With a smile, Charlie nodded and said, “Dad, if anyone asks about your painting, just tell them you bought it from someone whose face you can’t quite recall. As for how you discovered it, feel free to let your imagination run wild—brag a little! Just make sure you stick to the main idea; there’s nothing wrong with embellishing a bit.”
Jacob, surprised, responded, “Good son-inw, wouldn’t it be better to say it was a gift from a friend or that it’s my personal collection? That sounds more impressive, doesn’t it?” Charlie replied with seriousness, “Dad, the people asking don’t necessarily know about this painting. My clients do. If they realize you’re exaggerating about their artwork, they might me me. By following my suggestion, it will show that we’re respecting their privacy rather than putting them on disy. I will feel much more at ease.”
Feeling a bit reluctant, Jacob sighed, “Alright, I’ll do it your way.”
Charlie smiled gently, cing his hand on Jacob’s arm, and said earnestly, “Dad, remember, you ‘identally’ bought this painting at the entrance of Tangchen Yipin. Someone whose face you can’t quite recall insisted on selling it to you for just 100 yuan.”
As he spoke, a subtle aura entered Jacob’s mind, quietly nting a psychological suggestion that would activate whenever someone inquired about the painting’s origin. Jacob nodded without fully realizing the implication, and deep within, a seed of belief was taking root.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">
With a smile, Charlie asked, “So, Dad, where did you get that painting?”
Excitedly, Jacob blurted out, “I picked it up!” He continued, “Let me tell you, son-inw, if I hadn’t had such a discerning eye, this painting would still be hidden beneath a fake! While I was at Antique Street, someone tried to pull a fast one on me with a counterfeit celebrity painting. My keen eye caught the deception; I could never fall for such a scam! I took a closer look and realized the painting had more depth than the usual works! I suspected it held secrets, so I pretended to be fooled and bought the counterfeit for 5,000 yuan, hiding this Tang Dynasty masterpiece!”<fn63f5> Follow current nov?ls on find[?]ovel</fn63f5>
Charlie was momentarily speechless, thinking that Jacob, as an elder, had a remarkable talent for storytelling.
However, Charlie’s goal was to see Jacob’s authentic performance. He was confident that Sara wouldn’t dare look into the painting’s background, but to err on the side of caution, he had provided Jacob with this special psychological cue. Observing that Jacob had fully embraced the act, Charlie felt satisfied. It seemed his father-inw had not only absorbed the psychological suggestion but was also following his instructions to embellish the story freely.
Deep down, Jacob now truly believed he had discovered the painting himself. Yet, he didn’t want others to think he was merely lucky, so he crafted an borate tale to enhance his credibility and elevate his stature. To nudge him further, Charlie tentatively asked, “Dad, do you think it’s too much to boast like this in front of family? Honestly, how did this paintinge to you?”
Jacob chuckled, “Ah, my good son-inw knows me well enough to see through my bragging.”
Then, he leaned in, speaking mysteriously, “I’ll let you in on a secret: I did buy this painting by mistake. But it wasn’t quite as extravagant as I made it sound. Just yesterday, a guy stopped me at the entrance of Tangchen Yipin and insisted on selling me this painting for only a hundred yuan. I thought it looked good, and even if it were just a modern piece, it was certainly worth more than that! So, of course, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity!” Charlie nodded in approval and grinned, “Alright, Dad, go find a spot at the Painting and Calligraphy Association. Just don’t get too high-profile; as the executive vice president, you might find it hard to keep your position!”<h3 ss="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" id="chapter-list"><strong></strong>