Chapter 34: Painting of Ancient Trees and Strange Rocks

Walking into the antique shop, Huang Feiyang strolled leisurely, looking around as he went. He had absolutely no interest in the vases, trinkets, and similar items on display. He could tell that the pieces here held little value; some were even blatant fakes. He couldn't help but wonder if the owner had been deceived or if this was intentional.

Half an hour later, Huang Feiyang stopped in front of an ink wash painting. "Ancient Trees and Strange Rocks," or perhaps just "Strange Rocks"—a work by the illustrious Su Shi!

Suddenly, Huang Feiyang’s thoughts drifted back to news reports from his previous life. In 2018, this very painting had sold at an auction in Hong Kong for the astronomical sum of over 400 million Hong Kong dollars. Yet here, its price tag was a mere three million?

*Tsk, tsk, tsk!*

Moreover, Huang Feiyang could tell that the painting before him was a genuine original.

"I'll take this one," Huang Feiyang said calmly, looking at the middle-aged man behind the counter.

"Are you sure?" The middle-aged man was stunned. This ink painting was priced at three million! That was enough to buy several high-quality apartments in downtown Imperial City. Was this the world of the wealthy? Buying a three-million-dollar landscape painting without even attempting to haggle? The man eyed Huang Feiyang intently, whispering to himself in disbelief.

"Of course. Charge it," Huang Feiyang said, shrugging as he pulled a bank card from his pocket.

Ten minutes later, after Huang Feiyang and his companion had left, the shop owner, who had just sold the "Strange Rocks," still couldn't quite wrap his head around it. A three-million-dollar sale, just like that? *Hahaha!* Once they were out of sight, he couldn't help but roar with laughter. He had made a killing! He had bought the painting for only a few hundred thousand originally, and even then, he hadn't been sure if it was a real Su Shi. He had even had it appraised, but experts were inconclusive; the style differed too greatly from Su Shi’s other works. More importantly, it was in suspiciously perfect condition—not a single blemish—and it came with two inscriptions, which only added to the uncertainty.

As the saying goes, if something is abnormal, there must be a demon at work. In the words of the experts: "This painting is highly likely to be a genuine Su Shi, but there is also a certain possibility that it is not."

"Brother Feiyang, is this painting really worth three million?" Yang Yiyi asked, looking at him in disbelief once they had left the store. To her, the painting looked quite ordinary. Even if it were attributed to Su Shi, who could be sure it was real?

"It is," Huang Feiyang replied with unwavering conviction. "In a little over a decade, if this were put up for auction, it would be perfectly normal for it to be worth hundreds of millions." He added this as an afterthought.

"Wow!" Yang Yiyi’s eyes widened. "It's that amazing?" she blurted out instinctively.

"Yes," Huang Feiyang nodded gently.

"Then, you should keep it! It's too valuable!" Having processed his words, Yang Yiyi tried to hand the painting back to him. They had originally agreed that she would take the painting as a way of "borrowing" three million from him, but after hearing his assessment, she felt it was far too precious. She couldn't accept it.

Seeing the sincerity in her expression, Huang Feiyang paused, then took the painting back without a word. *In that case, I'll just keep it in my private collection at home,* he mused to himself.

Shortly after the pair had departed, the shop welcomed a new group of customers. The leader was a dashing, imposing middle-aged man accompanied by a small, elderly gentleman wearing reading glasses and a Zhongshan suit.

"Old Yang, where is that 'Strange Rocks' painting? Mr. Li wants it," the old man said with a smile.

"Old Cao!" The shop owner hesitated, then spread his hands. "I just sold that painting ten minutes ago." He felt a sense of silent frustration. The painting had sat in his shop for years without a single inquiry; why had it suddenly become a hot commodity? If he had only known, he would have priced it higher. *A miscalculation!* He suddenly found himself regretting the price he had set.

"Who bought it? Where are they now? We are willing to pay double!" the man in the white suit accompanying Old Cao asked, his brow furrowed with urgency. He had already had photographs and videos of the painting analyzed by top experts in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. They had all reached the same conclusion: it was a genuine Su Shi. If auctioned today, it would easily fetch ten or twenty million Hong Kong dollars, and its value would only rise in the years to come.

But that wasn't the point. The man needed this piece as a birthday gift for an elder who was fanatical about Su Shi’s work. His own future and fortune depended on this gift, so he couldn't afford to be calm.

The shop owner was stunned by the offer. He was filled with remorse—if he had known, he wouldn't have sold it! *Damn it!* In just a few moments, he had missed out on millions in profit. Hesitantly, he told the man that a young boy had purchased it, and he offered a subtle warning: the boy's background was likely not simple.

The middle-aged man and Old Cao exchanged a glance. A young boy, spending three million without blinking? Was that really true? The man didn't take the warning to heart. A kid who could spend a few million—was that supposed to be impressive? In Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, there were plenty of wealthy second- and third-generation heirs who could spend that kind of money without a thought.

His only concern now was to obtain the painting at any cost. Once he presented it to that elder in Southeast Asia, his success would be guaranteed. What did it matter if he offended some minor rich kid? Besides, perhaps if he offered double or a bit more, the boy would simply sell it to him. That way, he wouldn't even need to cause a scene. Spending ten or twenty million was trivial to him.

After a few more words, the group hurried out of the shop, following the owner's description in search of Huang Feiyang.