From the beginning to the end, Chen Shenglin did not mention anything about the incident behind the handling of the train station incident.

It seems like it's just a trivial matter.

Nothing.

The collector just seemed to have thought of something before he hung up.

He asked Gu Weijing a question in an interested tone.

"Gu Weijing, did you see my campaign sign? You are a painter, and people say that literature and art reflect the customs of a city more than the propaganda slogans of politicians. Spring River Plumbing Duck Prophet, artists are more sensitive to the environment in which they live than social activists. I'm curious, what do young people like you think? ”

"What do you think of what?"

"What do you think about our country, what do you think about our city? From the perspective of a new generation of young people. ”

"Uncle Chen, this topic is too big."

Gu Weijing hesitated.

He didn't dare to take the opportunity to talk about it and show himself in front of Boss Chen.

"To be honest, not only am I not equipped to talk about this topic, but I am also not equipped to represent the new generation of young people in Yangon. The people who can really represent them are the small fruit vendors who ride second-hand carts in the streets and alleys, the porters who carry the poles of foreign tourists in the port, and the balloon sellers who have just passed by me. ”

On the one hand.

His family conditions are in front of a wealthy businessman like Chen Shenglin, who kneels on the side of the street to ask for food.

On the other hand, Gu Weijing went to a private school, used the new Apple iPad Pro as a hand-drawn tablet, took pottery classes with Miss Mona during the holidays, and went to the water park to play.

Even before knowing Katsuko Sakai, who had the money-making screen name of Detective Cat, the social level that he came into contact with on a daily basis was raised by a rocket that was advancing day by day.

Gu Weijing's life is still floating in the clouds.

Plainly.

All his joys and sorrows, all the troubles he faced.

Looking at the entire turbulent Myanmar, it is both petty bourgeoisie and hypocrisy with a young temperament.

Miao Angwen, who was also taken by Brother Hao, must have felt in his heart that Gu Weijing was a pretentious and stupid fork who didn't know what to do.

Compare yourself to yourself.

Jasmine, who was grabbing the corners of his clothes by his side, and even his grandfather Gu Tongxiang's bitter struggle before the age of forty, were closer to the real life here.

"Let's talk about today. This kind of thing happens everywhere in the city, at the Old Palace, at Shwedagon Pagoda, at the port and at the railway station, all the time, not to mention in Yangon, not to mention in other places where the chaos is even greater. What do you think about this kind of thing? ”

Chen Shenglin asked.

"Hmm...... It's like yesterday's world. ”

"Zweig?"

"No...... Yangon is a bustling and old-fashioned city, and sometimes you can see the all-encompassing side of the city when you walk through the glittering streets. Sometimes, you will feel dull and difficult to breathe, and the air will be filled with smoke and dust suspended from yesterday's world for 200 years, and it will be sucked in by your lungs. ”

"Yesterday's world, that's interesting." Chen Shenglin chewed on the phrase.

In European high society, the term "yesterday's world" is used to refer specifically to the 50 years between the end of the 19th century and the outbreak of World War I.

It was a romantic and beautiful golden age in the eyes of the old European aristocracy and literati elite. The Universal Exposition lights in the Crystal Palace are brilliantly lit up, and the street lamps on the streets of Paris illuminate the city.

It was a good time of peace, peace, and progress.

This objective tranquility and progress was built on the bones of colonialism, but it was indeed the most glorious years of old Europe.

Hemingway called it a "flowing feast", and one of Zweig's most famous masterpieces, The World of Yesterday, is a nostalgic memory of the good times he spent in Vienna before the outbreak of war.

On the phone, the world of the young man yesterday is clearly very different from the beauty that old Europe has given to this particular phrase, and it is also the complete opposite feeling of Zweig's nostalgia for a bygone history.

"A lot of things have changed here and in yesterday's world in "Travels in Myanmar", and many things have stayed in the same place."

"Some of them are physical, like the Good Luck Orphanage that you saw, the train station that runs to this day. Some things are spiritual, such as blackmailing the privileged police, the biggest difference is just that they have changed from English-speaking colonists to natives. Gu Weijing hesitated for a moment: "And ......"

"It's so good that I could probably add it to my campaign slogan. Let's declare war on the world of yesterday, a good political slogan, which is both thought-provoking and contains a political metaphor for the colonial history of the West, which is wonderful. ”

Chen Shenglin encouraged with interest.

And, in fact, when I saw them nodding their heads and apologetic, I felt bored and scary. Maybe that military police gentleman can hold his neck and quibble and insist that he is only inspecting according to the regulations, which makes me feel better. I don't know how you did it, I can even see the police officer's hands shaking when he apologizes to Miss Sakai. ”

"I believe that if he kneels down and kowtows, he will definitely do it if Katsuko Sakai treats this incident today as if it never happened."

