Chapter 484: Catering to His Interests
After attending the party in New York, Yan Detai immediately took his exhibition works and flew back to Zhonghai City.
At the Zhonghai Airport, Fang Zengxian, Chairman of the Zhonghai Artists Association, and Zhu Guorong, Vice Chairman and Secretary General, came to greet them in person, and their attitude was extremely respectful.
"Mr. Yan! Ms. Zhu, long time no see."
At the international arrival gate, Fang Zengxian saw Yan Detai and Zhu Zhaoshun coming out and immediately went to greet them. He and Zhu Guorong, one on the left and one on the right, took over the suitcases of Yan Detai and Zhu Zhaoshun.
Yan Detai said cheerfully, "Zengxian, the association has been developing well in recent years, right?"
Fang Zengxian smiled and said, "That's right. Our team is getting bigger and bigger. After all, the economy is active, and people's spiritual and cultural needs are also rising. Now we have to curate many exhibitions every year. Isn't it the end of the year? There just happens to be a joint exhibition here. Thinking that you, Mr. Yan, haven't taught us for a long time, so I dare to invite you to come back and participate."
Yan Detai's mind flashed with the scene of his own works being hung in the most conspicuous place for the audience to appreciate, and he smiled from ear to ear: "It's only natural to communicate more."
Fang Zengxian said, "Mr. Yan, Ms. Zhu, let's go. I have prepared a welcoming banquet for you two at Tanchun Tower and invited several old friends from the circle. Everyone misses you very much. Let's take this opportunity to have a good chat. We also want to understand the international art trends."
Fang Zengxian and Zhu Guorong invited Yan Detai and Zhu Zhaoshun into the car and drove all the way to Tanchun Tower.
Tanchun Tower is an antique restaurant with very cultural characteristics. The carved beams and painted buildings inside are very exquisite, and the layout imitates the teahouses and taverns in ancient times. Cultural people in Zhonghai like to use this place as a place for communication, and they often get together to discuss art.
Several people were already sitting in a private room on the second floor of Tanchun Tower: Wang Jieyin, Lu Fusheng, Liu Danzhai, Zhang Leiping, Wang Dawei, Qiu Ruimin, Zheng Xinyao, Shi Dawei...
They are all old acquaintances and old faces.
As soon as Yan Detai came in, everyone stood up at the same time and called out respectfully, "Mr. Yan, Ms. Zhu."
Whether in terms of family background or artistic achievements, Yan Detai is the senior and leader of the people present. If he had not lived abroad, Fang Zengxian would not have been the chairman of the association.
Although Yan Detai is already seventy years old, his eyes are still bright. As he glances at the people in front of him, many long-silent memories gradually come to his mind.
Many of them were my playmates and painting friends back then, and are now senior members of the Calligraphers and Painters Association.
"Hello everyone, long time no see."
Yan Detai greets everyone.
Everyone surrounded Yan Detai and Zhu Zhaoshun and sat at the top seat, next to Fang Zengxian.
Fang Zengxian said to Zhu Guorong, "Guorong, everyone is here, tell the waiter to serve the food."
"OK."
While the food was being served, Yan Detai also talked to everyone about his life abroad.
Listening to Yan Detai talking about the advanced technology, freedom of speech and strong artistic atmosphere outside, everyone had a longing expression on their faces and couldn't help but complain about the domestic environment and atmosphere.
Soon, the food was served, and everyone toasted Yan Detai, especially Fang Zengxian.
During the meal, while they were going to the toilet together, Zhu Zhaoshun asked Yan Detai in confusion, "Why is Fang Zengxian so enthusiastic today? I remember that he was not active in the past few years, wasn't he?"
Yan Detai said: "I don't know either. Let's wait and see."
Back in the box, Fang Zengxian started to compliment him again: "Mr. Yan, your Yan family has produced many talented people, and your family tradition is like spring rain, moistening things silently, which is really admirable."
Although Yan Detai has always followed his ancestors' teachings and often donated money to charity, he couldn't stand being praised by Fang Zengxian, and said, "No, no, these are just small things, not worth mentioning."
Seeing that the atmosphere was almost set, Fang Zengxian said, "Mr. Yan, today, I want to introduce you to a young man. He is also very interested in art."
