Almighty painter

Chapter 768 Chameleon

Gu Weijing's gaze lingered briefly on Cui Xiaoming's thin eyebrows that extended to his temples on both sides.

"Are you German? You live in Berlin. Are you the famous Chinese painter Cui Xuanyou?"

He remembered Lao Yang's introduction and asked.

"That's it."

Cui Xiaoming nodded and asked with a smile in the same tone, "I heard that you are from Yangon? Your grandfather is the famous painter contracted by the Ma Shi Gallery, Gu Tongxiang?"

Gu Weijing was surprised for a moment.

At the exhibition, if someone pointed out his relationship with Sakai Katsuko, and if someone knew that Cao Xuan admired him, Gu Weijing would not be too surprised.

There are no impervious walls in the world.

The more important a person is, the more and brighter the spotlights will be directed at them from all directions.

If someone really wants to find out about celebrity gossip, there are always channels to do so.

Gu Weijing never expected that someone would know exactly who his grandfather was and which gallery he signed with.

The great painter...Gu Tongxiang?

I don’t know whether my grandfather’s face will light up and he will feel proud when he hears such a rare combination of titles, or whether his face will turn red and he will feel embarrassed.

"Don't get me wrong. I just said we were living different lives because I was thinking about what happened last night."

Cui Xiaoming shrugged his shoulders, indicating that his lament about the "huge difference" in life was not to show off his family background, or to think that his parents were much more powerful than the old man in Gu Weijing's family... although that was the fact.

"You probably saw that I lost a lot of people in public at the banquet. In comparison, Wei Jing, you are the sky and I am the soil. It's really embarrassing to say."

He smiled candidly.

"It's okay... I didn't pay attention to too many irrelevant things at the banquet yesterday." Gu Weijing said.

Cui Xiaoming frowned slightly.

As early as two months ago, when he received the first draft of Gu Weijing's "Good Luck Orphanage in the Sunshine" from his father, he quietly became extremely alert.

He gave his all for this showdown, used up all his resources, and regarded the young man beside him as his biggest competitor in his artistic journey of "combining Chinese and Western cultures".

Regardless of whether other people noticed Gu Weijing last night, Cui Xiaoming was paying attention to him the whole time.

When no one was paying attention to Gu Weijing, Cui Xiaoming noticed it.

When Gu Weijing and Anna walked out of the banquet hall door alone, Cui Xiaoming, like all the guests present, noticed it.

When Gu Weijing and Tonks went to the balcony to talk alone, Cui Xiaoming was also paying attention.

He even noticed that after talking with Gu Weijing, Tonks was not in good shape during the second half of the banquet - he noticed the strange absent-minded look that the curator had.

If a person is identified by Cui Xiaoming as his biggest competitor during this exhibition, he may even be your enemy who will fight to the death with you to eat the cake from the same plate in the next few decades of your career.

How could Cui Xiaoming not be "thinking about" the other person in his heart all the time?
To be sure.

He even found out who Gu Weijing's grandfather was and which gallery he signed with, such unpopular news.

He thought that Gu Weijing would give him the same attention and the same "respect".

When Cui Xiaoming walked over, he had anticipated various situations.

He anticipated that Gu Weijing would be wary and naturally hostile, and might even ridicule him and embarrass him by bringing up what happened at yesterday's banquet.

He didn't expect that.

Gu Weijing just said it lightly and I didn’t pay attention.

Not paying attention and not caring are greater contempt and disdain than sarcasm and cynicism.

but.

Cui Xiaoming didn’t believe that Gu Weijing really didn’t notice that Miss Elena gave him a cold look.

Reading?

Come on, it's just like he casually quoted a quote from Heidegger for the sake of posing.

Who can really read a book in such a noisy and impetuous occasion like a banquet?

Cui Xiaoming could only interpret Gu Weijing's nonchalant attitude as a popular winner's condescending ridicule of a loser who had failed in trying to please others.

It was he who was invited by Miss Elena in public.

Maybe Cui Xiaoming will do the same.

"I don't care about irrelevant trifles, trifles like yours." - What a wonderful sarcasm.

After adjusting his breathing slightly, Cui Xiaoming forced a sincere smile on his face again.

He was very self-deprecating and took the initiative to explain.

"It's okay. I'm not afraid of you laughing. I did make some preparations in private. I wanted to show myself to the distinguished Miss Elena. She's the editor-in-chief of Oil Painting magazine. Who wouldn't want to? But she left me alone. She went to find you without even turning her head. Man, you're really enviable."

"I guess you must have left a deep impression on Miss Elena."

Cui Xiaoming raised his long eyebrows and hinted gently.

Gu Weijing listened to his teasing quietly.

Before Anna reached out to him, Gu Weijing had been reading alone in a corner of the banquet.

He doesn't bother others.

No one comes to disturb him.

therefore.

Gu Weijing really didn't notice the embarrassing situation Cui Xiaoming encountered.

Gu Weijing was particularly convinced that Anna was indeed the kind of person who would do things that would embarrass others.

Miss Elena is such an extremely unlovable person.

