Inheritance of Two Trillion

Chapter 540: Chapter 540: Let me test you_1

Li Feitian furrowed his brow and strode up to Bai Xiaosheng, giving him a cold look.

Bai Xiaosheng cocked his leg arrogantly, nonchalantly picked up a cup of tea, leisurely moved the lid back and forth, looking at the leaves floating on the surface without so much as glancing at Li Feitian.

His haughty demeanor was more than ten times greater than that of Li Feitian’s!

The three uncles and aunts of the Li Family, along with a large number of peers, all frowned and glared, clearly dissatisfied with Bai Xiaosheng, and many were on the verge of scolding him aloud.

”This is the Li Family, not yours. Your insolence won’t be tolerated here!” Li Feitian said coldly.

”The Li Family.” Bai Xiaosheng chuckled lightly, ”Uncle Li Wenzun is still in fine fettle, and the three uncles are still in charge. Does it fall upon you, a peer, to scold a guest in public? Is this how the Li Family teaches its manners?”

Bai Xiaosheng spoke unhurriedly, with each word clear and forceful!

Li Feitian’s complexion changed drastically, but he was choked up, speechless.

The members of the Li Family present were infuriated beyond measure, yet had nothing to say.

The three uncles and aunts had thought to step forward and scold him, but with the Bai Family members watching, it would be embarrassing for so many of them to gang up on a young man!

Furthermore, if this sharp-tongued young man brought up Li Wenzun again, it would be unpleasant for anyone who approached.

As a result, no one from the Li Family spoke out.

”Besides, have I been presumptuous?” Bai Xiaosheng glanced at the Autumn Breeze Landscape Painting, ”Or do you feel that you can’t handle the truth in front of others, afraid of losing face?”

”You!” Li Feitian’s expression turned to rage, but he was held back by someone.

It was none other than Mr. Zhou Ping, Zhou Ping.

”Feitian, may I have a word?” Zhou Ping adjusted his glasses and spoke politely.

Seeing it was him, Li Feitian suppressed his anger, nodded, glared at Bai Xiaosheng, and stepped aside.

”I wonder what high opinion this brother has of this painting,” Zhou Ping asked politely.

Bai Xiaosheng looked up at him, his expression easing somewhat.

He had heard about this man from Li Feiyun earlier, and Bai Xiaosheng had specially asked Red Lotus to look into him.

Zhou Ping’s father, Zhou Yifa, was also a veteran in the political realm. Although only at the level of a vice department head, he had served under three mayors and was the first secretary to the current mayor, known as an evergreen in politics—quite an impressive figure.

Zhou Ping, too, was technically a second-generation official.

However, if he had been just the son of a mayor’s secretary, he wouldn’t have been enough to earn Bai Xiaosheng’s regard. After all, Bai Xiaosheng was now dealing with mayors and ministers.

What interested Bai Xiaosheng was that Zhou Ping, relying on his own abilities, had made a name for himself in Anjiang and had even published several articles on the appraisal of cultural artifacts, which had gained widespread recognition.

Moreover, Zhou Ping also ran an antique company, of considerable scale.

Having seen the likes of Yin Donglei, Zhang Xuan, and Jiang Feifan, these profligate sons, Bai Xiaosheng naturally became somewhat interested when he encountered a different kind of person.

”I already stated my case earlier. Why not let him tell you?” Bai Xiaosheng pointed to Li Feiyun.

Li Feiyun came over, lowered his voice, and conveyed Bai Xiaosheng’s words verbatim to Zhou Ping and Li Feitian.

Zhou and Li exchanged glances.

There was a subtle change in Li Feitian’s eyes.

Although slight, Bai Xiaosheng caught it with his keen perception.

Could it be that Li Feitian had known all along that the painting was a shrunken version? Bai Xiaosheng’s mind stirred.

Given Zhou Ping’s discernment, if he had appraised it, it was unlikely that he could not see any of it at all.

Bai Xiaosheng’s guess was correct.

The painting had been acquired by Li Feitian and given to his grandfather, Li Wenzun, who had a taste for it but didn’t understand it very well.

Zhou Ping had appraised it later and didn’t say anything outright, but he had told Li Feitian the truth behind closed doors.

