Before Xie Ping could recover from the shock, another irritable shout suddenly rang out, making Xie Ping's face look even more unpleasant. "Crazy old man, are you extorting me?!" Feng Nanhong was still pondering how to persuade Hao Jian to sell the painting to him when an exasperating voice interrupted his thoughts, and all he could do was flash Hao Jian an apologetic smile before turning his head. In Feng Nanhong's line of sight, an elderly man reeking of alcohol approached. His attire was extremely casual, even more casual than Hao Jian's. Wearing a tank top, shorts, and slippers, he looked completely at home, yet this guy wore them to a formal event, showing just how nonchalant he was. "What do you mean I'm extorting?!" Feng Nanhong glared fiercely at the man and snorted coldly, saying, "Old Man Shi, just do me a favor and shut up!" The elderly man called Old Man Shi, whose real name was Shi Keqiang, was supposed to signify being strong at all times but was mocked by Feng Nanhong as meaning 'shit strong.' "Damn! Shut me up?! No way!" Shi Keqiang glanced at the painting, snorted coldly, and said, "Crazy old man, it's not that I want to say this, but you've regressed as you age. How dare you try to buy this painting for two million? That's just not right!" "In my opinion, this painting is worth at least five million!" With hopeful eyes, Shi Keqiang looked at Hao Jian, swallowed hard, and said, "Mr. Hao Jian, I wonder if you can sell this painting to me for five million? Un crazy old man, if you aren't satisfied with the price, we can still negotiate further." "Hey, Old Man Shi, are you courting death?!" Being exposed by Shi Keqiang, Feng Nanhong's face turned uncharacteristically red but still maintained some composure. He sharply waved his hand, looked at Hao Jian, and held up seven fingers, saying, "Mr. Hao Jian, this old guy is offering five million, so I'll offer seven million. As long as you sell it to me, I'll transfer the money to you now!" "What did you say?! Crazy old man, seven million?!" Seeing Feng Nanhong raise the price again, Shi Keqiang furrowed his brows and immediately said to Hao Jian, "Mr. Hao Jian, this guy is offering seven million, so I'll top it by another million, offering eight million!" The two of them kept bidding without even asking for Hao Jian's opinion. Judging by their behavior, it seemed they were convinced Hao Jian would sell the painting, and when the guests saw these two elderly and highly respected artists arguing over it, their expressions turned awkward. Just look at this young guy in his twenties who painted a piece that gained recognition from two esteemed artists, and then look at themselves, wondering why they can't achieve something similar. If they could measure up, perhaps they could also create a painting, have it bought for a high price, just like Hao Jian. They didn't expect to gain recognition from these two old artists, but at least they wanted to let others know that their paintings were something valuable. Shi Keqiang finally shouted, gritting his teeth and staring at Feng Nanhong, saying, "Crazy old man, I've put up ten million. This painting may be precious, but ten million is the maximum. If you still want it, keep adding; one more penny, and I'll let you have it!" Hearing this, Feng Nanhong was somewhat surprised and seriously looked at Shi Keqiang, saying, "Old Man Shi, are you serious?!" Hearing Feng Nanhong's words, Shi Keqiang replied coldly, "I've also studied painting with liquor, but like you, I didn't get anywhere. Now that I have the opportunity, how can I give it up?" Feng Nanhong nodded. This Old Man Shi's idea was the same as his; the most valuable part of this painting was not its content but the technique used to paint it, which was what they valued. And as cultured artists, they would never ask Hao Jian how this painting was made, as it would be impolite and likely to create enemies. And they had no intention of doing so; if they angered Hao Jian, they might not get the painting, and they wouldn't be able to reach the next level. "Have you two had enough?" Hao Jian looked at Feng Nanhong and Shi Keqiang with a bitter smile. If it weren't for the fact that both were friends of Yuan Shanshan, he would have punched them by now. This painting was originally a personal gift he made for Yuan Shanshan, yet these two guys insisted on treating it as if it belonged to them. Upon hearing Hao Jian's voice, Feng Nanhong quickly turned around, gazed at Hao Jian with a smile, and said, "Mr. Hao Jian, are you thinking of selling this piece to one of us?" Hearing this, Hao Jian was taken aback. He glanced at Shi Keqiang and found the same expectation in his eyes. Seeing this, he chuckled bitterly at the two somewhat endearing fellows. With a cough, Hao Jian glanced at the now dry painting and smiled as he rolled it up, yet