Trillionaire's Slice of Life

Chapter 410: Chapter 305: Billion Dollar Art Exhibition (Please Subscribe)

This Tang Bohu piece, “Lushan Observing the Waterfall,” is also a treasured heirloom of the Lu family from Modu and is as well the most precious item in Old Master Lu’s collection.

Several months ago, Chu Mo had packaged it with other items for a price of 20 billion RMB. When delivering this painting, Old Master Lu had stressed repeatedly that all other antiques could be discarded, but this particular painting must be properly preserved.

Valued at 3.6 billion RMB, this national treasure-level antique had always been kept by Chu Mo in the bedroom of Emperor’s Mansion Villa Number One. Today, it finally saw the light of day again.

Zhou Yuanyuan and Chu Xiner gathered around this painting, with both young girls’ eyes filled with intense wonder and excitement.

As for Tao Yun and Song Xiaoxi, this pair who had not gotten along from the start were now competing, and the content of the competition between the two little girls was to find, from the dozen or so valuable calligraphies and paintings before them, the treasure that Chu Mo had just mentioned, more expensive than this Tang Bohu original valued at 3.6 billion RMB!

At this moment, the four little girls were in no mood to appreciate the view from 580 meters in the air. Compared to the enchanting sight of having the whole of Modu under their feet, the valuable calligraphies and paintings on the display in front of them were more captivating.

Chu Xiner was more cautious, while Zhou Yuanyuan by her side was visibly excited. She took a deep breath, then said with a hint of emotion,

“I’ve read about this painting in the book ‘National Historical Treasures’, and I remember that experts have commented on this piece.

This work by Tang Bohu depicts the scene of observing the waterfall at Lushan with a rhythm that feels like a stream cascading down three thousand feet. The painting is infused with Tang Bohu’s carefree and uninhibited spirit, and it describes a realm of a lofty and detached state while watching the waterfall from the high mountains.

What’s more, the style of this painting is more impressionistic compared to his other works, and the brushwork is very casual, giving off a feeling of splashing ink, created when he was inspired after visiting Lushan. Thus, the artistic value of this painting is also very high.

However, I really did not expect that in my lifetime, I would be able to appreciate such a masterpiece.”

Chu Mo actually held Zhou Yuanyuan’s extensive knowledge in high regard, not expecting this ice beauty to also possess a remarkable understanding of antiques and calligraphy.

Just as Chu Mo was about to speak, an exceptionally excited voice from Song Xiaoxi suddenly reached his ear.

At that moment, standing in front of a display, Song Xiaoxi pointed at an oil painting in front of her, her face alight with excitement as she said,

“Chu bro, is the priciest painting you mentioned this Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’? I remember this painting from my junior high art textbooks; it’s a world-famous work, so it should be very expensive, right?”

With her eyes curved into crescents, Song Xiaoxi’s face was flushed with excitement. From the moment she entered the vast bedroom of Sunshine Residence, this girl from a privileged background had already looked at Chu Mo somewhat differently.

And at the entrance of Jinmao Mansion, when scores, almost hundreds, welcomed Chu Mo’s arrival, the sparkle in her eyes when she looked at Chu Mo was already dazzling.

And now, as she stood in the sky-high Jinmao Mansion, 580 meters above the ground, enjoying the beautiful view of the entire Modu and a painting exhibition prepared just for the four little girls worth potentially over a hundred billion RMB, her little heart was so excited it felt like it was about to leap out of her throat.

Her mind incessantly compared those little boys who chased after her with the handsome young man before her, only to realize that the previously somewhat attractive sunny boys paled in comparison to Brother Chu, who in his presence seemed like mere dirt, entirely lacking any highlights.

In the midst of Song Xiaoxi’s somewhat shrill cries of excitement, Chu Mo gently lifted his head. He had intended to answer, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Zhou Yuanyuan beside him slightly curl the corner of her mouth upward. After a brief pause, Chu Mo smiled and said,

“Yuan Yuan, you know this painting? Then why don’t you introduce this masterpiece by Van Gogh to Xiaoxi!”

The “Ice Queen” school beauty of the University of Science and Technology was not at all daunted.

Being the daughter of a top-tier noble family with assets exceeding forty billion, her experience far exceeded that of any ordinary girl. With a smile playing at her lips and a serious expression, Zhou Yuanyuan gently began,

“This Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ was painted during his time in the south of France. The brilliant sunshine there filled the artist with ecstasy, and he painted a series of still lifes in yellow to express his inner feelings. This painting is a representative work of an entire era.

Van Gogh painted the yellow of the sunflowers so vividly that it is nearly blinding; each flower seems like a burning flame. The fragmented petals and sunflower leaves are spread across the canvas like flickering flames, making the whole painting resemble a blaze engulfing the canvas, reflecting the artist’s fervent passion. This painting was sold at Christie’s Auction House for 39.85 million US dollars.

That’s roughly 240 million RMB!”

Zhou Yuanyuan leisurely walked to the side of the painting and reached out her hand. She gently caressed the display glass, as if trying to feel, through the glass, the passion that the world-famous artist Van Gogh had put into his work.

“Just two billion?” Song Xiaoxi tilted her head slightly, and after a moment, she expressed her puzzlement, “Huh? ‘Just’? Why did I use the word ‘just’?”

With a face flushed red, Song Xiaoxi’s eyes widened. She pondered hard and looked at the paintings before her, each worth hundreds of millions or even billions, and then inhaled deeply. Her gaze soon fixated on Chu Mo, who appeared indifferent, and she found herself unable to look away!

And while Song Xiaoxi was mesmerized, Tao Yun, equally excited, exclaimed loudly,

“I found it! If I’m not mistaken, the most expensive painting in the entire exhibition has to be this ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival.’ It is one of the top ten legacy paintings of Hua Country!”