"Yes, I do believe that I must have left a deep enough impression on the manager of the oil painting magazine. It will be difficult for her to forget me for some time to come."

He nodded.

Elena's family should all go to hell - I wonder if this first impression is deep enough to make a deep impression?

It's only natural...Gu Weijing's answer was also regarded by Cui Xiaoming as an obvious show-off.

The mixed-race young man gritted his teeth in his heart.

I was just flattering you, who do you think you are? You were so shameless to agree to it.

Isn’t he afraid that the strong wind will blow his tongue off?
Some people jokingly claim that pleasing the upper class and currying favor with the wealthy class was the biggest central theme in the development of oil painting artworks before the 19th century.

Then pleasing Elena's family and currying favor with Elena's family are the most frequently appearing and repeated phrases in the main melody of this play.

Countless great artists have sung and played this melody throughout their careers.

Many artists entered the upper class society through the connections of Irena's family.

More artists wanted to please the Elena family, but were coldly turned away at the gate of the manor.

They stretched out their hands, but could not reach the branches of the olive tree in the nobleman's garden.

The example of Cui Xiaoming is a clear proof of this.

He had done well enough. Cui Xiaoming had rehearsed in his mind many times in advance every word and every smile he would say when meeting Anna, and the most appropriate answer to every possible question from Miss Elena.

Cui Xiaoming believes that opportunities will only come to those who are well prepared in advance.

He has done his best for this exhibition and to win the favor of Oil Painting magazine at a social dinner.

Cui Xiaoming felt that he had done nothing wrong and his on-the-spot response was perfect.

That's it.

Suddenly, for some reason, Anna lost interest in him. She said sorry and turned away in her wheelchair.

This is enough to prove how difficult it is to please a big shot of Miss Elena's status and leave a deep impression on her.

Everyone knows that Miss Elena is extremely difficult to please.

After just one meeting, it is said that the other party will find it difficult to forget you.

who do you think You Are?

Tom Cruise or Austrian national treasure artist Klimt?
Even if it was really Klimt, he would not have dared to say such words in public when he first visited the old Count at Irena's Manor as a young man.

Cui Xiaoming is such a mature and capable person at a young age.

After hearing Gu Weijing's brazen answer, he almost couldn't hold it back and couldn't help but say something sarcastic in return.

finally.

After taking two deep breaths, Cui Xiaoming finally held it in.

He once again showed a gentle and harmless smile on his face, nodded and agreed, "Yes, I believe that you two must have had a very interesting conversation."

Cui Xiaoming warned himself that he must be patient. Impatience can ruin great plans.

Ever since the dinner yesterday, Cui Xiaoming felt that something was wrong.

He felt vaguely uneasy.

He must win this exhibition, no matter what the cost - Cui Xiaoming knows very well that this may be the best chance in his life, or even the only chance.

If he loses this time, he will have no way to put his opponent under his feet.

When the banquet started yesterday.

He could still hold a wine glass, sip champagne, and chat, like a prince sitting safely in the VIP box of the Colosseum, waiting for the gladiators in the mud under his feet to be torn to pieces by the lions that pounced on him one after another. He even had the leisure to applaud the gladiators' wonderful struggles.

Cui Xiaoming loves Gu Weijing.

He loves the other person because he loves the feeling that no matter how he resists, he is destined to fail, and no matter how he struggles, he will be defeated by the predetermined fate.

It really has the temperament of an ancient Greek tragic epic.

Sitting in the audience and watching a wonderful play, then clapping loudly, cheering and shouting "Bravo" are the basic qualities of a good audience.

But...what if the other party is not destined to fail?
If the nobles in purple robes on the stage lowered their heads to pour wine, they would find that the gladiators in the Colosseum were gone, and there was only a confused lion circling on the ground. When they looked up again, they would find Spartacus standing behind them with a bloody dagger in his hand.

Then this would not be fun.

It's more than just not fun.

It instantly transformed from some kind of elegant and leisurely pastime into a strange horror story.

This was Cui Xiaoming's direct feeling after witnessing all the strange things that happened at the banquet last night.

suddenly.

When he found out that he might have to confront Gu Weijing in person, Cui Xiaoming suddenly lost his love for Gu Weijing.

For a long time, Cui Xiaoming has been sure that he will win because he believes that when the time comes, heaven and earth will have the same power.

He believed that the "general trend" was on his side.

Art shows are not a fair fight.

The connections and resources behind each person are like weights on the scale. If you have enough weights, you will have greater "potential energy", and of course you will be the one with the greater advantage.

If you have enough weight, there will be enough critics and enough noble people willing to speak for you.

Then.

Even if you have no work at all, if you put a piece of white paper or even a ball of air on the scale, the scale will automatically sink and overwhelm the other end.

The advertisements his father and mother ran for him and the review articles promoting his works are Cui Xiaoming's "momentum".

Gu Weijing's works were placed in a marginal exhibition area where no one paid attention.

He is the youngest invited painter at this Biennale, which is a direct reflection of this potential gap.

