northernbook Chapter 740 Discovered
Chapter 740 Discovered
Lin Bufan's roar was clearly transmitted through the phone to everyone in the scene and the live broadcast room. The crowd was silent for a moment, and then burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Sang Biao! Is that the internet-famous dog from President Lin's house?"
"Yes, yes, yes! It must be Brother Biao, the one who types and criticizes President Lin!"
"As expected! Brother Biao is definitely President Lin's biggest hater, it's confirmed!"
"I could feel President Lin's breakdown even through the screen!"
"Sang Biao: Didn't expect that, did you? I'm backstabbing you again!"
"Mr. Lin: I often feel out of place with my dog because I'm not 'perverted' enough..."
Hearing the bursts of laughter around him and the endless "hahaha" in the live stream, Lin Bufan angrily yelled into the phone, "Zhu Suosuo! You keep an eye on that stupid dog! I'll settle the score with it when I get back!" Without waiting for Zhu Suosuo's response, he hung up the phone in a huff.
He rubbed his temples, trying to regain his composure after Sang Biao had disrupted his train of thought. However, before he could speak, a well-dressed middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses stepped forward. His gaze was fixed intently on the two statues, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement:
“Mr. Lin! My surname is Wang, and I am a private collector. Your two works, whether in terms of craftsmanship, spirit, or even this… this incredible spirituality, are truly priceless treasures! I am willing to offer ten million! Ten million RMB! Please transfer these two statues to me!”
The number "ten million" was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating even bigger ripples.
The scene erupted in uproar, with shouts and gasps nearly lifting the roof off the wood carving workshop.
"My God! Ten million?! Just for these two wooden statues?"
"This...this money is too easy to make! Is learning wood carving really that lucrative?"
"Brother, you're overthinking it! It's not that learning wood carving makes money, it's that Mr. Lin himself makes money! Try carving the same thing for someone else and see what happens! You wouldn't even want it if you gave it away for free!"
Not only at the scene, but the live broadcast room was also blown up by this bid of ten million:
"Holy crap! Ten million?! Did I hear that right?"
"Two wooden sculptures for ten million? This...this money just fell from the sky?"
"Upstairs, your perspective is too narrow! What is ten million for truly top-tier artworks? I think it's too little!"
"Exactly! This was carved by President Lin himself, and it even has supernatural effects! It's one of a kind! If it were put on auction, it could easily double in price!"
"Haha, it seems like everyone online is a billionaire. Ten million isn't even a penny anymore? My monthly salary is four thousand. I'd have to start working my way up from when Qin Shi Huang ascended the throne..."
"Stop being sour, bro. Is it so hard to admit someone else's excellence? This isn't just about craftsmanship anymore; it's a fusion of art and... metaphysics! A priceless treasure!"
"If I remember correctly, Mr. Lin started carving in the morning, which means he earned 1000 million in one day. That's like a money printing machine, isn't it?"
"That's nothing! Mr. Lin's other projects are making far more money!"
"Are there no more big bidders? We can't let Old Wang get the bargain!"
"What's the rush! The real big collectors haven't arrived yet! I bet this wood carving is worth more than 1000 million!"
"Tch—you think you're the only one who knows? I bet Mr. Lin definitely won't sell! After all, given Mr. Lin's personality, how could a mere sum of money be more important than winning a beautiful woman's smile?"
……
While the chat in the live stream was filled with heated debate, in a quaint courtyard restaurant in a small town in Jiangnan, thousands of miles away, a young girl was eating while staring at her phone, occasionally laughing out loud at the funny scenes in Lin Bufan's live stream!
Hearing his daughter laugh again, the girl's father finally couldn't take it anymore. He put down his spoon and scolded her in his usual tone, "How many times have I told you to eat properly? What kind of behavior is it to be glued to your phone all day? Can you eat with your phone? Put it away right now!"
The girl pouted, looking aggrieved. Before she could retort, her grandfather, sitting at the head of the table with gray hair but still sprightly, became displeased. He glared at his son and said, "Yongnian! Can't you talk to the child properly? You're always yelling and glaring at her! What if you scare her?"
Wang Yongnian, scolded by his father, said helplessly, "Dad! You can't keep spoiling her like this! Look at how old she is, she's still looking at her phone while eating, this habit is all because of you!"
The old man snorted and slowly picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks: "I think it's fine. What's wrong with a lively child? It's better than you being a quiet, withdrawn child."
Wang Yongnian was speechless, and could only glare at his daughter in annoyance.
Seeing this, the girl Wang Rui stuck out her tongue at her father triumphantly.
