Chapter 197: Imitation

The Jeep Grand Cherokee slowly drove to the school gate, and the two people in the back seat got out.

The wind blew over, messing up her hair, and Li Zhen reached out to tuck it back: "Sorry to trouble you again, making a special trip!"

"It's just on the way, what trouble is it?" Lin Sicheng shook his head: "What time is your flight this afternoon? Do you need me to take you?"

"Six in the afternoon, Professor (Shang Yan) is going to take me!"

"That's good!"

Lin Sicheng looked at Xiao Yuzhu again, "What about A Zhu, do you need me to drive you?"

Xiao Yuzhu tensed up all over: "I... my dad is coming to pick me up..."

I'm just offering you a ride, not going to eat you, what are you nervous about?

Lin Sicheng looked at her strangely: "Then take care, see you after the New Year."

The two nodded.

Lin Sicheng released the handbrake and prepared to roll up the window, and Li Zhen waved again: "Goodbye, Assistant Ye!"

Ye Anning smiled: "Goodbye, both of you!"

The car window slowly rose, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee drove into the flow of traffic.

Watching the receding taillights, Xiao Yuzhu exhaled deeply, looking like she still had lingering fears.

Everything was clearly normal, and they were talking about normal topics, but she always felt that a murderous aura, intense to the extreme, was hidden inside the car cabin. The slightest ripple would lead to a clash of blades.

It's no exaggeration; along the way, she didn't even dare to breathe loudly. No matter what Lin Sicheng asked, she just kept saying "mm-hmm."

It made Lin Sicheng think she had done something bad...

Taking another deep breath, Xiao Yuzhu wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.

Li Zhen smiled and looked at her: "What's wrong?"

Xiao Yuzhu opened her mouth, wanting to speak but stopping: Forget it, I won't say anything, as long as you are happy.

Anyway, when the time comes, the one who will definitely suffer is Lin Sicheng.

Mentally exhausted, and physically exhausted too...

She shook her head: "Nothing, just reminding you, don't be late!"

Li Zhen had a strange look on her face: The flight is at six in the afternoon, what time is it now?

But during the holidays, the roads were unusually congested, as if all the cars in the country had driven into Xijing.

The cars were following each other extremely closely; if one was the least bit careless, a car would suddenly dart out from the side, either cutting in front or going "Bang!"

In a quarter of an hour, they only passed three traffic lights, and five or six car accidents caused by cutting in line had occurred.

Lin Sicheng was fully focused, and Ye Anning stared at his profile.

They reached another traffic light, and Lin Sicheng stepped on the brake.

Finally finding an opening, Ye Anning pursed her lips: "Is it very comfortable having Master Li as your assistant?"

Knowing there was more to her words, Lin Sicheng remained calm: "It's alright!"

Ye Anning squinted her eyes: "She is quite good at talking, and quite good at looking after your mood."

Lin Sicheng thought about it very seriously: "Is that so?"

Still "is that so"?

Lin Sicheng, are you actually reminiscing?

Ye Anning clenched her fist and punched him.

"Don't mess around, I'm driving!"

"The line is so long, the car in front hasn't even moved!"

Ye Anning punched him again, but didn't use much force; Lin Sicheng just treated it like a scratch.

Just then, the red light turned green, and the flow of traffic slowly began to move.

Lin Sicheng released the handbrake and shifted gears:

"After the New Year, the Center is going to hold its first training session. After that, there will be regular, systematic, and continuous training for internal staff, which requires a dedicated person in charge. It's temporarily decided to be Senior Sister Li, so she won't be able to be an assistant for long..."

"Ah?" Ye Anning was stunned for a moment, "Isn't Professor Shang in charge of the training?"

"Professor Shang is only helping out temporarily; she still has to be in charge of the college's Artifact Research group, she can't look after both!"

"Furthermore, Senior Sister Li has experience as a teaching assistant, so she is more than qualified for internal training. If there are more professional experiments and Artifact Restoration, she can help at any time..."

