Almighty painter

Chapter 683 Life is so beautiful (Part )
The bald man's expression changed in an instant.

He looked at the young couple at the door with disbelief. He didn't know who had revealed such crucial and secret information to them.

Gu Weijing was actually right.

A few years ago, my husband was diagnosed with health problems.

This information is considered top secret even within Brother Hao's "group".

Mafia gangs are not mature modern political groups.

Lofty political ideals, indestructible will, like-minded life aspirations, common belief and spirit - these most beautiful, most cohesive and most powerful words and the underworld are born to be completely opposite antonyms.

Gangsters with lofty ideals are like soft-hearted terrorists, or calorie bombs that make you lose weight as soon as you eat. It would be a joke to talk about them.

They don't even have a clear leadership structure or a hierarchy of cadres.

As for things like “I want to be the most powerful, arrogant and domineering gangster in the place”, please, this kind of thing is not ambition or ideal.

The only common political ideal of all the underworld in the world...is not money, could it be Guan Erye?

All they care about is the blood-stained money.

What can bring these people together is often simply a person's iron-fisted strategy, personal charm, and various monetary ties of interest.

To put it more simply...if a mafia group wants to survive, prevent its subordinates from rebelling, and prevent their morale from becoming scattered like sand, it must have a boss who can control the situation and make all his subordinates obey him.

Even large gangs like Brother Hao who have made billions of dollars have begun to gradually launder their wealth.

In fact, they are still a group of makeshift teams at heart, and their internal structure is at most at the level of the bandit king who holds the throne in the Juyi Hall.

Can you expect a makeshift team made up of gangsters to have ideals, be loyal, and be immune to the wind and waves?

Give me a break.

The law is the bottom line of morality. They don't even have the most basic morality, and loyalty is all a lie. Most of these people would even sell their mothers for money.

Some of the younger brothers have made enough money following Brother Hao and want to clean up their mess, quit their crimes and become a respectable wealthy man.

Some people think that Brother Hao’s style of doing things is too “cautious” and too “old-fashioned”, and he doesn’t even touch many businesses that could obviously make a lot of money.

It is obvious that huge amounts of money flow through the group's accounts every month. They have money and connections, and they also maintain good relations with many arms dealers. These people hope to play bigger and live a good life of killing and arson and being recruited, just like in the movie... Sonny Corleone, the eldest son who is by the side of the old Godfather Don and hopes that the old man can get into the drug business.

There are also people who hope to take advantage of the current chaotic situation to fish in troubled waters and cultivate and win over their own political forces...

The mentality of gangsters is originally a group of loose sand.

Fortunately, there is Brother Hao.

Brother Hao has both ruthless and iron-blooded tactics and attractive personal charm, and he is also extremely generous.

and so.

He was able to suppress the entire gang firmly under his side, intimidating everyone so that they would not dare to have any unnecessary thoughts.

Even if it really exists, as long as Brother Hao's eyes pass by, I can only hide it secretly in the deepest part of my heart.

He doesn't allow anyone to move his mind, and whoever dares to move will die.

He doesn't allow people to touch the business, but he still does it.

In the novel and movie of "The Godfather", Don relied on family ties and blood to maintain the entire family.

Then Brother Hao relies on his natural sensitivity to power, his immense majesty and... his immense ferocity.

"I am the most ferocious beast in this arena of power, and the smartest player at the money game table." - Chen Shenglin looks like an elegant and thin middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.

But what he said to Gu Weijing was washed out with the bones of his opponents, his disobedient subordinates, and the blood of countless ferocious "beasts" that fell around him and the blood of losers.

Bones and blood in a physical sense.

He was so powerful, so shrewd, and so skilled in the art of walking on the knife's edge of power, and everything seemed fine.

The field of power is a playground where the big fish eat the small fish.

Brother Hao always swallows up those small fish and eats those small gangs without hesitation.

He would play cozy with predators who were at a similar position in the food chain as him, patiently waiting for himself to grow bigger, big enough to eat the other party in one bite, or find a weakness that would allow him to kill the other party with one blow, such as he did against Officer Dan.

And Brother Hao will always cleverly avoid those truly huge whales in the sea...

Just like what the middle-aged man told Gu Weijing, he always kept a low profile and never let himself get involved in business that would cause a stir internationally.

Chen Shenglin was born to be that one in a million hero.

