Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 1627: Chapter 1611: Return Voyage

Looking serious, Bai Yishan turned her gaze to Huo Sining:

”So Miss Huo, although I can’t determine whether these paintings are Picasso’s genuine works, if they are real...”

Bai Yishan didn’t finish her sentence, but Huo Sining already understood the implication behind her words.

The others around them gradually shifted from their previous nonchalance to a more grave expression, all their eyes uniformly turning toward Huo Sining.

”Ningning, I remember you have quite a knack for treasure appraisal. Didn’t you authenticate the authenticity of some other antiques at the International Treasure Appraisal Conference before? Are these paintings really Picasso’s works?”

Su Qingqing was the most impatient among them, so she asked outright.

Silently, Huo Sining stared at the paintings in front of her. Under the Heavenly Eye, a thin layer of spiritual energy enveloped the paper on these paintings.

The paintings were salvaged from the ship, which itself is an 18th or 19th-century shipwreck, so it’s normal for it to have spiritual energy.

From this point, Huo Sining couldn’t entirely confirm if these paintings were indeed by Picasso.

”These paintings are indeed 18th or 19th-century works. From a time standpoint, they can certainly match up with Picasso’s lifetime, but I can’t determine if they’re genuinely his, since I don’t know much about Picasso. It might be someone imitating him or deliberately painting under his name—it’s hard to say.”

Huo Sining felt conflicted. While the Heavenly Eye can discern the age of items through spiritual energy, it can’t directly identify the author, leaving Huo Sining completely in the dark when it comes to the European painting field.

However, upon hearing this, Bai Yishan laughed:

”That’s easy to solve. Once we return to shore, I can call my mentor. She idolizes Picasso and will surely be happy to help. We can then take photos of these paintings and send them to her email for a preliminary assessment to see if they’re Picasso’s.”

Before Huo Sining could say anything, Su Qingqing nodded repeatedly: ”That’s a great idea. Sister Yishan’s teacher is a hardcore Picasso fan and surely knows a thing or two about his paintings. If these were imitations, the teacher would definitely spot the discrepancies!”

Miss Yue agreed: ”I also think Sister Yishan’s mentor would be delighted to do this because if they are genuine, she would be the first, besides us, to witness Picasso’s authentic works emerging!”

Huo Sining didn’t really want to trouble others, but she didn’t know anyone domestically familiar with the European art scene, so she had to rely on Bai Yishan for help.

Even though they couldn’t fully confirm these paintings were Picasso’s, everyone’s perception of these seemingly inexplicable paintings changed drastically. Each person handled the paintings with care, afraid of dirtying them or losing them to the sea breeze.

Realizing the importance of the find, Huo Sining dared not be negligent. Thinking on her feet, she went to the cabin, pretending to look for something, while actually retrieving a rectangular brocade box from her storage ring. She carefully rolled each piece from the tube and placed them into the box.

Once the paintings were safely stored, although the others were still keen, Huo Sining had fulfilled her mission for the trip. The rest of the time was spent indulging in carefree fun: fishing, setting nets, diving, having a barbecue party on deck, watching the sunset and sunrise, until they finally satisfied their enjoyment and set sail back home.

The yacht returned to Dover that same afternoon.

Thanks to Huo Sining using spiritual energy to attract fish while at sea, they had quite a fruitful haul. The yacht’s hold was filled with large amounts of grouper and lobster, along with some deep-sea cod, bass, halibut, and golden spearfish from the Atlantic.

Using sea exploration as an excuse to rent a yacht, it provided an excellent cover for the bountiful seafood haul. When the yacht docked, none of the customs officials suspected any covert mission, and seeing the abundant haul, they couldn’t help but marvel at their unbelievable luck.

The seafood they caught was mainly of varieties not found in Huaxia Country, and any other unintentional catches were simply cleared out.

During the chaos, Huo Sining took a few of each type from the catch and stored them in her storage ring to take back for her friends and family to enjoy, as Atlantic seafood is very rare domestically. Even with imported seafood on the market, none would be as fresh and lively as these.

After doing this, she handed over any remaining tasks to the retired soldiers who had accompanied them to Dover.

According to Huo Sining’s plan, the seafood would be sent directly to the market for sale, and the money from the sales would be divided among the retiring soldiers, given their hard work at sea—sailing, setting nets, catching fish, even cleaning. They deserved compensation for their efforts.

Upon hearing this, the retired soldiers were ecstatic.

Though not knowledgeable about the market, they overheard the customs officers and docked sailors marveling at the catch, sensing something extraordinary about their haul.

Their reaction made it clear that what they caught wasn’t your everyday cheap catch.

Now, with Huo Sining allowing them to sell the catch and agreeing to let them split the proceeds, it felt like a windfall.

Although the company provided substantial subsidies for accompanying Huo Sining and Gu Xu abroad, the retired soldiers, with families of modest means, would never refuse extra money. Thus, they expressed their profound thanks to Huo Sining and Gu Xu, visibly touched by the unexpected bonus.

Huo Sining waved off their gratitude: ”It’s what you deserve. But how to handle it, whom to sell to, and how to distribute the money, I leave to your discretion—I’m not getting involved.”

Having been trained at Red Umbrella Beauty, these retired soldiers quickly selected a leader: ”Miss Huo, don’t worry about a thing. We can manage ourselves.”