Chapter 88: Did you stay in the tomb with the zongzi for too long, and your taste have changed?
The tomb raiding duo were taken aback by Lin Beifan’s response. Aunt Liu let out a whimper, shyly lowering her head.
Wang Pangzi widened his eyes, unable to believe it. He said, “Boss, are you not mistaken? This lady here, she’s actually this young man’s girlfriend? They don’t really seem compatible, the age difference is so significant!”
“Brother, your perspective is limited, isn’t it? In matters of love, race is not an issue, gender is not an issue, not to mention age. Don’t you think?” Lin Beifan blinked.
“You do have a point!” Wang Pangzi was still conflicted. “But…” Lin Beifan leaned in and whispered, “Brother, let me tell you, my little brother put in a lot of effort to win his girlfriend over.”
“What did he do?” Wang Pangzi’s curiosity surged.
Lin Beifan whispered, “Do you know? Just a few days ago, he accidentally fell into Aunt Liu’s arms, and then his nose started bleeding! I suspect he was pretending, intentionally taking liberties!”
Wang Pangzi: “Ugh~”
Lin Beifan continued in a hushed voice, “Less than two days later, right in front of our entire company, he was chasing after her, shouting ‘baby’ from behind and spouting a bunch of sappy love words! If it’s not true love, how could he have such courage?”
Wang Pangzi: “Ugh~”
Lin Beifan whispered again, “Finally, because of his youthful vigor and testosterone, unable to resist Aunt Liu’s allure, he almost committed a mistake that any man would.”
Wang Pangzi: “Ugh~”
Wang Pangzi’s eyebrows were knitted together.
You see, for a plump guy like him, how challenging that must be!
“But fortunately… it all ended well!”
Lin Beifan exclaimed excitedly, “Our Aunt Liu was finally moved by his sincerity and persistence, so she agreed to be his girlfriend. They are walking together, unafraid of rumors!”
Wang Pangzi frowned, “Boss, you’re not joking, right? They really got together~?”
“Every word is true!” Lin Beifan nodded seriously. “I even suspect that when he joined my company, it was to pursue Aunt Liu!”
Wu Ge appeared from behind, his face dark as he said, “Boss Lin, enough, we came to buy antiques!”
“I’m sorry, I got too excited just now, couldn’t help myself!” Lin Beifan apologized.
Wu Ge: “…”
At this point, Wang Pangzi seemed to have figured out a lot of things.
Looking at Wu Ge with a strange expression, oh you little rascal! No wonder you suddenly started working as a cleaner. Clearly, you’re trying to get close to your crush, taking advantage of the opportunity!
If you want to pursue a woman, just do it, I’m not stopping you!
But, how could you choose a woman like that!
She could be your mother!
Is it because of all the tomb raiding, spending too much time with zongzi in the tombs, that your tastes have changed?
Wu Ge felt extremely embarrassed under the scrutiny of Wang Pangzi’s gaze.
He really wanted to explain that it was all a misunderstanding, that it’s not what it seems. However, everyone is present now, so he can only explain to Wang Pangzi later.
Then it was Wu Ge’s turn to perform, he exposed the secrets of several ancient artifacts displayed in the showcase, speaking eloquently and showcasing his extraordinary expertise in appraising treasures.
Wang Pangzi pretended to be surprised and said, “It seems you really are an expert!”
“Of course, my buddy Wu here is the most professional!” Lin Beifan proudly said, “Boss, quickly bring out the good stuff from your store, let my friend take a look!”
“Alright, please wait a moment, dear guests!” Wang Pangzi went inside the store and brought out a few exquisite boxes, then opened them one by one.
“I have to tell you…” Wang Pangzi boasted, “These are all purchased from those old… cough cough, old friends of mine. They are all genuine good stuff! If it weren’t for seeing that this friend has some skill, I wouldn’t bear to bring them out!”
“Boss, stop the chitchat and show us the items!”
“Alright then!”
Wang Pangzi carefully took out a painting from one of the boxes.
“This is one of the treasures in our store – a calligraphy piece by Emperor Song Huizong! I believe everyone knows about Song Huizong. Although he wasn’t a great emperor, his calligraphy was exceptional! Especially his creation of the “slender gold” style, one of the most renowned script styles, widely recognized!”
“And this calligraphy piece I have here was written by Song Huizong when he was 26 years old! Look at this calligraphy – it’s well-proportioned, elegant, and lively, with iron-like strokes and silver-like hooks. It’s very pleasing to the eye! Song Huizong’s calligraphy is highly collectible in the world of art! If you like this piece, I’ll sell it to you for 30 million yuan!”
Lin Beifan and the others admired it for a moment and said, “It’s really nice!”
Then Lin Beifan leaned in next to Wu Ge and asked in a low voice, “How is it? Is it worth buying?”
Wu Ge whispered, “Boss, this is a forgery!”
“A forgery? It seems it’s not worth buying then!”
“No, even though it’s a forgery, it’s still very worth it!”
“Why?”
“Boss, this calligraphy was actually copied by someone from later generations! But that person was a well-known expert, known as Mr. Donglin, extremely accomplished in calligraphy and painting! Moreover, he excels at copying famous calligraphy and painting!
While his work might not be on par with Song Huizong’s, it’s still worth five to six million yuan!”
“Boss, I suspect that the owner knows this painting is a forgery, but doesn’t know who the artist behind it is! I plan to trick him a bit, and maybe we can get this calligraphy at a lower price!”
Lin Beifan patted his shoulder, saying, “Go for it!”
“No problem!”
Wu Ge stood up and said, “Boss, this painting is a forgery!”
Wang Pangzi exclaimed, “What are you saying? How can this be a forgery? Tell me!”
“Boss, take a look here… and here… and also here…”
Wu Ge pointed out one by one the places where the forgery was done on the painting, discussing it confidently and showing a high level of professionalism. He concluded, “So, in summary, this calligraphy piece is a forgery, it’s copied by someone! Boss, I just can’t believe you can’t see these obvious signs of forgery!”
“Good lad, you truly are an expert, your insight is impressive!”
“Wang Pangzi, I really like this painting. Give us a new price. If the price is reasonable, we’ll buy it and won’t bother with those trivial matters!”
“Alright, I’ll name a price, 3 million yuan! Although this calligraphy piece is fake, it’s still an antique painting, with exceptional calligraphy skills and high artistic value. If you want to buy it, it’s 3 million yuan. I won’t go any lower than that!”
Wang Pangzi said this with a heartache. Something worth 5 to 6 million yuan is being sold for just 3 million yuan. What a deal!
Wu Ge nodded toward Lin Beifan.
“Great job, really well done!” Lin Beifan said something that only two people could understand, and then silently made a wish.
1. Zongzi/Bacang is a traditional Chinese dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with various fillings, such as meat, beans, or nuts, and wrapped in bamboo leaves.
