Chapter 227: Process of Elimination? It’s That Simple

But as long as Shengsheng was okay, then everything was fine. His main worry was that this young lady had no sense of restraint.

If she ended up offending everyone, how would she survive!

She had managed to turn a bad situation around last time when she spoke on behalf of the diplomats. He hoped she could do the same this time.

Zhao Dehai looked up to the heavens and clasped his hands in prayer. He hoped the future would turn out for the best...

First he prayed to Buddha, then to Jesus, and even to Zeus. He figured he’d cover all his bases; praying to everyone couldn’t hurt.

Then he came back inside and sat in front of Gu Shengsheng, watching her intently.

He didn’t dare to even blink.

He could only hear the repetitive, mechanical voice of the International Treasure Appraisal Association:

"Artifact number 33... authenticated as genuine."

"Artifact number 87, Heavenly Porcelain Blue and White, authenticated as genuine."

"Artifact number 150, Ma Kui Beast Statue, authenticated as genuine."

"..."

Zhao Dehai leaned over. "We’re at 150 artifacts and not a single fake. You’re actually pretty on point this time."

Gu Shengsheng smiled. "I might not win every time, but have I ever lost?"

Zhao Dehai was speechless. ’Fine,’ he thought, ’I’ll just shut up.’

Netizens also started placing their bets. At first, they thought she’d be impressive just to make it to 50 artifacts, but unexpectedly, she’d cleared 150 without a single error.

This was already incredible. Even with a robot working alongside a top international Treasure Appraiser, they had only managed to appraise 150 pieces in two hours.

As for Beiyuan Cang’s side, they remained calm. ’One hundred and fifty pieces is fine. She’s bound to slip up eventually.’

’No need to rush. Doesn’t Huaxia have an old saying? Those who achieve great things don’t sweat the small stuff.’

Now it was just a matter of who could keep their composure.

Beiyuan Cang even told the supporters from the museum of Japan:

"Don’t worry. This Gu Shengsheng has a few tricks up her sleeve. I’ve seen videos of her previous competitions."

"She wears down her opponents in joint appraisals using psychological tactics. In reality, she doesn’t know a thing. This is probably the same strategy."

Experts on Japan’s side also offered their analysis:

"Gu Shengsheng’s methods are devious and unpredictable. She’s definitely putting on a mystifying act. As long as we keep our cool, we’ll surely win in the end. Her strategy must be to make Japan concede, which would hand her the victory."

"Don’t fall for it, everyone."

Japanese netizens started spreading the word everywhere, warning everyone about Gu Shengsheng’s tactics and telling them not to let their emotions be swayed.

These comments made their way to Huaxia’s domestic internet.

When Gu Shengsheng saw them: ?

’Did I say I was using tactics? Has it ever occurred to them that maybe the people from Japan are just being overly dramatic?’

But it had nothing to do with her. If Beiyuan Cang wanted to delude himself like this, there was nothing Gu Shengsheng could do.

She made no rebuttal, pulled no stunts, and simply waited quietly. It didn’t affect her at all.

Sitting there, Gu Shengsheng let out a laugh.

Beiyuan Cang caught sight of this on screen. He even took a screenshot with his phone and posted it on social media, writing: "She’s already getting excited, deliberately trying to bait us in Japan into making a mistake. Don’t get nervous, everyone. Stay calm. We can win this."

Zhao Dehai also saw these comments and felt a little bewildered.

Forget the foreigners; even he, after spending so much time with Gu Shengsheng, couldn’t figure out what she was trying to do...

Of course, he was an expert at not stressing himself out and just letting things be, so he didn’t overthink it. All he had to do was wait.

There was no point in thinking too much.

While waiting for the results, everyone might as well just chill. If Japan wasn’t in a hurry, why should he be?

Finally... as the clock ticked on, another two or three hours passed. They had reached 450 artifacts.

On Gu Shengsheng’s side, there were still no mistakes. Every single one matched her appraisal category, down to the precise identification.

The atmosphere on Japan’s side had clearly grown tense.

But after a long discussion, they still made no move. They were still convinced it was all a conspiracy by Gu Shengsheng to make them lose their composure.

An expert from Japan even came out to analyze the situation: "We’ll handle these shifting circumstances by staying the course."

And so, they held back.

...

Then came the Appraiser’s voice:

"Artifact number 490, a Northern Wei warrior figurine... Wait, there’s a problem with this appraisal."

Hearing this, everyone on Japan’s side shot to their feet instantly. They looked like it was New Year’s, their faces contorted with excitement.

You have to understand, there were only ten artifacts left... just ten more and Gu Shengsheng would have won!

Discovering a problem now was their biggest breakthrough!

Beiyuan Cang was grinning so wide his gums were showing. He trembled all over, looking at Gu Shengsheng with wild excitement. "Gu Shengsheng, there’s a problem with your artifact!"

"You’ve got one wrong! Hahahaha, I knew it, you little brat..."

Gu Shengsheng stood up, calm and unhurried. "What is it, Sir?"

The Appraiser said, "Miss Gu, this Northern Wei warrior figurine is perfectly intact, without any chips. Its design, appearance, and craftsmanship... well, the one from Japan’s side seems more consistent with the Northern Wei period."

"But..." He frowned. "I have no way to prove that it isn’t a genuine artifact."

Gu Shengsheng said, "Exactly. That’s the reason. The problem isn’t with you, the Appraiser, but with the artifact itself."

"You just said it looks like it hasn’t been restored and was buried in the earth for a very long time, and you mentioned the wear and other issues."

As she spoke, Gu Shengsheng rummaged through the snakeskin bag she had lugged over. After searching for a long time, she pulled out the Terracotta Warrior holding an AK-47. It was a fake, but the seller had thrown it in for free, so she had kept it.

It was something she had found at a market not long after she started appraising treasures—a complete and utter fake. But the manufacturer was so interestingly and skillfully deceptive that they had managed to create a replica that could pass for the real thing, fooling many people.

At the time, Gu Shengsheng had studied that forger. She hadn’t delved too deep, but she had grasped their specific style.

Now, if they used a machine to analyze it, they could definitely spot the similarities and differences.

She said, "Could you use this Terracotta Warrior and compare it to the data you have on file from Japan’s side? At the very least, you can check if the materials and so on are the same."

Beiyuan Cang was speechless. "What’s the point of comparing a fake Terracotta Warrior to our artifact? Besides, that’s from the Qin Dynasty, and this is a Northern Wei figurine! Even though I’m a foreigner, I know a little about your Huaxian history!"

"Miss Gu, if you’re wrong, you’re wrong. Don’t be a sore loser. Acting so desperately out of panic is just embarrassing!"

Gu Shengsheng found this amusing. "Mr. Beiyuan Cang, just you wait and see. No matter how anxious you get, you can’t exactly jump through the screen to get to me, can you?"

Beiyuan Cang’s face turned red as he roared, "I’m not anxious! Who’s anxious?!"

Meanwhile, the Appraiser agreed to Gu Shengsheng’s request. After he placed the fake Qin Dynasty Terracotta Warrior into the machine, the results came back... it was a perfect match for Japan’s Northern Wei warrior figurine. The analysis showed no difference whatsoever.

Gu Shengsheng looked at the analysis results and smiled. "Sometimes, authenticating something isn’t just about proving it’s real. You can also prove it’s fake. Process of elimination, isn’t it?"