I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

Lu Zhixia came down much faster than Lin Ye had expected.

Two staff members were following behind her.

One was wearing gloves, and the other was holding a soft cloth and a painting tube.

Lin Ye sat next to the small truck, looking at the scene, and his heart skipped a beat.

He suddenly had a feeling.

I didn't just buy a painting.

It was like rescuing a critically ill patient from the doorway of a coffee shop's restroom.

Lu Zhixia walked to the car and glanced at the packaging first.

"Who wrapped it?"

Lin Ye immediately replied, "A coffee shop employee."

Lu Zhixia frowned.

Did the camera get caught on camera during the dismantling?

Lin Ye's heart tightened.

"Probably not. They're quite careful."

Lu Zhixia didn't ask any more questions, but simply asked the staff to move the painting down and lay it flat on a soft cloth.

The movement was very gentle.

Lin Ye was so quiet that he felt embarrassed to breathe too loudly.

Standing to the side, he realized for the first time how careless he had been in carrying the painting in the van all the way.

If this thing is really valuable, what he did just now wasn't transportation, it was wasting something.

Lu Zhixia put on gloves and slowly unwrapped the outer packaging paper.

The moment the landscape painting was revealed, her expression became very quiet.

It's not the kind of quiet that's obviously fake, like an anti-floating bottle.

It's not the quiet "okay" feeling of a snuff bottle.

This time, she looked at it for a long time.

After a long time, Lin Ye's heart began to race again.

Lu Zhixia first looked at the overall composition, then at the paper, then at the ink color, and finally approached the small boat in the lower right corner.

"Where is the word you photographed?"

Lin Ye quickly pointed in that direction.

"Under the awning, it's very small."

Lu Zhixia looked down for a while.

Then, she picked up the magnifying glass.

Lin Ye stood to the side, his palms beginning to heat up.

He really wanted to ask.

But he dared not.

Because when Lu Zhixia is looking at things, she has an aura of "do not disturb".

After a few minutes, Lu Zhixia finally spoke.

"How much did you pay for it?"

Lin Ye has now developed a conditioned reflex to this sentence.

"Eighteen thousand."

Lu Zhixia looked up at him.

"Another 18,000?"

Lin Ye was silent for a moment.

This number has been appearing far too frequently in his life lately.

It happened so frequently it felt like a curse.

"This time I'm looking at anti-floating bottles."

Lu Zhixia looked at him.

"Didn't the anti-flood bottle stop you?"

"It stopped it."

"Then why did you still buy it?"

Lin Ye explained earnestly, "It stopped me from going from 30,000 to 18,000."

Lu Zhixia remained silent for two seconds.

"To some extent, it's useful."

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Zhixia looked down at the painting again.

"At first glance, the product looks good."

Lin Ye's ears perked up immediately.

What does "not bad" mean?

"It looks like the real thing."

Lin Ye felt a gentle tap on his heart.

It looks like the real thing.

These four characters are very simple.

But it's much more exciting than the coffee shop owner's comment about 30,000.

Lu Zhixia continued, "However, you can't judge a painting or calligraphy piece by just one hidden mark. You also need to look at the paper, ink, brushwork, mounting, and provenance. Don't get too excited yet."

Lin Ye immediately composed himself.

I'm not happy.

Lu Zhixia glanced at him.

Lin Ye added, "I only started celebrating internally."

Lu Zhixia covered the painting again.

"Go upstairs."

The staff carried the painting into the elevator.

Lin Ye followed behind, becoming increasingly cautious.

In the elevator, looking at the painting covered with a soft cloth, he suddenly realized that he had been incredibly respectful to pat it while sitting in the truck.

Upon arriving at the testing room, Lu Zhixia called over another slightly older man.

The man had half-gray hair, wore glasses, and looked very serious.

Lu Zhixia introduced, "Teacher Xu, from the calligraphy and painting department."

Lin Ye quickly stood up straight.

"Hello, Teacher Xu."

Teacher Xu nodded, and without exchanging pleasantries, went straight to looking at the painting.

He watched for longer than Lu Zhixia.

Lin Ye eventually began to wonder if the authentication of calligraphy and paintings was even more complicated than the grading of college entrance examination essays.

As she looked at it, Teacher Xu asked, "Where did it come from?"

He mumbled, "Bought from the Old Time Cafe."

Teacher Xu finally looked up and glanced at him.

"cafes?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"Hang it outside the restroom."

The testing room was silent for a second.

Teacher Xu looked at the painting.

Lu Zhixia looked at Lin Ye.

Lin Ye added in a low voice.

"The location isn't exactly prestigious, but the painting itself is quite strong."

Teacher Xu couldn't help but laugh.

It was a very light touch.

But it made Lin Ye relax a little.

