-The Internet Never Sleeps

Jonathan Pierce, normally composed and refined, took a deep breath and rubbed his face, still trying to wrap his head around what he had just seen.

Then, without hesitation, he pulled out his phone.

"Lex," he said, his voice still carrying awe and disbelief. "I need a photo. I need something to show my grandkids when I tell them I stood in this room."

Jason snorted. "Look at you, turning into a fanboy."

Jonathan ignored him.

Lex, smirking, tilted his head. "You sure? Thought you appraiser types preferred to keep things discreet."

Jonathan exhaled. "Screw discretion. This is history."

Lex shrugged. "Alright." He took a step next to Jonathan, standing in front of a row of Mei Lei's most intricate works. Jonathan lifted his phone, angled the shot—

Click.

He stared at the screen, shaking his head with a mix of excitement and disbelief.

"Unreal."

Noah, still holding his documentary camera, grinned. "If we're taking pictures, might as well take it further. Latham, let's put this on social."

Lex raised an eyebrow. "Absolutely not."

Noah smirked. "**Come on. A teaser. Just one shot. You're sitting on three documentaries right now—**might as well start building hype."

Lex leaned against the bookshelf, amused. "We're at three documentaries?"

Noah held up three fingers. "One for the lost jazz archives, one for the modern art empire, and now this." He gestured around the room. "This isn't just a collection. It's a legacy."

Jason folded his arms. "Damn. He's right. You could drop a teaser now, let people go crazy speculating."

Lex thought for a moment. Then, smirking, he turned to Noah.

"Fine. One photo. But no captions. Let's see how long it takes the world to realize what they're looking at."

Noah's grin widened. "Now that's a game I want to watch."

Click.

And just like that, history had its first glimpse.

Jonathan barely had a chance to put his phone down after posting before it buzzed. He sighed, already knowing who it was.

He answered smoothly. "Jonathan Pierce."

Nataline Zhang's voice came through, calm, direct, and unmistakably determined.

"Jonathan, we need a number."

Jonathan arched an eyebrow. "A number?"

"For the Ling Jun piece in the photo," Nat clarified. "Dad needs it to complete his Ling Jun wall."

Jason choked on air. "This guy has a whole-ass wall?"

"And grandma wants a Mei Lei piece," Nat said smoothly. "She's not picky. She just wants one."

Jonathan sighed, glancing at Lex, who was smirking.

"Lex says hi," Jonathan relayed.

There was a slight pause before Nat chuckled softly. "Of course, he's there."

Jonathan pinched the bridge of his nose. "And I assume you want an official valuation before I send a figure?"

"No need," Nat replied. "Dad and Mom will pay what it's worth. Just get us a number."

Jonathan turned back to Lex. "Are we giving them a number?"

Lex exhaled, glancing at the walls lined with his old work. His voice was casual—like he wasn't talking about works worth millions.

"Yeah. I'll give them a number."

Jonathan relayed the message.

Nat hummed, pleased. "Perfect. I'll be waiting."

The call ended.

Jason, still recovering from the 'Ling Jun wall' revelation, muttered, "Latham, do you ever get tired of casually selling history?"

Lex smirked. "Nope."

Jonathan lowered his phone, still shaking his head. "Lex, do you have any idea how many collectors would kill for a direct line to Ling Jun?"

Lex smirked, completely unbothered. "Which is exactly why they're not getting one."

Jonathan exhaled. "So you're willing to sell?"

Lex leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "I'm open to selling some of my work and a few pieces of my grandmother's. But I need to check with my mother first."

Jonathan nodded. "Understandable. Mei Lei's work is considered cultural heritage. If it gets into the wrong hands, it could cause… problems."

Jason, sitting on the edge of a crate, snorted. "Yeah, because we wouldn't want Latham accidentally starting an international bidding war."

Lex chuckled. "Already ahead of you." He tapped his fingers against the desk, eyes scanning the paintings on the wall.

"You know what's funny?" Lex mused. "Most of my work? Practice pieces. Grandma never let me stop painting. We have a hundred for every day she lived with us. I painted from the time I was three to twelve."

Jonathan nearly dropped his pen. "Three? You were painting like this at three?"

Lex smirked. "More like scribbling. But when you scribble under Mei Lei, people call it genius."

Jason groaned. "Latham. You don't just wake up with accidental artistic talent."

Lex shrugged. "Tell that to my grandma."

Jonathan rubbed his temple. "Lex, if you don't want the public to know you're Ling Jun, you're going to need a plan. If even one collector suspects the truth, it's over."

Lex nodded. "That's why we control the sales. We filter buyers, limit supply, and keep everything private."

Jonathan sighed, closing his ledger. "I swear, if you weren't already running a financial empire, you could've built an art dynasty."

Lex smirked. "Who says I'm not?"

It was the truth. Lex was formulating a plan that could work.