He seemed to be able to play this game of thrones forever, piling the chips beside him higher and higher, until the moment he pushed the chips out to go all in, no opponent could resist his bid.

What was the point of defeating a police inspector?
The bald man felt that maybe one day in the future, this gentle middle-aged man might even be able to buy a country at a price that no one could refuse.

The only problem is...

Brother Hao's health is indeed getting worse than before.

As long as Brother Hao is here, these little brothers will be united as one.

Some of the gang members were backbones, who were simply intimidated by Brother Hao's strength and put away their rebellious nature. Some of the backbones, such as the bald man, were the type of Black Whirlwind Li Kui who said, "I only recognize Brother Song Jiang, and the imperial court is nobody's business."

If Brother Hao suddenly fell down, the entire huge gang would be in chaos in an instant until it disappeared in the wind and rain.

Even if the news that the master is in poor health spreads, the people below will instantly become panic-stricken and have different ideas.

What's even more terrifying is that if those opponents knew about this, if those political enemies knew about this, if those prominent figures who were held hostage by Brother Hao knew about this...

Therefore, in any sense, this news cannot be leaked.

Absolutely not.

Whoever says it will die!

Because he was engaged in the money laundering business, Chen Shenglin was a person who paid great attention to confidentiality and kept a low profile from the beginning.

Now is the critical period for the entire gang to cleanse itself.

In recent years, Mr. Hao has appeared in public less and less frequently as "Brother Hao". On the one hand, this is to create a sense of mystery and prepare for a complete transformation into a member of parliament and a generous business investor.

On the other hand, he was recuperating.

Only a close and trusted general like Baldy, who has been with Brother Hao since he started his career and has gone through all the ups and downs together, is qualified to know some of the inside story.

For example, six months ago, the other party had just undergone a second operation at King's College Hospital in London, and told others that he was discussing investment.

And some things.

Even a loyal and absolutely reliable younger brother like Baldy was never clear about it - he just knew that Brother Hao's health was not very good, but he didn't think it was so bad that he was about to die.

When in front of others, Brother Hao still showed the same strength, wisdom and ambition as before.

How could such a powerful, wise, and ambitious man be a dying man?
Is this guy talking nonsense?

How dare this young man say such nonsense!

If not...then...

In the bald man's eyes when he looked at Gu Weijing for a moment, there was actually only 30% of the viciousness that was intended to silence him.

The remaining seven points are suspicion, panic, and fear that cannot be concealed.

He subconsciously reached for his bulging belt.

In fact, the bald man didn't dare to use the gun next to the gentleman. He was just so surprised that he was left with only instinctive muscle reaction.

He didn't know what he was going to do with the gun.

Maybe he wanted to silence Hao Ge and take care of the whole thing.

It may also have nothing to do with Brother Hao.

He was simply afraid.

The bald man is a gangster who rose from the streets at heart, and when a gangster is faced with great fear, he will only hold the handle of the gun tightly.

They will not do anything and cannot do anything except try to fight the empty fear with violence.

Before the bald man's hand touched the handle of the gun.

He heard a bland reprimand, with a hint of anger in the tone.

"Get out of here! Did I allow you to use a gun here? I'm talking to Mr. Gu here, do you have the right to butt in? Who do you think you are?"

The bald man shuddered.

His hand immediately moved away from the holster on his belt.

This sturdy and powerful man with a tattoo on his neck, who looked like a ferocious brown bear, behaved like a clownfish that had disturbed and angered a giant whale underwater. He actually didn't say a word and retreated to the wall and shrank back.

From the moment Chen Shenglin entered the studio, his eyes were fixed on the drawing board in front of him, and he never turned his head away for a moment.

From the time the bald man touched the gun to the time he retreated, Brother Hao never raised his eyelids to look at his men.

Even in this situation, even if someone told him to his face that he was about to die.

Boss Chen still uses his talent of seeing into people's hearts to firmly seize the initiative in the studio.

Even his voice was as gentle as ever.

But that angry "Get out" seemed to reveal that Chen Shenglin's heart was not as calm as his appearance showed.

If I remember correctly.

Gu Weijing had the impression that this was the first time he had ever heard Boss Chen utter a "not so elegant" word.

slowly.

This middle-aged man seemed to be beginning to show a side that was more like a gangster tycoon than a philanthropic businessman.