Ye Anning was silent for a long while; she wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, she closed her mouth again.

Her uncle had said more than once that Lin Sicheng was extremely clear-headed: work is work, life is life, colleagues are colleagues, and friends are friends.

When it came to matters of emotion, he would absolutely not overstep by even a fraction, nor would he let others overstep by a fraction.

He wasn't targeting anyone, but was afraid of trouble, and even more afraid of being distracted.

Therefore, whenever he sensed the budding signs, or when it was necessary, Lin Sicheng would take the necessary measures.

For example, last time, he wanted to transfer Li Zhen to the office, but Li Zhen said she wanted to learn techniques, so it didn't happen.

And for example this time: being in charge of the Training Center allows her to learn techniques, exercise her teaching and management skills, and the pay is high; Li Zhen couldn't find a reason not to go again, right?

No wonder she felt that when Li Zhen spoke to Lin Sicheng, there was a bit of a resentful little mood?

Otherwise, she wouldn't be jealous herself.

Glancing at Lin Sicheng, Ye Anning leaned quietly against the seat.

It took almost an hour to drive to Rongbaozhai. Fortunately, they left early, so at least they weren't late.

Approaching the holidays, business was unusually good; in the four or five halls, plus several reception rooms, there were guests everywhere.

Hao Jun was so busy he couldn't stop, but he still personally welcomed them to the mounting room and arranged for the best master craftsman in the shop.

Lin Sicheng took out the rice paper and slowly unfolded it, revealing eight vigorous characters: "The grandson of Tang offers a sacrifice, may he grant me success!"

It comes from the "Book of Songs, Odes of Shang, Na"; Lin Sicheng's name is derived from this, meaning to pray for blessings from ancestors, inherit virtues, and achieve great deeds.

There is no particular style or Mastering through Imitation, but the characters are written with extreme vigor, revealing a sense of grandeur, as well as a touch of straightforwardness and sincerity.

Below is the signature, just a name, plus a line for the date.

At first glance, it looks unremarkable, but the moment the old master caught a glimpse of the signature, he was suddenly startled.

Then he looked up, scanned left and right, and his gaze landed on Lin Sicheng's face: "Is the boss from Beijing?"

"No, just from Xijing!" Lin Sicheng smiled, "The calligraphy was a gift from an elder!"

It would have been fine not to mention the elder, but once he said it was a gift from an elder, the old master became even more cautious: "May I ask for the name?"

"Surname Lin, Lin Sicheng."

Although the surname is not Wang, the name is contained within: "The grandson of Tang offers a sacrifice, may he grant me success!"

The old master did not dare to be arrogant, thought for a moment: "It will probably take a day, come pick it up tomorrow!"

"Ah?" Lin Sicheng was stunned, "General Manager Hao said it would take at most an hour or two?"

"If you brought an ordinary piece of calligraphy, or a piece of Calligraphy and Painting by a famous person, I would certainly have it mounted in two hours..."

The master pointed at the characters again, "The problem is, are these characters ordinary?"

Lin Sicheng was left speechless by the retort.

The calligraphy was requested by Wang Qi Zhi a week in advance, intended as a congratulatory gift for the opening of the Center, and incidentally to help Lin Sicheng establish his presence.

But it was said that the old man's state was not very good; he wrote and discarded, discarded and wrote, and only after half a month did he write one he was relatively satisfied with, then specially sent it over by car.

It was a week late and missed the unveiling, which Wang Qi Zhi deeply regretted.

But Lin Sicheng felt that the momentum on that day was already shocking enough. As the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little; if he brought this calligraphy out now, it would seem like gilding the lily, too deliberate.

Hanging it up now that it is mounted is just right.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Fine, a day it is!"

The old master paused slightly: "What about the mounting materials?"

"Don't make it too flashy, just keep it simple!"

"Right, simple is better!" The old master raised his finger again, "Two thousand for the labor fee!"

Lin Sicheng nodded.

