British writer

Three days later.

East End, Whitechapel area.

This is one of the poorest places in London,

Moreover, the crime rate here is quite high, and the streets are full of thieves and gangs.

In 1888, the horrifying Jack the Ripper serial murders made the area infamous.

Negati Nikolic and Tiri Solomon wrapped their coats tightly and walked cautiously along the street.

Nikolic looked around,

"How do you arrange this place for us..."

Solomon whispered: "Don't look around! 'Outlanders' are not welcome here."

Nikolic said "Huh?" and lowered his head as if he had a ghost in his heart.

The whole person became more suspicious.

Solomon spread his hands,

"Brother, can't you be more natural? No matter how scary this place is, can it be scarier than Professor Cass's class?"

Nikolic mused,

"When you say that, Cass is more terrifying."

Their destination was the Whitechapel Art Museum.

Opened in 1901, it was one of the earliest government-funded art galleries in London.

The emergence of the art museum can be said to be the product of social reform ideas in the late Victorian era. It was a philanthropic vision at that time in order to "bring art to the residents of the East End."

But look at the devastation all around,

Nikolic felt that it would be more appropriate to bring relief and employment to the East End.

He said: "I don't know what Her Highness the Princess was thinking about arranging us in a place like this. Well... what did she say at that time?"

Solomon spread his hands,

"'Exemplary leadership'."

"Tsk..."

Nikolic was speechless,

"Yes, yes, it's this incomprehensible word. Isn't it made up by force?"

Solomon couldn't help but laugh,

"Humph, this word sounds like Professor Lu's masterpiece. Don't you feel it? Recently, Her Royal Highness and Professor Lu have gradually become consistent in many terms they use. Even many of their actions have become quite similar."

These words have a strong smell of gossip.

Nikolic was curious,

"What you mean is..."

Solomon said: "People who have been together for a long time and appreciate each other will imitate each other. Freud wrote in his book, 'Looking carefully at an individual's behavior, it is easy to find the universality of this phenomenon.'"

The previous debate between Freud and Harold Gale established psychology and advertising.

Both quickly became popular in Europe.

Nikolic shook his head and said: "Aren't the words 'individual behavior' and 'universality' contradictory?"

In fact, there are many inconsistencies in "The Interpretation of Dreams".

Solomon didn't care much and said, "You, you, are too strict sometimes. I even think that imitation is not limited to body and language, but also expressions."

This statement is too bizarre.

Nikolic complained: "As you said, they will look more and more alike. Because expression imitation will cause facial muscles to become gradually similar."

Solomon said: "In reality, many couples are like this."

Nikolic curled his lips.

"Then my father is still having sex with the landlady next door...well...Fxxk!"

This was a bit loud.

In an instant, several big men around him looked at him, their eyes were extremely unfriendly.

"hiss……"

Nikolic took a breath and didn't dare to say anything.

He looked around,

The buildings on both sides of the street are old and dilapidated, and there are a lot of graffiti on the walls, mostly with vicious and evil symbols.

There seem to be countless secrets and sins hidden in the buildings of different heights.

Nikolic muttered: "It's better for Harold and the others to go to the National Gallery."

Solomon said: "The National Gallery is built on the site of Milbank Prison. There are so many innocent souls floating inside. Be careful when they get into your bed at night. When you open it, it will be full of severed heads rolling around. "

Nikolic trembled.

His face turned dark and he cursed in a low voice: "Tili, what the hell are you! @#*￥%..."

Solomon waved his hand,

"Thank you for the compliment."

Nikolic had no choice but to speed up his pace.

Solomon quickly followed.

The two of them walked up the slope together,

Not long after, a newly renovated building that was incompatible with its surroundings came into view.

Solomon said, "That is it."

Nikolic looked carefully,

The lines of the museum are simple and smooth, and the white exterior walls shine in the sun, giving people a sacred and solemn feeling.

The two entered the museum,

The first thing that catches the eye is the spacious and clean lobby.

As the name suggests, this place is indeed "clean" and there aren't even a few paintings hanging on the walls.

Nikolic said based on his limited art skills: "That seems to be the style of the Hague School."

Solomon was shocked;

"You actually know art?"

Nikolic rolled his eyes at the other party,

"It's not difficult. The Hague School, the Dutch realist painters..."

