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

"You're not going to regret this now, are you?" Jason said with a wicked grin, arms crossed, his eyes flashing with contempt, and a slight upturn of his lips, carrying a hint of mockery.

“You can still back out now,” he said, pointing at Chen Yang and Anderson, his finger tracing a mocking arc in the air. “As long as you kneel down and apologize to us in front of everyone, this matter will be over. I can pretend nothing happened.”

"What are you thinking!" Chen Yang glanced at him with disdain, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

“What I mean is…” Chen Yang pointed at the three of them, his finger tracing the air as if he were taking inventory of goods, “You three bet against the two of us, and you only lose one clock? I’m not doing that! That’s too easy for you.”

"What else do you want?" Yoshida suddenly stepped out from the crowd, hands in his suit pockets, and said with a sneer. His gaze was as sharp as a knife as he sized Chen Yang up and down. "Young man, don't you know your place? In a situation like this, you dare to push your luck?"

Chen Yang curled his lip, a sly glint in his eyes. "Tch, who cares about status at a casino?"

As he spoke, Chen Yang raised his voice a few decibels and looked around at the onlookers. "That's about the stakes! If the stakes aren't equal, who's going to play with you? This isn't child's play." He then deliberately shrugged, feigning helplessness.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked, frowning. His voice carried a hint of impatience, yet also a subtle curiosity.

"Tell us your conditions, we'll hear them." After saying that, he unconsciously took half a step forward, clearly very interested in what Chen Yang was about to say.

A tense atmosphere filled the air, and everyone around involuntarily held their breath, waiting for the situation to develop further.

Chen Yang cleared his throat slowly, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips. "Alright then, I won't make things difficult for you. Let's play by the rules of the martial arts world."

“If I win,” Chen Yang’s gaze swept across everyone’s faces, his tone gradually becoming sharp, “not only will China take this clock with us, but we’ll also add some prizes.”

As he spoke, he stretched out his long, slender fingers and pointed them directly at Jason's arrogant face. "Mr. Jason, didn't you just tell me to kneel down and lick your shoes? Since you like playing this game so much, if you lose, then kneel in the middle of this hall and, in front of everyone, use your noble tongue to lick my shoes from the tip to the heel."

Chen Yang paused deliberately, savoring the dramatic shift in Jason's expression from red to green. Then, he turned to Yoshida, a sharp glint in his eyes, "As for Mr. Yoshida..."

His voice suddenly rose a few decibels, "If you lose, I want that three Buddha statues in your Jingdong National Power Museum! That's right, the national treasure you 'borrowed' from our Daxiangguo Temple forty years ago!"

"Baka!" Upon hearing Chen Yang's words, Yoshida flew into a rage. His face turned bright red, his eyes widened, and he wanted nothing more than to spit at Chen Yang. This guy was completely insane!

"Why don't you ask for the sun in the sky? That's just wishful thinking! It's impossible, I can't do it at all! That's the most prized possession in our museum!"

Chen Yang remained remarkably calm after hearing these hysterical words. He shrugged slightly, a playful smile on his face, and a hint of mockery in his eyes. "That's it then. Since you can't do it, there's nothing I can do. The bet isn't even, so how can the wager continue?"

He spread his hands, looking helpless. "Gambling is all about equal exchange. You've offered such high terms, I can't just agree to them so easily, can I? I absolutely won't gamble with you then!"

The more expensive Chen Yang's demands, the more Yoshida's lips curled into a smile. He narrowed his long, narrow eyes, secretly calculating: This kid is probably just putting on a show. The three Buddha statues? Ha, those are the prized possessions of the Jingdong National Museum, even the Emperor can't just go see them casually. The more outrageous this Chinese kid's demands, the more he seems to be bluffing, trying to use these impossible conditions to make him back down.

"Interesting, really interesting." Yoshida clapped his hands unconsciously. "This kid knows how to play."

Thinking of this, he pursed his lips and let out an unpleasant chuckle, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes. "Young man, don't try these tricks. This kind of feigned indifference is something you Chinese are very good at. But you don't need to pretend in front of me."

Yoshida's tone grew increasingly flippant, his right hand unconsciously stroking his chin. "What? You think I'll back down just because you throw out these outlandish conditions? You think this bet will just fizzle out by saying a bunch of things I can't possibly do? And that'll be the end of it?"

A sinister smile crept across his face, as if he had seen through all of Chen Yang's tricks. His eyes gleamed with an air of absolute certainty. "I'm going to disappoint you. Not a chance!"

Yoshida suddenly took a step forward, extended his long, bony finger, and pointed directly at the exquisitely crafted leather shoes on Chen Yang's feet.