"He's all like this, you're still scared? I guess the police officer thinks it's scary. Most young people are in your place and will only feel excited. Is there anything bad about seeing corrupt police officers punished? Chen Shenglin asked strangely.

If it was last year's Gu Weijing.

He will most likely be like Chen Shenglin said, seeing that he made a phone call, it made the police officer become condescending, and he would be very excited when he was honestly afraid.

But he's seen so much this year.

The vision is different, the pattern is different, the problem is thought from different angles, and the final attitude has also changed.

"Because from beginning to end, whether the law is good, evil, right or wrong, there is no meaning in this kind of thing, only the chain of interests plays a role in the back. I was thinking that if I had just made a phone call to Brother Hao, I am afraid that it would have the same effect, and maybe they would have been even more scared. ”

"Brother Hao? Is that the one I know? In 14 years, he bought the new owner of the King of the West River Hall in Yangon for 236 million US dollars? Do you still know him? ”

Chen Shenglin interrupted Gu Weijing and asked.

"Do you know each other?" Gu Weijing's heart tightened.

"The industry is different and not very familiar. But I did, after all, I'm a collector, maybe one of the richest collectors in Yangon. And this Hao Ge has the most abundant art resources in the country. It's strange that we don't know each other. Chen Shenglin said it both relaxed and calm.

"Someone once asked to sell me a painting of Monet's water lilies, and Monet created the 87th of the 251 "Water Lilies", which is the second longest of all "Water Lilies". The last time it was seen in history was in 1986 when it was bought by an anonymous buyer in Switzerland for 4.6 million francs, and it has not been heard from since. The normal market valuation is now around $40 million to $70 million. ”

"At that time, I was quoted only $9.8 million, but it had to be paid in three installments or cash in the name of the company's share dividends using the payment method specified by the seller, and the consideration time was only 36 hours. The seller is that big brother. ”

"It's really the legendary "Water Lilies"."

Gu Weijing was amazed.

To this day, this multi-million-dollar top-notch art deal is still a distant and vague concept for him.

Monet's authentic handiwork.

Some of the top art museums in the Eastern Xia Magic Capital and the capital can borrow an exhibition every few months.

But all of Southeast Asia.

Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia combined, are only rumored to have a "Water Lily" and an "Ettelta's Elephant's Trunk" in the private collection of the Thai royal family, which has assets of tens of billions of dollars.

Brother Hao is so energetic that he can get this kind of thing.

A collection of this magnitude alone can kill the entire National Gallery of Art in Yangon.

However, there is a large number of authentic masterpieces in the art museum within a radius of 100 kilometers.

When Gu Weijing was faced with the systematic task of "copying impressionist masters", he would not want to try his luck in the calligraphy and painting market.

Who would have thought.

Probably in Yangon.

In the Xihe Guild Hall, which is only half an hour's bus away from their calligraphy and painting shop, in an unknown vault storage box, there is a legendary water lily lying quietly.

In the art circle, this thing has a great symbolic meaning, just like the Heavenly Sword and the Dragon Slayer Knife.

As long as you don't meet supermodels like "Mona Lisa" and "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival", national treasures that cannot be measured by money.

"Water Lilies" is the top and most face-saving collection in the eyes of collectors.

In the cold years of the market, some cheap Monet can be won with a hundred thousand dollars.

But after 2010, works as representative and cultural symbols as "Water Lilies" usually have to be eight figures if they are not preserved.

The piece in Brother Hao's hand is said to rank second among more than 200 "Water Lilies".

That's the right auction and the right buyer, not to mention $70 million, nine figures are possible.

"Dirty paintings? Fake paintings? ”

He knew that Brother Hao could be one of the largest money launderers in Southeast Asia and the owner of the world's largest art counterfeiting syndicate.

There's a joke in the music industry that's been rumored for hundreds of years.

All the certified million-dollar Stradivarius violins in the world add up to 30% more than the total number of violins ever documented by the master luthier.

Put it in the art world.

Whether the sum of Monet's "Water Lilies" and "Sunflowers" in the hands of all the light and dark, legal and illegitimate collectors will be more than the total number created by this impressionist painter, I don't know.

However, Monet was indeed the most beloved master of the world's counterfeiters.

Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci may be more famous, the average price is higher.

Here's the problem.

There are only a few works of these two painters, and almost every living work has been passed down in an orderly manner. You imitate a "Mona Lisa" and tell the customer that what is hanging in the Louvre is fake, and what is in Lao Tzu's hand is real.

