"Detective cats? It should be the illustrator who was quite famous on the Internet a while ago, and the popularity is not low. ”

Sir Brown said very casually.

He still has some impressions of this name in his mind.

Among the two very important accusations against Anna, they are about her participating in art appreciation columns outside the magazine without the approval of the magazine's senior management, and misbehaving in Thomas's video.

and director Yelena's unprecedented attempt to turn a foundationless web illustrator into a two-and-a-half-star artist without submitting any evidence that is "convincing" in the eyes of management.

Sir Brown believes that these two events have had a negative impact on the value of Oil Painting magazine in the minds of collectors.

An editorial in the Moon newspaper and a joint letter of protest from Van Doorne to the management of the painting are evidence of Anna's guilt.

And they're all related to this detective cat.

"She's famous, isn't she? Sorry why I've never heard of this guy. Which gallery represents the artist? ”

A shareholder, who is a member of the Académie Française, wiped his glasses with a piece of cloth, shook his head, and said, "Detective cat, what a strange name." ”

The shareholder shares similar habits to Willein.

Daily pastimes are horseback riding, devotional, boating on the Rhine and listening to opera, with little to no contact with the Internet.

So I don't have any concept of YouTube hit videos.

The proposal to remove Anna from the board of directors was just a passing pass and went to the vote.

Most of the shareholders didn't pay attention or care about the name of the illustrator who had been mentioned a few times in the meeting materials in their hands.

"You may be mistaken. As far as I know, she doesn't belong to any of the galleries. This is an online illustrator – the kind of artist who takes orders online to draw for others. The popularity in my mouth is also referring to the discussion on Twitter. ”

Sir Brown explained: "I don't know if you understand...... The so-called Internet celebrity painter. ”

"So it's an internet celebrity?"

Mr. Academician snorted.

"Is there any mistake that you have asked so many of our experts and scholars to spend precious energy discussing the work of an Internet celebrity artist? Is everyone's time so worthless! ”

The old gentleman was a little dissatisfied.

The overall impression of foreign Internet celebrities on the Internet is not very positive.

The traditional social elite thinks of them more as electronic clowns.

Internet celebrity illustrators or something, maybe there are five or six people who are praised on the Internet.

Put it here for the high-end serious connoisseurs of the French academician, even mentioning these messy screen names of "detective cats and dogs", people feel that they are disappointed!

Ultimately.

Academic bigwigs and street painters have never been able to pee in a pot since their historical origins.

Put a painter like KAWS who doesn't have a very serious artistic background.

Your Excellency the Academician may have to sneer at each other.

Not to mention a detective cat.

In his opinion, this topic is a pure waste of time.

It's like asking the experts in charge of identifying Arabian thoroughbred horses to take a magnifying glass to study whether the hooves of a variegated little donkey are healthy.

Every minute they spent discussing the subject was worth more than all the work this guy had painted in his lifetime combined.

"I can't help it, who let this be an issue raised by Yelena's shareholders. We can only come by the rules. Sir Brown waved his hand helplessly.

"Oh, please, when will the buyer column of our "Oil Painting" column also recommend an Internet celebrity painter to collectors. The recommendation index is two and a half stars, who approved this proposal? This guy is completely criminal. ”

The French academician pouted.

"Who else but Lady Elena could be so willful? Perhaps some shareholders are still unclear that Dear Miss Anna has not only given a rating of two and a half stars. In a video viewed by hundreds of millions of people on YouTube, she believes that the detective cat's artistic skills are comparable to that of the Hans Christian Andersen Award winner, Mr. Jane Arnold. ”

Chairman Brown pretended to be incomprehensible to Anna and shook his head.

Poof!

This time, Mr. Academician didn't stop at all, and laughed directly.

"What the hell is this? Ms. Elena, you don't happen to have a lot of this guy's work in your hands, or sign this influencer artist to your name, do you? ”

The academician told a bad joke.

"Little girl, I'll teach you a good job, even if you want to fry a painting, you can't just pull a cat or a dog on the Internet so unsophisticated, right?"

After saying this, the shareholder stroked a small handful of goatee on his chin and laughed humorously.

There was a burst of laughter from many shareholders around him.

There was a sense of joy in the conference room.

Of course, everyone knows that the academician is talking bullshit.

The heirs of the Elena family if they want to make money from the art business. She had a million better options than such a flawed behavior.

It's just that......

They couldn't understand why Anna had to do it.

Probably really as Sir Brown said, it is the whims of young women.

Now that the atmosphere has been set here.

None of them took the initiative to attack Anna's negligence just now, and at this time, the girl took the initiative to bring her smooth face in front of her and let them smoke.

Whether it's genuine or fake.

Laugh at Anna for showing the unity of their positions, and step on the detective cat that no one cares about, and show her loyalty to the incoming majority shareholder, the Kruger Brothers Bank.

