Almighty painter

Chapter 738 Gu Weijing and Cui Xiaoming

Gu Weijing stood in the corner of the banquet hall with his head tilted.

He stood motionless, watching the people walking beneath the giant crystal chandelier, feeling the quiet resistance that repelled him.

Barriers are hidden walls.

Intangible and qualityless.

Self-explanatory.

Yang Dekang roughly felt what was going on.

The other person smiled.

"Do you feel like you can't fit in?" He took two champagne glasses from a male waiter in a dark tuxedo and handed one to Gu Weijing. "I understand you, really. But this won't work. You can't escape from this? Remember? You're already in it."

"You have to be awesome. You have to be domineering."

Lao Yang puffed out his belly. "If you feel you are not in a circle, that circle will exclude you even more. You have to try to make yourself the focus of everyone's attention. How do you judge who is the most powerful person and the most anticipated rising star at a social dinner?"

"Just look at who everyone's eyes are focused on when they are talking." Lao Yang said a little joke, "Desire is iron filings, it will only stick to the strongest magnet."

"Do you know the man I just said goodbye to? He is the senior art partner of CDX Gallery in Asia. His family has been dealing in art since the 40s. His grandfather once had a short-term agency cooperation with Mark Rothko, an early leader of the abstract movement, in the last few years of his life. His father is a well-known sinologist, and his family has a lot of say in the Asian art market."

“This year, the main force behind CDX Gallery’s efforts to win awards at the Singapore Biennale was not so much Mr. Phin as he was.”

Yang Dekang whispered to Gu Weijing the blue-eyed foreigner whom he had just greeted.

The other party was talking to an old Asian man, and there were three or four people around him. Among them was the bearded Maldivian painter that Gu Weijing had seen in a photo.

The partner of CDX Gallery just found Lao Yang and wanted to ask him to contact Old Master Cao. As the most influential painter of CDX Gallery in Asia, Tang Ning now wants to set up his own gallery in London, and the relationship with his former employer is very delicate.

They seemed to want to influence Tang Ning through Mr. Cao.

Old Yang naturally wouldn't tell Gu Weijing the specific content. He went on to introduce: "The person he is talking to is a famous collector in Asia, Huang Songjun, who started out in the food and beverage industry. Last year, Forbes's rich list showed that his personal assets were about 5.7 million Singapore dollars, ranking 72nd in Taiwan."

"The little man with gray hair but a lean and strong body over there, looking at the painting on the wall? He is Rikiya Ueda, a tenured professor in the Department of Art History and Theory at Tama Art University. He is also one of the most successful curators in Japan, slightly inferior to Fumio Nanjo, but not inferior to Tonks, especially in Japan."

"The person in front is John Oakley, the winner of the Venice Biennale Golden Lion Award, a French national treasure artist, and the biggest name in this exhibition. Tomorrow, he will be invited by the organizer to give a lecture on the moral intention of art at the Esplanade."

……

Sipping champagne and chewing lobster, Old Yang, with the relaxed posture of reading the lines on his palm, pointed out one by one the core figures who were sought after and surrounded by people in the several small social circles that had already formed at the dinner party.

His professional ability as an assistant is beyond doubt.

From local tycoons, foreign curators, to senior executives of major galleries, there is no one that Lao Yang doesn't know or knows.

In just a few words, he explained to Gu Weijing all about the big fish that could really stir up waves at the noisy banquet.

Good winds help good things.

Send me to the sky.

The situation here is not so windy that it can blow the pigs in the wind up to the sky, but it can be said that there are gusts of gentle breeze blowing across the hills.

The gentle breeze couldn't lift Old Yang.

It is quite easy to lift a small grass leaf like Gu Weijing three feet high in the air.

As for the breeze that could hold him up three feet high, if he lost his balance and fell headfirst from the top floor of the Esplanade, it would not be difficult for the breeze to kindly blow on him and give him a cushion of three feet.

Vanity Fair.

Vanity Fair.

For those who desire fame and are good at building connections, isn't it a glittering golden treasure waiting to be dug up for fame, fortune and wealth?
Brother Lu Ziyang pointed this out to Gu Weijing.

