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Chapter 108: The storm rises
The audience seats were buzzing with commotion, and on the stage, Zhao Shuya’s expression instantly became extremely rigid. He took a slight deep breath, followed by a forced smile, before picking up the microphone and saying, “Yu Nian, you will be responsible for what you say.”
Addressing him by name.
In the first episode of the show “Treasure Hunt,” they had already identified two or three fakes. The experienced host quickly responded from a professional perspective, “Teacher Yu Nian, what evidence do you have to determine that this painting is a fake?”
Yu Nian replied in a calm tone, “I have my reasons. This painting has always been in the hands of the artist’s descendants and has never been circulated or sold for a high price. Therefore, I conclude that the ‘Night Banquet’ in the possession of this treasure hunter is fake.”
As soon as Yu Nian finished speaking, before the host could respond, Zhao Shuya spoke up. He could no longer maintain his elegant facade, his eyes showed a dark look, and his words were tinged with bitterness.
“First, sitting in the appraiser’s seat, you have the responsibility to make a fair judgment. Did you even take a good look? Do you have some kind of divine vision that can determine it’s a fake?”
“Second, how can you be sure that the ‘Night Banquet’ has always been in the hands of the artist’s descendants?”
“Third, my grandfather learned about the whereabouts of this ‘Night Banquet,’ searched for it from many sources, spent a fortune, and pleaded persistently to finally buy the painting from its original owner. How can you be sure that the seller is not a descendant of the artist?”
He looked indignant, “I will not tolerate such an unfair, unrealistic, and heavily subjective appraisal. You say it’s fake, and then our Zhao family becomes a laughingstock?”
The host took advantage of this opportunity to regain control of the scene and asked, “Teacher Yu Nian judged this ‘Night Banquet’ as fake, so what are the judgments of our Teacher Gu and Director Gan?”
Zhao Shuya looked back at the appraiser’s seats, enduring his temper, waiting for the judgments of Gu Yiyan and Gan Zhuo.
As usual, Gu Yiyan spoke first. He looked serious and spoke slowly, “I agree with Teacher Yu Nian’s judgment. This ‘Night Banquet’ painting is not an authentic piece.”
Zhao Shuya’s face turned black.
When Gan Zhuo spoke, he also said, “I share the same opinion. ‘Night Banquet’ painting has indeed always been in the hands of the artist’s descendants, as Yu Nian mentioned, and has not been circulated elsewhere.”
Zhao Shuya’s face turned livid. He clenched the microphone tightly and said, “None of the three of you have carefully studied, observed, or even looked at the actual object, yet you all conclude that it’s a fake? This makes me seriously doubt the fairness and professionalism of this show!”
By August 22nd, in the second episode of “Treasure Hunt,” the hashtag #YuNianFakePaintingControversy# quickly climbed to the fifth spot on the trending list and then rapidly rose to the top.
[#YuNianFakePaintingControversy# Damn, did calling him a teacher make him feel so inflated? Is he addicted to this persona? Is he going crazy? Does he really think he’s an experienced expert who can act arrogantly? His slanderous remarks and haughty attitude are well-known. We all know he’s always been afraid that Zhao Shuya would replace him. How vicious is he to casually defame and claim a painting worth over two billion yuan is fake on a national TV program?! Yu Nian, get out of the entertainment industry!]
[#YuNianFakePaintingControversy# Zhao Shuya’s fans, stop misleading others. Those who say Yu Nian fears Zhao Shuya are just trying to pick a fight with someone superior. Do they really think he can compare to Yu Nian’s talent? Probably just a delusion! Also, we support the judgment of Nian Nian. We believe Nian Nian is professional enough. Moreover, there are others who were identified as possessing counterfeits, so it’s not just him. How much money does he have to buy the trending topics and water army?]
[#YunianFakePaintingControversy# I’m really fed up with Zhao Shuya. He got eliminated with a score of five by Yu Nian on ‘Let Me Sing,’ and now he doesn’t want to see Yu Nian at all. He has such thick skin and yet still approached with the painting voluntarily. Now, it seems the painting is a forgery, hahaha! But both Zhao Shuya and his father subtly hinted that Yunian is financially desperate and looked down upon by literati. What kind of grudge is this?]
[#YunianFakePaintingControversy# Um, I’m not a fan, just an ordinary bystander. But doesn’t anyone find it strange? They say Yu Nian has a vendetta against Zhao Shuya, so he slandered the painting as fake. The logic seems fine, but why are both Elderly Mr. Gu and Director Gan saying the same thing? I feel like, maybe this painting is really fake…]
Online arguments are in complete chaos. Meng Yuan sounds irritable on the phone, saying, “This Zhao Shuya is really venomous, spending money to hire trolls without a care, intentionally causing trouble!”
