As Leo spoke more professionally, Xavier’s heart pounded anxiously. He couldn’t help clenching his fists. If it weren’t for the fact that this was Grandpa’s living room, he might have already rushed up to punch Leo.
No, he couldn’t let this useless son-in-law continue talking. Otherwise, everything he had worked so hard for would be completely destroyed.
Xavier took two steps forward and angrily shouted, “You freeloader, who gave you the courage to talk so confidently here? Today, we’re hosting my grandfather’s birthday party, not some art appreciation event. If you dare to spout nonsense again, believe me, I’ll beat you to death!”
Leo coldly glanced at Xavier, knowing he was getting a bit desperate. Leo wanted this effect, to directly ignore his threats and continue speaking, “This painting, ‘Courtyard in Venice,’ though excellently copied, lacks the charm and artistic conception.”
“I can’t believe this freeloader, claiming to understand the charm and artistic conception of artwork. What a huge joke!”
“This ‘Courtyard in Venice,’ there’s clearly nothing wrong with its charm and artistic conception. This freeloader is just causing trouble for no reason!”
Elroy Fanny, unable to see any issues with the charm and artistic conception, couldn’t help but ask in confusion, “Dr. Bloomer, forgive my ignorance. I can’t see the problem you’re talking about. Can you be more specific?”
“Mr. Fanny, do you have rice paper and alcohol here?” Leo didn’t directly answer Elroy Fanny’s question but instead asked like this.
Elroy Fanny was momentarily stunned and replied, “Naturally, we do.”
“Could you please give me a large sheet of rice paper, preferably enough to completely cover this painting, and a bottle of alcohol.”
Although Elroy Fanny didn’t know what Leo was up to, he had someone fetch the rice paper and alcohol according to his request.
People were puzzled by Leo’s requests, not understanding what he was planning.
Soon, the rice paper and alcohol arrived. Leo had a servant help cover the painting on the wall with the rice paper.
This scene left Xavier with a growing sense of foreboding. He quickly rushed to the painting, trying to stop Leo, “You deadbeat, what are you doing!? If you ruin ‘Courtyard in Venice,’ you won’t be able to compensate for it in a lifetime!”
Xavier reached out to grab Leo’s collar, but Leo gently pushed him away. Xavier staggered backward and sat down on the floor.
In front of everyone, being pushed to the ground by a son-in-law, how could Xavier endure this? “Someone, break this deadbeat’s legs and throw him out of the villa!”
The security personnel from the Fanny family villa looked at Elroy Fanny, wanting to know Mr. Fanny’s intentions. After all, Mr. Fanny was the real owner.
Elroy Fanny looked down at Xavier, angrily saying, “Xavier, if you cause any more trouble, get out!”
Xavier got up from the ground, his face unsightly, and his expression defeated. Grandpa’s fury wasn’t a joke, and he dared not say anything more.
Leo took the alcohol, drank a large mouthful, surprising everyone with their astonished expressions.
Then, Leo stood in front of the covered ‘Courtyard in Venice’ and sprayed all the alcohol from his mouth onto the rice paper, quickly wetting it.
“What is this freeloader doing? Has his brain gone haywire?”
“This behavior is clearly destroying the artwork. This is an authentic piece by William Merritt Chase. If it’s ruined like this…”
“No doubt, if William Merritt Chase’s ‘Courtyard in Venice’ is ruined by this freeloader, he’ll be eating hard bread in prison.”
Leo gestured for two servants to slowly remove the alcohol-soaked rice paper covering the painting.
At the moment the rice paper was completely removed, the mocking voices that had surged like waves suddenly stopped mysteriously.
In the entire living room, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared with widened eyes, unblinking, at the ‘Courtyard in Venice’ on the wall.
At this moment, ‘Courtyard in Venice’ had changed in their eyes.
It wasn’t that the painting turned into another totally different one. It was the feeling the painting gave that had changed.
To put it in perspective, if the previous painting gave a sense of a bygone era and history, now the painting exuded a modern vibe.
It was like an antique suddenly transformed into a piece of contemporary art.
This feeling and perception could only be understood but not explained, yet it was undeniably present.
In simpler terms, the charm and artistic conception Leo mentioned earlier had disappeared, vanished without a trace.
This was the root cause of the astonishment on everyone’s faces.
Leo’s face remained composed as he said leisurely, “I must say, the level of antique imitation in this forgery is exceptionally high. Not just for ordinary people, even experts in antique calligraphy and painting might easily be deceived.”
Xavier’s face, filled with the expression of failure, was ugly. The thing he feared most had happened.
Leo then pointed at the end of the painting, saying, “Not to mention the charm and artistic conception issues with this painting, now look at the signature after the alcohol soak. There’s obviously a situation of discontinuity. This also indicates, from another perspective, that this painting is undoubtedly a forgery.”
People looked at Leo with a surprised expression, then simultaneously turned their astonished gazes to Leo.
A freeloading son-in-law had actually presented powerful evidence proving that ‘Courtyard in Venice’ was fake!
In other words, Morgan Milne, a renowned antique appraisal master in Langstel and even the entire country, had been fooled!
This was something that, without witnessing it with one’s own eyes or hearing it with one’s own ears, no one would believe.
Leo walked up to the man who had spoken earlier, wearing sunglasses, and smiled, “Mr. Milne, your reputation has been so badly damaged. Don’t you want to say something?”
Leo was relentless in his words. This statement immediately transformed the shock on everyone’s faces into bewilderment.
This son-in-law had actually addressed the man with sunglasses as “Mr. Milne.” Could this man in sunglasses be Morgan Milne?
This couldn’t be possible!
If the man in sunglasses was Morgan Milne, then who did Xavier bring?
The man in sunglasses took off his large sunglasses, and all eyes focused on his face.
In the next moment, except for Leo, everyone was dumbfounded.
The appearance of this man in sunglasses was identical to Mr. Milne, whom Xavier had invited!
This…
Bizarre!
Could Mr. Milne have a twin brother!?
The man in sunglasses smiled at Leo and praised, “Young friend, your appraisal ability surpasses mine!”
“You’re giving me too much credit, Mr. Milne.” Leo humbly replied.