Chapter 39: How About a Bet

No one could've guessed I'd go from being humiliated like a fool to straight-up rejecting Brian in public!

Brian was totally caught off guard. "This sheepskin calligraphy scroll is something I really like. Otherwise, it wouldn't sell for over ten thousand dollars. No appraisal institution would offer a higher price than mine. So, I'll bid thirty thousand dollars, and that's my highest offer."

Hearing this, I felt a bit uncertain.

After all, I had only glimpsed a small white snake darting across the scroll earlier, suggesting either a hidden element within the scroll or its authenticity. But now that Brian claimed it was a fake without any hint of deception, could it truly be worth that much money?

Thinking of this, I squinted at the scroll again, and saw a mist resembling a white snake floating up and down it.

Could these strange tracks be star trails?

My evil eye seemed to be telling me that there was more to this sheepskin calligraphy scroll?

These star trails slowly revealed a secret, and the source of the secret pointed to—rainwater?

The people around couldn't stand it anymore and kept persuading me.

"Young man, just sell it to Mr. Graves."

"Yeah, thirty thousand dollars, you can make a profit! Otherwise, you'll lose everything!"

"Yeah, Mr. Graves is a professor, he wouldn't lie to you."

I still shook my head. "Mr. Graves, I won't sell it."

At this point, Lorenzo couldn't hold back and kicked me in the butt. "You little brat, so disobedient!"

Saying this, he tried to take the sheepskin calligraphy scroll from my hand and give it to Brian.

I simply stepped back and protected it. "Lorenzo, I said I won't sell this thing!"

"You've got some nerve!" Lorenzo originally wanted to do Brian a favor, but didn't expect me to disagree.

The shop owner couldn't help but come over and bow. "Mr. Graves, I have a few more sheepskin calligraphy scrolls by Eldric Carvyn in my shop, would you like to take a look?"

Brian shook his head. "No need, I'm after Dennis' piece because my favorite, the Scroll of Lumina, is missing from my collection. I'm not interested in any others."

Then he turned to me. "Dennis, I'm bending the rules today. How about this, final offer: fifty grand."

I still shook my head. "No, I won't sell it."

Seeing my determination, people started criticizing me.

"This guy must be out of his mind!"

"Out of his mind? Can't you see, he's trying to get a higher price because he knows Mr. Graves likes it!"

"Mr. Graves is really sincere, if he hadn't said he liked the Scroll, this guy would have sold it for ten thousand dollars at the beginning!"

Brian also had this thought and shook his head helplessly, turning to leave.

At this point, Lorenzo panicked, trying to do Brian a favor but ending up offending him!

He stomped his foot and tried to snatch the sheepskin calligraphy scroll from my hand!

I was also helpless and could only shout. "Mr. Graves, please wait!"

Brian thought I had agreed and turned back with a smile. "So, you agree?"

"No, I won't sell the sheepskin calligraphy scroll, but I can show you something."

As soon as I said this, the crowd started cursing!

"Fuck!"

"This guy is crazy, how dare show something to Mr. Graves!"

"Damn it, if you hadn't stopped me, I would have gone up and beaten him to death!"

"Go ahead, I won't stop you!"

Brian's face also changed immediately. He was, after all, a renowned antique expert, a part-time university professor, and a familiar face on television shows where he identified and elucidated various items. And here I was, just a seventeen-year-old, suggesting that I had something to show him.

He suppressed his displeasure. "What do you mean by that?"

I spread the sheepskin calligraphy scroll in my hand. "Lorenzo, Alicia, I'm not selling this to Mr. Graves because there's more to it."

Brian was amused. "Don't play games with me, this scroll is just paper with writing on it, obviously a top-notch fake. What else could there be!"

The shop owner also laughed. "Exactly, this broken sheepskin calligraphy scroll has been on my shelf for over a year, if it had any value, would I leave it there?"

I was waiting for the shop owner's words and asked him. "You don't believe me?"

"Of course not."

He probably thought to himself that his shop was full of fake goods, how could he believe me.

"Then how about we make a bet?" I smiled.