Then Chen Feng directly asked about the price of "Autumn Sky", and the other party didn’t beat around the bush, quoting $1.2 million.
Chen Feng was speechless at the price, which would be more than eight million dostically according to the current exchange rate.
This was way too expensive!
Chen Feng shook his head three tis: no! no! no!
Then, awkwardly bargained in English, offered up to 3 million RMB at most.
The other party also kept shaking their head and said no, then stated their lowest price was $1 million.
There was no way to continue negotiating.
Wu ngting helped to bargain fluently in English beside him, but it wasn’t very effective.
Seeing this, Chen Feng had no choice but to give up on buying and regretfully said, "Your price is too high, I can’t afford it."
Such honest words rendered the other party speechless too.
"Thank you for your ti. Sorry about this. We can exchange contact information. In the future, if I have the money or you’re willing to lower the price, we can contact each other."
The old Western man saw this and could only exchange contact information with Chen Feng, then left with a disappointed face.
"Director Huang, I’ve troubled you again, really sorry. I should have quoted a price over the phone first, sorry to make you co here for nothing."
Chen Feng expressed his apologies to Director Huang, the middleman, sowhat embarrassed.
Director Huang waved his hand and smiled, "It’s nothing. It was just a short walk. Mr. Chen, your frequent visits to our museum and your purchases are an affirmation of our work. It seems you quite love calligraphy and painting."
Chen Feng nodded, "Yes, I am very interested in these artworks. Like last ti Wang Yi’s ’Lanting Preface,’ and this ti Song Yi’s ’Autumn Sky’, these are personal favorites of mine."
"Mr. Chen, you are truly a connoisseur. I wonder which aspects of calligraphy and painting specifically interest you? I know quite a few calligraphers and painters, and I could introduce so to you."
When Chen Feng heard this, his eyes lit up. Director Huang was specifically responsible for connecting with artists for exhibitions at the art museum, so he definitely knew many artists.
Chen Feng could definitely look at the works of those calligraphers and painters through him.
Hence, Chen Feng quickly thanked him, "That would be wonderful, I’d be very grateful. I’m interested in almost all types of calligraphy and painting, but the prerequisite is that they must catch my eye. If it’s convenient for you, Director Huang, you could introduce to a few capable calligraphers and painters. I would like to visit them."
Director Huang readily agreed, "Sure. Let’s add each other on WeChat first, and I’ll get back to you after I sort everything out."
Chen Feng quickly took out his phone, opened WeChat, added him as a friend and once again expressed his gratitude, "Really appreciate your help this ti, Director Huang. Do you have ti tonight, perhaps we could have dinner together?"
Director Huang gestured, "I’m sowhat busy these days, let’s plan for dinner so other ti."
Chen Feng nodded smilingly, "Alright, I owe you one then."
Director Huang also smiled, "No worries. We’ll be in touch."
Director Huang didn’t stay and chat too long with Chen Feng, nodding his head towards him before leaving.
"Brother Feng, when did you suddenly beco interested in collecting art pieces?"
Wu ngting was quite puzzled. Chen Feng didn’t seem to have any connection to art.
The last ti he ca to a painting exhibition was just because of her.
"I am only interested in those paintings that catch my eye, collecting them is just incidental."
Chen Feng spoke frankly.
Wu ngting still looked doubtful and kindly advised, "The art world can be very murky, and since you don’t know much, you could be duped. This ’Autumn Sky,’ for instance, I don’t think it’s anything special. And the painter, Song Yi, only has minor fa in Europe and is hardly known in our country. To think they quoted $1.2 million is really outrageous. They clearly wanted to rip you off."
"Okay, I’ll keep that in mind," Chen Feng responded politely, seemingly appreciative of Wu ngting’s advice, but thinking to himself: If I just had more money, I would have bought it when the price dropped to $1 million.
He didn’t know the specific comrcial price of the painting, nor its true artistic value, but he knew the painting would bring great enjoynt and change to his mind and soul.
That was enough!
He now had tens of millions of dollars, and if he was destined to have only a few months to live, he wanted to spend most of it.
It wasn’t to engage in aningless splurging or aningful charitable giving.
He just didn’t want to pass away in his pri without having enjoyed anything.
Purchasing "Lanting Preface" and "Autumn Sky" could bring him great pleasure in both body and mind, and could even improve his ntal and physical health.
He certainly could afford to spend the money.
As for not wanting to spend 1 million US Dollars on "Autumn Sky" this ti, it was mainly because the price the other party offered seed a bit outrageous to him.
Moreover, even if he didn’t spend money on it, he could still enjoy the benefits "Autumn Sky" brought to his body and mind.
Song Yi’s exhibition was going to last for five days, and today was only the first day of his personal exhibition.
At worst, starting today, Chen Feng could co every day to "freeload" the viewing.
"Let’s continue inside to look at the paintings."
Chen Feng said, and rushed to lead the way inside.
Song Yi had over fifty paintings on display this ti, and Chen Feng hoped there would be other works that could surprise him among these paintings.
Regrettably, Chen Feng’s hope was destined to be dashed.
Among the fifty-two works, after viewing them all, only "Autumn Sky" brought him any surprise; the other paintings did not.
Though sowhat disappointed, Chen Feng was still content; he imdiately went back in front of the painting "Autumn Sky."
However, before "ditating," he had told Wu ngting in advance that he would be entranced by the painting, asking her not to wake him so he could look at the painting in peace.
Although Wu ngting was puzzled, she still agreed.
Thus, Chen Feng stood in front of the oil painting "Autumn Sky," focusing intently, and soon entered a trance-like "ditative" state.
When he ca out of this state, he suddenly realized that more than a dozen people had gathered around him, all staring at "Autumn Sky" like he was.
Chen Feng guessed that perhaps his intense concentration and obsession with the painting had attracted these onlookers.
But obviously, apart from Chen Feng, no one else noticed anything special.
However, there were a few who pretended to understand and whispered that this "Autumn Sky" was incredibly impressive, so even whispering about its resemblance to Van Gogh’s "Starry Night."
Chen Feng didn’t want to view the painting with these pretenders; he imdiately pulled Wu ngting, who had been accompanying him all along, away from the crowd.
"How long did I spend looking at the painting just now?"
Once out of the crowd, Chen Feng asked worriedly about the ti.
After thinking for a bit, Wu ngting said, "Probably about half an hour."
After speaking, she curiously asked, "Does this painting really srize you that much? You stared at it without moving for half an hour. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a paid actor hired by Song Yi."
When Chen Feng heard it was only half an hour, he felt sowhat disappointed but thinking of the fact that he’d been freeloading, he imdiately cheered up again, laughing, "Like that saying goes, ’a fish can’t know the joy of fish,’ that’s exactly my situation. I feel extrely relaxed and comfortable just looking at this painting. Otherwise, why do you think I spent so much money buying Wang Yi’s ’Lanting Preface’?"
"Really?" Wu ngting still seed doubtful.
Chen Feng earnestly said, "I’m not lying to you. There’s no need for that."
Finally, Wu ngting nodded hesitantly, "Okay. I believe you."
Chen Feng smiled, "Speaking of which, I owe it all to you. If you hadn’t taken to the art museum that ti, I wouldn’t have known that I was destined to connect with these two pieces of calligraphy and painting."
Wu ngting spoke with so concern, "I’m just afraid that you’ll recklessly spend money on calligraphy and paintings and get scamd. If that happens, it would be my fault."
Chen Feng quickly replied, "Don’t worry about that. The other party wanted to sell to for 1 million US Dollars this ti, and I didn’t buy it, did I?"
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