Before he finished speaking, Solomon interrupted: "I mean, you know oil painting, why can't you pick up girls?"

Nikolic split instantly,

"You want to die, don't you?"

Solomon couldn't help laughing.

Someone heard the laughter and poked his head out from behind the wall, showing an expression of surprise.

"Are you here to see the painting?"

The speaker's eyes were bloodshot, and he obviously had not slept well for a long time.

But his mental state was extremely excited and he said: "Great! I'm waiting for the guests!"

He came quickly,

"I'm Carey Lambert, the curator here. You...um...are you foreigners?"

Solomon pointed to himself;

"France."

Then he pointed at Nikolic and introduced: "Spain."

Lambert was overjoyed;

"Okay, okay, two countries of art. No wonder you come to a place like the East District to visit the art museum. How about it, have you been to the National Museum of Art before?"

As he spoke, he introduced and guided the two of them.

There were only a few paintings hanging very sparsely on the walls they passed by.

Moreover, the styles of these paintings are very new, and the brushstrokes are also immature, and they don’t look like everyone’s works.

Nikolic and Solomon looked at each other,

The two decided to go ahead with the plan.

Solomon coughed lightly,

"Director, not long after we arrived in the great, powerful, and wealthy British Empire, we heard that there is a very famous Spanish painter living in London named Pablo Picasso."

After saying that, he winked at Nikolic.

Nikolic was very big-headed;

I can't lie like my friends without drafting.

He stuttered and said: "Well, I am also Spanish after all. I want... um... I want..."

Lambert understood,

"Understood! Come with me, here are Mr. Picasso's works."

Solomon:? ? ?

Nikolic:? ? ?

Both of them were a little dizzy.

This is different from what was promised!

They followed Lambert in a daze and entered a small exhibition hall.

Unexpectedly, there are the most paintings here;

But they were all clippings from the comic pages of The Mirror.

Lambert sighed,

"Sigh... We don't have many exhibits in the art gallery, so we can only fill them up like this. But don't underestimate these paintings. Mr. Picasso wrote a paper called "Lens Design in Comic Creation", which is simply subversive."

Solomon quickly interrupted the topic: "No, no, we are not talking about comics."

"Ah this..."

Lambert was stunned.

"I heard that Mr. Picasso is still creating oil paintings. Alas... I'm not telling you that. He is just a cartoonist. He doesn't know anything about oil painting."

If Picasso had been present, he would have vomited blood.

Nikolic didn't expect this kind of development at all, and was a little at a loss.

Solomon reacted quickly.

He immediately adjusted his strategy and said: "Director, you are right. Picasso is just a cartoonist and knows nothing about oil painting. However, you should understand the value of artwork... hum..."

Lambert smiled knowingly, but soon changed to a serious expression.

"Artworks have aesthetic value. It can bring visual pleasure, thereby producing a sense of happiness, which in turn can bring about a good mood, and even purify the soul and cultivate the temperament."

This is so true,

Nikolic could even feel the holy dazzling light emanating from the other person's body, which could blind people.

But Solomon remained unmoved;

"I understand~I understand~but I am just a layman, and I value investment more."

Lambert shook his head,

"Then you should also invest in Mr. Picasso's comics, but the cost must be too high...well..."

There was a glint in his eyes.

Anyway, the purpose of selling paintings is to fool customers.

It’s also about telling stories,

Comics can;

Why not oil painting?

Moreover, Picasso's oil paintings have not yet been released on the market, presumably because they are not easy to sell.

If you can buy it at a low price, it might be a good business.

But the problem is...

"So, where can I buy Mr. Picasso's oil paintings?"

Lambert muttered.

This guy spoke his mind.

Nikolic cleared his throat.

"curator?"

Lambert came to his senses and quickly explained: "Two gentlemen, you should know that the art museum is not a gallery and does not conduct sales. I plan to buy Mr. Picasso's paintings in the hope of enriching the exhibition hall of the art museum."

It's so plausibly said that it sounds like it's true.

Solomon spread his hands,

"It's a pity, I originally wanted to buy one for 1,328 pounds~"

If there are parts and components, it seems very real.

Lambert didn't answer any questions;

But the rapid breathing revealed the excitement in his heart,

Picking up the fat sheep!

Solomon took the opportunity to wink at Nikolic.

