Chapter 701: Chapter 701: Expert Appraisal
Caleb Mat glanced at Boyd Drew. What was his purpose in requesting an appraisal to verify the authenticity?
Boyd Drew replied calmly: “I heard that a calligraphy and painting expert is attending today’s banquet. Why don’t we ask him to appraise which one of these works is authentic? What do you all think?”
Tracy Swift said generously, “Is the expert Mr. Drew ntioned Sir Tangi?”
Boyd Drew nodded, “Yes.”
As soon as the words fell, soone had already invited that old gentleman to co over. The distinguished man walked in, sweeping his gaze over the crowd, locking eyes with Tracy Swift for a mont before giving a slight smile.
“Miss Swift.”
Tracy Swift spoke gently: “Sir Tangi, Mrs. Mat and I both brought Sir Whitman’s final work ‘Thousand Character Longevity’ as a gift. Could you please appraise which one is a forgery?”
Yigol Mat was uneasy and whispered, “Are Boyd Drew and Tracy Swift teaming up against us? He’s already arranged to have soone verify authenticity. Even if Tracy’s work is fake, the expert won’t tell the truth.”
That Sir Tangi glanced at the two works, then asked, “May I know where you got this ‘Thousand Character Longevity’ from?”
Xaviera Evans’s face changed. The ‘Thousand Character Longevity’ was left to her by her grandfather, and she couldn’t expose her grandfather’s identity in public. So she could only vaguely say, “I bought it from an antique shop.”
Tracy Swift gave Xaviera a aningful glance, then smiled: “This ‘Thousand Character Longevity’ is a treasure collected by my father. When he heard I was coming to Libanan to celebrate Madam Mat’s birthday, he gave this work.”
At a glance, it seed certain who was genuine and who was fake.
The Swift family is a porcelain family, a scholarly family, and Tracy’s father is a famous collector. How could they possibly collect a forgery? And this was a birthday gift for Madam Mat. How could they afford a mistake?
On the other hand, Xaviera only said she bought it elsewhere, without the help of a professional appraiser. There’s a high chance she bought a forgery.
Tracy Swift said gently, “Still, I’d like to trouble Sir Tangi to make an appraisal. Maybe Mrs. Mat’s work is genuine after all. We wouldn’t want to wrong her.”
Though she said this, she was quite confident that her own was the genuine article. How could sothing her father had collected for so many years be fake?
Now, by saying this, not only did she make everyone believe that Xaviera had given a forgery, but she also made everyone think that she was kind-hearted and didn’t want to make it difficult for Xaviera.
Xaviera raised her eyes calmly: “Appraise it.”
Everyone looked at her in disbelief. She was really willing to appraise it? If she left with the work now, no one would say anything. After all, this was a matter within the Mat family. But her insistence on a public appraisal would only embarrass herself in the end.
Tracy Swift said indifferently, “Since Mrs. Mat said so, let’s trouble Sir Tangi.”
As her words fell, Sir Tangi ordered his assistant to place the two works on the table, took out a magnifying glass from his tool kit, and began the appraisal seriously.
Xaviera glanced at Boyd Drew and sneered, “Has Mr. Drew already found a new ally?”
Boyd Drew grinned at her, “Miss Evans, I really don’t understand what you’re saying. But in this appraisal, I can tell you the answer in advance. No matter whose work is a forgery, the final result can only be you. Tracy Swift’s reputation in the calligraphy and painting circles far exceeds yours. Who do you think everyone will believe?”
Xaviera’s face remained calm.
Then Boyd Drew took a few steps closer, his eyes full of tenderness, “But if Miss Evans accepts my pursuit, I can help you out and make sure you don’t lose face in public.”
Caleb Mat, who was by the side, heard this and his eyes instantly went cold.
Xaviera slowly raised her eyes, “Mr. Drew is really ruthless, betraying his own ally at will. But I’ve never liked relying on others. I prefer to hold my fate in my own hands. Even without your help, I can still turn defeat into victory.”
In the calligraphy and painting circles, her reputation was indeed inferior to Tracy’s. But this ‘Thousand Character Longevity’ was Sir Whitman’s final work. Hadn’t Tracy ever considered what kind of relationship Sir Whitman had with the wealthy Whitman family in Libanan?
By now, Sir Tangi had put down the tools in his hand and stood up solemnly: “Everyone, after careful examination, I can confirm that Mrs. Mat’s ‘Thousand Character Longevity’ is a forgery!”
The crowd let out a sigh.
The banquet hall was like a pot that had exploded, and everyone began to discuss, “It turns out that Mrs. Mat sent a forgery!”
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