Li Feitian was greatly annoyed, yet he kept it a secret.

After all, at first glance, the painting didn’t look any different from the original, so why burst the bubble?

This matter was unknown to anyone in the Li Family.

Unexpectedly, a man surnamed Bai had exposed it today.

Li Feitian felt the gaze of everyone around him and became somewhat irate.

Even if it’s indeed fake, you can’t admit it!

Especially not in front of the Bai Family!

It’s not about money, it’s about face!

Li Feitian cast a meaningful glance at Zhou Ping.

Zhou Ping met his gaze and blinked discreetly.

Firstly, they were friends, and secondly, their companies had many collaborations. This favor, he had to help!

”Mr. Bai says it’s fake, but I say it’s real!” Zhou Ping said with unwavering certainty as he looked at Bai Xiaosheng.

The onlooking Li Family Members let out a breath of relief, sneering at Bai Xiaosheng.

An expert’s words are much more credible than this young Mr. Bai’s!

Bai Xiaosheng smiled, as he had seen the exchange of glances between Li Feitian and Zhou Ping.

In one’s life, in dealing with people, sometimes you have to tell lies with eyes wide open, driven by self-interest.

”Since you and I have a disagreement, that’s not a problem; let’s use this painting to educate everyone, shall we?” Bai Xiaosheng smiled, ”I’ve heard you’re an expert around here, so let me test you!”

With Bai Xiaosheng’s words, the crowd stirred.

He wants to challenge Zhou Ping?

Even Li Feitian was somewhat dumbfounded.

”Has this Mr. Bai gone mad!”

”Does he know who Mr. Zhou is, to dare test him?”

”So arrogant and foolish, he’s asking for humiliation!”

The crowd couldn’t help but interject with various comments.

Bai Fei and Bai Ran looked at Bai Xiaosheng with faint uneasiness.

Meanwhile.

Bai Minghang stood up and walked over, followed by Li Qiuyun.

The other Bai Family Members followed suit.

”Cousin, your son is quite extraordinary, challenging our Tianqing City’s renowned connoisseur of curios!” Li Family’s third uncle looked at Bai Minghang and chuckled lightly.

”Is that so? I’d like to see this for myself,” Bai Minghang said with a faint smile.

He knew his own son very well; Bai Xiaosheng was not one to act recklessly, and if anyone was to suffer a loss, it would be someone else.

Ultimately, Bai Minghang also harbored some resentment towards the Li Family, especially with so many people gathered, waiting to laugh at his son’s expense.

Go for it, kid! Dad’s got your back!

Bai Minghang thought to himself.

”You want to test me? Fine, then please present your question!” Zhou Ping furrowed his brow, then smiled.

He too had his own pride, how could he not accept a challenge in full view of the public!

Bai Xiaosheng nodded and pointed to the Autumn Breeze Landscape Painting.

”This is a traditional ink wash landscape painting. Chinese painting values the spirit and realm, but all that is profound and elusive. Personal insights vary, and you could argue for three days and three nights without convincing the other party, so let’s get technical,” Bai Xiaosheng said with a smile, ”Let me ask you about the poem on this painting, what do you think?”

Zhou Ping glanced at it and smiled lightly, ”The poem is the painting’s spirit, and the calligraphy is its bones. Harmonious and complementary, they enhance each other greatly!”

”Which year is the painting from, and which year is the poem from?” Bai Xiaosheng pressed on.

”Judging by the overall technique of the painting, it resembles Xie Jin and should be from the Ming Dynasty. The poetic lines ’After the seeker of the autumn grass departs, only the cold forest witnesses the slanting sun’ are indeed from Tang Dynasty’s Liu Changqing, but the calligraphy bears the style of Zhu Yunming,” Zhou Ping asserted with confidence, ”Cross-referencing the two, this painting dates back to the mid-Ming Dynasty! Though unsigned, both the composition and the brushwork can be considered exquisite!”

”Good!”

Li Feiyun and others watched as Zhou Ping’s commentary flowed smoothly and couldn’t stop praising him.

Zhou Ping also felt somewhat smug.

Unexpectedly, Bai Xiaosheng shook his head with a look of regret and asked softly.

”What about the ink, from which year is it?”