At the same moment, after Qi Qingguo helped Elder Ren to his seat on the rostrum, he immediately announced loudly, leading the way by starting a warm round of applause.

"Clap, clap, clap, clap..."

In an instant, everyone else reacted, joining in with enthusiastic clapping. For a moment, the applause was thunderous and sustained for a very long time. This applause, lasting for three to five minutes, was incredibly sincere and pure. There was absolutely no forced mandate or guidance behind it; it was entirely a spontaneous expression from the heart.

Sensing the enthusiasm, Elder Ren's smile deepened. He slowly raised his hand slightly, gesturing for them to stop. However, the applause continued for another minute before gradually subsiding.

As silence descended, the entire hall became utterly quiet, as if one could hear a pin drop.

Under everyone's gaze, Elder Ren picked up the microphone on the rostrum and said with a smile, "That was very loud applause. You must remember, I am old, and my hearing isn't what it used to be. If the volume is low, I might not hear it. So, for that, I must thank you all for your consideration."

"Haha..."

Many people laughed good-naturedly, offering another uneven round of applause.

Elder Ren smiled but remained silent, waiting for the applause to cease again before speaking, "Just now, someone asked me to say a few words. Now, this is my third statement. Therefore, I cannot continue further, or someone might rush me off the stage. So, whose turn is it to speak next?"

"Haha..."

Amidst the laughter, Yu Feibai whispered quietly, "I never expected Elder Ren to be so witty and humorous."

Wang Guan heartily agreed, feeling that the older generation of artists was not as rigid as he had imagined.

"Elder Ren, who would dare rush you off the stage?"

At the same time, Qi Qingguo chimed in with a smile, "Besides, if you don't speak, none of us would dare take the stage."

"Therefore, everyone must remember this," Elder Ren said seriously as he dropped his smile. "Compared to mere speaking, art demands rigor. One is one, and two is two; there can be absolutely no ambiguity."

The crowd paused for a moment before immediately reacting, bursting into applause.

Amidst the warm ovation, Elder Ren raised his voice into the microphone and declared, "Furthermore, I have always believed that hearing is false, seeing is believing. Saying more is never as concrete as witnessing it firsthand. Ding Yang, bring out the item."

"Yes..."

Under everyone's watch, one of the seven or eight men accompanying Elder Ren stepped forward—a handsome and suave young man, no older than twenty-seven or twenty-eight, holding a scroll in his hand. He quickly walked up beside the rostrum.

As it turned out, this action seemed to have been arranged beforehand. As Ding Yang approached, the staff members on the rostrum swiftly set up some equipment, and a large projection screen slowly descended onto the back wall.

Then, the young man named Ding Yang carefully unrolled the scroll in his hand and gently placed it under the projector. Instantly, a painting titled Amusing Shrimp Amidst Lotus appeared before everyone's eyes.

Wang Guan examined it closely. The painting depicted three lotus leaves rendered in ink wash colors. On top of the leaves, two tender pink lotuses were painted in an ochre-red hue. Nearby, several small shrimp frolicked in the water beneath the lotus flowers and leaves, combining stillness and motion to form a complete work.

The entire painting was wonderfully interesting, vibrant, and full of aesthetic appeal. However, what was peculiar was that the area reserved for the artist's signature and several spots clearly marked for seals were covered with small pieces of paper.

Because of this, no one knew whose work it was. Yet, the greater the mystery, the more it piqued everyone's curiosity to uncover its origin. After all, many believed that given Elder Ren's status, he certainly wouldn't present something ordinary to deceive them.

At this point, someone whispered from the audience, "Could it be an authentic work by Zhang Daqian?"

"Oh, that's a possibility..."

With this thought, a fiery glint appeared in many eyes. Some people were already restless, starting to stand up, eager to approach the rostrum for a closer look at the painting.

Seeing this, Qi Qingguo quickly called out, "Everyone, please sit down and maintain order!"

Then, Qi Qingguo quietly asked, "Elder Ren, perhaps we could invite a few people up to view it?"

"That can be done."

Elder Ren nodded, his gaze sweeping across the hall. After surveying the crowd for a moment, he smiled, "I see that many young people have come to the calligraphy and painting exhibition today. This is excellent; we won't have to worry about a lack of successors. Therefore, we should appropriately give more opportunities to the younger generation."

Qi Qingguo understood immediately and picked up the microphone to relay Elder Ren's sentiment.

"Sigh..."

Many people sighed in disappointment. However, no one dared to challenge Elder Ren's wishes. Thus, they resorted to upholding the fine tradition of respecting the old and favoring the young, yielding the opportunity to the young people present.

With such a rare chance to get close to Elder Ren, the young people downstairs were certainly not going to remain modest, yield, or be too timid to step forward. On the contrary, upon hearing Qi Qingguo's announcement, they eagerly rose and flocked forward.

Among the dozens of people present, there were about a dozen who could be considered young, including Wang Guan and Yu Feibai. Under the envious gazes of Lei Yunzhang and others, they cheerfully ascended to the rostrum.

As he reached Qi Qingguo's side, Yu Feibai paused and gave him a knowing wink and a smile.