Two thousand yuan, enough to cover Old Lin's monthly salary. But don't complain about the price; Rongbaozhai charges this much...

After giving some general instructions, the two stood up, and Ye Anning pursed her lips again: "What about the piece I gave you, when will you hang it?"

Hang it?

Lin Sicheng's eyelid twitched: Cousin Ye, what kind of joke are you making?

It's just a small Artifact Restoration center, not a Great Hall?

The calligraphy had been brought back many days ago, but whenever he thought of it, Lin Sicheng still felt shocked, and his eyelid couldn't stop twitching.

He was even afraid of scaring his mom and dad, and even more afraid of scaring the old man, so he didn't even dare to mention it...

On it were also eight characters: "Peace under heaven, harmony in the four corners."

It comes from the Western Han Dynasty, "Seven Stimuli."

Its origin is not complicated; it was given by his grandfather's colleague in Beijing when Ye Anning celebrated her one-month birthday.

What is complicated is the person who wrote these characters...

He thought for a moment: "Let's just keep it for now!"

Ye Anning understood what Lin Sicheng was worried about, thought for a moment: "Let's treat it as a family heirloom!"

"Right!" Lin Sicheng nodded, "But pass it to whom?"

Ye Anning was stunned, her eyes dodging for a moment.

But immediately, she realized: Is Lin Sicheng playing games with her again?

Her fist suddenly hardened, and Lin Sicheng took another punch.

Lin Sicheng just smiled: You get jealous over trivial, groundless things, and when I speak directly, you can't handle it?

Who can you blame for that?

Seeing him grinning, Ye Anning slapped him again.

As the two were playing around, Lin Sicheng's phone buzzed, and he answered it casually.

Hao Jun's voice came through, sounding a bit excited: "Junior Brother Lin, come quickly, let me show you something good... in Reception Room No. 2!"

He hung up immediately, and Lin Sicheng was stunned: It's just across the hallway, did Senior Brother Hao really have to call?

His voice was trembling, and he was so urgent... just how good of a thing did he encounter?

Lin Sicheng put away his phone and stood up, with Ye Anning following closely behind.

Just across the hallway, Hao Jun was waiting at the door early, and hearing their footsteps, he stepped forward to open the door for them.

As soon as the two entered, "Bang," Hao Jun quickly closed the door with a swift hand.

Lin Sicheng couldn't help but be startled: Why does it feel like we're being thieves?

He turned to look: Three people were sitting on the sofa, two men and one woman; the woman was relatively young, quite imposing, and also very elegant. Vaguely, she even looked a bit familiar.

Of the men, one was old and one was young; the old one had slightly gray hair, wore a Tang suit, and was rotating two walnuts in his hand.

The young one was wearing a suit and looked quite reserved.

At a single glance, Lin Sicheng made a judgment: The woman is the seller, the old man is accompanying her and should be an expert, and the young man is either an assistant or a driver.

Looking toward the center, there were several boxes on the coffee table, as well as a rather large wooden chest.

Knowing that Lin Sicheng didn't like to show off, and since Ye Anning was also there, Hao Jun didn't introduce them too much, only saying they were good friends with a high level of Appraisal.

The two opposite, however, introduced themselves very carefully; the woman was a well-known domestic host and actress, surnamed Wang, and the man was an Expert from the city's Collection Association.

Upon hearing "actor," Lin Sicheng recalled that this person had collaborated with Jiang Kun and appeared on the Spring Festival Gala. They had acted in Ying Da's sitcoms and even hosted a flagship celebrity show on a certain satellite TV station.

But for some reason, they just never became a hit, and that was already six or seven years ago. In the last two years, they have basically disappeared from television...

Lin Sicheng offered a greeting and took a few more looks, while the person opposite was also sizing him up.

It wasn't curiosity, nor was it surprise, but rather a gaze carrying a hint of "scrutiny."

Lin Sicheng had long been used to this and didn't mind, simply giving a gesture.

