Under Mr. Cai’s reprimand, Cai Peng winced, quickly sat down nearby, and obediently sipped his tea to reflect.

“Nephew.”

At the same time, Mr. Cai suddenly spoke, “I want the item. I wonder if the nephew would be willing to part with it?”

The item, naturally, referred to the Golden Ship. Although Wang Guan had no idea how Mr. Cai had come by the thought, for him, this was a perfect opportunity to escape trouble, so how could he possibly refuse?

Of course, Wang Guan didn't make the decision unilaterally, instead looking towards Gao Zhuang and Tao Li: “What do you two think?”

What else could they think? Gao Zhuang and Tao Li weren't fools; naturally, they quickly nodded in agreement. After all, they had discussed it before—the item was difficult to take out of the country, so selling it locally was the best option. Now that Mr. Cai was willing to buy, it saved them a great deal of effort.

“Mr. Cai, please don’t laugh at us.”

Wang Guan knew the situation well and immediately spoke frankly: “We were actually looking to sell this item anyway. We were just having trouble finding a buyer and were even discussing whether to cut it up and sell the pieces separately. If you want it, Mr. Cai, you are truly doing us a huge favor.”

“Haha, if that’s the case…”

At this moment, Mr. Cai chuckled, “Leave the item here for now. I’ll have someone come over later to appraise its value, and we’ll calculate the price based on the international gold rate. You have no objections, do you?”

“Fine.” Wang Guan readily agreed, not wanting to haggle over the details. This was because he intended to sell the item purely as raw gold, not as a gold artifact.

Speaking of which, gold and gold artifacts are two distinctly different concepts. Gold, needless to say, is a precious metal, a natural currency with a relatively stable price. As for gold artifacts—such as gold rings, necklaces, or bronzes—these could be considered works of art.

For such items, in addition to the intrinsic gold value, there is also an element of added artistic value. Strictly speaking, the Golden Ship could be classified as an artwork cast in gold, so adding a premium of ten to twenty percent to the price would be quite normal.

However, Wang Guan had no intention of taking advantage. Not only because of Cai Peng’s involvement, but also due to practical constraints. Few people could afford an item like the Golden Ship, and even fewer would actually want to buy it. Having finally found a buyer, he naturally wanted to finalize the sale quickly to avoid being stuck with it.

With all factors considered, the transaction proceeded very smoothly, without any hitches. Just as Mr. Cai and Wang Guan concluded their verbal agreement, a servant entered to report: “Mr. Cai, Mr. Lu has arrived.”

“Quickly, invite him in!”

Instantly, Mr. Cai stood up, motioning for his bodyguards to carefully move the Golden Ship aside before ordering refreshments to be served. Just as things were settled, someone emerged from outside the hall. It was a middle-aged man, somewhat gaunt, giving off a dry impression, yet his eyes were remarkably bright, radiating shrewdness.

Undoubtedly, this must be the Mr. Lu that Mr. Cai mentioned.

“Mr. Lu, welcome, welcome.”

With the guest arriving, Mr. Cai naturally offered a warm welcome with a radiant smile.

Unlike Wang Guan and his companions, Mr. Lu was far more aware of Mr. Cai’s influence in Taiwan. Seeing such enthusiasm, he felt somewhat overwhelmed by the honor and quickly offered a respectful greeting: “Mr. Cai is too kind…”

“What’s this Mr. Lu’s background?”

At the same time, Wang Guan subtly tugged at Cai Peng, asking him for information.

“I don’t know.”

However, Wang Guan had asked the wrong person. Cai Peng looked blank for a moment, then shook his head: “I’ve never seen him before. Maybe he’s one of my dad’s business acquaintances?”

“A business friend?” Wang Guan scrutinized him for a moment but remained unconvinced. “I don’t think so.”

In business, unless there was a hierarchical dependency, Mr. Lu wouldn't be so overly deferential. But then again, if it were a subordinate relationship, he wouldn't be referred to as a friend either.

As Wang Guan pondered, Mr. Cai, being adept at social graces, smoothly began introductions.

“Oh.”

Upon seeing Wang Guan, Mr. Lu’s reaction was similar to Mr. Cai’s earlier—his first thought was that the man looked extremely familiar, perhaps wondering if he was some kind of celebrity…

“This is Mr. Wang, who has come from the mainland.”

However, after Mr. Cai’s introduction, Mr. Lu instantly understood, a look of pleasant surprise crossing his face. He immediately grasped Wang Guan’s hand and shook it vigorously: “It’s an honor, a true honor!”

“Likewise, likewise…” To be honest, Wang Guan couldn't figure out why Mr. Lu suddenly became so enthusiastic, but a moment later, he understood the reason.

“Speaking of which, you two are sort of colleagues, aren’t you?”

Mr. Cai chimed in with a smile: “Mr. Lu is the foremost calligraphy and painting appraiser in the region, a man of extraordinary ability…”

In an instant, Wang Guan understood. Mr. Lu’s enthusiasm wasn’t directed at him personally, but rather at the rare treasures he represented—specifically, the prestige attached to the Zhong Kui Catching Ghosts Painting and the Confucius Sacred Deeds Painting.

