War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 166 Surprise on the first day of the New Year (two-in-one update)

In the brightly lit studio, Wei Ran came out of the darkroom with a tray full of film.

Seeing this, Ji Ma, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately put down the half smoked fish with only bones left to meet him, and asked eagerly, "Is it washed out?"

Facing Ji Ma's question, Wei Ran put the tray on the table, "These films have never been used at all."

Ji Ma's expression immediately turned from excitement to disappointment, "So nothing was washed out?"

"Nothing came out and several rolls of film were scrapped. Now you can only hope for a good price for the rest of the stuff."

Jima counted with his fingers, "Professor Alexei might be able to sell that signed photo, those film reels President Nicholas said can't be bought, and the remaining spy equipment doesn't know how much they can sell. "

"Those things together may be able to sell for several million rubles." Wei Ran guessed wildly.

Jima frowned and muttered, "Even if it can sell 10 million rubles, it doesn't seem to be enough."

"10 million?" Wei Ran poured himself a glass of milk and put it in the microwave, "You dare to think."

Jima came back to his senses and said truthfully, "I want to buy that abandoned military base, and even repair the telescope and computer in that observatory."

Wei Ran froze for a moment, and comforted him while the microwave oven was running, "Jima, you have invested too much. Have you ever thought that even if you bought that military base, even if you repaired that telescope And computers. How many tourists do you need to drive to recoup the cost?"

"Uh..." Ji Ma raised his head belatedly, "You're right."

Wei Ran continued to ask, "Not to mention the military base, has the cost of your hot spring camp been recovered?"

Ji Ma shook his head, "How is it possible, we have only received the first batch of tourists."

"So wait until you recover the cost invested in the hot spring camp before considering the military base. After the cost is recovered, that place will only be used as a shooting range. When the bullets there are exhausted, you can consider repairing the telescope or something. It's not too late."

"makes sense"

Immediately, Jima, who was easily persuaded, brightened his smile again, grabbed the car keys on the table and walked out, "Victor, put those things in the safe for me to keep, and lend me the car."

"Bring it back to me early tomorrow morning, I'm going out for a while." Before Wei Ran finished speaking, Ji Ma had already opened the rolling door, and ran away without a trace.

In the early morning of the next day, the locked rolling door was slammed, and before Wei Ran could fully push the door to the top, the tassels wrapped tightly around him had already bent over and ran in.

"It's so early in the morning, why did you come here?" Wei Ran, who was only wearing pajamas, asked as he walked back.

"I'm not here to look for you, where is Ji Ma?" Sui Sui followed closely to the door of Wei Ran's bedroom.

"Did you go out to fool around last night, did you have something to do with him?" Wei Ran helplessly glanced at Sui Sui who was holding the door frame and poking his head in, "Can you let me change my clothes first?"

"Say it like who wants to see you"

Sui Sui took half a step back, leaning against the wall by the door and said, "Didn't my classmates return to China? They organized another group of classmates and a few teachers, about 20 people. They planned to come over after the exam. "

"and many more"

Wei Ran, who had just put on his trousers, stuck out his head and asked, "Didn't you say that you have already failed three subjects? You haven't finished the co-authoring exam yet?"

Sui Sui panicked when she heard the expression on her face, "That."

Wei Ran retracted his head and reminded while continuing to change clothes, "You'd better tell the truth."

"It's the truth!"

Sui Sui stood at the door with his hips crossed, and said confidently, "We took the exam in two batches. What happened to the two exams separated by a month? If you have any opinions, go to our school leader, how great is it to develop abdominal muscles? How dare you threaten me?" I?"

"Come on this"

Wei Ran put on his clothes and put on his shoes, and walked out and said, "Are you sure your classmates and teachers can come?"

"I'll definitely come," Sui Sui said confidently, "I just need to communicate with Ji Ma about the reception."

"Then you wait"

It was only at this time that Wei Ran took out his mobile phone and called Jima. After the latter learned that there would be another group of tourists soon, there was a burst of nonsense and women's complaints on the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Sui Sui had already put the breakfast on the table, and when the two of them were full, Ji Ma also drove Wei Ran's off-road vehicle and parked at the door of the studio.

"Aurora, is there really another group of guests?" Jima jumped out of the car and rushed into the studio before the car door had time to close, completely unaware that there were still several fiery red lip marks on his face.

Sui Sui rolled her eyes, took out an itinerary plan from her bag and put it on the table.

Regardless of the two money fans who fell into the eyes of money discussing the great business of making money, Wei Ran took out the piano case on his own, and started practicing the piano in front of the teaching video.

However, before the discussion between the two of them reached a satisfactory result, a taxi stopped at the door of the studio.