It's really unreasonable.

It's just a cheap illustrator on the street, how much artistic accomplishment can you have?

Say a thousand, say 10,000, even if that guy really has a few talents.

Now they are collectively denied and ridiculed by these art giants, and they are destined to become worthless in the hearts of big collectors.

If you want to blame yourself, you can blame yourself for being killed by Ms. Yelena.

The destruction of the poor detective cat was just a casual part of overthrowing the old mark of the Elena family.

It's like the two-way foil that destroyed the solar system in "The Three-Body Problem" easily destroyed a grain of cosmic dust in the asteroid belt.

What has it to do with you to destroy you?

can be discussed and ridiculed by so many bigwigs, the average two-star and three-star painters are not qualified yet!

Only a few or three shareholders did not laugh.

They're all people who've seen detective cat work on YouTube.

Everyone has a rod scale in their hearts.

Although the screenshots in the online video are far less clear than holding them in your hand.

But even if it's just a rough idea.

These veteran art experts also understand the effort that goes into creating such a well-structured, muscular sketch.

Anna's score can only be said to be not tactful enough, and it is really not too much.

"I have not seen the work with my own eyes, and according to the stereotypical prejudice in my heart, I make a presumptuous comment on a work of art, and belittle the hard work of a painter is useless. Such behavior is both arrogant and disrespectful. ”

At the conference table, Anna straightened her waist and did not back down in the slightest.

At this shareholder meeting, it was the first time that she had so forcefully replied to the art seniors present.

"Those who are clear are self-purifying. Everyone is an experienced art critic, so why don't you call up the pictures of the painting of the detective cat lady now, and judge on the spot, whether there is any bias in the fact that I have given this lady a rating of two and a half stars. ”

"Lady Elena, I don't know what kind of mind you have in mind to argue on this question - whether a ten-dollar illustrator on the Internet has the artistic standard of Master Jane Arnaud does not need a professional art critic, just any ordinary person with a brain knows the right answer."

Sir Brown knocked on the table: "And the way you rate the other party is not in accordance with the conventions of the magazine." ”

"Never before in history has a simple web artist won such an honor. The issue was discovered during a routine review by management. Therefore, it is also a logical thing to withdraw the recommendation page of Detective Cat. ”

"I wanted to save some face for you out of respect for your aunt. But Miss Elena, if you have to put your malfeasance at the shareholders' meeting to discuss, I can't help it. I just hope you don't waste everyone's time now. ”

Sir Brown was reluctant to drag this kind of thing into the realm of "judging the art of the detective cat", which made his heart a little empty.

Is $10 worth $1 million?

Are you kidding.

Tell the truth in private – even if it's true, you can't say it in public!

Anyway, there are only a few collectors who really know how to do it.

Such an explicit statement would shake the entire foundation of the price gradient in the art market, and make collectors wonder whether it was really wise to spend a lot of money on the master's paintings.

"The older shareholders are tired, let's start voting now and end this shareholder meeting."

Now it is the best way to directly knock Anna and the detective cat to death with a stick on the grounds of non-compliance with the regulations.

"There is no need to vote by a show of hands. I happened to get a sample copy of the new edition of The Little Prince from a friend that Scholastic Publishing Group is about to release. The illustrator of this set of fairy tales is none other than the web painter Detective Cat that you ridicule and disdain. ”

Anna took out the gift Osborne had sent him from her handbag.

Push to the French academician across the table.

"Please look at this painting, then look me in the eye and tell me plainly that this kind of good painter does not deserve a two-and-a-half-star rating. If I did something wrong, I will never bring it up again. ”

"The source of your confidence turned out to be a set of fairy tale book illustrations? It's not even a serious piece of art! ”

A sneer appeared in the corner of the French academician's eye.

He took the book casually without care.

"Okay. I hope this boring subject can be ended soon, and if you really like the feeling of being rejected in person, Ms. Elena, I don't mind at all if you want it......"

The academician's eyes swept over the cover of the fairy tale book, and his tone suddenly paused.

This picture ......

He grabbed his beard violently, as if he had been caught in the immobilization technique and suddenly lost his breath, and his nose twitched.

The strange behavior of the French academician only lasted for a short time, but it still attracted the attention of the other shareholders around him.

Many people on the side turned their heads sideways to see where the work in the academician's hand was sacred.

Then there was a flurry of gasps.

Sir Brown sat a little distance from the Academician.

The chairman of the board of directors felt a little uneasy for no reason.

He knew that the sketch of the detective cat was really good enough.

Could it be that she has drawn another outstanding sketch?

It stands to reason that

The kind of rigorous anatomical sketch that the other party is good at doesn't match the temperament of fairy tale books very well.

And these people around me have all seen the big market.

Even if it is an ordinary sketch master's work, it is not worth everyone's surprise so much.