But Cui Xiaoming knew very well——

No matter how many weights he accumulated for himself, no matter how much momentum his parents helped him build, as long as there was a blockbuster article in the "Oil Painting" magazine, all of this... could be wiped out.

If there were no additional chips, with Gu Weijing's "Good Luck Orphanage in the Sun" on one end of the scale and his "New Three Bodies of Buddha" on the other, making an absolutely fair multiplication.

The painting that carries more weight in the eyes of the judges may not necessarily be his.

And where is there such a thing as fair weighing?

When we eat cake from the same plate, I eat more and you eat less.

As for "momentum", either he suppresses Gu Weijing or Gu Weijing suppresses him.

There is hardly any middle ground.

While he secretly cursed Gu Weijing for being shameless in his heart, he was also really worried that Miss Elena might really take a liking to him at first sight and be fond of him.

Miss Elena stood behind him, and the publicity resources of both sides were equal. Would it be a real fight?
Please don't be naive!
His dad is Choi Hsuan-woo, not fucking Gagosian or Sir Brown.

If the manager of Oil Painting magazine really chooses to support Gu Weijing, then in a blink of an eye, it will be Cui Xiaoming who will be thrown into the arena and torn to pieces by lions.

This is the rule of the game. If he wants to play, he has to be able to afford it.

Think about this.

Cui Xiaoming gave Gu Weijing another bright smile.

He paused for a moment, and suddenly asked directly: "Excuse me, can you let me find out what Miss Elena said to you last night?"

"I'm really curious."

Yes, he was fidgeting with curiosity.

Although Cui Xiaoming didn't know the outcome of the conversation between Gu Weijing and Miss Elena, Tonks looked worried after Gu Weijing talked to her. This was definitely not a good thing for Cui Xiaoming.

Cui Xiaoming didn't sleep well last night.

He arrived at the venue at the Esplanade early this morning.

Like a rich landlord inspecting his warehouse, after inspecting his own booth, he ran to take a look at Gu Weijing's booth.

Cui Xiaoming slowly felt relieved.

Don’t look at what the curator says or what attitude the curator shows.

The booth is the thing that best represents the curator’s true attitude at this moment.

At least at this moment, Cui Xiaoming is still the youngest specially invited painter in this Art Biennale. No matter how well he paints Gu Weijing's "Good Luck Orphanage in the Sun", it is still placed in a corner of the exhibition where few people come by by the curator.

He is the painter that curator Micah Tonks really values.

When going downstairs.

He happened to see Gu Weijing's back in the crowd, so he walked over to find out how advanced the other party was.

Cui Xiaoming smiled brightly at Gu Weijing.

The smile he gave didn't sound like that of a competitor, nor did it sound like that of someone who wanted to use the other's "corpse" as nourishment for his own promotion.

His smile was respectful and even had a hint of flattery.

Cui Xiaoming complimented Gu Weijing with a smile, revealing his fawning attitude towards the "famous" person in front of Miss Elena, and the kind of flattery he showed in the face of power.

Cui Xiaoming cleverly hid his deep jealousy in this sunny smile, just like he cleverly hid the offense and rudeness of the noisy scene in the art center in the calmness of his voice and the authority of his tone.

He has always been a person who is very good at hiding himself.

Since the other party was so sure that he had left a deep impression on the Elena family, he must have been very proud of his performance last night.

Since he is so successful, he would naturally be willing to show off in front of him, the embarrassed and neglected loser and competitor.

Cui Xiaoming didn't care about his embarrassment at the moment.

He just wants to win.

As long as he wins this time, he can sign with Gagosian, and a bright future is waiting for him.

An artistic career is a long one.

As long as he could win this time, in the long life ahead, he would have plenty of ways to make up for the face he had lost on Gu Weijing a thousand times over.

Who knows.

Gu Weijing shook his head gently. He shifted his gaze from Cui Xiaoming's face back to Wu Guanzhong's painting not far away and answered softly.

"Nothing serious. Just a quick private conversation."

Of course, he would not tell Cui Xiaoming about his meeting with Miss Elena last night. Old Yang had already reminded him to be more cautious when facing this young man of the same generation as himself.

Even if Lao Yang didn't remind him.

Gu Weijing also has his own moral standards.

He talked with Miss Elena in private. The woman behaved very annoyingly, which disappointed Gu Weijing, but he would not gossip about Anna behind other people's backs.

Cui Xiaoming was not satisfied with this answer.

He wanted to find out more about what happened last night, but he heard Gu Weijing say, "I want to quietly visit the exhibition. Is there anything important that you came to see me about?"

"It's nothing serious, just chatting."

Cui Xiaoming noticed the way Gu Weijing looked at "Water Village People", thought for a moment, and changed the subject of the painting.

"I've seen your work, 'Good Luck Orphanage in the Sunlight'. To be honest, it's very well drawn, with excellent techniques. I admire your excellence."

"Thank you."

Cui Xiaoming smiled, and he also looked at the "Water Village People" in front of him, and spoke in a slow and smiling tone.

"But unfortunately, Wei Jing, you have chosen the wrong path."

(End of this chapter)