"What is it? Mr. Li, please speak freely," Bai Jingchang said decisively.
"That painting and calligraphy is not genuine, and I have seen the real one."
Li Yang pointed directly at the painting and calligraphy and said.
"What?"
Bai Jingchang's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Li Yang in disbelief and asked, "Mr. Li, I personally appraised this painting and calligraphy, and there can be no mistake. There is absolutely only one in the world. Could Mr. Li be mistaken?"
"Are you doubting my judgment?"
Li Yang smiled faintly and said seriously, "This painting and calligraphy is in Miss Long's hands. I wonder if you remember what the Ma family tried to snatch from Miss Long yesterday? In fact, that item was a painting and calligraphy exactly like this one."
"I saw it at Miss Long's house yesterday."
"This..."
Bai Jingchang was stunned on the spot. He absolutely believed in Li Yang's appraisal skills, and Li Yang could not have made a mistake in appraisal.
Since there was only one such painting and calligraphy, one of these two must be fake.
Most likely, he had misjudged it.
"Old Bai, congratulations, congratulations. I didn't expect today's exhibition to be so successful, with so many celebrities from the provincial capital. It's worth it for our treasures to be displayed here."
Just then, several collectors, adorned in gold and silver, of varying builds, walked over from a distance.
Although their physiques differed, they had one thing in common: they were all very wealthy. The clothes each of them wore were custom-made, worth over a million yuan.
"You are too kind."
When Bai Jingchang saw them, a hint of a distressed smile appeared on his face. Especially when he saw Xue Xigui, the richest man, he felt even more embarrassed to face him.
This was because Xue Xigui was the owner of this painting and calligraphy. He had previously assured Xue Xigui that this painting and calligraphy was genuine and priceless. Now that it had turned out to be fake, it was difficult to explain.
"Old Xue, I have something to tell you. Come with me to the side for a moment."
After thinking about it, Bai Jingchang still felt he had to explain things clearly. He called Xue Xigui aside and explained the situation seriously.
When he revealed the truth, Xue Xigui's expression turned grim, and he asked coldly, "Old Bai, are you joking with me? This painting and calligraphy of mine has already been displayed. Won't it be discovered as fake?"
For him, it didn't matter if he misjudged the painting and calligraphy. Even if it was fake, he would at most lose the money for one painting and calligraphy. But if it was discovered by people at the scene, he would lose face terribly.
Bai Jingchang quickly comforted him, "You can rest assured about this. No one will discover it's fake, and I won't reveal this secret. Please rest assured."
"I just feel sorry for you that I misjudged it before, and it was Mr. Li who discovered it today."
"Mr. Li? The young man you met just now?"
Xue Xigui asked in surprise, "You are a renowned appraisal master in the provincial capital. Is your skill inferior to this young man?"
"You don't know, that young man is not ordinary. He is also an appraisal master like me, and his appraisal skills are superior to mine. I saw it with my own eyes."
Bai Jingchang explained seriously, then said, "The reason Mr. Li identified your painting and calligraphy as fake is because he has seen the genuine article, and since there is only one in the world, this one must be fake."
"So that's how it is!"
Xue Xigui was not a suspicious person. He had great faith in Bai Jingchang's character. Since Bai Jingchang had said so, there was no doubt about it.
However, he was very fond of calligraphy and paintings, and it made him feel uncomfortable for a moment that this painting and calligraphy was fake. After a few seconds, he suddenly said, "Old Bai, can you introduce me to Mr. Li? After today's exchange meeting, I want to discuss something with him."
"Of course, no problem. I will introduce you later."
Seeing that Xue Xigui was not angry about his misjudgment, Bai Jingchang was already very grateful.
After chatting with Xue Xigui, he returned to Li Yang's side and took the initiative to introduce Xue Xigui and the remaining collector masters to Li Yang in detail.
At the same time, he also introduced Li Yang to the collector masters. When everyone learned that Li Yang was also an appraisal master, they showed surprise.
They had never seen such a young appraisal master, which was almost impossible in the antique world.
"I didn't expect Mr. Li to be so capable. He has reached the level of an appraisal master at such a young age. His future is limitless."
"Mr. Li is truly a genius in the appraisal world. It is truly our honor to know Mr. Li."
The collector masters all gave Li Yang a thumbs-up and praised him repeatedly.
Li Yang said very humbly, "You flatter me, gentlemen. I am just lucky to have received the title of master. I still have a long way to go in the field of appraisal, and I will have to rely on your guidance in the future."
"Mr. Li is truly humble. Now that we have this friendship, we will take care of each other in the future," Xue Xigui said proactively, wanting to understand Li Yang better.
Li Yang looked at Xue Xigui. From the conversation Bai Jingchang had with him in private earlier, it was not difficult to see his connection to that fake painting and calligraphy.
Most people would strongly object if their items were identified as fake, but Xue Xigui gave a very peaceful impression, indicating that Mr. Xue was generous and easy to get along with.
Li Yang exchanged pleasantries with Xue Xigui and then jointly discussed several exhibits on display with everyone.
These exhibits were treasures meticulously collected by the collectors. Not only was the origin of each antique astonishing, but the methods of obtaining them were also extremely arduous.
Some were acquired from auctions abroad, while others were bought from wealthy businessmen. These all relied on great fortune and could not be obtained simply by wishing for them.
Especially obtaining these treasures from some wealthy businessmen was as difficult as reaching the sky. Most of the time, those wealthy businessmen encountered trouble, and only by using extraordinary means to help them solve their problems could the collectors acquire the treasures.
Li Yang listened to the various events recounted by the collectors, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for them.
These collectors not only had immense financial resources but also astonishing power in their respective regions. Befriending them would only benefit Li Yang, not harm him.
Just as everyone was chatting enthusiastically, a staff member from the venue suddenly ran over from a distance and hurriedly reported to Bai Jingchang, "Old Bai, we have found several people behaving abnormally. Their movements are suspicious, and they might be from Sakura Country."
"Where are they?" Bai Jingchang asked sternly upon hearing this.
"They are in that crowd over there. I have already sent people to monitor them closely and increased the number of bodyguards. As soon as they dare to make any move, our people will apprehend them immediately," the subordinate reported directly.