As Wu Tian's voice fell, everyone's gaze immediately swept over.
They hadn't noticed the young man in cheap clothes before.
They just didn't know why this guy suddenly started talking.
"I remember you came in with my sister, right?" Tang Fei said to Wu Tian, "Is there something you need?"
Tang Qi wasn't stupid. She knew Wu Tian was there to help, so she quickly said, "This is my appraiser. Let him come up and explain!"
"Appraiser?" Tang Fei sneered, "This guy looks like a country bumpkin. You actually hired him to appraise, no wonder you bought such a tacky gift."
Laughter erupted from the audience. Tang Qi blushed and quickly urged Wu Tian to go on stage.
Tang Fei sized up Wu Tian and said, "Hey, what kind of appraiser are you?"
"I'd believe you if you said you could appraise pigs and dogs, but appraise treasures? Are you worthy?"
He spoke without reservation, always with a condescending disdain.
Wu Tian said coldly, "Let's not talk about the oil painting for now. You brought a fake Huihun grass as a gift. Aren't you afraid of retribution?"
What?!
Fake?!
Wu Tian's words stirred up a thousand waves. Everyone was shocked.
Tang Fei was also stunned for a few seconds, then said with a gloomy face, "What nonsense are you talking about? Don't slander me here!"
Wu Tian looked him straight in the eye and said, "You know in your heart whether I'm talking nonsense or not."
"Fake is fake. No matter how you argue, it won't turn into real!"
Tang Fei immediately became flustered and involuntarily took two steps back.
His face almost turned purple. In his anger, he suddenly pointed at Tang Qi and roared, "Tang Qi! What do you mean by this!"
"You were unwilling to spend money and bought junk to give to Grandpa, and now you're letting this country bumpkin who appeared out of nowhere slander me. What are your intentions!"
Tang Qi was also stunned.
Because she couldn't understand anything Wu Tian said, she asked, "Wu Tian, what's going on?"
Wu Tian smiled and said, "Actually, it's very simple to tell if Huihun grass is real or fake."
"Since everyone knows about Huihun grass, I believe you all understand that Huihun grass cannot touch water. Once it touches water, it will immediately vanish."
He said to Tang Qingshan, "Old man, do you have the courage to let me try?"
Tang Qingshan was naturally reluctant. If this was real Huihun grass, wouldn't he lose a lot?
But with so many people watching, he had no choice but to save face.
He could only snort and say, "If you are truly slandering my grandson, I will never forgive you!"
With that, Tang Qingshan extended his hand and handed the gift box to Wu Tian.
Tang Fei was anxious when he saw this and quickly said, "Grandpa, no!"
"This guy is here to cause trouble. You can't let him ruin the Huihun grass!"
"He won't," Wu Tian said, "because it's fake to begin with!"
Before his words even fell, Wu Tian directly tore open the gift box and spat on the Huihun grass!
Such a crude and vulgar act stunned everyone.
Wu Tian held up the Huihun grass and his voice echoed throughout the hall, "Everyone, open your eyes and see if this Huihun grass is melting!"
The crowd looked closely and immediately erupted in confused voices, "Huh? Why isn't this Huihun grass melting?"
Tang Qingshan's face finally turned completely grim. He stared at Tang Fei and said, "Tang Fei, tell me, what is going on?"
"This..." Tang Fei quickly thought, trying to find an excuse.
But his mind was in chaos, and he couldn't think of a suitable reason.
In his desperation, he could only put on a look of grief and indignation and shout loudly, "I was tricked! I was tricked! I didn't know it was fake either!"
The elites doing business present all saw Tang Fei's flustered expression and immediately understood that Tang Fei was lying.
Suddenly, the gazes from below flickered, as if there were ghostly fires glowing in their eyes.
"Tang Fei, you have truly disappointed me!" Tang Qingshan said in a deep voice, "From today onwards, you will be the head of the security department!"
"Ah?!" Tang Fei trembled, his face ashen.
But he was unwilling to accept this outcome and shouted madly, "No! No!"
"Even if I made a mistake, what about her! She sent such a broken oil painting, isn't there any problem with that?!"
"Broken oil painting?" Wu Tian sneered coldly, "You have eyes but cannot see. Look properly at what this is!"
Wu Tian fiercely peeled off the canvas of the oil painting. There was another layer of oil painting underneath the frame!
"This is... a painting by Picasso!" Tang Qi recognized it at a glance and couldn't help but exclaim.
Tang Fei next to her was dumbfounded. He stammered, "How could this be?"
"This shouldn't be! How can there be a painting hidden underneath!"
Tang Qi was also greatly shocked. After much effort, she managed to organize her words and said, "I heard that in the past, painters would cover the artwork with a layer of canvas and then repaint..."
"That is to say, someone covered up Picasso's original work!"
The entire venue was silent. Everyone looked at each other, seeing a deep sense of astonishment in each other's eyes.
They all knew the rule Tang Qi mentioned. An original work by Picasso... could easily sell for tens of millions of US dollars! And it was priceless, something money couldn't always buy!
Tang Qingshan was also shocked. After a while, he said to the audience, "Are there any appraisal experts who can take a look for me?"
Someone immediately responded from the audience and went on stage to appraise the oil painting.
After examining it, the person's lips trembled in fear.
He said tremblingly, "This... this is a lost work by Picasso!"
"This painting can easily sell for tens of millions of US dollars!"
Hiss!
Everyone present collectively gasped.
Tens of millions of US dollars was an unimaginable sum. In this county, it was enough to enter the ranks of the super-rich!
Tang Qingshan was so excited that he almost dropped his cane.
His eyes trembled as he said to Tang Qi, "My good granddaughter, my good granddaughter!"
"You actually gave me such a precious gift. Our Tang family is honored to have a descendant like you!"
The crowd erupted in warm applause, with cheers erupting continuously.
Tang Fei stared blankly at the lively scene, his heart turning to ashes.
He knew he had lost, defeated by a country bumpkin he looked down upon.
Now, the entire Tang Ren Catering would likely have nothing to do with him...
Next was the normal birthday banquet.
Because Tang Qingshan was too happy, he pulled Tang Qi to his table, leaving Wu Tian to eat by himself.
After eating, Wu Tian felt that he had no connection to this place anymore, so he left the hotel alone.
But just as he walked out of the hotel doors, Tang Qi's faint laughter came from behind.
"Walking alone, my great benefactor."