"No way! You already said it—no takebacks! Pay up!" Zhu Zhihua said shamelessly. After all, he had just reneged himself moments ago.
"Dad, can you lend me six hundred thousand?" Lin Yu asked Jiang Jingren sheepishly. He didn't have a cent on him.
The crowd burst into mocking laughter. So he was just a pauper!
"Why bother pretending to be something he's not?"
"If I had a son-in-law like that, I'd make my daughter divorce him."
Many attendees were from out of town and didn't know Jiang Jingren was the donor of the famous "Ming Qie Tie."
"Jiarong, does this painting have a hidden layer too?" Jiang Jingren quickly pulled Lin Yu aside and whispered.
After the antique circle learned that the "Ming Qie Tie" was preserved within a fake painting's hidden layer, many had started inspecting their own artworks. Zhu Zhihua was no exception and had thoroughly examined this piece.
"No," Lin Yu shook his head.
"Then why do you want to buy it?" Jiang Jingren wondered if his son-in-law was getting overconfident and regretted praising him so much.
"Even without a hidden layer, there might still be something special about it," Lin Yu said gravely.
"Alright, I'll trust you one more time." Jiang Jingren gritted his teeth, remembering the discovery of the "Ming Qie Tie," and decided to believe Lin Yu.
Lin Yu then transferred the money to Zhu Zhihua, spread the painting on a nearby buffet table, borrowed a magnifying glass, and examined it meticulously.
The crowd grew curious and gathered around.
"Hmph, even if you look, it's useless. Elder Tao is an expert in this field. How could he be wrong?" Zhu Zhihua scoffed.
"Alas, it's just an ordinary painting after all. I overestimated it!" Lin Yu sighed, looking disappointed and even somewhat annoyed.
"Hahaha, young man, live and learn."
"How dare you question Elder Tao? Ridiculous!"
"Learn more next time instead of pretending to know."
The crowd felt vindicated and taunted him mercilessly. Serves you right for not listening to advice.
Elder Tao couldn't help but puff out his chest. In the world of calligraphy and painting, he had never been bested.
"Ouch, five hundred thousand gone! Total loss." Jiang Jingren clutched his chest, heartbroken and on the verge of tears.
"Dad, don't focus so much on the money. I told you he doesn't know anything, but you wouldn't listen," Jiang Yan said, patting her father's chest. She was also annoyed at Lin Yu's pretense. Getting lucky once was a fluke; expecting it twice was wishful thinking.
"This worthless painting made me lose five hundred thousand. What's the point of keeping it?"
Faced with the crowd's ridicule, Lin Yu seemed to lose his temper. He suddenly grabbed the painting and tore it in two with a loud rip.
The crowd gasped. The young man had lost his mind.
"Hey, hey—" Jiang Jingren couldn't stop him in time. He felt as if a thousand arrows had pierced his heart. Oh heavens, now even the initial hundred thousand was gone.
But Lin Yu wasn't done. He continued tearing the painting into shreds, clearly furious.
Soon, the once intact painting was reduced to fragments, much to the dismay of the antique enthusiasts present.
After shredding the painting, Lin Yu threw the pieces onto the table in frustration. Suddenly, something fell out and landed on the floor with a thud.
Everyone looked over and saw that the wooden rollers from the ends of the painting had rolled out. With the painting destroyed, the rollers hidden within the brocade had been revealed.
"Not bad, those rollers look quite fine. The wood grain is delicate," someone in the crowd who knew about ancient wood remarked.
The two wooden rollers were dark red and glossy, clearly different from ordinary wood.
Curious, Lin Yu picked them up, examined them, and handed them to Elder Tao. "Elder Tao, though you specialize in calligraphy and painting, I heard you're also knowledgeable about wood carving. Could you take a look and see if these two pieces of wood are worth anything?"
Elder Tao's expression changed abruptly when he saw the rollers. He carefully took them, put on his reading glasses, and studied them closely.
As everyone focused on Elder Tao, Zhu Zhihua remained dismissive. To him, they were just two pieces of wood. What was the big deal?
"Agarwood! It truly is agarwood!" Elder Tao exclaimed after a long examination.
"Agarwood?!" The crowd was astonished. Agarwood was an extremely precious wood, known as "worth its weight in gold" in ancient times and even more valuable today.
Elder Tao gently sniffed the rollers. "Despite the passage of time, the surface has developed a patina, yet the fragrance remains so rich. The oil content must be substantial. The color is dark, appearing ink-green under light, with golden oil veins. If I'm not mistaken, this should be white agarwood, the finest of its kind."
The crowd was stunned. Agarwood was the pinnacle of fragrant woods. Currently, agarwood powder sold for thousands or even tens of thousands per gram on the market. How much would two large pieces like these be worth?
"When I scratched the grain with my nail, it felt sticky and soft, indicating a high level of aging. This is likely top-grade agarwood from Hainan. Young man, congratulations." Elder Tao smiled and handed the rollers back to Lin Yu.
