Reborn As Super Heiress

However, despite this, many people still felt that Huo Sining was acting impetuously.

Huo Sining didn’t care what others thought. After signing the check, she asked Xu Shilong for help: ”Mr. Xu, you should have a legal consultant here, right? Please ask your legal consultant to draft an agreement to clarify the terms between Mr. Liang and me.”

Although the bet was made in front of so many people, after the last incident where Liang Ruicheng tried to set up a trap for Jubao Pavilion with a fraudster, Huo Sining had lost all trust in Liang Ruicheng’s character. So even at an auction, she believed more in a written agreement. By writing down the bet and having both parties sign it, there would be no fear of anyone reneging when the outcome was revealed.

Xu Shilong worked efficiently, and within ten minutes of notifying the legal consultant, a draft agreement was printed and delivered in duplicate.

The agreement’s content was simple: if the bronze pot was fake after being broken open, both parties would walk away without consequences. If it were genuine, Huo Sining would give Liang Ruicheng a check for twelve million.

Furthermore, the agreement stated explicitly that if the bronze pot was genuine, all fragments would belong to Liang Ruicheng.

In other words, win or lose, Huo Sining couldn’t gain any benefit from this bet. Even the broken pieces had nothing to do with her.

Such an agreement was very unfavorable to Huo Sining, but she didn’t hesitate to sign her name at the bottom of the agreement first and handed her twelve million check to Xu Shilong for safekeeping.

Seeing this, everyone’s hearts in the venue were on edge.

On the other side, Liang Ruicheng, who had just signed the agreement, felt a bit uneasy. However, he was confident in his bronze pot and eager to seize this opportunity to turn the tables in front of Huo Sining. He hoped that this bet would utterly discredit Huo Sining, making her unable to raise her head in the entire Imperial Capital antique circle!

After the agreement was signed, the staff quickly brought in a large hammer, seemingly from nowhere.

”Miss Huo, we found the hammer. Where do you want it smashed? Just point, and I’ll hammer it there for you.”

Xu Shilong had never felt any fondness for bronze artifacts, even if they dated back to the Western Zhou. Unlike old experts and professors like Shi Qingyun and Zhuang Xiangyang, he held no particular sentiment for antiques and relics.

Thus, encountering a scenario at his auction where artifacts were broken for authenticity verification was something he welcomed. He even wished for the situation to escalate, so he was the most enthusiastic among all spectators in the venue.

Huo Sining examined the bronze pot. Unlike porcelain, which didn’t require a hammer to shatter, simply dropping it would suffice, the bronze artifact was different. Even using a hammer, it needed a heavier one, and for a woman like Huo Sining with insufficient arm strength, she might not be able to break it open, requiring a man’s strength.

So Huo Sining didn’t contest it further. She tossed the bronze pot onto the ground and signaled Xu Shilong: ”Just smash the bulging waist of the pot until it’s shattered into several pieces, separating the fragments.”

”Got it.”

With Huo Sining’s instructions, Xu Shilong spat into his left and right hands, rubbed them together, grabbed the handle of the large iron hammer, lifted it over his head, and struck forcefully at the bronze pot.

Once, twice, and again...

”Bang, bang, bang—”

The large venue fell completely silent, with only the dull sound of the hammer echoing through the conference room.

After numerous strikes, the bronze pot cracked open, igniting the enthusiasm of the crowd below as each person stood up, craning their necks, eager to rush forward for a look.

”That’s enough!”

Seeing the pot smashed into four or five pieces, Huo Sining halted Xu Shilong from continuing.

Among everyone in the room, Huo Sining might have been the calmest. Even Zhou Shitao and Shi Qingyun were filled with concern, and Liang Ruicheng’s face was tense, yet Huo Sining’s expression remained unchanged as she closely observed the fragmentation of the bronze pot.

With the pot now opened, many people gathered around. Huo Sining didn’t rush to see the results but instead smiled at the nearby experts and said:

”Professor Shi, Professor Zhuang, you’re veterans in this field. Since this is a bet, neither my mentor nor I should directly handle the bronze pot. Could you both assist, and Mr. Xu, please also take a look? Whether real or fake, I’d like the three of you to witness it!”

Shi Qingyun and Zhuang Xiangyang hesitated but then nodded, both stepping up to the pile of bronze pot fragments.

Xu Shilong crouched down eagerly as well, with all three each picking a piece of the bronze pot to inspect.

While examining the fragment in his hand, Shi Qingyun couldn’t help commenting: ”Huo girl, you’re still young and impulsive. Look at the cut surface of this bronze pot, the rust is greenish, and the texture is smooth. It should undoubtedly be genuine. It’s such a pity that such a beautiful bronze pot was smashed, and one less exquisite bronze artifact exists in the world!”

Like porcelain, bronze artifacts have a rusty exterior, but inside lies the true bronze glaze. The forger Zhong Fang was exceptionally talented in this regard, managing to replicate even the interior of the bronze pot to resemble the original, reaching unparalleled heights, earning admiration.

Therefore, as Professor Shi examined the bronze pot fragment in his hand, he felt increasingly regretful. Researchers like him always felt heartache and sorrow seeing such delicate bronze artifacts destroyed.

Hearing Shi Qingyun’s words, Liang Ruicheng instantly felt immense pride, staring at Huo Sining with mockery and disdain: ”Well, Miss Huo, why not admit defeat? I’ll be gladly taking those twelve million of yours!”

Huo Sining smiled and retorted, ”Oh, really?”

Just after Huo Sining uttered this, less than half a second later, Xu Shilong’s exclamation echoed from the other side.

”How could it be? This... this is unbelievable!”

This exclamation captivated all the spectators’ attention.

”There are indeed characters inside this pot!”

Xu Shilong lifted a small piece of the bronze pot fragment in his hand and struggled to speak while raising it.