Chapter 355: Are You Shanjian?
Chapter 355: Are You Shanjian? Shu Yu squinted her eyes, still not voicing her speculation, when she heard Zhao Xi's slightly smug voice beside her. "That painting was indeed painted by Ah Yun." Shu Yu looked at him abruptly. "You painted it? Are you Shanjian?" Damn, a talented artist worth a fortune was right next to her? She suddenly remembered the promotional flyers she had asked Meng Yunzheng to help paint before the shop opened. At that time, she had thought he was incredibly skilled, able to outline a beautiful portrait with just a few strokes. It turns out he was a master. Oh, right. All those flyers she had made were already handed out. Shu Yu felt an overwhelming sense of missing out on billions and wanted to beat her chest and stamp her feet in regret. How did she let so much money slip through her fingers for nothing? She was clearly in desperate need of money. Though her mind was in turmoil, Shu Yu remained outwardly calm. Zhao Xi observed her for a while but didn't see a hint of astonishment on her face, which left him disappointed. He had touched his ankle earlier, and it was fine. It just stung a bit when he was bumped into, but he hadn't sprained it. After washing his hands, Zhao Xi began grinding ink for Meng Yunzheng. "We don't necessarily need to paint the exact same one. You can paint another piece, as long as it's by Shanju and hasn't been shown before. The buyer on the third floor seems to have a great admiration for Shanjian. Maybe they'll agree to the switch." "They won't," Meng Yunzheng replied swiftly without looking up. "As you mentioned earlier, the other party is determined to obtain that specific painting. Initially, we thought it was because they simply liked the artwork itself. But now, I suspect there's more to it." Shu Yu immediately caught on. "Are you saying that the other party might also know that the painting contains incriminating evidence, and they deliberately bid on it?" "No way," Zhao Xi interjected. Meng Yunzheng nodded. "The other party's bid far exceeded the value of the painting itself, and during the auction, their focus was solely on winning the painting, regardless of the price. Transactions in the black market, especially auctions, are crucial. The prepared auction items are listed and sent to regular clients' residences a month in advance. So, people like you, who are visiting for the first time, might not be aware of the auction items. But young masters from families like the Ding and Jiang households would have received the information early and prepared the appropriate silver to bid on their desired items." Meng Yunzheng naturally knew about this through other channels. That's why he appeared at the black market, ready to bid on the item he wanted. However, at that time, the painting was not included in the list of auction items he received. It was dropped by Yuan Shanchuan in the black market just over half a month ago. It is likely that the list was changed and distributed to the regular clients a month ago. And Meng Yunzheng and Shu Yu had missed it. "So, they will undoubtedly be more cautious now, to prevent any accidents with that painting," Shu Yu frowned. "And it seems like the buyer in the private room on the third floor is not a good person." Meng Yunzheng smiled faintly. It's hard to judge whether someone is good or bad. Shu Yu didn't know, but he was somewhat aware of the underlying secrets. This piece of incriminating evidence likely implicated more than just the former county magistrate. That's why various factions were secretly competing and resorting to frequent tactics. But now, it had fallen under their watchful eyes, and they held the final say.
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