British writer

Three days later.

Palace Street, Lu Family Museum.

Lambert, the director of the Whitechapel Art Museum, came again and asked the security personnel at the gate to intercede.

"Please let me in, please."

The security personnel remained unmoved and kept saying one word:

"Tickets."

Lambert was speechless.

During this period, he came every day, his lips were almost bleeding, and he couldn't get in.

Not to mention buying paintings.

At this time, a chuckle came from beside me,

"Ji Lei, are you here again?"

Veins popped out on Lambert's forehead;

Without turning around, he could tell that the man making the sarcastic comment was Henry Tate, the founder of the National Gallery of Art.

But Tate is a conspicuous person. Seeing that Lambert ignored him, he still paced over.

"Ji Ray, did you get the ticket?"

Lambert: "..."

The museum is in trial operation, with 800 tickets available every day, some of which are not for sale to the public.

You can't buy it at all!

The smile on Tate's face grew wider,

"Buy tickets~ Just spend some money, as much as you want~"

Lambert said nothing.

He knew that Tate must have purchased it from someone else at a high price.

Rich people can do this,

The small gate and small temple at Whitechapel Art Museum don't have the capital for such trouble.

Lambert countered: "Have you bought any paintings in the past few days? Didn't you even get that statue that you disdained?"

This is undoubtedly a satire.

Tate now knows that the statue was designed by Monet, and of course the museum cannot sell it.

He coughed lightly,

"Forget it, I won't tell you this. I'd better go in first."

As he spoke, he deliberately shook the tickets in his hand.

Lambert was left speechless again.

In the face of absolute strength, all words are in vain.

Tate strutted over to check the ticket.

Just then, Paul Gauguin appeared,

He walked slowly to the gate and said to the security personnel: "Please go in and let me know. Someone wants to exchange a painting with the curator."

This request is too strange.

In an instant, everyone else's attention was drawn.

The security personnel looked Gauguin up and down.

Seeing that this uncle was dressed very simply, I didn’t know what to do with him.

Lambert stepped forward and whispered: "This is Mr. Paul Gauguin, a very famous painter."

The security personnel were surprised.

I have never heard of the other party's name.

Gauguin's early paintings can still be sold at high prices.

But after living in Tahiti, his painting style changed drastically, and as he stayed away from the circle, he was gradually forgotten by people.

Especially the auction of works in 1885 had a tragic ending, which caused Gauguin to fall into poverty, disappointment, exhaustion and serious spiritual shock. He even attempted suicide by taking poison, which was extremely painful.

Lambert scratched his head and had no choice but to use his own identity to endorse Gauguin.

"I am the director of Whitechapel Art Gallery. Please trust my judgment."

Only then did the security personnel enter the house.

Not long after, he came back and invited Gauguin in, and by the way Lambert too.

Lambert turned back and grinned at Tate.

Tate: "!@#￥%..."

Spoken gibberish.

Gauguin and Lambert entered the museum and went straight to the gallery.

Lu Shi and Picasso were already waiting,

They shook hands in turn.

Gauguin was not a person who liked nonsense. He skipped the pleasantries and directly took off the paintings he was carrying.

"Sir Lu, Mr. Picasso, I'm really sorry. The value of my current works is not high, far less than what it was twenty years ago. Moreover, I have put most of my energy into the creation of giant oil paintings, so... "

As he spoke, he slowly lifted the cloth covering the picture frame.

Lu Shi was stunned.

The painting in front of me is called "Two Tahitian Women", which depicts the working life scenes of women on the island of Tahiti.

In the picture, the two girls stand in front of the dark green shade of the tree, bathing in the sun, which makes the already rich color relationship even more bright and bright.

There is no doubt that this is an immortal masterpiece.

only……

"Why didn't this painting sell?"

Lu Shi was very surprised.

Gaoguang looked at him curiously, because Lu Shi's tone sounded like he knew when the painting was created and sold.

Lu Shi also realized his speech problem,

"I mean, this painting wasn't sold in Paris?"

Gauguin helplessly spread his hands,

"I had originally made an appointment with George to complete the deal in Burgundy. Later, when he heard that Mr. Monet was going to illustrate a novel, he let me go and went to Paris to join in the fun."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Lu in a daze, and then added: "George is the avant-garde painter George Monfried."

Lu Shi: "..."

Unexpectedly, it was because of myself again.

He pondered for a moment and said: "Mr. Gauguin, I can buy this painting at a high price."

Gauguin knew that Lu Shi could definitely give him an irresistible figure, so he could use cash to buy Picasso's works and still have a balance.

But as the prototype of "The Moon and Sixpence", Gauguin had his own persistence.

He waved his hand,

"Thank you Sir Lu for your kindness."

