British writer

Two days later.

Lu Family Museum.

The weather is getting warmer and everything is recovering,

People gradually take off their heavy clothes and put on slightly lighter spring clothes.

Lambert, the director of the Whitechapel Art Museum, walked to the door and handed the ticket in his hand to the security guard.

The other party's way of checking tickets is quite strange.

I saw him pick up the ticket, hold it in the sun and observe it, then use his fingers to carefully touch one third of the ticket from top to bottom, and then nodded,

"no problem."

Lambert was let in.

He couldn't help but be curious, and followed the security staff's method, and then discovered that there was a slight "relief" on the ticket.

With such a complicated production process, it’s no wonder that only 800 tickets are released a day.

Lambert thinks the tickets are commemorative;

He put it away and entered the museum.

The first is the original area.

I saw a bunch of people standing at the connection to the gallery, holding notebooks and pens in their hands, looking like they were intoxicated.

There were also discussions at the same time,

"Lu's level is too high. I wouldn't be able to write it."

"You can't do things between men and women?"

"I can do it! Who the hell can't do it? But can you describe it with such elegant words? When Lu's words fall on the paper, it makes people's emotions thicker; when your words fall on the paper, it makes them want to go wild."

…

Apparently, they were discussing the original manuscript of "Lolita."

Lambert heard about it too;

Compared with the publisher's version, the original manuscript has more original and direct descriptions, and the wording is more gorgeous.

No wonder so many people transcribed it live.

He pushed through the crowd and entered the gallery.

The atmosphere here is obviously more serious than outside, filled with tension and expectation.

Several art dealers each occupied a corner, brows brooding over strategies, and raising their heads from time to time to engage in eye contact, as if testing each other.

Someone noticed Lambert;

"Ji Lei! Why are you here?"

The man who said hello was Henry Tate, founder of the National Gallery of Art.

At the same time, he is also a sugar tycoon in London and a wealthy businessman. He often pays four-digit or even five-digit prices for paintings.

This method of throwing money at people in the collecting and art circles is disgusting.

Lambert raised his eyebrows,

"Henry, are you here to buy paintings at a premium again?"

Tate spread his hands and said: "Giray, artworks are priceless treasures, so why is there such a thing as 'premium price'? When we buy paintings, we are choosing the paintings, but conversely, the paintings are also choosing their owners."

If an ordinary person said this, Lambert would think it was very philosophical.

But Tate seemed a little strange when he said it,

Just choose whoever gives you more money, right?

Lambert rolled his eyes and didn't bother to talk to him.

Tate did not feel dissatisfied;

"Girey, you haven't answered my question just now. Did you come here to buy paintings? It seems that the financial situation of the Whitechapel Art Museum is good. I was thinking about whether to sponsor it before."

Lambert's face turned dark;

He was held seven inches away and could not refute.

Tate is proud,

"Let me see, why don't you just buy that statue?"

He pointed casually.

Lambert looked along, and then discovered the statue of Lu Shi, and complained crazily in his heart.

Is Lu a bit narcissistic?

Thinking this, he stepped forward curiously to observe, and soon showed a shocked expression.

This is actually the work of Monet!

Monet has a group of sculptures in the pool in the Giverny garden -

"Water Lily Garden".

The work has a modernist and impressionist style, with abstract and simplified images, emphasizing form and contrast.

The technique is exactly the same as Lu Shi's sculptures.

Lambert pulled out a magnifying glass to examine the details.

The design is definitely Monet's, but it probably wasn't carved by the master himself.

After all, he was old, and cutting marble would cost him half his life.

But even so, the value of the statue is definitely not low.

Because the art market emphasizes the value of rare things, most of Monet's paintings circulating in the market are very few sculptures, so every piece is worth collecting.

"Tsk..."

Lambert couldn't help but be speechless.

Unexpectedly, any piece picked out by the Lu Museum was a treasure among treasures.

Tate came closer,

"What's the matter? Are you really optimistic? If you grit your teeth, maybe you can force it."

Lambert replied calmly: "I would like to buy it. Unfortunately, Sir Lu will definitely not sell such a precious sculpture."

Tate curled his lips disdainfully,

"Hmph..."

I felt that the other party was trying to make a fool of himself, so I walked aside in boredom.

"Huh~"

Lambert let out a sigh of relief.

Finally, the stinky businessman was dealt with.

He was about to look around in the gallery when he heard someone say: "Young man, I see you have been staring at the sculptures. Did you see something?"

Lambert raised his eyebrows,

Even though I am quite old, I am still called a "young man".

He was very annoyed and looked sideways,

As a result, there was indeed an "old man" in the true sense before him.

