Chapter 44

"Alright, I'll call right away!"

Thinking of Li Yi, Chen Kai immediately felt a surge of anger. It was clear that he had invited his classmates for lunch, but all the attention had been stolen by Li Yi. What was even more infuriating was that Li Yi had boasted that Chen Kai couldn't afford his antiques!

Do you really think you're the big shot with the imperial jade seal and the authentic Wang Xizhi calligraphy?

"Hey, Xiao Lin, it's Chen Kai! Yeah, yeah, isn't the exhibition about to start? Xin Li, Suo Wen Yue, and I are all here, and we're about to check out your family's precious collections!"

"What, just some old junk? Don't be modest in front of me. Everyone knows your family is loaded, and they could crush Xin Li and me with just a finger! Alright, no need for formalities, you're already inside the exhibition hall? The booth is right in the center, easy to find? Alright, we'll come in and look for you, and if we can't find you, I'll call you again!"

After hanging up, Chen Kai smiled and said, "This Lin Ruxue, she actually told me that their exhibits are just some old junk, not worth looking at, hehe!"

Xin Li looked a bit puzzled and asked, "You said their booth is in the center of the exhibition hall?"

"Yes, that's what she said," Chen Kai nodded.

Xin Li frowned, "Isn't it true that only the most famous collectors get to place their booths in the center? Are they just boasting again?"

Suo Wen Yue said, "Whether they're boasting or not, we'll know once we get inside."

Time passed slowly, and soon it was six o'clock. At the entrance, several staff members began checking tickets, and the crowd that had been waiting for a long time immediately surged into the exhibition hall like a flood.

The collectors, seeing so many visitors, were secretly delighted. People are creatures who love to show off; who wouldn't want more people to see their antique collections and admire them with awe and genuine praise?

Unfortunately, the collectors soon discovered that the crowd wasn't interested in their antiques at all. Instead, they were all grabbing the staff members.

"Excuse me, where is the imperial jade seal?"

"Excuse me, where is the authentic Wang Xizhi calligraphy?"

"Sir, I heard there are two sets of Ru porcelain at the exhibition. Where are they displayed?"

The staff members could only say, "The things you want to see are all at the central exhibit, the one with the colorful flags and lights around it!"

"Wow, it's over there!"

Swish! The crowd surged toward the central exhibit, creating a spectacular scene. Under the glow of the imperial jade seal and the authentic Wang Xizhi calligraphy, all the other exhibits were completely ignored!

Seeing this, the collectors, who had been in a state of euphoria, turned pale. It turned out that they had brought their precious treasures to be used as a backdrop!

The most depressed were the collectors surrounding the central exhibit. They were supposed to be the main attraction at this exhibition, and many had only come to give face to the Hebei Provincial Cultural Bureau, which even Tangshui City couldn't invite. Unfortunately, they were now completely ignored, as all the visitors were trying to get to the colorful central exhibit, leaving them with nothing but cold backs.

"Hey, why are these booths so obstructive? They've surrounded the national treasures in the center, how can we squeeze in to see them?" A girl in her twenties, unable to get into the central area, stood on the periphery and complained loudly.

"You're right, the exhibition designer must be an idiot, placing unrelated booths around the central exhibit!" The young man beside her also complained loudly.

He had come here tonight, spending a lot of money to take his girlfriend to see the jade seal, but he couldn't even get into the central area.

Lai Yingbo, a famous collector standing at the edge of the exhibit, frowned. What do you mean by unrelated? He was the main attraction of this exhibition!

If it weren't for Li Yi's sudden arrival and the addition of a booth in the center, their circle would have been the true central exhibit. Now, in the mouths of these people, they had become the unrelated ones!

In the central area, Hu Wanshan had arranged eight police officers around Li Yi's exhibit to maintain order, with two officers on each side. It turned out that this was still not enough.

People were crazily crowding around the glass cabinets containing the antiques, whether it was the jade seal, Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, or the Ru porcelain, all of which attracted a large number of visitors. Who wouldn't want to see these rare treasures up close?

Although the glass cabinets were made of bulletproof glass and were extremely sturdy, the police officers were still a bit worried. They repeatedly said, "Everyone, please step back a bit, don't get too close!"

"Please maintain a half-meter distance and do not touch the exhibit!"

Despite the police officers' best efforts to maintain order, the crowd was too large. Just as they pushed one person back, another would push forward, like a rush hour on a bus, making it impossible to control effectively.

Dong Chunyan, a cunning person, had secured a good position when the tickets started being checked and was among the first to surge toward the central exhibit.

"Damn Li Dainai, making things difficult for me with the police! What's so great about coming in early with connections? I'm here too, hehe, let me see this authentic Wang Xizhi calligraphy!"

Dong Chunyan greedily opened her eyes wide and pressed her face against the glass cabinet, staring intently at the "Lanting Xu" inside. Although the distance was a bit far, she still hoped to see something special to brag about to her friends.

At that moment, a light cough was heard, followed by a familiar voice: "Dong Chunyan, get lost!"

"Huh? Li Dainai?" Dong Chunyan felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her head, and it was as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water from head to toe!

How could Li Ting be inside the exhibit, so relaxed?

This doesn't make sense!

Dong Chunyan looked further and saw a young man sitting on a sofa inside the exhibit, chatting with a beautiful woman. It was Li Ting's brother, Li Yi!

"How did you get in? Let me in too!"

After being shocked, Dong Chunyan came to her senses and started pounding on the glass, shouting.

Although she had always been on bad terms with the Li siblings, she could put aside their grudges in critical moments and seek compromise. They were inside the exhibit, which was much better than her view through the glass!

"Li Ting, for the sake of our classmates, let me in!"

Li Ting had long heard Dong Chunyan calling her by her nickname and wouldn't pay her any attention, only coldly saying, "I told you to get lost, didn't you hear me?"

Dong Chunyan felt extremely frustrated. You two are inside the exhibit, and you're telling me to get lost?

She immediately grabbed a nearby police officer and shouted, "Uncle Police, there are two people inside the exhibit, look, look! Get them out!"

The police officer turned around and immediately frowned, "These two are the specially invited collectors, Mr. Li and Miss Li. The exhibits are theirs, so they naturally have to be inside the exhibit."

"What? You mean the authentic Wang Xizhi calligraphy is theirs?" Dong Chunyan's mouth opened wide enough to fit a duck egg.

The Li siblings' family was just middle-class, how could they have such valuable treasures? This was too unbelievable!

The police officer said sternly, "All the exhibits in this central exhibit are theirs. I told you to stay back a bit, don't get too close. Can't you see that Miss Li is already unhappy with you?"

"What, all the exhibits are theirs?" Dong Chunyan felt dizzy and almost fainted on the spot!

The imperial jade seal, the authentic Wang Xizhi calligraphy, the Ru porcelain... How much would these things cost?

Aren't the Li siblings as rich as a nation?