As the car door opened, a scruffy, bearded old man who was shorter than Professor Alexey walked straight into the door of the studio with a shiny forehead.

"Who is Victor or Jima?" The old man asked, revealing a golden denture and emitting a strong smell of alcohol.

"I am." Wei Ran and Jima stood up at the same time, "Do you have anything to do?"

The old man glanced at Sui Sui, who was sitting on the sidelines watching the excitement, and the latter stood up simply, "You guys talk."

Watching Sui Sui disappear at the stairs leading to the bedroom, the old man said solemnly, "I came at the invitation of Mr. Nicholas, and he told me that you found an astronomical observation station on the east side of the Ural Mountains Station, want to restore the astronomical telescope and a ternary computer there?"

Seeing Wei Ran looking at him, Ji Ma nodded after hesitating for a moment, "That's true, but you came a little earlier, and the electricity hasn't been restored yet, and I may not be able to gather the repairs for the time being." cost."

The visitor smiled nonchalantly, pulled out a chair beside the long table and sat down, "Five thousand dollars, how about taking me there to have a look? If there is something I'm interested in, Maybe I will buy it at a price you are satisfied with, and by the way, you can also go to see the astronomical telescope and computer in advance to evaluate whether it is more likely to be repaired."

"You'll give us five thousand dollars?" Jima, who was still wearing several lip prints, immediately widened his eyes.

The visitor smiled, reached out his hand and took out a wad of green cash from his pocket, and pushed it directly to Ji Ma across the table.

Jima grabbed the banknotes and sniffed them vigorously. After he counted them correctly, he immediately said enthusiastically, "My God, when do you want to leave?"

"Please wait a moment"

Wei Ran said before the other party could speak, "Sir, what should we call you?"

"Galkin," said the little old man, baring his big gold teeth, "or you can also call me Dr. Galkin."

Wei Ran shook hands with the other party neither humble nor overbearing, "Dr. Galkin, we need to ask Mr. Nicholas before deciding whether to take you there."

"Of course, of course there is no problem." Dr. Galkin replied with a smile.

Winking at Jima, the latter immediately put the banknotes in his hand on the table, picked up the car keys again and ran away.

"I heard that you found some spy equipment there?" Dr. Galkin took out a silver jug ​​from his pocket, took a sip happily, and asked Chao Weiran calmly.

"You are well informed"

Dr. Galkin smiled, "Mr. Nicholas told me, young man, take out those spy equipment, maybe I will be willing to buy it."

"Wait a moment." Wei Ran put away the guqin on the table, carried the piano case and walked to the bedroom on the second floor.

"Who is that person here?" Sui Sui who was hiding in Wei Ran's bedroom asked curiously.

"The fool who came to buy the things he found." Wei Ran explained in a low voice, put the piano case on the bed, then opened the safe next to the bed, and took out all the things inside, including the signed photo.

"Why do you save so much money here?" Sui Sui asked in surprise, while Wei Ran was taking the bag, he also pulled out a pistol from it, "Do you even have a gun?"

Wei Ran took things out and said, "I earned the money myself, and the gun was given to me by your father. There are bullets in it. Be careful."

Sui Sui rolled her eyes, skillfully ejected the magazine and bullets from the desert-colored CZP09 pistol and replied, "When I was playing with guns, you were still in elementary school."

"Yes, you have a lot of experience, so you shot down the ceiling and signboard of the travel agency." While teasing the other party, Wei Ran re-locked the lid of the safe.

Sui Sui punched Wei Ran angrily, "Can you not mention this? I don't know that there are bullets in that shotgun?"

"Yes, it's the shotgun's fault." Wei Ran took the canvas bag and tin box and walked out, "You wait upstairs, don't come down yet."

"Mysterious" Sui Sui murmured to himself, and threw the pistol and magazine on the top of the safe after seeing enough fresh, and then looked at the piano case lying on the bed.

And downstairs, Jima had already driven back from Nicholas. After seeing Wei Ran coming down, he immediately said, "Principal Nicholas said he can be trusted, so it's okay to take him there to see, and he You can sell him anything you want to buy. In addition, teachers Karp and Dalia are also here, and they seem to be planning to take Principal Nicholas out for a few days."

Wei Ran nodded when he heard the words, and handed all the things in his hands to Jima, "Go and talk to Galkin, he said he wants to buy these things."

"Looks like we don't have to go to Prague anymore"

Jima took the canvas bag and iron box with a happy smile, and strode towards Dr. Galkin who was still sitting at the long table.

After carefully checking the items displayed by Jima, Dr. Galkin finally put down the signed photo and asked, "Young man, please make a price. How much do you plan to sell these items for?"

