigning innocence, replied, “I bought several million yuan worth of items, and these were simply add-ons.”
Her sincerity shifted the onlookers’ attention to the items. Some gave her thumbs-up.
In the inner courtyard:
Everyone watched Shan Xueyong, who was examining the scroll intently. The owner watched him with rapt attention.
“It’s highly likely genuine,” Shan Xueyong declared after hours of examination.
“The brushstrokes are impeccable.”
“How is that possible?”
“Was the one auctioned in Japan fake?”
The owner, stunned, muttered in disbelief, almost fainting.
His staff caught him and seated him, preventing another fall.
“I can’t explain that, but this scroll is genuine,” Shan Xueyong reiterated.
The crowd erupted!
The 300-million-yuan scroll’s authenticity was in question.
Ju Zhen Ge’s owner sold a genuine scroll as a gift.
A young, seemingly inexperienced girl scored a major find.
The owner sat pale, weak, and heartbroken. He clutched his chest, feeling the pain of his racing heart. He heard the excited discussions but couldn’t respond. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
Owner: The real easy mark was me!
He’d thought he’d made a great deal but had become the laughingstock, letting a priceless antique slip through his fingers.
Chaos ensued.
Fortunately, Tong Shenba protected Gu Wanrong, her purchases, and Shan Xueyong.
“Young lady, who’s your master?” Shan Xueyong, eyes gleaming, approached Gu Wanrong curiously.