Chapter 26: Six Division Assessment (4)

Although treasure picking requires great luck, without deep knowledge and foundation, even the best luck is useless.

Take Old Zhao, for instance. He’s spent half his life dealing with rare books and manuscripts, yet he still couldn’t spot the hidden value in these twelve volumes of the Lingshu Scripture. He nearly treated them as ordinary goods and auctioned them off.

Lin Manxuan also knew that Yang Ning had struck a deal with Dongfang Fei'er. If you really calculated it, in just three days, he had already earned several million.

Thinking about it, how could someone like him be content working as a mere employee at the Lin Family’s company? By then, it wouldn’t be Yang Ning gaining prestige as a high-flying executive; it would be the entire Lin Family holding him back from making his fortune!

What’s more, Lin Manxuan was well aware that Yang Ning possessed a miraculous pill that could whiten and smooth a woman’s skin, even enhancing facial features. If it were mass-produced and released to the market, then...

Lin Manxuan didn’t dare to think further. She stared at Yang Ning in shock. At this moment, she realized that as their relationship grew closer, she had overlooked many details she should have noticed.

“My conditions aren’t bad, right? Why not reconsider?” Yang Ning grinned mischievously.

Lin Manxuan ignored him. “Grandpa Zhao, what secret is hidden in these twelve volumes of the Lingshu Scripture?”

This question echoed the confusion of everyone present.

“If I’m not mistaken, this is likely the original manuscript written by Xiong Zongli during its compilation. The manuscript was probably mounted inside these twelve volumes of the Lingshu Scripture by someone from the Zhong Sect using an extraordinary technique.”

Aside from Yang Ning and Old Zhao, everyone in the room gasped.

Though few knew of Xiong Zongli, just the word ‘manuscript’ was enough to hint at the immense value behind it!

“My vote goes to him.” Old Zhao paused, then said in a deep voice, “I know a few old friends in Huahai. I’ll invite them to help uncover the layers and reveal the manuscript hidden within these twelve volumes of the Lingshu Scripture.”

With that, he quickly packed up the large wooden box and left the meeting room without looking back, leaving everyone in silence.

“Who’s next?” Meng Jianlin was in high spirits.

“I’ll go!”

Minister Niu gritted his teeth. “I take back what I said earlier. Kid, you’ve got real skill. Even if I’m not thrilled about it, I have to admit it.”

His words caught Yang Ning off guard. So, Minister Niu wasn’t as annoying as he seemed. He appeared to be a straightforward guy, unable to hide what he truly thought.

People like him were actually quite likable. You didn’t need to guess what they were thinking or worry about them scheming behind your back.

“I wonder how Minister Niu plans to test me?” Yang Ning smiled.

Minister Niu’s mouth twitched. How could he dare to test Yang Ning now?

At the Lin Family company, his Oil Painting Division was the worst-performing, always at the bottom. Their annual results were barely a fraction of the other divisions, which left him with little standing in the company.

“I’m not one for beating around the bush. I’ll give you my vote anyway. But recently, the company acquired a canvas painting, and I’ve been unable to settle on a price. If you’ve got knowledge in this area, give me some pointers. If not, no worries.”

A canvas painting?

It must be an oil painting on canvas. Yang Ning had heard of such things.

In truth, he was considering whether to hold back a little. After all, he’d already secured the vote, so there was no need to stand out too much. But seeing the hopeful look in Minister Niu’s eyes, despite his initially poor impression of the man, Yang Ning decided to be open-minded. He knew that while Minister Niu had a sharp tongue, his heart wasn’t bad.

People like him might mock you relentlessly if they didn’t like you, but once you earned their respect, they’d willingly admit defeat without you even asking. Show them a bit of kindness, and they’d follow your lead.

A typical commoner—annoying at times, but also endearing.

Because he wore his thoughts on his face. You didn’t need to guess or guard against him.

Moreover, compared to the gloomy, shifty-eyed Zhou Bokang, Minister Niu was far more tolerable.

“I wouldn’t call it giving pointers, but if Minister Niu doesn’t mind the trouble, let’s brainstorm together. Taking a look won’t hurt.” Yang Ning smiled.

