Hearing this, the man’s face briefly soured, but he soon accepted it, saying, “Thanks for Mr. Tyler’s appraisal and comments. It seems I’ve made another misjudgment. The world of antiques is indeed as deep as the sea. Since Mr. Tyler says it’s only worth sixty thousand, I’ll give you all a discount and sell it for fifty thousand. Anyone interested?”
In the world of the wealthy, things were hard to fathom. The man casually threw out a price for fun.
Rich people were always ready to buy something undervalued. Hands shot up all around. “I’ll take it,” “Count me in,” they chimed.
The man chuckled with a hint of embarrassment. “Since everyone’s so enthusiastic, I’ll just throw the painting. Whoever catches it, it’s theirs.”
With that, the man rolled up the painting and tossed it, sending it into the air.
Leo lifted onto his toes, effortlessly leaping to snatch the painting.
The onlookers turned their gazes to Leo, their eyes filled with envy.
When Mr. Tyler saw it was Leo, a subtle look of surprise flashed in his eyes. The genuine piece of calligraphy was still fresh in his memory, and now Leo was here at another art auction. Could this painting hold some secret like the calligraphy did?
Though he had suspicions, Mr. Tyler decided to wait until after the auction to have a private chat with Leo.
Once the man saw Leo’s face, he rushed forward and snatched the painting back. “I won’t sell it to you!”
“Why?” Leo couldn’t understand the man’s sudden change of heart.
“I know you. You’re the Henley family’s son-in-law. If I sell it to you, it’ll bring bad luck!” The man appeared superstitious.
Hearing this, the onlookers’ gazes turned cold, and they began to murmur.
“I knew this guy looked familiar. He’s the Henley family’s useless son-in-law.”
“A freeloader. Can’t believe he dared to attend such an upscale auction. Wonder who gave him the courage.”
“I saw Sophia Henley with him. It must be her who brought this freeloader.”
“So unlucky. This poor guy can’t even sit in his own place properly, and he’s messing around where he doesn’t belong.”
Ignoring the mocking, Leo addressed the man. “Sir, you just said whoever catches the painting can buy it. And you seem like a person of integrity; your word should be your bond.”
With so many people watching, the man, mindful of his reputation, couldn’t back out now. He shifted his gaze to Leo. “You can buy it if you want, but you’ll have to pay the full price, a hundred thousand, not a penny less!”
The man was deliberately testing Leo, thinking a son-in-law like him couldn’t produce a hundred thousand for the painting.
“Fine, a hundred thousand it is. I’m buying it on behalf of my father-in-law,” Leo nodded.
Leo’s words triggered another round of chatter among the onlookers.
“As expected, a freeloader. His IQ must be off the charts to willingly spend a hundred thousand on something Mr. Tyler said was worth sixty thousand.”
“He’s a complete pushover. He loses money and still smiles.”
“Did you hear him? He’s buying it for his father-in-law, which means he’s spending his father-in-law’s money! Shamelessly living off someone else.”
Mr. Tyler stayed silent. He knew Leo wouldn’t make such a bad investment willingly. There must be a hidden secret in this painting that he hadn’t discovered yet.
Martin had been observing silently. He approached Leo and asked, curiosity piqued, “Leo, are you really buying this painting?”
Leo nodded firmly.
Remembering Leo’s discovery of the prescription sheet, Martin didn’t hesitate and transferred a hundred thousand to the man.
The man successfully made the sale and smirked in satisfaction.
After acquiring the painting, Martin pulled Leo aside and whispered, “Leo, does this painting have a hidden compartment like that calligraphy?”
Leo shook his head. “No.”
Martin was puzzled. “Then why did you buy it?”
Leo smiled. “I have a strong feeling that there’s something mysterious about this painting.”
Martin’s interest was piqued. He handed the painting back to Leo. “Then take a closer look.”
Leo laid the painting on the table and borrowed Mr. Tyler’s magnifying glass to examine it closely.
The onlookers, seeing Leo’s seriousness, remained skeptical.
The man who sold the painting snorted, “No need to bother. I’ve thoroughly examined this painting inside and out, at least ten times. There’s absolutely nothing hidden. Mr. Tyler has already confirmed it. Are you suggesting you know better than Mr. Tyler?”
Soon, Leo returned the magnifying glass to Mr. Tyler, sighing, “There really is no hidden secret. I must have been mistaken.”
Seeing Leo’s disappointed expression, the onlookers couldn’t help but laugh.
“Youthful impetuousness. The world of antiques isn’t as simple as you think. You can’t just rely on intuition and luck to find treasures.”
“He’s probably doubting Mr. Tyler’s judgment. An man like him actually daring to question an authoritative expert is quite laughable.”
“Young man, you better stick to living off your in-laws at home. The world of antiques is not a place for you.”
Mocking Leo provided amusement to everyone present.
Even Mr. Tyler believed that Leo had made a grave mistake this time.
The taunts and jibes from the onlookers left Martin feeling frustrated. “My money… Sigh.”
Sophia quickly consoled him. “Dad, making misjudgments in the world of antiques is normal. Leo didn’t do it intentionally. Don’t be too upset.”
In Sophia’s view, the discovery of the genuine calligraphy had been pure luck. Luck was something that didn’t last forever.
“This painting, sold for sixty thousand, anyone interested?” Martin no longer wanted to look at the painting and wanted to get rid of it immediately.
People exchanged glances, but no one was willing to take it.
With a sharp “ripping” sound, Leo, amid the watchful eyes of the crowd, tore the painting in two.
This left Martin flabbergasted. He exclaimed, “Leo, what are you doing!?”
Oh, the agony Martin felt as he watched the sixty thousand dollars disappear before his eyes.
“Ah, what a freeloading man. His mental fortitude is clearly lacking.”
“He’s a complete idiot. He just tore up sixty thousand dollars.”
Amid the taunts of the onlookers, Leo didn’t seem satisfied yet. He continued tearing the painting apart with abandon.
In no time, a painting originally worth sixty thousand dollars had turned into a pile of scraps in Leo’s hands.