Teacher Xu looked down at the painting again.

"Things from Liang Yansheng's early years."

Lin Ye immediately remembered the name.

Liang Yansheng.

It should be that Mr. Liang from the East District.

Teacher Xu continued, "Not many of his early landscape paintings have survived. After he became famous, his style became more stable. This painting is indeed a bit immature, but the spirit is there. The small Liang character in the lower right corner is a small hidden signature that he liked to use in his early days, but he stopped using it later."

Lin Ye's heart raced as he listened.

He could understand every single word.

When put together, it sounds like money.

Lu Zhixia glanced at him, as if to prevent him from getting carried away.

"The source still needs further verification."

Lin Ye nodded immediately.

Teacher Xu asked, "Does the coffee shop owner know whose painting this is?"

Lin Ye shook his head.

"I don't know. He said it was given to him as a discount during the renovation, and he felt the image was too heavy. When he hung it next to the toilet, customers complained that it looked like he was doing a Chinese reading comprehension exercise."

Teacher Xu's expression clearly paused for a moment.

Lu Zhixia also fell silent.

This sounds outrageous.

But Lin Ye has come to understand that outrageous things are often the breeding ground for bargains.

Teacher Xu sighed.

"What a pity."

Lin Ye's heart also stirred.

He suddenly remembered what Mr. Liang had said last night.

When ordinary people look at a painting, they only see that it's another piece of art on the wall.

That sounds arrogant.

But seeing how the painting was treated, Lin Ye began to understand him a little better.

After examining it for another half hour, Teacher Xu finally said, "I'm inclined to believe it's genuine. You should contact Liang Yansheng's students or those who study him to confirm the hidden inscriptions and their circulation."

Lu Zhixia nodded.

"I'll contact them."

Lin Ye asked, "So, how much is this painting worth approximately?"

After he said it, he felt that he had been a bit vulgar.

But so be it, it may be vulgar.

He bought it for 18,000 yuan.

You can't rely solely on highbrow culture to recoup your investment.

Teacher Xu thought about it.

"It depends on the buyer. Liang Yansheng isn't a top-tier celebrity, but this early work has research value and a clear hidden inscription. To be conservative, it'll be at least 300,000."

The woods were quiet.

Three hundred thousand and above.

He was just worried that the 18,000 yuan might become another cost of education.

As a result, Teacher Xu directly drowned his worries in water.

Lu Zhixia looked at him.

"breathe."

Lin Ye then realized that he had almost forgotten to catch his breath.

He took a deep breath.

"I'm fine."

Lu Zhixia said, "You look like something's wrong."

Lin Ye said earnestly, "I was inspired by art."

Lu Zhixia said calmly, "You've been influenced by the price."

Lin Ye: "..."

This woman is really hard to fool.

For the next two hours, Lin Ye was largely uninvolved.

He sat outside the office, drinking water from a disposable paper cup.

Water is free.

He has now recovered from the shock of the 28 American-style drinks and is rediscovering the simple joy of free water.

Lu Zhixia was inside making phone calls, sending photos, and contacting experts.

Teacher Xu was also coming in and out.

Every time the door opened, Lin Ye wanted to stand up.

I always sit back down.

Like someone waiting for a verdict outside the door.

It wasn't a criminal sentence.

It's money.

Around 3 PM, Lu Zhixia finally came out.

"Confirmed."

Lin Ye stood up abruptly.

"How is it?"

"An early authentic work by Liang Yansheng. The hidden inscription matches. One of his students still remembers this painting, saying that Liang Yansheng gave it to a relative in his early years, and then there was no further news of him."

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat.

Right.

My nephew used it to pay for the renovation.

He asked, "Can it be released?"

Lu Zhixia said, "Someone is already interested. Professor Xu just contacted a collector who has seen the photos and is willing to come over for a meeting."

Lin Ye's heart began to pound again.

"How much is the interview fee?"

Lu Zhixia glanced at him.

"We haven't talked about it yet."

Lin Ye nodded.

"Understood, don't get carried away."

Lu Zhixia said, "You'd better really understand."

The collectors arrived faster than Lin Ye had imagined.

The other person was a man in his fifties, dressed very plainly, wearing an old watch on his wrist, and speaking slowly.

He didn't make a fuss when he looked at the painting.

I just stood there and watched for a long time.

After a long time, Lin Ye felt that this was the kind of person who truly understood painting.

Finally, the man looked up and asked, "Can I get out?"

Lin Ye subconsciously looked at Lu Zhixia.

Lu Zhixia answered for him: "It's possible."

The man looked at the painting again.

"Four hundred thousand."

Lin Ye's heart suddenly pounded.

Four hundred thousand.

He tried to keep his expression steady.

You can't laugh.

Do not shake.

We can't act like we've never seen money before.