Hao Jun understood in a second, first opening the wooden box, unsure whether to be smug or teasing: "Come, Junior Brother Lin, let me open your eyes: have you ever seen a Taihu Strange Stone?"

Lin Sicheng was suddenly stunned: what on earth?

A strange stone, and from Taihu at that?

Hao Jun pointed again: "Don't look at me, look at the stone!"

Do I not know how to look at a stone?

Lin Sicheng glanced at Hao Jun, then lowered his head.

It was indeed quite strange: several large holes and small eyes, twisted and rounded. It had also been waxed, looking slick and shiny.

The material was very ordinary, just common limestone. It had been formed by the washing of lake waves and erosion over many years.

It counts as a collectible, and it truly belongs to the treasures of the study; the Flower and Stone Network that Song Huizong ordered from all over the country to be presented as tribute included these things.

What Lin Sicheng found strange was: this thing belongs entirely to the category of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"—those who like it treat it as a treasure, those who don't treat it as trash.

There is no concept of "material," "age," or artistic standard; it just focuses on whether it is strange or not. If he were really asked to appraise it, Lin Sicheng truly wouldn't know how to appraise it.

Seeing him squinting his eyes and looking back and forth without saying a word, Hao Jun gave a strange smile: "Guess, how much?"

After a slight pause, Hao Jun gestured with his fingers: "Original price eight million, Miss Wang is letting it go for three million now... do you want it?"

Who would have a hole in their brain to want this?

Ye Anning paused abruptly, looking quite incredulous. Lin Sicheng, however, remained indifferent and slowly sat up straight.

Hao Jun, on the contrary, became unsettled: "No... aren't you going to be surprised?"

Lin Sicheng unhurriedly picked up his Tea Cup: what is eight million? I've seen ones worth eight hundred million, have I been surprised?

Even the whole country has seen it:

Do you think it's too much of a coincidence that both are celebrities?

But if one must make a comparison, the fame of the celebrity Li is much greater than this host Wang opposite; he has been popular all over the country since 2000 and remains popular to this day.

First, he has many film and television works, with several every year; second, his wife is a diva, so the topics have basically never stopped.

What's even more coincidental is that they are both Taihu Strange Stones?

But don't say that; in Lin Sicheng's personal view, this piece belonging to host Wang should be even stranger than the one belonging to celebrity Li.

At least it's not like what the netizens said: celebrity Li's piece, if thrown into a pickle jar, would make the vegetables feel uncomfortable from the grit...

Thinking secretly, Lin Sicheng raised his head to look at the host: "When Miss Wang acquired it, were you planning to use it for investment?"

The woman paused and nodded.

"Did you meet an Expert at the dinner table who, out of admiration for Miss Wang, sold it to you half-bought and half-gifted, a bargain you picked up at a low price?"

The woman was startled, a few traces of surprise appearing in her eyes, as if asking: how did you know?

Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly: actually, the person being deceived isn't her. This Miss Wang should only be there to accompany the guests, and she rushed to fall into a trap herself.

This trick is called the Rolling Bead Strategy. It sounds very complicated, but it's actually very simple; refer to the sensational Gold Thread Jade Suit case:

The identity of the person setting the trap is real; they might even be a leader of some association, or a member of the Collection Association. It is even more likely that they are the Person in Charge of some cultural and museum institution.

The person being set up is likely some bank president, and even the president knows this is a trap, but they gladly accept the invitation and willingly fall for it...

Therefore, celebrities like Miss Wang are purely willing victims. Just sitting there to accompany guests, yet insisting on being greedy: seeing such a strange stone, it's actually worth tens of millions, and can even be mortgaged to a bank for a loan?

Asking in private, the Expert is actually only selling it to her for one million, or even a few hundred thousand... at most, she just has to accompany the Expert for a few days, and she's picked up a huge bargain!

Asking around again, hey, there are actually quite a few people buying this thing; they are either famous bosses or household-name celebrities. It is indeed worth tens of millions.

