Almighty painter

Chapter 772: Brother Hao, Elena's Family and Mr. G (Part )

The South Asia headquarters of Schönbrunn Office is located in a seemingly inconspicuous office building on Singapore's Shenton Road Financial Street. The slightly plump white lady is the regional head.

She received a call from Adrar's housekeeper earlier last week, after the other party stated his purpose.

The person in charge immediately contacted a professional security team for Anna.

She also asked the local office of Schönbrunn Palace in Yangon to find a suitable intermediary for Miss Elena to seek a window for direct dialogue with local senior officials through political and business channels.

"Ms. Elena, this is one of the local senior leaders of the China-Laos-Myanmar-Thailand Joint Law Enforcement Office, Officer Dan Minming, who was recently reported as a crime-solving hero in the newspapers. The 'Brother Hao' you are interested in...was the one who chose to surrender himself not long ago, accompanied by him."

The person in charge first introduced the middle-aged policeman opposite to Anna.

Then he extended his hand to Dan Minming.

"Hello, Officer. The person next to me is Ms. Anna Elena, the executive manager of the visual arts section of Oil Painting magazine."

Anna looked at the sheriff across the desk.

She read reports about his personal deeds in English newspapers. It was said that he had been investigating cases related to Brother Hao for many years, enduring humiliation and even went to the local traffic police team as an undercover agent in order to paralyze Brother Hao's nerves.

Just recently, he successfully cracked this major art counterfeiting and money laundering case, and personally accompanied the gang leader Chen Shenglin to surrender to the police.

It's a miracle.

The local newspapers described the process in a way that was both mysterious and vague.

Anyway, Anna read it several times, but couldn't figure out the direct logical connection between arresting Hao Ge, the godfather of underground art counterfeiting and smuggling, and going undercover in the traffic police team.

Could it be that he caught Brother Hao's weakness in shipping by checking for violations?

This is really amazing.

The first impression she had when they met was that the local senior sheriff was not a cold-blooded man like Bruce Wesley in "Die Hard" who wore a white vest and carried a large-caliber pistol, and could break into the enemy's base alone and kill everyone.

Although he was wearing the neat uniform of a senior police sergeant and had a serious face, his eyes looked a little vague at first glance and a little "cowardly" upon closer inspection, as if he had the look of - "After all the ups and downs, he's disillusioned with the world and has no ambitions or desires. His concubine just gave birth to a child, and he can never control his eldest daughter, who ran away with some wild boy. Well, forget it, let it be. What else can he do? He has to live with it until he retires and see if he can take care of his grandchildren!"

Anna told herself not to judge a book by its cover.

Yesterday, people were coming and going in the banquet hall like flowing rivers, but she spotted Gu Weijing in the far corner at a glance.

She thought his eyes were focused and handsome, but she was so angry that she almost wanted to pour the coffee on his head.

The woman took the initiative to extend her hand: "Good morning, Mr. Officer. I have heard a lot about you. Thank you very much for your contribution to the art industry."

Anna was looking at Dan Minming.

Koko's father was also looking at Miss Elena.

His first reaction was that this young woman looked really beautiful. He didn't have any good adjectives to describe her, but she was so beautiful that he couldn't describe it.

His second reaction was that he heard that this young woman was really rich. He didn't have any good adjectives to describe her, but she was just so rich that he couldn't describe it.

The other party is at least as wealthy as Brother Hao, and has far greater social influence than the other.

His third reaction was——

Ok.

There was no third response.

After taking a look, Officer Dan's eyes became vague again.

He was far from caring about this meeting. If it wasn't related to Brother Hao's case, he wouldn't have wanted to come in person as a representative.

Desire determines your attitude.

In the past, when Dan Minming was ambitious and wanted to make a career, and even hoped to enter the center of power, he would have already started to show concern for him.

When facing a wealthy man like this whose wealth is equivalent to the GDP of a large city with millions of people, even if you can't get investment, it's good to establish a good personal relationship with him.

Not to mention money, the other party's cultural influence in the media field alone is enough to make Dan Minming smile like a blooming flower.

But now?

Several great changes, ups and downs, and inexplicable good luck, this experience actually sobered Dan Minming up.

The chaotic and turbulent environment, the volatile political situation - just like Koko taught him, he was just an ordinary person who had lucked out and suddenly got to a high position, and he really couldn't handle those things.

