Nobel woke up and felt very comfortable. He has been busy with documentaries all this time, and the completion of the shot does not mean that the thing is done, just like after the filming of the movie, the test of the later stage has just begun, and the same is true for documentaries.

Sending Chen Xing to Arles was also a vacation he gave himself. When he walked out of the room, he saw his old friend sitting in the living room watching TV.

Nobel and his old friend have known each other for 30 years, and he still remembers that when he had just qualified for the exhibition of the Arles Photo Festival, he found that he had no place to live, and then he met the collector Monsieur Matthias.

"Good morning, Mr. Matthias." Matthias was so old that he had to speak loudly to hear him.

"Good morning, Nobel." Nobel looked at Chen Xing's closed door and said, "Today's young people are not at all what we used to be, and my son is the same, as long as he doesn't work." If you don't sleep until noon every day, you won't get up at all. ”

"The boy? He didn't come back yesterday. ”

"He didn't come back?" Nobel was stunned. Chen Xing went out at two o'clock yesterday, and if he didn't come back, there would be no news for more than ten hours, so he wouldn't encounter any danger, right?

He chuckled in his heart, startled. Arles is a very safe city, but even a safe city will have its dark side, what if?

After all, the two came together, and the hotels in the streets and alleys of Arles were all full, and this was their only place to stay.

And Chen Xing has never come back, where can he live? Arles trembled with fright and took out his mobile phone to call Chen Xing.

In just a few seconds, he vaguely heard Chen Xing's mobile phone ringing somewhere...... Then he heard a knock at the door.

The phone picks up.

"Teacher? Are you looking for me? Nobel went over to help Chen Xing open the door, his face was dark. Chen Xing unconsciously took half a step back.

"What's wrong, teacher?" Nobel looked at Chen Xing, he changed his clothes, wearing a blue shirt with short sleeves in the style of Arles, a camera bag around his waist, a jacket in his hand, and a coffee-colored sunglasses, and his hairstyle was the same as yesterday, with his back combed back.

Doesn't look like a problem. It's just that the face is a little red.

"Where did you go yesterday? Why not come back and rest? ”

"This ...... I met a friend ......"

"Why is your face so red, is it sick?"

"Radiant?" In any case, at least it proves that Chen Xing was not in any accidents.

"Stinky boy! It's okay, why don't you tell me if you live outside? I almost called the police. ”

"Teacher, you didn't answer my phone." Professor Nobel took out his mobile phone and looked at it, and indeed found that Chen Xing had called, but at that time, he seemed to be in a video conference to deal with some work matters, and he forgot to answer, and then he kept forgetting it...... Well, it's not Chen Xing's fault.

He doesn't care where Chen Xing went yesterday, anyway, people's safety is the most important thing. And as a photographer, it's so normal to have acquaintances in this part of Arles, and Nobel is even beginning to feel relieved.

After all, there is no way to stay at a friend's house, and I really can't find a hotel. However, the relationship in France is slightly different from that in China, and it seems normal for them to host friends from afar, so when Arles is full of such hotels and there are many tourists who can't find a place to stay, the local residents will let some people stay in their homes.

Of course, if you have a good relationship and are friends, you don't have to pay. Ordinary tourists still have to pay for the accommodation.

Professor Nobel looked at Chen Xing's dress again, nodded and said, "You look handsome today, it seems that you are ready." "What preparation?

Chen Xing didn't understand for a while. Is it going to give a speech on stage? His clothes and pants were all just bought, and the one he was wearing was still in Hinako's hotel, but it wasn't dirty and could be worn.

But the few days I have been in Arles have been very important, and I have to pay more attention to the issue of personal image.

Nobel said: "You come in first, I'll take you to meet my friend after a little tidying up, you must pay attention to your own proportions, be steady, you know?" ”

"I see, Professor." Professor Nobel grinded and chirped for half an hour. Professor Nobel is also very concerned about his own image, or Parisians are like this, at least half of the passers-by on the streets of Paris are meticulous from hairstyle to dress, even if the color of the gloves depends on what kind of clothes they are wearing today.

But people in the rest of France are okay too. At least the people of Arles are relaxed. Professor Nobel took Chen Xing to a café hidden in an alley, the façade was small, but when he walked in, he found that the space was very large and bright, the light was soft as if it were natural light, but the windows were rarely seen.

"It's usually people who come here, and sometimes you can see French stars here." Nobel said.

Chen Xing nodded, and followed the teacher to look left and right. Judging from the decoration, the style here is very exquisite, and the table placement is not as dense as the street café, which obviously pays more attention to the privacy of the guests, and has more privacy.

Nobel took Chen Xing to sit at a small square table, with a wooden baffle next to it, separating the seats next to him.

Chen Xing said: "This coffee seems to have been open for a short time. ”

"From 1932 to the present, it is certainly not a short time, and there are many works given to him by previous painters in the owner's home, which were still in this café until 2003, but then he was almost stolen by thieves, and the boss put him at home."

"I'm sorry, I'm going to correct it, I put him in the safe deposit box at the bank, not in my home. Nobel, didn't you ever consider that thieves would come to my house when you spread false news like this? Chen Xing looked at him.

This is a middle-aged man who has just come over, looking in his forties, with a bit of the feeling of an English gentleman in temperament and dress.

After he said that, he stretched out his hand to Chen Xing with a smile: "Hello, in Lower Hercule Abbott, the owner of this shop, it's a pleasure to meet you, Chen Xing from Huaxia." When he said Chen Xing's name, he pronounced the word Chen Xing in a straight voice, and also put Chen Xing's name in front.

"Do you understand Chinese?" Chen Xing asked.