Yan Detai did not doubt him and said with a smile: "Oh? Young people are just beginning to be interested in art, that's a good thing."
If art needs to be inherited and developed, there must be a constant supply of fresh blood and young people who love art to join in.
Yan Detai thought Fang Zengxian wanted to introduce his younger generation to him for his support.
This is a very common thing in the art world.
The purpose of becoming a disciple or becoming a relative is to gain that status.
In the art world, reputation is very important.
Immediately afterwards, Zhu Guorong went to invite Lu Yiming in.
Yan Detai was just about to ask who this young man was who was so handsome, but he heard Fang Zengxian enthusiastically call out, "Mr. Lu, please take a seat."
He even gave up his own position.
This surprised Yan Detai.
Lu Yiming looked very polite. He smiled and shook hands with Fang Zengxian, saying enthusiastically, "Chairman Fang, you are too polite."
Then, he introduced himself and said, "Hello everyone, I am Lu Yiming, an art lover, and I am very happy to meet you masters today. All your consumption here today will be counted as mine, and you can have as much Maotai as you want."
People who are involved in art all like to drink to some extent, but many of them are relatively poor, so when they heard the words "enough Maotai", many people's eyes lit up and they had a very good first impression of Lu Yiming.
Yan Detai has been harassed too many times by Wu Zhijie recently, and the bad impression of the name Lu Yiming is deeply rooted in his mind.
Now that he saw that the man in front of him was also called Lu Yiming, he immediately blurted out: "Are you Lu Yiming? The richest man in the mainland?"
To be honest, Yan Detai was shocked.
As the saying goes, don't despise the young because they are poor.
But the young man in front of him was not poor at all, but the richest man. This made the old wealthy man, who was already in his old age, feel indescribable.
"What? The richest man?"
Many people present did not know Lu Yiming because they did not pay attention to finance. After all, how could an artist be tainted by money?
Seeing Yan Detai pointed out Lu Yiming's identity, they all looked at Lu Yiming in shock.
No wonder he dared to boast that he had as much Moutai as he wanted, it turns out he was the richest man.
That's okay.
However, Yan Detai didn't care about the fact that others gave Lu Yiming face. After all, he had already buried his head in the ground, and the Yan family was not short of money. He naturally didn't need to curry favor with Lu Yiming, so he didn't treat him well and said bluntly: "If you want to buy the Yan family's ancestral property, then you'd better keep your mouth shut."
What?
This person wants to buy the Yan family’s ancestral property?
Those who were unaware of the situation were shocked.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Lu Yiming was not afraid at all. He knew very well that if some deals were to be successful, it was not just about profit and money, but also about strategy. For some people, you had to cater to their preferences.
So he immediately smiled and explained: "Mr. Yan misunderstood. I came here today to ask you for advice on watercolor painting and to make friends with you."
Fang Zengxian also spoke up for Lu Yiming and said, "Mr. Yan, you don't know that Mr. Lu is very generous. Not only did he donate one million directly to our association, but he also fully sponsored this event."
Upon hearing this, Yan Detai was immediately furious. He couldn't possibly scold Lu Yiming for donating money to the Zhonghai Art Association, right?
Even if Lu Yiming had ulterior motives, the money he donated was real after all. As a member of the Zhonghai Art Association, he could only hold his nose and bear it.
He remembered what Zhu Zhaoshun had just said and immediately understood.
It is true that there is no benefit in getting up early, and there must be something wrong when things are abnormal!
Although he couldn't scold Lu Yiming in front of everyone, Yan Detai still didn't look at Lu Yiming well and snorted, "Do you know anything about watercolor painting?"
What I mean is, don’t try to get close to me under the guise of watercolor painting, I won’t buy it!
However, Lu Yiming had anticipated such a situation.
Before coming here, he had done a lot of homework, and his family was relatively wealthy when he was young, so he also attended interest classes in elementary school. Now he has made up for the gaps and is almost there.
He just smiled and started talking attentively. He not only knew the past and present of watercolor painting like the back of his hand, but also put forward many new insights on techniques. He made up these things when he was collecting information and based on his experience of surfing the Internet before his rebirth.