Thinking too much, wanting too much.

Harming others also harms yourself.

Since he accompanied Brother Hao to surrender himself, and he has some fame and power, he might as well take this opportunity to be a policeman seriously, cooperate with relevant parties in the China-Laos-Myanmar-Thailand Joint Anti-Crime Office, crack down on fraud crimes, protect the business environment, and strive to do good things that benefit others and himself. That's enough.

Don’t think too much.

Officer Dan seems to have experienced many ups and downs and is disillusioned with the world.

He now feels that he has no ambitions and no desires. His concubine has just given birth to a child, and he can never control his eldest daughter, who ran away with some wild boy. Well, forget it, let it be. What else can he do? He has to live on until he retires and see if he can take care of his grandchildren!

He felt that he would not have much interaction with Miss Elena.

No matter how rich or influential the other party is.

So that's it.

He simply shook hands, said good morning, then pulled out a large English agreement from the folder he brought to the table and pushed it onto the table.

“This is a confidentiality agreement.”

Officer Dan said directly.

"Ms. Elena, your Oil Painting magazine won the opportunity to interview Prabat by writing about underground art forgery and smuggling."

"Prabat?" Anna groaned.
"Oh, it's Brother Hao. He has too many fake names in his passports. This is his name on the earliest ID card we can find. It's also the official name now..." Officer Dan shrugged. "Okay, we'll just call him Brother Hao based on custom."

"Oil Painting Magazine is a well-known international art journal. We are willing to cooperate, but there are two conditions - these were mentioned in advance."

He glanced at Anna, then looked away at the white lady who was following him. It was the Schönbrunn Palace Office that arranged this interview with their power.

"Because this case is still under investigation, we would like to ask you to use pseudonyms for the key figures in your report in order to protect the privacy and safety of the parties involved. Brother Hao has great influence, and many of the gang members are still living abroad."

"We do not want or accept anyone being privately retaliated against for your reporting."

"Note that this is not a suggestion, it is a request."

Officer Dan's eyes focused on Anna's face for the first time and became stern.

Regarding Brother Hao’s matter, he owed Gu Weijing a huge favor.

The reason why Dan Minming became a "police hero" in front of the camera must be due to Hao Ge's "gift" and the local propaganda.

But it may not be without benefits for the young man if Gu Weijing hides behind the scenes.

The trees fell and the hozens scattered.

With the sudden surrender of this counterfeit godfather, it was not just the monkeys that were dispersed, but also the evil spirits, big and small ghosts.

Dan Minming was indeed a little worried that Gu Weijing would suffer revenge from those sinister and desperate criminals.

Dan Minming has guards, he doesn't care.

Miss Elena, who came to Yangon with a bulletproof convoy, would not care.

For Gu Weijing... this could very well be fatal.

His cousin had just been kidnapped.

Dan Minming doesn't want this to happen a second time.

Say.

This story is so legendary that people may not believe it if it is not endorsed by an authoritative media. For the international art market, even the endorsement of Officer Dan himself may not be authoritative enough.

That boy wants to be a great painter. It's hard to say whether it's a good thing or a bad thing for him to have a connection with someone like Brother Hao.

The best way is to erase this section from his resume and not have any more interactions with Brother Hao.

Koko said.

During this time, the guy went to Singapore to participate in the International Biennale. That is a critical period in his career development. Just let him be a painter peacefully and don't cause him any trouble.

"Secondly, because the amount of funds involved is so large and the case lasted so long, we probably still have many accounts of funds that we have not yet grasped."

"You know, Brother Hao made his fortune by forging artworks and fabricating artwork transactions in the international art market. Oil Painting magazine is the most authoritative art evaluation magazine in the international art market. According to the information I have obtained, as far as I understand, the art magazine of which Ms. Elena is the largest individual shareholder even has pricing power over art transactions to a certain extent?"

"Thank you for your compliment. Oil Painting is the best and most authoritative magazine in this industry." The white lady next to her smiled and said, "The police are willing to cooperate with our magazine. This is definitely the right choice. You will not be disappointed with the impact of the report."

"No, I don't think Officer Dan is praising me, right?" Anna looked at Koko's father's face and said lightly.

"It's not a compliment, not at this moment."

The police officer nodded.

