Chapter 2766: The ability to brag is innate

When Ye Chen returned to Tang Chen Yi Pin, Xiao Changkun was bickering with Ma Lan.

He had just entered the door with the tube containing Meng Changsheng's portrait when he heard Xiao Changkun complaining, "You say you don't do anything all day, not even making breakfast. If you don't cook, you don't cook, but you could order an extra portion when you order food, right? You eat your fill after ordering, and you didn't even leave a hair for me. I'm in a hurry to go to the association; you can't expect me to go on an empty stomach!"

Ma Lan said with full confidence, "Haven't you heard? 'Do it yourself, and you'll have plenty of food and clothing.' Why don't you get up early and cook for me? You want me to cook for you; you're thinking too beautifully! Besides, doesn't ordering food cost money? If you gave me a hundred thousand or eighty thousand in pocket money a month, I would arrange all three meals a day for you perfectly!"

Xiao Changkun said angrily, "You really are obsessed with money!"

After saying this, he stepped out.

Just as he left the living room, he saw Ye Chen coming in and hurriedly asked, "Good son-in-law, why are you back so early?"

Ye Chen smiled, "The client's business is mostly done, so I hurried back."

As he spoke, Ye Chen took the initiative to ask him, "By the way, Dad, how is that calligraphy and painting exhibition at your Calligraphy and Painting Association going?"

Xiao Changkun sighed and said somewhat depressed, "Isn't the exhibition still in preparation? The cultural department of our Jin Ling is very supportive and has provided a lot of help. The members of the association have also found some excellent paintings. The number of exhibits already finalized is over three hundred."

Ye Chen smiled, "That's great. Why do you look so miserable?"

Xiao Changkun said depressedly, "I'm miserable because others can find good works, but I can't... They have been in this industry for a long time and know quite a few collectors. They can borrow works for the exhibition just by saying a few nice words. I'm completely in the dark; I don't even know who to ask to borrow from... I went to find Zhang Ermao before, but that Zhang Ermao doesn't deal in calligraphy and painting anymore; he's focused on ripping people off. A piece of broken wood sells for millions—he's even more money-obsessed than your mother. Apart from him, I don't know any other channels..."

Speaking of this, Xiao Changkun complained unhappily, "The most hateful thing is those association members. It's one thing that I can't find works, but every time they find a piece, it's as if they've agreed beforehand to bring it to me for evaluation. Many of them are works by painters of the Jin Ling School from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, but the Jin Ling School isn't famous, and I haven't even figured out who their representative figures are. It's inevitable that I'll show my ignorance when evaluating them. I've made quite a few jokes in the past few days."

Ma Lan walked out of the dining room at this time and mocked, "Xiao Changkun, if you ask me, you have no self-awareness! You don't know a fart about antiques, calligraphy, or painting, yet you have the nerve to join the Calligraphy and Painting Association. Isn't this just a standard case of 'making up the numbers'? In the past, when everyone played together, your incompetence wasn't obvious. Now that you're out there evaluating, it's no wonder you're exposed if you don't show your true colors!"

Xiao Changkun was poked in his weak spot by Ma Lan. He rolled his eyes at her and said angrily, "Ma Lan! I'm talking to my good son-in-law; what does it have to do with you? Are you full and have nothing better to do?"

Ma Lan curled her lips, "Yeah, I am full and have nothing better to do. Since I just finished eating, what's it to you? Do you have an opinion?"

Xiao Changkun waved his hand impatiently, "Go stay wherever it's cool; I can't be bothered with you."

Ma Lan mocked disdainfully, "It doesn't matter if you can't be bothered with me, but your position as executive vice president probably won't last long. Why does everyone ask you to evaluate? It must be because everyone knows you're a fake and wants to see you reveal your true colors as soon as possible!"

Xiao Changkun's face looked even worse. He hurriedly pulled Ye Chen's hem and whispered, "Good son-in-law, let's talk outside!"

