Dangerous Aesthetics

Chapter 19

"But you will find a way, won't you?" Holden smiled meaningfully at David.

Of course he understood what Holden meant, that was the black market.

David felt an inexplicable pain in his heart when he thought that Holden wanted to sell this masterpiece to vulgar people who did not understand art.

Back at the villa, the three sat at the dining table drinking coffee and discussing the next steps together.

"I can contact someone to transport the instruments for identifying lead carbonate to Horton," said Olivan.

"So what are you going to do? Drop that painting during the appraisal process?" David asked anxiously.

"Of course not. Do you think you're playing "The Flying Thief"? We don't have that kind of technology." Neo looked amused.But remembering what he did to himself in the room the other day, David didn't want to talk to him.

"Okay, so what about the black market? Olivan, do you really know that kind of client?" David scratched his head, feeling extremely annoyed.

"Then rehearse a black market deal for Horton." Olivan pulled the corners of his lips lightly, with a devilish aura in the corners of his eyes and brows.

"Rehearsal?" David was stunned, he really didn't know what Olivan was thinking.

"You don't have to worry about the extra things, just follow the script I designed and act step by step." Olivan put down his glass, got up and seemed to be going back to his room.

David gripped his glass tightly, feeling a sense of defeat.

Obviously, I have been dragged into the water by Oliwen, but I still can't understand this person's thoughts. My existence is like a chess piece. I shouldn't have any thoughts, but I am just at the mercy of others...

"Hey, David, and chocolate cake, do you want to eat?" Neo leaned over, trying to rub David with his shoulder.

David, who lowered his head, didn't open his eyes to look at him, but replied word by word: "Neo, you stay at home every day without exercising, and you eat so much sweets, be careful to get fat before the age of 30, bald before the age of 40, and bald before the age of 50." years old with diabetes plus obesity."

"...You don't have to be as venomous as Olivan..."

David touched his head, mediating between Horton and Olivan, what a hassle!

A few days later, Olivan actually got in touch with the device and it was transported to the Holden home.

When the test result of the instrument confirmed that the paint of this painting belonged to 340 and five years ago, and according to the painting technique and style, David hugged Holden in a tone of surprise, "Oh my God, this is really Vermeer's work." !"

Horton patted David on the back, as if he had expected this result a long time ago, "Yes, it is true. The most important question now is how to sell it."

"Let me think... let me think... it is the most proud work of the master, it is named after Mona Lisa, we must find a decent collector for it..." David sat down slowly, In the ear is Neo's reminder.

"Tell him that next week, Luke Church will hold an underground auction, and the participants will be collectors from all over the world, but the auctioned collections will all be obtained through informal channels."

David informed Horton about the underground auction, but they couldn't sell the painting so rashly.They negotiated hiring people to protect the painting, while also having to transport equipment to the auction site to prove the painting's age to numerous buyers.

It's just that they don't have enough time, only one week.

Horton told David that as long as he was in charge of contacting some affordable buyers and clearing up the organizers of the underground auction, Horton would handle other things by himself.

It was more than two o'clock in the middle of the night before David returned to the villa, but he didn't feel sleepy at all.

Help Holden sell that painting on the black market?David has a feeling of trepidation and guilt. "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is not only a work of art, it also precipitates Vermeer's love for the girl in the painting, which has lasted for more than 300 years because of this painting.

For the first time, David had a feeling of restlessness.

Regardless of the fact that it was late at night, David came to Olivan's room on the third floor. He was about to knock on the door, but found light from the door of the studio next door. Could it be that Olivan hadn't slept yet?

Knocking on the door, the person inside said "Come in".

David pushed the door open and saw Olivan sitting in the center of the studio. His back was straight, he was holding a palette, but the paintbrush was held between his fingers, as if he didn't know how to write.

The sour taste spread, and David suddenly thought of something.

Although Vermeer died young and his works were not recognized when he was alive, he was accompanied by the girl in the painting.But Olivan was alone.

"I saw that painting with my own eyes today." David broke the silence of the room.

"What's the matter?" Olivan slowly raised his head. David once thought Olivan was an attractive man, but he was definitely not a handsome man. It's just that at this moment, his calm expression made his facial features extremely Beauty, fragile and vague.