Agarwood was used exclusively by ancient royalty. Since this painting was created by someone from the imperial court, using agarwood rollers was fitting. However, the rollers were sewn into the brocade and couldn't be discovered without destroying the painting. So, Lin Yu's loss turned into a gain.
"Fools have all the luck, huh?"
"I should've bought it earlier. I'd have paid six million for it."
"Come on, you don't have that kind of fortune."
Many in the crowd watched with envy, sighing at their own lack of luck.
Jiang Jingren, who had been sitting heartbroken, suddenly sprang up. He hurried over, took the rollers, and examined them closely. "Elder Tao, are you sure? Is this really agarwood?"
Elder Tao nodded with a smile. "Though it's not my main focus, I'm confident about this. It's genuine."
"Jiarong, you truly are the lucky star of our Jiang family!" Jiang Jingren exclaimed, holding one roller in each hand. What son-in-law? From now on, He Jiarong was his real son!
Jiang Yan frowned, looking at Lin Yu with surprise. Was this good-for-nothing really that lucky?
First, the "Ming Qie Tie," then the diamond ring, and now these two pieces of agarwood. In the short month since he woke up, his luck had been phenomenal.
But if it wasn't luck, what else could it be?
Jiang Yan sighed. Indeed, those who survive great calamities are destined for good fortune.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhihua, hiding in the crowd, looked on the verge of tears. Why hadn't he thought to check the rollers? Now Lin Yu had reaped a windfall. In the blink of an eye, six hundred thousand had turned into a fortune.
If this got out, he'd become the laughingstock of the antique circle. Without drawing attention, he slipped away quietly.
"Jiarong, sell these two pieces of agarwood to me," Zhou Chen said, squeezing through the crowd. He looked at the agarwood in Jiang Jingren's hands eagerly.
If he got these two pieces, he could easily double their value.
"If you want them, I'll give you one," Lin Yu said generously.
"Give?!" Jiang Jingren's expression changed, his heart aching at the thought.
"Uncle, even if he offers, I can't accept. How about this: I'll pay twenty million for both pieces. If I make a profit later, I'll give you twenty percent. How does that sound?" Zhou Chen smiled, touched by Lin Yu's generosity despite their short acquaintance.
"Deal! Deal! Deal!" Jiang Jingren eagerly agreed upon hearing "twenty million" and the share, immediately handing both pieces to Zhou Chen.
Soon, Zhou Chen had someone transfer the money to Jiang Jingren's account. Jiang Jingren stared at the SMS notification, grinning from ear to ear.
"Dad, you should share some of this money with Jiarong," Jiang Yan whispered.
"Right, right. Jiarong, let's split this money fifty-fifty!" Jiang Jingren came to his senses.
"No need, Dad. You keep it. My money is your money," Lin Yu said with a faint smile. He had no use for so much money. As long as Jiang Yan gave him his monthly allowance, he was content.
"Good! Good! Good son-in-law—no, good son! Good son!" Jiang Jingren beamed with joy.
Jiang Yan rolled her eyes helplessly, but her gaze toward Lin Yu softened slightly.
The next two auction groups featured many famous items. Jiang Jingren bid a few times but dropped out when prices rose, unwilling to spend more.
Lin Yu didn't persuade him either. The prices were too high, and there was no point in pushing further.
His father-in-law had brought three million today and was taking back over twenty million. That was plenty.
Jiang Jingren was delighted. When he handed over the money today, his status at home would surely rise.
After the antique auction, there was a thank-you banquet. Following the dinner was the raw stone auction.
Since raw stones differed from antiques, the crowd changed too. Many new faces appeared at the banquet, while a large portion of the afternoon attendees left.
Zhou Chen had arranged a main table for Lin Yu and his family, but Lin Yu felt his clothes were too shabby and didn't want to embarrass Zhou Chen. He declined and sat at an empty table in the back.
Zhou Chen and Shen Yuxuan brought their bowls and chopsticks over to join him.
"Jiarong, you helped Zhou Chen make a killing today. During the raw stone auction, help me out too. I don't need much—just let me make ten or twenty million. That'd make me look awesome in front of my dad," Shen Yuxuan said eagerly.
"I just got lucky. I know a little about antiques, but I'm clueless about raw stones," Lin Yu said with a smile. Gambling on stones was just that—gambling. Luck played a huge part.
He had already drawn enough attention today and made money for his father-in-law. There was no need to show off further, or Jiang Yan would become suspicious.
Shen Yuxuan sighed, disappointed. With his own skills, he'd be lucky not to lose money tonight.
"Miss, your flowers."
A server approached, holding a bouquet of large, vibrant red roses. He bent down and offered them to Jiang Yan.
"Who sent these? How bold! Tired of living?" Shen Yuxuan snapped before Jiang Yan could respond.
Lin Yu's expression darkened slightly. He was annoyed. Sending flowers to his wife right in front of him? How disrespectful.
"Return them to whoever sent them," Jiang Yan said coldly without even looking.
"The gentleman said he's your friend and asked you to read the card first," the server said nervously, glancing cautiously at Shen Yuxuan.
Jiang Yan frowned and glanced at the card on the flowers. Her expression changed instantly.