The reason for all this may be Gu Weijing’s paintings, or his words, or perhaps both.

"Mr. Xiao Gu...Mr. Xiao Gu."

Chen Shenglin spoke slowly.

The middle-aged man chewed Gu Weijing's name gently in front of the easel. He still called Gu Weijing "Mr. Gu" as before.

Suddenly, there was not much enthusiasm and warmth in his words. "Mr. Xiao Gu, you don't respect me."

His voice was deep.

"I have done so much for you, and have been generous and patient with you, but you are so disrespectful to me and repay my kindness with such a painting. This makes me very - regretful." Chen Shenglin paused, "I feel sorry for myself, and for you."

When he heard the words "you don't respect me", the bald man's face changed suddenly.

From fear to terror.

From the fear of the shocking news that Brother Hao was about to die.

It turned into a fear of Brother Hao himself.

There are many people in this world who are heartbroken, throwing tantrums, and shouting, but no one cares about their pain or anger. There are also some people who can instill deep fear into people's hearts by speaking the calmest words in the calmest tone.

Based on Baldy’s understanding of Chen Shenglin.

The comment of "disrespect" has become the most serious way for Brother Hao to express his dissatisfaction over the years.

When the gentleman said this, he was already quite angry.

And all the people that Brother Hao said this to - as far as Baldy knows, all of them... ended up in a bad way.

He just tried to touch the gun and was scolded by Brother Hao.

But the bald man felt that as soon as he said this, he would pull out his gun and shoot each of the two young men in the head, which would be a very quick way to die.

He was completely confused about the situation in this studio... The bald man lowered his head even lower.

"There are many things I could have done but didn't do. This is the respect I offer you, Mr. Gu. I just sent someone to teach your cousin Gu Lin a lesson, and sent the person back the same way I sent him there. I could have done something more extreme, like breaking one of your hands, or Miss Koko's, or -"

"Okay, how long do you want to play this Cosplay Godfather game?"

Chen Shenglin had just finished speaking halfway.

I was interrupted like this.

"Brother Hao, stop scaring the kid. It's pointless to bluff like that, really."

Gu Weijing shook his head.

He looked at Koko beside him, smiled, and said softly: "Did you notice? The two of us are prisoners in this huge palace, but compared to these 'masters', we are actually the bravest ones in this house."

"You're really awesome, Koko."

"You too, Gu Weijing."

Koko also smiled at Gu Weijing.

"Together?" Gu Weijing asked with his eyes.

"Go ahead, this is your painting and your moment."

Koko let go of her hand.

She patted Gu Weijing's back gently.

The girl glanced at the bald man standing in the corner of the room, then stopped and left all the space in front of the easel to Chen Shenglin and Gu Weijing.

Gu Weijing stepped forward.

His footsteps were light.

Step by step.

His eyes swept across the side of the room, across the tattooed bald man who was staring at him as if he had seen a ghost, and across Boss Chen whose face was gloomy and uncertain.

Gu Weijing did not stop beside his own painting, but continued walking forward until he stopped in front of the oil painting of "The Godfather" hanging on the wall.

Chen Shenglin stood in the center of the studio.

In front of him was Gu Weijing's easel.

Gu Weijing stood behind his easel, and in front of him was Chen Shenglin's oil painting.

Two people, standing in front of their own paintings... and thus began the final confrontation in this game about power, bravery, good and evil.

"Do you think I'm kidding you, Gu Weijing?"

Brother Hao’s voice is faint.

This time, Boss Chen did not call him Mr. Xiao Gu, but called him by his name directly.

"What made you misunderstand me like this? I have always been a man who does what I say. I can do it right now—"

"Brother Hao, I know you can have someone break my hand, break Koko's hand, or do something even more extreme. Of course you can do it. I am very sure of this."

Gu Weijing once again interrupted the other party without giving any face.

"That's not what I meant when I said don't scare children. And when I said you were bluffing, I wasn't questioning your terror and ability as the owner of Xihe Guild Hall."

"But whether a person truly possesses courage, whether he is a person who can be frightened by fear, whether he tosses and turns at night and cannot sleep, these have nothing to do with whether a person looks terrifying and powerful on the surface. It also has nothing to do with whether a person has a group of vicious thugs under his command."

"Brother Hao, Mr. Chen, Boss Chen."

