Chapter 91

Yang Yijun was very satisfied with Zhang Tianyuan's stake. If Zhang Tianyuan had said he would bet his life, he would have been at a loss, after all, hurting someone's life is a very dangerous thing.

Money is different. Ten million yuan, absolutely more than enough, Yang Yijun was very willing.

"Then please have the person Mr. Zhang mentioned come out, let's all see who this great master is!" Yang Yijun smiled and said, "I accept your stake, no problem at all."

Zhang Tianyuan, of course, knew that Yang Yijun would accept; no one would refuse money.

He smiled, then walked forward and said, "Please have Mr. Yang prepare the materials, any suitable bamboo tube for carving will do."

"Preparing the materials is no problem, but who is the person you're looking for?" Yang Yijun asked, puzzled.

"Not far away, right here!" Zhang Tianyuan smiled, "That's right, it's me!"

"You?"

"Don't be so surprised, Mr. Yang. You've already auctioned my paintings, how could you not think I could do bamboo carving?" Zhang Tianyuan said with a smile.

At this moment, to get the relic, he didn't care about shocking the world. As long as he didn't reveal his true abilities, showing these people his skills in imitation would be fine. In the future, no one would dare to look down on him in this circle, and many things would be much easier.

"Painting and calligraphy are different from carving, can you really imitate?" Yang Yijun looked doubtful.

"Mr. Yang, there's no need to say more. We've already made the bet. Whether I can do it or not will be clear after it's done. Could it be that Mr. Yang is unwilling to provide the materials and tools for carving?" Zhang Tianyuan asked with a smile.

Yang Yijun's lips twitched, and he waved to his subordinates. After a while, someone brought up a bamboo tube that looked like a peach garden bamboo carving pen holder, along with some carving tools.

"Thank you. If anyone in the audience is bored, they can leave. Of course, if you want to appreciate my bamboo carving skills, you might as well stay a bit longer. It won't take long." Zhang Tianyuan said, then began to focus on carving, not wanting to waste a moment.

The imitation technique was activated, the earth qi circled around his wrist and fingertips, and the carving knife in his hand seemed to have a soul, moving freely on the bamboo tube. Many patterns that would normally require multiple revisions were mostly completed in one stroke. This was the terrifying aspect of the imitation technique and the magical effect of the earth qi.

At first, the audience was somewhat dismissive, even staying to watch for the sake of amusement. They didn't believe Zhang Tianyuan could do what he said.

However, after a few minutes, everyone couldn't help but stand up, their eyes shining with amazement.

Tu Shou stood in the front row, wiping his old glasses over and over again, as if afraid his eyes were deceiving him.

"Smooth and fluid, divine carving! What kind of skill is this? Are you really only in your twenties?" Tu Shou was deeply impressed. When he heard that this person was the one who painted "Farewell to Dongpo," he was already surprised, but now it was more than surprise; it was admiration, genuine admiration.

Zhang Tianyuan couldn't hear Tu Shou's voice at this moment; he was completely immersed in the world of carving.

The imitation technique wasn't just about the shape; it also captured the spirit and essence. So when Zhang Tianyuan was imitating, he was also truly appreciating. Now, he was completely sure that this bamboo carving pen holder was genuine and one of Zhu Sansong's masterpieces.

This made Zhang Tianyuan realize another great benefit of the imitation technique. Each imitation was a soulful appreciation, which greatly improved his artistic appreciation skills and helped him understand the value of these antiques, making him a true insider in the field, not just a dabbler.

Even those who didn't understand bamboo carving were stunned by Zhang Tianyuan's technique. Even a fool could see that the fluid knife work was already at a masterful level. Even if they didn't know how the final carving would look, the knife work alone was enough to make them admire him.

Yang Yijun's attitude changed from initial disdain to shock, and then to joy.

He was disdainful because he didn't believe Zhang Tianyuan could carve something identical. He was shocked by Zhang Tianyuan's carving technique, and he was happy because he thought of a good way to make money and decided to win Zhang Tianyuan over.

For him, giving away a few million yuan or even a relic was nothing. If he could build a relationship with Zhang Tianyuan, wouldn't there be more ways to make money in the future? And this guy was also Zhao Shenluo's sworn brother. No matter how you looked at it, he was worth befriending.

His thoughts changed, and naturally, his emotions changed as well, which was normal.

The most interesting one was probably Mother Yi. At first, he was eating the gum the model put in his mouth, but as he watched, his mouth opened wide, and he didn't even notice when the gum fell out.

Those who knew the value saw the skill, and those who didn't saw the show. But whether they saw the skill or the show, they were all treated to a great spectacle.

