Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd when they heard Liu Yumei's bid. Ten million was already an incredibly high price. But this piece was genuine, after all, and its potential for appreciation was immense. A Wu Daozi painting had once fetched over a hundred million at auction. Therefore, even at such a staggering price, no one doubted there was still a profit to be made.

"I bid twelve million!" At that moment, a middle-aged man who looked like a wealthy merchant slowly raised his paddle.

Liu Yumei's brow furrowed as she saw the price climb once more. Just as she prepared to raise her own bid and compete, Chen Zheng, sitting beside her, suddenly spoke. "Ms. Liu, if I were you, I wouldn't raise the price any further."

Liu Yumei slowly turned her head. Seeing Chen Zheng's perfectly calm expression, she couldn't help but frown slightly. "Mr. Chen, you also know about calligraphy and painting?"

"Cousin, don't listen to his nonsense," Sun Yan whispered mockingly from the side. "He's nothing but a grunt, a total waste of space. How could he possibly understand any of this?" She truly wondered where Chen Zheng found the audacity to show off in front of her cousin.

Liu Yumei chuckled softly and slowly raised her bidding paddle.

Chen Zheng sighed. "Ms. Liu, I'm only saying this for your own good. This painting is indeed genuine, but it's also a flawed piece. Ten million is the absolute limit."

Both Liu Yumei and Sun Yan were stunned by Chen Zheng's assessment.

"Chen Zheng, if you don't know what you're talking about, then shut up! Who do you think you are?" Sun Yan could no longer sit still. She had been the one to specifically recommend this painting to Liu Yumei, and now Chen Zheng was publicly undermining her, calling it a flawed piece. Isn't he just trying to make things difficult for me on purpose?

"Cousin, don't listen to this good-for-nothing," Sun Yan urged. "My friend made it very clear that portrait paintings like this start at twenty million, minimum. There's no way you'll lose money! This waste of space doesn't understand a thing; he's just spouting nonsense!"

While they spoke, the bidding had already pushed the painting's price to around fourteen million. Liu Yumei's brow furrowed tightly. As the Head of the Liu Family, she certainly had her own judgment. However, she did have her own doubts about the painting's true value. After a moment's thought, she turned to Chen Zheng.

"Mr. Chen, I have some knowledge of calligraphy and painting myself," she began. "This portrait by Wu Daozi is over a thousand years old, yet even to our modern eyes, every detail is incredibly vivid.

"From my perspective, this is undoubtedly a rare treasure. Why would you say it's a flawed piece?

"My friend has told me that once this painting is bought, if an interested buyer comes along, its value could easily double."

"Stop trying to be the center of attention with your little act," Sun Yan interjected with blatant mockery. "Everyone knows you're just a good-for-nothing. I have no idea where you get the nerve to critique calligraphy and painting! Cousin, if you listen to him, you're the one who will end up losing money!"

Chen Zheng just chuckled and shook his head as he gazed at the painting on the stage. "The true value of a painting lies in the meaning it conveys.

"Beyond that, you have the details. While the details in this piece are exquisite, look at the aura of the Buddha's light. It seems to be floating slightly, as if it hasn't settled.

"This is a major flaw, and it's why I call it a failed work. This painting must have only recently surfaced, so no one has noticed the issue yet.

"But give it time. Connoisseurs will eventually spot the problem. When they do, you can imagine how much value this painting will have left."

Hearing this, Liu Yumei's brow furrowed once more. "I see… so there's that interpretation..."

"Chen Zheng, shut your mouth! You're spouting nonsense!" Sun Yan completely lost her composure, the corners of her mouth twitching. She had worked so hard to convince Liu Yumei to buy this painting to help her own husband. Is he deliberately trying to ruin this for me?

"Does that mean you have a guilty conscience? Or are you afraid of something?" Chen Zheng asked, his gaze sharp with sarcasm. "Ms. Liu, if I'm not mistaken, with your family's resources, investigating this painting's history shouldn't be difficult.

"If you don't believe me, just have someone look into it right now."

As Chen Zheng was speaking, the price for the painting was already approaching twenty million and still climbing. Liu Yumei decided she needed to get to the bottom of this and immediately pulled out her phone to make a call.

With the Liu Family's capabilities, investigating the painting's background was a simple matter, and the facts turned out to be just as Chen Zheng had described. Liu Yumei had previously trusted Sun Yan implicitly and hadn't bothered to waste energy on due diligence. More importantly, she never believed her cousin would dare to deceive her. That was what had led to this situation. Now, however, it was Sun Yan who was growing nervous. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, looking as though her deepest secret was about to be exposed.

A short while later, a message arrived on Liu Yumei's phone. Her expression turned hideous.

"Sun Yan," she said, turning to her with an icy gaze, "you've got some real nerve, trying to deceive me."

"Cousin… I… I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I have no cousin like you!" Liu Yumei snapped, her voice seething with fury. "I had it checked. The painting you recommended has been sitting unsold for a long time at the antique shop you mentioned, so they decided to put it up for auction.

"Furthermore, the flaw was discovered months ago, which is why they've been stuck with it ever since!

"I always treated you like my own sister, and to think you were scheming against me this whole time?"

Liu Yumei was practically shaking with rage. If it weren't for the formal setting and the high-status guests, she might have become violent. The money itself meant nothing to the Liu Family, and she couldn't care less about the loss. What truly infuriated her was that she had almost fallen into a trap set by her own cousin. It was utterly humiliating!

Sun Yan's face went deathly pale, and she began to explain frantically, "Cousin, really… I didn't know anything!

"I don't understand how this happened, either. My friend told me the painting was incredibly valuable!"

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