Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

Lin Bufan was stunned for a moment, then looked down and saw that Sang Biao had moved to the other corner of the red cloth at some point, and was pressing the edge of the red cloth tightly with one paw, with an anxious expression on its dog face.

"Hey! You stupid dog! Let go!" Lin Bufan lowered his voice and glared at Sang Biao.

Instead of letting go, Sang Biao barked at him, his eyes showing determination.

Lin Bufan suddenly remembered that he had promised this creature that he would "say a few words" after it went on stage, so that it would cooperate in wearing this "performance costume".

“…Alright, alright.” Lin Bufan muttered helplessly, then turned to the audience, a smile returning to his face, and raised his voice: “Ladies and gentlemen, please be patient. Before the official unveiling, there is a… well, a special art critic who would like to share his thoughts with you.”

Everyone's gaze turned to Lin Bufan with suspicion, and then, following his indication, fell on the four-eyed dog wearing the same overalls and squatting upright.

“That’s right, this is the guy next to me, Sang Biao.” Lin Bufan introduced him in a serious tone: “He’s not only my… partner, but also a critic with a unique aesthetic perspective. He also has his own insights into ‘Quiet Moon’ and ‘Flowing Wind’. Brother Biao, come on, say a few words.”

Sang Biao immediately straightened his chest, cleared his throat—though dogs don't do that, the dog did indeed make a gesture resembling a deep breath and head-raising—and then—

"Woof! Woof! Woof! Awoo~ Woof!"

Sang Biao's cries were melodious and varied, sometimes short and forceful, sometimes drawn out, accompanied by nodding and wagging his tail. His eyes were sometimes serious and sometimes lively, as if he were really giving a passionate speech.

Lin Bufan remained expressionless, listening intently and nodding frequently. Once Sang Biao finished his "speech," he picked up the microphone and began "translating" with a serious expression:

"Well, Brother Biao first expressed his warm welcome to all the guests and thanked everyone for coming from afar. His attention to traditional wood carving art makes him... uh, very gratified."

Sang Biao barked in agreement and nodded.

"Secondly, Brother Biao believes that art should not have any barriers. Whether it is a human or... other life forms, everyone can feel beauty and resonance from true art. He said that when he first saw these two sculptures, he was moved by the free spirit and tranquil power they contained."

Sang Biao raised one of his front paws, pointed to the statue covered by the red cloth, and patted his chest with a sincere look in his eyes.

"Finally, Brother Biao emphasized that the value of a true masterpiece lies in awakening the viewer's inner truth, not in the price tag. He hopes that when appreciating a work, everyone can put aside utilitarian motives and touch the core of the work with the purest feelings... Well, that's about it."

Sang Biao barked once at the end, sat up gracefully, and nodded slightly, as if to say, "My speech is finished."

The applause and laughter from the audience blended together, making the atmosphere even more lively. Although everyone knew that Lin Bufan was mostly making things up, this "performance" involving both man and dog was indeed unique and full of Lin Bufan's nonsensical style.

"Alright, Brother Biao's insightful commentary is finished." Lin Bufan chuckled and patted Sang Biao's head. "Now, let's witness together—"

He and Sang Biao exchanged a glance, each grabbing a corner of the red cloth.

"A miracle has been born!"

The red cloth slid down, revealing the two wooden sculptures, "Quiet Moon" and "Flowing Wind," in their entirety before the audience. Under the soft spotlight, the warm texture of the camphor wood, the smooth and precise lines, and the lifelike postures were even more impactful up close than on the live stream. More importantly, as the audience's gaze focused on those two lifelike faces, subtle changes began to appear on many faces.

The middle-aged man who had been urging the most earlier stared at "Quiet Moon" for more than ten seconds. His impatience slowly faded, replaced by a dazed tranquility. He murmured, "Strange... why do I feel... like she's comforting me? Telling me not to rush..."

A stylish young woman next to him covered her mouth while looking at "The Flowing Wind," her eyes shining: "Oh my god... she's really smiling! Her eyes are so cute!"

A middle-aged woman, looking troubled and with a furrowed brow, gazed at "Quiet Moon" for a long time. Suddenly, her eyes reddened slightly. She turned her face away and whispered to her companion, "I... I think she seems a little sad... sad for me..."

