The scene, harmonious just moments ago, became tense suddenly because of something Lin Chen said.
Qian Wu's face, previously smiling, suddenly turned chillingly cold. "Young man, what do you mean by that?"
Lin Chen smiled faintly. "This painting is clearly a counterfeit, yet you keep insisting it is genuine and even have the gall to guarantee it with your reputation. Isn't this exactly what they call 'taking advantage of regulars'?"
"Young man, you need to be responsible for what you say. You say my painting is fake, do you have evidence?" Qian Wu said, his complexion ugly.
On Antique Street, Qian Wuyi had always had a good reputation, so his clientele were mostly regulars. If this painting was fake and he gained a reputation for cheating regulars, it would undoubtedly damage his establishment beyond measure.
Qian Wu was about to explode in anger when a chubby man jumped out to defend Qian Wu.
"Hey, kid, what do you know? Qian Wu's reputation is well-known in the circle. How could he possibly do such a thing!"
"Is that so? If you have so much faith in him, you buy the painting!" Lin Chen said coldly.
The chubby man was immediately at a loss for words. It's easy to speak, but when it comes to themselves, who would want to buy a potentially counterfeit painting and spend a fortune on it!
"Pfft, this painting has been authenticated as genuine by Master Tian. I was also present at the time. Do not cause trouble here, you inexperienced boy," a gray-haired elderly man scolded as well.
"Even experts can make mistakes. Although the workmanship of this painting is decent and the details are finely copied, a fake is still a fake," Lin Chen said confidently.
"Hmph, utterly ignorant of how vast the world is. Master Tian is a well-known expert in the industry. You even dare to question his assessment? Today's youth are too arrogant and proud, not knowing their own limits," someone nearby commented.
"What is true is true, what's fake is fake. Master Tian is an expert, but that doesn't mean his assessments are always correct. And I am not being arrogant; I am respecting the facts."
Faced with the crowd's skepticism, Lin Chen was not intimidated and spoke with logical and convincing arguments, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Qian Wu frowned and coughed slightly, taking matters into his own hands. "Young man, you say this painting is fake, then what is your basis?"
"Basis? Then on what basis do you so confidently claim it to be real?" Lin Chen retorted.
Qian Wu snorted coldly. "Master Tian is the vice president of the Antique Association and a special expert for the antique verification program on Huaxia TV. No antique he has appraised has ever proven wrong. That is my basis."
The surrounding people nodded their heads, evidently regarding Master Tian highly.
Lin Chen snorted and picked up a pen from the counter. "If Master Tian says this pen is from the Song dynasty, does that make it so?"
"You're just being obstinate," Qian Wu said, his face turning cold.
Lin Chen smiled faintly. "I am just trying to tell you that the authenticity of an item is inherent to the item itself, and even an authority can make mistakes. He is human, not a god; making a mistake is not surprising."
"Fine, fine, it seems you've come here today to cause trouble. Well, I will indulge you to the end. Do you dare to bet? If this painting is fake, I'm willing to pay you one million. But if it's real, you will kneel here for one day to apologize," Qian Wu said, his gaze icy as he stared at Lin Chen.
Upon hearing the stakes, everyone was startled.
It seemed Qian Wu was genuinely furious. A million wasn't a small amount, but kneeling in front of an antique shop for a day was punishment harsh enough to shame someone for life.
Everyone's gaze turned to Lin Chen, curious to see if the young man would dare to accept.
"Lin Chen, let's let it go. I don't want to buy it anymore," Su Xiaobei said softly, tugging at the corner of Lin Chen's clothing.
Lin Chen had started arguing with Qian Wu because of her, and she could not bear it if he actually lost the bet.
An Xiaodi also looked worried. Nowadays, with the internet so prevalent, if Lin Chen lost, the video would surely be uploaded online immediately, potentially ruining Lin Chen's reputation.
"Fine, I agree. Why refuse free money?" Lin Chen said with a faint smile under the scrutiny of the crowd, without a moment's hesitation.
Seeing Lin Chen's composed demeanor, Qian Wu felt a pinch of unease, yet still feigned composure. "Good, everyone here can be witnesses. There will be no backing out, or may lightning strike me down."
"Okay, it's a deal." As he spoke, Lin Chen boldly stepped toward the painting.
Everyone stared at Lin Chen, eager to see how he would prove that the ancient painting was fake.
But to everyone's utter astonishment, Lin Chen simply took the painting and tore it to shreds.
The whole antique shop fell silent, everyone gaped at the scraps on the floor.
A painting worth a million had just been torn apart by this young man in a matter of seconds.
This guy must be crazy!
Didn't he hear that the painting was worth a million?
This is it, Boss Qian won't let him off.
Everyone twitched at the corners of their mouths, looking at Lin Chen with pity.
At this moment, Qian Wu's face turned ashen. He had never dreamed that Lin Chen would do such a thing. So angered, his mustache trembled, and his whole body shook as he pointed at Lin Chen,
"You, you dared to tear the painting, you're dead, kid!"
Lin Chen seemed not to hear Qian Wu's furious roar, but instead crouched on the ground, intently searching for something among the fragments.
After a while, he finally stood up, grinning and said, "Found it."
People looked at the piece of the ancient painting in Lin Chen's hand, utterly baffled.
By then, a few of Qian Wu's men had surrounded Lin Chen, just waiting for Qian Wu's order to strike.
Meanwhile, Qian Wu's eyes glinted coldly, staring intently at Lin Chen, as if ready to tear him to pieces to vent his anger.
To Qian Wu, a million for an ancient painting wasn't much, but this guy had directly torn the painting, which was undoubtedly a slap in his face and a blatant humiliation.
The onlookers had odd expressions, almost gloating, as they awaited Lin Chen's tragic fate.
The entire antique shop was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Qian Wu pointed at Lin Chen and said, "Kid, do you know what happens when you tear my ancient painting?"
"A fake painting torn apart, what's so great about that?" Lin Chen answered with a light smile.
"Humph, you're still smiling, I'll make you cry very soon," he said as his expression darkened, and he waved his hand towards his men.
The men understood immediately and were about to lay hands on Lin Chen.
At that moment, Lin Chen shook a piece of the torn painting in his hand and calmly said, "You wanted proof? Here's my proof."
A torn painting still had proof?
Everyone curiously looked toward the piece of ancient painting in Lin Chen's hand.
Qian Wu was the closest, but all he could see was a small black dot on it.
(I've created a readers' group, group number: 465180298. If you're interested, feel free to join to discuss the plot, characters, or even cameo as one of the characters in the book. Everyone, join in the fun O(∩_∩)O ha ha~)