HLnovel Chapter 181 Hallucinations
Chapter 181 Hallucinations
The scene was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone stared at the calligraphy and painting in Chu Tian's hand in amazement, as if time had stood still.
Sha Zhu was the first to react. He rubbed his eyes hard, wondering if he was hallucinating because he drank too much.
"This... this... this is not..." Sha Zhu pointed at the words and stammered, unable to speak.
"Tang Bohu's "Pine and Eagle"?!" A sharp voice rang out, breaking the silence at the scene.
The speaker was an old man with glasses and a goatee. He was the president of the calligraphy association and one of the judges of this competition.
"Yes, it is Tang Bohu's authentic work!" another judge said excitedly, "This calligraphy is exquisitely crafted and has a profound artistic conception. It is definitely a rare treasure!"
For a moment, the scene was in an uproar. The contestants were talking about it, the judges were whispering to each other, and even the top leaders showed surprise.
Chu Tian was secretly happy, he knew that his plan was successful.
He cleared his throat and pretended to be calm and said, "Dear judges, dear leaders, Chu Tian got this calligraphy by chance. Chu Tian knows nothing about calligraphy, but he thought it was pretty good, so he submitted it to the competition. If there is anything wrong with it, please forgive me."
Chu Tian said this modestly, but in fact he was showing off secretly. His calligraphy was the original work of Tang Bohu, and it was priceless. How could those contestants compare to it?
The judges could naturally understand what Chu Tian meant, but they couldn't say anything. After all, this calligraphy was indeed authentic, and Chu Tian "obtained it by accident". They couldn't say that Chu Tian was showing off on purpose, right?
The big boss also smiled and said: "Xiao Chu, your calligraphy is really good and has great collection value!"
"Thank you for the compliment, leader." Chu Tian said modestly, "Chu Tian just felt that this calligraphy was more comfortable to look at, so I submitted it for the competition."
"Haha, Xiao Chu, you are too modest." The big leader said with a smile, "Don't worry, we judges are fair and impartial, and will definitely award the prizes based on the level of the works."
Chu Tian nodded, but sneered in his heart. Fairness? Is there any fairness these days?
The competition continued, but everyone's attention was focused on Chu Tian's "Eagle on Pine". The contestants were originally full of confidence, but after seeing Chu Tian's work, they were like deflated balls, losing their energy and spirit.
They knew they had already lost the game.
After the competition, as expected, Chu Tian won the first place with an absolute advantage.
Sha Zhu excitedly rushed onto the stage, hugged Chu Tian, and shouted, "Brother, you are awesome! I knew you would definitely take first place!"
Chu Tian suppressed his disgust, patted Sha Zhu on the back, and said with a fake smile: "It was just luck, luck."
The boss's wife also came over and said with a smile: "Xiao Chu, you are so great! You have brought honor to our family!"
Chu Tian smiled faintly and said, "Madam, you are too kind. This is what Chu Tian should do."
When accepting the award, Chu Tian noticed that the president of the calligraphy association on the judging panel had been staring at him, his eyes full of greed and jealousy...
Chu Tian responded to the compliments from the people around him with a fake smile, but his eyes swept across the crowd coldly, and finally fixed on the president of the calligraphy association. The old man was still staring at the "Pine Eagle Painting", and the greed in his eyes was almost overflowing, like a hungry dog seeing a meat bone, and he couldn't wait to pounce on it and bite it.
"I'm afraid this old man is going to do something bad." Chu Tian said in his heart.
As expected, not long after the award ceremony, the president came over with a shameless face, rubbing his hands, and smiling: "Xiao Chu, congratulations, you are really a hero in your youth! Your painting "Pine Eagle" is exquisitely written and has a profound artistic conception. It is obviously an authentic work of Tang Bohu. I have studied calligraphy for decades, but this is the first time I have seen such a treasure. I am so lucky!"
Chu Tian sneered in his heart. This old man obviously had his eyes on his treasure. He asked calmly, "President, thank you for the compliment. If you like it, I will give you a piece of my calligraphy later."
When the president heard this, the smile on his face suddenly froze a little, and he said dryly: "Xiao Chu, you are too polite. Of course your handwriting is good, but..."
He paused, as if he was organizing his words, then lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Xiao Chu, to be honest, I'm a little short of money recently. Can you bear the pain and transfer this "Pine Eagle Picture" to me? The price is negotiable, and I will definitely not let you suffer a loss!"
Chu Tian sneered even more in his heart. This old man really had this in mind! He was about to refuse when he heard a sarcastic voice behind him:
"Hey, isn't this the president of our calligraphy association? How come you, an old man, are also interested in such vulgar things?"
Chu Tian looked back and saw a middle-aged man who was very well dressed standing behind him with a playful smile on his face. Next to him was a young and beautiful woman with delicate makeup, looking around with contempt, as if nothing here caught her eye.
"Boss Ma, why are you here?" When the president saw the person coming, the smile on his face disappeared immediately and his tone became a little stiff.
"Why can't I come? This is the award ceremony for the calligraphy competition. Can't I come and appreciate the works of the masters?" The man called Boss Ma said with a smile, but his eyes glanced at the "Pine and Eagle" in Chu Tian's hand intentionally or unintentionally.
The president cursed in his heart, "Old Fox", but he had to force a smile on his face: "Of course, of course, Boss Ma, please go ahead."
Boss Ma ignored him and walked straight to Chu Tian, looked him up and down, then said with a smile: "My name is Ma Tianhua, I'm in the antique business. I'm very interested in your "Pine Eagle Picture". I wonder if you are willing to part with it? As for the price, just name it. As long as I can afford it, I will never bargain!"
Chu Tian looked at Ma Tianhua, then at the president who looked grim, and suddenly had an idea...
Chu Tian smiled slightly, this scene seemed familiar, but last time he was alone and weak, but this time, he wanted to see who was playing with whom.
"Boss Ma has a good eye. This painting of 'Pine and Eagle' is indeed a rare treasure." Chu Tian deliberately raised his voice to attract the attention of the people around him. "However, I came to participate in the competition today for art, not for money."