At first, Sir Brown was able to maintain a calm and unimpressed look on his face.

After a few seconds, he heard the sound of collective gasps in the conference room, and instead of stopping, the momentum intensified.

It seemed that everyone swallowed a burrito with too many devil's peppers in unison.

So the chairman couldn't maintain the calmness on his face.

He finally craned his neck in the same way, frowning at the book he was holding in his hand.

Wow!

When he saw the cover of the illustration of "The Little Prince", the chairman's first reaction was that this painting was amazing.

The hazy and dreamy paint temperament and the sense of communication between brush and ink.

Even though it was a photo print, it also made the silver-haired jazz feel a thrill all over his body.

A masterpiece - printed on the surface of the book and so expressive, the original is a little too much beyond the normal level.

His second reaction was anger.

Damn it

These old pedants, now is the time to study whether painting is good or not!

What matters at such times is the position.

You understand the position!

Regardless of whether she draws well or badly, she can only say that she is not good at drawing now.

Sir Brown took the copy of The Little Prince and placed it on the table.

"It's a knife drawing, well, it's a rare way to draw, no wonder it can surprise everyone a little. It's a pity, Ms. Elena, that you're confusing rare with excellent. ”

"We all know that painting with an oil knife has great limitations, and this field is full of liars. At first glance, the painting looks a little bluffing, but on closer inspection, it is full of shortcomings. ”

"So, I'll answer this question for you, and you're wrong to rank such a promiscuous painter as two and a half stars."

"I think everybody in the room can agree on that."

Sir Brown kicked the fat old man next to him under the table.

At this time, some more people need to stand up and lead the team, so that the shareholders who were shocked by this picture can clear their minds.

Helaife took the fairy tale book in his hand with a complicated face.

He opened his mouth several times to make a caustic satire of the painting, but found that he couldn't find fault with it for a moment.

"Alas, I can draw with a knife and draw, I know everything."

The fat old man snorted for a long time, and said only this specious sentence: "I agree with Sir Brown. Miss Elena, you're wrong. ”

Halaifi pushed the book back to Anna.

"This picture does look bluffing, but after all, we old men have more experience than you as a little girl, and we can't be wrong."

His face was facing Anna.

The underlying meaning in the tone is to remind the shareholders around him.

In this case, they must not give any other opinion.

These respected seniors had just come together to kick Anna out of the magazine.

The resolution is not yet hot.

Collectively turn around and admit that they have made a mistake in their handling of Anna.

The judgment and vision of the entire management are not as good as a little girl.

It's so embarrassing that it doesn't matter.

But how will collectors all over the world perceive the credibility of Oil Painting magazine, and how can they believe in the market potential of oil painting funds?

Now they would rather ignore their conscience, and they will not be able to retreat.

It's just an online artist and a fairy tale illustration.

Can't turn the sky over.

——

The wind blows up the cotton wool falling from the poplars on the side of the street.

The traffic on the road slowly stopped.

Grietz is a city with a slow pace of life, and the afternoon air is filled with a lazy atmosphere.

The sun casts a misty light over the old town, and the black asphalt road leads from the city center to the hills in the distance.

There are decades of old-fashioned traffic lights, and the long flashing yellow lights between green lights and red lights have a sense of anxiety that makes people who are anxious breathless.

Fortunately, the residents here have long since adapted to this rhythm of life.

They cross the street slowly.

ONLY A PAIR OF FOREIGN TOURISTS WHO HAD JUST FINISHED VISITING THE NEW ART CENTER STOOD IN FRONT OF THE CROSSWALK, IMPATIENTLY BRUSHING TIKTOK.

The man glanced sideways, and the signal light was still unchanged.

Suddenly, as if he had seen something surprised, he patted his girlfriend on the shoulder and immediately held up his phone.

He pointed to the Mercedes GLS600 SUV parked at the front of the zebra crossing, which had a very rare dark license plate number.

Austria, like many European countries, supports paid customization of license plates.

The format is in the form of state name + letters or numbers.

The Mercedes-Benz SUV has a G on the first number plate, which is an acronym for Graz, and more than 95% of the cars on the streets here are all G openings.

But the numbers that follow are pretty impressive.

[G.01] - This represents the number one car in the entire state.

Inside and outside the east and west, no matter how rich you are, some license plate segments are also untouchable by ordinary people.

Arabic numerals within 10 in European countries are generally the royal number of the royal family or top politicians, and seeing these license plates means that you have met a super powerful.

For example, the assets of the Dutch royal family include license plate numbers from 01 to 06.

The No. 1 car [W·01] in Vienna, the capital of Austria, does not belong to any individual, and is the royal car of each president.

"No way, honey, look at the license plate of that car, are we traveling with the governor?" Hurry up and tweet ......"