The old man was dressed very simply, with a jacket and a velvet cap, and his unattractive face. He looked like a coachman and was incompatible with the artistic atmosphere around him.

Lambert always felt that the other party was somewhat familiar.

"Who are you……"

I stuttered and couldn't tell.

The old man chuckled,

"You may have seen my orange, yellow, and red pictures."

Lambert:! ! !

"Orange? Are you Mr. Gauguin?"

Paul Gauguin, French Post-Impressionist painter and sculptor, whose representative works include "Where Do We Come From?" who are we? Where are we going? 》.

There’s no reason why people in the art world wouldn’t recognize such a celebrity.

But Gauguin has been away from mainstream society for too long.

In 1886, he left Paris and came to the small town of Pontawan in Brittany. Later, he became increasingly tired of civilized society and fled to the wilderness. He settled on Tahiti in the Pacific, and later moved to the Marquesas Islands.

(Part of "The Moon and Sixpence" is based on Gauguin.)

He is isolated from the world and basically only contacts agents when selling his paintings.

Lambert was stunned;

"Aren't you very ill?"

"Yes."

Gauguin patted his chest in distress,

"My heart is beating more and more weakly. Besides, I don't think you would like to see the miserable condition of my legs, which are already covered with eczema."

Lambert couldn't help but sigh in his heart,

Before his eyes stood one of the greatest painters in the world, who was about to die.

Gauguin said: "However, I am very satisfied."

His gaze moved to the center of the gallery,

There, "Galaxy Water Lily" is quietly being admired by the world.

He said: "I have no regrets in my life to see such outstanding paintings."

Lambert also looked over,

Frankly speaking, he couldn't appreciate that painting.

And not only that one, the strange paintings around him were a little beyond his appreciation level.

Gauguin said: "Which one do you like?"

Lambert's favorite is still the ordinary impressionist painting "Water Lilies".

It's a pity that the painting is not for sale.

Even if he sells it, he can't afford it.

He said: "Does Mr. Gauguin know that there is a very popular cartoonist now?"

Gauguin chuckled and said: "Mr. Picasso from Spain. He is good at drawing cartoons, and his article "Lens Design in Comic Creation" is a model of art theory. As for his oil paintings..."

A big gasp from behind.

Lambert couldn't help but ask: "Isn't it bad?"

Gauguin limped to the painting "Girls in Cooperation\

,""I looked at it seriously and was deeply shocked. I think most painters, including me, have never thought of painting like this or dared to paint like this, because deep down they never thought it was painting."

He turned to Lambert,

"Why do you think people paint?"

Lambert replied: "Seeing things and feeling them is the original impulse of painting. For example, when you see a beautiful scene, you feel the beauty and want to paint it."

Gauguin said: "Yes, you can feel things when you see them. What if this 'thing' doesn't really exist?"

Lambert was a little confused;

"ah?"

Gauguin explained: "Mr. Picasso's paintings express the conflict of his own understanding. He saw the degeneration, distortion, contradiction and confrontation in perfect things."

To be highly praised by the master, Picasso's paintings definitely have investment value.

It’s all done without thinking!

At this time, the door of a small room next to it opened.

Picasso, Lu Shi and several art dealers came out, including the two young men Lambert had met a few days ago.

The sound of their conversation was faintly heard,

"Mr. Picasso, 1,500 pounds, please think about it."

"I can do more! Just give me time..."

"Give it to me. Although my friend Nikolic and I can only afford 1,300 pounds, we can take the paintings on a tour in art galleries in France and Spain. In the long run, this is definitely the most profitable one. Buy and sell.”

…

"hiss……"

Lambert gasped.

Unexpectedly, it was at least 1,300 pounds.

The Whitechapel Art Gallery had to spend all its money and sell it to buy one.

But even so, Picasso still did not give a clear answer.

He laughed and said: "Don't be anxious, everyone. 1,000 pounds is not a small amount, so you still need to read more, study more, and make a decision after careful consideration."

All the painting dealers looked at each other,

"..."

They don’t want to look anymore, they just want to buy the painting.

But Picasso refused to let go, only shook his head and did not set a price.

Lu Shi waved,

"Okay, here are five more. Let Mr. Picasso tell you personally."

Wow——

All the art dealers huddled together.

Lambert originally wanted to squeeze through, but then he thought, it would be better to explore the tone of the two young men first.

He confessed to Gauguin, then went to Solomon and Nikolic,

"Boy, what painting is Mr. Picasso talking about?"

Solomon pretended to be surprised;

"Director Lambert is here too? Your tickets should be free, right? We bought them."