Meanwhile, Yu Nian is on his way to the mountainous area, going from plane to train and then to a bus. The bumpy road makes him feel a bit dizzy, and he speaks with little energy.
“Xie You found some information. Zhao Shuya and Zhao Chunming, father and son, have planned two things. First, they want to create trouble for me on the show and mock me, then after the program ends, they’ll manipulate the situation.”
“Also, to further hype their image? They keep a two-billion-worth ancient painting at home and refuse to sell it, portraying themselves as noble, unaffected by money. A family of literary elegance, a pure stream indeed! And on top of that, they want to kick you a few times? Disgusting!” Meng Yuan quickly grasps the situation.
Yu Nian gazes at the steep mountain walls outside the window and continues, “Secondly, despite their claims of not wanting to sell the painting, they actually plan to sell it. They have three potential buyers, but the offered prices are not ideal, so they haven’t sold it yet.”
“So they eagerly want to come on the show to promote the painting and increase its value?” Meng Yuan murmurs to himself, “Damn, they’re quite skilled in planning!”
Yu Nian acknowledges with a grunt, “Moreover, they probably suspect the painting might be fake, so they want to cash in on the art market’s rebound in these years and sell it for a high price.”
“There’s no better publicity platform than a national television show! Their abacus is jingling loudly!” Meng Yuan ponders for a moment, then laughs, “Pity, Nian Nian saw through it from the beginning; the painting is fake! The Zhao family’s abacus beads are scattered all over the floor!”
He thought of something, “Have you already entered the mountain? If there’s no signal inside, don’t worry, I’ll cover for you outside. Just rest assured. If—”
Before he could finish the second half of the sentence, only a burst of noise remained.
Yu Nian looked at the signal icon, which was down to just one bar, and smiled helplessly. He continued to close his eyes and rest against the back of the seat.
The destination of the RI Yao mobile charity project was called Xinfeng Village, deep in the extended Fengshou Mountain area. It was all mountainous terrain with high altitude, poor transportation, harsh environment, scarce resources, and frequent natural disasters. When a group of over a dozen people arrived in Xinfeng Village, the sky had already turned dark.
With no internet and sporadic signals after a long journey, everyone was extremely tired. After a quick wash, they all rested.
At the same time, Weibo was already buzzing with a storm.
First of all, the heat of #YuNianFakePaintingControversy# didn’t decrease but instead increased. There were all kinds of opinions. There was even a rumor that Yu Nian spent a large sum of money to bribe the judges Gan Zhou and Gu Yiyan to crush his competitors into the ground just to deal with Zhao Shuya.
This narrative gained recognition from many of Zhao Shuya’s fans, and they expressed their sympathies for Zhao Shuya while condemning Yu Nian’s cunning.
Moreover, in the afternoon at three o’clock, a student from the Southeast Academy of Fine Arts published a lengthy post on Weibo, accusing Zhao Chunming, a professor at the Southeast Academy of Fine Arts and Zhao Shuya’s father, of oppressing and threatening students. The student claimed that Zhao Chunming seized their works and signed them with his own name, threatening them in various ways so as not to reveal a word to the outside world.
Zhao Chunming has been continuously building his reputation by earning titles, awards, publishing books, and even appearing on “The Grand Lecture.” However, some of his students, who had their work taken away, developed depression and couldn’t bear it anymore. They decided to expose Zhao Chunming’s wrongdoings before their death. If justice couldn’t be served, they would be utterly disappointed in the world and have no more attachment to it.
Initially, this Weibo post didn’t attract much attention until a blogger with nearly five-digit followers shared it, bringing it to the attention of countless people. By evening, the post had already gained a significant number of shares.
However, soon after, someone came forward to “debunk” the post, claiming it was a planned smear campaign. They said the incident of appropriating students’ works was fictional, all aimed at tarnishing Zhao Chunming’s reputation and dragging Zhao Shuya down into the mud.
Following that, Zhao Shuya updated his Weibo, saying, “I don’t know what I did to offend you so much that you would resort to such sinister and vicious means against me. Whatever your problem is with me, don’t involve my family.”
As soon as this Weibo was posted, several marketing accounts and forums linked the post to accusing Yu Nian of being the person Zhao Shuya referred to in his Weibo, someone who used sinister and vicious means against him. This sparked discussions and debates everywhere.
After hanging up the phone, Zhao Shuya’s face turned grim. He slammed his phone on the table and bluntly accused Zhao Chunming, “Didn’t you say that the student was harmless, just drawing all day, completely under your control, and wouldn’t cause any trouble? What’s happening now?”
Zhao Chunming’s usual refined demeanor vanished, and he furrowed his brow in frustration, saying, “How could I have known this would happen? The person peacefully worked in the studio, helping me paint new pieces for the next exhibition. Who would have thought they’d cause such an uproar online in the blink of an eye?”
