Rebirth 93: Break off the engagement at the beginning and marry Bai Fumei

A flash of anger crossed Jason's eyes as he glared at Chen Yang's calm and collected face, his resentment simmering like molten lava. He clenched his fists, but was powerless to do anything but watch helplessly as the young man shone brightly. What he found most unbelievable was that he had been intently watching Chen Yang's every move, yet the man hadn't even glanced at the movement behind the watch, yet he could pinpoint every single detail with such accuracy. A terrifying thought flashed through Jason's mind: This kid must be a top expert meticulously trained by China!

This astonishing performance instantly caused a stir in the exhibition hall, leaving Jason speechless and even Smith and Yoshida, who always prided themselves on their extensive knowledge, gasping in astonishment. Everyone present froze in place as if under a spell, their eyes wide open, their faces filled with disbelief.

Chen Yang's nonchalant attitude, as casual as if he were sipping tea, allowed him to recount the movement structure, production year, craftsmanship, materials, and even market cost of each watch with remarkable knowledge. Such skill befits a top expert in the field. The air in the exhibition hall seemed to freeze instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on this young man, their hearts filled with boundless shock and awe.

Chen Yang chuckled inwardly. He wasn't actually an expert on clocks, and he didn't dare glance at the two antique European clocks displayed in the corner of the exhibition hall, afraid of being exposed if questioned. Whenever someone's gaze fell on those two clocks, he would deliberately change the subject, pretending to be more interested in the other exhibits.

The reason he could speak so eloquently about these clocks was entirely because these exhibits had all caused a sensation at Sotheby's auctions after 2010. Back then, he had been quite interested in these timepieces and had specifically researched detailed information about them online. He never imagined that these memories would come in so handy today. Looking back, he was truly fortunate; if he hadn't paid attention to these things back then, how could he now play the role of a clock expert in front of others?

Seeing Chen Yang's performance, Old Geng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He knew that this crucial moment had arrived, and the initiative was firmly in the hands of the Chinese team. Old Geng pondered to himself that if he continued to get bogged down in these trivial details, it would not only waste precious time but also give the other side an opportunity to exploit. His gaze swept across the exhibition hall, and seeing the undisguised shock on the faces of the Western experts, he knew the time was ripe.

Thinking of this, Old Geng slowly placed his hands behind his back, straightened his slightly hunched back, and exuded an indescribable aura of authority. He cleared his throat and announced in a calm and unquestionable tone: "Gentlemen, given that we have discovered some extremely important new research clues on this Qianlong gilt bronze rotating flower and water-powered auspicious gourd clock, our Huaxia team now needs to immediately conduct detailed photographic evidence collection on this precious artifact."

Hearing this, Yoshida sneered, a cold glint flashing behind his glasses. "What's the use of taking pictures? Mr. Geng, I must remind you, the World United Arts Committee looks at concrete physical evidence, not your arbitrary speculations."

He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses with his finger. "The authentication of cultural relics of this level requires a complete chain of historical evidence. Your hasty conclusions are far too hasty."

“Exactly, Mr. Geng,” Jason said with his arms crossed and a look of disdain, “Don’t keep bringing up history. So what if history is ancient? It doesn’t mean that all exquisite objects are made by you.”

Chen Yang clenched his fists, about to retort, but was stopped by Old Geng in time. Old Geng gently patted his shoulder, a meaningful look in his eyes. Chen Yang had already completed his task; the rest should be handled by professionals. Old Geng knew very well that young people were prone to impulsiveness, but in this situation, every step had to be taken with caution.

"Please rest assured," said Mr. Geng in a calm but firm tone, "Everything will proceed according to proper procedures. After returning to China, we will provide detailed evidence and file an appeal with the relevant departments through legitimate channels."

As he spoke, he turned and waved to the staff of the Chinese delegation, signaling them to begin taking photos and collecting evidence. Then, Old Geng turned to Chen Yang, a kind smile on his face, and gently patted his shoulder, indicating that the young man should follow him back to his seat.

