"I don't want anything else, just this calligraphy will do." Lin Yu smiled as he walked over and picked up a yellowed, aged calligraphy scroll.
"Great, no problem! With this scroll included, it's a done deal—no backing out!" The shop owner said eagerly. With so many witnesses, once Lin Yu agreed, there'd be no way for him to change his mind.
"Deal!" Lin Yu said with a smile.
"Nonsense! You useless fool, that piece of junk isn't even worth ten thousand!" Jiang Jingren exploded in rage, grabbing a teacup and hurling it at Lin Yu.
Lin Yu sidestepped, and the teacup shattered on the ground.
"Your family matters are your own to settle. Don't worry about paying for the teacup—just leave!" The shop owner hurriedly packed the fake painting and the calligraphy scroll, stuffing them into Lin Yu's hands along with the receipt.
"He Jiarong, you've gone too far! Who gave you the right to make decisions for my dad?" Jiang Yan was furious. This good-for-nothing still hadn't shaken off his habit of acting on his own whims. There had still been a chance to recover the money, but now, thanks to him, it was hopeless.
Jiang Yan wasn't upset about the money—she was worried her father would be driven to illness.
"Young man, might I take a look at that calligraphy?"
At that moment, a sharp-eyed middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd, eyeing the scroll in Lin Yu's hands with curiosity.
"P-Professor Tang?" Jiang Jingren, who had been on the verge of fainting from anger, suddenly brightened up at the sight of the man, as if he'd just spotted his idol.
The middle-aged man was Tang Zongyun, a well-known figure in Qinghai City's antique circles. By profession, he was an archaeology professor at Qinghai University, but his hobby was collecting antiques. He had been invited multiple times as an appraiser on Qinghai TV's treasure appraisal shows. Rumor had it that his personal collection included at least twenty pieces worth over a million each.
Jiang Jingren had long admired him and had always wanted an introduction, but someone of his level in the antique world simply wasn't noteworthy enough to catch Tang's attention.
In fact, the crowd had already stirred with excitement when Tang arrived earlier, but Jiang Jingren had been too busy arguing to notice.
"Hello." Tang Zongyun nodded politely at Jiang Jingren. "May I take a look at that calligraphy?"
"Of course, of course!" Jiang Jingren bobbed his head eagerly. Seeing that Lin Yu hadn't moved, he kicked him. "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and give the scroll to Professor Tang!"
Only then did Lin Yu hand it over.
"It *is* Wang Xizhi's *Ming Qie Tie*," Tang Zongyun murmured after examining it carefully.
"Exactly. Too bad it's just a rough imitation by a later artist—not worth much," the shop owner sneered from behind. Now that the deal was done, he wasn't afraid of Lin Yu backing out.
"True, it's a crude imitation, but even rough copies of *Ming Qie Tie* are rare. It's still worth around ten thousand. Young man, would you be willing to part with it?" Tang Zongyun asked with a smile.
"That piece of junk is worth ten grand?" The shop owner's eyelids twitched, his heart aching. If he'd known, he wouldn't have thrown it in for free.
"Young man, if you're willing, I'll offer thirty thousand for it—consider it compensation for your losses," Tang Zongyun said.
He had seen the fake painting Jiang Jingren bought earlier. Even with this scroll factored in, Jiang Jingren was still out a huge sum. Tang saw this as a chance to do a good deed and help stem the bleeding.
"Sorry, I'm not selling," Lin Yu declined politely.
"Then how about fifty thousand? Young man, my offer far exceeds the market value. No matter which appraisal agency you take it to, it won't be valued over ten thousand. I'm only offering this much because I have a personal fondness for Wang Xizhi's work," Tang said earnestly.
"Professor Tang is an expert, young man. You should sell it now."
"Yeah, if the professor says it's worth ten thousand, that's what it is, no matter where you get it appraised."
"Take the offer. After losing so much, consider this a way to recoup some losses."
"Fifty thousand is already generous. Even with the painting, it's probably not worth that much."
The onlookers chimed in, urging Lin Yu to seize the opportunity. In the antique world, everyone made mistakes—the key was learning how to cut losses.
"Professor Tang, I'm sorry, but I really don't plan to sell this," Lin Yu said apologetically.
"Not selling? Did you pay for it? Who gave you the right to decide?" Jiang Jingren couldn't hold back any longer. Enraged, he kicked Lin Yu again.
Then, turning to Tang Zongyun with an ingratiating smile, he said, "Professor Tang, since you like it, please take this scroll as a gift. Consider it a token of friendship."
Jiang Jingren's earlier fury had completely dissipated, replaced by a faint smugness. Even if he'd lost five hundred thousand, befriending a celebrity like Tang Zongyun made it worth it.
"I couldn't possibly. You paid a hefty sum for this. We can be friends, but I insist on paying," Tang Zongyun said firmly.
"No, this scroll *cannot* be sold!" Lin Yu snatched it back, his tone resolute.
"You—you—how dare you defy me!" Jiang Jingren pointed a trembling finger at Lin Yu, livid.