After a full hour, the bamboo carving was completed. Zhang Tianyuan took a deep breath, then exhaled, and smiled at Yang Yijun, "Mr. Yang, what do you think?"

Before Yang Yijun could speak, Tu Shou rushed to say, "Wonderful, wonderful! Absolutely perfect! It's exactly the same, amazing! I'll take it, I'll pay another 500,000 for it!"

Zhang Tianyuan smiled and said, "Since Old Master Tu likes it, I'll give it to you!"

He handed the item to Tu Shou, then turned to look at Yang Yijun, waiting for his response.

Yang Yijun laughed, "Don't underestimate the young. Impressive, impressive! Zhang, you've really opened my eyes today. Good! Very good! Excellent! I'll keep my word, take the item, and I'll give you the relic later!"

Zhang Tianyuan was originally worried that Yang Yijun might renege on the deal, as he didn't really know this person. But he noticed that after he carved the pen holder, Yang Yijun's attitude toward him had completely changed.

Before, he called him "Mr. Zhang" and probably cursed him in his heart. Now, he called him "Brother Zhang," a clear sign of wanting to build a relationship.

But after some thought, Zhang Tianyuan understood. It seemed Yang Yijun wanted to make money from him. Well, that's fine. Whether they cooperate or not is another matter, but if this reason can make him give me the relic, that's good enough.

After the auction ended, most people left. The imperial tomb tourist area also began to get busy, with more and more people. Everyone left, and it was safe.

After getting the relic from Yang Yijun, Zhang Tianyuan felt his mission was accomplished. He didn't want to stay here any longer and just wanted to return to Nandu as soon as possible. After all, this was Yang Yijun's territory, not a completely safe place.

Yang Yijun didn't force anyone to stay but gave Zhang Tianyuan a business card with his phone number, saying he could contact him if anything came up. The warmth was like that of a long-lost brother.

When leaving, two people specifically came to find Zhang Tianyuan.

The first was Tu Shou.

Today, Tu Shou bought two items Zhang Tianyuan imitated, spending over a million yuan, making him a major customer for Zhang Tianyuan, so Zhang Tianyuan was particularly respectful to him.

"Old Master Tu, are you leaving now?" Zhang Tianyuan asked with a smile.

"Brother Zhang, I'd like to invite you to my home, what do you think?" Tu Shou said excitedly.

"Oh, you're too kind, I can't possibly be your brother." Zhang Tianyuan hurriedly said.

"No problem, no problem. With your skills, I don't lose anything by calling you brother!" Tu Shou seemed very happy, clearly not minding at all.

"Is your home in Nandu?"

"Yes, yes, you're going back to Nandu, right? Come with me, we can have a cup of tea and chat. I have many collections at home, and I'd like Brother Zhang to take a look." Tu Shou said with a smile.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead! Do you have a car? If not, we can go together!"

"Brother Zhang, why don't you ride with me? My Audi A8 isn't as grand as your car, but it's comfortable with just me. Your car is too crowded." Tu Shou smiled.

"Okay, no problem, I do have some things to ask you." Zhang Tianyuan answered straightforwardly because he indeed wanted to get to know Tu Shou. This man was a true appraisal master and the most famous antique collector in Nandu. It would be beneficial to know him.

He turned to Zhao Liangde and said, "Liangde, you and Gangzi, Shelin go back first. I'll visit Old Master Tu's place."

"Be careful, don't get sold out." Xu Gang laughed.

"Like I'm you." Zhang Tianyuan scolded.

Zhao Liangde was a bit awkward. He had bought the jade suit, and putting it in the car would indeed be crowded. Zhang Tianyuan riding with Tu Shou would make it easier for him.

"Brother Zhang, we'll go first."

"Okay, drive carefully, don't go too fast!"

After Zhao Liangde's Rolls-Royce left, Zhang Tianyuan took the items he had bought and got into Tu Shou's Audi. But before the door could close, someone suddenly got in.

"Hehe, hello, I'll hitch a ride to the Nandu Hotel." It was Mother Yi with a big backhead, grinning like a split jujube, seemingly very happy.

Old Master Tu glanced at him and said coldly, "Where's your car?"

"Hehe, the girls took my car." Mother Yi laughed, "Old Master Tu, I'm your student, right? Can't I even hitch a ride?"

Old Master Tu snorted and said, "Alright, stop talking, get in, sit in the front, don't disturb my conversation with Brother Zhang."

After Mother Yi got in, the driver started the car. The Audi was actually quite comfortable, and Zhang Tianyuan didn't feel the Rolls-Royce was any better. After all, he was still a layman when it came to cars.