Yan Detai, who originally had some prejudice against Lu Yiming, no longer had a stern face after a few words. Instead, he said with a bit of surprise: "I didn't expect that you really know watercolor painting. However, there are many misunderstandings and limitations..."
Then, as an insider, he spoke up and gave Lu Yiming some advice.
Lu Yiming, who had been trying to make friends, naturally followed suit and said modestly, "I am just a complete layman, but appreciating beauty is part of human nature, so I also have the right to pursue beautiful things, don't you think so, Mr. Yan?"
Yan Detai nodded with satisfaction: "Yes, this is also the original intention of my watercolor painting. I want to record the beautiful scenes I have seen in my life with my pen. The essence of painting is the artist's expression of beauty, so it is called fine art."
In fact, what Lu Yiming said was different from what Yan Detai said, but the two of them, one old and one young, were able to chat for a few words on the common topic of art.
Seeing Yan Detai fall into the trap, Lu Yiming immediately laughed and said, "Mr. Yan is indeed an aspiring artist. I am not like that. Although I love art, I am essentially just a businessman full of money. But in my opinion, if art wants to develop, it cannot be done without the promotion of business. After all, artists also need to eat."
Yan Detai seemed to sense something was wrong, and his expression froze as he asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Lu Yiming quickly explained : "Don't misunderstand, Mr. Yan, I didn't mean to make any insinuations. In fact, before I met you, I organized a million-dollar painter competition myself. From the current situation, the effect is very good."
Fang Zengxian also chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Yan, you were probably not aware of this because you were abroad at the time. At the end of last year, President Lu invited painters from all over the country to participate in the competition. It was like a grand event about art. The final winner could get a prize of one million. That's one million! In this process, many outstanding talents emerged."
At that moment, Fang Zengxian told Yan Detai the whole story of Lu Yiming's "Million Painters" event, which made Yan Detai marvel.
Lu Yiming said: "Art is elegant, but economy is the foundation. In history, when culture flourished, was there any era that did not have a highly developed economy? So I think the two are not in conflict, and there is no need to put them in opposition. That would definitely be putting the cart before the horse."
Yan Detai thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed the case. If one couldn't even fill his stomach, who would have the mind to pursue art?
"Well, your idea is quite novel."
Lu Yiming also knew the principle of quitting when things are going well. If he boasted at this time, he would be finished. He immediately said, "Actually, I mainly want to promote my own products. Although they are toys sold to children, they are indeed related to art. I also brought two juniors here today. I hope that you, Mr. Yan, can give them some guidance. They are both professional graduates."
Afterwards, Lu Yiming called Xin Yongsheng and He Zizhe in.
The two people who went to Baiyun to participate in the Million Painters Competition have now become ace painters under Lu Yiming. Their works have fascinated countless elementary and junior high school students through the blind box card drawing mode.
"These two are the champion and runner-up of the original "Millionaire Painter". They also brought their respective works to Mr. Yan today. Please comment on them, Mr. Yan."
Lu Yiming said to Xin Yongsheng and He Zizhe, "This Mr. Yan is a leading figure in the art world. With Mr. Yan's guidance, your career paths will be complete."
Seeing Lu Yiming praising him so much, Yan Detai immediately felt very comfortable and said cheerfully: "Look at what you said..."
The two were also very sensible. He Zizhe poured himself a glass of wine and said to Yan Detai: "Mr. Yan, I toast you."
Xin Yongsheng quickly followed suit: "Mr. Yan, I'll toast to you too."
Yan Detai drank a glass of wine and then said, "Show us your works for everyone to appreciate."
Yan Detai, who is highly respected, also likes to help younger generations. After all, there is a training in the Yan family's ancestral hall to do good without worrying about the future, and helping younger generations is the greatest kindness.
"OK."
The two people took out their works, and the artists present began to comment on their works.
After a conversation, Yan Detai discovered that Xin Yongsheng and He Zizhe were both very talented and had great ideas in creation, which made him even happier.
After the banquet, Yan Detai was drunk on the way back to the hotel.
Zhu Zhaoshun complained, "I just got back from a plane today, why did you drink so much?"