"I want to sell"

"Why don't you make a price?" Wei Ran said at a faster pace, finally preventing Ji Ma from revealing his psychological price.

Dr. Galkin smiled, rubbed the beard on his chin and thought for a moment, "How about fifty thousand rubles together? This is the highest price I can offer."

"Fifty thousand rubles?" Jima stood up abruptly, "Why don't you go grab it?"

Dr. Galkin gestured with the wine jug, "Aren't I just grabbing?"

"You just want to see these things, you don't plan to buy them?" Wei Ran stared at the other party and asked sharply.

"You are smarter than him." Dr. Galkin seemed very satisfied with Wei Ran's reaction, he stood up and changed the subject and asked, "So, when can we set off for Inta?"

"You want to go now?" Jima asked in surprise.

Dr. Galkin spread his hands, "Otherwise, who would pay five thousand dollars to go to that damn place?"

"But."

Galkin didn't wait for Wei Ran to finish speaking, and said confidently, "No, but, I just need Jima to take me to have a look. You are such a smart boy, so you don't have to waste time."

Wei Ran could see that this Dr. Galkin obviously wanted to distract himself.And Jima's expression made him make an immediate decision, he picked up the car key on the table and handed it to Jima, "In that case, be careful on the road."

Jima, who came back to his senses, immediately breathed a sigh of relief. After taking the key, he asked curiously, "Mr. Nicholas said, before leaving, can you tell me why it was abandoned?"

Dr. Galkin looked at Wei Ran and Jima with great interest, "Why do you think they were abandoned?"

"Spy?" Wei Ran and Jima expressed their common guess in unison.

But he didn't want to, Dr. Galkin laughed and shook his head, "The abandonment there has nothing to do with the spies you found. The real reason is that in the winter of 1972, there were several small-scale earthquakes near the Ural Mountains. The earthquake in , although it caused only a few avalanches, had a great impact on the observation activities of that observatory.

At that time, it happened that the BTA astronomical telescope built by the Soviet Union in Circassian was about to be completed, so after having a better choice, the observatory discovered by you was gradually closed. Finally, with the disintegration of the Soviet Union, it was also taken over. People have completely forgotten. "

Jima asked suspiciously, "Since you are so clear, do you still need me to take you there?"

"I know this, but it doesn't mean I know where the astronomical observatory is." Dr. Galkin said here and stretched out his hand, "But if you don't want to take me there, give me back the money."

"Go, of course!"

Immediately, Ji Ma's attitude changed 180 degrees. He gestured to Wei Ran to make a phone call, and then enthusiastically led Dr. Galkin into Wei Ran's off-road vehicle and drove towards the airport.

Although Ji Ma, an annoying person, was sent away, because Sui Sui came to the studio every so often, and even called a group of classmates who hadn't seen him for a long time during the period, and took advantage of the spacious space of the studio to have two parties, which caused In the last few days of December, he not only failed to relax, but even his sleep was affected.

And all of this, along with an interview broadcast on the TV station on January 1st of the new year, also made his studio unprecedentedly lively.

This time, it was no longer Sui Sui and her classmates who came here to make trouble, but the jealous Professor Alexei and his current boss, Mr. Alexander.On the other hand, my aunt Zhou Shujin and Sui Sui, who had had enough fun, watched the excitement.

"Victor, you make me so sad." Professor Alexey said sadly, "Such an astonishing discovery, you have kept it from me for so long!"

"I'm not"

"You are indeed not the simple good boy at the beginning, you are now the honorary consultant of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War." Professor Alexey said sourly, "Oh! Honorary consultant, such a precious photo, you are so stupid I only changed the title of an honorary consultant!"

"The professor is right"

Sitting on the side, Alexander, who was also heartbroken, continued, "At that time, if you were willing to sell it to me, you could get at least 5 million dollars."

"Keep blowing!"

Wei Ran couldn't help but muttered in Chinese, "You old brats bragging about not having to pay taxes when co-authoring? Why don't you say 5 million? Why don't you say to exchange the whole of Moscow with me?"

"What are you talking about?" Alexander, who couldn't understand Chinese, asked blankly.

Sui Sui, who was eating melon seeds, explained in a serious manner, "He said he regretted donating that photo, and said that if he had known that Mr. Alexander was so generous, he should have given you the photo as soon as he got it. Send it over."

"You really should regret it"

Alexander said with a painful face that he had received the news a week ago that someone had donated two precious photos to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War and the Mamayev Gang, and even went to see them, but he didn't know what to do. It occurred to me that the donor of this photo turned out to be this Chinese student who had dealt with him before.

"Forget it, it's useless to say anything now." Professor Alexey sighed, "Why didn't you want to ask me to be on TV together, you bastard?"

