The Versatile Master Artist

Chapter 46: Chapter 33: Old Yang’s Kindness

Evening, in the underground parking lot on the east side of the Great Golden Pagoda.

”Teacher Gu, Mr. Xiao Gu, I am terribly sorry for what happened this morning. I have a foul mouth and was just too anxious at the time, speaking without thinking. Please don’t take it to heart...”

As Gu Weijing followed his grandfather, Gu Tongxiang, to the parking lot after a full day’s work.

Unexpectedly, they encountered someone here who was unforeseen, yet reasonable.

It was Old Yang.

Old Yang seemed to have been waiting here for quite some time. As soon as he saw the grandfather and grandson duo approaching, he jogged over with a smile.

He handed over a gift box.

”What is this?”

Gu Tongxiang was puzzled. He was unaware that in the afternoon, Assistant Old Yang saw Gu Weijing painting on Elder Cao’s mural and was furious. His face showed a look of confusion.

”It’s alright, it wasn’t your fault.”

Gu Weijing politely nodded on the side.

Old Yang had already found a chance to apologize to him in the afternoon, and he thought the matter was over.

It’s hard to blame someone when emotions are high, and besides, hitting someone who’s smiling is not right.

Gu Weijing didn’t expect that Old Yang, being Elder Cao’s private assistant with a tight schedule, would wait for him alone in the parking lot.

”Master Lin Tao might want to take you as a disciple. I think perhaps the master’s door will soon welcome a young talent. This is a small gift from me to you.”

Old Yang spoke words that felt refreshing, while handing over a gift box.

He was unaware that Elder Cao had proposed to take Gu Weijing as a closed-door disciple, only assuming Lin Tao had taken a liking to Gu Weijing.

The bet issue was too sensational; only Gu Weijing, Professor Lin Tao, and Elder Cao knew about the news.

This was Elder Cao’s intention. Young talents should avoid being too arrogant; raising the child too high would not be beneficial to Gu Weijing.

Even Elder Cao’s remark, better than me, was only circulated among a few witnesses.

However, Old Yang still keenly caught Elder Cao’s affection for Gu Weijing, so he decided to prepare a gift and personally maintain the relationship.

Old Yang becoming a top assistant naturally had much to do with his discernment.

For a promising talent like Gu Weijing, caring before one becomes famous is far more useful than fawning afterward.

”You’re too kind; how can I possibly accept this.”

Gu Tongxiang held both of Old Yang’s hands, with a tone of feeling flattered.

He knew that the artistic assistants of such big shots have incredible connections, belonging to the hidden big players in the circle.

If it weren’t for his grandson, a small painter like him wouldn’t even get a glance.

Gu Tongxiang felt the bag was heavy and glanced down.

”Is this... Lukes’ Master Art Set?”

There was a hint of surprise in his tone.

”This set wouldn’t cost less than twenty thousand US dollars, right? It’s really too valuable.”

Old Yang laughed; he enjoyed the tone of awe when the other saw the gift box.

When gifting, it’s crucial to suit one’s preferences, and nothing’s more feared than the receiver not knowing the value.

This is the benefit of people within the circle.

Though Gu Tongxiang might not afford such fine things, at least he knows their value.

If you gift the head of the construction team a Qing Gaohe Hall engraved edition of Jin Ping Mei, they might consider it a pornographic book. That would be a failed gift, a waste.

The gift box contained a set of German art supplies.

As an old powerhouse in oil painting, Germany has the most luxury-grade art supply manufacturers worldwide, like Faber-Castell, producing colored pencils, and Schmincke, producing top-tier art supplies.

LUKES is a long-established pigment and art supply brand founded in the mid-nineteenth century.

This company releases fifty sets of Master Art Sets yearly, each priced over twenty thousand euros, considered haute couture in art supplies, similar to a limited edition Ferrari sold only to VIP buyers.

Typically, only artists with a certain influence qualify to purchase.

If you’re merely a wealthy art student or an ordinary businessman wanting to buy, they won’t sell to you.

Undeniably, there’s an element of marketing hype since that money could buy an ordinary car. It is indeed overly expensive for art supplies.

But the materials of the Master Art Set are genuinely authentic.

The set includes master-level pigments, three brushes of different sizes, a silver painting knife, top-quality turpentine...

The brushes’ wood is not only carefully selected but also strives for ultimate comfort. Common brushes are typically made of goat hair, wolf hair, or synthetic nylon.

The master set not only uses specific, more luxurious wild mink tail hair for all brush bristles but also goes through hand selection. Despite being highly elastic, there’s no stray hair crossing.

This is Old Yang’s small gift for Gu Weijing.

Giving cash is too mundane.

Giving an iPhone? He feels it’s too unpresentable.

Moreover, how long does a phone last? It’s not as practical as a set of art supplies a painter uses daily. Constant use creates constant memory of Old Yang’s generosity.

”It’s nothing, every year during Christmas and such, various manufacturers rush to send me piles of their products. I can’t refuse, and Elder Cao rarely paints with oils anymore and has original art sponsorship contracts. I might as well gift these away.”

Old Yang wore a nonchalant smile.

His social reach was not in the same league as the Yangon local small painters like the Gu family grandfather and grandson.

Old Yang usually interacts with the real big names in the art world, the top art brokers in oil painting.

In the eyes of these art brokers, are those top artists painting paintings?

Those are blades, Dollars!

A few hundred grams of paper can sell for tens of millions of dollars, even the Federal Reserve doesn’t print money like that.

To sign famous names for their galleries, gifts range from Rolls-Royces, private islands, Gulfstream private jets, yachts paired with Victoria’s Secret supermodel yacht girls...

In Old Yang’s eyes, accustomed to seeing grand scenes, a set of art supplies was nothing.

He wasn’t wrong; during various festivals each year, from Mitsubishi (yes, Mitsubishi Motors’ Mitsubishi, also an Asian high-end stationery manufacturer) to unknown small manufacturers, they send all sorts of luxury-grade art supplies, filling two studios.

Though they don’t expect much, just in case Elder Cao likes it?

It could make for an interesting story.

What drove Lukes to where it is today is the legend that Van Gogh loved their pigments back in the day.

”Mr. Gu? You’re here too.”

A voice came from afar.

Gu Weijing turned his head and saw Professor Yajima with his children standing at a parking spot just a dozen meters away in the same parking lot.

A black Mercedes-Benz S65 was parked beside them, seemingly there to pick them up.

The one who called his name was Koizumi Katsuko.

Due to religious customs, she had been assigned to a side Fuhui Temple, and they hadn’t seen each other for days.

She appeared to be preparing to get in the car in the parking lot but happened to see the people over here.

”Grandpa?”

Gu Weijing turned to look at his grandfather.

”Why are you looking at me? The young lady is calling you, not this old man.”

Gu Tongxiang gestured with a sense of disappointment.

”Oh, right, Teacher Gu, I also heard that Mr. Xiao Gu recently ran into some trouble. I know some Yangon officials. If you need my help...”

Old Yang tactfully pulled Gu Tongxiang aside at this moment.

Before leaving, Old Yang caught a glimpse of a tall young man in the driver’s seat through the transparent windscreen of the Mercedes-Benz S65, and being well informed, he seemed to have thought of some gossip within the circle.

”It’s the heir of Xiaosong Gallery; he chased Koizumi Katsuko all the way to Myanmar. I heard he’s a difficult young man.”

Old Yang shook his head slightly.