Almighty painter

Chapter 817: Reinforcements Requested by Mashi III

Gu Weijing received a surprising piece of news on the phone.

Gu Tongxiang will be sent to Singapore by the Marx Gallery.

……

Speaking of this matter, it all originated from Gu Weijing's painting "Human Noise".

Listen to people's advice to eat a full meal.

Mr. Yang Dekang has been in the industry for so many years that the fat in his belly is enough to feed the dishes he cooks for twenty years.

Although Gu Weijing didn't know, he rejected all three suggestions given by Old Yang on how to please Miss Elena. But to be honest, this matter could not be blamed on Teacher Yang, but more on Anna's weird personality.

It is a black swan event that cannot be predicted.

in most cases.

Lao Yang’s reminders are all very reliable.

As soon as he got off the plane, Cao Xuan's assistant reminded Gu Weijing explicitly and implicitly to contact the Ma Shi Gallery more often.

Face is worthless until you become famous.

The Mas Gallery has been passed down in the Mas family for several generations. When Mas I started his art business by selling second-hand painting tools, Renoir was still working as a child apprentice in a porcelain shop. Don't look down on any super gallery. Even a rotten boat still has three pounds of nails.

The Ma Shi Gallery that Uncle Sakai recommended to Gu Weijing as an intermediary is really not a bad ship.

Impressionism, abstract art, cubism, pop art. Monet, Picasso, Jackson Pollock... It is a veteran giant that has truly witnessed the development of the entire modern art industry. Whose works has it not handled?
The most valuable things in the art market are experience and connections. Mr. Cao is considered a junior in terms of age. In terms of connections, many old money families who are reluctant to show up and art middlemen with good relationships have been working together for generations. Compared with the annual sales of hundreds of millions, these two are the biggest invisible assets of old galleries and the confidence they have in the art industry.

Who knows whose contact information is written in the little notebook on the bedside table of Ma Shi III? Maybe he will call Tonks or Miss Elena's cell phone.

Art marketing, exhibitions and awards, this is what large galleries specialize in.

This is a resource.

He has to use it hard.

No matter what others say, or that they have signed a gambling contract, they will not interfere in Gu Weijing's first exhibition process in his career - Lao Yang's attitude is to not listen and just ignore it.

Brother Gu signed the letter of intent with the Ma Shi Gallery, so he is now a member of the Ma Shi Gallery!

How can it be possible for a big gallery not to help its own people?

Let’s not talk about the Singapore art exhibition. The contract was not final at the time. Even if it was, as long as the name “Gu Weijing” can demonstrate enough value and make the gallery feel it is worthwhile, they would still help by circumventing the contract.

"Metropolis" was criticized by North American film critics, and it was said that it couldn't even find a distributor, but it was nominated for the Palme d'Or just because the director's name was "Francis Coppola". It was nominated for the Palme d'Or by the curators and organizing committee of the Cannes Art Festival. It is a "grand spectacle" in the art world that an art film can be nominated for both the Palme d'Or and the Golden Raspberry Awards.

It is up to the gallery to help or not.

It is up to us whether to make demands or not.

Lao Yang's famous saying: "It doesn't cost money anyway, so if you go to the oil shop every now and then, you won't lose anything."

At noon on the day Gu Weijing arrived in Singapore, he told Hanks, the agent of the Ma Shi Gallery, about the situation here and the difficulties he faced.

The reaction over there was not strong.

It was neither cold nor enthusiastic, but very formal. Hanks inquired about the situation here seriously, and asked a few questions about the relationship between the paper and the interview. From a personal perspective, he made the same suggestions as Lao Yang, and told him to try his best to get along well with Oil Painting Magazine and Miss Elena if possible.

"You saw what happened to Sir Brown, didn't you?" Hanks said half-jokingly, half-seriously. "Your life is in her hands."

Then he said from an official standpoint that he could wait for news, but according to the agreement, the Ma Shi Gallery had no obligation to intervene in his Singapore Biennale, and at the same time reiterated several of the clauses in it.