Although he had never actually seen it.

Lu Zhixia spoke calmly.

"Too low."

The man smiled.

"Liang Yansheng's early works were not particularly popular in the market."

Teacher Xu said from the side, "This painting has a hidden inscription, a story, and a provenance. It's one of the more complete early paintings."

The man glanced at them, then looked at Lin Ye.

"Young man, how much are you thinking?"

Lin Ye was suddenly called out, and his mind went blank for a moment.

He wanted to say as much as possible.

But it's too embarrassing to say that.

He thought for a moment, then spoke cautiously.

"Please add some as you see fit."

Lu Zhixia closed her eyes.

Teacher Xu coughed.

The man laughed.

"What you're saying is even more difficult to handle than a direct quote."

Lin Ye also realized that he was talking too much like buying scallions at the market.

He added, "I'm not a professional, so I'll listen to Teacher Lu and Teacher Xu."

Lu Zhixia took over the conversation.

"Four hundred and fifty thousand."

The man shook his head.

"Forty-two hundred thousand."

Lu Zhixia did not speak immediately.

The testing room fell silent.

Lin Ye stood to the side, silently calculating in his mind.

I bought it for 18,000.

Sold for 420,000.

There is a gap of 400,002 in between.

This isn't just finding a bargain, it's picking up money!

Lu Zhixia looked at Lin Ye.

It means letting him decide.

Lin Ye tried his best to remain calm.

"Can."

The man nodded.

"Then it'll be 420,000."

When Lin Ye heard this, the first thing that popped into his mind wasn't luxury cars or mansions.

Instead, it was that 28-yuan Americano.

The procedures were a bit more complicated than Lin Ye had imagined.

The auction house, acting as an intermediary, re-verified the identities of both parties, drafted a transfer agreement, and clearly stated the source, appraisal opinions, and service fees.

The buyer first deposits the funds into the auction house's escrow account.

After confirming everything is correct, deduct the service fee and then settle the account with Linye.

The process sounds complicated.

But Lin Ye felt at ease.

Now, whenever big money is involved, he likes to follow procedures.

The more steps involved, the more authentic it feels.

Before leaving, the man glanced at the painting one last time.

"Hanging it outside the bathroom is a real waste."

Lin Ye nodded.

"It shouldn't need to give directions anymore."

The man smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll hang it up properly when I get back."

Lin Ye watched as the painting was put away again, and suddenly felt a little lighter.

This one is a little different from the jade bracelet.

After selling the jade bracelet, he felt a little depressed.

Selling the painting made him feel like he had pulled Mr. Liang out of the bathroom.

Of course, he also made 420,000 yuan in the process.

Incidentally, the portion size is a bit large.

In the evening, Lin Ye left Jiahe Auction House with the contract in his hand.

Lu Zhixia escorted him to the elevator.

"We were lucky this time."

Lin Ye nodded.

I think so too.

Lu Zhixia looked at him.

"But you have to understand, there aren't always genuine artifacts at the toilet door."

Lin Ye nodded seriously.

"clear."

Just before the elevator doors closed, Lin Ye saw Lu Zhixia's lips finally curve slightly.

It's very light.

But he saw it.

On the way back to Qingshan Cemetery, Lin Ye sat in the last row of the bus, holding the contract in his hands.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened.

He didn't check his balance immediately.

Because the payment hasn't arrived yet.

But he knew the money was already on its way.

From outside the restroom of the Old Time Cafe.

From the small boat in the lower right corner of Mr. Liang's house.

It slowly drifted towards him.

At midnight, the East District came alive again.

Old Li scolded his grandson as usual.

Old Zhou was as sarcastic and unpredictable as ever.

Mr. Wei said his son burned a paper massage chair for him, but he couldn't understand the instruction manual.

Principal Chen immediately said he could help him read it.

Boss Wei said, "Don't read it. If you read it, it'll sound like you're taking an exam."

Mr. Liang did not speak.

He remained silent.

It was as quiet as that "vulgar" sound from last night, only the wind was blowing in the wrong direction.

Lin Ye sat in the guard booth and turned to a new page in his notebook.

Liang Yansheng's early landscape paintings.

Old Time Cafe.

Eighteen thousand.

420,000.

He drew a checkmark on the back.

After finishing the drawing, he looked into the depths of the eastern district.

"Mr. Liang."

He knew the other person couldn't hear him, but he still whispered something.

"That painting doesn't need to be hung next to the toilet anymore."

The wind slipped in through the cracks in the window.

The pine and cypress trees swayed gently.

After a long while, Mr. Liang's faint voice finally came from deep within the eastern district.

"Vulgar."

Lin Ye suddenly smiled upon hearing this word.

He looked down and added a sentence at the back of the notebook.

Stubborn.