"No way, what's said is said—no take-backs! Pay up!" Zhu Zhihua shamelessly demanded, despite having just reneged himself moments ago.

  "Dad, can you lend me six hundred thousand first?"

  Lin Yu awkwardly asked Jiang Jingren. He didn't have a single cent on him.

  The crowd burst into mocking laughter. So this guy was just a penniless loser.

  "Why bother pretending to be something you're not?"

  "If I had a son-in-law this stupid, I’d make my daughter divorce him immediately."

  Many attendees were from out of town and didn’t know Jiang Jingren was the donor of the *Mingqie Tie*.

  "Jiarong, is there another hidden layer in this painting?" Jiang Jingren quickly pulled Lin Yu aside and whispered.

  After the antique circle learned that the *Mingqie Tie* had been preserved inside a fake painting’s hidden layer, many began inspecting their own collections. Zhu Zhihua was no exception—he had thoroughly examined this painting already.

  "No," Lin Yu shook his head.

  "Then why buy it?" Jiang Jingren wondered if his son-in-law had gotten too full of himself and regretted praising him so much before.

  "Even without a hidden layer, there might still be something special about it," Lin Yu said solemnly.

  "Fine. I’ll trust you one more time." Jiang Jingren gritted his teeth, recalling the discovery of the *Mingqie Tie*, and decided to believe Lin Yu again.

  Soon after, Lin Yu transferred the money to Zhu Zhihua, then took the painting to a nearby buffet table, carefully spreading it out and examining it under a magnifying glass.

  The crowd grew curious and gathered around.

  "Hmph, no matter how much you look, it’s useless. Elder Tao is an expert in this field—how could he lose to you?" Zhu Zhihua scoffed dismissively.

  *Sigh*, it really is just an ordinary painting. I overestimated it!"

  Lin Yu suddenly sighed in disappointment, even frustration.

  "Hahaha, young man, live and learn."

  "Daring to question Elder Tao? Ridiculous!"

  "Study more next time—stop pretending to know what you don’t."

  The crowd felt a smug satisfaction, taunting him relentlessly. *You were warned—serves you right.*

  Elder Tao couldn’t help but straighten his posture. In the world of calligraphy and painting, he had never lost to anyone.

  "Oof, five hundred thousand—total loss." Jiang Jingren clutched his chest, heartbroken and on the verge of tears.

  "Dad, don’t focus so much on the money. I told you he doesn’t know anything—you just wouldn’t listen."

  Jiang Yan quickly patted her father’s back to comfort him. She was also annoyed at Lin Yu’s arrogance. *You got lucky once—did you really think it’d happen again? Wishful thinking.*

  "This damn painting made me lose five hundred thousand. What’s the point of keeping it?"

  Under the crowd’s mockery, Lin Yu seemed to lose his temper. Suddenly, he grabbed the painting and tore it in half with a loud *rip*.

  The crowd gasped. *This guy’s lost it.*

  "Hey—hey—" Jiang Jingren couldn’t stop him in time. His heart shattered. *Heavens, now even the original hundred thousand is gone.*

  But Lin Yu wasn’t done. He kept tearing the painting into smaller and smaller pieces, clearly furious.

  By the end, the once-pristine artwork was reduced to scraps, leaving antique enthusiasts around him heartbroken.

  After shredding the painting, Lin Yu angrily tossed the remains onto the table. Suddenly, *thud*—something rolled out and fell to the floor.

  Everyone looked and saw that the wooden rollers from the painting’s ends had fallen out. With the painting destroyed, the rods hidden inside the silk had naturally come loose.

  "Not bad—those rollers are pretty high-quality wood," someone in the crowd who knew about antique wood remarked.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Indeed, the two rods were dark red and glossy, clearly different from ordinary wood.

  Lin Yu curiously picked them up, examined them, and handed them to Elder Tao. "Elder Tao, though you specialize in paintings, I’ve heard you’re also knowledgeable about woodcarving. Could you take a look? Maybe these scraps are worth something."

  Elder Tao’s expression changed the moment he saw the rods. He carefully took them, put on his reading glasses, and scrutinized them closely.

  While the crowd watched intently, Zhu Zhihua remained unimpressed. *They’re just two pieces of wood—what’s the big deal?*

  "Agarwood! It really is agarwood!"

  After a long examination, Elder Tao suddenly exclaimed in awe.

  "Agarwood?!"

  The crowd erupted in shock. Agarwood was an extremely precious material—worth its weight in gold in ancient times, and even more valuable today.

  Elder Tao carefully sniffed the rods. "Even after all this time, the surface has developed a patina, yet the fragrance remains so rich—proof of its high oil content. The color is dark, appearing emerald under light, with golden fibrous veins. If I’m not mistaken, this is *Qinan* agarwood—specifically, white *Qinan*."

  The crowd gasped. *Qinan* was the rarest and most prized type of agarwood. Currently, *Qinan* powder sold for thousands, even tens of thousands per gram on the market. Two rods this size? *Priceless.*

  "When I scratched the surface with my nail, it felt sticky and soft—proof of its high aging quality. It must be top-grade *nanmu* from Hainan. Young man, congratulations." Elder Tao smiled warmly and returned the rods to Lin Yu.

