Xyla Quest then gently reached for Sharon Lindt’s hand.
Sharon smiled. “I know that you have your reasons.”
Instantly, the entire lobby was silent…
Right then, the obese, middle-aged man walked up to Xyla. “Lady… After this, may I admire this painting of yours for a moment?” he asked.
Xyla smiled at the man. “Sure,” she said.
“Do you also suspect that this is a case of a painting within a painting? Was that why you bid for it?” the obese, middle-aged man asked curiously.
Sure enough, this man also had suspicions of there being a painting within a painting…
Xyla still smiled. “Well… Yes.”
The obese, middle-aged man instantly laughed. “You have good eyes. If I had enough money, I would have made a gamble today.”
Xyla looked the man up and down. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, and he looked nothing like the celebrities here.
It looked like he was here to purchase auction items on behalf of his boss. He was not some famous, powerful, or rich individual. Indeed, he didn’t seem wealthy.
“A painting within a painting?” The young woman beside Xyla, who had mocked her earlier, looked at the obese, middle-aged man curiously.
The obese, middle-aged man laughed. “Yes… It could be a painting within a painting, but not necessarily…”
“Those that can be made into a painting within a painting are usually top-notch masterpieces, right? The kind that is worth a lot of money… As far as I know, some collectors used to hide very valuable paintings behind fake paintings to avoid war or theft…” The young woman added.
“Yes…” The obese, middle-aged man nodded.
In an instant, everyone who was stunned in the lobby all realized what was going on.
It turned out that Xyla was not stupid, but she simply thought that it was a painting within a painting. That was why…
“Lady, my name is Clarence Steele. If you trust me, could you let me confirm whether it is a painting in a painting?
“I’m an employee in an antique store. The store I work in is right across the street. There are dismantling tools inside. If you need my help, I could bring the tools over to take the painting apart right here…” Clarence said.
“Sure.” Xyla nodded decisively.
***
After Xyla had prepared everything on her side, Clarence walked in after approximately ten minutes with a huge rosewood box in his hands.
As soon as he entered, he automatically walked up to the table and chair.
After putting down his wooden box, he hastily unlocked it and retrieved various tools needed to dismantle the painting. He sat on the chair and prepared to take the painting apart…
Soon, the beautiful auctioneer brought the oil painting that Xyla had acquired to him.
The dismantling of the oil painting was a highly complex process.
A single mistake could ruin the entire painting.
Therefore, Clarence moved extremely carefully and in a calculated manner.
For fear of disturbing Clarence, Xyla and the others all sat in their seats and waited silently.
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