"People are always tempted to lie to lawyers and doctors, and you know, that's very, very unwise. I want you to tell me the truth."

"Have you read the risk clause in the contract? I'm just saying this casually."

Hanks smiled.

It was still the same as before, like the tone of voice used by a British person when he mentions the weather, making it hard to tell whether he was just giving a casual notice or had some hidden meaning.

“You know that everyone has this clause in their contract. If the artist causes a major scandal due to personal fault, the gallery can terminate the contract without any responsibility.”

When hanging up the phone, Gu Weijing still thanked him seriously.

You can't blame Hanks for not actively offering help.

The other party is just an employee of the gallery. He is not even his agent. Their interests are not deeply bound together. Hanks cannot make decisions for the gallery on many things. He can only give standard answers with official caliber.

No one likes trouble.

This troublesome matter fell on Gu Weijing, and it was natural for him to be unhappy.

Gu Weijing's troubles fell on the Ma Shi Gallery, so it is natural for the Ma Shi Gallery to be unhappy.

He is not even an officially signed gallery of the Ma Shi Gallery.

He has not brought enough value to the gallery, but the gallery has to be responsible for its other painters, as well as its many sponsors and commercial endorsement contracts.

“Demonstrate value.”

Gu Weijing remembered what Lao Yang said.

The night before, after receiving Tonks's reply, he sent Hanks the organizing committee's promise of a special booth and the electronic version of his painting "Human Noise".

This time.

Just twenty-four hours later.

The gallery sent reinforcements.

Only one person brought waves and storms... Well, okay, that's an exaggeration. Although the bald old man has nothing to do with waves and storms, this is the attitude of the Ma Shi Gallery, and at least it can provide strong emotional support.

……

London.

Heathrow International Airport, T2B Satellite Terminal.

An old man in a brand new suit entered the terminal hall. He was carrying a briefcase and walking with a swift pace.

In this era, in the summer in London, he not only wore a three-piece suit from head to toe, with a retro bow tie, but also a short-brimmed tweed hat on top of his head, the kind worn by the London tough guys in "Gangs on Fire".

“Pretty.”

Gu Tongxiang looked in the mirror, pushed down the brim of his hat again, and nodded with satisfaction.

In just one month.

Flying from Asia to Western Europe, and then flying back to Southeast Asia from Western Europe, the itinerary is quite intense for an old man of his age.

But compared to the panic-stricken look when he flew to London like a stray dog, Gu Tongxiang in the mirror now cannot be said to be radiant, but he looks much more energetic.

He doesn't look like a man in his sixties.

He looked as young as fifty-six years, seven months, three weeks and two days.

Even though Gu Lin's situation was extremely bad, the old man had gone through many ups and downs over the years and was an optimistic person at heart.

Life must go on, right?

After all, everything has been handled relatively properly now.

This is countless times better than the worst case scenario that Gu Tongxiang had originally anticipated. Old man Gu has always been good at managing his emotions.

To be honest, Gu Tongxiang is actually stronger than Gu Weijing was. It is precisely because of his existence that he sent his children to the best schools since childhood and provided a relatively peaceful family environment, which allowed Gu Weijing to stay away from the real turmoil and suffering when he was a child.

“I am the big tree in the family.”

Old Man Gu adjusted his collar and talked softly to himself.

"Wei Jing is working very hard now. He is very good. But after all, he is young and inexperienced. There are some things... that I have to step in to handle."

Gu Tongxiang's only regret was that because of what happened at home, he was unable to go in person to see his precious grandson's first Biennale in his life.

After finally settling his family in London, he felt embarrassed that he had just reported to the London branch of the Ma Shi Gallery and then took two weeks off to see his grandson's exhibition.

did not expect.

The gallery actually officially arranged a publicity event, and the big boss arranged a media interview for him and asked him to cooperate with his grandson's painting exhibition.

"Massi III is a man who can be dealt with."

Gu Tongxiang stared at the image in the mirror, thought about the upcoming itinerary, and felt very satisfied.

He has now upgraded his weapon.