Seeing this, the old man softened his tone and said to his granddaughter, "Xiao Rui, what your dad said isn't entirely wrong. Cell phones are good things, but you can't play with them all the time, it'll hurt your eyes."
"Okay, Grandpa!" Wang Rui replied sweetly, then eagerly explained, "But this time it's really not my fault! This live stream is just too amazing! This wood carving can actually show different expressions depending on the viewer's thoughts, just like it's alive!"
As she spoke, Wang Rui pushed her phone in front of her grandfather and briefly explained Lin Bufan's identity and the "magical" nature of the two statues.
Wang Rui's grandfather, Mr. Wang, was a retired senior researcher at a museum, and her father, Wang Yongnian, was also a well-known antique appraiser. With a family tradition of learning, they both have a high level of appreciation for traditional handicrafts.
After hearing his daughter's account, Wang Yongnian was furious: "Dad, look at this! Look at this! She's ruined her brain by playing on her phone! She actually believed in this kind of sensational online scam? A wooden statue with changing expressions? That's utter nonsense!"
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Wang couldn't help but worry, so he tentatively said, "Xiao Rui, Grandpa is going for a physical exam tomorrow. Your dad is busy, so why don't you come with Grandpa this time?"
Wang Rui rolled her eyes in annoyance. She knew perfectly well that the excuses about going for a physical exam tomorrow and her father being busy were all made up by her grandfather. His real purpose was to have her brain checked. Clearly, her grandfather also thought she had messed up her brain!
To prove she wasn't out of her mind, Wang Rui argued, "Oh! Grandpa! Dad! Look carefully for a little while! President Lin is a great scientist who developed flying cars and mechs, how could he possibly use such a low-level trick to fool people?"
At Wang Rui's insistence, Grandpa Wang reluctantly took the phone, put on his reading glasses, and leaned close to the screen to examine the "Quiet Moon" statue intently. At first, his brow was furrowed, but as he looked, his nonchalance gradually disappeared, replaced by an increasingly profound astonishment. After a full minute, he suddenly looked up, gasping, "Hiss...this...how is this possible?! I...I think I really see...her eyes...becoming somewhat...kind? Just like...just like the way your grandmother looked at me back then..." The old man's voice trembled slightly.
Seeing his father's reaction, Wang Yongnian subconsciously leaned closer to look. He stared intently at the "Flowing Wind" sculpture, focusing his senses, and his expression gradually changed.
Because he noticed that the statue was glaring at him with great displeasure, as if he owed the statue 200 yuan!
Even so, Wang Yongnian still didn't believe the statue could make any facial expressions, because it completely contradicted his understanding, and there must be something he didn't know about it.
"Impossible! This must be some kind of persistence of vision or psychological suggestion, combined with high-tech special effects! Yes! That must be it!"
Grandpa Wang didn't really understand high-tech stuff. After listening to his son's analysis and combining it with his own decades of experience, he also felt that the idea of a wooden statue "changing expressions" was too far-fetched. He nodded and said, "Yongnian makes sense. No matter how realistic a wooden object is, it's still just the craftsman's skill. How could it possibly have a spirit? It's probably just that with today's advanced technology, they've come up with some tricks we don't understand to fool people."
Seeing that her grandfather had also sided with her father, Wang Rui stamped her feet anxiously: "Grandpa! Dad! You can't just say it's fake because you haven't seen it! Who is President Lin? Flying cars, reverse clocks—aren't those world-changing inventions? Would someone like him need to fabricate something like this to fool everyone for a little bit of traffic and attention? His reputation is worth far more than this!"
Wang Yongnian snorted: "The more famous someone is, the more they sometimes need to maintain their popularity! Creating gimmicks and attracting attention is exactly what they excel at, isn't it?"
"Dad! That's prejudice!" Wang Rui said angrily, her eyes darting around before she suddenly adopted a coquettish tone: "Alright, alright, let's not argue about that. But, Grandpa, look, Yunmiao Village sounds like a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains. The scenery must be lovely. Haven't you been saying lately that you're feeling bored at home and want to go out for a walk? How about... I go with you on a trip there? We can relax a bit, and while we're at it... see those two statues for ourselves. We'll know for sure whether they're real or fake, okay?"
Grandpa Wang was somewhat intrigued by his granddaughter's suggestion. He was indeed restless after retirement, enjoying traveling and exploring local customs and traditional crafts. The wood carvings of Yunmiao Village sounded intriguing; even if the "expression changes" were fake, the fact that so many people were amazed by the work made it worth seeing.
He pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Alright, let's just consider it a trip to clear our heads. It's nice to see the wood carving skills over there."
Wang Rui immediately beamed: "Then it's settled! I'll go check the plane tickets and travel guides right away!"
……
Similar scenes have occurred across the country and even in other parts of the world.
In the CEO's office of an internet company, a middle-aged man suddenly stood up from his chair and excitedly shouted to his assistant on the other end of the phone, "Immediately! Find out the location of Yunmiao Village right now! Contact Lin Bufan! Regardless of whether the statue is a special effect or not, I want to see it for myself! If it's real, price is not a problem! Fifty million! No, one hundred million! This gimmick... we must get the wood carving!"
An overseas Chinese tycoon watched the live stream on his daughter's recommendation. Although he was skeptical, he immediately instructed his secretary: "Arrange a trip to Yunmiao Village. If those two wooden sculptures really have such magic, we must bring them back no matter the cost!"
In the president's office of a well-known art investment company, an assistant who was watching videos during her lunch break was also drawn in by the live stream and quickly presented her phone to her boss. The female president, known for her sharp eye, initially didn't think much of it, but after personally "experiencing" the indescribable vitality of the sculpture, she immediately made a decision: "Contact this Lin Bufan and tell him that we at China Guardian Art & Design are very interested in his work. Price is not an issue. If possible, we hope to discuss the collection in person. Our initial offer is 80 million!"
Online, more influential IDs began to appear. The famous collector "Yawanzhaizhu" publicly posted: "@Lin Bufan, Mr. Lin, your two wood carvings are no ordinary works of art, but can be called masterpieces of spiritual charm. If you are willing to part with them, I am willing to offer 100 million and can arrange the highest-level exhibition."
……
As the netizens just mentioned, Lin Bufan never intended to sell these two wood carvings. He kept quiet and chose to watch these people make bids. In fact, it was just a little bit of vanity at play. He could choose not to buy them, but you should know that his things are very valuable!
Seeing the live stream and the scene becoming increasingly heated due to the ever-increasing bids, with various exclamations, doubts, analyses, and even arguments filling the small wood carving workshop, Lin Bufan felt that the time was almost right.
He cleared his throat, a signature roguish smile on his face, and gestured for everyone to be quiet.
"Alright, alright, everyone, quiet down and let me say a few words."
After the noise subsided, Lin Bufan slowly spoke, his tone full of emotion: "To all the bosses, collectors, and family members in the live broadcast room who were eager to bid, first of all, thank you for your love and recognition. My heart is truly warmed."
After expressing his gratitude, Lin Bufan changed the subject and said in a cheeky tone, "However, I'm not selling this. I'm not interested in money. The happiest time of my life was when I was making 500,000 a month."
Lin Bufan's words immediately caused an uproar at the scene and in the live broadcast room.
"Hahaha! I knew it! President Lin really wasn't going to sell!"
"Nonsense, does President Lin lack that 100 million? He could easily sell a few flying cars for more than that!"
"Waaaaah... Earning 500,000 a month... Is he living in Versailles or just showing off?"
"Jealousy has made me unrecognizable! Anyone want to steal the statue? Add me as a friend, let's go together!"
Amidst the noise, a bold, brightly lit comment stood out: "There's only one truth."
"What's wrong? I guessed right, Mr. Lin won't sell, huh? @All you collectors, if you ask me, you'd be better off bringing two beautiful secretaries instead of money! If you manage to please Mr. Lin, he might just give it to you for free! If you're going in the wrong direction, all your efforts will be wasted, brothers!"
This comment instantly sparked a new round of teasing and agreement:
"Brilliant! Hit the nail on the head!"
"Big shots, take note! Next time, bring a team of beautiful PR girls!"
"President Lin: You can question my character, but you can't question my womanizing! (Just kidding!)"
"This is the core strategy! I've got it!"
Lin Bufan glanced at these comments and his lips twitched uncontrollably!
"You bastard, Sang Biao, don't think I won't recognize you just because you've changed your identity. Even if you're down to your underwear, I'll still recognize you!"
In Shanghai, at the headquarters of Brother Biao's amusement park, the chairman's "doghouse"!
Sangbiao was lounging with its legs crossed, expertly pawing at the tablet. Seeing the excellent effect of the rhythm it had created, it grinned smugly, its tongue lolling out as it panted. But then Lin Bufan's words came through the live stream clearly, and the dog froze instantly, its smug expression freezing. Its eyes widened, and it let out an unconscious "Awoo?"
How did the human find out?! I clearly just registered a new account!