"You won't really ask Horton to sell that painting, will you?" David didn't want to try to figure out what Olivan was thinking, he just wanted to know the answer.

"I know it's priceless, so I'm reluctant to let Holden sell it at a low price...or after these few days of nurturing, have you really cultivated respect for art?" Olivan's side face changed angles, and the background was the blackness outside the window In the darkness of night, the girl looked back with a smile that was not a smile in front of David's eyes. It was impossible to guess whether it was sadness or other more subtle emotions.

"Because of Vermeer's emotions, you have also had it, haven't you? That kind of longing, wanting to fly out of the worldly rules, struggling to have love, has nothing to do with any instinctive desires, from the painting you copied It can be seen in the painting..." David closed his mouth, and then he remembered that what he said should belong to Olivan's privacy, and belonged to his past.Olivan put the painting in the attic, obviously not wanting to recall the past.

"It's sad to pin your love on the canvas, because it means you can't grasp it in reality." Surprisingly, there was no sullen or contemptuous expression on Olivan's face, "You are very talented in art appraisal, Dai because you can tell different emotions from identical paintings.”

This was the first positive affirmation that Oliwen made to David, but for some reason, David couldn't be happy.

"Don't worry, Holden can't sell that painting to anyone." Olivan put down his palette and looked at David.

"Then... that's good, it's late, I'm going to bed." David was about to turn around when Olivier suddenly stopped him.

"David."

"Ok?"

"Clean the studio and wipe off the paint on the floor."

"Huh? What?" David collapsed, what time is it, and you want me to wipe the floor of the studio?Is there anything to mop this floor?If you wipe it today, it will be dirty tomorrow!

A week later, David's most stressful day came.

He drove to Holden's house first, and saw that he had hired a professional security company to escort the painting to the church, but on the surface it seemed that it was to escort a certain statue that Holden donated to the church.

When they came to the church, David showed an invitation card to the priest. A man in a suit came over, scanned the code on the invitation card with a scanner, and led David and Holden to the basement of the church. .

No one thought that there would be such a wide space under this little-known church.The seats on the stone steps are circular, and there is a display stand in the center.

Holding the painting, Holden trembled slightly, looking very nervous.

People kept coming in, and of course they were carrying different works. Some of them didn't look like high-class people, but instead looked like the leaders of some underworld.

Holden leaned towards David and asked in a low voice, "Why do I feel that not all the people who come here are collectors?"

David took a breath in his heart. In fact, he was more nervous about the safety of this painting than Holden, "Don't underestimate those gangsters and arms dealers, they are richer than serious businessmen, and they don't have any liquid assets. They give Can afford cash!"

"Then what if they...have malicious intentions..."

"Don't be afraid, there are still many respectable people at the scene. If your painting is snatched by others here, then the robber will never want to appear in any auction in the future." This reason was made up by David. Damn, I really don't know why this guy is so quiet when I need Neo's prompt!

In order to reassure Holden, David pointed to an old man wearing monocular glasses and a white suit not far away, "See, that person is Jenkins Colin, the honorary chairman of the Appraiser Association, even he is here Here, what are you afraid of?"

Who knew that the old man turned around and saw David, stroked his beard and smiled at David.

Holden seemed much relieved.

The auction has started.

The first work was a small statue, and the bid reached 25.Then came the blue and white porcelain from China. There were many bidders, and the final transaction price was almost 100 million.These little-known things can be sold for such a high price, which makes Holden secretly happy. When his painting is shown, it will definitely shock the audience. Of course, his starting price is 5000 million, the highest in the audience.

Finally, after the enthusiastic bidding, came the exciting moment.

When the host read out the title of the work, the audience burst into warm applause, which made Horton's mood even higher.

David patted him on the back, "Calm down, Mr. Horton. Excessive agitation is not good for your health."

"Thank you for reminding David, we must drink red wine to celebrate when we sell the painting!" Holden tremblingly carried the painting frame to the stage.

When the applause stopped, Horton slowly lifted the cloth on the frame, and the girl's sideways figure appeared in front of everyone. The old man stood up with his glasses in his hand, with an extremely surprised expression on his face.