But no matter what, Suzuki Jirokichi's money-making ability worked, and he harvested Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" for 650 million.
This price is unprecedented and unprecedented.
Although he knew that he might have been tricked, Suzuki Jirokichi was a wealthy man after all and had extraordinary magnanimity, so he would not feel too distressed about the extra money he spent.
Including the return from holding the sunflower exhibition, it actually lost US$50 million.
With this amount of money, he could still afford to lose money.
With Suzuki Sonoko's comfort, Suzuki Jirokichi's anger had just calmed down a bit, when the auction house staff came to collect the payment.
In order to hold the press conference as soon as possible, the Suzuki Consortium had already prepared US$600 million and deposited it at Citibank in New York.
But now we don't have enough money, so if we temporarily allocate 50 million US dollars, it would take at least two hours given the strength of the Suzuki consortium.
But the press conference was imminent, and Suzuki Jirokichi wanted to take advantage of the popularity and announce the sunflower exhibition to the world as soon as possible.
But Jirokichi Suzuki, after all, has "more wealth than billions", so he took out an envelope directly from his arms.
"I have a cashier's check from a Swiss bank here, worth $100 million."
"I will use this as a mortgage to you. We will take away the painting first, hold a press conference, and make up the remaining balance later."
The famous scene reappears, "The Temptation of the God of Gamblers' Promissory Note".
However, the staff at the auction house were not so ignorant as to ask, "If you said 100 million, then 100 million."
After all, Suzuki Jiroyoshi is a consultant to the Suzuki Consortium, and his name alone is worth more than 100 million.
The staff happily accepted the cashier's check provided by Suzuki Jirokichi, and took Natsumi Miyadai and others selected by Suzuki Jirokichi to officially receive "Sunflower".
When the matter was settled, several people showed very happy expressions.
But Qin Zhibo knew that the critical part had just begun.
…
As the 7 treasure-protecting knights, everyone followed the staff, Suzuki Jirokichi and Suzuki Sonoko to the underground vault.
It's still the same place as yesterday, with the huge "Sunflower" lying quietly on the stage.
"Miss Gongtai, I'm begging you."
"yes."
Suzuki Jirokichi gave the order, and Miyadai Natsumi stepped forward to conduct the appraisal.
Other non-professionals stood slightly further away to observe the process.
Still the same as yesterday, Miyadai Natsumi was wearing white gloves and holding a laptop in one hand, seemingly professionally comparing the photos on the computer with the real thing.
As long as it is confirmed that the painting is Van Gogh's "Sunflowers", the transaction will be considered a successful conclusion.
Natsumi Miyadai walked around "Sunflower", lowering her head from time to time and looking closer, looking a hundred times harder than when she was appraising it yesterday.
This attitude made Suzuki Jiroyoshi very satisfied. After all, he really paid for it this time, so he should be more serious.
…
The appraisal process of Western paintings is very long, unlike the appraisal of traditional Chinese paintings where you can tell the authenticity with just two glances.
Miyadai Natsumi carefully compared every part of the painting. The boredom of the process gradually made Suzuki and others feel relaxed and their attention was no longer so concentrated.
But even so, no one dared to interrupt Miyadai Natsumi's work.
But at this moment, a figure in a brown trench coat suddenly appeared, rushed to Natsumi Miyadai at lightning speed, and grabbed her right wrist.
"ah--!"
Miyadai Natsumi screamed, waking up everyone who was drowsy.
Suzuki Jirokichi quickly stood up from his chair and asked: "Mr. Qin, what are you doing?"
Qin Zhibo grabbed Miyadai Natsumi's wrist, raised it high, and took out a small glass bottle from her sleeve.
"Miss Gongtai, what is this?"
Qin Zhibo took out the glass bottle with two fingers and asked.
Miyadai Natsumi's pupils trembled under her glasses, and she looked at the bottle in Qin Zhibo's hand in horror.
Everyone was in an uproar, but Charlie, a policeman, walked over first, opened the stopper on the bottle, and sniffed inside.
"There is no smell, silvery white powder...could it be magnesium powder?"
"Yes, it's magnesium powder."
Qin Zhibo nodded affirmatively and then raised his hand to point to Natsumi Gongtai.
