Chapter 13: A Tremendous Surprise

In the evening, Xiao Ran carried the statue of Aphrodite and knocked on Elaine’s door.

To avoid drawing attention, he had placed the statue in a shoebox, so no one else could see it and be tempted or curious.

As for Elaine, he felt relatively at ease and had no choice but to ask this beauty for help.

The door opened, and Elaine appeared inside, wearing a Bohemian-style gauzy dress.

The moment he saw her, Xiao Ran’s mind quickly flashed back to the sensual image he had seen earlier.

Thinking of that breathtaking scene of the beautiful woman bathing, his face flushed with embarrassment.

He shook his head gently, hastily banishing those improper thoughts from his mind.

“Good evening, Elaine. Are you free now?”

“I have something I need help with. Would that be possible?”

Elaine looked at him in surprise, then nodded.

“I’m free now, Sean. What’s the matter? Come in.”

She invited Xiao Ran into the apartment.

Once inside the living room, Xiao Ran placed the shoebox on the coffee table and got straight to the point.

“Elaine, I remember you mentioned your parents work at the Louvre, and your father is in the sculpture department.”

“If possible, could you contact them? I’d like them to help authenticate a sculpture.”

“Of course, I’ll pay the appraisal fee according to the rules.”

Elaine paused, then curiously said, “You have a sculpture that needs authenticating? May I have a look?”

“I can contact my parents to help with the appraisal; you can discuss the fee with them.”

Xiao Ran nodded immediately.

“No problem. Take a look at this sculpture first.”

“Maybe you can identify its origin and value yourself, so we won’t have to trouble your parents.”

Saying this, Xiao Ran opened the shoebox and took out the Aphrodite statue inside.

Elaine was stunned the moment she saw the goddess statue.

Then a flash of delight and a hint of enchantment crossed her face.

“This is the statue of Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty. It’s absolutely stunning!”

“Sean, could you tell me how you came by this marble sculpture?”

“If I’m not mistaken, this should be a top-tier artwork.”

Because her parents worked at the Louvre, Elaine had been able to freely enter the museum since childhood, viewing countless top-grade antiques and artworks.

Coupled with her parents’ careful guidance and constant exposure, she had developed a keen eye for appraisal.

At the instant she saw the goddess statue, she had already drawn her conclusion.

This was undoubtedly a masterpiece—only the sculptor’s identity remained unknown.

Hearing this, Xiao Ran smiled with pride.

He then began to explain the situation.

“Today, I attended a lost luggage auction at the airport and bought a common plaster Venus statue.”

“When I was organizing my things, I accidentally broke that Venus statue and discovered this Aphrodite statue inside.”

“This Aphrodite was hidden within the plaster Venus—an ancient Greek goddess concealed within the body of an ancient Roman goddess. Quite fascinating!”

“Ah!”

Elaine gasped, frozen for a moment.

After a brief pause, she recovered.

“Incredible! Such things really exist?”

“Sean, you’re unbelievably lucky. Why can’t I ever come across such fortune?”

Xiao Ran shrugged smugly.

“I find it unbelievable too, but it really happened—couldn’t be more real!”

Elaine then leaned in to examine the sculpture carefully.

When she picked it up and saw the two ornate French letters ‘EB’ inscribed at the base, she suddenly froze.

“Oh my God! Could this be the work of the modern sculptor Bourdelle?”

Elaine exclaimed, her face glowing with ecstatic joy.

Xiao Ran, though not very familiar with Western sculpture, also recognized the name Bourdelle.

He was one of the three most famous European modern sculptors, on par with the renowned Rodin, and one of Rodin’s most outstanding students.

If this goddess statue was truly Bourdelle’s work, it would definitely be a masterpiece.

Before Xiao Ran could respond, Elaine pulled out her phone.

“Sean, I’m calling my parents right now. They’ll definitely recognize the origin and value of this goddess statue.”

She began dialing immediately.

Moments later, the call connected.

Elaine spoke excitedly in French, explaining the situation.

Though Xiao Ran didn’t understand French, he could hear the delighted exclamations filled with surprise from the phone.

After quickly briefing them, Elaine turned to Xiao Ran.

“Sean, Pierre wants to start a video call to authenticate this goddess statue. Are you willing?”

“He says it’s probably the beloved piece by the sculptor Bourdelle, lost for nearly a century, and it’s unexpected to find it here in Los Angeles.”

Such good fortune—how could Xiao Ran refuse?

“Of course, I’d love to meet your father.”

“Great, I’ll start the video now.”

Elaine nodded and began operating her phone.

Soon, a man in his fifties appeared on screen—a white man with a scholarly demeanor.

Elaine introduced both sides.

This was Pierre, Elaine’s father, an expert in antique art appraisal at the Louvre’s sculpture department.

After introductions, Elaine directed the camera toward the goddess statue on the coffee table.

Pierre was momentarily stunned upon seeing the statue, then exclaimed with excitement.

“Undoubtedly, this is the goddess Aphrodite sculpture created by Bourdelle—genuine without a doubt!”

“This statue was made in the early twentieth century, when Bourdelle had just left Rodin to embark on his own artistic journey, becoming a top sculptor!”

“I recognized it because it was Bourdelle’s prized possession, kept in his study for years and featured in numerous documents.”

Hearing this, Xiao Ran clenched his fist in excitement but restrained himself from shouting.

If this was a verifiable masterpiece and a treasured item of a top sculptor, its value must be astonishing.

If auctioned publicly, it could fetch an astronomical price.

That meant he could become rich overnight and perhaps achieve financial freedom early.

This thought filled Xiao Ran with overwhelming joy.

Pierre continued animatedly on the video call.

“The marble used is the finest Greek Parian marble, sourced from a fragmented ancient Greek sculpture, long extinct and impossible to counterfeit.”

“After Bourdelle’s death in 1929, this statue mysteriously disappeared. There were even rumors he buried it with him.”

“But who would have thought it would turn up in Los Angeles, hidden inside an ordinary Venus statue? Simply unbelievable!”

“Sean, you’re truly a lucky guy. Could you show me pictures or videos of that Venus statue?”

Xiao Ran nodded at once.

“Of course, Pierre.”

“I not only have pictures of the Venus statue but also videos from the auction and the moment I discovered the Aphrodite inside.”

He then sent all the files to Pierre.

He had prepared and edited them carefully, providing detailed evidence without revealing his secret.

This way, there were now two witnesses to his extraordinary discovery.

Even if anyone investigated later, they would only attribute it to his incredible luck.

Upon receiving the images and videos, Pierre immediately began examining them.

As he watched, the expert grew more and more excited, even gesturing enthusiastically.

In just five or six minutes, he completed the appraisal.

The result was unquestionable!

“Sean, I can be absolutely certain this is the beloved Aphrodite sculpture by Bourdelle—a top-tier masterpiece.”

“Your luck is beyond belief to discover such a treasure; it’s utterly astonishing!”

“I’d like to ask, do you plan to keep this goddess statue or sell it? If you sell, the Louvre might consider purchasing it.”

“Ah!”

Xiao Ran gasped, momentarily stunned.

Then he came to his senses but didn’t answer the question.

“Pierre, I want to ask—if this goddess statue is auctioned, what price might it fetch? What’s its value?”

This time Pierre was taken aback; he hadn’t expected such a direct question.

After a moment’s thought, he gave his answer.

“Given current market conditions and that it’s Bourdelle’s beloved piece, its value should be around ten million dollars.”

“Unfortunately, it’s quite small. If it were a large sculpture, it would be priceless!”

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Ran’s phone suddenly rang, accompanied by a beautiful melody.