Chapter 40

"Sure, of course..." the sweet girl hurriedly stepped aside to make way.

Qi Xiang nodded, thanked her, and walked up. Little Ding quickly followed. The sweet girl hesitated for a moment but did not stop them.

On the second floor, Little Ding chuckled, "Mr. Qi, thank you. I’m riding on your coattails."

"Without me, you could still come up," Qi Xiang said, which was true.

Little Ding smiled, "Still, it’s a bit troublesome."

Qi Xiang looked around and saw that the second floor was spacious. On the walls of the corridors and rooms, various calligraphy and paintings were hung. Beneath the artworks, some people were standing, admiring them.

There weren’t many people, but from their attire, it was clear that they were no ordinary visitors.

In any case, Little Ding whispered, "Ah, even those few gentlemen are here."

"Which gentlemen?" Qi Xiang casually asked.

"The pillars of the Calligraphy and Painting Association, and a few famous collectors and appraisers in the circle," Little Ding said with a whistle. "Hey, the Pang family really has a lot of influence."

"The Pang family?" Qi Xiang was taken aback. "Which Pang family?"

Little Ding smiled and whispered, "Mr. Qi, you’re an expert. You can’t even recognize the two characters on the sign?"

Qi Xiang’s gaze shifted, and he speculated, "You mean the owner of Xuzhai is a descendant of Pang Laichen?"

"Ha, I knew you’d understand, Mr. Qi," Little Ding nodded with a smile. "Actually, the industry has been buzzing about this for a while. I heard it before, but thought it was just a rumor. But now it seems to be true."

"What rumor?" Qi Xiang sensed there was more to Little Ding’s words.

"Since you know about Xuzhai and Pang Laichen, you should know how many calligraphy and paintings he collected back then. It’s said there were at least six or seven thousand scrolls," Little Ding said with a look of longing, then whispered, "But out of those six or seven thousand scrolls, the Pang family only donated a large portion, and the rest disappeared."

"You mean the Pang family held back?" Qi Xiang was shocked and frowned. "But back then, there were bandits, warlords, and Japanese invaders. It’s normal for some collections to be lost."

"Everyone thinks so," Little Ding agreed, then grinned slyly. "But there are also rumors in the market that the Pang family donated to avoid disaster but secretly kept some for themselves."

"Is that true?" Qi Xiang’s eyes sparkled with interest.

"I don’t know," Little Ding shook his head and shrugged. "Market rumors are just rumors. No one can be sure if they’re true. After all, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. The Pang family has been in decline for decades, but now they’re rising again. Who would dare to question them?"

"You have a point," Qi Xiang agreed.

"Let’s not talk about this..." Little Ding also seemed hesitant and quickly changed the subject. "Mr. Qi, let’s look at the paintings. I feel these artworks are not simple."

"Right, most are by famous artists," Qi Xiang agreed. He had examined them closely and found that the signatures and seals on the artworks were mostly from celebrities. There were masters from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as giants from the Republic of China era. They were all works by masters.

Qi Xiang felt that these masterpieces were likely genuine. As he was admiring the artworks, a group of people came down from the upper floor.

Little Ding’s eyes lit up, and he quickly reminded, "Mr. Qi, look, the main person is here."

"Hmm?" Qi Xiang looked and saw that among the group, the leader was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, with a distinguished air. He was wearing a traditional Chinese robe and had a string of dark, shiny prayer beads around his neck.

The beads were long and appeared to be made of wood. Among the wooden beads, there was a slightly green, lustrous jade bead.

The jade bead hung with a tassel, and a peace knot was woven into the silk, which was very meaningful.

It’s no wonder Qi Xiang’s attention was drawn to the prayer beads. As an expert, he easily fell into his professional habit, focusing on the objects rather than the person’s face.

At the very least, he knew the beads were precious. They were either made of sandalwood or ebony. At the very least, they were made of black rosewood, which was not cheap.

"That should be the direct descendant of the Nanxun Pang family."

At the same time, Little Ding whispered, "The owner of Xuzhai, Mr. Pang."

There were many guests on the second floor, and more people knew about Mr. Pang’s background. Seeing the main person arrive, they immediately gathered around, greeting and chatting.

"Thank you, thank you all..." Mr. Pang smiled and bowed to all directions. "Thank you for your support today. I can’t repay you, but I’m deeply grateful."