"She used her body to block our view during the appraisal, and the laptop she held in her right hand blocked the view of the surveillance camera overhead, just to secretly sprinkle magnesium powder on "Sunflowers."
"The purpose is to destroy this painting!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Miyadai Natsumi in disbelief.
In a panic, Gongtai Natsumi's mind raced, and she immediately pointed her finger at Qin Zhibo, complaining after a bad guy came.
"It was him! He was the one who put the magnesium powder in my hand!"
"He wants to frame me, he is slandering me!"
"I love Sunflowers so much, how could I do anything to harm "Sunflowers"?"
Miyadai Natsumi screamed in denial, and someone came to the scene and turned black into white, even Qin Zhibo was stunned.
If you are caught, you can still make excuses. All you have to do is say, "Family members, who understands?"
Everyone looked at Qin Zhibo and Miyadai Natsumi. Before their brains could figure out how to form a team, Qin Zhibo reasoned calmly.
"Miss Gongtai, stop making excuses. In fact, I have been suspicious of you since yesterday."
"Although you claim to love Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" very much, why do you only have five sunflower stickers on your laptop?"
Everyone glanced at the computer in Miyadai Natsumi's arms, and the five circular stickers on side A were clearly visible.
Natsumi Miyadai looked at her computer, her brain reacted for a second, and she quickly explained, "It's because the stickers are too big and can't be stuck on!"
"Isn't it okay if I can't stick it anymore? And you can't just say that I want to destroy the sunflower based on this alone!"
Miyadai Natsumi waved her hand, apparently not realizing that Qin Zhibo had already mastered the most important evidence.
"Evidence? Isn't the most important ironclad evidence in your hands?"
"In your computer file, there is a plan to destroy two sunflowers!"
As soon as these words came out, Miyadai Natsumi gritted her teeth and struggled for a few seconds, then suddenly closed her eyes in relief.
She let go of her right hand and the laptop fell to the ground with a clatter.
"It seems I can't quibble any more..."
Miyadai Natsumi's words were obviously a disguised admission of her crime.
"But why? Natsumi, don't you love "Sunflower" the most?"
Keiko, who was in charge of the exhibition planning, asked with a puzzled look on her face.
Natsumi Miyadai's voice suddenly became high-pitched, almost screaming: "It's because I deeply love Van Gogh's Sunflowers that I got to this point!"
"Rather than letting those two fakes be displayed side by side with Van Gogh's Sunflowers, I would rather destroy those two fakes!"
Natsumi Miyadai was waving her hands hysterically. In order to prevent her from jumping onto the painting at all costs, Qin Zhibo took a step closer to Natsumi Miyadai.
Everyone in the audience looked shocked. Natsumi Miyadai actually wanted to destroy "Sunflower"!
But as a police officer, the most incomprehensible thing in Charlie's mind was not that Natsumi Miyadai was a prisoner, but that there were actually people in this world who actually wrote plans before committing crimes.
And it's still on the computer?
Are all criminals from Japan so "serious"?
Higashi Koji, who was responsible for preserving the paintings, spread his palms and asked in confusion: "Two fakes? What are you talking about?"
Miyadai Natsumi lowered her head and said nothing.
Qin Zhibo picked up the laptop that fell on the ground and explained: "Judging from the stickers on this computer, the fakes she mentioned should be the second and fifth "Sunflowers"."
"As far as I know, these two sunflowers were purchased by a painter named Pickman in 1989..."
"As for whether they are fakes or not, it depends on how professionals judge them."
Qin Zhibo said this because he wanted to guide Suzuki Jirokichi to send someone to identify whether the painting is authentic.
Jirokichi Suzuki thought about it for a while and felt that US$500 million should not be spent in an unclear way.
"It's better to find someone to re-identify..."
…
Charlie quickly called for backup and handcuffed Natsumi Miyadai and took her out.
Before leaving, Charlie asked Qin Zhibo very puzzledly how he knew that the prisoner had written something as wild as a "criminal plan".
Qin Zhibo explained: "I'm not completely sure about this. I just see that she always carries that laptop with her, so I guess there may be something very important in it..."
Charlie frowned, "Did you guess?"
Miyadai Natsumi, who was being taken out by the police, also heard Qin Zhibo's words, immediately turned around and said angrily.
"I didn't bring my computer to the exchange meeting last night! Have you forgotten?"