during the process, he let everyone present see it. When those who hadn't seen the painting's content before finally did, their expressions shifted dramatically. Such skill, how could it be from an amateur?! "Actually, I never intended to sell this painting. This is a gift for Shanshan; how to deal with it is her decision. There's no need for you two to argue. Even if you offer a billion, I still won't sell it." With that sentence, Hao Jian directly quashed any ambitions these two old men had, leaving them both bemused. They had thought he would sell it to one of them, but unfortunately, Hao Jian was indeed a romantic; women meant more to him than money. Feng Nanhong glanced at Yuan Shanshan, whose face was flushed with embarrassment. Seeing Hao Jian handing the painting to her, and her bashfully shy demeanor, he couldn't help but chuckle. Hao Jian, on this side, was difficult to handle, but he had said that the painting belonged to Yuan Shanshan. This meant that as long as they could please Yuan Shanshan, perhaps they could get the painting. In their view, even if they couldn't deal with Hao Jian, it didn't mean there was no way with Yuan Shanshan. After all, they were friends! If Hao Jian knew what was going through these two people's minds at the moment, he might really throw them out. Are such people even friends?! "Hehe, Shanshan, how do you painting?" Like presenting a treasure, Hao Jian offered the painting to Yuan Shanshan with a cheeky grin. Yuan Shanshan nodded without further comment. Judging by everyone's reactions, she already knew the painting's worth. However, the value that concerned her wasn't the monetary value of the painting itself, but the meaning it contained. This painting was handcrafted by Hao Jian and was his birthday gift to her. Such a precious item transcended monetary worth, yet she felt a bit at a loss for what to do. Today was her birthday party, with so many people watching, and Hao Jian so boldly expressing his affection, making her heart, already tied to Hao Jian, race uncontrollably. If Hao Jian had given her the painting in private, she might have accepted it directly, but with so many people present, she felt a bit embarrassed. She immediately declined a bit... She stretched out her hands to push Hao Jian's hand down, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't budge. Looking up, she saw Hao Jian's burning gaze. With a soft smile, Hao Jian's voice was gentle and comforting, yet to Yuan Shanshan's ears, it was irresistible. This was the message Hao Jian was conveying to her. Yuan Shanshan had no choice but to accept the painting, though she didn't realize her hands were trembling as she took it. Slowly unfolding the painting, she gazed at the content, her eyes suddenly glistening, as if a moment later they would turn into tears ready to fall. "Haha, girl, today is your birthday, don't shed tears." Seeing the sparkle in Yuan Shanshan's eyes, Hao Jian laughed heartily, then wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her close. With a playful tweak of her cute nose, he chuckled softly, "How about it? In Huaxia, I'm the only one who can paint with liquor, and find a time to frame it; it can last a long time." Yuan Shanshan smiled beautifully, blinking her eyes, looking at Hao Jian expectantly. Upon hearing this, Hao Jian gave her a playful slap on her round bottom, pointing to the beauty in the painting, "This beauty will exist forever, even thousands or tens of thousands of years from now, she will still be there." An innocent moment of romance, Yuan Shanshan shyly buried her head in Hao Jian's chest, a faint smile on her lips, indescribably sweet. To Yuan Shanshan, Hao Jian's words were like honey. Their unabashed intimacy in front of everyone evoked envy in many people's eyes, but there were also those filled with jealousy, like Xie Ping. He desperately wanted to separate the two of them and tell Yuan Shanshan that he was the one who truly liked her. But he didn't dare, all because of Hao Jian's influence today. A single painting could cause two top-tier artists to argue over it for ten million. Comparing his works, which at most sold for hundreds of thousands, was like comparing moonlight to glowworms with Hao Jian's multimillion pieces. "What should I do..." Feng Nanhong, too, was somewhat unwilling to give up as he gazed at the painting in Yuan Shanshan's arms. After all, he had previously thought of trying his luck with Yuan Shanshan, but executing it was a different matter. "Crazy old man, what's wrong, scared? Chickened out?!" Shi Keqiang laughed heartily seeing Feng Nanhong's dilemma, glanced at Yuan Shanshan, and said to Feng Nanhong, "Trying to buy that from this happy girl, that's going to be quite a challenge..." "Do you think I don't know what you're saying?!" Feng Nanhong glared fiercely at Shi Keqiang.