Chapter 4 Exams Never End

  Back at home, Quwen was also thinking about this matter. That beauty was clearly wearing outer clothes, but how did he discover that her shoulder strap was loose? Could it be that the spiritual awareness taught by Master Bajie was too powerful, and just learning a bit of its skin would give him X-ray vision? Or perhaps he was taking pity on himself, directly imparting his powers to make his abilities reach the Great Completion realm.

  But how can one prove that their spiritual awareness has reached the realm of great accomplishment, Pig Head Master didn't make it clear. Since it's a celestial family's method, it shouldn't be something that can be easily practiced.

  "Let's find someone to try it out!" Qu Wen's curiosity was piqued as he walked to the windowsill, focusing his attention on every passerby below.

  After a while, I completely gave up. Not to mention seeing through clothes, but even the leaves outside the glass window couldn't be seen through. All I could see was people passing by through the gaps in the leaves.

  "Is it because of the distance?" Qu Wen walked out of the room in confusion, came to the hall and stared at his father who was watching TV with wide eyes.

  But after watching for half a day, I still couldn't figure it out, only knowing that Father smiled a few times, frowned a few times, and smoked a few cigarettes. It seems that I need to improve my spiritual awareness first before I can use this special skill at will.

  For cultivation, Master Pighead simply said one sentence: Absorb spiritual energy!

  But where the hell is this spiritual energy, isn't it supposed to be stored in famous rivers and mountains, lakes and seas like in books? If so, you also need time and money as a foundation.

  Qu Wen shook his head in distress, but now money and time were what he lacked most. Without a job, where would the money come from? But once he had a job, he wouldn't have any time.

  At this time, Qu Jian Guo discovered that Qu Wen had been staring at him. He touched his old face full of stubble and inexplicably asked: "Little Wen, is there something on my face?"

  "No, no, I suddenly found that you're really handsome, Dad!" Qu Wen said perfunctorily, his heart full of disappointment. It seemed that this spiritual awareness technique was indeed not simple, but how did he manage to do it during the day?

  Upon hearing his son's praise, Qu Jian Guo smiled proudly: "That's right, back in the day I was a handsome young man in the production team, otherwise your mom wouldn't have..."

  He started talking about his heroic past without any reserve, completely unaware that his wife had walked up behind him, boasting and gloating with a self-satisfied expression.

  "Alright, Qu Jian Guo! You were quite something when you were young, weren't you? A heartthrob for thousands of girls, and every little girl who saw you would be rooted to the spot. Without you, the earth wouldn't turn! And now you dare to brag in front of your son? Just wait and see if I don't discipline you!"

  Qu Jian heard the voice, didn't dare to turn his head back, threw away the remote control in his hand, and rushed into the room with a swoosh, closing the door tightly. However, Shen Luoyun shouted twice outside, Qu Jian still carefully opened the door, and suddenly a series of tragic begging voices came from inside.

  Things like this have been seen before, don't look at father's usual sloppy appearance, but when he encounters mother, it's like a mouse encountering a cat, not even daring to fart. However, Father has his reasons: This is not fear, this is love, because I love your mother so much that I let her in everything. And your mother loves me very much too, never heard of "beating is intimacy, scolding is love", loving to the point of kicking with feet.

  It seems that Father has once again received Mother's deep affection!

  After returning from the job fair, Qu Wen stayed at home for three days. Except for the pawnshop, insurance company and bank all politely rejected him due to lack of work experience. He had no choice but to post his resume online, now as long as it's a decent job, he'll take it first, otherwise, he would feel guilty eating off his parents' support.

  Suddenly, a crisp telephone ringtone sounded.

  He came to the hall, picked up the fixed phone at home and saw an unfamiliar number on it. He thought it was probably a wrong call or a telecom advertisement. After multiple job application failures, he had no hope for waiting for notification at home.

  "Hello Mr. Quwen, I am from Yuefeng Pawnshop. If you are available today, please come to our company for an interview at 3 pm this afternoon."

  "Interview!?" Qu Wen shouted in disbelief.

  "Yes, the company leader is very satisfied with you after reviewing your materials, so they decided to conduct a final interview. If you pass, they will formally employ you as a company employee."

  "Okay, okay, thank you, thank you so much!"

  Hung up the phone, Qu Wen couldn't help but cheer and jump for joy, after n times of failure in job hunting, finally saw a glimmer of hope.

  At three o'clock in the afternoon, Qu Wen arrived at Yuefeng Pawnshop on time. Looking at the big "pawn" character, he smiled happily for half a day. If someone passed by beside him, they would think that some fool had run to the outside of the company.

  As soon as he walked in the door, his intention was clear, and soon someone led him to an office. In the spacious and bright office sat a man in his fifties with piercing eyes that radiated sharpness and efficiency.

  "Director Chen, this is Qu Wen who's here for the interview." The beautiful woman who led Qu Wen into the room said simply before turning around and leaving the office first.

  "Let's sit down and talk," said Director Chen, carefully sizing up Qu Wen. His first impression was not bad, with a sunny and upright demeanor, full of energy, unlike those socialites who hadn't even reached thirty yet but already had hunched backs like shrimp, all with faces that looked lewd and decadent.

  Qu Wen politely thanked and sat down immediately.

  "Before you officially start work, I want to conduct a small test to see your ability," said Mr. Chen, taking out a painting from the bookcase behind him and placing it on the desk. "Take a look at this painting and see if there's anything wrong with it."

