Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Earning the First Sum of Money (Fourth update)

Translator: 549690339

“Hahaha  No problem, not just one cup of water, even two, or three cups wouldn’t be an issue,” Boss Zuo chuckled.

Sure enough, he quickly fetched a cup of water for Huang Xiaolong.

Huang Xiaolong took a mouthful of water, and then—

Psshh

He spit the water directly onto the painting.

The spectators were stunned.

Now, the surface of the painting was completely soaked. Put bluntly, the painting was ruined.

“Hahaha ” Boss Zuo couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Huang Xiaolong gently shook the painting so the water spread evenly across it. Using the nail of his right pinkie finger, he carefully lifted a corner of the painting.

Surprise!

Something unbelievably shocking happened!

It was just like magic! A thin layer of paper was lifting from the surface of the painting!

Under this thin piece of paper, there was another painting hidden!

“A painting hidden within a painting ?!!!!” Boss Miao cried out in alarm.

Boss Zuo, the garbage collector, and Cui Feiyan all stared at the painting in Huang Xiaolong’s hand with wide-eyed intrigue.

Smiling slightly, Huang Xiaolong discarded the lifted paper, wiped his moist hands on his clothes, and laid the painting flat on the table, carefully smoothing it out.

The new painting beneath, once again of bamboo and rocks, was strikingly different in style and essence from the previous one.

The bamboo painted in this new artwork was depicted as tall and slender, with a lively spirit, giving a sense of a cool breeze passing through the bamboo leaves, a graceful elegance of the swaying bamboo.

The signature is a poem, “Biting stubbornly onto the green mountain, setting root amidst the cracked rocks, enduring a thousand beatings still strong, facing the wind from any direction.”

“Hahaha  I told you it’s genuine, but you refused to believe me. So, do you believe now?” Huang Xiaolong chuckled contentedly. “I saw it a long time ago that there was another painting beneath the fake one.”

Shocked!

Amazed!

Bewildered!

Cui Feiyan, the ragpicker, Boss Zuo, and Boss Miao, at this moment, all stared blankly at Huang Xiaolong, their eyes frozen in disbelief.

Next moment, Boss Miao and Boss Zuo frantically leaned over to inspect it closely.

How did Huang Xiaolong discern this with such precision?

First… Huang Xiaolong had once chatted and learned painting from Zheng Banqiao in the underworld. Apart from his extraordinary talent, Zheng Banqiao had created a trick to hide a true work, which was known as ‘painting within a painting’.

Second… to confirm the authenticity of this painting, Huang Xiaolong silently chanted a perspective spell.

He had already seen it clearly!

“Ah !!!!!” Suddenly, Boss Miao shrieked, his face flushing red in pure excitement, “Genuine! Genuine! Oh my God! This is Zheng Banqiao’s genuine work! Before… it was a hidden pearl, but now, the treasure has finally seen the light of the day!”

Boss Miao, a man extremely passionate about painting, especially loved the works of masters from Ming and Qing dynasties, particularly those by Zheng Banqiao.

Although Boss Miao’s house was full of collections, he was always missing the genuine work of Zheng Banqiao!

At this moment, he couldn’t control his excitement. Staring at the bamboo and rock painting, he gently stroked it as if caressing the tender fair skin of his first love!

“How… How… How did you see through it?” Boss Zuo gasped, bloodshot eyes bulging.

“Hehe  Of course, I can. Some people who sound knowledgeable but are largely ignorant, no matter how they look, they just can’t see it. And you call yourself an expert?” Huang Xiaolong sneered.

Boss Zuo had mocked and laughed at Huang Xiaolong several times. Now, Huang Xiaolong was hitting him right where it hurt—serves him right!

“You! You! You!” Boss Zuo was so agitated, frustrated, and regretful, that he was choking on his words, red-faced and flustered.

“Little Long… You found the original painting just like that… You… you’re incredible…utterly incredible…” Cui Feiyan gazed at Huang Xiaolong with astonishment, her eyes shining with admiration.

“Feiyan, this is quite simple indeed. One can easily see it,” Huang Xiaolong replied with a casual expression, not showing off at all.

“Alright…” Cui Feiyan admitted defeat, genuinely impressed.

“Little Huang!” Boss Miao, all of a sudden, grabbed Huang Xiaolong’s shoulders, his voice trembling. “This painting…can you part with it? I… I genuinely adore it! I’m really, really taken by it! Earlier, I was…I was rather rude, I hope you don’t hold it against me, you truly are a maestro! I am short-sighted, truly short-sighted.”

At this moment, Boss Miao felt bitter within.

Initially, he used to mock Huang Xiaolong along with Boss Zuo.

But look now…what a joke!

Boss Miao felt that Cui Feiyan was blinded to have accepted such a fool as a friend.

But, in reality—Cui Feiyan truly had a keen eye!

This unexceptional-looking countryside lad, at least in terms of appraising treasures, was a real master!

“You want to buy it? Sure, how much are you willing to pay?” Huang Xiaolong asked with a smile.

“Little Huang, I am a friend of President Cui’s, and you are a professional, so I won’t beat around the bush. As per the market price. 50 million, what do you think of this price?” said Boss Miao earnestly.

50 million?

!!!!!!

God damn!

He had lucked into a fortune!

The painting, bought for a mere 30,000, hasn’t even been in his possession long enough to get warm, and in a flip, it’s worth 50 million!

Psshh

Boss Zuo puked a mouthful of old blood!

I’m screwed!

That money should have been mine!

If only Boss Zuo had nodded earlier. he could have brought that painting from the ragpicker for just 20,000! That would’ve translated into an outright profit of 49.98 million!

Boss Zuo was so regretful he could strangle himself!

Feeling even worse than Boss Zuo was the ragpicker. His inner world had collapsed, crying and wailing as he rolled on the ground. “Such a tragedy! I am… an absolute idiot! I sold the painting for 30,000, I am…the biggest fool in this world! I… I actually thought I had made a fortune.”

Slap! Slap! Slap!

The ragpicker alternately smacked his own face, leaving both cheeks swollen, and his nose bleeding.

“Okay, it’s a deal. I will sell it to you for 50 million,” Huang Xiaolong said with a grin.

“Thank you! Little Huang! From the bottom of my heart, thank you! This day couldn’t have been any more joyous! I finally bought a genuine work of my liking! Even if I didn’t eat or drink and spent the entire day admiring this painting, it wouldn’t be enough!” Boss Miao was as excited as a kid who had just been given his favorite toy. “Little Huang, do you want it through bank transfer or a cash check?”

“Feiyan, what do you think?” Huang Xiaolong, turning his head, asked Cui Feiyan.

“Uh?” Cui Feiyan was taken aback, answering instinctively, “Check, perhaps.”

Rigth away, Boss Miao retrieved a checkbook from his pocket, and using his Montblanc gold pen, swiftly made out a check for 50 million and handed it over to Huang Xiaolong.

After seeing the number on it, Huang Xiaolong passed it on to Cui Feiyan.

“Feiyan, you keep it,” Huang Xiaolong beamed.

“Little Long… this money, it belongs to you…” Cui Feiyan stammered in astonishment.