It's not convincing.

Paintings like "Savior" that have not been accurately passed down.

Even if it was bought by the prince of the Middle East for $500 million, whether it was Leonardo da Vinci's authentic work or not, the Louvre is still in a war of words with the academic community.

Picasso, on the other hand, is too close to the present and is not easy to imitate.

Monet was different.

This painter is famous, lived a long time, and the best thing is that he is also very prolific, and he has 100 paintings on the same subject at every turn.

Many counterfeit painting dealers point to Monet for food, as long as they deceive a fat sheep who wants to pick up a cheap one, they can eat for several years.

"Of course, there must be a problem with this price, but I don't think it's a fake painting. Not only was he afraid to fool me with a multimillion-dollar collection unless he wanted to smash the sign, but I had seen the painting with my own eyes, and the three experts I had chartered from Europe and Japan, as well as myself, were inclined to think that the painting was genuine. ”

Chen Shenglin sighed.

"I was able to buy such a top-notch collection for 10 million dollars, and even though I backed down at the last minute before the sale, I still feel very excited to look back on it."

"You are a man of true integrity."

Gu Weijing admired from the bottom of his heart.

Only those who really know how to do it can clearly realize how attractive it is to put top art works in front of an art lover.

It is like a beautiful and stunning beauty, even if it is not in the right way to show people, it is very beautiful and wonderful to carry it back to the room and enjoy it under the lamp.

Brother Hao slapped a Bentley's car key to win himself over, and he held it.

If the other party takes a real painting of "Water Lilies", whether it is the value of wealth or the value of art, Gu Weijing may not be able to keep his original intention.

If it weren't for this, the black market for underground art, which is not traded all over the world, would not be so hot.

"I love to hear that, but don't think I'm too high, I'm ready for the money, it's just that the water in this painting is too deep. In a day and a half, I couldn't raise $10 million in cash from several banks, and Brother Hao didn't accept Kyats. I don't want my company to get involved in his money laundering business. ”

"Besides, for 10 million dollars, I can buy an ordinary "Water Lily" at a regular auction house with a little more. Buying black paintings is almost tied to Brother Hao, and in the future, if the capital chain is tight, if you want to get rid of it and cash it, you have to find him as a middleman, I don't think it's worth it. ”

Chen Shenglin said with a smile: "Gu Weijing, you can paint with Cao Xuan, and you can soak in Miss Sakai." I'm not surprised at all that I will be targeted by Brother Hao. ”

"There are some things I shouldn't have said. However, since you call me Uncle Chen. As an elder, I would like to remind you. ”

"Gu Weijing, if you want to make a windfall of ten years of drunken money, it doesn't hurt to find Brother Hao, I heard that he has never been stingy with talented young people. But if you want to be a great painter for a lifetime, it's best not to have too much to do with Brother Hao. ”

Chen Shenglin's tone was still gentle.

"Young people want to get rich, of course, there is nothing wrong with that. It's just that whether you can make a lifetime of wealth in a down-to-earth manner is a university question. ”

"You're right, I've always rejected Brother Hao's solicitation." Gu Weijing hurriedly explained: "I mentioned this matter just to say. Whether you are decent or not, whether things are right or wrong, as long as you make a phone call, society will run according to your will. Whether it's Brother Hao or Uncle Chen, you all hold the same power, which is actually quite a terrible thing, and your secretary hasn't even confirmed whether I am telling a lie. ”

“…… Of course, I didn't mean to accuse you. ”

As Gu Weijing spoke, he felt that his words sounded a little unclear.

"No, one never needs to apologize for being honest. If I want to listen to falsehoods, I can hear 10,000 words a day, but it is rare to tell the truth. I'm glad you said that to me, that's what I want to hear. ”

Chen Shenglin chuckled lightly twice, appreciating Gu Weijing's sincerity.

"But Gu Weijing, have you ever thought that if the laws of the world itself are like this, then what are you going to do? Fairness and justice are not the core of society, fairy tale books teach children to be kind, but in the society of adults, there is only profit. ”

"What kind of society do you think is a good society? America? Next door to us in Vietnam is the bloodiest war memorial in the world, which contains millions of photographs of human remains bombed by US bombs, old ladies mutilated by Agent Orange and deformed babies. It is simply an encyclopedia of the tragedy of war. One of the world's most cruel drawings of the Hell Society. And these bombs were dropped in the name of justice. ”

"I have been to various cities and many countries over the years, and my biggest feeling is that the police kill people, the underworld kills people, and the senators kill people."

Gu Weijing was silent.