As he spoke, his eyes fell on the surrounding works and he admired them: "The exchange of paintings is a mutual recognition between painters."

The implication is,

He recognized Picasso, but he didn't know whether Picasso recognized him.

Picasso said "Uh..."

In fact, Cubism greatly negated the previous classical law of proportion and the Impressionist law of nature, and was definitely at odds with Gauguin's works.

But in addition to being a painter, Picasso was also a businessman who knew how to speculate.

Trading with Gauguin is not a loss no matter how you look at it.

Picasso said: "Of course, of course."

He walked to a painting,

"What do you think of this "Crying Girl"?"

Gauguin followed and leaned on the glass to observe carefully. The breath he exhaled even formed a mist on the glass.

He wiped the glass clean with his sleeve, his eyes full of love,

"This painting is very good."

Picasso nodded,

"Then choose it. However, Mr. Gauguin, taking away this painting means that the museum will have one less exhibit, so I want to put "Two Tahitian Women" here temporarily. Your work should also be It’s such an honor.”

This was a favor from Lu Shi.

Gao He said, "That painting already belongs to you. I have no right to say what to do with it."

Lu Shi immediately ordered someone to take out "The Crying Girl" and replace it with "Two Tahitian Women". At the same time, he murmured in his heart,

I have it here:

Monet, Picasso, Mondrian, Kandinsky, Gauguin...

If you put it in modern times, you would never dare to think about it.

Gauguin exhaled a sigh of contentment,

He didn't like small talk, so he only chatted with Picasso about his creative ideas, and then simply left.

Watching his back, Picasso turned to Lambert,

"Are you the director of Whitechapel Art Gallery?"

Lambert nodded repeatedly,

"That's right! Mr. Picasso, I have always admired your works. I also made clippings of the comic pages of "Mirror" and displayed them in the art museum. It's a pity that there is a missing piece that will be the treasure of the museum."

The tone was full of sincerity and earnestness.

How could Picasso not understand?

He smiled "kindly\

,""Mr. Lambert, I want to thank you for bringing Mr. Gauguin in. In fact, I have already thought about the price of the painting just now, but..."

At this point, a big gasp came out.

"Gu..."

Lambert swallowed.

Picasso did not continue to say,

"Hahaha! Why are you thinking about that? As Mr. Gauguin said, 'The exchange of paintings is the mutual recognition between painters.' The fact that the painting fell into the hands of Mr. Gauguin is far more fortunate than the high price it sold for. "

Lambert's mentality collapsed.

My heart said,

I beg you! Just sell it!

How about I give you a quick knock?

He said cautiously, "Mr. Picasso, what are you prepared to pay for that painting... I mean, if there is no exchange, how much are you prepared to pay for it?"

Picasso replied: "1,300 pounds."

Lambert's eyes widened instantly,

1,570 pounds is the upper limit that the Whitechapel Art Museum can afford. Now it is 270 pounds less, and it even feels like a small profit.

Picasso continued: "Actually, this price is a bit low."

As soon as these words came out, Lambert's heart began to sink.

His expression was also a little gloomy,

"You're right. 1,300 pounds is indeed low. Perhaps, 1,500 pounds is more appropriate?"

They all started to take the initiative to make quotations.

Lu Shi watched from the side and shook his head.

If we don't say that Picasso is a scumbag, this pulling and pulling method has reached the level of perfection.

One word makes you happy;

One sentence makes you sad again.

Seeing that the curator was deceived, he was already lame.

Picasso spread his hands,

"It's not a matter of money. Mr. Lambert, if I sell the painting, what other works can be displayed in the museum's gallery? So, I sell it at a low price, hoping that the buyer will agree to keep the painting here until the time comes. Trial operation is over.”

To put it simply, you can’t pay and deliver in one hand, so it will be cheaper.

Lambert praised: "Mr. Picasso promised Sir Lu and kept his promise. He is really in the spirit of contract. 1,300 pounds is indeed too low."

Brother has already started to PUA himself.

Picasso was overjoyed;

"can you accept?"

Lambert nodded,

"Of course. I can write you a check today. Whichever painting you can sell me... no matter which painting, I can accept."

Picasso quickly waved and ordered someone to put up a sign in front of "Singer and Guitarist".

Then he wrote above:

——

Sold.

The work currently belongs to Whitechapel Art Gallery.

——

Seeing those two lines of words, Lambert felt extremely happy.

Thought,

If that copperhead Tate saw it, he would be so angry that his nose would smoke.

Picasso was also very happy,

After hard work, I am finally no longer just a cartoonist.

Not to mention Lu Shi...

Everyone has a bright future.

Picasso came close to Lu Shi and whispered: "Now let's see, can we let those art dealers and museum directors enter?"