"Governor on GLS600? This kind of luxury car starts with 200,000 euros. That's how the city government spends taxpayers' money! To be with us, they can only sit in the Toyota Crown. ”

The girl next to her tweeted enviously, and at the same time condemned the extravagance of the officials with a sense of justice.

Before the tweet was finished, there was a new change on the road ahead.

As soon as the signal light changed from red to green, and the black Mercedes released its brakes, a backpacker in a T-shirt took two steps.

"Boom!" A bang.

Without hesitation, the backpacker crashed headfirst into the front hood of the Mercedes.

The couples who were about to cross the road next to them all looked stupid.

"Touching porcelain touched the governor's head, this is really dare to play...... Admirable. ”

"Are you alright, sir, do you need me to call an ambulance for you?"

The co-pilot was not a guard, but a young girl in a gray professional skirt.

"Hell! What a thing this is today. ”

Elliot looked at the backpacker who was lying in front of the Mercedes like a toad and couldn't get up, and muttered in his heart.

This SUV with license plate number G.01 is not the governor's official car as foreign tourists think it is, but a car that belongs to Anna.

To thank the Elena family for their long-standing contribution to the city of Gritz's finances, taxes, jobs and the city's image.

The city government gave the number one number plate to the Elena family.

In addition to this [G·01], Anna also owns a Rolls-Royce Gust, which also has a special license plate [G·lgemlde (oil painting)], a customized bulletproof model.

It was my aunt's car before she died.

Because of the more space and barrier-free modifications, the travel box on the roof can automatically store electric wheelchairs, and Anna prefers to use the full-size Mercedes-Benz SUV.

"Hey, sir."

Seeing that the young lady was wronged at the shareholders' meeting for a whole day, the female secretary was annoyed enough.

Now that this kind of has happened again, what little patience she has left is about to be exhausted.

Elliot resisted the urge to kick the guy in the stomach in front of him.

She frowned and said, "I advise you not to lie on the ground and not get up, we would rather go to court than pay a single euro for your unethical behavior." ”

"Sorry, sorry, it's my problem."

The backpacker did not deceive anyone, but did not get up immediately, but took out his press card and voice recorder from his mouth.

"I'm a special investigative reporter for The Economic Evaluator, so I would like to ask Ms. Elena to take the time to answer my question."

Elliot was silent for two seconds, then laughed angrily.

In addition to the traditional separation of powers, as the fourth power of public opinion, journalists have always been called the pervasive "uncrowned king" in society.

They are a mix between fearless heroes and vulgar paparazzi.

Journalists can run wild in a bullet-ridden war zone for a news story, battle wits with the FBI and CIA, and do things like rummaging through condoms in celebrity trash cans.

As for how to get the precious opportunity to interview the big guys.

Generations of journalists have summed up the two lines of civility and martial arts.

Gentler walks include deliberately not showering for a few days, dressing up like a homeless man, squatting in the parking lot of a luxury hotel like Hilton, and waiting for the interviewee's car to drive in, posing as "waiting day and night just to get a chance to interview a big guy like you" to earn sympathy points.

You can also take the hard-line method of the uncle in the airport station building who threatens to interview him by capturing a picture of Van Doorne.

But he ran headlong into a reckless man who stopped the car at the zebra crossing...... Secretary Elliot was meeting for the first time.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to do that either. But Elena Manor rejected all the reporters' requests for interviews, and I really couldn't help it, so I wanted to make this decision. Please, let me ask a few questions. ”

The reporter folded his hands and pleaded pitifully.

Elliot didn't bother to pay attention to the other party.

She opened her phone and flipped through her address book, ready to contact her lawyer and the familiar contacts at the Glitz City Police Department.

European surveillance camera coverage is not high, but Miss Anna's car must have a dashcam.

It's a big deal to go to court to settle it.

The secretary's phone number has been dialed.

Her gaze swept over the side of the road, and she had already begun to gather around the melon-eating crowd holding their mobile phones.

Elliot hesitated slightly, then disconnected the phone again.

She walked back to the window of the car that had pulled over on the side of the road.

"What's the matter, I see that someone seems to have bumped into him, is he hurt?"

Anna lowered the window pane and asked casually.

"It's a reporter who bumped into it on his own initiative."

Elliot quickly recounted what had happened.

Since the rumors of infighting in the management of "Oil Painting" began, there have been waves of media requests and investigative reporters who have emerged from the ground like groundhogs from outside the estate.

Miss Elena had all of them rejected by the secretary before.

Unexpectedly, on the way back from the shareholders' meeting, I bumped into another one.

"Let him go...... Wait a minute. ”

Yelena suddenly realized that this might be a good opportunity to build hype for the detective cat before "The Little Prince" went on sale.

"Well, do you know which publication's reporter it is?"

Anna thought for a few seconds and asked rhetorically.

(End of chapter)