As Chen Yang approached, Song Kaiyuan immediately smiled with admiration. He patted the empty seat next to him and greeted him warmly, "Young man, well done! Come on, sit between me and Lao Geng. You've really made us proud today!"

Chen Yang nodded with a smile and sat down between the two seniors. Although the debate had temporarily come to an end, he knew that the battle for the ownership of the cultural relics had only just begun.

Chen Yang sat down next to Song Kaiyuan with a smile, feeling the gazes around him and chuckling to himself. The people in the back rows seemed to be propelled by some unseen force, shifting their positions to either side. Some secretly glanced at Chen Yang's back, their eyes flashing with undisguised envy; others bit their lips, a hint of resentment and jealousy flickering in their eyes. After all, who could have imagined that a newcomer, fresh out of school, could achieve such a feat in front of so many people on his first international exhibition?

Inside the exhibition hall, staff were methodically taking photos, the flashes reflecting off the metal surfaces of the antique clocks, creating a dazzling effect. Once the last photo was taken, everyone returned to their seats.

Old Geng's face was filled with confident assurance, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, already seeing the dawn of victory. With physical evidence as a foundation, coupled with the vast amount of historical archives in China, he was convinced that he would find conclusive written records, at which point these arrogant foreigners would have no choice but to admit defeat.

The art exhibition continued, with each exhibit being introduced. However, when the exhibition reached the oil painting section, Chen Yang's interest noticeably waned. Looking at the various oil paintings hanging on the walls, he couldn't help but smile wryly to himself. These paintings seemed like cryptic texts to him; the abstract works looked like randomly splashed paint, while the realist works were overly focused on detail, leaving him completely unable to understand their intricacies.

However, this reminded him of the famous oil paintings he had seen in the future world. Although he didn't understand their artistic value, he was quite knowledgeable about authenticating them. One oil painting after another flashed before his eyes, until finally he arrived at the last exhibit—Pollock's "Untitled".

Standing before the untitled painting, Song Kaiyuan's brows furrowed into a deep frown, his lips pursed in disdain as he surveyed the seemingly chaotic oil painting before him. He craned his neck to look, then leaned back to examine it from a distance. Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he nudged Chen Yang beside him with his elbow and muttered in a low voice, "What the hell is this? Just a few random strokes, and it's going to sell for a fortune? This artistic conception, that profound meaning—I honestly don't see what it's trying to express!"

Jason seemed to hear this. Standing in front of the glass display case explaining the painting, he immediately turned around, a slightly smug smile on his face. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and began to speak in a condescending tone: "Everyone, please look closely. If you observe this masterpiece carefully, you will discover its secrets."

He stretched out his finger and gestured in the air, “Look at these layers of paint. Some are thick like scabbed scars, while others are as thin and transparent as cicada wings. This is not a simple painting. It is clearly a historical testament to the artist’s hundreds of repeated creations, a layer left by time on the canvas.”

Jason said, his eyes gleaming with fervor, "What's even more amazing is that Pollock's seemingly random splashes actually contain an extremely exquisite mathematical beauty. Like a graceful dance, every movement is just right. You may not know that recently, scientists have discovered that the distribution pattern of the paint in his paintings perfectly matches the mathematical structure of forest landforms in nature. Isn't this a perfect fusion of art and nature?"

Upon hearing this, Song Kaiyuan couldn't help but roll his eyes, a disdainful sneer playing on his lips. He turned to Chen Yang, saying in a tone of utter disappointment, "Listen to this, isn't this utter nonsense? This piece of junk can't possibly be related to science? These people really know how to pat themselves on the back."

He shook his head and continued to complain: "What do you mean by consistent with forest landform structure? Isn't that pure nonsense? Look at this painting, it's just some random splashes of paint. These foreigners really know how to make it sound mystical. It's just an oil painting, and you've turned it into something mystical. You're really good at bragging!"