Gu Weijing smiled.

He looked at the old godfather's face, half hidden and melted in the darkness in the oil painting in front of him, and stared into those eyes, which were difficult to distinguish between bright and dim, for a long time.

"You know this better than I do. You also know better than I do what is hidden deep in your heart, holding you tightly and dragging you slowly into the abyss. Those things are gnawing at your heart like maggots attached to your bones - that terrible, deep, inescapable fear."

“The fear of death.”

"Isn't it?"

He asked softly.

Suddenly, the studio fell into silence again.

It was not absolute silence, but the silence that was contrasted by the fact that everyone else invariably slowed down their breathing the moment Gu Weijing finished speaking.

The draft moved the screens beside the window, and the curtains dragged along the window frame.

The wind rustled.

It was like the dull, dull white noise of Chen Shenglin's favorite movie camera playing the empty long shots of old films.

The corner of Hao Ge’s eye twitched suddenly.

Whether it was Koko or the bald man, they both noticed the drastic change in the middle-aged man's expression in one second as Gu Weijing finished speaking.

His face turned livid with gloom, and the corners of his mouth were pursed into a slit.

As his muscles twitched and the expression of his facial features changed, the lines on his face sunken deeply and his eyes were filled with a ferocious light.

This scene was too shocking.

The feeling a person gives to bystanders can change so much in a very short period of time due to drastic fluctuations in mood!

It was just like in an old horror movie, in the middle of the night in an old house, someone suddenly revealed the secret and tore open the seal of a strange talisman.

The skin of the official in long robes who was originally toasting the guests at the main seat suddenly sank and shrank, his face turned from rosy to purple, his hair turned from jet black to pale, and his nails turned jet black and grew out from his fingertips inch by inch...

Russian tilt.

The elegant scholar who just raised his glass to urge you to drink together has turned into a zombie with a green face and fangs.

Of course Brother Hao didn’t turn into a zombie.

His skin did not collapse, his hair did not turn white as Gu Weijing spoke, and no black or yellow nails grew from his fingertips.

From the appearance.

He was still the same respectable middle-aged man as before, with the lapis lazuli-colored suit tailored for his body wrapped around his body, the leather shoes on his feet reflecting the light like a polished mirror, and the rose in his chest pocket was as gorgeous as before.

The change is mainly a change in temperament.

Within a few breaths.

He seemed to have suddenly become older, and of course, more than old... he also looked doubly hideous.

It was as if a sinister ghost had crawled out from a person's skin.

The bald man's shoulders hunched even further, as if he wanted to completely hide his huge body in the shadow cast by the sunlight behind Chen Shenglin.

Koko folded her hands and sneered with disdain.

She looked at Gu Weijing's back, her brows filled with pride and love.

"I've always wondered why this happened - your patience with me, your concern for me, the causes and consequences of all these things... Your concern for me has far exceeded the level that a gangster godfather should have for a talented art student."

"Even if you are a gangster who made his fortune by forging artworks and laundering money by painting fake paintings, this doesn't make sense at all."

This time.

It seemed as if the person who dominated the conversation had changed.

Chen Shenglin stood there in silence.

Instead, it was Gu Weijing who spoke first.

He smiled, breaking the silence in the room.

“I don’t know if you are the richest person in Yangon, but you must be the richest person I have known in the 18 years I have lived in Yangon. Maybe there is no need to add the qualifier Yangon.”

"Boss Chen, you are probably the richest person I have ever known and met in my life. But to you, I am just one of the countless talented young people you have met."

"With your wealth, you can buy almost any tradable artwork in the world, and have any artist fly thousands of miles to become your personal painter...as long as he is willing to work for money."

The young man shrugged.

"With your status, you can already buy anything in this world that can be bought with money. I call you Mr. Chen, and you call me Mr. Xiao Gu. We are both Mr., but our status has never been equal."

He said softly, "Given the difference in status between us, after I rejected you for the first time, there would normally be only two results. Either you would forget about me like forgetting a fly. Otherwise, you would teach a profound lesson to someone like me who doesn't know what's good for me."

"Break his hands, break his legs, shoot at our windows, shut down our calligraphy and painting shop, pour oil on my grandfather, peel off Awang's skin... Yes, that's right, this is exactly what an old scoundrel like you should do, isn't it?"

(End of this chapter)