Reborn As Super Heiress

The middle-aged man examined the painting while pretending to ponder, then spoke after two or three minutes:

”There are many people who love playing with antiques, favoring gold, silver, jade artifacts, and Blue and White Porcelain; items like these are nothing more than coarse objects crafted by potters, things that can’t make it to the stage, all hyped up.”

”But I’m different; I love calligraphy and paintings. The brushwork in these is unlike gold, silver, and jade artifacts; they are the precious heritage left by literati and refined scholars. Every painting holds a wealth of cultural essence. Take this masterpiece by Shen Zhou as an example, just looking at it is pleasing to the eye, feels as if standing here, one is communicating with this master.”

Uh…

Huo Sining was quite surprised upon hearing this. She had initially thought he would deliver some insightful remarks that could pass as genuine, but she never expected such an over-the-top performance and this kind of pompous yet superficial commentary. Is it even critiquing the painting? Even those bumbling amateurs could offer deeper insights than this!

Not only Huo Sining, but even Li Quan was equally amazed, while young Jiang Xiaoqin couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Li Quan also pondered to himself, wondering where this joker came from to perform in their shop. With such flashy acting skills, he’s on par with those standby extras at the Beijing Film Academy Entrance, who earn thirty yuan a day, without even lunch included.

Seeing Jiang Xiaoqin laughing, Huo Sining couldn’t help but glare at her, prompting Xiaoqin to quickly stifle her laughter.

Only then did Huo Sining turn back to the middle-aged man: ”It seems you think highly of this painting, are you interested in purchasing it?”

The middle-aged man nodded: ”Of course. To tell you the truth, I’ve been searching for works from the Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty for a long time. But the current antique market is chaotic, and it’s hard to come across genuine masterpieces. Now that I’ve finally encountered one here, I definitely want to buy it!”

As he spoke, his face showed an excited expression, his eyes passionate and sincere, looking very solemn.

Huo Sining maintained a gentle smile, but internally, she felt overwhelmed by the absurdity of the situation.

It’s one thing for an amateur pretending to be a connoisseur, but claiming to have searched for years? Is this a joke? If he truly loved antique paintings and calligraphy, would he be so careless, glancing at a painting and declaring it authentic? Any savvy person would at least look through a magnifying glass, right? With his level of expertise, if he genuinely treasured it, he’d bring an appraiser along, otherwise, it’s too suspicious!

As Huo Sining inwardly criticized, she continued to play along: ”You’re very straightforward, clearly a big-earning boss. If you want to buy this painting, no problem. However, regarding the price, it might be a bit high.”

The middle-aged man was waiting for Huo Sining to say this. Upon hearing that the price was steep, a hint of excitement and delight flashed in his eyes, albeit quickly repressed as he returned to a serious demeanor when noticing Huo’s gaze.

”Boss, your words sound a bit off the mark. If Shen Zhou’s works were cheap, I wouldn’t even be able to buy them. But in this antique business, it’s all about mutual consent. It shouldn’t be a one-time trade. You name a price, and I’ll see if it’s suitable. If it doesn’t work, let’s negotiate further.”

Previously pretending to be an erudite scholar, once the topic turned to price, his true colors emerged, with a whiff of avarice overwhelming his tone. Genuine admirers of antique calligraphy and paintings are usually noble beings. Yet once the issue of price arises, his greedy eyes were impossible to hide.

Huo Sining was now certain that this man’s motive wasn’t to buy paintings, but something else. So she smiled and directly held up two fingers.

”Twenty million?!” the middle-aged man exclaimed exaggeratedly.

Huo Sining chuckled: ”Aren’t you an expert, sir? Given your research on paintings, you wouldn’t be unaware of the real value of Shen Zhou’s art, right? Twenty million, even Shen Zhou’s most famous works only fetch such a high price at major auctions. How could our modest antique shop match such a high price?”

The middle-aged man was stunned, then a hint of embarrassment and uneasiness crossed his face as he laughed it off: ”Well, I was just kidding.”

Huo Sining didn’t dwell on it, quickly stating: ”Two million is no bargain if you truly intend to buy it!”

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man relaxed visibly, nodding: ”Two million isn’t expensive. Can you take down the painting for me to examine again?”

Huo Sining nodded and motioned for Li Quan to take down the painting: ”Feel free to look.”

Li Quan handed the painting to the middle-aged man and then interjected: ”Sir, are you purchasing this painting today?”

The middle-aged man took the painting but didn’t focus on its image. Instead, he rubbed the scroll for a while, seeming to confirm something, then said:

”Boss, I don’t have that much cash on hand right now. I need to find a way to shift the company’s liquidity. I’ll decide on this painting today, paying ten thousand in deposit. In a couple of days, once I’ve gathered the funds, I’ll come to your shop for the painting. What do you think?”

Huo Sining nodded in agreement: ”No problem, we’ll hold the painting for you.”

The middle-aged man studied the painting for several more minutes before finally confirming his decision with a slight clench of his fist.

He retrieved a ten-thousand deposit from his bag and seemed somewhat uneasy, further adding: ”While Shen Zhou’s works are rare finds, two million is no small amount. Having paid the deposit, can you offer a contract?”

The store certainly had sales contracts. Huo Sining immediately signaled Jiang Xiaoqin, who promptly fetched the shop’s contract.

Upon seeing the sales contract, a distressed expression crossed the middle-aged man’s face: ”Boss, this is not the contract I need.”

A glint appeared in Huo Sining’s eye, her smile unwavering: ”This is our shop’s sales contract. Rest assured, we’ll note within that you’ve paid a ten-thousand deposit for the painting. There won’t be any issues.”

The middle-aged man became anxious: ”Boss, it’s not that I don’t trust you. The painting seems genuine, the price decent, yet I’m no appraiser—could easily be deceived. The trouble today is, coincidentally, I didn’t bring an appraiser. Can you write me a guarantee?”