Quiet gasps, surprised whispers, and incredulous exclamations echoed throughout the venue. Despite prior preparation, experiencing firsthand the individualized changes in facial expressions still left most people shocked and amazed. Controversy persisted, and skeptical glances remained, but more and more people began to immerse themselves in this wondrous "interactive" experience, attempting to glean their own current state of mind from the statues' "expressions."

Although Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing, and Da Mai had already experienced it before, they still found it very interesting to stand in the crowd and watch the different reactions of the people around them.

Chen Nanxing leaned close to Xu Hongdou's ear and whispered, "Hongdou, given Lin Bufan's lecherous nature, what kind of expression do you think he'll see when he looks at your statue?"

Xu Hongdou glanced at Chen Nanxing and said indifferently, "Want to know? Then go ask him yourself. How would I know?"

Chen Nanxing curled his lip: "Ask him? He'd be a fool to tell the truth! With his lecherous nature, how could he not have any impure thoughts when he sees a beauty like our Dou'er? I bet he got glared at when he looked at Jingyue! He probably even got a dirty look!"

Xu Hongdou didn't reply. She just looked at the wooden sculpture in the center of the display stand that looked exactly like her. Her lips curved almost imperceptibly before she regained her composure.

The commotion and gasps of amazement from the crowd around the booth grew louder and louder.

"It really is...it really is different! I was thinking about work-related worries just now, and when I looked at Jingyue, I could see a worry in her eyes...Now that I'm trying to think about something happy, when I look at her again, I feel like the corners of her mouth have really softened a bit!"

"My God, this is too unbelievable! I studied psychology, and this simply cannot be fully explained using conventional suggestion theory!"

"I saw it too! Liu Feng just winked at me! Really! It was so quick, I'm sure I didn't mistake it!"

"Is it a problem with the lighting angle? Or are we standing in different positions?"

"Impossible! My friend and I were standing side by side, and Jingyue's expression was completely different! She said she was very gentle, but she seemed a bit cold to me..."

The doubts persisted, but the accounts from firsthand witnesses became more numerous and detailed, causing even the most skeptical to waver and rush forward to personally verify this unbelievable phenomenon.

Just as the crowd was immersed in this wonderful "interactive" experience, several well-dressed and distinguished individuals stepped forward from the back of the crowd. Each of them was accompanied by someone who appeared to be an assistant, their sharp gazes fixed on the two wooden sculptures, conveying an assessment and a sense of certainty.

“Mr. Lin!” A middle-aged man with meticulously combed hair and wearing a custom-made suit spoke first, his voice booming with the confidence typical of businessmen: “I am Zhao Dehai from Donghai Hengchang Group. I expressed great interest in your works during the live stream. Seeing them in person today, they truly live up to their reputation, even more impressive than in the live stream! My previous offer remains valid, and I can raise it to 110 million to purchase these two pieces, ‘Quiet Moon’ and ‘Flowing Wind’!”

As soon as Zhao Dehai finished speaking, an elderly man with a refined air and wearing gold-rimmed glasses stepped forward. He nodded slightly to Lin Bufan, his voice calm yet carrying undeniable weight: "Mr. Lin, I am the owner of Yawanzhai. We have communicated online before. The price of one hundred million was what I mentioned earlier. Seeing it in person today, I realize that words cannot describe even a fraction of its charm. If Mr. Lin is willing to part with it, one hundred and twenty million is available for immediate transaction."

The appearance of the "Master of Elegant Collections" elicited a murmur of excitement from the audience. The presence of this highly respected gentleman in the collecting world, along with his personal bid, undoubtedly propelled the artistic and collectible value of these two wood carvings to new heights.

Immediately afterwards, several more collectors or agents who had previously publicly bid online stepped forward, and bids rose and fell in succession:

"One hundred and thirty million! Mr. Lin, we at Guardian Art & Design have come with the utmost sincerity!"

"One hundred and fifty million! Mr. Lin, our boss said the price is negotiable, as long as you agree!"

"Master Lin, there's no need for bidding! Just name your price! We'll do our best to meet any price you're willing to sell!"

"Yes, Master Lin, please name a price!"

