Old Harden, can you handle having your vision-shifting abilities on all the time?

The three of them packed their things and left the museum together.

Xu Xing drove the two of them to a well-regarded Shaanxi restaurant near the museum.

We booked a private room, ordered a table full of dishes, and opened a bottle of fine wine.

During the meal, Master Liao and Xu Xing talked a lot about mounting and framing, from the selection of materials to the details of the process, from the differences between the styles of the North and South to the evolution of techniques from ancient to modern times.

Xu Xing listened with great interest, occasionally asking questions, which Master Liao answered one by one.

Ma Jianguo accompanied them from the side, occasionally chiming in with a few words, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

The meal lasted for more than an hour, and it was already past 8 p.m. when it ended.

Xu Xing paid the bill, drove Master Liao and Ma Jianguo home respectively, and then drove back to Yunxitai.

Upon returning home, he carefully stored the painting "Recluse in the Bamboo Grove" and the portrait that was already mostly visible into his dantian space.

The moment the two paintings entered the space, a warm current flowed into his body.

Xu Xing sensed that the weight-bearing capacity of his dantian space had increased by about eighty kilograms.

He composed himself, took a shower, changed into comfortable loungewear, and lay in bed scrolling through his phone for a while.

Meanwhile, the group chat of senior members of the Chang'an Cultural Relics Association was in an uproar.

The message was first received by one of the association's directors.

He saw a message on his WeChat Moments posted by a staff member of the Chang'an Museum, accompanied by a photo of Master Liao and Xu Xing unmounting the painting "Recluse in the Bamboo Grove".

The text reads: "Today, I was fortunate enough to witness the birth of a miracle! Zhu Zhishan's 'Recluse in the Bamboo Grove' contains a portrait painted by Tang Bohu for Zhu Zhishan's posthumous portrait! A painting within a painting! A national treasure!"

When the director saw this message, he was completely stunned.

He quickly sent the screenshot to the association's senior management group.

"Everyone, take a look at this."

There was a few seconds of silence in the group chat, then it exploded.

"What?! A picture within a picture?!"

"A painting by Tang Bohu is hidden inside a painting by Zhu Zhishan? How is that possible?!"

"Is the photo real? Or is it photoshopped?"

"It's true. I know the person who posted this on WeChat Moments. They're a staff member at the Chang'an Museum."

"Holy crap...wasn't that painting Gu Bai's? How did it end up in Xu Xing's hands?"

"You don't know? At the exchange meeting today, Xu Xing bought that painting for twelve million on the spot!"

"Twelve million, and they discovered the painting within a painting immediately after buying it? That's incredible luck!"

"Luck? Do you believe in that? I suspect he figured it out right away, which is why he paid so readily."

"If it's true, then this kid is terrifying..."

The group chat was filled with groans of despair.

Everyone felt a burning sensation on their faces, as if they had been slapped again.

This afternoon, Xu Xing smashed a display case, broke porcelain, and slapped the ancient cypress tree in the face at the exchange meeting, which has already embarrassed them enough.

As a result, that evening the guy bought the painting by Gu Bo again, and even discovered a painting within a painting!

Moreover, it was done at the Chang'an Museum, with Master Liao personally removing the framing!

What does this mean?

This means that the matter has received official endorsement from the Chang'an Museum!

This means that the value of that painting within a painting will be magnified infinitely!

Zhu Zhishan's paintings are already rare, but Tang Bohu's paintings are priceless.

The value of these two paintings together, along with the highly topical gimmick of a painting within a painting, is definitely not as simple as one plus one equals two.

Conservative estimates put the value of these two paintings together at at least 80 million, and possibly even over 100 million!

Xu Xing only spent twelve million!

The group was completely silent.

After a long silence, one of the board members sent a message in exasperation: "If Gu Bo knew this, he'd probably be so angry he'd vomit blood, right?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the group chat immediately became lively.

Association director Zhao Mingyuan narrowed his eyes, a cold glint in them.

He had disliked Gu Bai for a long time, and today Gu Bai made such a fool of himself at the exchange meeting, he couldn't be happier.

Now that this "painting within a painting" thing has happened, he's even more eager to see Gu Bai's expression when he hears the news.

Zhao Mingyuan found Gu Bai's phone number and dialed it directly.

The phone rang several times before being answered, and Gu Bai's weak voice came from the other end: "Feed..."

"President Gu, how are you feeling?"

Zhao Mingyuan's tone carried a hint of concern, but a gloating smile played on his lips.

"It's alright, I won't die."

Gu Bai's voice was hoarse, clearly indicating that he was quite angry today.

"That's good, that's good."

Zhao Mingyuan smiled, then changed the subject, "By the way, Chairman Gu, there's something I'd like to tell you, something that will make you happy too."

"What is it?"

"Your painting 'Retreat in Bamboo Grove,' the one exhibited at today's exchange meeting, was bought by Xu Xing for twelve million."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Gu Bai's voice, laced with suppressed anger, came through: "You called specifically to tell me this?"

"Wait, I haven't finished yet."

Zhao Mingyuan said slowly, "After Xu Xing bought the painting, he discovered that there was actually a painting within a painting, which was a portrait of Zhu Zhishan painted by Tang Bohu!"

He took the painting to the Chang'an Museum this afternoon and asked Master Liao to personally unmount it. It's already more than half unmounted!

There was complete silence on the other end of the phone.

Gu Bai held his phone, completely stunned, as if struck by lightning, his mind blank.

A picture within a picture?

The portrait painted by Tang Bohu for Zhu Zhishan's funeral?

Is it hidden inside his painting "Recluse in a Bamboo Grove"?!

He has served as the vice president of the cultural relics association for so many years and has handled countless antiques and paintings. He has studied the painting "Hermitage in the Bamboo Forest" countless times, but he has never discovered that there is something hidden inside!

But that bastard Xu Xing discovered it the very same day he bought it!

What does this mean?

This means that when the painting was in his possession, it was worth at most a little over ten million.

But once it came into Xu Xing's hands, its value increased several times over after it was unmounted and framed!

This feeling is even worse than being publicly humiliated!

Gu Bai felt as if something was blocking his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

His face turned pale and then flushed, and his lips trembled slightly.

"President Gu? President Gu? Are you still listening?"

Zhao Mingyuan's voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with feigned concern, "President Gu, are you alright? You must take care of yourself. The association is waiting for you to come back and take charge of the work!"

The ancient cypress tree did not answer.

His hand holding the phone was trembling violently, and a metallic, sweet taste was churning in his chest.

"puff!"

A mouthful of blood gushed out, splattering a glaring red stain on the white sheets.

The phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a thud.

Gu Bai's body swayed, then he fell straight backward, crashing heavily onto the hospital bed.

"President Ko! President Ko!"

The nurses' panicked screams echoed from the ward.

On the other end of the phone, Zhao Mingyuan listened to the noise coming from the receiver, and a satisfied smile slowly appeared on his lips.