Guan Changsheng was a bit panicked, truly panicked.
He had thought that upon his arrival here, he would first meet Young Master Bu.
However, he was confusedly pushed by that man in a suit onto a stage-like place.
And there were five people standing opposite him.
He didn’t recognize these five people, but judging by the posters plastered everywhere,
He knew that they were Japan’s so-called five bamboo art masters.
The contents of the posters he understood, but he couldn’t comprehend the content below at all.
Does this mean he’s supposed to compete against these five people?!
But he had never heard of this before!
Moreover, even if there were a competition, at the very least, he should have some works of art!
What was he supposed to compete with now, coming up empty-handed?! Technique?!
He was really bewildered now, standing on the stage at a loss!
The surrounding audience, however, welcomed him with great enthusiasm!
"Is this Young Master Bu’s man?! He looks as unrestrained and natural as Young Master Bu!"
"Wow! Look at that messy hair, the casual attire, and the faint bamboo chips on him, such an aura of dominance!"
"This is what a true master should look like!"
"Go for it! We support you, defeat them!"
"That’s right! Fight for Young Master Bu’s honor, fight for the pride of our Heavenly Dynasty, show them who’s the boss!"
"Charge! Take them down!"
The Heavenly Dynasty’s audience, who loved anything associated with their favorite, saw beauty in their lover’s eyes, described Guan Changsheng’s disheveled appearance as carefree, as the pose of a master!
In short, as long as he’s Young Master Bu’s man, they support him!
And they believe without a doubt that he will win.
However, those foreign audiences had completely the opposite attitude.
"What is this?! Disrespecting the opponent?!"
"Never mind how strong he actually is for now, but such an attitude is absolutely unacceptable! Disrespecting the opponent is not the quality of a qualified competitor!"
"Heavenly Dynasty may be the birthplace of bamboo art, but it has been declining, while Japan has been greatly fostering this art. Now, trying to leverage the so-called origin to stir things up, it’s meaningless!"
"Besides, where are his works?! We judge by the works, you can’t rely solely on talk! Look at these five masters from Japan, their works are all in sight!"
The Heavenly Dynasty viewers favored everything associated with their liking, while the foreigners hated everything.
After all, Lu Xiaobu had previously slapped their faces. How could they not be angry inside?!
So, as it stands, they are definitely on Japan’s side.
Moreover, even without the emotional aspect, the Japanese seem more reliable than this Heavenly Dynasty man who came out of nowhere!
Zhan Longyan listened to these murmurs, his lips curling up into a cold smirk.
This wasn’t a conspiracy, it was an open plot!
I’m openly sabotaging you, so what can you do about it?!
Would you say that I’m sabotaging you?!
Others might believe it if they say so.
Lu Xiaobu, who can’t go a day without stirring up trouble, says these kinds of things.
Do you think anyone would believe that?
So, it’s destined that you, Lu Xiaobu, are going to take this hit!
Then, he nodded to the five Japanese and an American collector, indicating that they could begin.
Cook the raw rice into a done deal!
"Guan Changsheng, hello, I come from Japan, and I am Zaochuan Gushai. This is my work, the ’Kinmei Bamboo Ear-attached Flower Basket’. Its material is Shinshu Red Bamboo, and the weaving technique used is ’Six-Eyed Weave’, arranged and knitted. Please enlighten me!"
The Japanese on the far left received a flower basket from the hostess, speaking with a proud look on his face.
This piece has an overall large weave, exuding an aesthetic of representational beauty; even without the support of a bouquet, it’s quite a stunning decorative item on its own.
Guan Changsheng looked at it and didn’t speak; he was still somewhat baffled at the moment.
The second Japanese followed closely, also taking a bamboo art piece from the hostess:
"I am from Japan, known as Mimura Takemoe. This is my work, ’Dark Clouds’. Its material is Shoubamboo, and the weaving technique is disordered weaving."
The bamboo art piece he was holding was entirely different from the previous one.
The previous work was more of a realistic style, but this piece was entirely abstract.
The former was a flower basket, useful for flower arrangements, but his work was in itself an art piece!
"I hail from Japan, named Echikuzumi Sai. This is my work, ’Stepping into the Cage’. Its materials are Shoubamboo and wisteria, and the weaving technique is ’Net Substitute Weave.’"
This is another piece that is highly representative.
Because what he made was a handbag, which is even closer to practicality than the flower basket!
"My name is Bazi Fengtang, and this is my work - ’My UFO’. The materials are Shoubamboo and wisteria, and the crafting technique is the ’Thousand Reeds Ensemble’."
Just by hearing the name, you could tell that it was definitely not of the traditional bamboo art spectrum.
If the second piece was abstract, then this is postmodern, featuring a strong sense of novelty and integration of the old era.
"My name is Heye Xiangsheng, this is my work - ’Galaxy’. Its materials include Shoubamboo, Shinshu Red Bamboo, wisteria, and the weaving techniques include ’Net Substitute Weave’, ’Thousand Reeds Ensemble’, ’Rope Eye Weaving’, ’Wheel Arc Weaving’, and so on!"
Just by hearing the name, considering the materials, and listening to the techniques used, you’d know that this work is just a dazzle of skills, or what we often call a deliberate display of operations.
Of course, showing off is one thing, but it’s genuinely not easy to merge so many techniques and materials without them interfering or ruining each other, instead complementing one another.
Watching these five Japanese exhibit one by one, the audience nodded secretly, showing looks of appreciation.
"Indeed, these are really beyond criticism."
"It’s true that the Japanese bamboo art is famous for a reason."
"But I believe that since Young Master Bu has invited such an expert to compete, he most surely won’t lose."
"Yes! After seeing their works, I’m even more looking forward to what this master will bring to the table! Is it realistic, abstract, postmodern?! Or like that one, a skill-showcasing piece?!"
"I have a feeling it’s going to be a revelation!"
They were all looking forward to Guan Changsheng’s work.
However, while they were expecting, Guan Changsheng was still utterly confused!
Uh... what does this mean?! I didn’t bring any works! And I’m not an artist! What work would I have?!
In his heart, bamboo art should value practicality over aesthetics.
Just like him, the things he made all year round, eighty percent of them were all sorts of furniture, rather than so-called art!
He’s just a layman who couldn’t appreciate the so-called art!
So, he dazedly said: "What’s the use of these things?!"
Listen to this, this statement—it’s almost like a stroke of genius akin to ’everyone seated here is trash!’