  *Qinan* was an imperial-exclusive incense in ancient times. Since this painting was created by royalty, using *Qinan* wood as rollers made sense. But they were sewn inside the silk—without destroying the painting, no one would’ve found them. Lin Yu’s loss had turned into a windfall.

  "Luck favors fools, huh? *Sigh*."

  "I should’ve fought to buy it—I’d pay six million for it now."

  "Please, you don’t have that kind of destiny."

  Many in the crowd burned with envy, lamenting their own lack of fortune.

  Jiang Jingren, who had been slumped in his chair in despair, suddenly shot up and rushed over. He took the rods and inspected them excitedly. "Elder Tao, are you sure? This is really *Qinan* wood?"

  Elder Tao nodded with a smile. "Though it’s not my main field, I’m confident enough. No mistake here."

  "Jiarong, you really are the Jiang family’s lucky star!"

  Jiang Jingren clutched the two rods, overjoyed. *Son-in-law? From now on, He Jiarong is my real son!*

  Jiang Yan frowned, eyeing Lin Yu with surprise. *This deadbeat’s luck is unreal.*

  First the *Mingqie Tie*, then the diamond ring, now these two *Qinan* rods—in just over a month since waking up, his luck had been *insane*.

  But if it wasn’t luck… what else could it be?

  Jiang Yan sighed. *Well, they say those who survive great disasters are destined for good fortune.*

  Meanwhile, Zhu Zhihua, hiding in the crowd, looked like he was about to cry. *Why didn’t I think to check the rollers? Now Lin Yu gets this windfall—sixty thousand turned into a fortune in seconds.*

  If word got out, he’d be the laughingstock of the antique world. Without drawing attention, he slunk away in shame.

  "Jiarong, sell these two *Qinan* rods to me." Zhou Chen, hearing the commotion, squeezed through the crowd and stared eagerly at the rods in Jiang Jingren’s hands.

  If he got his hands on them, he could double their value.

  "If you want one, I’ll give it to you." Lin Yu smiled generously.

  "G-Give?" Jiang Jingren’s face twitched in pain.

  "Uncle, even if he offers, I can’t accept. Here’s the deal—I’ll pay twenty million for both. If I profit later, I’ll give you twenty percent back. How’s that?" Zhou Chen grinned, touched by Lin Yu’s generosity despite their short acquaintance.

  "Deal! Deal! Deal!"

  At the mention of twenty million—plus a cut of future profits—Jiang Jingren nodded eagerly and shoved the rods into Zhou Chen’s hands.

  Soon, Zhou Chen arranged for the money to be transferred to Jiang Jingren’s account. Staring at the SMS notification, Jiang Jingren grinned ear to ear.

  "Dad, you should share some of this money with Jiarong," Jiang Yan whispered.

  "Right, right! Jiarong, let’s split this fifty-fifty!" Jiang Jingren snapped back to reality.

  "No need, Dad. You keep it. My money is yours anyway." Lin Yu smiled faintly. He had no use for so much cash—as long as Jiang Yan gave him his monthly allowance, he was content.

  "Good, good! My great son-in-law—no, my great *son*! My great son!" Jiang Jingren beamed.

  Jiang Yan rolled her eyes but couldn’t help softening her gaze at Lin Yu.

  ---

  The next two auction sessions featured more treasures. Jiang Jingren placed a few bids but backed out when prices climbed too high.

  Lin Yu didn’t push him—some prices just weren’t worth it.

  His father-in-law had turned three million into over twenty today. *More than enough.*

  Jiang Jingren was already imagining the boost in status he’d get at home when he handed his wife the money.

  After the antique auction came a banquet, followed by the raw gemstone auction.

  Since gemstones attracted a different crowd, many new faces appeared at dinner, while many from earlier left.

  Zhou Chen had arranged a front-row seat for Lin Yu’s family, but Lin Yu, feeling underdressed and not wanting to embarrass Zhou Chen, declined and sat at an empty table in the back.

  Zhou Chen and Shen Yuxuan joined him with their plates.

  "Jiarong, you made Zhou Chen a fortune today. Help me out during the gem auction—I don’t need much, just ten or twenty million. That’ll make me look *amazing* in front of my dad." Shen Yuxuan looked at Lin Yu eagerly.

  "I just got lucky. I know a little about antiques, but gemstones? Clueless." Lin Yu chuckled. Gambling on raw stones was exactly that—a gamble. Luck played a huge role.

  He’d already made a splash tonight and earned his father-in-law a fortune. No need to push it further—or Jiang Yan might get suspicious.

  Shen Yuxuan sighed, disappointed. With his own skills, breaking even tonight would be an achievement.

  "Miss, these flowers are for you."

  A waiter suddenly approached, holding a bouquet of large, fiery red roses, and bent to offer them to Jiang Yan.

  "Oh? Who sent these? Someone’s got a death wish, huh?"

  Before Jiang Yan could react, Shen Yuxuan jumped in with a mocking sneer.

  Lin Yu’s expression darkened slightly. *Sending flowers to my wife right in front of me? You’ve got some nerve.*

  "Return them to whoever sent them," Jiang Yan said coldly, not even glancing at the bouquet.

  "The gentleman said he’s your friend and asked you to read the card first," the waiter said nervously, eyeing Shen Yuxuan.

  Frowning, Jiang Yan skimmed the note tucked in the flowers—and her expression instantly changed.