"You..."

Qi Qingguo was momentarily startled, having not expected Yu Feibai to actually show up for the calligraphy and painting exhibition. However, he knew this was not the place for pleasantries, so he simply returned Yu Feibai's smile with a nod of acknowledgment.

At this moment, the dozen or so young people surged forward like a swarm, seeming intent on completely surrounding the rostrum.

However, the group was mindful of etiquette; they merely gathered around the painting, observing quietly. No one dared to touch the artwork, and certainly no one dared to tear off the small pieces of paper covering the seals.

Seeing how constrained they were, Elder Ren instead offered encouragement, "Don't be afraid. If you want to examine it up close, pick it up. If you observe anything significant, be bold and express your views."

Suddenly, the dozen or so youngsters looked at each other, hesitant and undecided.

"Since that is the case, this junior will not be modest," Yu Feibai said with a beaming smile as he directly stepped forward. He turned the painting to face himself squarely and began studying it with dedicated concentration.

Nearby, Wang Guan sighed inwardly. In terms of audacity and thick skin, he admitted he couldn't match Yu Feibai. Perhaps only Yu Feibai could behave so casually and without restraint, acting as he pleased under the scrutiny of so many eyes.

Moreover, Elder Ren, watching this, did not rebuke him; instead, he smiled broadly and nodded in approval.

The young people gathered around the rostrum felt an indescribable mix of envy and jealousy upon witnessing this. They regretted being so cautious about being the 'bird that sticks its head out.' Compared to that, gaining Elder Ren's approval was clearly more important.

Alas, regret was useless now.

Once the painting was in hand, Yu Feibai showed no intention of putting it down. First, he meticulously examined the quality of the paper, then took out the magnifying glass he carried and slowly scrutinized the brushwork constructing the lotus, aquatic plants, and the small shrimp.

After watching for several minutes, Yu Feibai finally looked up thoughtfully.

Just as everyone assumed Yu Feibai had finished and was about to pass the opportunity to the next person, he excitedly beckoned, "Wang Guan, come take a look. This painting seems to be the Shrimp Sketch by Elder Baishi."

"Qi Baishi's Shrimp Sketch!"

In an instant, the surrounding young onlookers forgot their dissatisfaction with Yu Feibai monopolizing the painting and were instead struck with astonishment.

Even the middle-aged men in the audience couldn't remain seated and stood up to crane their necks for a view. Despite the distance making it impossible to see clearly, even on their tiptoes, they strained to look.

It must be remembered that in the history of modern Chinese painting, only Xu Beihong's horses could rival Qi Baishi's shrimp, together hailed as the 'Twin Gems of Ink Wash.'

Elder Ren was Zhang Daqian's disciple, so if he had brought out a work by Zhang Daqian, no one would have found it strange. But presenting a painting by Qi Baishi was quite startling.

After all, although both Qi Baishi and Zhang Daqian were universally recognized masters of Chinese painting, for Zhang Daqian's disciple to display a work by Qi Baishi for their admiration seemed difficult to explain.

Of course, it was possible that Elder Ren possessed such broad-mindedness that he had transcended personal grudges. However, they shouldn't forget: Elder Ren was not Zhang Daqian's only disciple.

Back in the day, the brothers Zhang Shanzi and Zhang Daqian founded the Dafeng Tang studio in Shanghai and took on numerous apprentices. After nearly a century of inheritance and development, their disciples and grand-disciples were now spread across the country.

When the honor of the master's school was at stake, even if Elder Ren himself didn't mind, the other Daqian disciples might have criticisms, perhaps even viewing Elder Ren as having lost the integrity and pride of a Daqian student, leading to possible condemnation.

There was no need to doubt this; the tendency for scholars to criticize one another has never ceased, from ancient times to the present.

Yet, hearing the murmurs of speculation below, Elder Ren remained unmoved, his smile as serene as ever, like a highly virtuous monk who had long practiced Zen meditation, sitting on the stage, untouched by worldly concerns.

Simultaneously, upon hearing Yu Feibai call, Wang Guan walked over without hesitation and lowered his head to examine the work.

The focus was naturally on the small shrimp. He observed that the bodies of a few shrimp were rendered in pale ink, swimming beneath the three lotus leaves. One or two shrimp partially concealed themselves among the strands of water grass and ripples, appearing even more lively, vivid, and full of charm.

To be honest, although Wang Guan thought the shrimp were painted exceptionally well, he had never seen an authentic Shrimp Sketch by Qi Baishi, so he had no reference point to judge its authenticity.

After observing for a moment, Wang Guan whispered, "Feibai, what is your assessment?"

"I have seen authentic shrimp paintings by Elder Baishi before," Yu Feibai mused, analyzing, "And just like this painting, he used vertical dots of thick ink for the eyes, horizontal strokes for the head, and then used fine brushes to depict the antennae, legs, and large pincers. The application of light ink wash further enhanced the crystalline transparency of the shrimp bodies. This brushwork balances strength and softness, condensing spirit and vitality."

At this point, not only Wang Guan listened intently, but the surrounding young people also found his analysis convincing, nodding their heads in spontaneous agreement.