Chapter 1490
Snow Mountain
After the small auction in Paris, Zhang Yuanxian filled out the forms with the sales staff.
The other party will mail the painting to China.
He wasn't particularly interested in the painting, but he couldn't just throw it away.
It's impolite, and besides, what if the price goes up someday?
Just treat it like buying a junk stock and leave it there, ignore it.
Let's talk about it again in ten or twenty years.
Anyway, I've already hung this guy's paintings in my little restaurant.
This wasn't the first time Zhang Yuan had bought a painting.
The painting that Wang Changtian and Big Dog Brother mocked me for during my last dinner was also by this guy.
It was a work I created while I was still studying at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in China.
It only cost 10 Chinese Yuan back then.
Now, once it goes abroad, it's immediately 12 euros, and the market price has even increased.
The key is that he has to pretend to like it very much, especially in front of the master.
That female painter really thought highly of herself, arrogant and looking down on me for not knowing how to paint.
On the way back to the hotel, Xiaolongnu was rather quiet.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Yuan asked softly.
"I always felt that the more I looked at that painting, the more awkward it seemed."
"It's just right if it feels awkward."
"When this author was in China, she wore a single ponytail and a tracksuit until high school."
"He suddenly woke up after entering university." Zhang Yuan shook his head with a cold smile.
"Started getting my ears pierced, dyeing my hair, and going to nightclubs."
"These things are actually not so bad, but my family doesn't approve of them."
"Then, after going abroad last year, I took it a step further."
"After all, once you're abroad, you're 'free'."
"His hair was dyed all sorts of colors, like a wild chicken from Brother Qian's horse farm."
"I have a nose ring, a navel ring, and a piercing in my tongue."
“There are others…”
Zhang Yuan was too lazy to continue.
We met once before when we were abroad to discuss buying this painting.
She's already done her makeup with a heavy American smoky eye look, with a touch of gothic style.
They were dressed quite wildly, and Zhang Yuan suspected that they had piercings and rings on far more than just their noses and tongues.
“Whenever you talk to me, all you talk about is environmental protection, animal rights, and women’s rights.”
"Those who say the domestic environment is bad, there are no human rights, and no freedom will eventually be doomed."
"Aren't you very artistic?" Zhang Yuan asked her with a smile.
She nodded, suppressing a laugh, then revealed a hint of helplessness.
She has many people like that around her.
Many things are fine when they are in the country, but once they go abroad, they change drastically in just one or two years.
This situation usually occurs among those involved in arts and sports.
Those who are engaged in science and engineering, and research, are treated the same both domestically and internationally.
In particular, many of them rely on their parents for everything, including going abroad.
But as soon as they set foot on overseas soil, they begin to hate their "family of origin".
So when Zhang Yuan saw the daughter of the next president, he clenched his fists.
I refrained from hitting her.
Three punches shatter the soul of freedom, sir, I am a Chinese.
In this situation, starve her for three days, give her two steamed buns and a ladle of cold water, and then let her work in the fields planting rice for a month. That will cure all her ailments.
Fake art students whine without reason, while real art students are conquering Europe.
“You hate her, yet you still bought her paintings,” Sisi muttered.
“I hate her attitude, but I really like her behavior,” Zhang Yuan corrected.
"Because if I didn't have such a brain-dead daughter, I wouldn't be able to get involved with her father."
How can I "buy paintings" from idealists and righteous figures?
It has to be this kind of product so I can handle it.
"You think this is wrong, not good?" He pulled the other person over, looked them directly in the eye, and asked.
"No, not exactly." She pursed her lips and shook her head.
"I've heard of and seen a lot of things like this."
"And I will certainly continue to benefit from these kinds of things, both in the past and in the future."
"You know, I also have my godfather in my family... right?"
Without engaging in some under-the-table deals, she wouldn't be where she is today.
Fortunately, they weren't pretentious and didn't throw up their chopsticks and yell at the cook.
“I certainly have no right to criticize you, otherwise I would be talking nonsense without understanding the situation,” she replied honestly.
Because someone did a lot of things for her, especially the troublesome ones, she was able to work and live relatively easily.
"Besides, it's just for the convenience of taking a plane, it's not a big deal."
"Buy a painting." She turned her head and looked at the street scene outside the car window.
She knew that it was best to pretend not to see some things.
Her ability to maintain a Chinese style of dress and personality even after becoming an American citizen is far superior to those who immediately think the foreign air is sweeter upon arrival.
“It’s not just paintings.” Zhang Yuan patted her shoulder and pointed to a building on the street outside the window.
“I also bought a 200 million euro apartment in the city.”
"And a Bentley sports car worth 20 euros."
"They're all registered under the overseas company account that Mr. Chen helped me set up."
"Of course the item is mine, but I'm not the user." He shrugged, looking relaxed.
"And a house and a car... Is it really necessary to go to such lengths just to make it easier to fly?" She felt something was wrong.
"Of course not, I have my own ideas and plans."
"I'm just sharing a little secret with you."
"I don't want to hear about that."
"It's not like it's something you can talk about loudly." She glanced at him with feigned disdain.