Ye Chen smiled and nodded, following Xiao Changkun into the courtyard.

Xiao Changkun said to Ye Chen with a miserable face, "Good son-in-law, Dad's situation is really a bit passive... There are a lot of rumors in the association now. Many people say I have no real talent or learning, and that I only became the second-in-command executive vice president because of President Pei's support. They say I'm a 'relationship hire.' Now, President Pei is also in a very passive position..."

As he spoke, Xiao Changkun lowered his voice and continued, "President Pei had a meal with me yesterday and hinted at a few things. It means that too many people have been complaining to him recently, and one by one they want to impeach me. If I can't come up with something, it's really hard to convince the public..."

Ye Chen nodded and said with a smile, "Dad, this is easy to handle. It just so happens that this time when I went to look at feng shui for a client, I saw quite a few paintings in his house. Since your Calligraphy and Painting Association is going to hold an exhibition, I'll ask him if he can lend a few paintings to you."

Xiao Changkun asked excitedly, "Good son-in-law, what did your client say? Is he willing to lend them to us?"

Ye Chen said, "My client has a special identity, and many of his collections are not convenient for exhibition. However, he is still very generous. Knowing that my father-in-law is holding an exhibition, he specifically took out a painting and said he wanted to donate it to this exhibition."

After finishing, Ye Chen handed the tube containing the painting to Xiao Changkun.

Xiao Changkun asked in surprise, "Want to donate a painting to the exhibition?! What kind of painting is it?"

Ye Chen said casually, "I'm not sure either. This painting is quite mysterious; there is no signature from the author, no seal, only a line of inscription. You can open it and see."

Xiao Changkun was happy in his heart and hurriedly took the tube, pulling out Meng Changsheng's portrait.

Without caring about going inside to look, Xiao Changkun unfolded the scroll directly and exclaimed in admiration while holding it, "My god! This painting is really great!"

Ye Chen raised his eyebrows and asked curiously, "Dad, tell me, what exactly is great about this painting?"

Xiao Changkun smacked his lips and said, "If you want me to say, I really can't give you a specific reason. I just think the painting technique is very good—realist school! And it's definitely a rare realist work in our field of Chinese painting. Look at this little old man he painted; it's just like a real person! And this little old man standing on this big rock really has a sense of 'who else but me'! It's painted damn well!"

Ye Chen couldn't help but feel a bit dumbfounded. He didn't expect his father-in-law's evaluation to be so grounded. If Meng Changsheng himself heard this, he feared that no matter how strong his Dao heart was, he would be angered to death.

At this time, Xiao Changkun looked at the words on the painting and muttered, "Meng Sheng, courtesy name Changming, from Chang'an, born in the first year of Linde of the Great Tang Dynasty..."

As he spoke, he suddenly widened his eyes and blurted out, "Oh my god, is the old man in this painting from the Tang Dynasty? Does that mean this painting was also painted by someone from the Tang Dynasty?"

Ye Chen smiled, "Maybe. But the painter didn't leave a name or time, so you can just treat it as a painting from the Tang Dynasty."

Xiao Changkun was overjoyed and blurted out, "A painter from the Tang Dynasty—that's over a thousand years ago. And it's painted so well. If this is taken to the exhibition, wouldn't that be something?"

Ye Chen shrugged and smiled, "The key is that there is no signature on the painting. Even if it is a painting by a Tang Dynasty artist, there is no way to find the actual creator. This kind of painting is hard to sell for a high price in the calligraphy and painting market, and I guess it won't cause any big waves."

Xiao Changkun said, "Whatever. It's painted well and it's from the Tang Dynasty—that's already very impressive. Even if it doesn't cause big waves, at least it counts as helping me complete the performance assessment for the Calligraphy and Painting Association!"

After saying this, he hurriedly asked Ye Chen, "Good son-in-law, then I'll take this painting?"

