The Versatile Master Artist

”Me?”

”Of course, I’m here to defeat her.”

Professor Boggs said while sipping tom yum noodle soup, without looking up, seemingly not lacking interest in Thai food.

”Defeat her? That might not be so easy. I think ’Oil Painting’ magazine’s evaluation of Lady Detective Cat might be biased. Both of you are experts in the field of Painting Knife Painting, what do you think?”

Jean Arnou followed up on the conversation.

Being artists, it was inevitable to chat about related gossip at the dinner table.

”It’s just political struggle.”

Anya tucked her hair behind her ear.

The master illustrator had just given her a big gift, she didn’t want to be perfunctory, so she spoke frankly: ”I’m a bit disappointed with ’Oil Painting’. And I feel sad for Detective Cat’s situation. Of course, I wouldn’t say the same thing outside your living room.”

Being both an artist and an operator of an art gallery, she certainly couldn’t afford to offend the ’Oil Painting’ magazine company.

”These kinds of things happen in the art circle every day; it’s not surprising. The only difference this time is that it’s the board of ’Oil Painting’ magazine speaking out.”

”It’s precisely because it’s ’Oil Painting’ that it’s so disappointing. When I was a student, while other girls dreamed of becoming cover models for ’Vogue’ or ’Fashion’, my dream was to appear on the cover of ’Oil Painting’. ”

”This is just another shameless suppression of us female artists, it’s something that’s happened countless times in history.”

”I never thought even ’Oil Painting’ magazine would sink so low.”

Anya looked puffed up with anger.

The assistant secretly curled his lips, thinking that’s quite a serious accusation. He didn’t believe ’Oil Painting’ magazine was suppressing Detective Cat just because she was a woman.

It’s not two hundred years ago now.

Because of political correctness, major art award lists are eager to include more women, fearful of being accused of sexism.

Detective Cat is nothing more than an unfortunate pawn used by the magazine to contend with the Elena family.

”She’s very strong.”

Professor Boggs interrupted their conversation, lifted his head, ”Very strong, the best Painting Knife artist I’ve seen in years, better than the previous me.”

”But you said you came to defeat her.” the assistant reminded.

”I said she was stronger than the previous me, but not stronger than I am now.”

Professor Boggs pursed his lips and slowly said, ”She’s like that Hulk, and I’m Spider-Man.”

”What?”

Anya didn’t understand the name that suddenly popped out of the old professor’s mouth.

”In movie plots, you always need an archenemy character to prove the hero’s strength, like the church and Copernicus, Jerome and Impressionism. How could I prove that I’ve reached the highest point of Painting Knife Painting without a strong enough opponent?”

”The one you should be talking about is Green Goblin. Hulk and Spider-Man are on the same side.”

The assistant quietly reminded the old man that he mixed up the comic characters.

”It doesn’t matter who it is, I’ve waited twenty years for such an interesting opponent. This is a gift from the Goddess of Art, and in the future, whenever anyone talks about Painting Knife Painting, they will remember how I defeated Detective Cat.”

His eyes were bright, like two burning flames when mentioning Detective Cat.

Being unbeaten is a very boring thing.

When Professor Boggs received a call from the Metropolitan Museum’s chief art advisor, asking him to write a critical article, he initially thought it was a small matter.

Nothing targeted at anyone specifically.

In Professor’s eyes, all living artists in the field of Painting Knife Painting are trash.

However, when the old professor actually saw that issue of ’Little Prince’.

Boggs immediately changed his mind.

He almost instantly realized that the illustrations in this ’Little Prince’ were works worthy of being written into the history of Painting Knife Painting.

So even when faced with the temptation of holding a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum.

He still refused the Helafi shareholder.

At 65 years old, with age increasing, and living in a material world that met his needs, the old professor began to pursue more pure desires.

He didn’t want to be remembered by future generations as someone who attacked a set of illustrations that might go down in history.

He also wished to give this opponent the respect she deserves.

When future art historians write about how he defeated Detective Cat, it should be as impressive as the Duke of Wellington defeating Napoleon.

And not Professor Boggs defeating an artistic Joker.

He believed his current techniques were absolutely not weaker than Detective Cat, and his advantage was his firsthand interaction and exchange with Tony before painting.

Immersed in his satisfaction, Professor Boggs couldn’t help but smile.

”Hehehe.”

The professor’s mouth was still smeared with noodle soup.

He smiled absentmindedly like a real lunatic, more so than Tony being fed by a servant beside him.

If any dining guests in the gallery had seen Zhou Xingchi’s ’Kung Fu’, they would think this old man with crow’s feet wasn’t anything like Spider-Man Peter Parker.

Instead, he quite resembled that Fire Cloud Evil God who demanded a fight to the death.

”Has Detective Cat submitted her work yet?”

After laughing enough, Professor Boggs asked Jean Arnou.

The master illustrator shook his head, ”Not yet, her agent said that she has quite a few pieces to paint, so she’ll be a bit slower.”