Lu Shi also felt that the water temperature was about the same, and told the other party: "Act according to the plan."

After saying that, he entered the manuscript exhibition hall.

He asked the security personnel to let in the collector who was waiting outside.

In an instant, people poured in like a tide.

When passing by Lu Shi, the sound of discussion came,

"Lambert of Whitechapel seems to have gone in."

"Are you talking about Gire? Could it be that he persuaded Mr. Picasso to buy the painting?"

"Hiss... Jirei can afford it, so we can even more!"

"No, I must get one!"

…

They burst into the gallery,

Some people even didn't care if their shoes were stepped on, and they kicked the holes in their socks and rushed in.

Soon, exclamations came from inside,

“I actually bought it!”

Lu Shi curled his lips and followed into the gallery.

I saw everyone gathered around Lambert, showing all kinds of courtesy, asking him how he got it and how much he paid.

Picasso walked among the crowd,

"First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Lambert for his support of my work. I would also like to thank him even more for being able to accept such harsh transaction conditions. To be honest, I myself feel that the business is not that negotiable, and is a bit like overlord terms."

Hearing this, the art dealers couldn't help but look puzzled.

Lambert waved his hand,

"Mr. Picasso values ​​integrity, so what does my small loss mean? Besides, you have already given up the profits, and you have nothing to apologize for."

Everyone started whispering,

Finally, someone couldn't help but ask: "Giray, how much did you pay for this painting "Singer and Guitarist"?"

Lambert snorted lightly and did not answer.

How can the person who asked the question not understand?

He quickly changed his words: "It doesn't matter if you don't want to give specific numbers. You can give a rough range."

Lambert looked at Picasso,

Picasso shrugged,

"Art is not a commercial investment, so there are no trade secrets. It's up to you."

Apart from being "correct", everything else is wrong.

Of course, Lambert couldn't tell the truth. He pondered for a moment and said, "It's less than 2,000 pounds."

I say this to raise the price.

For a moment, the gallery fell into silence.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere is very strange.

Even Picasso was a little panicked and complained in his heart that Lambert was unreliable.

As a result, I don’t know who said:

"so cheap?"

These words revived everyone,

"Yeah, 2,000 pounds, much less than I thought."

"I have enough cash in my suitcase."

"Tsk... It seems we are going to compete."

…

Lu Shi was confused,

Are all collectors that rich?

We knew that artworks were extremely profitable, but who could have imagined such huge profits.

Even Monet, in the early 20th century, the price of a painting would never reach 5,000 pounds, excluding the special case of "Galaxy Water Lilies".

Picasso's starting point is not a low one.

Someone else at the scene said: "You all should wake up. Just now, Mr. Picasso said the 'overlord clause', have you forgotten?"

Like a basin of cold water being poured down, the atmosphere at the scene cooled down a bit.

Picasso saluted everyone around him and said: "I was just about to say this. Dear friends, you should know that I borrowed Sir Lu's museum to hold a painting exhibition. Therefore, during the trial operation period, I must not sell paintings."

Everyone present nodded.

Picasso's paintings are popular but he did not burn bridges.

It's admirable to value love and justice so much.

Picasso spread his hands,

"I think everyone is not used to paying money first and picking up the goods a few weeks later, right? So I..."

Before the words fell,

"I can accept!"

Tate, the founder of the National Gallery of Art, squeezed through the crowd, took out his checkbook from his arms, and said: "Mr. Picasso, I have chosen 7 paintings. Please give me your price."

As he spoke, he pointed at the works he wanted to acquire.

Picasso shook his head,

"Sorry, I can only sell you one...er...two paintings. You can buy one of my paintings. You just clicked on Piet Cornelis Mondrian's "The Gray Castle", then The prints are also for sale.”

The scene fell silent,

Then, everyone burst into laughter.

I’ve long been unhappy with Tate’s behavior of using money to throw money at works of art, but now it’s a piece of cake, right?

So cool!

Tate's face was as black as ink and he asked: "Why?"

Before Picasso could answer, someone asked: "Why else? Mr. Picasso is an artist, and speculators like you don't like it. If someone can reward you with a painting, it's a huge honor!"

Suddenly, the crowd burst into even louder laughter.

Tate said: "I'm not a speculator! I have an art gallery too!"

Lambert stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.

"Art museum, it depends on who you compare it with. Ordinary families don't have collections, so your building is considered an art museum; but if you compare it with the Lu Museum? Your art museum is just a thatched house."

Tate: "..."

He really couldn't refute what the other party said.

The Lu Museum may become London’s second only to the British Museum in the future.

Lambert chuckled,

I felt even better.