Is it possible to really "get to know" someone, or even just chat with them for a few words and establish a good relationship?

That's really a fate.

There's nothing he can do if he can't get close to the big shots.

If you want to blame someone, blame him for not having the ability!

of course.

If Old Yang personally led the way, holding a champagne glass, and walked in front of Gu Weijing to meet people one by one, they probably wouldn't encounter any obstacles.

The Elena family may be too lazy to give Lao Yang face.

Most of the people he just mentioned will still sell, and not only that, some of them even need his help.

Old Yang himself was not happy about it.

Still the same thing - not worth it.

Tonight, Lao Yang appeared at the artists' banquet with a purpose.

He came here to socialize and make connections for himself, not for Gu Weijing. It was necessary to clearly distinguish who was in charge and who was the follower.

It's obviously not worthwhile to waste your own connections to pave the way for Gu Weijing! Besides, with so many people watching you, if he takes Gu Weijing around the banquet hall like a little tail and meets people everywhere, what will Tang Ning think if the news gets out? What will Liu Ziming think?
On the contrary, when it comes to Miss Elena's level, Oil Painting magazine happens to be one of the protagonists of the talk show at that time. If there is a chance to please the other party, he will briefly tell the other party who Gu Weijing is.

Everyone knows that at best it can only be considered as a face-swiping job.

It's not too out of line.

Besides, even if he didn't take Gu Weijing to social events, the other party would have benefited a lot from him.

Yang Dekang looked at Gu Weijing and felt a sense of superiority again.

What if I have a good temperament? What if I meet a female fan at the airport and ask for her phone number? After all, I am just an unknown person in the art world.

Knowing this kind of occasion, you are willing to show up next to the other person, drive him here, eat lobster and sip champagne, and chat with him in public. Isn't that a great favor?

The loyal dog under the old immortal's seat, who came down to the mortal world, can be regarded as the Golden Lion King.

The little follower behind the blond lion king has the scent of majesty and dominance, and when he walks outside, it can make ordinary cats and dogs stay away.

Gu Weijing was a nobody, but when he appeared next to Lao Yang, he was no longer a nobody.

After all, he, Brother Yang——

Also a big shot.
-
"Do you know that person? The one eating lobster in the corner, sipping champagne, with a pink square on her chest?"

When Lao Yang introduced the important guests in the venue to Gu Weijing, on the other side of the banquet hall.

A young man was also asking the middle-aged bald man next to him who was wearing a neat suit.

"Which one?"

Cui Xuanyou raised his eyes from the phone and turned to look at what his son was saying.

Both sides are located in a corner of the banquet hall, a little far apart.

His eyes first fell on the other person's protruding belly, then moved upwards and noticed the Kitty cat wearing a pink hairpin exposed at the neckline, and stayed there for two seconds.

"Are you coming here so coquettishly and domineeringly?"

He muttered to his son with a smile.

"He must be from a prominent family, right?" The young man next to him remained calm. He pursed his lips and smiled, then lowered his head to wipe his glasses with a handkerchief, revealing two thin eyebrows that went straight into his temples.

"The closer a person is to the center of the conversation at a banquet, the more powerful he or she is. I just saw someone from CDX Gallery, and several judges from the exhibitions you brought me to meet before, all went to greet him. He seems to be able to blend into any social circle and get into any topic without any hindrance. That... shouldn't be because the scarf on his chest is so coquettish and domineering."

"You are a famous painter, but there are not so many people coming to greet you."

He joked with his father.

Cui Xuanyou didn't smile. He looked up and stared at the greasy face, while his brows frowned little by little.

"Trouble." He said softly.

"Big man?"

The young man looked at his father and said, "We have greeted everyone we should have. We have also met all the judges we should have met. Even if they are really heavyweight judges, they should not have any ill will towards me, right? Or... are they from that side?"

"Yang Dekang, nicknamed 'Yang Ba Pi', I met him once in Hamburg many years ago... I was very impressed. With such temperament and feeling, if I am not mistaken, he should be quite good." Cui Xuanyou nodded, "It is difficult for others to imitate him."

"Cao Xuan's personal assistant." Cui Xiaoming said.

