Chapter 164: A Minor Demonstration of Skill

Yang Xiaofan’s artwork shocked the world once again.

"Mr. Yang, I would like to buy one of your paintings. I am offering twenty million US dollars."

"Oh! Goodness gracious, twenty million! Isn't that price a bit too high?"

Someone in the hall could not help but voice their doubts.

Meanwhile, other oil painting artists immediately began to explain it to the crowd.

"It is not high at all. In fact, this price is entirely reasonable. Mr. Yang’s mastery of oil painting has already surpassed every top painter in the world today. In a sense, his art can be called the absolute pinnacle of contemporary oil painting. The depth available for study, exploration, and appreciation as a work of art reaches the highest level possible."

"Who on earth are you? Flattering this Easterner with such a straight face—are you related to him?"

The Korean man was still somewhat unconvinced, but his companion beside him looked extremely embarrassed. He tugged at his sleeve and hissed,

"Kim Jae-guk, stop making a fool of yourself! This is one of Paris's top artists, Faf-Theis. He is globally recognized as a master of oil painting, ranked second in the world. And even though he is second, the gap between him and the number one is negligible."

"Hiss—!"

Kim Jae-guk gasped sharply and immediately reached out his hand, eager to apologize.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Faf-Theis. I was blind and failed to recognize you. Please forgive my ignorance."

Unfortunately, Faf-Theis didn't even bother to glance at him. He strode directly past him toward the front.

"Hello, Mr. Yang Xiaofan."

Yang Xiaofan cast a casual glance at him and said calmly,

"You want to buy my painting too?"

"No, please don't misunderstand. I don't wish to buy your painting."

Just as Yang Xiaofan was wondering what on earth he was up to, the man spoke again.

"Mr. Yang, I wish to become your disciple. Please accept me and let me study painting and creation under your guidance."

"What?!"

Everyone in the room nearly dropped their jaws in sheer disbelief.

That was Faf-Theis, one of the world's top oil painting masters! His artistic attainments surpassed those of countless people, yet today, he was actually asking to become Yang Xiaofan's student. This was nothing short of earth-shattering news.

"My god, the world has truly gone mad. An Easterner has actually made Master Faf-Theis ask to be his pupil."

"Why are Easterners always so formidable? It's terrifying."

Elder Chen was the most excited person in the entire hall.

The very reason he had chosen to bring Yang Xiaofan here was to show off. Now that Yang Xiaofan had helped him pull off such an enormous display of prestige—causing a respectable international master of oil painting to beg to be his student—how magnificent was that?

This was a matter of supreme honor for the entire East.

It practically sent Elder Chen's aged heart into overdrive; the sheer excitement was almost enough to give him a heart attack.

Clutching Yang Xiaofan's sleeve with glowing eyes, he muttered frantically and incessantly in his ear:

"Xiaofan, accept him! Quickly, accept him! This is a blessing of epic proportions. Imagine how prestigious this sounds when word gets out!"

Regrettably, Yang Xiaofan did not agree.

"I'm sorry, I cannot be your master."

Faf-Theis wore a bewildered expression and could not help asking,

"Why?"

"I only started learning to paint a year or two ago. I don't have much real skill and can't teach you anything. If you truly took me as your master, I'm afraid your standards would only drop."

"What?!"

Once again, the entire hall fell into a state of profound shock.

Almost no one had expected Yang Xiaofan to say such a thing.

He had only been learning for a year or two?

Good heavens! To reach this level after studying for a mere one or two years? What kind of joke was this?

At this rate of genius, he had surpassed the limits of everything!

By his logic, every master and every genius across the entire world was nothing more than garbage compared to him.

Faf-Theis asked, filled with shock and confusion,

"Mr. Yang, can you take responsibility for what you just said? Did you really achieve this level after studying for such a short time?"

"Of course. I never lie."

As soon as these words fell, they drew the mockery of Kim Jae-guk.

Kim Jae-guk had been prejudiced against Yang Xiaofan from the very beginning. Seeing Yang Xiaofan acting so arrogantly now, he naturally jumped at the first opportunity to stamp out his overbearing attitude.

"Show-off! You have no shame bragging like that. Do you have any idea how long it takes to practice that kind of technique? Many people fail to achieve it in their entire lifetimes. Even a top genius and master like Faf-Theis can only look up to it from afar. Yet you dare to utter such wild words! Your paintings are not bad, but your character is truly sickening."

At these words, many people began to point fingers at Yang Xiaofan.

One had to realize that the people gathered here today were genuine artists. They did not possess the complicated ulterior motives of ordinary people. Hearing that Yang Xiaofan's moral character was so deplorable, they immediately began to scoff at his paintings.

Yang Xiaofan merely glanced coldly at Kim Jae-guk. Trash like this wasn't even worthy of carrying his shoes, yet it dared to jump out like a grasshopper seeking its own doom. It was pure suicide.

"If you don't believe me, name any skill you like—provided it is something a man is capable of doing—and I can learn it and show it to you right on the spot."

"Oh my god!"

The hall erupted in an uproar once more.

"Is this guy out of his mind, bragging like that?"

"He must be bluffing. If he isn't, I'll hand over all my assets to him."

Kim Jae-guk sneered,

"I used to think only we Koreans were number one in the art of bragging. Until today, I realized that compared to you Easterners, we fall far behind."

Elder Chen was also tugging desperately at Yang Xiaofan's arm, saying,

"Xiaofan, don't mess around! Pulling a stunt like this will get you killed. You've worked so hard to build up this massive prestige, and everyone respects you right now. But if you fail and fall flat on your face, all your glory will be wiped out, and people will only call you a liar. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do."

Yang Xiaofan maintained a completely nonchalant expression.

"I am merely stating facts."

"You... you are going to be the death of me! I should have known better than to bring you along. Sigh!"

Yang Xiaofan offered a reassuring smile and consoled him,

"Relax, Old Chen. I'm just bored and playing around."

Of course, originally Yang Xiaofan really had just wanted to play around a little. But this Kim Jae-guk was so utterly lacking in self-awareness and kept trying to cause trouble for him that Yang Xiaofan was already feeling somewhat annoyed.

You are nothing more than a puny Korean; what qualifications do you have to disparage Easterners?

If I don't slap your face today, I won't even be satisfied.