Then, willingly and happily, she opens her wallet. Whatever transaction Contract the Expert gives her, she signs it. If he asks her to accompany him for a few days, she accompanies him for a few days, without the slightest hesitation... so, besides losing money, she has to lose that too; if this isn't asking to be deceived, what is?

That's right, it has indeed sold for over ten million, and the people who bought it are indeed big bosses and celebrities, but they are playing a financial game:

My company earned fifty million this year, and I bought a Taihu Strange Stone for forty million. When applying for a bank loan next year, I use this thing as collateral, and I can at least borrow sixty or seventy percent of forty million, which is over twenty million.

When the company goes bankrupt the year after next, this stone is a fixed asset worth forty million. Even if no one wants it at a judicial auction for four hundred, during liquidation, this thing is at least collateral worth over twenty million.

Of course, it's not necessarily a strange stone; it could also be a root carving made from a rotten tree stump, or an unknown antique vase, or even a Gold Thread Jade Suit made by oneself...

Therefore, celebrity Li is not at all as stupid as the netizens say, falling for such an obvious trap. People are too smart: with bad debts of over a billion or several billion, if he doesn't play like this, he won't be able to pay it back in three lifetimes.

It's a pity that the divorce was too early, there were too many negative news stories, and the bead didn't roll out of the plate, smashing in his own hands.

The Miss Wang opposite is indeed a little bit like that.

But don't be surprised, there is definitely more than one celebrity who has fallen for the same trap. But the Contract is signed too tightly, and they can't even win a lawsuit. Furthermore, the reputation of accompanying for drinks and that sort of thing is too ugly; if it's exposed, their career is over, so of course they can only admit their bad luck...

Senior Brother Hao must know this routine, but being so busy, are you also bored enough to specifically call me over to watch a joke?

Lin Sicheng glanced at him and stood up. Hao Jun's expression turned serious, not daring to be playful anymore.

"Junior Brother, don't go; this piece is just for you to see something rare, there really are good things..."

As he spoke, he reached out and pressed him back down: "Miss Wang still has three pieces of Calligraphy and Painting, so I invited you over to really ask you to help look at the items!"

Hao Jun pointed to the three long boxes on the coffee table, turned his back slightly, and blinked again: "Just these three!"

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment.

The meaning of this blink was: the items are indeed good items, and they also look real, which is why he invited Lin Sicheng over to help take a look.

But Senior Brother Hao actually can't be sure?

In suspicion, Hao Jun opened the first long box.

The scroll slowly unfolded, and Lin Sicheng and Ye Anning both squinted their eyes at the same time:

Zha Shibiao from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, "Cloud Mountain Picture"?

At first glance, he is obscure, but during the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong reigns, he was a famous painter, calligrapher, and poet comparable to Dong Qichang.

The Zha family served as officials for generations and were a prominent clan in Xiuning, Anhui; their household was exceptionally wealthy, housing a vast collection of books, bronzes, and ancient Calligraphy and Painting.

Zha Shibiao was considered a typical black sheep of the Zha family: after passing the imperial examination to become a scholar, he abandoned an official career to study painting, and was later known alongside painters such as Sun Yi, Wang Zhirui, and Hongren as one of the "New An Four Masters."

Beyond this, his appraisal skills were even more famous, ranking him alongside the greatest antique dealer, collector, and appraiser of the Ming Dynasty, Xiang Yuanbian, known at the time as "Dong in the East, Zha in the West."

By the Qing Dynasty, his artistic achievements reached their peak, with Kangxi praising him: "Before there was Xuanzai (Dong Qichang's courtesy name), after there is Er Zhan (Cha Shibiao's courtesy name)."

Therefore, the Qing imperial court collected a great number of Zha Shibiao's Calligraphy and Painting; in the "Sanxitang," which Qianlong used exclusively to store authentic works by famous masters throughout history, there were over ten pieces by Cha Shibiao alone.

There are even nearly a hundred works recorded in the "Shiqu Baoji" (the catalog of the Qing imperial collection).