  Moreover, Qu Wen muttered to himself for a sentence, and in just three days, he took two exams.

  The composition of the painting is quite simple, with only one tree and two kingfishers, but the brushstrokes are bold and unrestrained, not bound by rules or conventions. The signature at the bottom is careless and uneven, possessing a certain beauty of abandon. However, since Director Chen said there's a problem with this painting, then there must be a problem with it - otherwise, why bring it out to test people? As for what kind of problem it's testing, Qu Wen thought about it in his mind: is it testing one's cultural foundation, artistic cultivation? That's not very likely, because the signature at the bottom is Li E's name.

  Talking about Li Yu, Qu Wen knows a little bit. His courtesy name is Zong Yang and his pseudonym is Fu Tang. He was one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou, a famous calligrapher and painter in the Qing Dynasty, known for pioneering bold and expressive works, especially fond of painting flowers and birds. His works have had a significant impact on modern calligraphy and painting. As for evaluating Li Yu's paintings, Qu Wen doesn't think he has the qualifications yet. So what does Chen want to test? Qu Wen thought about it some more and guessed that it was his own eyesight being tested. Could it be that this painting is fake, also known as a counterfeit? Even if one knows the painting is fake, they should still provide a reason, otherwise, there's no credibility at all.

  "Director Chen, may I take a closer look?" Qu Wen had studied some painting and calligraphy when he was younger, and after carefully examining the picture, he found that the lines and colors were somewhat dull, and wondered if it was due to being stored for too long.

  "Alright." Mr. Chen raised his hand in indication.

  Having obtained Mr. Chen's consent, Qu Wen stretched out his hand and gently stroked the top, and a hint of satisfaction immediately appeared on his face. Indeed, as he had thought in his heart, this painting was fake. In the places where the ink accumulated, there was no sense of concavity or convexity at all, and it looked too smooth, not like the marks left by a brush stroke. This point is known to anyone who has learned some calligraphy and painting.

  "Director Chen, this painting should be printed out, right? There's no sign of ink on it." Qu Wen asked tentatively, feeling anxious in his heart.

  Upon hearing this, Director Chen smiled and nodded: "That's right, this painting is indeed a printed copy, a reproduction made from a photographic plate, a low-grade work that is extremely lifelike. In the early years, Japan's Nishiki Corporation and China's Museum of History printed many such things, mainly for learning and appreciation purposes. If you carefully observe the paper used in this painting, the ink, and the texture, it's not difficult to discover its authenticity. All old things have a natural luster, also known as patina in the antique business. However, the yellow color of this painting's paper is not naturally oxidized, but rather a very stiff yellow. The brushstrokes lack the accumulation and texture of ink, and can be said to lack the spirit of the brush. Especially at the place where the seal is, you can take a look, use a white cloth or paper money to scrape it gently, if it's genuine, there will be a faint red color, if not, at least it proves that the seal is fake. Although you only pointed out one thing, for a newcomer, it's already commendable."

  Mr. Chen said patiently, stretching out his hand towards Qu Wen: "Welcome to join Yuefeng Pawnshop."

  "Director Chen, does that mean I'm accepted?" Qu Wen was somewhat dazed. After multiple failed job interviews, a company had actually thrown him an olive branch.

  "Yes, due to your outstanding performance, I welcome you to join Yuefeng Pawnshop." Mr. Chen said seriously again and shook hands with Qu Wen lightly.

  They shook hands, and Qu Wen's nervous heart finally put down, couldn't help but curiously ask: "Thank you, Mr. Chen, for teaching me a lesson, but do pawnshop employees need to know a lot about antiques?"

  "Salesman!" Mr. Chen burst out laughing: "It's my fault for not making it clear, I plan to put you in the pawnshop department first and start as an apprentice, with a probationary period of half a year, during which your monthly salary will be 3,000 yuan, after completing your probationary period, the company will sign a new contract with you, and the specific salary will depend on your ability."

  Apprentice, half a year?

  The text is already in Chinese, I will translate it to English:

  "The article is a bit confusing, what kind of job requires half a year to learn and get familiar with? Is it possible that they are exploiting themselves as cheap labor? But I've never heard of an apprentice having a salary of 3,000 yuan. In this small southern city where the average income is just over 2,000 yuan, it's considered a decent income. Moreover, Mr. Chen doesn't seem like a scammer, he has no need to cheat a young graduate."

  Dazed for half a day, Qu Wen asked in a low voice again: "Director Chen, what exactly does the pawnshop department do?"

  "The pawnshop, it's about appraising the value of the goods customers bring in. The knowledge and skills required for this job are profound, many people spend their whole lives studying and still can't grasp the essence. Half a year is already a short time for someone as inexperienced as you. I remember when I first started, I spent three years learning, and then gradually developed my skills to achieve what I have today." Chen smiled and continued: "Young people need to be patient, don't rush, one day they will surpass us old timers."

  This sounds quite tempting, but Qu Wen doesn't think so. Before coming, he had some understanding of the situation with Yue Fengdian's company. The registered capital alone is 300 million, not to mention later development and various income. This one deal is enough for many people to work hard for a dozen lifetimes.

  It's hard to surpass him!

  "I will definitely try my best and not let President Chen down." Qu Wen still responded with a polite phrase.

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