Indeed, after the introductions, Mr. Lu immediately began inquiring: “When will the exhibition of the treasures take place? Everyone is eagerly awaiting it.”

“That matter… is still under discussion, still under discussion,” Wang Guan replied vaguely with a smile. “It should be soon, very soon.”

“Are those bureaucrats at the National Museum giving you a hard time?” Mr. Lu said righteously, “If you need anything, just say the word. Those of us in the industry will certainly step forward to support you…”

“No, no such thing.”

Wang Guan blinked in surprise, then laughed: “The rumors in the tabloid papers are unreliable. Our cooperation is proceeding smoothly, and the specific details have been ironed out. It’s just that, due to confidentiality agreements, we can’t announce it publicly yet.”

As he spoke, Wang Guan realized he might be stealing the spotlight, so he steered the conversation back: “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so relaxed, visiting Mr. Cai’s home like this.”

“That’s true…”

Mr. Lu was also quick-witted and immediately realized the purpose of his invitation wasn't idle chat about gossip, but serious business. He immediately turned to Mr. Cai, saying with a slight apology, “Mr. Cai, why did you ask me to come over?”

Having heard that Mr. Cai was quite straightforward and disliked beating around the bush, Mr. Lu decided to ask directly. This proved to be the case, as Mr. Cai showed no annoyance and stated frankly: “Naturally, I want to utilize Mr. Lu’s appraisal skills to examine these items for me.”

Mr. Lu’s interest was immediately piqued. He had suspected this possibility before being invited, and hearing Mr. Cai’s confirmation instantly thrilled him. Given Mr. Cai’s stature, the items he possessed were surely not ordinary, enough to provide a feast for the eyes.

Thinking this, Mr. Lu could certainly not refuse; on the contrary, he looked forward to it with anticipation. Mr. Cai noticed this and immediately waved his hand: “Ah Peng, go and bring out the items.”

“Oh.”

Cai Peng nodded, then stood up, only to stop suddenly and turn back, looking bewildered: “Bring out what items? And where are they kept?”

“The safe in your room,” Mr. Cai prompted. “There are several oil paintings inside. Bring them all out.”

“Okay…”

Cai Peng quickly responded, then exclaimed in surprise: “Wait, there are paintings in the safe? How come I didn’t know?”

“I put them there a few days ago,” Mr. Cai said irritably. “Tell me, haven’t you been home to sleep for several nights now? Or do I need your permission to store anything here?”

Hearing this, Cai Peng dared not speak another word and immediately scurried away. A short while later, Cai Peng returned carrying several paintings. Mr. Lu politely stepped forward to help, placing the paintings one by one on a nearby table.

At this point, Wang Guan took the opportunity to observe. There were five paintings, all richly colored and vividly painted oils. However, unexpectedly, all five paintings were identical. Seeing this, not only Wang Guan but also Mr. Lu was slightly startled.

The five canvases depicted a young girl—hair like silk, fair skin, bright eyes—and beside her, a cluster of tulips, exuding the vibrant energy of youth.

Even though Wang Guan didn't understand oil painting, he could tell these were very good works. The puzzling thing was that all five were exactly the same, which made the situation quite intriguing. Such a scenario presented two clear possibilities: either one was genuine and four were forgeries, or all five were fakes.

Clearly, Mr. Cai had summoned Mr. Lu to authenticate these paintings.

“Mo You.”

At this moment, Mr. Lu noticed the signature on the oil paintings and gasped: “This is Mo You, one of the new generation of painters! He studied under esteemed masters and even received guidance from the great artist Mr. Zhao Wou-ki. He is heralded as the Chinese painter most likely to achieve the greatest international influence after Mr. Zhao Wou-ki—a limitless future…”

“Of course, those aren’t the main points. The key is that Mo You is young, and his works hold significant investment value.”

As he spoke, Mr. Lu frowned: “I seem to recall this piece, Tulip Girl, winning an award at a major international artists’ gallery exhibition. It’s considered one of his signature works. I didn’t expect that so soon, this work would be targeted and so many copies made.”

“That’s why I wanted to ask Mr. Lu to help distinguish the genuine from the false,” Mr. Cai chuckled. “Although I don’t care about the money spent on the paintings, I certainly don’t want to be fooled like an idiot.”

“Dad, who would dare fool you? Watch me…” Cai Peng started to shout, but under his father’s stern gaze, he quickly silenced himself, turning instead to Mr. Lu, hoping he could provide the answer.

Regarding this, Mr. Lu sighed inwardly, hoping the person who created the forgeries would have good fortune. To try and deceive such a vastly wealthy and influential figure as Mr. Cai was simply courting disaster.

Of course, for Mr. Lu, counterfeiters were enemies of the entire trade. He certainly wouldn't sympathize with them; instead, he would examine them closely to weed out the fakes. This was not only his professional ethics but also the very reason for an appraiser’s existence.

With this thought, Mr. Lu did not hesitate and immediately focused on observing the five oil paintings. However, after a moment of appraisal, his expression suddenly changed, becoming rather peculiar, tinged with hesitation… (To be continued)