"I'm always driving ducks to the shelves, okay?" Wei Ran muttered while secretly enjoying his mouth.

"Let's not talk about this." Alexander waved his hand, "Victor, you must still have the negative of that photo, right? How about selling it to me?"

"5 million dollars?" Professor Alexey, who was still complaining about himself just now, immediately asked enthusiastically.

Alexander was so disgusted by this sentence that he almost shook off his beard, and said angrily, "If that photo first appeared in my museum, even two 5 million will be fine."

"Although the photo is not the first time it appears, you are buying the only negative." Alexei did not regard Alexander as his boss at all, and raised the price by another 2 million with empty teeth.

Professor Alexey, who fell into Qian's eye, has a great reputation, let alone Manager Federer, who stood aside and never said a word, had a headache, even Alexander could hardly stand it.

Seeing the quotations in these two people's mouths swinging back and forth between five figures and seven figures, Wei Ran hurriedly said, "Two, two, can you?"

"Shut up!" Alexander and Professor Alexei shouted in unison.

Seeing this, Wei Ran didn't bother to pay attention to these two old things who thought they could decide everything, took the coffee from Sui Sui, sat on the side with a peaceful mind and slowly sucked it, and by the way sent a message to Mr. Nicholas from far away. messages.

Until the end, when Alexander and Professor Alexis, who were bearded and staring, finally finalized the price at two hundred and five million US dollars, they all looked at Wei Ran who was sitting on the side.

"Don't look at me, I don't have the negatives." Wei Ran put down his coffee cup and said.

"Not here?!"

"I wanted to say it just now, and you two told me to shut up." Before Alexander opened his mouth to say something, Wei Ran glanced at the message sent back by Nicholas for the last time, and then turned off the phone screen and said, "Although I don't have a negative, I have an electronic version."

Manager Federer, who has been standing behind Alexander, reminded that "the electronic version is not worth 2 million".

"Of course it's not worth 2 million." Wei Ran said unexpectedly, "So how about I decide to donate it to you for free? As long as the name of me and this studio can appear under the photo."

Alexander froze for a moment, then laughed dumbfounded, "Victor, you are smarter than I thought."

"Thank you for your compliment." Wei Ran replied with a smile neither humble nor overbearing, and at the same time, he also noticed Professor Alexey who was secretly giving him a thumbs up.

Alexander and the accompanying manager Federer were sent away with an electronic negative. Before the shutter door was completely closed by Sui Sui, Wei Ran and Professor Alexey clapped their hands tacitly.

"Victor, you bastard did a great job!"

Professor Alexei, who was still jealous a moment ago, now only had sincere praise on his face, while Wei Ran repeatedly expressed his apologies for not being able to bring the former.

"Mom, what the hell are they two doing?" Sui Sui asked in confusion.

Zhou Shujin shook her head helplessly, and cursed with a smile, "The little fox and the old fox teamed up to trick Mr. Alexander."

"Ah?" Sui Sui looked blankly at the other three, and suddenly felt that the three who had a tacit understanding seemed to be the real family, and she seemed to have not kept up with their channels at all.

Zhou Shujin motioned her daughter to sit beside her, and explained with a smile, "Your father is now working for Mr. Alexander, so whether it's that photo or that interview, it's not appropriate to bring him along."

"Why?" Suho asked puzzled.

Hearing this, Professor Alexei sat down next to Sui Sui, and explained with a smile, "First and foremost, this bastard not only used that photo to change the title of honorary consultant, but also gave this studio a The best ad yet.

Secondly, although he didn't call me, he just disregarded the relationship between this photo and Alexander and his employees, that is, me.This avoids the possibility of us having a deadlock with Mr. Alexander over a photo.Even if he felt uncomfortable, he would only think that the decision was made by the young man's head.

Last but not least.This bastard gave Alexander the electronic version for free, which not only made up for the slight dissatisfaction the other party had, but soon more and more people would know where he got the photo exhibition authorization.

So watch, it won't be long before this bastard is famous in museums related to military and World War II history all over Eastern Europe. "

Speaking of this, Professor Alexey saw that Wei Ran was looking at him with dull eyes just like his precious daughter, and subconsciously asked, "What are you surprised about? Did I guess wrong?"

"No! That's almost what it means!"

Wei Ran came back to his senses and said hastily, he really didn't come up with these things, but Nicholas instructed him to do so through text messages on his mobile phone just now.

"Are you a pervert? Are you planning this in advance?"

Sui Sui looked at Wei Ran in disbelief, but she didn't know that the other party was exclaiming in the same way as her in his heart, but the object of amazement was Mr. Nicholas who was on a long journey.

(End of this chapter)