Douglas never intended to go along with it, but Lily’s overpowering personality left him with little choice but to acquiesce to her antics.

The guests, however, were far from shocked. As Lily revealed the value of each gift, they quickly assessed how their former classmates were faring since graduation. After all, comparison and envy are ingrained in human nature.

With that, Lily kicked off the announcements.

“Thank you, Jack Brown, for your generous one thousand dollars!”

“Thank you, Bella Walsh, for the pair of gold ingots!”

“Thank you, Ola Rivers, for the lovely vase!”

“Thank you, Clinton Tucker, for your astounding ten thousand dollars!”

The initial gifts—whether cash or tangible items—were mostly valued around one thousand dollars. But when it came to Clinton’s turn, his hefty ten thousand dollar donation sent a ripple of astonishment through the restaurant.

Ten thousand dollars was no small sum for an opening ceremony!

Many attendees gazed at Clinton in awe, praising his generosity.

A smug expression settled on Clinton’s face, as he basked in the admiration of his old classmates.

Then Lily continued, “Thank you, Charlie and Claire, for the old painting!”

Sinister laughter erupted across the main hall in response to her announcement!

Old painting? Was it even worth a hundred dollars?

Those two seemed rather stingy, didn’t they? Douglas had organized a lavish banquet for both the opening ceremony and class reunion, costing hundreds per person. How could they show up with just an old painting? Such shamelessness was astonishing!

Clinton couldn’t help but sneer. “Charlie, you can afford a BMW 520 and its modifications, yet you bring such a shabby gift on your old friend’s big day?”

Charlie offered a faint smile. “You don’t even know the painting’s history. How can you call it shabby?”

“Don’t think I’m oblivious. You’ve probably bought something fake and shoddy to pass off as valuable so we can’t figure out its true worth!”

He continued, “So, how much did that old painting actually cost you? One hundred? Or eighty dollars?”

Charlie maintained his calm demeanor. “The painting is worth more than all the gifts combined today!”

“Hahahaha!” Clinton laughed mockingly. “Did you rehearse that bragging line before coming here? I donated ten thousand dollars, and with around twenty classmates present, if they each gave Douglas one thousand dollars, that would total over twenty thousand! Are you seriously claiming that the painting is worth more than thirty thousand?”

“It’s worth even more than that.”

“Hahaha!”

Suddenly, uproarious laughter filled the restaurant.

Everyone thought Charlie was being ridiculous and pretentious!

How dare he flaunt the value of that painting, especially in front of everyone? An old painting worth tens of thousands? Was he trying to pull a fast one on them?

Lily, standing on the stage, was both annoyed and intrigued by Charlie’s bold claim. She asked, “Mr. Charlie, who is the artist behind this supposedly valuable painting?”

Charlie replied in a monotone, “A painter from the Dutch Golden Age, not particularly well-known.”

Lily chuckled, “What a coincidence! My father is a well-respected cultural relic appraiser named Lawson Lewis, who is quite knowledgeable about antiques. I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”

Loreen gasped in surprise, “Lawson Lewis? The Lawson Lewis, the antique expert? I saw him on TV! He’s your father?”

Lily beamed, “Yes, he is my father. He’s upstairs right now. Why don’t I invite him down to appraise this ancient painting that Charlie has gifted us?”

Clinton stood up and exclaimed, “Yes, please! Lily, bring your father down and let him evaluate the painting. If it truly is worth more than all the gifts combined today, I, Clinton Tucker, will eat this table right here!”