With Tao Yun’s words, Zhou Yuanyuan, whose eyes had widened, displayed a look of shock for the first time. She didn’t speak but even ran to Tao Yun’s side.

Following that, the normally expressionless ice queen appeared completely dazed.

Chu Xiner, whose presence was usually quite subtle, suddenly looped her arm around Chu Mo’s wrist. She leaned against Chu Mo’s arm, tilting up her lovely face, her eyes brimming with excitement, the little girl curiously said,

“Brother, I remember that painting is a national treasure. It should be stored in the Capital City Museum, right?”

At the observation hall on the 125th floor of the Jinmao Mansion, Chu Mo casually ruffled Xin’er’s hair. Through the massive observation window, he saw the entire Magic City seemingly sprawled beneath his feet. A dozen or so executives from the mansion were carefully accompanying him. As he turned his gaze away from the beautiful scenery outside, he saw Zhou Yuanyuan with an equally complex expression.

Chu Mo, who was originally standing by the window, leisurely made his way to the side of the art exhibition. He looked at this national treasure worth a fortune, gently touched his golden glasses, and then, amidst the anxious waiting of four young girls beside him, said with a smile:

“This ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival’ is 24.8 centimeters wide and 528.7 centimeters long. Within its more than five-meter-long scroll, it depicts a vast number of diverse characters, cattle, mules, donkeys, and other livestock, as well as carriages, palanquins, boats of various sizes, houses, bridges, and watchtowers, all featuring the architectural characteristics of the Song Dynasty. It has high historical and artistic value.

Someone counted that the full ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival’ contains 824 characters, each with distinctive features and differing postures and actions, once causing countless connoisseurs to click their tongues in wonder.

Just the value of this painting alone… probably requires three authentic pieces by Tang Bohu to match, at least ten billion!”

When Chu Mo’s words fell, Song Xiaoxi and Tao Yun, the two young girls beside him, immediately gaped in shock. Although they had some expectations for the value of the painting, they never imagined that its price would be so astoundingly high.

Ten billion?

For a single painting?@@novelbin@@

This had far exceeded the limits of their imagination.

No wonder even the ice-cold beauty Zhou Yuanyuan couldn’t remain composed.

As soon as Chu Mo finished speaking, he took a deep breath. Zhou Yuanyuan, who had previously shown no interest in multi-billion RMB top luxury houses in Sunshine Residence, now found it hard to swallow her saliva. Her eyes, bright as stars and the moon, were fixed on Chu Mo as she said with unusual seriousness:

“I’ve read a book that said after the Northern Song Dynasty artist Zhang Zeduan finished painting ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival,’ he presented it to Emperor Song Huizong, who personally inscribed the title ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival’ in his own created Slim Gold script and also stamped it with a dual-dragon seal.

Song Huizong was the emperor with the greatest artistic achievements in the history of Hua Country. Having him personally inscribe the painting and add his dual-dragon seal can be said to have made it famous overnight.

However, the ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival’ currently stored in the Capital City Museum doesn’t bear Song Huizong’s inscription or seal, so many have doubted its authenticity, questioning if it’s just a copy… Could it be…!”

Before Zhou Yuanyuan could finish her thought, Chu Mo nodded with a smile, his voice calm as he said:

“Whether it’s genuine or not is no longer important. All you need to know is that I acquired this painting through an introduction by Mr. Lu; it cost a total of ten billion and was purchased from the hands of the Xiangjiang Long family, one of the eight great families in Hua Country.

The Long family, a super family with assets exceeding three trillion, wouldn’t jest with their family reputation.”

As his words ended, he softly clapped his hands, and Dong Xuner, who had been paying close attention to Chu Mo’s actions, immediately understood.

Dong Xuner turned to make arrangements, and in just a short moment, a slender girl clad in traditional Chinese attire walked gracefully towards the crowd.

The young woman had a delicate appearance and was surrounded by a strong scholarly aura. She first bowed politely to the crowd, then sat quietly in front of the hall.

Staff members, in an orderly manner, provided the young woman dressed in traditional attire with ink, brush, paper, and inkstone. Once everything was prepared and after taking a deep breath, the woman imbued with a literary aura picked up the brush and began to paint on the paper laid out before her!

The young woman in traditional attire was intensely focused, her pretty cheeks etched with a serious expression.

Her wrist moved as gracefully as a fluttering butterfly, her entire demeanor giving off a poetic and picturesque vibe.

She was painting, yet to everyone in the exhibition hall, she herself was a picture.

The entire exhibition hall fell silent, all eyes transfixed on the classically beautiful woman painting.

Just then, Chu Xiner, who had been clinging to Chu Mo’s arm, hesitated for a moment before gently shaking his arm and asking in a low voice:

“Brother, who is she?”

Hearing this, Chu Mo’s gaze shifted from the classical woman and returned to look outside the window before he replied calmly:

“She is a junior at Capital Art Academy, skilled in painting figures and landscapes. Her work has been sold at a charity auction for a staggering three million, marking her as a rising artist in our Hua Country’s art sector. Her work will be exhibited here, along with the twelve paintings on display.”

“Oh!”

Chu Xiner nodded, somewhat understanding.

However, Zhou Yuanyuan by their side narrowed her eyes slightly.

Zhou Yuanyuan glanced at the woman across from them, who was suffused with a classical aura. She too was a junior, and one of her works had been sold for three million—a noteworthy achievement.

Yet now, her painting would be displayed alongside twelve world-famous masterpieces. Just this honor alone might increase her value many times over, maybe even by tens of times!

This was an opportunity that could make the classical woman soar to new heights.

And the person providing this opportunity was none other than the increasingly enigmatic and handsome young man by her side.

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