"I only know a little bit, and it can be regarded as a self-satisfied skill in front of my friends, but in the eyes of you Chinese people, I don't think it's anything at all. If it weren't for this store, I would probably have lived in Huaxia for a long time. ”

"Thank you for your love for our country." "Monsieur Abbott is one of the largest collectors in France, and the store can only be described as his family business," Nobel said. ”

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Abbott."

"Don't be so polite, I really like the piece you have on display in the arena, can you put it in my museum when it's over?" Sixty percent of my private museum is made up of some of the best photographs from all periods. Nobel said, "You're in a hurry, there's still a month before the end of the exhibition." ”

"Regardless of whether Mr. Chen's work wins an award or not, the price I give is very high and there will be no change. After all, as you know, what I like will have a price in my heart, and other people's opinions have nothing to do with me. Speaking of this, Mr. Abbott said to Chen Xing: "Do you know that the organizing committee of the Arles Photo Festival prefers the work of island photographer Kintaro Yamazaki? Chen Xing nodded slightly and said, "I know a little bit." After all, other people's works are in front of them, and it can be seen from here that his works are better than Chen Xing's works in the eyes of the judges.

"Kintaro Yamazaki is only 24 years old this year, and he has become a well-known genius in recent years. He is especially good at photographing all kinds of flowers and trees, and his style is not very fixed. I have watched the works you exhibited many times this time, and I personally think his "The Beauty of Cherry Falling" is not as good as your "Dashan Miao Village". ”

"Thank you."

"But there's a problem here, and it's important." Chen Xing knew why the Nobel Church wanted to bring himself to meet this person, where is this collector, or a critic.

He just didn't know what the judges liked about Yamazaki. So Chen Xing was very respectful and asked like his own teacher: "Please speak." ”

"The style of your shooting has a strong Chinese flavor, and it is different from the Chinese style we know now, many Chinese photographers I know like to shoot the appearance of your China forty or fifty years ago, there is an old, backward, simple beauty, and these photographers have been pursuing this simplicity all their lives."

"And you, Chen Xing, your age is the youngest among the photographers I know, but your style is even older than theirs, so old that it is the age of Mohu, and it is the feeling of integrating ancient Chinese culture, just like your work "Dashan Miao Village" now, many people don't need to look at your personal introduction, where they pass by, and when they look at the work, they know, oh, this must be Huaxia."

"Do you understand?"

"Probably understood." Or is the personal style of his works too strong, enough to catch the local atmosphere of China, but he can't enter the high-end palace of Europe and the United States?

Abbott straightened his clothes and sat down.

"Don't be sad about this, it's a problem for European and American photographers, and for us collectors, not for you. The more you learn about Asian culture, the more you will like your work, Yamazaki Kintaro's shots of cherry blossoms, peach blossoms falling, the composition is of course very beautiful, this is the most skilled technique of island photographers, the artistic conception is also simple and easy to understand, but the content is not comparable to your work. ”

"Thank you for your comfort......" Chen Xing had a bad premonition. It's not going to be my Arles Newcomer Award, is it?

Otherwise, why would this collector comfort himself so much? What he said later, Chen Xing always felt that he should not be sad or confused after he was defeated, and he should stick to his own creative style.

Chen Xing frowned and asked, "Could it be that this person must have won the award?" Professor Nobel said: "You and him are the most powerful young photographers in the past two years, and most of the newcomer awards are selected between you, and at present, Kintaro Yamazaki has a certain advantage, but you are not completely without a chance, otherwise I would not have brought you here in such a hurry." ”

"Teacher, what's the solution?" What's more, Chen Xing doesn't care about winning or losing for a while, but he cares that the person who gets the award is actually an island country.

When did they lose in the two-on-one competition with the islanders? If this news spreads to China, how will he mix it up?

I made the highest-grossing documentary! You haven't beaten the islanders! I'm making a lot of money! Bought a house, bought a manor, and had a bunch of aunts!

You haven't beaten the islanders! That's not going to work. Chen Xing's heart to fight now was unprecedentedly high, and he looked at the professor with bright eyes, but Professor Nobel sneered and motioned for Chen Xing to go to Abbott.

Chen Xing looked at him again.

"Mr. Abbott, do you have a solution?"

"Of course I have." He held his head high and looked very confident, this confidence made Chen Xing think of Marlon Brando, who played the godfather, this style was simply amazing, Chen Xing decided that he must learn it in the future.

"I heard that you haven't signed a gallery yet, I have a gallery under my name that has some connections in Europe, if you want to come to my gallery. Of course, we will help you promote your work and increase your visibility, and the most important thing you lack right now is public visibility. Chen Xing looked at the professor.

Nobel said: "You don't have to resist the gallery so much to help you, I know you want to make your own website, but it's not profitable, haven't you noticed?" So much so that you won the Grand Prize at the Fadong Photo Festival, but you still have to make a living by shooting commercial photography. "Chen Xing's photographic style is good in the eyes of their professionals, but ordinary Europeans may not buy it.

If Chen Xing is allowed to develop on his own, it will be difficult to break the circle, but it is not possible to find ordinary galleries, they may not see Chen Xing's value and directly treat him as an ordinary photographer.

Therefore, Mr. Abbott, who knows Chinese culture best and likes Chinese culture, is the person recommended by Nobel the most.

Abbott also said, "Chen, do you have any concerns? With all due respect, the existence of the gallery is for every artist, and the money we earn ourselves only comes from your fame, so we will spare no effort to promote your works, hold exhibitions and so on......"

"I have no opinion, I can sign, but can you give me a day?" It's not that he can't sign a contract, he used to want to wait until he graduates to get it done, after all, now he has nothing, the studio has not been formed, and the works are few, so what's the use of spending time signing a gallery?

But now, he finds himself underestimating the role of galleries.