bookbashuk Chapter 333 I Have a Mother
Chapter 333 I Have a Mother
Jerry noticed Shen Li's absent-minded look and asked softly, "What's wrong? Is something the problem?"
Just as Shen Li was about to respond, a figure suddenly walked over from the side.
He was a blond, blue-eyed man. Although he had a handsome appearance, Shen Li could immediately sense the ill intent in his eyes.
The man looked down at the painting, his tone laced with sarcasm: "What? Third brother has taken a liking to this painting? It's obviously a fake. Does he intend to take a counterfeit back to Father?"
Jerry looked up at the newcomer, his face instantly turning cold, and his tone unfriendly: "Brother, you're joking. Is there no place for you elsewhere, or are you just bored and have to come here to join the fun? What I buy is none of your business."
Hamms smiled insincerely and deliberately softened his tone: "Philip, your brother is just concerned about you."
Jerry was the name he adopted in China. His full name was Sinclair Felix, and his family members usually called him Felix or Felix. The servants respectfully addressed him as the Third Young Master.
Jerry turned his face away, looking impatient: "No need, I can't handle your fake concern."
Shen Li and Ming Xiangyang, who were standing to the side, wisely stood still and did not interrupt, simply watching the two clash.
Seeing that Shen Li remained silent, Hamms assumed she didn't understand English. He moved closer to Jerry and teased in English, "What? My brother, who's been so celibate these past few years, has taken a fancy to a Chinese girl? But to be honest, this girl's figure is really hot. Look at that amazing body, she has everything she should have. I just don't know how she is in bed. Have you tried her...?"
"Bang!"
Before Hamms could finish his foul language, Jerry's fist slammed into his face.
"Fuck!" Hamms cried out in pain, staggering back two steps.
Upon seeing this, his attendants immediately stepped forward to help him up.
The surrounding onlookers also turned their attention to the exhibition, and the atmosphere in the exhibition hall instantly became tense.
Jerry pointed at Hamms, glaring angrily: "You can say whatever you want about me, but you can't insult my friend!"
Seeing that Jerry was about to step forward to argue, Shen Li quickly reached out and pulled him back, then turned to Hams in fluent English and said coldly, "Alright, there's no need to reason with this kind of idiot."
Hamms, who had been suppressing his anger after being punched, instantly bristled upon hearing Shen Li's words. However, he didn't grasp the core of her sarcasm and simply retorted, "I have a mother!"
Shen Li raised an eyebrow, her tone indifferent: "No."
"I do!" Hamms cried out anxiously, stepping forward to pull Shen Li away. "No, you have to come home with me and see, I really do have a mother!"
Jerry and Ming Xiangyang immediately stepped forward and firmly stopped him.
Jerry said in a deep voice, "Get out of here."
"No! I have to show her I have a mother!" Hamms retorted, stubborn as if he wouldn't give up until he hit a brick wall.
Shen Li's lips twitched violently, feeling both amused and exasperated—had she scolded him too harshly, causing this foreigner to break down?
He was so persistent that he insisted on taking her back to see his mother.
Left with no other option, she could only compromise: "Okay, okay, I know you have a mother now, alright?"
Upon hearing this, Hamms finally calmed down, glared angrily at the two men, and was helped away by his attendants.
Shen Li and Ming Xiangyang exchanged a glance, their eyes both hiding a hint of suppressed laughter, and finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Shen Li laughed brightly and freely, her eyes brimming with vitality; while Ming Xiangyang, who was usually aloof and reserved and rarely laughed freely, also had his lips raised high, with a faint smile in his eyes.
Shen Li looked at him and teased, "That's more like it. Smiling more will bring you good luck. Don't always have such a serious face. Even if the God of Wealth comes, he'll be scared away by you."
Ming Xiangyang's heart stirred slightly, and he silently prayed: I don't pray to the God of Wealth, I only hope that the Old Man Under the Moon will show me more mercy.
He replied softly, "Okay."
With the little farce over, Jerry's gaze returned to the painting, his tone slightly urgent: "You just said this painting is real?"
Shen Li nodded, lightly tapping the edge of the frame with her fingertip: "It's real, but it's covered with a fake mask. Once you peel it off, you'll see the real thing underneath."
She added, "Some people with ulterior motives will deliberately cover the genuine article with a fake in order to protect it from being ruined, thus deceiving people."
Jerry looked at the price tag—ten thousand dollars.
If this price were for an authentic piece, it would be an absolute steal, considering that a similar genuine piece would cost at least twenty or thirty thousand US dollars.
Clearly, even the organizers believed it was a fake, which is why they dared not set a high price.
There are two auction rules here: exhibits are displayed with prices marked first, and if someone really likes something, they can buy it in advance at the marked price;
However, when the auction officially begins, the starting price will be half of the bid price, and the final transaction price may be higher or lower than the bid price.
Jerry quickly figured that since Shen Li was certain the painting was genuine, they could simply wait for the official auction.
Presumably no one will bid for a "fake," so it would be perfect to buy it at a low price.
Afterwards, Jerry showed Shen Li several more pieces of his collection, including artifacts from the Ming Dynasty and decorative items from the Tang Dynasty, a very diverse range.
Shen Li helped him distinguish between the real and fake items one by one, which excited Jerry so much that he picked out more than a dozen items he liked. As for whether he would buy them or not, that would depend on his later considerations.
As she strolled around, Shen Li's gaze was drawn to the jade and Hetian jade exhibition area on the side, and she walked over there unconsciously.
She knew very well that jadeite had a huge potential for price appreciation, and its price had increased a thousandfold from the 1980s to the 2020s.
Now that she has X-ray vision, it's the perfect time for her to hoard jade.
However, Hetian jade is currently in a booming stage, and its price is already quite high.
Although top-grade imperial green jadeite is more expensive than Hetian jade, apart from imperial green, other qualities of jadeite cannot compare to mutton fat white jade from Hetian.
Moreover, the market now places more emphasis on color when judging jadeite, especially imperial green, while paying less attention to the texture and clarity of "icy" jadeite.
Shen Li stopped in front of a piece of jade. He saw that a line of bright green had appeared on the surface of the jade, and its color was very bright and outstanding.
Seeing her interest in jade, Jerry quickly followed.
As a scion of a prominent family, although he wasn't an expert on jade, he had some basic knowledge of it through exposure to the world around him—after all, his family's businesses were diverse, unlike those of merchants who specialized in a single area.
Jerry immediately beckoned to an elderly man with white hair and beard, and instructed him in a familiar tone, "Mr. Zhang, could you please take a look at this jade for Lili? I think it's in pretty good condition."
Seeing this, Shen Li thought to herself that there was no need to go to trouble—with her X-ray vision, she could see the quality inside the jade clearly, but because of her status, she didn't want to refuse directly.