"Mr. Pang, just saying thank you isn’t enough. Give us something practical," someone joked. "We’re not greedy. Just take a piece of calligraphy or painting from the wall and give it to us."

"Right, right..." others laughed and agreed.

"Ha, that’s easy, that’s easy," Mr. Pang agreed with a smile. "Since the shop is newly opened, we should have a good start. As the saying goes, it’s better to share joy than to enjoy it alone. So I’ve prepared a small game to liven up the atmosphere and make everyone laugh."

"The prize for the game is any painting in the shop."

Mr. Pang pointed around, and his words made everyone excited and delighted.

After all, the paintings on the second floor, despite some price differences, were at least worth tens of thousands of yuan, even the works of lesser-known artists. The more expensive ones, worth several million yuan, were also a few.

If someone won the prize, wouldn’t they be rich?

Thinking of this, many people’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Mr. Pang, are you serious?" an old man with white hair asked. He had long been eyeing the paintings on the second floor but could not afford them.

So even if he knew the game wouldn’t be easy, he still wanted to try.

Others had the same idea. Whether they were just there for the fun or wanted the prize, they all asked eagerly. The scene quickly became lively.

Mr. Pang was very satisfied with everyone’s reaction. He smiled and nodded confidently, "Rest assured, I’m not an emperor who can make laws with a word. But I do know the principle that a gentleman’s word is as good as a contract."

"A piece of calligraphy or painting is a small matter. I’m willing to give it away. I sincerely hope someone can win the prize and take a painting from my shop..."

Mr. Pang’s words were sincere, not forced. After all, if someone really took a painting worth several million yuan, it would be a big news story and cause a stir.

Mr. Pang was not only a player but also a businessman. He had calculated it clearly and would not do a losing deal. Opening a new shop, spending a little money to achieve a big effect, and spending several million on advertising was worth it!

Some smart people in the crowd quickly understood Mr. Pang’s intentions. But because they understood, they were even more reassured and not worried about Mr. Pang going back on his word.

Someone urged, "Mr. Pang, tell us what the game is. We can’t wait."

Under everyone’s eager gaze, Mr. Pang did not keep them in suspense and said straightforwardly, "The game is very simple, just a test of your eye for detail."

"A test of your eye for detail?"

Some people thought about it, while others were confused.

At this moment, Mr. Pang smiled mysteriously and explained, "I’ll tell you, there are forgeries among the paintings on the second floor."

"What, forgeries?" Some were surprised, while others’ eyes lit up.

"That’s right, forgeries," Mr. Pang said with a grin. "Now, what you need to do is identify these forgeries. Once all the forgeries are identified, you can take any genuine piece from the remaining ones."

"Ah..." Some were shocked, while others were delighted.

Mr. Pang then added, "For fairness, if anyone misidentifies a genuine piece as a forgery, they will be automatically disqualified and cannot participate in the game anymore."

"In other words, you only have one chance. Please be cautious and don’t act rashly."

Mr. Pang’s well-intentioned reminder made many frown.

"Mr. Pang, this seems quite difficult," someone protested. "If I identify ten or eight forgeries but misidentify one genuine piece due to a momentary lapse, wouldn’t that be a big loss?"

Mr. Pang pondered for a moment and then smiled, "Alright, I’ll lower the difficulty. There are actually only ten forgeries among all the paintings on the second floor."

"Take your time. When you find a forgery, you don’t need to take it down. Just remember the number and go to the VIP room upstairs to verify it with me."

Mr. Pang smiled and added, "To prevent anyone from saying I’m cheating, I’ll tell you one more thing..."

"What?" others leaned in to listen.

"Actually, those ten forgeries were not arranged by me," Mr. Pang pointed to a few elderly men with silver hair and lively spirits, and said with a light laugh, "They are the work of these gentlemen."

Qi Xiang’s heart stirred, and he suddenly remembered Little Ding’s introduction. Those elderly men were apparently well-known collectors and appraisers in the Huzhou area.

"So... good luck to everyone!"

As he spoke, Mr. Pang did not give anyone a chance to react and immediately led the elderly men to the third floor.

Seeing this, some people were disappointed. Some of them knew the elderly men and had hoped to chat with them and get some inside information.

But Mr. Pang had anticipated this and did not give them any chance.

In short, the rules of the game were now clear. It was a game of finding the forgeries, testing not only everyone’s eye for detail but also their comprehensive ability to appreciate calligraphy and paintings...

...

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