Ye Chen nodded and said with a smile, "Dad, if anyone asks you about this painting, just say you picked it up as a bargain from someone whose face you can't remember. As for the process of picking it up, you can give full play to your imagination. Brag as much as you want, talk as much as you want—as long as you don't stray from the central idea, there's no problem with how you brag."

Xiao Changkun asked in surprise, "Good son-in-law, wouldn't it be more impressive if I said it was given to me by a friend, or that it was my own collection?"

Ye Chen said earnestly, "Dad, others might not recognize this painting, but my client does. If he finds out later that you took his painting to brag, he might complain to me. If you do as I say, he will know we are protecting his privacy, not trying to gild our own faces, and he will feel more comfortable."

Xiao Changkun was a bit dejected and sighed, "Fine, then we'll do as you say."

Ye Chen smiled slightly, reached out to pat his arm, and said earnestly, "Dad, you must not forget: from now on, this painting is something you picked up as a bargain. And it was right at the entrance of Tang Chen Yi Pin, where someone whose face you can't remember stopped you and insisted on selling it to you for a hundred yuan."

After saying this, a trace of spiritual energy was channeled into Xiao Changkun's brain, quietly applying a psychological suggestion. It would only trigger when someone asked about the origin of the painting.

Xiao Changkun nodded subconsciously. Deep in his heart, the seed had already been planted.

Ye Chen asked him with a smile, "Dad, where did you get the painting in your hand?"

Xiao Changkun said with a flourish, "Picked it up as a bargain! Let me tell you, good son-in-law, if it weren't for my discerning eyes, this painting would still be hidden under a fake painting! Back then at the antique street, someone took a fake celebrity calligraphy and painting and wanted to fool me. How sharp are my eyes? How could I fall for this trick? I just touched it casually and found that the painting wasn't right—it was thicker than an ordinary painting! I guessed right then that there was some mystery hidden inside, so I pretended to fall for it and bought the fake painting for five thousand yuan. After I got back, I tore the painting from the side, and it turned out this Tang Dynasty masterpiece was hidden inside!"

Ye Chen clicked his tongue in secret, thinking to himself that his father-in-law's ability to brag was truly innate.

However, what he wanted was this kind of natural performance from Xiao Changkun.

He believed Wu Feiyan wouldn't dare to investigate the background of this painting, but he couldn't rule out the possibility of his father-in-law talking nonsense outside, which might then reach Wu Feiyan. Therefore, out of caution, he gave Xiao Changkun this special psychological suggestion.

Seeing that his father-in-law had completely entered the role, Ye Chen nodded with satisfaction. It seemed that his father-in-law not only remembered his psychological suggestion but also remembered his instruction to brag as he pleased.

He knew that at this moment, deep in Xiao Changkun's heart, he firmly believed that he had picked up this painting as a bargain. However, he didn't want people to think he had just had a stroke of luck, so he had to invent a legendary story to increase his technical content and make himself look impressive.

So, Ye Chen asked tentatively, "Dad, is it going too far to brag like this even to your own family? Tell me the truth from the bottom of your heart: where did this painting really come from?"

Xiao Changkun chuckled and said, "My good son-in-law really understands me; you saw through my bragging at a glance."

As he spoke, Xiao Changkun said mysteriously, "Dad won't hide it from you. This painting was indeed picked up as a bargain, just not as mysterious as I just said. It was just that yesterday when I went out, a guy stopped me at the entrance of our Tang Chen Yi Pin and insisted on selling this painting to me, and the asking price was only a hundred yuan. I thought this painting was pretty good—even if it were a modern work, it would be worth more than a hundred yuan, right? Isn't this clearly a bargain for me to take? So I bought it!"

Ye Chen nodded with satisfaction and smiled, "Alright, Dad, hurry up and go to the Calligraphy and Painting Association to find your place. If you don't keep a low profile, I'm afraid you really won't be able to keep your position as executive vice president!" ===== CHAPTER 2767 =====