Reborn in America: Starting as a California Resident

Before we knew it, it was evening on July 15th, and the Los Angeles sky was painted a warm orange-red by the sunset.

As the last rays of the setting sun faded, the Los Angeles Convention Center welcomed the grand opening of an international art exhibition.

Bathed in the setting sun, this modern building transforms into a colossal sculpture of light, radiating a mesmerizing glow.

At its entrance, the red carpet was already lined with armed security personnel, as well as numerous photographers and media reporters with professional equipment, all on high alert, ready to capture every exciting moment of the evening.

Inside the parking lot, rows of luxury cars were lined up, from the imposing Cadillac monster to the luxurious Rolls-Royce, each car representing the glory of a family.

The car doors opened, and gentlemen and ladies stepped out gracefully. The men wore exquisite suits, while the women were dressed in gorgeous evening gowns, their dazzling jewelry sparkling under the lights.

As night fell, just after 6:30, Henry accompanied his mother into the brightly lit hall.

He wore a tailor-made dark suit, and the color of his tie subtly highlighted his unique taste and demeanor.

Gloria, on the other hand, wore a simple yet elegant beige dress, paired with sapphire jewelry, making her look both dignified and perfectly poised.

When they walked down the long red carpet and came to Mrs. Anne Getty, the lady in a black dress warmly greeted them.

"You've finally arrived!"

She greeted Gloria and Henry warmly, then turned to the young boy beside her, "Gordon, come and say hello to your aunt and cousin."

"Good evening, Aunt Gloria."

Upon hearing this, young Gordon immediately stepped forward, first giving Gloria a standard bow, then turning to Henry and extending his little hand.

"Brother Henry, it's a pleasure to see you here."

It's been about two years since we last saw each other, hasn't it?

Gordon said, his face beaming with the innocent smile unique to children.

Henry smiled as he looked down at his cousin, who was four years younger than him and was now a fourteen-year-old boy.

"Yes, Gordon, time flies."

Look, you've grown quite a bit taller too.

Henry responded gently.

Thinking back to his childhood, Gordon always followed behind him;

However, due to some changes within the Getty family in recent years, their relationship has become quite distant.

Young Gordon looked up at his rising cousin, a slightly childish smile on his face, his tone full of admiration: "Yes, Brother Henry, I've been training very hard on the school baseball team these past two years!"

I really hope that one day I can be as outstanding as you.

"Haha, then you'd better work hard!"

Henry said with a smile, gently patting little Gordon on the head.

Baseball was one of his biggest hobbies during his teenage years;

He trained hard for the sport and even joined the Los Angeles high school league, becoming a star player on the team.

However, due to the ups and downs of business recently, I haven't been involved in this sport for quite some time.

"Oh no! My hairstyle!"

Young Gordon sensed Henry's actions and cried out in surprise.

First, she used her hands to tidy up Henry's messed-up hair, and then she quickly stepped forward and started playfully fighting with Henry.

The playful interaction between the two created a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Since there was no direct conflict of interest, Gloria and Anne's relationship was acceptable.

They smiled at each other, closely observing the interaction between the two young people beside them.

"Look, these two little ones still get along so well, it's really heartwarming."

Ann Getty said to Gloria.

Gloria nodded in response: "Yes, they've been close since they were little. Although they've seen each other less in recent years for various reasons, their relationship is still just as good."

"Alright, you two, stop playing around. The exhibition has already started, and there's a lot more exciting stuff waiting for us."

After playing around with the two for a while, Anne led Henry and Gloria into the exhibition hall with her.

At this time, many noblewomen had already brought their children to visit the hall.

However, since the real free exchange had not yet begun, most people maintained a polite distance, greeting each other with only nods or smiles, and then focused their attention back on the exhibited artworks.

Henry and Gloria followed Ann Getty through the various exhibition areas, admiring art treasures from around the world.

They first visited an exhibition area called "Echoes of History," which displays classic artworks spanning different historical periods.

As they entered the exhibition area, Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night" immediately caught Henry's eye.

"Whose collection is this?"

Henry asked.

"Hehe, the origin of this painting is not simple."

Ann Getty explained with a smile, "It is owned by the Mellon family."

Even the high-quality reproductions made under special license are now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

"Oh! I see!"

Since the attendees of this art exhibition were all from the upper echelons of American society, no physical barriers were set up for any of the exhibited works, in order to allow guests to appreciate the art more intimately.

Of course, it will also remind you not to touch it with your hands.

Henry stood in front of "The Starry Night" and looked at it.

Although he is now a very wealthy man, he has not been completely overwhelmed by the extravagance of material life due to his busy work.

Van Gogh's paintings remain extremely precious and rare to him.

Although "The Starry Night" from 79 has not yet reached the high praise it has received from later generations, it is still highly regarded as one of Van Gogh's representative works.

If estimated according to the market conditions at the time, the original painting could be worth several million dollars;

However, considering its historical significance and rarity, its actual value may reach tens of millions of US dollars.

"This thing isn't much different from other paintings!"

After the initial novelty wore off, Henry discovered that although Van Gogh's techniques and color combinations were ingenious, on the surface, the painting did not seem to be much different from other paintings.

"Hehe, Henry, you're right."

From the perspective of painting technique and pigments alone, "Starry Night" is indeed not much different from many other paintings.

The pigments and techniques Van Gogh used were not considered particularly unique or expensive materials at the time.

Gloria, after hearing Henry's words, continued, "However, what makes Van Gogh's works precious is not just his technique or the materials he used, but more importantly, the emotions and stories behind them."

"The Starry Night" reveals the deep emotional world of Van Gogh, his love and reverence for nature and the universe—qualities that cannot be measured in money.

"Well......"

Henry smiled somewhat awkwardly, clearly not entirely agreeing with Gloria's explanation.

In his view, these so-called artistic conceptions are perhaps more of a meaning given by later generations than the inherent value of the paintings themselves.

Even if Van Gogh were to come back to life, he probably wouldn't fully understand the meaning behind his paintings!

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother everyone."

"Are you Mr. Henry Getty?"