Knowing the unfairness of the appraisal convention, I was initially a bit indignant, but upon reflection, it was not a big deal.
The Guangbei Appraisal Convention was not a formal competition in the first place. It was only natural for the four great families, who funded and organized it, to have some privileges.
I had high expectations for this appraisal convention, but now I had lost interest.
Yan Yuhe seemed to sense my thoughts and said, "Mr. Xiang, the appraisal convention is divided into four rounds. Only the final round is a true competition, and in that round, even if someone tries to tamper with it, it will be impossible."
"Why?" I asked.
She smiled slightly, "You'll know when the time comes. Mr. Xiang, think about it, if this appraisal convention is entirely controlled by the four great families, then why would we need to hire external help?"
That made sense. If the appraisal convention was rigged, the four great families wouldn't need to hire outside help; they could simply make internal decisions.
The true meaning of this appraisal convention was a competition between the four great families.
It seemed I had to reach the finals to verify my abilities.
Thinking of this, my extinguished fighting spirit was rekindled. If that was the case, then I wanted to see what these four great families were capable of!
Returning to the venue, the organizers had already begun announcing the qualifying spots.
The announcement was made by issuing invitation letters, with staff members delivering them to the qualifiers.
Yan Yuhe was among the first to receive a qualifying invitation letter. Just as I thought my qualification was certain, that invitation letter did not arrive.
"Mr. Xiang, have they finished distributing them?" Fatty asked a staff member nearby.
I was also puzzled and glanced at Yan Yuhe. Her expression was complicated.
Was I eliminated?
I froze for a moment, thinking about this.
What was going on?
I carefully recalled the calligraphy and paintings in the corridor. I couldn't have answered any of them incorrectly.
How could this be...
"Mr. Xiang, can you tell me your answers?" Yan Yuhe asked.
It seemed she wanted to confirm if I had written the correct answers.
I took a deep breath and recounted the answers I had written.
As she listened, her brows furrowed deeper, "They are all correct, how could this be..."
"Mr. Xiang, please wait a moment, I'll go ask what's happening," Yan Yuhe said, standing up.
I nodded, wondering if my answers had been swapped.
If that were the case, then this appraisal convention would truly be a misnomer!
All along, I had been quite confident in my appraisal abilities.
This was not because I was particularly skilled, but because as a member of the Xiang family, my ancestors had accumulated so much experience over generations. I could be said to have grown up standing on the shoulders of giants.
The appraisal knowledge my father taught me since childhood was incomparable to that of ordinary people.
Growing up in such an environment, it was not impossible to misjudge, but very difficult.
If I couldn't even pass the first round of this appraisal convention today, it wouldn't just be losing face for myself, but for the entire Xiang family.
If my father were still alive, he would probably give me a good thrashing.
When Yan Yuhe returned, her expression was not very good. I asked her what was going on.
She hesitated before saying, "Mr. Xiang, what was your answer for that 'Lady Painting'?"
Hearing this, I understood. The problem lay with that "Lady Painting."
"Fake," I replied.
Upon hearing this answer, Yan Yuhe looked distressed, "Mr. Xiang... you..."
"That painting is indeed a fake, and I was merely telling the truth. Am I being eliminated just because I told the truth?" I asked, somewhat displeased. "Earlier, when that Kong Wen was here, I told you, could it be that the Kong family is causing trouble?"
Yan Yuhe sighed, "I thought you were joking with me just now..."
"Joking?" I was taken aback. "What's there to joke about? That 'Lady Painting' is indeed a fake."
Yan Yuhe's apology made me feel like I was bullying her, especially since she looked so delicate.
"I mean, I've already agreed to be your family's external helper, so why would I joke about something like this?" I quickly said.
She took a deep breath and asked me again, "Mr. Xiang, are you sure that 'Lady Painting' is a fake?"
"Certain!" I replied without hesitation.
"If that's the case, then all participants will be facing misjudgment... including myself," Yan Yuhe said. "If this is the case..."
She didn't finish her sentence but looked at me and asked, "Can you prove that 'Lady Painting' is a fake?"
"Of course."
That "Lady Painting" came from my hand, so of course, I could prove it.
Although the aging method described in the "Seven Stars Nine Skills Mysterious Void Secret" was peculiar, a fake was still a fake.
The main issue was the foundation of the painting itself, making it almost impossible to achieve perfection.
Unless the materials and brushwork were all impeccable, then perhaps it could truly be made into a "genuine article."
However, such things could only be imagined; achieving them was too difficult.
"Alright then!" Yan Yuhe took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Xiang, you need to come with me."
"Go where?"
"To prove that the painting is a fake."
"Okay."
...
When Yan Yuhe brought me and Fatty to a simple office backstage.
Upon pushing the door open, we saw three elderly men inside, drinking tea and discussing something.
Seeing us enter, one of the old men greeted Yan Yuhe with a smile, "Yuhe, why are you here again?"
"Uncle Qin, this is the Mr. Xiang I told you about earlier," Yan Yuhe introduced. "This is Qin Zhanjin, Uncle Qin, the president of the Guangbei Calligraphy and Painting Association."
I nodded, thinking: President of the Guangbei Calligraphy and Painting Association, yet unable to distinguish between real and fake. I wondered how he became president.
Yan Yuhe explained the situation. After listening, the three old men couldn't help but reveal expressions of "amusement."
"We have all appraised that 'Lady Painting,' it absolutely cannot be a fake," Qin Zhanjin stated with certainty.
"Is that so?" I smiled slightly. "Then it seems your appraisal skills are nothing special."
As soon as I said that, their expressions changed.
"What did you say?" Qin Zhanjin said coldly, "Youngster, is this how your family taught you to speak to elders?"
"I'm merely speaking the truth. In the field of appraisal, the skilled are the teachers. To earn respect, you must first learn to respect others," I said without politeness.
"According to you, you insist that the 'Lady Painting' is a fake?" Qin Zhanjin boomed, "What evidence do you have?"
"Evidence?"
Just as I was about to speak, Fatty stared at the "Lady Painting" on the table and suddenly let out a yelp, "Mr. Xiang! Isn't this the painting you gave to Old Yuan before?"