She then sighed, not asking any further questions, nor did she want to know.
"I'm just worried about you, that you might get into some trouble."
"I'm so touched that you're still worried about me." Zhang Yuan pretended to wipe away tears.
"I'm being serious with you."
Okay, I know.
"But sometimes, in order to make money, some underhanded methods will be used."
"While money isn't everything, you can't do without it."
"Only when you have a sufficient economic foundation and are not troubled by the daily necessities of life can you better talk about ideals and feelings."
“You’re right,” Sisi nodded seriously in response.
After leaving Paris, the two traveled together to the Alpes-de-France region.
This area, Chamunyi in the Savoie province, was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924.
Therefore, this place is a ski resort and a glacier mountaineering destination.
Wow, it's so beautiful!
After checking into her hotel at the foot of the mountain, Sisi opened the window and looked out at the distant Alps.
"Big and white."
Zhang Yuan peeked out.
Although the wording is concise, what you said actually makes a lot of sense.
The Alps sound sophisticated, but it's actually a Latin word meaning "white mountain."
The highest peak in the Alps is called Mont Blanc, which, when translated into Chinese, is also called the white mountain.
Basically, a white mountain grew on top of a white mountain, and then an even whiter one grew on top of it.
Foreigners are even more direct than her.
It's just that a group of people in China can't understand other people's native language, so they think it's high-class.
"You can wander around the neighborhood for a bit and have some fun. I'll have Dandan keep you company."
"I'm going to work." He changed into a suit.
"How is it?" He gestured towards the other person.
“Joli,” she said in French, which means beautiful.
Besides buying bags and paintings and handling some business, I also need to attend brand events during this trip to France.
So he said he was going there to work.
Since we're already here, we might as well spend some time with the girl.
She was both happy and somewhat dissatisfied.
I was happy to go to Kilimanjaro last time and see the giant peaks of the African savanna.
This time, they came to Europe and saw huge snow-capped mountains.
The environments are vastly different, one yin and one yang, yet both contain the great power of nature.
If you want to escape from your busy life and cleanse your mind and body, going online and looking at your phone is definitely not an option; the more you look, the more anxious you become.
Besides experiencing the pure joy of labor by working in the fields, going outdoors to feel nature is also a good way to relax.
Before coming here, she thought the Alps were the highest peak in Europe. Actually, it's Mount Elbrus in the Greater Caucasus Mountains, which is on the Russian side.
However, the Russians are often expelled from European citizenship by these self-proclaimed Roman orthodox powers.
In terms of fame, the Alps are definitely the most famous.
Before leaving, he clasped his hands together in the direction of the mountains, closed his eyes, and silently prayed.
"Hehehe..."
Halfway through my prayer, I heard a silly laugh in my ear.
"What are you laughing at? You've ruined my good mood."
“I’ve never seen you so superstitious back home. You even have to recite some incantations before going out. Where did you get that habit?” She laughed out loud when she saw Zhang Yuan acting strangely.
"Just like the Siam incident you saw a few days ago, be careful when you're traveling."
"You know, this mountain experiences an avalanche on average every two years."
It just collapsed last year, don't film me inside.
"No way, it's too much of a coincidence."
Zhang Yuan was too embarrassed to say it, but he had actually witnessed an avalanche.
Only by facing the power of nature can one develop a sense of awe.
"And even if an avalanche is about to occur, can you stop it by reciting a few words?"
“You wouldn’t understand.” Zhang Yuan opened his eyes slightly and looked at him.
Many things in this world are hard to explain.
For example, Zhang Li once told him while drinking that when they were filming "Da Ming Dynasty 1566".
It's the last day of filming, and we're going to shoot the scene where a group of officials walk through the heavy snow into the palace.
But the weather forecast I checked the night before predicted thunderstorms all day the next day!
A sudden downpour washes away all the snow on the ground.
Moreover, it's already the last minute, the actors' schedules are all booked up, and most of them have other jobs, so they can't wait any longer.
How to do?
The filming location was the Ming and Qing Palace in Hengdian. Director Zhang Li called screenwriter and top producer Liu Heping.
After much deliberation, Liu Heping resorted to a drastic measure.
He said you don't need to worry about it, he'll figure something out.
He only asked Zhang Li to wait for his call the next day before filming could begin.
How will screenwriter Liu Heping resolve this?
He's in the capital, so he can't go there, and he hasn't even thought about going.
He had his driver take him to the Ming Tombs in the CP area of Beijing.
He personally knelt before Emperor Jiajing's memorial tablet, begging the loyal and filial emperor for help.
After he finished offering incense, he knelt down and called Zhang Li to ask him to take pictures.
They finished filming in Hengdian after several hours, and then sent the footage back to him.
He had to kneel for as long as the filming was going on, and by the time it was over, Liu Heping was so kneeling that he couldn't stand up.
I helped him, trembling, onto the car, and we headed home from the Ming Tombs.
He had driven less than 3 kilometers when Zhang Li called him again, saying that there was a heavy rain in Hengdian!