The Armani suit was made with money paid by the Meschini Gallery and is very decent.

The belt is made by Montblanc and the production fee is paid by the Meuse Gallery. It is decent.

The leather shoes are from Danny Irons, and the production fee was paid by the Mesch Gallery. They are very decent.

Business class on a transcontinental flight, provided by the Ma Shi Gallery - well, that's not very good, the male accountant from the Finance Department said, according to the contract signed by Gu Tongxiang, he can only fly first class or business class when the administrative level of the painters in the gallery is not high enough for business trips.

"Even if it's an intercontinental flight of more than six hours, you can only be reimbursed for the airline's premium economy class. Mr. Gu, you have to pay for the upgrade yourself."

forget about it.

However, the Ma Shi Gallery has a cooperation with the airport, and the benefits for artists include experience coupons for the VIP lounge of Star Alliance flights.

Still very decent.

Gu Tongxiang took out his mobile phone from his pocket, clicked it a few times, went up the escalator, and found the Singapore Airlines VIP lounge next to Gate B46 according to the guide. He showed his mobile phone to the waitress and went in.

“Scoth Malt Whisty”

Old man Gu snapped his fingers at the bar and ordered with a French twang.

Then he took the whiskey, sat on the sofa in the VIP room and put his briefcase next to the table.

Gu Tongxiang glanced at the young man with glasses who was reading a Fortune magazine and drinking a glass of red wine across from the sofa, and snorted in his heart.

Ah.

"Pretending."

The old man thought for a moment but did not take out the English version of "The Collected Works of Hemingway" from his briefcase.

Instead, he took out the new edition of "Oil Painting" which had just been published last week from the magazine rack on the side.

He flipped through a magazine and sipped his whiskey.

It's so uncomfortable.

"I, Gu Tongxiang, am a great painter."
-
Painter Gu is about to arrive in his loyal Singapore.

His agent, Hanks Marsh, was standing outside an office at the gallery's headquarters, looking up at his watch.

It was already 27 minutes late for the agreed meeting time.

But there is no way.

Who can blame him for being a big boss? Who can blame him for having more important guests? He would have to wait as long as Marc III required him to wait.

at last.

The door of the room was pushed open, and King Massey III's personal secretary came out, followed by a man with a gaunt face, a circle of beard between his lips and chin, and facial features that looked a bit like the famous football coach Mourinho.

The moment Hanks saw the face opposite him.

He immediately smiled, respectfully made way and stepped aside.

If the Marcel Maurice Gallery is compared to Manchester United Football Club, then he is not Mourinho, but he is also a "Special one (note)", similar to superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo or Rooney.

Deke Allan.

He is ranked the 72nd most influential artist in the world, with a single work transaction record exceeding US$100 million. He is a top painter and currently the head painter of the Ma Shi Gallery.

Just a while ago.

He has just completed his own solo exhibition at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

In other words - this person may be the face, the signboard, and the biggest source of income for the current Ma Shi Gallery.

Deckard Anlun walked over without even looking at Hanks, and then his personal agent, gallery co-agent, personal assistant, gallery art director... a group of people poured out of Ma Shi III's office and rushed through the corridor like the tide chasing a surfer.

Hanks kept standing sideways respectfully with a smile on his face, watching a group of big men walk by.

No one ignored him.

Only the boss's secretary simply nodded to him, pointed toward the door of the room, indicating that he could go in, and then chased in the direction of Deck Anlun.

Hanks only vaguely heard a few trivial words about contracts, exhibitions, and feedback from critics.

He waited there for a few seconds.

Wait until the group of people walk away from the corridor.

Hanks pushed the door and walked into the office.

"all gone?"

There was a wealthy man sitting in the office, reading something with his head down. When Hanks came in, he heard the man asking.

Hanks looked around.

Make sure he is the only one in the office.

"Dyke and the others are gone?" the man asked again.

"When I walked in just now, I saw Mr. Anlun leaving." Hanks thought for a moment and added, "Sir."

"Ah."

The man nodded.