"Don't underestimate him. The status of an assistant is far inferior to that of an artist's agent. He is just an employee hired by the artist. But those who can reach this status are exceptions. His influence is far greater than you think, even much greater. As long as he is willing, he can get the next offer to become the head agent of Gagosian, the senior art manager of a large auction house, or even a partner of a first-tier gallery in a certain continent."

Cui Xuanyou’s eyes were solemn.

"No, I don't underestimate him." The young man's tone still sounded calm, "What I mean is that Cao Xuan's personal assistant...has more influence than you, that's as it should be."

It must be quite embarrassing for a father to be criticized by his son.

As an internationally renowned artist who also has considerable connections and fame in the fashion industry, Cui Xuanyou did not show any unhappiness on his face, but nodded slightly.

Some people in the industry combine him and his son Cui Xiaoming and call them Big Cui and Little Cui.

Some people in the media have predicted that in another 20 or 30 years, Xiao Cui will surpass Da Cui in many aspects, including net worth, fame, business achievements and artistic achievements.

For the former.

Cui Xuanyou had no objection.

Who made him his own son? The father is the older one and the son is the younger one, even if the king of heaven comes. During the hundreds of years when Wang Xianzhi was more famous than Wang Xizhi, or when the Holbein father and son, who were better than their father, did not hear anyone pronounce the names of Wang Xianzhi, Wang Xizhi and Wang Xizhi in reverse order.

but.

In the latter case, Cui Xuanyou was very unhappy.

He is also a man with ambition and conviction. In another 20 or 30 years, will his son's artistic status surpass his own?

Bullshit! What a ridiculous international joke.

It wouldn't take twenty or thirty years, just relying on Cui Xiaoming's talent, his unique way of painting, the fact that he was born to stand on the shoulders of himself and Leonie, and the conditions and artistic resources that the couple could provide to Cui Xiaoming.

It only takes ten years.

Even...even in the best case scenario, it would only take five years for his net worth to catch up with or even surpass mine.

Cui Xiaoming has not yet made his real debut, but his recommendation rating in the Oil Painting magazine buyer's guide has already reached two and a half stars.

Cui Xuanyou is a second-tier international painter, and his works are much more expensive than his son's. However, on this buyer's list that measures the future investment appreciation potential of painters' works, the recommended star rating is only two and a half stars (hold with caution).

At this point.

He has been caught up by his own son.

Cui Xuanyou knew that his career development had basically come to an end. For him, the sales of a work of art worth $500,000 would be an unattainable barrier. The appreciation rate might not be able to outrun inflation, and there might even be a trend of sailing against the current, and not advancing would lead to retreat.

His son, Cui Xiaoming, will definitely achieve artistic achievements at the level of art history.

He really has the opportunity to become the next Wu Guanzhong, or even the next Renoir.

The "UBS Newcomer Award" at the Singapore Biennale and the three-year personal sponsorship contract from the UBS Group will be the perfect starting point for his career.

No one can stand in front of him.

Not anyone.

Cui Xiaoming's eyes did not have the fleeting hostility and passion of his father's. Instead, he looked at the young man next to Yang Dekang with a playful look.

"In that case, the one next to him should be Gu Weijing. I didn't see him when we took the group photo of artists this morning. I heard from the staff that he was late. It seems that he finally made it to the artists' cocktail party in the evening. I was just wondering if he could not stand the pressure of the paper fraud and ran away like this."

Long before the Biennale even started.

Various rumors were circulating in the hotel and the conference venue.

Cui Xiaoming had already heard quite a lot of rumors in advance.

"If this is really the case, then I don't know whether I should be happy about it or feel regretful."

"Has he never been in such an occasion before? He looks like a shy quail." Cui Xuanyou looked at the young man who was almost ignored at the buffet counter, smiled contemptuously, and encouraged his son. "What the hell is his clothes? A skinny tight suit, like a used car salesman. I thought he would be a handsome and elegant person selected from millions of people, it's really disappointing."

"quail?"

Cui Xiaoming shook his head.

"No, father, that's not a shy quail." He stared at the young man wearing a jacket that looked like it had been soaked in water and the shape was a little deformed.

"It is a solitary tree."

(End of this chapter)