He changed his tone and said, “Son, you are smarter than your dad, so I’m counting on you to handle this!”
“The situation may have escalated, but it’s not a big deal. This person was once my student, but they graduated from the art institute long ago and are no longer enrolled. Their parents are farmers, ignorant of these matters, even if they create a fuss, they don’t pose much of a threat.”
Zhao Shuya knew that he and Zhao Chunming were like grasshoppers tied on the same rope, and their fates were intertwined. He softened his tone and explained his strategy, “I’ve already shifted the blame onto Yu Nian. With some more manipulation, maybe we can make sure no dirty water splashes on us in the end.”
Eager to ensure the effectiveness of the plan, Zhao Chunming asked, “Really? But I saw what you posted. It seemed so simple with just two sentences. Is that enough?”
“Of course, that’s enough. The key is not to say everything explicitly. When you say it all, it leaves no room for imagination. By speaking like this, many people will interpret it for me. I dare not name names, indicating I fear the person’s influence. I suggest everything comes my way to show I take responsibility and protect my family. As for that person behind the scenes? They will be seen as malicious, cunning, and secretive.”
Zhao Chunming was impressed and applauded, “Truly worthy of my son, Zhao Shuya! This strategy is brilliant! Now, Yu Nian will be left speechless, swallowing his humiliation, unable to utter a word!”
Zhao Shuya shrugged casually, “Exactly, that’s the effect I want. He gave me 5 points as a humiliation and blocked my path to success time and again, and now he’s bound to be etched in my memory forever!”
However, things didn’t unfold as they had expected.
At 10 o’clock in the evening, the official account of Orange Entertainment released a video featuring journalist Nie Mingxin interviewing a young man named Xia Yu, who was dressed in old clothes, had a lean figure, and appeared with a desolate look in his eyes.
Xia Yu detailed each and every incident where Zhao Chunming had claimed his artworks as his own. He recounted everything without shedding a tear, while Nie Mingxin’s eyes turned red.
When asked if he had any evidence, Xia Yu produced a USB drive. “This is where I saved the recordings. Even when I was secretly capturing these videos with carefully acquired equipment, I never knew if there would come a day to make them public.”
The video content was straightforward. It started with Xia Yu diligently painting in a dim and cramped studio, displaying his passion for art.
Soon after, Zhao Chunming appeared on camera, angrily berating Xia Yu and then taking away the completed artworks.
The same scene repeated four times, leaving a chilling impact.
Soon, people discovered that the four artworks taken by Zhao Chunming had magically transformed into his “heartfelt and painstaking” new creations.
This revelation sent shockwaves through the crowd.
In an instant, Zhao Chunming’s credentials, reputation, and public image all collapsed!
Meng Yuan, who had been sitting in front of the computer, focused on the data and absentmindedly asked Shi Rou, “How is Xia Yu doing?”
Shi Rou handed a cup of coffee to Meng Yuan and replied, “I accompanied him during Nie Mingxin’s interview, and he seemed to be in good spirits. Later, President Xie’s people came and took Xia Yu away, ensuring his safety until the matter is resolved. They also arranged for a psychologist for him. Xia Yu said he would cooperate with the treatment; he wants to live, paint, and take care of his parents who have worked hard all their lives.”
She shivered slightly as she continued, “If President Xie’s people had found Xia Yu a few steps later, after Zhao Chunming took him away, I don’t even want to imagine what could have happened. Xia Yu is truly pitiful.”
Seeing her eyes turn red, Meng Yuan reached out and patted her shoulder as a form of comfort.
“I never believed in the saying ‘evil deeds will be punished by fate.’ I believe that people can triumph over fate,” Meng Yuan lightly tapped the desk with his finger, “If Xia Yu hadn’t come forward himself, no one could have helped him. But now that he has, perhaps we can become agents of justice.”
The Zhao Chunming incident continued to ferment online for a whole day. With Xie You’s intervention and immense pressure from countless media and public opinions, the Southeastern Academy of Fine Arts took the first step by expelling Zhao Chunming and vowing to never hire him again. Subsequently, the Society of Painters and Calligraphers officially released a statement, revoking Zhao Chunming’s membership after verifying the relevant facts. Xia Yu also formally filed a lawsuit against Zhao Chunming, and many media outlets expressed their intention to continue following the case’s progress.
Just as the online discussions gradually subsided, and netizens’ attention started to shift, the topic of #YuQingAssaultingSomeone# suddenly surged to the top of the trending list.
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This family is very disgusting and they deserve all the punishment! (╬⓪益⓪) And why we can’t have even a minute without drama? D:
Thank You for the new chapter (⋈◍＞◡＜◍)。✧♡