Consecutive Face Slaps, Art Master's Appraisal

The auction continued, and a hostess carefully walked onto the stage to present a traditional Chinese painting. The auctioneer loudly introduced, "Ladies and gentlemen, this artwork 'Ink-Imbued Frost Charm' is the last masterpiece of the renowned modern Chinese artist, Mr. Fan Yanqiao. It represents the pinnacle of his artistic skill! Friends who appreciate traditional Chinese painting must not miss this opportunity!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Shengge became interested. Her grandfather had been a top Chinese painter, and many had tried to obtain his ink treasures to no avail. She practically grew up surrounded by traditional Chinese paintings. Furthermore, Fan Yanqiao had been a close friend of her grandfather.

Ye Shengge gazed at the painting with anticipation, but after only a glance, her brow furrowed slightly.

Fu Yushen noticed her expression and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

Ye Shengge sighed softly, "This painting is a forgery."

"What? A forgery?" Song Yang, who was standing nearby, couldn't believe his ears. "Miss Ye, how could this be a forgery? This auction is held in a highly reputable and legitimate venue. All the items for auction have been professionally appraised. The possibility of a forgery is almost non-existent."

Ye Shengge blinked her eyes and calmly replied, "I'm telling you, this painting is indeed a forgery."

Song Yang, still perplexed, asked, "Miss Ye, do you have extensive knowledge of art appraisal?"

Ye Shengge replied casually, "I know a bit."

Song Yang scratched his head in confusion and turned to Fu Yushen, awaiting his instructions.

Fu Yushen, however, had absolute faith in Ye Shengge's words. He didn't hesitate to signal Song Yang to take action.

Song Yang received the instructions and left the private room.

Backstage at the auction, Song Yang found the auction manager, Mr. Zheng, and briefly explained the situation regarding the fake painting.

The Fu Corporation held shares in this auction house, so when Fu Yushen arrived, the auction managers greeted him with great respect, essentially treating him as their boss.

After listening to Song Yang's account, Mr. Zheng couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Assistant Song, you can't be serious. How could this painting be a fake? All the items we auction have been professionally appraised and come with certificates. We wouldn't dare put them up for auction otherwise."

Song Yang was at a loss. "I'm not joking. Someone just claimed that the painting on the stage is a fake."

Seeing Song Yang's earnestness, Mr. Zheng stopped laughing and furrowed his brows. "Song Yang, who told you it's a forgery?"

Song Yang pointed towards the private room on the second floor. "It was Miss Ye Shengge, who was bidding against Mr. Ye Huaijin just now."

Mr. Zheng knew of Ye Shengge. She had come to the auction with Fu Yushen and seemed to have a close relationship with him.

However...

Mr. Zheng had his doubts. "Is it possible that such a young lady can accurately determine whether a painting is genuine or fake? Could she be playing a prank on us?"

Song Yang truly didn't understand, but Mr. Fu's unwavering trust in Ye Shengge's words was evident. Whatever she said held weight; Mr. Fu seemed to indulge her to the extreme.

As the auctioneer on stage finished detailing the artwork, the bidding was about to commence. Song Yang clicked her tongue, "Mr. Zheng, regardless of authenticity for now, have someone swiftly take down this painting. If it were sold and later confirmed as a forgery, what would become of the reputation of the auction house?"

Mr. Zheng glanced in the direction of the second-floor private room, clearly hesitating. A clueless little miss—could her words be taken seriously? Was she taking advantage of Mr. Fu's favor, purposely causing chaos? This painting was guaranteed to fetch a minimum of thirty million today. Taking it down now would result in a significant loss.

Seeing his hesitation, Song Yang, in a rush, pushed him, "Hurry, Mr. Zheng, this is also Mr. Fu's wish!"

Upon hearing Mr. Fu Yushen's influential reputation, Mr. Zheng immediately refrained from further delay, albeit with an undertone of discontent, "Since it's Mr. Fu's wish, I will inform the auctioneer to take it down. Meanwhile, I'll invite a few appraisers for verification."

He wanted to see for himself whether this painting was a forgery. If it turned out not to be, he would have a word with this Miss Ye.

Back in the second-floor private room, "Mr. Fu, everything has been taken care of," Song Yang glanced at the hall's situation, "The painting has been taken down and replaced with a new item."

Ye Shengge looked at Fu Yushen, the corners of her bright eyes slightly upturned, "Do you truly believe my words?"

Fu Yushen calmly poured her another cup of tea, "Naturally."

Ye Shengge, upon his confident response, flashed a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Aren't you afraid I might be speaking nonsense?"

The man cast a glance at her upon hearing her words, reclining slightly against the chair, his slender, pale fingers lightly tapping the tabletop, "It doesn’t matter."

Ye Shengge was momentarily stunned, her eyes widening in disbelief, "If I were speaking nonsense, removing the painting would result in a significant financial loss."

Fu Yushen's eyebrow raised imperceptibly, nonchalantly responding, "So what?"

Encountering the man's dark and profound gaze, Ye Shengge's heart inexplicably skipped a beat, feeling uneasy, she averted her eyes.

Seeing this, Song Yang was nearly taken aback. Was Mr. Fu allowing Miss Ye to act out and indulging her? Why did it feel like Mr. Fu was increasingly displaying the traits of a capricious ruler?

Approximately twenty minutes later, Ye Shengge was observing the auction on the first floor when Mr. Zheng suddenly arrived at the private room with several professional art appraisers, politely knocking on the door.

Song Yang, looking out at the scene, reported to Fu Yushen, "Mr. Zheng has come."

Fu Yushen gave the order. "Let him in."

Upon receiving permission, Mr. Zheng entered the room, wearing a broad smile. "Mr. Fu, Miss Ye, I apologize for the disturbance."

Song Yang was curious. "Has the authenticity been verified?"

"Yes." Mr. Zheng smiled broadly at Ye Shengge. "Miss Ye is truly remarkable. We brought in eight art appraisers, and after a careful examination, only two of them correctly identified it as a forgery. This painting is indeed... incredibly deceptive."

Song Yang, hearing this, was even more astonished. Eight appraisers had taken nearly twenty minutes to reach a consensus, but Miss Ye had spotted the forgery with just a single glance.

Fu Yushen, unsurprisingly, wasn't shocked by the outcome. Song Yang couldn't help but wonder if Fu Yushen's unwavering trust in Ye Shengge was warranted.

Mr. Zheng, who initially doubted Ye Shengge's expertise, had now made a complete about-face, genuinely respecting her. After all, if this forgery had gone unnoticed and been auctioned, it would have damaged the reputation of the auction house.

"Miss Ye, we are extremely grateful for your assistance!"