……

The scene became somewhat chaotic. The bids, often exceeding hundreds of millions, left the surrounding villagers and ordinary tourists speechless, and the buzzing discussions almost drowned out all other sounds.

Xie Heshun stared wide-eyed at the wealthy patrons waving their checkbooks, feeling as if he were in two different worlds. However, he quickly realized that this was an opportunity.

After slapping Xiaxia awake, Xie Heshun said in a condescending tone, "How about that? I didn't lie to you, did I? You can make a lot of money if you master this skill."

Xiaxia was also stunned by the bidding noise at the scene. After being woken up by Xie Heshun, she couldn't help but hesitate. Should she still go to Shanghai to make big money?

Despite the intense gazes and the enormous figures that seemed to be crashing down on him, Lin Bufan remained remarkably calm. He even leisurely bent down to straighten Sang Biao's crooked suspenders—the suspenders had become a bit loose from his earlier "speech."

Once the surrounding bidding subsided a bit, Lin Bufan straightened up, picked up the microphone again, and still wore that slightly irritating, nonchalant smile.

"Dear bosses, collectors, and friends."

First of all, thank you all so much for your support in raising the price of these two wooden blocks to such a high level. To be honest, I'm quite excited to hear that!

A burst of good-natured laughter erupted from the audience, but the bidders' eyes remained burning with fervor.

“But—” Lin Bufan’s tone shifted, his smile fading and his tone becoming clear: “I said in my live stream before that I’m not selling this. It’s not about how much money it costs; it’s that I never intended to sell it in the first place.”

They've already been taken and are all owned. So please don't bother making any more offers; it's pointless and a waste of your time.

After a pause, before the uproar from the audience could subside, Lin Bufan added, "Oh, and by the way, I'd like to add that I'm not really interested in money!"

Everyone:...

Standing in the front row, Chen Nanxing couldn't help but nudge Xu Hongdou with his elbow, lowering his voice and gritting his teeth as he said, "Hongdou, don't you think that sometimes... no, most of the time, Lin Bufan is just so annoying? That smugness that radiates from within, that 'I'm the best and you're all just ordinary people' expression, coupled with his mouth... really, my hands are itching, I really want to punch him!"

Before Xu Hongdou could speak, Da Mai next to her nodded vigorously in deep agreement and whispered in agreement: "Yeah... Although President Lin has helped me a lot and is a very good person, sometimes when I hear him talk, especially at times like this... it does give me a feeling of having a hard fist."

Looking at Lin Bufan on stage, who seemed to be saying "I'm not interested in money" and "I'm very annoyed," Xu Hongdou said calmly, "Although...but...thinking about it carefully, I feel that what he said doesn't make any problem!"

Chen Nanxing and Da Mai looked at Xu Hongdou in shock, as if she had said something outrageous.

Xu Hongdou shrugged, her tone still calm: "What I said is fine. Think about it yourselves if you don't believe me."

The two women paused, subconsciously recalling Xu Hongdou's words. They considered Lin Bufan's behavior since moving into the Windy Courtyard… casually giving away expensive gifts, showing little interest in livestream donations and business collaborations, not even batting an eye at offers of hundreds of millions, and frequently spouting Versailles-esque phrases like "I'm not interested in money"… It seemed, perhaps… he really didn't care much about money? At least, money was definitely not his primary motivation.

"It seems...it really is true?" Chen Nanxing scratched his head, somewhat convinced, but then glared at the stage: "But he just looks so irritating!"

Da Mai nodded silently, completely agreeing with Chen Nanxing's opinion.

On stage, after being explicitly rejected by Lin Bufan, the collectors who had made bids did not give up immediately. A capable female agent in a Chanel suit stepped forward and said sincerely, "Mr. Lin, we completely understand your feelings for the artwork. If you are not considering selling it, then... how about a custom order? You can name your price, set the time, and choose the materials and style according to your wishes."

"No job!" Lin Bufan waved his hand without even thinking. "My time is very precious. I have to contribute to the development of all mankind. I don't have time for such trivial matters!"

Upon hearing this, the mouths of the crowd below the stage twitched wildly again—damn it, how did these two statues come about if there was no time?

Did it appear out of thin air?