Xiao Yifei arrived in the magic capital with a small team, including Xiao Yifei's lawyer Justin, as well as Nagao's vice president Leonard, a lawyer, and an appraisal team composed of 4 oil painting experts. With so many people, they must only stay in hotels.

After the jet lag, in a conference room of the hotel, Xiao Yifei went out of the oil painting tube and the first oil painting was Van Gogh's "Sunflowers".

After more than two hours of careful identification, these experts finally determined that the painting was genuine, at least they have not yet found any place to prove that it is a forgery. However, they also need to return to their home countries for the final machine appraisal, and if the machine identifies the materials of the oil painting and other materials that conform to the characteristics of the time at that time, then there is no problem with the oil painting. Their current estimate is more than 80 million euros, of course, this price will definitely be exceeded, and it is likely to be hundreds of millions, after all, a sunflower by Van Gogh in 87 sold for 40 million, and now there is absolutely no problem with doubling it.

Xiao Yifei took the oil painting tube, and wanted to roll up the sunflowers, but the appraisal experts couldn't see it, so he let him put it down, and carefully rolled up the sunflowers and put them into the oil painting tube.

Then he said to Leonard: "We have to go and buy the frame, and rolling it up like this is the biggest damage to it." ”

Leonard nodded and said to the only free lawyer, "I'll do it in the afternoon." ”

Xiao Yifei could only touch his nose and smile.

He took out another oil painttube, but the expert didn't dare to let him open it, and he took the initiative to grab the task. This is a pattern that Xiao Yifei doesn't like, first of all, the model looks weird, and the painter is not good at painting, and the background is even more messy.

An expert looked at it and said uncertainly: "Renoir's?" ”

This name is familiar to Xiao Yifei, a friend of Fontaine.

This Fontaine has a latour because of his name, so Pierre got a lot of his paintings, and he also got it because of the name. Morality. Latour, Xiao Yifei determined that there were two oil paintings in the space that belonged to this master based on other oil paintings of the master of light and shadow that he found, and fortunately, they were all in the pile of oil paintings he liked.

And this oil painting that was taken out, Xiao Yifei found a picture of the work on the Internet according to the name of the painter, and also suspected that this was Renoir's work, but this was indeed not the type he liked, and the price of his oil painting found on the Internet was low, so he took out this oil painting.

After more than an hour, the experts finally determined that it was indeed Renoir's work, with an estimate of 10 million euros.

After lunch, Xiao Yifei took out a painting again, this painting is true, Xiao Yifei didn't understand it at all, he didn't know how to describe it, if Xiao Yifei had to describe it, then he could only say that this was a mosaic for a painting, and the mosaic was relatively large, so that people couldn't see the face of the original painting.

However, as soon as it was taken out, an expert immediately exclaimed: "Monet? ”

Well, it's still a good friend of Fontaine, and it seems that Pierre did get a lot of paintings of Fontaine and his good friends.

In the end, this messy mosaic is estimated by experts to be 40 million. made Xiao Yifei's heart feel refreshed, so simple enough money to buy Monterena Winery.

The following oil painting, which is identified by experts as Sisley's, is estimated at 5 million.

Today's last painting Xiao Yifei can understand that it is a pond, with weeping willows and lotuses, but you can paint the pond well, and the result is more abstract than the freehand painting of Chinese painting, which is completely meaningless.

This time all the experts exclaimed at the same time: "Water lilies? "Monet again?"

Xiao Yifei was stunned, wouldn't it, Monet's again? Water liliesHe knew that Monet had painted a series of water lilies, which were said to be very expensive, but he didn't think that this painting was a pond, and he didn't think about water lilies at all?

An expert's appellation explains Xiao Yifei's question: "Water Lily Pond".

Well, it's finally on the edge of the pond. And the name is indeed similar to the information in the space.

In the end, experts estimated 70 million euros, of course, this is still a conservative estimate, give a minimum reference price, and then give a high reference price of 100 million. Xiao Yifei is too lazy to remember the high, he thinks that the high may not be able to reach it, so he only remembers the lowest.

Today's appraisal journey is finally over, the experts are very tired and happy, Xiao Yifei and Leonard are purely happy. And those two lawyers are purely soy sauce. They are only responsible for the completion of the appraisal of the oil paintings and the drafting of the consignment auction contract. And this kind of contract is a standard contract, and the two of them really came to the magic capital to travel.

For dinner, Xiao Yifei took the initiative to treat him to the hotel's Chinese restaurant. After the meal, Xiao Yifei said to Leonard:

"It is impossible for you to auction all the oil paintings that you have appraised, at least not this time. Therefore, for the sake of everyone's future cooperation, we must abide by the confidentiality agreement. ”

"Don't worry about this, we will definitely keep it secret."

Leonard knows this, he deliberately understands the mentality of the Chinese, and pays attention to the fact that wealth is not exposed, although he does not understand why this is so, but he must respect this, because Xiao Yifei is now a treasure trove for him.