The tone of jealousy was just right,

Lambert satisfied his vanity a little and continued: "Everyone is here to pursue art. What is the difference between the purchased tickets and the free tickets?"

He returned to the subject,

"Let's talk about paintings again."

Solomon winked at Nikolic.

The latter understood and introduced: "Mr. Picasso was the first to talk about "Girls in Cooperation". He combined distortion, contradiction and confrontation..."

Lambert's eyes lit up,

This coincides with what Gauguin said.

Sure enough, there is something in Picasso's oil paintings.

Nikolic talked for a while and said regretfully: "Unfortunately, "Girls in Cooperation" was given to Sir Lu by Mr. Picasso, and Professor Lu could not sell it. After that, we consulted on several other paintings and were optimistic about them. I bought one of them, but the price..."

Before he finished speaking, Solomon coughed repeatedly.

"Ahem..."

Nikolic showed a look of realization,

"Mr. Curator, I'm sorry. We are already in a competitive relationship at this time, and I can't tell you our quotation."

Isn’t it just 1,300 pounds?

Lambert just heard it!

He calculated his money bag silently, feeling more or less confident.

Compared with these two poor foreign students, the budget of the Whitechapel Art Museum is still sufficient.

He patted both of them on the shoulders comfortingly,

"It doesn't matter, you will definitely be able to buy what you like..."

Suddenly, there was a noise outside.

There was also a woman's sudden scream.

Lambert frowned,

"What's happening here?"

He cast a curious look,

Then I saw a security guard rush in and enter the hut.

Not long after, Lu Shi came out,

He apologized to everyone around him: "Everyone, I'm sorry, there's something going on in the manuscript exhibition hall. I'll go take care of it. Mr. Picasso will continue to advance the gallery's affairs, so please don't be impatient."

After saying that, he left directly.

…

Original exhibition hall.

Stephenson separated the crowd, frowned and walked to his men,

"What's going on? You guys are asked to come here to act as security guards. It would be better for you to pick them up directly at the performance site. Fortunately, I didn't give you a gun, otherwise it would be a disaster?"

The deputy quickly approached;

"Sir, this is the person you and Sir Lu ordered us to keep an eye on a few days ago."

Stephenson looked over immediately,

Pankhurst was seen being held by two people, with his hair hanging messily, looking like a crazy woman.

The deputy whispered, "She brought paint and a very small pickaxe."

"Tsk..."

Stephenson was speechless.

What this woman is going to do, you can guess with your knees.

Pankhurst shouted: "Let me go!"

Stephenson said "Huh..." and waved his hand.

The woman was let go,

Of course, the tools of the crime were not returned.

Pankhurst patted the dust on his body and said, "What are you doing? Why did you push me down for no reason?"

Stephenson sneered: "For no reason? I don't know which normal person would bring a pickaxe and paint to the museum. If we found out, why can't we take you?"

Everyone nodded,

A pickaxe sounds like it is used to break glass;

Paint is splash painting or original painting.

But if Pankhurst succeeds, there seems to be nothing he can do.

She is a ruthless person who dares to throw Molotov cocktails on the street. She doesn't care about going to jail at all. She is even proud of it like the people in the old revolutionary base.

Another point is that paintings and manuscripts are difficult to value.

If paint is really spilled, how should I make a claim?

There is no way to tell.

Stephenson has a headache;

There is nothing he can do with this kind of hob meat.

Can’t let go;

It can’t be caught.

It’s not like he’s going to be chopped off, right?

Killing a feminist leader casually, who was also ranked third in the "Top 20 Greatest Britons" voted by the female citizens of London, would definitely cause more troublesome sequelae.

Stephenson asked: "Have you contacted Sir Lu?"

The deputy nodded,

"Someone has been sent."

Stephenson felt confident.

Procrastinate~

When the landing comes, everything will be fine.

By this time, Pankhurst had regained his breath;

She had worked in a political party and was quick-witted. She quickly found room for rebuttal and said, "Sir, what you just said is not right."

Stephenson:? ? ?

"Which sentence?"

He felt like he didn't say anything.

Pankhurst sneered,

"You said you wanted to capture me because I brought paint and a pickaxe? In other words, you discovered that I had those things on me before you captured me?"

"this……"

Stephenson scratched his head,

Hua Dian was discovered by the other party.

But judging from the situation at the scene, Pankhurst's statement made her even more passive.

The so-called "clever words and charming words\

,"In fact, she brought those two things with her, and she clearly had malicious intentions, using her clever tongue to exonerate herself in an attempt to offend others.

