Time passed second by second, and Ye Chen was the first to put down his brush.

After a short while, Zhu Shengkang also put down his pen.

"Help the two professors hang up their paintings."

Dean Qin gave the order.

Several staff members from the art academy hung Ye Chen and Zhu Shengkang up.

In an instant, countless students gathered around, staring wide-eyed at what was happening ahead.

Ye Chen's landscape painting was magnificent and imposing, with majestic and powerful peaks leaping off the paper.

Although Ye Chen's landscape paintings only used ink and no other pigments, the grandeur and unique beauty of traditional Chinese painting are irreplaceable by other painting methods.

Looking at Zhu Shengkang's oil paintings, it's clear that he used at least eight or nine different paints. Moreover, Zhu Shengkang's painting is extremely abstract, or rather, "outrageously ugly."

It's hard to imagine that a "professor's" paintings could be so ugly.

"Looking at this painting, I can't help but think of a very popular song from the past."

A boy stared intently at Zhu Shengkang's painting and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

What song?

"The Ugly Monster"

"What's ugly about it? I think Professor Zhu's paintings are true art, true beauty."

"You people have absolutely no sense of aesthetics. Giving unsolicited advice is an insult to Professor Zhu."

"Exactly! What is Professor Ye painting? It's low-class beauty. How can it compare to our Professor Zhu's?"

Students from the North American Academy of Tsinghua University spoke out in defense of Zhu Shengkang, even though many of them also thought his paintings were ugly and outrageous.

But Zhu Shengkang represents their school, and as members of Tsinghua University's North America Institute, they naturally have to defend him.

Hearing these people clamoring, the students who supported Ye Chen immediately retorted.

"What? Professor Zhu's painting uses the word 'abstract'? That's an insult to abstraction. Ugly is ugly."

"This is the ugliest painting I've ever seen. How dare you brag about it?"

"You guys have incredibly thick skin."

"Moreover, what is the person that Professor Zhu drew? Why do our people have to have small, squinty eyes? I haven't seen many people who look like that in real life."

Another student pointed out another major problem with Zhu Shengkang's paintings: in this painting, and in all of Zhu Shengkang's other paintings, all the Chinese people depicted have squinty eyes, without exception.

It's ridiculously ugly; how many people in real life look like this?

Zhu Shengkang's work is entirely designed to cater to Westerners' stereotypes about Chinese people; he simply wants to please Westerners.

Zhu Shengkang has truly internalized the "worship of foreign things and fawning on foreigners" mentality.

Even after hearing this accusation, the people from Tsinghua University's North American College remained defiant.

The two groups argued incessantly, and a leader from Tsinghua University's North America Institute suggested:

"Dean Qin, why don't we invite more students to give their evaluations? We have too few students right now, it's hard to determine a winner."

"good."

Dean Qin agreed.

"Dean Qin, please invite more international students. Many people in China can't appreciate this painting of mine; they don't have the skill."

Seeing that Dean Qin was about to take action, Zhu Shengkang added that it was essential to send international students.

"good."

Dean Qin was growing increasingly disgusted with Zhu Shengkang, but as the master of the house, he couldn't say anything.

Under Dean Qin's arrangement, another thirty or forty students arrived, a large portion of whom were international students.

Upon realizing this, Zhu Shengkang wore a triumphant smile.

Now, his own painting will definitely be the most popular, completely overshadowing Ye Chen's.

Zhu Shengkang stood there with the air of a victor.

"Let's all give our opinions on these two paintings."

Dean Qin spoke to the newly arrived students in both Chinese and English.

The thirty or forty newly arrived students began to study it carefully.

"What is this oil painting? How can it be so ugly? This landscape painting is much better."

"I also support this landscape painting."

"This...traditional Chinese painting...is very good..."

After a closer look, many people said that Ye Chen's painting was better, and even some international students said so.

Are you sure?

Upon discovering that even the international students were siding with Ye Chen, Zhu Shengkang couldn't sit still any longer, so he immediately stepped forward to explain.

“Look closely, there’s a piece of mine that’s very similar to this oil painting, and it won an international award.”

"Exactly, are there any problems with your eyes?"

Dai Irwin chimed in, feeling that these people couldn't appreciate their master's refined creations.

“My grandfather was also an internationally renowned oil painting master, and I have admired many oil paintings.”

"Is this what you call an oil painting? This is an 'ugly painting.' Real oil paintings are also elegant, but you are just being ugly for the sake of being ugly. You are simply defiling oil painting."

At this moment, a Western student rebuked Zhu Shengkang mercilessly in fluent Chinese.

"Agreed."

"That's absolutely right."

Other international students echoed this sentiment.

They all love oil painting, and many of them are studying it.

But the oil painting in front of me no longer deserves to be called an oil painting; it's a complete "ugly painting."

More and more international students are coming out to criticize Zhu Shengkang.

Zhu Shengkang was completely humiliated.

"You all don't understand art. You're all ordinary people, not masters. You have no right to judge my paintings!"

Zhu Shengkang, abandoning all pretense, stubbornly retorted.

Before Zhu Shengkang could finish speaking, a sudden voice came from not far away.

"Master, who says we don't have any masters among us?!"

Ye Chen slowly stepped forward.

Excuse me, but he is a master!

"Master, you?"

Zhu Shengkang pointed at Ye Chen with a sneer on his face; he didn't believe Ye Chen's words at all.

Zhu Shengkang arrogantly questioned Ye Chen:

"Didn't you say you were a master? Tell me, what kind of master are you, and what impressive status do you have?"