Chapter 40

Looking at the 5000 yuan in front of him, the middle-aged man was incredulous: "Young man, are you sure you want to buy this calligraphy?"

Ye Bufan smiled slightly: "I've already paid, how can there be any doubt?"

"Alright, I'll take the money. Now this calligraphy is yours."

The middle-aged man happily took the 5000 yuan, originally thinking he had lost out, but unexpectedly regained his fortune.

After getting the money, he left the antique shop with a smile, while Ye Bufan rolled up the scroll and put it away.

The shop owner, seeing that Ye Bufan was dressed ordinarily but had been very generous, immediately approached and said: "Young man, do you want more calligraphy by Yan Zhenqing? I have many more."

Ye Bufan shook his head and said: "No, one is enough."

The shop owner, not giving up, said: "Young man, to be honest, this calligraphy is actually a fake."

Ye Bufan didn't want to argue and casually said: "How can that be? I think this is a genuine work by Yan Zhenqing."

The shop owner said: "Young man, I'm not lying to you. This was brought to a treasure appraisal show by an old lady last time.

The experts all identified it as a fake, and the craftsmanship is extremely crude, not worth anything.

The old lady originally wanted to take it home to paste on the wall, but I bought it for 50 yuan."

He revealed all his honest words, hoping that Ye Bufan would regret and then buy another piece of calligraphy from him.

Unexpectedly, Ye Bufan shook his head and said: "Sometimes the experts' appraisals are not accurate."

"Young man, you are too stubborn."

The shop owner said, taking out several dozen scrolls from under the counter and placing them on the counter, "Look, all the calligraphy here is genuine. You can pick any one, and I'll sell it to you at the lowest price."

Ye Bufan said: "No need, I already have one."

"Wait a moment, young man." The shop owner stopped Ye Bufan, unfolded a scroll, and said, "Look, this is a genuine work by Ji Xiaolan. If you take it home and keep it for a few years, its value will definitely double."

Ye Bufan glanced at the calligraphy, which was filled with a faint aura, confirming that it was indeed a genuine work by Ji Xiaolan.

He guessed that the middle-aged man had probably been interested in this piece, which reminded him of the joke about selling a cat in a bowl. It seemed the shop owner was using the same trick, trying to lure him into a trap.

(To be continued, please turn the page.)

He was looking for a magical artifact, and the calligraphy was just a side business to earn some extra money, so he didn't bother to argue with the shop owner and turned to leave the shop.

The shop owner, after all his efforts, saw that Ye Bufan didn't even look at the calligraphy, which made him furious, and his face turned dark: "Are you crazy?

Using 5000 yuan to buy a fake and treating it like a treasure, I don't know if you've been kicked in the head by a donkey or if you're blind."

This was a very harsh comment, even with a hint of personal attack.

Ye Bufan originally didn't want to argue with him, but hearing this, his face also turned dark, and he turned around and said: "Clearly holding a treasure but treating it like junk and forcing it on others, who is the blind one here?"

"You can't be saying this thing is a treasure, right?" The shop owner was full of disdain, "Kid, let me tell you, no one has ever found a bargain from me, the White Rat."

It turned out this guy's last name was Bai, with a sharp mouth and a cunning nature, and everyone familiar with the antique street called him the White Rat.

Ye Bufan lifted the scroll in his hand and said: "That's right, it's a great treasure, but you just didn't see it."

The White Rat's eyes darted around, and he said with a sly look: "Since you're so confident, how about we make a bet?"

He had been in the antique business for over ten years and was confident he wouldn't make a mistake. Besides, the calligraphy had been appraised by experts, so it couldn't possibly be a treasure.

For such a crooked merchant, Ye Bufan didn't mind giving him a lesson, and said: "Sure, what kind of bet?"

The White Rat's face lit up. Since this kid wouldn't fall for his tricks, winning a bet would be a good way to make some money.

He said: "If you can prove this calligraphy is a treasure, I'll give you 200,000 yuan. If not, you give me 200,000 yuan."

In his view, this kid was a naive and wealthy target, and he wanted to take a big bite out of him.

"Sure, but we need a written agreement to prevent any cheating."

"No need, with me, Yang, around, no one can cheat in the Treasure Garden."

As he spoke, a middle-aged man in his 50s appeared at the door of the antique shop.

He was dressed in a long robe, with a refined and elegant demeanor, clearly not an ordinary person.

"Master Yang, how did you come here!"

The White Rat immediately greeted the man with a fawning smile.

"Master Yang is here, Master Yang is here, hurry up and make way."

The antique street was often filled with people, and in the short time Ye Bufan and the White Rat had been talking, a dozen or so people had gathered at the door to watch the spectacle.

Seeing the middle-aged man walk in, these people moved to the sides, making way for him.

"Who is this?"

"Didn't you recognize him? This is Master Yang Ziqian, the chief appraiser of the Treasure Garden and the president of the Jiangnan Antique Association."

"Master Yang is a highly respected figure in the Treasure Garden. With him as the arbitrator, no one dares to cheat, or they won't be able to leave the Treasure Garden."

Yang Ziqian nodded at the White Rat as he entered and looked at the scroll in Ye Bufan's hand, "Young man, can I borrow it for a moment?"

"Sure."

Ye Bufan handed the scroll over.

Yang Ziqian unfolded the scroll and looked at it, then frowned slightly, "Young man, listen to my advice, don't make this bet."

Hearing this, the White Rat's face fell. He had hoped to make some money from this kid, but now it seemed he would be left empty-handed.

However, given Yang Ziqian's status, he didn't dare to complain.

But at that moment, Ye Bufan said: "Mr. Yang, this calligraphy is not as simple as it seems. It has hidden depths. You just need to act as the arbitrator."

Yang Ziqian was slightly taken aback. He naturally knew the White Rat's character and didn't want this young man to be cheated.

But after hearing Ye Bufan's words, he said with interest: "Alright, I'll see for myself if there's anything I can't understand in the antiques.

I'll act as the arbitrator. You can start the bet. If anyone loses and refuses to pay, I, Yang, will take full responsibility."

Seeing that Ye Bufan insisted on the bet, the White Rat was overjoyed. If he had made a mistake, it might be possible.

But the experts on TV had already identified it as a fake, and now Master Yang Ziqian hadn't seen anything special either. Clearly, this kid was just delusional.

He said smugly: "Alright, with Master Yang as the arbitrator, no one needs to worry about cheating. Show us what you mean by hidden depths."

Ye Bufan took the scroll and first removed the wooden rods on both sides.

The White Rat sneered: "Kid, you're not going to tell us there's a hidden layer inside the scroll, are you?

Let me tell you, we've already checked this common trick, and there's absolutely nothing there."