“No trouble at all, not in the least.” Minister Niu hurriedly opened a cardboard box and pulled out a large canvas. When he unfolded it, a photo-realistic painting of a semi-nude woman came into view.

Yang Ning activated his Eye of Appraisal, and soon, a prompt from the System appeared:

Discovered Item: [Night Intoxication]

Quality: Ordinary

Evaluation: A modern artwork. The painter, Li Sen, depicts six girls trapped in a dimly lit, unknown room, lost in the decadence of urban nightlife. Using an illusory photo effect, he exposes the essence of society, rendering their vain actions through simple techniques. This piece holds some collectible value, with an estimated worth of 89,605 Huaxia Currency.

Li Sen?

Yang Ning didn’t know who Li Sen was. He withdrew his gaze. “This painting gives me the sense that these bare women are neither in darkness nor light, as if narrating the confusion and vanity of an era. The melancholic, dreary red-gray tones, like a dream shrouded in sorrowful clouds, create a distance between reality and illusion, evoking a distorted space. I believe this space represents a fear of growth and an escape from reality.”

Yang Ning hinted meaningfully, “Minister Niu, who do you think the painter with this style might be?”

Minister Niu furrowed his brows deeply. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Could it be Li Sen?”

Yang Ning nodded. “With the dominant tones this painting displays, I can’t think of anyone else.”

Originally, no one thought Yang Ning could identify the painting’s origins. But who would’ve guessed that in less than a minute, he delivered a well-reasoned analysis that was hard to dispute? Wasn’t this just too extraordinary?

Minister Niu, snapping out of his daze, stared at Yang Ning in astonishment. He had full confidence in his ability to appraise oil paintings; otherwise, he wouldn’t be the head of the Lin Family’s Oil Painting Division. Yet, he hadn’t connected this painting to Li Sen before now.

By chance, he had Li Sen’s contact number. He immediately made the call.

Shortly after, Minister Niu hung up with a satisfied expression. From his conversation with Li Sen, it was clear that this painting was indeed Li Sen’s work.

The gazes directed at Yang Ning once again carried a mix of solemnity and joy. If Yang Ning participated in the Appraisal Tournament, he might actually secure a high ranking.

At that point, the Lin Family company might rise from obscurity to shock everyone!

“I forfeit my vote.” Old Xu sipped his tea leisurely.

“Agreed.” Old Feng and Meng Jianlin nodded, then both turned to Zhou Bokang.

At this moment, Zhou Bokang was quite conflicted. For the sake of his son’s foolish actions, there was no need to offend Yang Ning. The young man’s background was too formidable. Stubbornly opposing him would be utterly unwise.

Just as he was about to give up, his phone suddenly rang. After answering, Zhou Bokang’s eyes brightened. When he put down the phone, the hesitation on his face had completely vanished.

“I’ve got this vote in hand, young man. You’ll still need to earn it with your skills.”

“Fine.”

Even if Zhou Bokang wanted to forfeit his vote, Yang Ning would’ve found a way to provoke him. Why? Simply because he was Zhou Xuebin’s father.

Now that Zhou Bokang chose to stand his ground, Yang Ning couldn’t be happier.

“Truly raised by a turtle, no sense of when to advance or retreat,” Meng Jianlin snorted.

“Old fool, let’s see how this plays out.”

Zhou Bokang sneered inwardly. The call from Zhou Xuebin just now had given him ample confidence. What kind of confidence? The Zhou family had secured a powerful backer. He made up his mind—if worse came to worst, he’d just walk away. He wasn’t about to stay here and swallow his pride.

With a cold smirk at Yang Ning, Zhou Bokang said arrogantly, “Young man, your luck has truly surprised me. But I believe that luck of yours ends here.”

“Turtle’s son, you’ve got some nerve to talk nonsense with your eyes wide open. Were all those earlier feats just luck?” Meng Jianlin glared fiercely.

“Weren’t they?” Zhou Bokang’s face darkened. “Old fool, don’t keep running your mouth. I’ve put up with you for long enough.”

“Come bite me then!”

“Old fool, let me give you a saying: to grow old and not die is to be a thief.”

Meng Jianlin flew into a rage. Even Old Feng and Old Xu felt uncomfortable hearing such words.