The Understated Dragon Lord novel Chapter 448

As Smart's words settled, Leo quickly took up the conversation. "We don't even need to look closely at the painting, just look at the canvas! Piet Mondrian was from the 19th century, which is over two hundred years ago. No matter how good the canvas he used for his paintings, they would've turned yellow by now. Look at this one; it's as white as snow, like it's brand new. How could it possibly be from the 19th century?"

Leo's rhetoric made Daniel ask, "How long have you been in the antiques business, Leo?"

Though taken aback by the question, Leo, eager to flaunt his experience, boasted, “I started dealing in antiques when I was just sixteen years old. It's been almost fifty years now."

"Nearly fifty years in the antiques business and you still can't recognize a genuine Mondrian that's right in front of you? You mistake a fake for the real deal?"

Leo scrutinized the 'The Red Cloud' painting, this time focusing on the artwork rather than the canvas. On closer inspection, he was a bit startled as he started feeling that what he initially dismissed as fake somehow seemed genuine. But even with that creeping suspicion, he certainly wasn’t ready to admit that 'The Red Cloud' might be real. He scoffed again in cold denial.

"Heh!"

After his scoff, he mocked, "Country boy, the artistry on your painting does look good, I must admit it’s no longer just a print. But this painting is a fake, a reproduction. Judging by the quality of the art, it might be worth ten or twenty thousand dollars."