Chapter 68 - Feigning Retreat to Lure the Enemy

Many people around expressed agreement with the antique store owner’s grievances. Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Chen Yushan also felt troubled by the situation; if the ancient painting indeed was not authentic, then Old Han was being somewhat unreasonable.

Seeing her keeping silent, the antique store owner became slightly more arrogant, “Besides, this is already my own property.

How I set the price is up to me, isn’t it?

It’s not for you, an officer, to point fingers, right?”

“This…” Chen Yushan was momentarily stunned.

It had to be admitted, the antique store owner’s reason was indeed unassailable, as it was a matter of free trade after all!

Now that the item had been sold to him, Old Han truly had no right to change his mind and ask for it back.

Moreover, Old Han himself was greatly at fault for not only wielding a weapon to injure someone, which was illegal, but also for originally selling the ancient painting at a low price, which was due to his own confusion.

Now, upon seeing the price of his own ancient painting soar, he suddenly had regrets; how could he solely blame others?

“Since you say it’s not authentic, then give me back the painting, and I’ll refund you the money…”

As he spoke, Old Han began to cough violently.

Ye Haochuan hurriedly applied acupressure, and Old Han gradually caught his breath.

However, just as he was about to speak, Ye Haochuan suddenly chuckled, “Old Han, this is where you are wrong.

Once the item is sold, there’s no justification for regret.”

Old Han was stunned, evidently not expecting his benefactor to contradict him.

He was about to retort, inflamed with indignation, when he suddenly felt a slight pain from his shoulder being grasped by the young man in front of him.

Although Old Han was naive, he was not stupid.

He quickly realized that there was a significant intention behind the young man’s grasp.

Although it was somewhat baffling, he still kept his mouth shut.

Seeing him so cooperative, Ye Haochuan silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Indeed, like Chen Yushan, he was also on Old Han’s side.

While it’s true that Old Han should not be having regrets now, everything had a cause.

Think about it, Old Han, an honest person, how would he know the intricacies of authenticating ancient paintings?

Being misled by the antique store owner was inevitable.

Moreover, the antique store owner had a sharp and critical demeanor, which was not likable, and Ye Haochuan felt somewhat disgusted.

If the painting turned out to be authentic, then indeed, the antique store owner was being too unscrupulous.

Of course, if it was a forgery, Old Han had no point to argue.

It wouldn’t cost much for Ye Haochuan to buy it back and give it to Old Han to comfort the old man.

Actually, Ye Haochuan himself was not versed in authenticating ancient paintings, but fortuitously, the legacy of the Holy Hand included such knowledge, which could be very useful now.

At this moment, the antique store owner, hearing his “righteous advocacy,” approached and said, “This young man here understands reason.

In business, it’s all about mutual agreement.

We had agreed upon the price initially, and to go back on it now, where’s the sense in that on this earth?”

Clearly, seeing Ye Haochuan speaking in his favor, the antique store owner was delighted and his impression of him improved greatly.

Little did he know, Ye Haochuan was merely employing a strategy of feigning weakness to paralyze him, a mere smokescreen.

Ye Haochuan said with a smile, “The owner is right.

Since the transaction was made willingly, it’s not right to go back on it afterwards.

Old Han wouldn’t have had to sell if he had chosen not to; no one could have forced him.”

The antique store owner’s face bloomed with a smile, “Yes, yes, yes, this brother is absolutely correct.”

Old Han, having been tipped off by Ye Haochuan, kept silent.

But it was different for Chen Yushan.

She thought to herself, how could this villain have no sympathy at all?

Even a blind man could see that the antique store owner was engaging in deceptive practices, yet he was helping him speak.

Had he lost his conscience to a dog?

With that thought, Chen Yushan sternly said, “What about the painting?”

Now she could not openly favor Old Han, she had to see the painting and then decide.

Although she was not an expert at authentication, she could take it back to the police station first, then invite art experts to examine it.

Upon hearing this, the antique store owner, despite his great reluctance, had to compromise for the time being.

However, in his heart, he cursed her relentlessly.

Seeing Chen Yushan speak up, Ye Haochuan, being a high-level spy, naturally cooperated, smiling, “That’s fine.

Mr.

Shop Owner, take me to have a look.

A genuine piece or a forgery, if the price is right, sell it to me, so you can avoid being troubled repeatedly by others, how about that?”

The antique shop owner’s eyes lit up.

Today, during the store celebration, he had been selling this work by Gu Kaizhi as the store’s treasure, hoping to find a buyer and make a substantial profit.

Now that a buyer had come to him, it was of course good news.

Originally, before Old Han caused a scene, this supposed last work of Gu Kaizhi had been quite popular.

But there were many inquiries and few buyers, as many of the collectors unanimously considered the painting a forgery, unwilling to be big fools for five million.

Hence, this so-called “store treasure” had become a joke in the industry for a time.

What made it worse was that after Old Han’s disruption, many people looked down on him.

The antique shop owner had only spent one thousand to acquire this painting but turned around and asked five million for it.

Wasn’t that too greedy?

“Young brother, said nicely, this painting now belongs to me and naturally, I will deal with it.

Come on in, please.”

The antique store owner, with a face full of smiles, invited Ye Haochuan into the shop.

Seeing Ye Haochuan getting on well with the antique store owner, Chen Yushan was quite angry.

This scoundrel, how could he mingle with such a crooked merchant?

Being a police officer herself, and under the public eye, it was inappropriate to show too much favoritism toward Old Han, so she had no choice but to help him enter the antique store as well.

At the main hall of the antique store, close to the wall, stood a painting.

A meter in front of the painting, there was a cordon set up with two clerks standing beside, a vigilant posture as if fearing someone would snatch the “shop treasure.”

It was an ancient landscape ink painting, with a primitive style, steep mountains, and rapid rivers.

However, the strokes were meticulous, intensely continuous like silkworms spinning silk or clouds floating in spring, also suiting Gu Kaizhi’s painting style.

However, due to the passage of time and improper preservation, the seals on this ancient painting had become blurred and difficult to identify.

At that moment, upon seeing his family’s ancestral painting, Old Han suddenly felt a surge of emotion and, throwing caution to the wind, lunged forward.

But the two clerks guarding the painting swiftly grabbed him, having been wary of him previously.

The antique store owner pointed at Old Han’s nose in a fit of rage, “Old thing, do you have no shame?

You’ve already sold it to me.

I didn’t steal or rob you, so why do you want it back?”

Old Han struggled and yelled, “If you hadn’t conned me by colluding from the start, how could I have sold it to you?

I don’t want to sell it anymore…”

Old Han really was panicking!

Ye Haochuan really didn’t know what to say about him, as this was clearly typical of acting shamelessly!