"Oh?" Qin Zhibo pretended to just remember, "Is that so?"
"Sorry, I really forgot."
Qin Zhibo showed a harmless smile towards Gongtai Natsumi.
puff--
Miyadai Natsumi was so angry that she almost fainted. She could care so much about a few stickers on her notebook, but she didn't bring her computer last night. I wonder?
But it's of no use now. She just admitted in front of everyone that there is indeed such a thing as a "criminal plan".
Next, the police only need to open the computer to check, and all her plans will be clear at a glance.
Even if she spent a lot of money to hire a top lawyer, it would be useless to say that the so-called plan was written as "".
…
After the prisoner was caught, Suzuki Jiroyoshi also asked his men to rearrange several internationally renowned painting appraisers as soon as possible.
After on-site appraisal, several appraisers unanimously believed that this was undoubtedly an authentic work of Van Gogh.
But Qin Zhibo suddenly suggested, "How about using X-rays to scan the painting?"
The auction house staff strongly opposed this suggestion.
But Suzuki Jirokichi thought for a moment and replied domineeringly: "I have already paid for this painting. It belongs to me now, doesn't it?"
"X-ray scan, right? Arrange it!"
Suzuki Jirokichi decided to adopt Qin Zhibo's suggestion.
There are many museums in New York that are qualified to scan X-ray artworks, and these museums are very happy to carry out X-ray scanning of this famous historical painting that debuted in the world for the first time.
Eventually, the Museum of Modern Art in New York took over the job.
In the museum's X-ray scanning room, everyone carefully dismantled the golden frame and unfolded the canvas on the instrument.
As the X-ray lamp head continues to sweep in front of the canvas, the orange paint of the sunflower
canvas
It was a strange composition, similar to another masterpiece of Van Gogh's "Starry Night", but it did not depict a human city, but an endless plain.
On the plain outlined by wavy lines, narrow crosses stand like tombstones.
In addition to the tombstones, it seems that you can see burrows outlined with brush strokes on the ground.
What is different from "Starry Night" is that there are no celestial bodies above the plain depicted in the painting, but a chaotic appearance.
"this is……"
"The degree of completion of this painting seems to be very high. It should be a plain somewhere and a cemetery?"
"Maybe it's a reflection of Van Gogh's inner world?"
Everyone looked surprised and exclaimed that this was the scene under "Sunflowers".
Many painters of Van Gogh's era had the habit of repeatedly creating on one canvas. Even top painters with money would not waste canvas easily.
Van Gogh was a poor painter during his lifetime, so it is normal for his canvases to be reused.
But no one present could understand what Van Gogh was painting underneath.
Except Qin Zhibo.
Isn’t this painting the Tombs of Xin?
Although there is no color in the X-ray scanned image, Qin Zhibo has only seen this unique landform in Xin's Tombs.
The plain full of caves and tombstones was something Qin Zhibo was all too familiar with.
In other words, what Pickman calls "the answer in the sunflowers" is the Tombs of Xin!
Pickman went to Sin's Tombs?
But having said that, the premise of painting within a painting is that the painting on the inner layer is created before the painting on the outer layer.
If this painting "Sunflowers" is an authentic work created by Van Gogh, then the Tomb of Sin inside it should also be a work by Van Gogh, not Pickman.
Combined with Van Gogh's "madness" history, he experienced some mental changes while living with his "good gay friend" Gauguin, and even followed Gauguin late at night with a razor.
But in the end, he did not attack Gauguin, but cut off his own ear, wrapped it and gave it to a prostitute.
Gauguin was frightened away by Van Gogh's crazy behavior and never returned to Van Gogh.
Van Gogh was also imprisoned in a sanatorium, which was actually a mental hospital after being exposed and reported by the residents of the town.
Not long after, Van Gogh shot himself in a wheat field.
It would be much easier to understand if we view Van Gogh's experience as a human being struggling between maintaining humanity and becoming a ghoul.
Van Gogh knew about the existence of Xin's Tombs, which proves that he had been to that place, either through dreams or through space passage.
Pickman may have heard about the existence of that place from Van Gogh, and then slowly embarked on the path of painting ghouls.
The only difference is that Van Gogh experienced an inner struggle and finally chose to commit suicide as a human being.
Pickman, on the other hand, chose to embrace the ghoul.