The latter had no choice but to lie: "Tili, where did you get so much money... Hey! You didn't even include my money, right?"

It suddenly became more real.

Lambert was already happy in his heart, but he still advised on the surface: "Mr. Solomon, the water of art investment is very deep. You must not borrow money to enter the market!"

Solomon shook his head,

"Who said I want to invest? I just like it!"

Lambert finally couldn't help but curl up the corner of his mouth,

My heart said,

The brat is still too young,

I just said clearly that I wanted to invest, so what’s the use of changing my statement now?

late!

But he said as he went along: "Of course ~ of course ~ it's a collection, not an investment."

Solomon nodded, but showed a helpless expression.

"It's a pity that I can't buy it."

He looked at the newspaper clippings around him again and said, "Forget it, I don't want these to be useless."

After saying that, he dragged Nikolic out.

Lambert walked them to the door,

"Next time I come again, I will definitely take you for a nice stroll!"

Solomon complained in his heart,

There are only a few paintings in total, just go shopping.

He waved his hand,

"Okay! We will definitely come back next time. Director, you are quite a nice person~"

After saying that, he and Nikolic walked down the slope.

Lambert stood at the gate, looking at the two of them for a long time, like a stone watching a husband.

At this time, the cold wind blew,

He was so cold that he shrunk his neck and quickly hid in the art gallery.

On the other side, Solomon lowered his voice,

"gone back already?"

Nikolic tilted his neck slightly, glanced diagonally back, nodded and said, "Yes, let's go."

"Hoo~"×2

They both let out a sigh of relief.

Immediately, they laughed out loud at the same time, which attracted the side glances of the ferocious strong men, and they quickly lowered their voices.

Nikolic raised his eyebrows.

"Tiri, you are becoming more and more sinister."

Solomon curled his lips,

"Aren't you the same? We just worked together and complemented each other."

Nikolic was speechless;

I was not like this originally. After staying with my friends for a long time, I became contaminated and became unclean.

Also, why can’t I learn to pick up girls?

He was depressed, shook his head to dispel it, and said, "It was different from what we planned just now."

Solomon shrugged;

"Anyway, our goal is to let art dealers and museum directors know that Mr. Picasso's paintings are easy to sell. The goal has been achieved, and the process is not important."

Nikolic thought for a while and felt that this was correct.

He mused: "In the next period of time, the students must come over at regular intervals and 'accidentally' reveal their intention to buy the painting. Moreover, the price must fluctuate around 1,300 pounds, so as to completely impress Director Lambert." .”

"Tsk..."

Solomon was speechless,

"You still have the nerve to call me sinister? You are obviously sinister enough!"

"Shit!"

Nikolic cursed.

…

Paris.

Montmartre.

In front of the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, Oscar-Claude Monet was lying on a deck chair, staring at the sky, as if in a fugue.

As a geomantic treasure of Montmartre, the Sacre Coeur Basilica

The terrain here is unique, and you can overlook the corners of Paris, the narrow alleys, and the stairs up and down.

The winding paths lead to secluded areas, giving people a sense of endless exploration.

Monet was covered with several thick clothes to keep warm.

Next to the lounge chair stands a painting,

The most conspicuous thing in the painting is the water lily, but what is unexpected is that the water lily "blooms" above the Milky Way.

This gives the entire painting a sense of weirdness.

Monet's wife Alice muttered next to her: "We agreed to travel around Spain together, but it's a good thing you bought the car and stopped moving. You're a dwarf in action!"

Monet's eyelids twitched,

This shows that he is listening.

But he didn't reply, and still stared at the sky like a meditator.

Alice added: "Are you afraid of driving?"

Monet sighed,

In fact, he was a little worried about driving.

That big rumbling machine bumped the buttocks so hard that it made people want to vomit.

But that's not the most important reason.

The point is still that painting——

"Galaxy·Water Lily".

He raised his hand and said: "Isn't Montmartre bad?"

Alice subconsciously looked into the distance,

The Seine River flows slowly in the distance, and the roofs of the buildings on both sides of the bank draw a tortuous but beautiful line.

Behind you, the candles lit by the church members emit soft light, reflecting the setting sun, giving people a mysterious and romantic feeling.

Alice had to admit,

"It's indeed very good. But...but, after watching it for a long time, sometimes you get tired of it."