Everyone whispered,

"Her defense sounds weak."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

"But this matter is indeed quite troublesome from a procedural point of view."

…

Pankhurst's face turned red and white,

Cursing secretly in my heart,

Men really do protect each other.

Stephenson cleared his throat, preparing to say something.

At this time, Lu Shi's voice sounded:

"Ms. Pankhurst, it seems you have forgotten what I told you before."

He came slowly,

"In that case, let me reiterate, 'This is not a court, and there is no need for evidence here.' If a trial is needed, then, sorry, my words are evidence. I am a juror, a prosecutor, and a judge."

This was said quite domineeringly, and the scene fell into silence.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Suddenly, someone shouted: "Well said!"

What followed was cheers, applause, and even whistles.

Veins popped out on Pankhurst's forehead,

"you……"

Lu Shi raised his hand to interrupt.

"If you have read my works, listened to my speeches, and know how highly I think of Marie Curie and Mary Shelley, then you should know that I am actually optimistic about women gaining rights through work. .So, what I just said was not directed at this group, but at you personally."

He took a breath,

"Now, please get out of my museum!"

Stephenson secretly gave a thumbs up,

You have to look at Lu Shi to criticize others.

Then, he turned sideways to make room,

"Ms. Pankhurst, please get out."

Other security personnel also formed two "escort" teams, creating a path leading directly to the gate.

But Pankhurst didn't move;

She stiffened her neck and stood there, looking at Lu Shi with eyes full of anger.

"I bought the ticket!"

Everyone was speechless,

"..."

Stephenson was a little embarrassed,

Speculations without evidence prevented him from forcing people out.

Lu Shi sighed and said, "Sister Pan, you have to let me expose your old background, don't you?"

He looked around,

"Where's this lady's ticket? Show it to me."

Pankhurst's lips curled up.

Before, she was discovered by security personnel to have fraudulent tickets, so she kept observing from the side. She noticed that the security personnel would hold the tickets up to the sun for observation, and discovered that the printing on the tickets was gradient.

After that, she went back to ask someone for help and made a ticket that was enough to be fake.

What he didn't expect was that Lu Shi didn't use sunlight for identification at all.

I saw his fingers carefully groping on the ticket,

"The tickets for the Lu Museum have three layers of anti-counterfeiting: first, gradient printing; second, number one, one vote; third, hidden texture. You can take out your ticket and touch one-third of the ticket from right to left. one place."

Everyone tried it immediately,

Sure enough, there are some slightly raised, relief-like textures.

Lu Shi said: "But this ticket doesn't have it."

He threw the ticket back,

"Sister Pan, it is a completely illegal act for you to make counterfeit notes. What problem does Sir Stephenson have with you?"

Pankhurst's mentality collapsed.

Who would have thought there could be so many articles on one ticket?

She said: "You knew I had a fake ticket, but you still let me in?"

Lu Shi shrugged.

Yes, I was indeed fishing.

A few days ago, Churchill told him about Pankhurst, so he became more cautious and asked the security personnel to keep a close eye on him.

Lu Shi said: "If I don't let you in, you won't be able to improve your counterfeiting skills in the future? You can only be a thief for a thousand days, but there is no reason to prevent a thief for a thousand days. So, why not..."

He cleared his throat,

"Ms. Pankhurst used a fake ticket to enter and will not be allowed to enter the museum in the future."

Pankhurst's defense was completely broken by these words.

"What the hell!* # ￥%..."

Lu Shiquan pretended not to hear and turned to Stephenson,

"Sir, it's illegal to use counterfeit notes. Is it okay to lock it up for a few days?"

Stephenson nodded as he heard this.

"of course."

After saying that, he waved his hand and asked his men to take the person.

Pankhurst struggled hard,

"That's not what I said just now! You arrested me because I brought paint and..."

Before he finished speaking, Lu Shi interrupted directly: "Sir Stephenson made a mistake. If you want to hear an apology, he shouldn't mind."

Stephenson was stunned.

My heart said,

Sir Lu's face has become thicker, but he is no worse than the British.

He also said: "Yes, I made a mistake. I'm sorry."

This "sorry" is not very lethal.

Insulting but powerful.

Pankhurst's whole face twisted.

"you……"

Stephenson ignored it and nodded to his subordinates.

Pankhurst was immediately carried away.

Even after this, she still shouted hysterically: "The book "Lolita" should not appear!"

Lu Shi frowned.

Stephenson glanced at him and quickly said to his subordinates: "Why don't you hurry up and take her away? Don't affect the museum's business!"

The security personnel just woke up from a dream and rushed forward.

Pankhurst went on to shout: "It will destroy women! Destroy all women!"