Yan Detai burped and said, "I was happy today, so I drank a few more glasses. I will be more careful next time."
Zhu Zhaoshun rolled his eyes and said jokingly, "Weren't you furious at the beginning? You looked like you were going to call me to task. Why did you suddenly change your attitude now?"
Yan Detai was a little embarrassed and said, "It's rare to have a friend with whom I can share common topics. I can't just keep a straight face, right?"
Zhu Zhaoshun asked: "So what do you think of Lu Yiming?"
Yan Detai recalled the conversation just now and couldn't help but sigh, feeling a little admiring: "This young man is really amazing, and he is quite sophisticated in dealing with people. No wonder he can earn this family business at such a young age."
Doing business also requires talent.
Unfortunately, the younger generation of the Yan family no longer has the talent and ability in the business field that their parents had.
In fact, even Yan Detai himself is not cut out for business.
If Lu Yiming had not previously asked to purchase the Yan family's ancestral property, Yan Detai actually did not want to fall out with such a young wealthy man. Now that the relationship could be eased, he was secretly relieved.
On the other hand, Lu Yiming returned to school just after contacting Yan Detai.
He did not immediately rush to propose to buy Yan's Garden because he knew that acting hastily would only backfire.
Two days later, Su Yunjin, who was far away in the United States, called to inquire about this matter.
She already knew that Yan Detai had returned to China and had dinner with Lu Yiming.
Fearing that Lu Yiming might offend Mr. Yan, Su Yunjin immediately asked nervously, "Xiaoming, did you have any unpleasant experiences when you had dinner with Mr. Yan?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Aunt Su, are you still worried about me doing things? If you don't believe me, call Old Yan and ask him. We have been chatting for several hours at the wine table. If we were not afraid of confusing the generations, we might have become close friends regardless of age."
Su Yunjin was amused by Lu Yiming's words and laughed: "You, you, after all, are still thinking about the Yan family's ancestral property. Forget it, I hope nothing happened."
"Don't worry, Aunt Su. I'm going to use a roundabout strategy this time. I'll make friends with Mr. Yan first, and then talk about the deal. This will definitely save everyone's face."
Lu Yiming naturally had no intention of giving up just like that. He was only buying the Yan family's ancestral property, not the Yan family's ancestral tomb.
It's almost the 21st century, it's a new era, is there any ancestral property that cannot be sold?
Yan Detai now looks like he has nothing to discuss, it's simply because he can't save his face. Otherwise, according to the original history, he would not have sold the Yan Family Garden ten years later.
Seeing that Lu Yiming kept talking about Yan's Garden, Su Yunjin knew that Lu Yiming was determined to buy it and no one could stop him. Since Lu Yiming repeatedly assured her that there would be no conflict, Su Yunjin could not intervene too much - after all, Lu Yiming was only Shi Qingxue's boyfriend, and the two were not married, and Su Yunjin had no position or qualifications to teach Lu Yiming a lesson.
"Okay then, as long as you can handle the situation properly. Take good care of Xiaoxue in China, we will be back soon."
"Don't worry, Auntie. I will definitely raise Xiaoxue to be plump and white."
"Well, Auntie believes you."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yiming began to think about further actions.
There is no doubt that Yan Detai's impression of him has changed a lot now. He just needs to work a little harder and he will be able to start talking about the deal.
In fact, maybe we can wait for a few years. Anyway, Yan Detai will put the Yan Family Garden up for auction in the future.
But Lu Yiming didn't want to wait that long. In addition to avoiding bidding against Mr. Chen and saving some costs, the key point was that Lu Yiming wanted to move out now.
Isn't the Chinese New Year coming soon? If we finalize this matter before New Year's Day, and then send a construction team to renovate the house, we can move in after returning to school after the Chinese New Year. Isn't that wonderful?
This is an old villa.
Lu Yiming had only seen it in those anti-Japanese war movies. After entering the door, there was a four or five meter high ceiling with a crystal chandelier hung on it. In the middle was a spiral staircase leading to the second floor. There were small balconies everywhere and wooden floors. Didn't the style immediately rise?
This is the house that the richest man should live in.
I didn’t dare to think about it when I had no money, but now that I have the conditions, of course I can do whatever I want.