Picasso cleared his throat, drew everyone's attention to himself, and said: "Gentlemen, as everyone knows, I used to make money by drawing comics. Therefore, I have no objection to art investment or even speculation. Making money is not a problem. Mixed."

Tate's face immediately brightened,

"Huh~"

He exhaled a thick breath.

Being surrendered by a scumbag is like riding a roller coaster, that's it.

Picasso continued: "Actually, what I think is very simple, just for the dissemination of art."

He pointed at the crowd,

"We are from all over Europe. I hope that each of you can buy a painting and promote my artistic ideas. Of course, I still hope that you will not bully me. Please give a reasonable quotation."

Those present understood immediately.

Cubism is a completely new school of painting, unprecedented.

As its founder, Picasso certainly hopes that it will spread and be accepted by the world.

It would not be good if all Cubist works were monopolized by one museum.

Tate said: "Mr. Picasso thought carefully. In this way, I also selected a painting from the National Gallery of Art and sold it to the Lu Museum at the cost price."

In an instant, the pattern opened up.

Everyone else at the scene responded.

Tate snorted coldly, looked at Lambert sideways, and said, "What? The Whitechapel Art Museum was the first to buy Mr. Picasso's paintings, doesn't that mean it's a sign of appreciation?"

Lambert's head is full of black lines,

￣□￣｜｜

He knows best the quality of the exhibits in the Whitechapel Art Gallery.

Brought it to Lu Shi to make people laugh.

After retaliating verbally, Tate felt much better. He patted the other party on the shoulder and said, "Girray, do a good job. The Whitechapel Art Museum is in a good location, and there will definitely be more and more masterpieces."

Lambert: "What the hell! @* # ￥%..."

Spoken gibberish.

Lu Shi saw the atmosphere at the scene and knew that the gallery's paintings had no worries about selling.

So, he nodded to Picasso and mouthed: "I'll leave this to you."

After saying that, he entered the manuscript exhibition hall.

It's always the same here,

Most people gathered in front of the original manuscript of "Lolita" and worked hard to record it.

Natsume Soseki is also there,

When he saw Lu, he walked over and whispered: "Lu, the dispute between you and Ms. Pankhurst a few days ago has been reported."

To avoid suspicion, the Mirror did not report in detail.

The article, which is about the size of a piece of tofu, talks about the third place in "The 20 Greatest Britons", Pankhurst, who was detained for 10 days for making fake tickets.

Lu Shi smiled,

"I was wondering why other newspapers were so slow. There was no movement for several days."

Natsume Soseki said helplessly: "I can't help it. You talked a lot about writing techniques that day, and most people can't summarize it into an article that can be published in a newspaper."

As he spoke, he took out a copy of The Times from his pocket.

"Here are my mentor's contributions."

"Professor Smith?"

Lu Shi took the newspaper and read roughly a paragraph.

——

The novel describes Lolita entirely from the perspective of the protagonist Humbert.

Like him, the reader cannot get a glimpse into Lolita's heart.

As Humbert admits at the end, he actually knows nothing about Lolita.

…

——

Summarized very well.

Lu Shi read the whole article and commented: "Professor Smith wrote well. The only problem is that it is not very popular. But I can't blame him, because the book "Lolita" itself has some reading requirements and it is difficult to sell well. .”

Natsume Soseki didn't answer.

He seemed a little nervous and took out another article.

"Lu, there are more here."

Lu Shi took it and found that it was not a newspaper.

But because I had just read the article in The Times, and because it was handed over by Natsume Soseki, whom I trusted, I didn’t think much about it.

He began to read.

As a result, the first part of the article was outrageous.

——

Lu, a handsome young man.

He comes from far away China, so your first impression of him must be that his pupils are clear black and white, as if he can see through all falsehoods.

His childhood...

——

Lu Shi:? ? ?

Why is childhood even showing up?

While I was wondering, I suddenly noticed that the sentence "His pupils are clear black and white" was very oriental-style, and I immediately realized the problem.

He looked at Natsume Soseki,

"Did you write this?"

Natsume Soseki touched his nose awkwardly.

"Um...discovered."

Lu Shi: "..."

"Don't tell me that you are going to submit it to the Mirror."

Natsume Soseki waved his hand,

"How is that possible? I know, you want to avoid suspicion~"

A bad premonition arose in Lu Shi's heart.

He asked, "So, what is this?"

Natsume Soseki played with his mustache with his fingers uneasily and said, "This is my graduation thesis."

Lu Shi was instantly petrified,

His mouth opened wide and his jaw almost dropped to the ground.

"paper?"

Natsume Soseki quickly explained: "Don't worry, everything I wrote is true and verifiable, without any distortion, smear or slander. Moreover, this article was approved by Professor Smith, and it has a bright future."