Chapter 40

A hint of unusual excitement flashed in Lin Ruxue's eyes, but she still asked with some concern, "Xiao Yi, where did you get so many treasures?"

Li Yi smiled and said, "I've told you several times already. Xiao Ting also told you. I bought them at the art market in the eastern part of the city. I didn't even change the packaging."

"You don't even tell the truth to your aunt!" Lin Ruxue pouted, a bit angry.

So many antiques, carefully appraised by experts and professors, could be bought from the art market? Are you treating the art market owner as a fool, or are you treating me as a fool?

Li Yi knew that it was hard to believe such a thing, so he held Lin Ruxue's hand and said, "Alright, come to my place tonight, and I'll tell you everything in detail!"

"That's more like it!" Lin Ruxue's expression softened, and then she said happily, "So, if we sell these antiques, we can really cover Huixiu's entire medical expenses!"

"You catch on fast!" Li Yi laughed heartily.

"Just because you have money, do you think you're so great? Still putting on an act in front of your aunt!" Lin Ruxue scowled and kicked Li Yi twice, then couldn't help but chuckle, "So, how are you going to repay your aunt?"

Li Yi said, "Didn't we agree? Ten thousand a month, and you'll belong to me, ha ha!"

"You wish!" Lin Ruxue pretended to pinch Li Yi's ear.

While joking in the car, she had said that Li Yi could do whatever he wanted with her for ten thousand a month, but that was just a joke. Now that Li Yi was about to become a millionaire and brought up the matter again, how could she not be annoyed?

No matter what, she was still an elder, and her dignity could not be violated!

"How can you go back on your word!" Li Yi dodged for a while, then pretended he couldn't avoid it and let Lin Ruxue pinch his ear. He called out in pain and bowed his head, "I'm sorry, Auntie, I'm wrong, okay?"

"Ha ha!" Lin Ruxue laughed triumphantly, released her nephew's ear, and then heard him say, "Auntie, seriously, quit your job and work with me. Your current design institute isn't worth staying in. Following me will make you rich."

Li Yi pointed to the antiques on the display: "This money is just our starting capital. We'll keep making more money. As the general manager, you'll be swimming in wealth!"

Lin Ruxue asked curiously, "Xiao Yi, tell me, what kind of company do you plan to start? Do you know how to run a business? Can you make money?"

Li Yi said, "Don't worry about running the business. The company isn't for profit."

Lin Ruxue rolled her eyes, "You're exaggerating again. If you're not running a business to make money, then why?"

"To attract and cultivate talent. Talent is the key to advancing society. Without Newton, classical physics wouldn't have been established. Without Einstein, relativity wouldn't be the guiding light for modern technological progress. For Earth's civilization to develop, we need a significant number of talents!"

"Wow, wow, wow, so you're going to cultivate talent for the country? Be careful, your antiques might fly away!" Lin Ruxue laughed like a silver bell.

Li Yi said solemnly, "Of course, I'm not doing it for the country. Talent belongs to all of humanity, the world, and even the universe!"

"Wow, the universe? Keep talking, and you'll really fly away!" Lin Ruxue pointed at the antiques in front of Li Yi and laughed uncontrollably.

Li Yi smiled slightly, "Alright, let's not talk about that. But Auntie, you're the talent I've identified, so you must work with me."

Lin Ruxue blinked and then deliberately said in a greedy tone, "Alright, ten thousand a month, and I'll quit!"

"Ha ha, so cheap, don't regret it later!" Li Yi laughed happily.

Lin Ruxue was surprised, "How is ten thousand a month cheap? I'm working myself to death for just over two thousand."

"Alright, you said it!"

As the aunt and nephew were chatting happily, a few journalists approached.

The leader was a middle-aged man who smiled at Li Yi and Lin Ruxue and said, "Excuse me, both of you. You've brought such valuable treasures to the exhibition and will participate in the auction afterward. Director Tan asked us to create some hype to attract more attention. Could you accept an interview and let us take photos and videos of these antiques?"