"He Jiarong, what are you doing?" Jiang Yan glared at him. Her father had finally started to calm down—why did he have to be so difficult? It was just a lousy scroll—why not let the professor have it?
"No problem, Professor Tang. If he won't sell, *I* will." The shop owner rushed over, eager to please. "I've got two more Wang Xizhi imitations—far better than that one. Would you like to see them?"
Hearing Tang offer fifty thousand had felt like a knife twisting in his gut. But since the scroll was already sold to Lin Yu, there was nothing he could do.
"Oh? Do you have another *Ming Qie Tie*?" Tang asked curiously.
"No *Ming Qie Tie*, but I've got *Lin Chuan Tie*, and the imitation is exquisite," the shop owner said excitedly, already counting the money in his head. If a crude, lesser-known *Ming Qie Tie* imitation could fetch fifty thousand, a famous *Lin Chuan Tie* imitation might go for ten times that.
"Then never mind. I already have a *Lin Chuan Tie* imitation at home," Tang said regretfully.
The shop owner felt as if he'd been doused in cold water, his enthusiasm deflated.
"Young man, let me ask one last time—are you *really* not selling?" Tang pressed, unwilling to give up.
"I'm truly sorry, but no," Lin Yu said.
Tang sighed and turned to leave.
"You useless waste! When did *my* money become yours to decide over?" Seeing Tang about to leave, Jiang Jingren panicked and lunged for the scroll in Lin Yu's hands.
Lin Yu nimbly dodged. Realizing his father-in-law was desperate to ingratiate himself with Tang, he called out to the departing professor, "Professor Tang, please wait! While I can't sell this to you, I can let you—and everyone here—see something extraordinary."
"What arrogance!"
Lin Yu's words rubbed the crowd the wrong way. It was just a lousy scroll—what could possibly be "extraordinary" about it? Even setting them aside, Professor Tang himself had seen thousands of rare treasures in his time. What could this possibly show him?
But Lin Yu hadn't meant to sound haughty. He was speaking the truth—what he was about to reveal might be something none of these antique enthusiasts would ever witness in their lifetimes.
When he'd first entered the shop, the scroll had caught his eye because of the intense emerald-green glow radiating from it. He knew instantly it was a priceless treasure, which was why he'd tricked the shop owner into giving it to him.
"Oh? What do you mean?" Tang stopped at the door. Like the others, he found Lin Yu's boastfulness off-putting.
"The reason I can't sell it to you is because this scroll holds a hidden secret—its true value may be beyond imagination," Lin Yu said.
"What do you mean? It's just an ordinary imitation. What 'hidden secret' could there be?" Tang's tone was restrained, but inwardly, he scoffed. Young people these days loved making grandiose claims for attention.
The crowd murmured in agreement. Just because he'd lucked into an old scroll didn't mean it was some priceless artifact.
"You don't believe me, shop owner?" Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not! You brat, how long have you even been in the antique world? Don't try to show off in front of us veterans," the shop owner sneered, rallying the crowd to his side.
"Exactly, young man. All of us can tell it's just a common imitation. Are you saying we *all* misjudged it?"
"Even if *we* were wrong, how could an expert like Professor Tang make a mistake?"
"What's with young people these days? Always putting on airs!"
"Overestimating yourself—how ridiculous!"
Eggged on by the shop owner, the crowd grew increasingly dismissive.
"Since you don't believe me, shop owner, how about a wager?" Lin Yu's tone carried a hint of challenge.
"A wager? Fine! What are the terms?" The shop owner was itching to prove him wrong.
"If this scroll truly holds a hidden treasure, you refund my father-in-law's five hundred thousand. If I can't find anything, I'll pay *you* five hundred thousand. Deal?"
"Deal! You said it yourself—everyone here is my witness!" The shop owner gleefully agreed, already mentally labeling Lin Yu a complete idiot.
"He Jiarong!"
Jiang Yan stamped her foot in frustration, but Lin Yu pretended not to hear.
"Let him make a fool of himself. I won't pay a cent for this. Yan'er, forget work tomorrow—go straight to the divorce office. This boy has clearly lost his mind," Jiang Jingren said, exasperated beyond anger.
"Could I have a cup of water, please?" Lin Yu calmly spread the calligraphy flat on a table.
Once the shop owner brought water, Lin Yu took a sip, then sprayed it forcefully onto the scroll, repeating the process until the surface was evenly damp.
Then, using tweezers, he gently lifted a corner of the scroll's top layer. To everyone's shock, beneath it was another layer of calligraphy—nearly identical in content but executed with vastly superior skill, unmistakably the work of a master.
Gasps erupted from the crowd. None of them had ever seen anything like it—a scroll hiding *another* scroll inside.
"*Ming Qie Tie*?! Wang Xizhi's... Wang Xizhi's *genuine* work?! How is this possible?!"
Tang Zongyun's expression transformed. He rushed forward to examine it closely, his hands hovering over the scroll, trembling too much to touch it. Unbeknownst to him, tears had welled up in his eyes.