"The life of an artist can be glorious and poetic, but not that of a politician. We are rooted in every aspect of the city, and if Myanmar is an iron pot that is boiling on a low fire, you can jump out and live in another city if you don't feel well. And I can't, this is my home. ”

Chen Shenglin said as he spoke, and he also noticed that this topic was a little heavy, and he smiled: "Okay, this is a topic that only old men should talk about." Now, Gu Weijing children, the most important thing you should do is to enjoy the sunshine and spring with Miss Sakai. By the way, remember to go to the polling station at the end of the year and cast a ballot. ”

"Brother Hao's affairs don't worry. In terms of influence, I don't dare to say that I can compare to Brother Hao in Yangon, but it is not difficult for you to draw and prepare for the exhibition with peace of mind. ”

"Thank you, Uncle Chen, if I had been in Myanmar at the time, I would."

——

The train blew its whistle and slowly drove away from the city.

Outside the window, the dense and mottled jungle floats slowly past the window, like a slide dragged horizontally.

It's not a long way to get to the Botanical Gardens, and in North America, where you live on wheels, maybe it's just a weekend drive from a small suburban town to a downtown Walmart supermarket to buy groceries.

They were nearly a two-hour drive.

After all, you can't expect to run the speed of a modern train on this kind of old railway, which is older than Gu Tongxiang.

It is also capable of running rain or shine at half-hour intervals.

It's already a miracle that isn't big or small.

I don't know if it's because 1,000 kyats a first-class ticket is beyond the purchasing power of most ordinary people.

Or maybe the stationmaster of the railway station regarded him as Chen Shenglin's nephew, and in order to please Gu Weijing, he specially emptied the carriage, and they were the only ones in the quiet carriage of the old room filled with sunlight.

When getting on the bus.

The staff also gave a lily set meal - a plate of stir-fried beef fillets with celery and lilies surrounded by flies, plus a pot of instant coffee in a small pit of lacquer in a thermos pot full of small pits.

On this old-fashioned train, there is even a small food car.

The Lily Set is for 1st Class passengers, and the corresponding is a 2nd and 3rd Class Set consisting of local Moon-Season biscuits.

With the exception of Uncle Alai, who was not a picky eater, none of the people present showed any interest in this plate of beef fillet with questionable hygienic conditions.

Only Uncle Alai sat in the corner with a plate, chewing beef slices and drinking coffee at the same time, holding the "Yangon Mirror" newspaper attached to the train, and watched it with relish.

"Meow."

Ngawang's round head came out of the pet carrier and waved his little paws to remind Gu Weijing.

It was also very interested in the plate of stir-fried beef.

The native cat raised in Old Man Wu's yard has always had a good appetite for this benefit.

Hundreds of dollars in canned cat food, it can eat.

Stir-fried beef with flies flying around, Ngawang can also eat it.

She scratched the brown strap from her chest to her back with her paws, and as a brave cat who yearns for wind and freedom, the restraint of this strap makes it very uncomfortable.

"Let her out, now that there is no one in the carriage, I brought a small can of food for Ngawang, and in my mother's experience with cats, I have to feed her before taking the cat out to have fun. We're going to go to the botanical garden, and if it bites and eats some poisonous berries, it's terrible. ”

Katsuko Sakai gently scratched Ngawang's soft ears with her thumb and suggested softly.

"Uh-huh, I'll hold her and promise not to let Ngawang run away." Jasmine also got out of the front seat and turned her head back.

The little girl looked at the big cat Gu Weijing was carrying on her chest with a pair of big black eyes.

This is the first time that Jasmine's children have gone out to play.

For many people in the Good Luck Orphanage, "tourism" has always been a very abstract concept.

Even the fact that people need to spend money to travel far to satisfy their spiritual pleasure is a very puzzling thing in itself.

Nice natural scenery, novel railway travel, and now completely conquer this little Lori.

Her eyes were full of excitement, and she stretched out her little hand to grab Ngawang's fleshy paws: "I can play with the cat all day." ”

It's about really one thing down one thing.

When the chubby tanuki cat saw Jasmine's outstretched hand, he immediately stopped making a fuss.

It rolled over, tucked its face into its pet rucksack, and loaded the ostrich.

Unfortunately, Gu Weijing had already loosened the chest strap at this time and put Ah Wang down from front of him.

"Jasmine is so cute, you two can go play together."

"Meow meow."

Ngawang dislikes this guy for being unprincipled.

Jasmine is cute, but Lao Tzu is not cute!

Hmph, there are children and no cats.

The tanuki cat glanced at its unprincipled owner with a very humane appearance, and as soon as it landed on the table in front of the seat, it jumped into Katsuko Sakai without waiting for Jasmine to catch it.

(End of chapter)