Li Yi understood that Tan Mingcheng wanted the exhibition to be more successful, so he said, "No interview, but feel free to take photos and videos."

"Thank you!" The middle-aged man nodded and then instructed the group behind him, "Everyone, be careful. Get more close-ups, pay attention to the angles, and take better photos!"

After the journalists took photos and videos of each antique, they left.

Since the exhibition was scheduled for 6 PM, there wasn't enough time to hype it up in newspapers and other media, so they hurriedly produced a special program to be broadcast on the Tangshui City radio.

At Li Yi's home, Li Ting found that after her brother's massage, she felt extremely energetic and her mind was much more agile, as if she had taken a magical elixir.

What made her even happier was that the knowledge infused through brainwave resonance had been fully consolidated through continuous reading and study. Now, solving high school advanced math problems was as easy as solving first-grade math problems, requiring no thought at all.

Before long, she finished an entire advanced math problem book, stretched, and turned on the TV. Despite learning all high school knowledge overnight, Li Ting was still a little girl who loved watching TV.

The TV was broadcasting a special program about the exhibition, and Professor Gu was enthusiastically explaining what Ru porcelain was.

"Wow, the pinnacle of Chinese ceramics, the crown of the five famous kilns, a royal treasure, 'After the rain, the sky clears and the clouds part, or the unmarked copper bone?'"

Hearing these vague terms, Li Ting didn't understand much, but she felt it was impressive and couldn't help but echo Professor Gu's praise.

The TV then switched to close-ups of Ru porcelain.

Looking at the crystal-clear and jade-like ceramics under bright lights, Li Ting couldn't help but exclaim, "Sigh, these are the real antiques, much better than the fakes my brother bought. Wait, they look a bit familiar..."

Li Ting was about to take a closer look when the camera cut away, and now Professor Hua was talking about ancient calligraphy.

Li Ting wasn't interested in Professor Hua's calligraphy lecture and just thought, "If my brother and aunt take those fakes to sell, will they be arrested by the police? I have to ask."

Finding her phone, Li Ting called Li Yi, "Brother, are you still alive? Haven't been arrested by the police, right?"

Li Yi couldn't help but laugh bitterly, "You're asking if I'm still alive? Okay, kiss me, and I'll tell you."

"Oh, so you're not dead!" Li Ting hung up and told her mother in the living room, "Mom, good news, the brother who sells fake antiques is still alive and hasn't been arrested by the police!"

Lin Ruyu shook her head, "You, have you finished your homework?"

"I've finished the entire advanced math problem book!" Li Ting proudly raised her face, stuck out her tongue at her mother, and then returned to her bedroom to continue watching the program.

In the program, Professor Hua was just talking about the "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion."

This old professor from Shuimu University, a master of calligraphy and painting, said in a solemn and slightly excited tone, "Now, one of the highest achievements in Chinese calligraphy, the world's greatest cursive script, the true work of Wang Xizhi, the 'Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion,' has finally appeared! I never expected such a cultural treasure to be at this exhibition. Its appearance will surely make this exhibition a historic event!"

"Wow, the real 'Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion'! Too bad my brother isn't here, otherwise, he'd be slapped in the face! He was so proud of his handwriting!" Li Ting angrily waved her fist.

If the knowledge about Ru porcelain was new and fresh to her, then the artistic achievement of the "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion" was well-known to everyone. It was a Chinese language text in middle school, and knowledge about Wang Xizhi was a key point in history class.

As Li Ting followed Professor Hua's passionate tone and rejoiced at the appearance of the real "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion," the camera finally turned to the calligraphy.

Li Ting immediately widened her eyes and stared at the close-up on the TV, wanting to see what made this true work of Wang Xizhi so special. But as the camera zoomed in, her eyebrows furrowed.

"This handwriting looks so familiar, it's like my brother's!"

Holding her breath for a long time, Li Ting shook her head, "Impossible, it must be an illusion. This is a true work of Wang Xizhi, appraised by experts, and can't be compared to the crayon scribbles my brother did."