Later, after passing through wars, with pieces stolen by eunuchs and palace maids or sold off by various warlords, only a dozen or so remained in the Forbidden City.

The rest were scattered everywhere, and today, there are about a dozen Museum institutions nationwide that hold authentic works by Cha Shibiao, including those in Shanghai, Tianjin, Liaoning, Anhui, Hubei... and so on and so forth.

If one must make a comparison, even if the price of his work cannot match that of Dong Qichang, it is not far off. At the very least, it is higher than that Taihu Stone that Hao Jun joked about: three million and up.

Therefore, the two of them looked at it extremely carefully.

When looking at a painting, first look at the material: the scroll rod is made of old rosewood, with plain grain and no carvings, and the unique interlaced ox-hair grain of rosewood is clearly visible on the surface.

Tilting it slightly, there is a faint fluorescent quality to the surface of the rod.

The ends of the rod are slightly worn, with a warm patina and restrained luster, and parts have gradually changed from yellowish-brown to dark brown.

The rod is fine, now look at the paper: the texture is delicate and flexible, with faint traces of green sandalwood fibers and rice straw stars; this is genuine Xuande paper.

Now look at the seals: two square vermilion seals in the upper left, one reading "Er Zhan" and the other "Shi Biao"; the former is his courtesy name, the latter his given name. The seal script lines are fluid, the cinnabar color is full, the aging is natural, and it is steady without being glaring.

Below these are three more, which should be collector's seals. Two of them are already blurred and illegible, with only one barely identifiable.

Lin Sicheng stared for a long time: "Bijiang Hermit?"

"Eh, Su Er?"

This was a famous scholar and calligrapher during the Qianlong era, which means that if this painting is authentic, it must have been a private collection.

Continuing to look down, the inscription is a self-composed poem: "Idle clouds know no seasons, drifting through these mountains and valleys; luckily lacking the form of Rain, why should they charm the secluded and lonely?"

"Summer, fourth month of the Gengzi year, Shibiao."

This is an imitation of the Dong Style, with brushwork that is simple, calm, and gentle, and strokes that are smooth and unrestrained; it possesses both the dashing, free-spirited, and perilous brushwork of Mi Fei, without losing the clear, elegant, and distant Wind of Dong Qichang.

Seeing this, Ye Anning raised her head and stepped back slightly.

The painting depicts the mountain ranges of Pingjiang, with a high-minded scholar standing alone on a wooden bridge, looking into the distance. High on the mountain peaks, mist and clouds surge, and springs and waterfalls cascade down. Below, there are sparse woods and calm water, creating a desolate and cold atmosphere.

The composition of the work is sparse, with a clear contrast in the thickness of the lines. The scenery is well-spaced and distinct in its layers.

The brushwork is clean and crisp, the figures are depicted with subtle detail, and though little ink is used, the artistic conception is clear and distant.

Just as the poem inscribed says: "Idle clouds drift, where is the secluded and lonely?"

At first glance, everything is correct, and it is undoubtedly an authentic work. But Ye Anning always felt that within the free, elegant, and desolate atmosphere, there was a trace of stiffness and disharmony.

She took another look, and the feeling grew stronger; subconsciously, she turned her head back, and Lin Sicheng was actually leisurely sipping tea?

She looked stunned: "When did you finish looking?"

"Just now!"

Talking nonsense again? Half a cup of tea is already gone...

Muttering to herself, Ye Anning pointed at the painting: "Why do I feel that the brushwork is not very harmonious, as if... it's a bit too stiff?"

Lin Sicheng paused and gave a thumbs up: Cousin Ye really didn't waste those ten years she spent hanging around the Calligraphy and Painting gallery of the Forbidden City following Master Shan.

He nodded: "In imitations, no matter how similar, how realistic, or how well-conceived the imitation is, occasionally, the brushwork and the painting will reveal a bit of dullness."

An imitation?

Ye Anning was stunned: "Who imitated it?"

Lin Sicheng put down his Tea Cup: "Li Yu of the Qing Dynasty!"