Ye Fan sneered dismissively, the curl of his lips fueling Jiang Xiaobo's rage and driving him to greater malice.
"Ye Fan, you're too arrogant. Do you really think that because you got lucky and appraised a few treasures, you can do as you please here? Open your damn eyes and see, who here isn't a renowned appraiser? How dare you act so presumptuously!"
As if needing to vent all his anger at this moment, his contorted face shocked those who knew him well. Was this the Boss Jiang they knew? At this moment, he looked like a demon from hell, terrifying.
However, this display didn't surprise Ye Fan, who seemed to have anticipated it.
"Jiang Xiaobo, don't forget how I stepped on you at Taoran Pavilion. Today, you mock me like this, but you'll only fare worse than I do." Ye Fan snorted, his usually calm face finally showing disdain.
"Ye Fan, since you're asking for death, I'll oblige you today. I bet you." Jiang Xiaobo had no other way to retreat. If he refused to bet with Ye Fan, it would mean he was afraid, implying this Amitabha Buddha was a fake. Therefore, he had no choice but to hope Ye Fan was mistaken and couldn't identify the authenticity of the Amitabha Buddha. Or, if Ye Fan couldn't answer his questions, he could be deemed to have lost. A sharp glint flashed deep in his eyes; no matter what, he couldn't let Ye Fan succeed.
In the backstage, Qin Zhong and others watched the entire scene clearly through the large screen. He hadn't expected Jiang Xiaobo to be so impulsive as to agree to Ye Fan's bet. However, he wasn't worried, as this Amitabha Buddha was something he had prepared meticulously. Not to mention Ye Fan, even a top-tier appraiser would be fooled if caught off guard.
...
Soon, a servant brought the betting agreement. After both parties signed, Jiang Xiaobo tossed the pen aside.
"Ye Fan, I will personally watch you ruin your reputation here." He gritted his teeth, wishing he could devour Ye Fan alive.
To his surprise, Ye Fan chuckled, pointing at him, "You? Not worthy." With that, Ye Fan turned and walked towards the Amitabha Buddha...
Below, Shen Tianyin clasped her fair hands tightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ye Fan, her expression grave. Ji Nanshan quickly spoke to comfort her, "Second Miss, Brother Ye's eyesight is extraordinary, even surpassing mine. Since he is so certain that this Amitabha Buddha is a fake, then it must be a fake. He will not be mistaken." Although he didn't fully trust Ye Fan, there was a voice deep within him telling him that Ye Fan would never lose.
"I hope so. He is my only chance to turn things around. If I lose today..." Shen Tianyin didn't finish, but her solemn expression conveyed everything.
Ye Fan tapped the Amitabha Buddha with his finger, producing a crisp sound.
"Made of red clay, it's quite interesting. However, this Amitabha Buddha is definitely not from the Northern Wei period, but from the Liao and Jin dynasties." Placing the Amitabha Buddha down, Ye Fan spoke indifferently.
"During the Northern Wei period, Buddhism was prevalent, hence many pagodas and Buddha statues were built. But any Buddha statue from the Northern Wei period was dignified and graceful, certainly not as constrained as this. Therefore, this Amitabha Buddha is certainly not from the Northern Wei period."
As soon as Ye Fan finished speaking, Jiang Xiaobo said coldly, "What? Can this alone prove that the Amitabha Buddha is a fake? How ridiculous. Ye Fan, if you cannot provide substantial evidence to convince everyone present, then you lose. Therefore, your next words had better be convincing." He had placed the judgment in the hands of everyone present; Jiang Xiaobo's scheming mind was indeed profound.
"Bastard, how insidious is this Jiang Xiaobo!" Shen Tianyin cursed angrily. This meant that if even one person present contradicted Ye Fan, Ye Fan would lose. After all, there were hundreds of people here, many of whom were experts in Buddhist statue research. To silence everyone was too difficult. Moreover, Ye Fan had just offended everyone in the Jiangcheng antique circle. Who would speak for him? They would undoubtedly try to make things difficult for him. Therefore, for Ye Fan to win would be extremely challenging.
"But this is an appraisal fair, and the audience has the right to speak. This is different from an auction, and we cannot stop them." Ji Nanshan also had a grim expression but could do nothing. He could only place his hope on Ye Fan, wishing he wouldn't make a mistake. As long as he could impress everyone present, his reputation would surely soar.
Ye Fan's lips curved into a faint smile, almost imperceptible, but from this smile, one could tell his demeanor was extremely relaxed.
"Since Boss Jiang is so impatient, I will make you shut up completely." Saying this, Ye Fan took off his white gloves and gently scraped the top of the Buddha statue with his fingernail.
"Presumptuous! How dare you damage the treasure? You're asking for death!" Seeing Ye Fan's action, Jiang Xiaobo was furious and lunged forward, intending to attack Ye Fan.
But Ye Fan seemed oblivious, his eyes fixed on the top of the Buddha statue, motionless and completely focused. Just as Jiang Xiaobo's fist was about to land on Ye Fan, a graceful figure swiftly moved forward and blocked in front of Ye Fan.
"Is Boss Jiang resorting to anger out of shame? Since it's a bet, no matter what Ye Fan does, you should watch quietly until the outcome is decided. If you attack Ye Fan now, Boss Jiang has already lost." Those beautiful eyes were filled with a cold gaze, yet exceptionally firm. At this moment, no one was allowed to lay a hand on Ye Fan. She had placed all her hopes on Ye Fan. If Ye Fan won today, it would play a significant role in purchasing the item later.
Seeing Shen Tianyin suddenly blocking him, Jiang Xiaobo's raised fist froze in mid-air. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have cared, but Shen Tianyin was different. If he dared to attack Shen Tianyin, even his master behind him wouldn't be able to protect him. After all, she was still the second young lady of the Shen family, with an exceptionally noble status!
At this moment, Ye Fan slowly raised his head. "It's alright, no need to be nervous." Shen Tianyin turned her head and saw Ye Fan's calm face and clear eyes. Finally, she nodded and stepped aside.
Looking at Jiang Xiaobo's furious face, Ye Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. "What? So eager to fight? Isn't Boss Jiang a bit too hasty?" Saying this, he moved aside, displaying the Amitabha Buddha to the crowd.
"Everyone, please look at the top of this Buddha statue. It is inscribed with Jinwen. If this were an object from the Northern Wei period, why would it be inscribed with Jinwen?" The crowd all stood up and looked closely. Indeed, above the top of the Buddha statue, there were more than a dozen small characters, none of which were in modern script. Many didn't recognize them, but there were experts in ancient scripts present who immediately identified them as Jinwen. In the face of such irrefutable evidence, what else could others say?