There was no time to pack up our things; the rain was terrifyingly heavy.
You can't argue with this.
They won't get down while kneeling, but they'll get down as soon as you walk away. Where can you go to reason with them?
This is all true, it's incredibly mysterious.
After finishing my prayers, I left home and took a car to Mont Blanc.
Mont Blanc is called Mont Blanc in French.
Montblanc's brand name is also this.
It's named after Mont Blanc, so their logo is actually an aerial view of a snow-capped mountain.
He was the spokesperson before, and now he's renewing his contract, with the price doubling.
I've already won the Best Actor award at the Tokyo International Film Festival, so I should raise my price.
Otherwise, where would they get the money to buy paintings?
Since the brand name is the same, the group arranged to hold the new product launch on Mont Blanc.
Forget about Hermès bags; carrying one out would be considered showing off wealth.
I'll just use the bag that the brand gave me, which cost a few thousand yuan.
The press conference was a grand affair, with drums and gongs, red flags waving, and a huge crowd.
Without the sound of firecrackers, the snow-capped mountain would be blown apart in a moment.
The scene was quite lively.
He was freezing cold, like a grandson.
Since I couldn't wear a down jacket on stage, I had to stand there shivering for over an hour in a suit and leather shoes.
If we stayed any longer, it would be difficult to explain to Xiaolongnu when we got home at night, because Dingding was so frozen that it was almost impossible to find.
Back at the hotel, she had intended to complain a bit, but seeing Zhang Yuan's runny nose, she let it go.
People always say he's half-hearted when it comes to work; he should be working when he's working and playing when he's playing, and they shouldn't mix the two.
The next day, the two landed on the glacier with a local guide.
From a vast expanse of green to a blanket of white snow, it seems to happen in the blink of an eye.
The village at the foot of the Alps is truly breathtaking.
That grass there is fucking awful.
Then I remembered a German film from later times called "Heidi and Grandpa," which was set and filmed in the meadows at the foot of the Alps.
Many people who watched this movie were filled with longing for the natural scenery of Europe.
But what impressed Zhang Yuan the most was Bruno Ganz, who played his grandfather.
In this film, he plays a kind old man, but the moment he shaves, he transforms into the mad Führer in Downfall.
The veteran artist's skill level is too high; he deserves our respect.
Moreover, the veteran artist was humble. When filming "Downfall," he told the media that he felt the extras all performed very well and everyone was very dedicated.
It was only after investigation that it was discovered that the production team hadn't screened the extras when casting, and a large group of old guys playing NZ were actually new NZ.
Seeing him play the mustache, everyone was so excited that they couldn't put their right hand down.
The immersion is so strong.
The next day, we reached the summit of the snow-capped mountain and set up camp.
Gazing at the stars at night.
When Zhang Yuan asked to reminisce about his past experiences on Mount Kilimanjaro, the other person looked disgusted.
"You've developed bad habits."
"Just to keep as a souvenir."
"Do you really have to keep this as a souvenir?"
"Oh dear, these are all human instincts."
"cold."
"You won't be cold if you hug each other..."
Humans are animals too, and animals in nature must do what is natural.
After a long while, the two of them covered themselves with blankets and rested.
"I seriously suspect you now. You dragged me up the mountain just to do these things," the other person said while stroking their hair.
"Just tell me if you're willing or not."
"Really..."
Although he didn't say it, he was clearly happy to agree.
The next day, after descending the mountain, we went to the famous Chamonix ski resort.
This is the same venue used for the first Winter Olympics.
This famous ski resort offers a full-day pass for less than 30 euros, which includes a free cable car ride.
Zhang Yuan compared domestic scenic spots...
Many mothers selling products don't know how to say it.
The advantage of skiing is that people are completely covered up and no one can recognize them, so they can freely hold hands, hug, and help each other slide forward on the snow in front of others.
Although skiing is cheap, equipment and instructors are expensive.
Indeed, this is a sport that only the wealthy can participate in.
It's difficult to organize such large-scale, high-priced sports events domestically, and systematic training is even more challenging; otherwise, there would be no need to "hire foreign aid."
Even though he had taken a lot of money from the coach, Zhang Yuan didn't dare to play around too much.
After all, when it comes to skiing, if you don't do it well, fractures are the least of your worries; you can easily become paralyzed.
After playing around cautiously for a while, they met up with Liu Xiaoli at the foot of the mountain.
He then had to return to Paris to participate in Montblanc's city events.
The extra money isn't for nothing; you have to work harder.
I had just said goodbye to Liu and her daughter and entered the city. The cell phone signal had improved considerably when the call came in.
Zhang Yuan glanced at it and found it was an unfamiliar number.
"Hello, Mr. Zhang Yuan."
"My name is Smith, and I am the manager of the international business department at Legendary Pictures."
"Director Guillermo del Toro recommended you to us."
“If we have time, we can talk.”
Zhang Yuan cheered up.
it is good!
It seems that having dinner with this big Mexican guy last time had some effect.
They really did remember me.
If you can remember me, then Pacific Rim is just around the corner. (End of Chapter)