"I can tell you that, so far, the Joint Crime Office has no information on any connection between Brother Hao and Oil Painting magazine. Personally, I don't think that someone like you, Miss Elena, would have any private financial dealings with Brother Hao. This is the basis for our willingness to agree to this interview request. However, during the interview, I will stay by your side. If the content of your conversation involves any sensitive specific financial account issues, I have the right to terminate the interview at any time."

“It’s also to protect you.”

"I want to tell you that Brother Hao and his business partners are a group of very dangerous people. International arms dealers and the like will do anything to find out the whereabouts of the hundreds of millions of dollars that are missing from their accounts."

"On the same day that Haoge fell, a mass shooting broke out in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico, killing 17 people. More than half of the skin of two people was fried in oil. According to the fax just sent by Interpol requesting assistance in the investigation, it is speculated that it is related to the whereabouts of one of the financial accounts."

"Even if you only know the relevant specific information, it is a very dangerous thing. Miss Elena, you are rich enough, right?"

Dan Minming warned.

At present, there is still a large amount of funds of Brother Hao that has not been traced.

This is why he was so careful to protect Gu Weijing's privacy. It was another matter that the paparazzi Basong found out that Gu Weijing did have contact with Hao Ge's counterfeiting team.

At best, it involves the art world.

Knowing that Gu Weijing was the "culprit" who led to Brother Hao's downfall is another matter. That underground world is much darker and crueler than the art world.

"Don't cause trouble to yourself, and don't cause trouble to us. You have never been from the same world."

He warned again.

He wanted to see obvious fear on Anna's face, but unfortunately, it seemed that the psychological endurance of this young woman in the wheelchair was much stronger than the police officer had imagined.

Ms. Elena looked at him calmly, nodded slightly, and handed the confidentiality agreement on the table to the secretary beside her for review.

"Very reasonable advice."

She took the pen and commented.

After Anna signed the confidentiality agreement, Dan Minming stood up and walked out of the door with his adjutant to arrange the details of the next interview.

Anna sat in a wheelchair, waiting silently.

However, the person in charge of the Schönbrunn Palace Office next door, who was obviously one of those well-off white ladies who usually interacted with the social elite, was probably frightened by Officer Dan's last words and became a little uneasy, stamping her feet on the spot.

"Schönbrunn Office's client list in Yangon should not include Brother Hao, right?"

Anna noticed the nervousness of the person in charge and casually made a sharp comment.

"Uh... Miss Elena, the firm is obliged to keep our client information strictly confidential." The aunt stopped and shook her head apologetically at Anna.

"Privacy is our top priority. You don't want other guests to hear your name casually from us. This is an important reason why the Elena family is willing to cooperate with us, isn't it?"

Answered the questions very professionally.

The person in charge smiled apologetically again and spoke from a personal perspective.

"That shouldn't be the case, right? Because I don't know the answer, so I can guess. Our membership review is quite strict, and it's almost all based on member recommendations. Even if there is, it won't be involved in Brother Hao's illegal business, it's just..."

"Oil pan, this is really a bit scary."

The white lady covered her chest with her hands.

She thought about it and seemed to be certain.

"will not."

"I heard that the office in Yangon was spun off from the Thailand branch. It is very new and has not been established for too long. Offices of this level in the firm are more for the convenience of providing services to clients. Developing new clients is not their main business."

"What business is there in Yangon? There aren't many people coming here on vacation." Elliot asked curiously.

Miss Elena also looked at the white lady.

She was quite surprised to learn that the Schönbrunn Palace Office also had an office in Yangon.

"Let's buy some jade. The green jade here is very famous in East Asia. Asian customers recognize it. Oh, and there's also Zen meditation."

The firm implements a confidentiality policy of one matter per person. The aunt is mainly responsible for the business in Singapore and is not familiar with the situation of the clients here.

"Mindfulness meditation is very popular in North America. Some people go to Dongxia and Nepal, and some people are willing to come to Southeast Asia. The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is one of the major Buddhist holy sites, and many temples offer similar practice courses. If you are interested..." she guessed casually.

Squeak.

The door was opened again.

Dan Minming walked into the office holding a black phone. He handed the phone to Anna and pointed to the disposable temporary phone number on the screen.

"When you are ready, you can make this call."

He glanced at the time.

"The prisoner will go to a hospital for treatment at 9:35. Before that, he will have about an hour and a quarter to accept your interview."