His voice carried a hint of provocation, and a glint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. "If you really have the ability to identify this painting as a fake, I will not only kneel on the ground, but I will also use my tongue to lick your other shoe bit by bit."

He paused, a sinister smile creeping across his face. "And it's the sole of the shoe! Let everyone see that I, Yoshida, am a man of my word!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang's lips curled into a slight smile, a sly glint in his eyes. He snapped his fingers lightly, the crisp sound echoing in the air, "Deal!"

As he spoke, he crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, a hint of amusement in his voice, "But we need to make this clear: you are all big names in the world of art. If I win this bet, don't even think about going back on your word, otherwise..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, leaving the last syllable hanging in the air.

Anderson, standing to the side, immediately understood and chimed in with a hint of sarcasm: "That would be incredibly embarrassing! If word got out, the entire European art world would laugh their heads off!"

Smith chuckled lightly, nodded slightly, a hint of aristocratic superiority on his face. His long, slender fingers gently brushed across his collar. "Don't worry about that. What are we? Authorities in the European art world. A promise is a promise. Now that the bet is made, if we lose, we will definitely keep our word. The reputation of a Western gentleman is never to be tarnished." His eyes gleamed with confidence, as if he already foresaw victory.

“But you guys,” Yoshida said, arms crossed, looking at Chen Yang with a sneer. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened with sarcasm, and his knuckles unconsciously tapped his arm, producing an unsettling rhythm.

"You Chinese are always cunning, spouting benevolence and morality while plotting and scheming behind the scenes. Don't try to cheat and make excuses when you lose, saying the conditions are unfair or the environment is bad. If you embarrass your China, don't blame me for not warning you!" His voice was filled with obvious hostility and contempt.

"Please put that aside," Song Kaiyuan said, standing up with a serious expression. He stood ramrod straight, like an unyielding pine tree, his gaze firm and powerful.

Things had developed to this point, and he had to stand up and support Chen Yang. At this moment, what Chen Yang needed most was backup. Song Kaiyuan's voice was deep and powerful, each word ringing out like steel. He glanced around, meeting every gaze directed his way, showing no sign of backing down.

"In the five thousand years of Chinese civilization, the concepts of integrity and trustworthiness have never been absent. If our representative loses, we will accept everything and will never go back on our word! But just as we will not lose." Song Kaiyuan's words carried an undeniable authority, and his gaze was fixed firmly on Chen Yang, conveying a silent strength.

"I dare to vouch for Mr. Chen's appraisal abilities with my own reputation. You probably don't even know what you're about to face." His gaze was sharp as he swept over everyone present, finally settling on the oil painting. A mysterious smile appeared on his lips.

The crowd began to whisper, a tense yet excited atmosphere filling the air. Jason and Yoshida exchanged a glance, a flicker of unease crossing their eyes, but they quickly regained their confidence. Smith, on the other hand, maintained his elegant demeanor, as if everything was under control.

Chen Yang stood at the eye of the storm, his expression calm as still water, but his heart was in turmoil. This moment was not only a contest of personal honor, but also a duel between the strengths of Chinese and Western art appraisal.

Having gained Song Kaiyuan's approval, there was nothing more to say. Chen Yang walked up to the oil painting with a grin, hands in his pockets, looking completely confident. He first circled the painting, a cryptic smile constantly playing on his lips. Under the tense gaze of everyone, he consciously prolonged the appraisal, enjoying the feeling of being in control.

Finally, he stopped directly in front of the painting, gently stroked his chin, smiled faintly, and his eyes gleamed with wisdom. "Since Secretary Li just said that she told me about this painting, now I'll tell you something she didn't tell me!"

Chen Yang's voice was neither loud nor soft, but it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

As he spoke, Chen Yang pointed to the oil painting, his movements crisp and decisive, radiating the confidence of a professional appraiser. His gaze swept over everyone present, lingering particularly long on Yoshida and Jason's faces, as if relishing their expressions of impending collapse.

The entire room fell silent; everyone held their breath, waiting for the young man to reveal the answer. Chen Yang cleared his throat, his voice suddenly becoming solemn and firm: "As mentioned earlier, Pollock, the American abstract painter, is world-renowned for his unique drip technique and is hailed as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. In 1956, at the age of 44, Pollock died in a car accident, ending his short but brilliant life—everyone knows that, right?"

Upon hearing Chen Yang's words, Secretary Li trembled, a look of astonishment flashing in her eyes. She then covered her mouth with a trembling hand, her heart pounding like a drum. She stared at Chen Yang in disbelief, the previous conversation replaying in her mind. This young man had been feigning ignorance all along! He actually knew about Pollock! The shock within her surged like a tidal wave, leaving her momentarily at a loss.

Secretary Li suddenly covered her small mouth with her hand, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes, "My God, he actually knows these things!"