Monet chuckled,

"Are you tired of looking at me?"

Alice was a little shy when asked,

"Oh, French!"

Monet said: "You are talking as if you are not yourself."

There is a reason why the relationship between the two is so good.

Previously, art investor Ouchid supported Monet, which led to the creation of the series of masterpieces "Gare Saint-Lajole".

But Monet took advantage of Ochid's bankruptcy and got involved with his wife Alice.

This love affair has a particularly French flavor.

Can the relationship between the two be bad?

Monet sat up and was about to continue his earthy love talk, but suddenly he frowned and squinted at the distance.

"Is that Roman?"

Alice followed her husband's gaze,

"Well, it seems to be Mr. Roland. I think he should be here to find you."

Monet nodded, put on his clothes and sat upright.

Not long after, Roland ran up panting, handed over a telegram, and said at the same time: "Master Monet, Professor Lu seems to be opening a private museum and preparing to exhibit your "Water Lilies", so I specially sent a telegram to ask for your opinion. "

Monet was a little surprised,

"Private museum? Professor Lu should have a lot of collections, but does he have the space?"

Roland replied: "It is said that the royal estate will be settled."

Monet was a little confused after hearing this.

This is too outrageous.

So, almost without thinking, he said: "Then let me send this painting over."

He was referring to "Galaxy Water Lily".

Roland had seen Monet create before, but when he saw the finished painting, he was still shocked. He was a little obsessed and said: "This painting is weird and strange, but it has a unique beauty."

Monet couldn't help but sigh.

After 1880, he became estranged from other Impressionist painters.

One is because of his secret communication with Alice;

The second reason is that conflicts arise due to creative ideas.

Unexpectedly, when I got older, I would make a breakthrough and create such a strange work.

This is also the reason why he did not accompany Alice on her trip around Spain.

He didn't know whether "Galaxy·Water Lily" was good or bad, and he always had something on his mind, which inevitably made him lose his enthusiasm.

Roland clicked his tongue in surprise,

"Master Monet, your painting reminds me of those small medieval manuscripts. It is full of all kinds of absurdities, such as rabbits playing the church organ; knights fighting giant snails; naked men using their buttocks. Play the trumpet..."

There was indeed a period in the Middle Ages,

Eerie images were painted on parchment with squirrel brushes by monks, nuns and craftsmen across Europe.

Monet said: "You should look at the paintings of Franz von Stock. He painted a lot of allegorical paintings. The images are dark but the colors are excellent. The point is, his paintings are extremely grotesque. Of course..."

Monet smiled bitterly,

"No matter how weird it is, it can't compare to this one of mine."

Roland said: "There is something magical about this painting that I couldn't help but stare at. It seemed to cast a witchcraft on me."

This is a very high rating.

Monet took a deep breath,

At that time, influenced by "Country Teacher", I was inspired to create this painting.

I hope I won't lose my life due to this.

He waved his hand,

"Forget it, don't think about what's there and what's not. Ask someone to give this painting to Professor Lu and let him decide whether to exhibit it or not."

This gave Lu Shi great trust.

Roland asked: "Master Monet, what are your future plans?"

Monet glanced at his wife,

“We decided to go on a tour around Spain.”

Roland sighed,

"Sigh...then the illustrations for Professor Lu's new book won't be..."

Monet couldn't help complaining: "What are you doing? Do you think of me as a mule or a donkey?"

Roland shook his head repeatedly.

"No, no, I didn't mean that. But, if you were in charge of the illustrations, wouldn't you be able to see Professor Lu's original manuscript earlier than others?"

This sentence goes straight to the pain point.

Monet:! ! !

"Okay, I will send you a telegram every time I go to a place. If you want to draw illustrations, just send the manuscript over."

Roland was very satisfied,

"I knew Master Monet was a responsible person to the end!"

This sounds like I'm getting something cheap and being good.

Although Monet agreed, he was still a little angry and complained: "Romain, you are not very old, how can you learn to be so insidious from Jules and Henry?"

Roland stroked his beard awkwardly.

"That's okay. Aren't I thinking about you? What a great thing it would be if I saw Professor Lu's manuscript earlier!"

These words seemed even more coquettish.

Monet waved helplessly,

"Okay, okay, hurry up and find someone to take my paintings away."