"Brother Hao can speak English."

The interviews were conducted remotely.

Chen Shenglin's health was not good, and the case was too serious. In order to prevent him from being "rescued" or silenced, his place of detention and medical treatment were kept strictly confidential.

Even Anna couldn't meet the other person in a short period of time.

Even such remote connections must be carried out under the accompaniment or "supervision" of senior police officials to prevent remote technical tracking.

Anna nodded.

Elliot took a glass of mineral water from his bag and gave her one, then took out a recorder and placed it next to him.

Miss Elena took out her notebook and took off the cap of her pen.

After making all the preparations, she pressed the call button.

The other people in the office subconsciously held their breath.

"Beep, beep, beep..." After about a minute of waiting, the phone was automatically hung up because no one answered the call for a long time.

Elliot frowned at the officials in Rangoon.

Anna seemed very calm. She stretched out her white hand and dialed the number again.

This time, it was another long wait, and the connection was finally connected, but there was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Hello, I am the executive manager of the visual arts section of Oil Painting magazine. Please transfer me to Brother Hao. I have an appointment for an interview."

Anna said into the silence on the other end.

"Hold on."

The answer from the other end of the phone was very concise.

a long time.

Only then was the sound of a person breathing lightly heard on the phone.

"Hello, I am Oil Painting——"

"I'm the person you want to interview." A slight cough on the phone interrupted Anna's self-introduction, "I'm the Brother Hao you mentioned."

The other person's voice was soft and gentle, much quieter than the gangster Anna had imagined.

Just by listening to his voice, it is hard to imagine that he was once a powerful figure in the underground art world.

"Excuse me, is that Miss Anna Elena over there?" He actually took the initiative to ask, very politely, "I have been imagining under what circumstances we will meet. If so, I would be honored."

Dan Minming frowned.

Anna was calm.

"Yes, I'm Anna Elena. Do you recognize my voice? Or have you seen me before?"

"I have met you once. I have met Sir Brown twice, at a charity auction in London two years ago, once at the Rio International Book Biennial in South America four years ago, and once at the Otsuka Museum of Art in Japan eight years ago."

“Your memory is impressive,” Miss Elena praised.

"It's not difficult. Every time, you are surrounded by the crowd, sitting in the most prominent position in the first row of exhibitions and auctions, surrounded by photographers' lenses, or Sir Brown is talking about something on the podium. And I sit in the shadows in the corner and watch you."

"Like a moth in the shadows looking at the bright lights in the center of the stage, huh."

You can't see the expression on the other end of the line.

Miss Elena had seen the other person's photo on TV.

He had a thin figure, light eyebrows, and wore a pair of oval-framed gold-rimmed glasses. He had very thin lips with two very light stubbles on them.

She imagined that the other person was grinning, revealing his white teeth and shallow gums.

"Are you looking forward to 'meeting' me?" she asked.

“I am really looking forward to it. Overall, this is probably the second most anticipated meeting with people in the art world that I have met over the years.”

The man on the other end of the phone smiled.

Second expectation?

Anna raised her eyebrows in her heart.

"It seems that you would be happier if the person who came to interview you today was the elderly Chairman Brown. Sorry, sir, the Sir is very busy and he hasn't done this kind of front-line interview work for many years." The woman commented casually, "Perhaps your expectation will have to be left for the future."

The Countess's strange strong gene started up again.

This was not a good time to be competitive, but Anna hated it when her interviewees looked down on her because of her age, and she also didn't like being ranked second in importance to Sir Brown in the art world.

Even if the person opposite is Brother Hao.

"No. As for you and Sir Brown, I would rather see you." Brother Hao actually responded to the woman's sharp comment.

"Because I'm a beautiful woman?" Anna continued to make sharp comments.

"This has nothing to do with your appearance, because your last name is Elena. Even if you are an ugly old woman, I am looking forward to meeting you." Brother Hao said seriously.

"Who doesn't look forward to it? The Elena family, the noble Elena family, the great Elena family, the glorious Elena family..." Brother Hao said in a light tone.

"You and your ancestors are the masters of the Western art world. Over the years, some people have called me the godfather of art forgery."

"The Godfather of Counterfeiting, the Godfather of Counterfeiting. After being called that many times, naturally, I want to see what the real Godfather of Art looks like."

(End of this chapter)