Today, these oil paintings, take out a random pair, even if it is the cheapest, it can be used as the finale in a small auction, not to mention the sunflowers, even Manet's water lily pond is also the finale of the fine oil painting auction, and it is definitely impossible to release it at one time, so once Xiao Yifei feels that they have leaked secrets, he will definitely not cooperate with them. And he was just the vice president at the time, and he was still thinking about competing for the next leader after the retirement of the CEO of Nagao, maybe he could get some shares of Nagao.

Xiao Yifei selected 10 oil paintings from the works he didn't like this time, his original intention was that the sunflowers were 90 million, and the others were 10 million on average, so there would be 180 million yuan, which would be enough for him to buy the Monterrey winery, and after repairing and adding equipment, he could also leave considerable operating expenses.

Xiao Yifei looked at the paintings in the space, and he was suddenly a little reluctant to sell sunflowers. We all know that art retains its value, and the reason why there are so many private funds bidding at those auctions is because it retains its value. The reason why the Pierre family collects so many paintings in the space is because he retains his value.

Oil painting is a good thing to store value, the simplest example: Picasso's "Dream", which sold for $48 million in 1997. But in 2013, the painting changed hands for 150 million.

I sold them and exchanged them for money, but the money will depreciate, and these works of art will not. And because of the singularity of oil paintings, it is impossible for you to buy the same works to replace them. Now sunflowers must be easy to sell, maybe 150 million people will take it out without blinking, but when Xiao Yifei wants to buy it back, it will be difficult, even if people are willing to sell, the price may be able to increase several times.

And Monet's water lily pond is also a precious one, and last June, a pair of "Water Lily Pond" (waterLily Pond) (1919) sold for as much as $80 million. And, in November 1992, a pair of "Water Lilies" in New York sold for $12.1 million.

Since Monet now has two works, he really doesn't like the mosaics, so let's leave "Water Lily Pond" as a seed. Anyway, the lowest estimated price today has exceeded 200 million, but as soon as these two paintings are deducted, the estimated funds will become only a pitiful 50 million. Let's see tomorrow.

The next day, the first one was again Sisley's work, which experts estimated at 6 million.

When the second work was taken out, the experts didn't say anything, just frowned and stared at the painting, Leonard and Xiao Yifei were inexplicable.

After a long time, an expert finally spoke: "Is this true?"

"It's hard to say."

"yes, I've only seen it in a sketchbook, did you really draw it?"

"yes, but it looks a little like it."

Leonard had no choice but to ask the question himself:

"Whose work is this, you speak."

"I think it's Picasso."

Another expert said: "I also think it should be, we have seen this in Picasso's sketchbook, but we have never seen the original painting, we have never added it, and there is no record that Picasso painted this painting." ”

"What? Picasso? ”

As soon as they heard the name, Leonard and Xiao Yifei were not calm, even people who don't know about oil painting know Picasso's name, "The Boy with a Pipe" is a sky-high price of hundreds of millions of dollars, and when 2000, his "Woman with Arms and Breasts" sold for 55.6 million US dollars, and the aforementioned oil painting "Dream" sold for 48 million US dollars in 1997.

Now there is an oil painting of Picasso, and it is only a painting that has appeared on the draft, and no one has heard of it, and if this is true, then the value must be higher.

In Xiao Yifei's view, this is a Picasso oil painting with a messy portrait, which was estimated by experts at 90 million.

The next oil painting is the work of Manet, which Xiao Yifei described as a woman with a mosaic face sitting on a boat, and the oil painting was estimated at 30 million.

In the fourth painting, Xiao Yifei didn't know what it was painting at all, saying that it looked like a volcanic eruption, but he could see dark clouds again. turned out that this is still Monet's, it is actually "Water Lilies", and it is the sunset effect, those things that Xiao Yifei thinks are dark clouds are water lilies. Well, Xiao Yifei can only kneel for these painters, he can't understand it at all, and he was actually valued at 40 million.

The last painting that Xiao Yifei called the fat model's rotten background was really Renoir's, and Xiao Yifei didn't know how to describe the level of Renoir's selection of models, and the oil painting was estimated at 10 million euros.

Finally, the appraisal of 10 paintings was completed. didn't say anything, Xiao Yifei continued to invite everyone to a big meal. It's a pity that the experts are tired and have no appetite, Leonard didn't know that Xiao Yifei was going to shoot those works, and he didn't have an appetite, anyway, the meal was very dull.

"Leonard, I'm going to go back and have a good discussion with him, and decide where to sell those oil paintings, it will take two or three days to give you an answer."

Leonard also knew that he would definitely not be able to get this batch of lots according to the previous conditions, and he said: "Xiao, I also want to discuss with the headquarters and strive for some preferential terms for you, I hope we can still cooperate this time." ”

"We've worked together several times, and I hope to continue to work with you."