Chapter 696: Chapter 693 Gorgeous Turnaround

The middle-aged man’s face turned from green to white, unable to find a rebuttal in the face of such strong evidence, even if he wanted to argue or deny it.

“If you’ve understood, just do as we agreed before,” she said calmly.

The middle-aged man did not speak, and Huo Sining added another light comment.

It was only then that the audience remembered Huo Sining had an agreement with this man–if she could prove with evidence that the chair was a fake, the middle-aged man would have to shout “My stuff is fake” three times in front of all the TV station’s viewers.

“This is nonsense, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

The middle-aged man, unable to save face and with a glint of annoyance and panic in his eyes, suddenly grabbed his chair and, leaving a word behind, turned around and ran off the stage, frantically squeezing into the crowd and disappearing in an instant.

Watching the man grease the soles of his feet for a desperate escape, the audience burst into laughter and sighs; what a sight it was to see such a grown man, who’d acted arrogantly and dismissive of others when he bought a fake item, now loser a bet and running off faster than a rabbit without any shame.

“How shameful, such a big man, and yet so cowardly!”

The crowd couldn’t help but sneer, but Huo Sining didn’t seem to care much, shaking her head without intending to pursue the matter any further.

At this point, the first round of auditions for the morning came to an end. When the host announced the conclusion, the audience realized it was already time for lunch. The exciting events had made everyone forget the time, and even at the end, they were reluctant to leave.

“Miss Huo, we support you!”

Just as the panel of experts was about to leave the stage, suddenly a cry rang out from the crowd, and soon others joined in the shouting, with applause starting at that moment and growing louder and louder.

Compared to the skepticism and questioning when Huo Sining first took the stage, the audience’s applause at this time proved everything.

Amid the sustained applause, Huo Sining bowed to the audience while retreating backstage, but the happy smile in her eyes could not be concealed no matter how hard she tried.

Even though it had only been a short two hours, her performance had already won the affirmation of the viewers, and that was enough.

“Xiao Huo, you’ve really kept your talents hidden, I must say, good job. Your foundational knowledge is solid, and your ability to adapt is strong. You were modest before, claiming you knew nothing, clearly downplaying your abilities to us. With your skills, you could hold your ground even on your own!”

After leaving the stage and entering the rest area, Elder Su Yongxin, who had been pestering Huo Sining to see the Emerald Heavenly Bead earlier, wiped off his sweat and couldn’t help but give Huo Sining a thumbs-up.

In situations like today, which these appraisers often confront and are fully capable of handling, for Huo Sining, so young, to manage the situation so smoothly and effortlessly, it was enough for the experts present to regard her with new respect.

Not just the panel of experts, but even Director Liu and Station Head Jiang from the program team were somewhat surprised. Both originally thought Huo Sining was just there as a decorative piece; no one expected her to pull off such an impressive move, captivating the audience, and delivering them a splendid result.

Those who work in television have pioneering vision and intuition. Having been immersed in the TV station for many years, Director Liu and Station Head Jiang had unique insights as well.

For a treasure hunting show, they hadn’t thought to leverage the panel of experts, but obviously, a TV program couldn’t lack the necessary gimmicks and explosive moments.

Now with the appearance of a young, beautiful, and competent female appraiser, it was truly a great surprise and a highlight for their show. Director Liu and Station Head Jiang exchanged glances and immediately realized that the program team’s panel of experts had struck a goldmine.

Jiang, who had initially been officious and indifferent toward Huo Sining, quickly became obsequious, attending to her every need with meticulous care when inviting the experts to the restaurant for a meal, his flattering intentions unmistakable.

Huo Sining, who hardly considered such opportunistic and calculating people worth her time, remained tepid and indifferent to Jiang. She had been calmly aloof at first and remained unenthused now.

Seeing Huo Sining’s behavior, Qin Lianshan silently nodded in appreciation, his gaze toward her gaining a few more shades of respect.

Unperturbed by flattery or insult, this young woman’s character truly was rare. Zhou Shitao had indeed unearthed a treasure.

After resting for a few hours following lunch, another two hours of auditions were conducted in the afternoon. By the time the host declared the treasure appraisal audition over, not only had no one left from the audience, but more people had gathered.

Through her performances in the morning and afternoon, Huo Sining was increasingly supported by the viewers, poised to stand out beyond the other experts.

Huo Sining didn’t know that once the show aired, she would fully establish her reputation within the country’s antiques circle, at least in the hearts of the collecting enthusiasts, her title as an expert recognized. Of course, all of this would unfold months later.

After work, upon leaving the TV station, Yao Yujia could hardly wait to place a phone call: “Sister, that Miss Huo is not simple at all. No wonder she’s been recognized by the Gu Family. You can’t take her lightly. I tell you, that woman was very calculating at the appraisal event today, she…”

Yao Yujia went on to describe the day’s events in detail to the person on the other end of the line. After listening, the other person was silent for a long while before breaking into laughter: “I’m not even worried, what’s your hurry? Just a young girl, no matter how strong, can she compete with me?”

Yao Yujia’s laughter came in response: “That’s right, who’s my sister? How could some greenhorn pose a threat to you? You and Gu Xu were the golden couple recognized back in the day. With your years of understanding Gu Xu, just a flick of your finger and he could be at your side; how could you be wary of an ignorant young girl?”

The person on the phone chuckled: “You say others are capable, why aren’t you in a rush yourself? I’ve heard Song Hui is still single; do you want me to talk to him, to test the waters for you?”

“Sister!” As soon as the other person mentioned the name Song Hui, Yao Yujia’s ears turned hot, and she stamped her foot, shyly calling out, “I’m hanging up, I’m driving back. I’ll be waiting for the good news that you’ve captured the great CEO Gu!”

After the call ended, Yao Xinzhu’s smile slowly faded, and looking at the thick stack of reports about Huo Sining on the table, a cold smile crept into her eyes.