The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 364 From this day forward, our master-disciple relationship is severed!

……

"Schwarzschild, you have to accept the consequences of your bet."

After seeing Huang Renxun off, James stood triumphantly in front of Schwarzschild, snapped his fingers, and spread his hands.

Schwarzschild listlessly pulled a Franklin from his wallet and slapped it into James's hand.

"That guy got lucky."

Schwarzschild looked rather grim, and even muttered a few curses under his breath.

Hanikezi, who had come with him, was puzzled to see Swahili so angry over $100. "Uncle Swahili, are you short of money? I'll give you $200. Will you smile?"

"hehe."

Schwarzschild gave a smile that looked more like a grimace.

This made Hanikezi even more puzzled.

She deliberately took two Franklins from her small wallet and put them in Schwarzschild's jacket pocket, then smiled at him and said, "Uncle Schwarzschild, cheer up. I'll lend you $200, you don't have to pay me back."

"Thank you, my little princess. You are sweeter than candy."

Schwarzschild didn't know how to explain it to Hanikz.

This is not $100.

This means he'd have to take James to nightclubs 100 times.

But he truly had unspeakable suffering.

Because when James proposed the bet, he agreed without hesitation, feeling that as a tech guru, he had a very clear understanding of the industry's development.

In this era, CPU rendering is the mainstream method.

A GPU solution definitely won't work.

Who knew that GPUs would develop so rapidly? Even though they cannot completely replace CPU solutions yet, they have already achieved a partial leapfrog development.

"Schwarzschild, I told you long ago, don't go against the boss in the film industry. You can only see your own little corner, while the boss can see the distant future."

James took the $100 from Schwarzschild, flicked the bill lightly, and it made a crisp sound.

Damn Franklin.

That beautiful sound is truly wonderful.

The thought of going to nightclubs for the next 100 times without having to pay made James so happy he wanted to whistle.

Seeing James's annoying face, Schwarzschild turned to Lu Zhiyuan and said in a serious tone, "Boss, Nvidia needs to send an expert team to help us optimize and adapt the algorithms of our rendering software. As a professional, I hope to redeem myself through merit."

Lu Zhiyuan nodded: "Of course. This is your field, and I fully respect your ideas. I hope you get along well with NVIDIA's computing power experts."

"no problem."

Schwarzschild agreed without hesitation, then looked at James with difficulty: "I want my $100 back to buy a train ticket to Santa Clara."

Nvidia's headquarters are located in Santa Clara.

The journey from Los Angeles to Santa Clara is about 500 kilometers and takes about two and a half hours by train.

"James, give me some face."

Lu Zhiyuan knew what kind of bet the two of them had made, but Schwarzschild was his trusted confidant and beloved general, and he certainly couldn't let Schwarzschild lose so badly.

"Damn it! Don't even think about taking all the money. A train ticket costs $50. For the boss's sake, I'll let you surrender and lose half."

James gave Lu Zhiyuan face, took out $50 from his pocket, and slapped it into Schwarzschild's hand.

One's gambling etiquette reflects one's character.

Schwarzschild is a complete sore loser. Relying on his favor with Lu Zhiyuan, he actually resorted to shameless tactics.

James swore to God he would never bet with him again!
It's more straightforward to make a bet with Xin Yukun.

"Thank you, Boss."

Schwarzschild took the $50 and turned to leave.

Hanikezi, standing nearby, watched the three of them argue over $50 and part on bad terms, completely baffled.

It's only $50.
Before coming to Los Angeles, she exchanged several thousand US dollars and put them in her bag so that she could tip Lu Zhiyuan when they ate out.

"Now that we've finished discussing the important matters, I'm going back to the hotel to rest."

Lu Zhiyuan first flew from Xi'an to Beijing, and then from Beijing to Los Angeles. The flight left him exhausted.

He needs to get some rest.

"Okay, boss, your room has been arranged. It's the same room as before."

At YD Pictures in Los Angeles, James personally participates in numerous business negotiations, aside from film releases.

The rest of the time, he would go around inspecting projects, looking for suitable scripts, liaising with various copyright holders, and helping Lu Zhiyuan with the monthly accounting.

Apart from that, Lu Zhiyuan is only busy during awards season when he needs to do public relations for awards.

Most of the time, his job was very easy.

From a certain perspective, YD Pictures only serves Lu Zhiyuan. There are no messy or irrelevant projects.

Because Lu Zhiyuan alone creates value equivalent to 10 top Hollywood directors.

After Lu Zhiyuan left, Hanikezi found James and whispered, "Uncle James, is there any news about what I asked you to keep an eye on?"

"My little princess, I have good news."

James nodded, pulled Hanikz aside, and said excitedly, "Next week, Christie's New York will be auctioning two world-famous paintings."

"One is Monet's Water Lilies, titled 'Water Lily Pond.' The other is Modigliani's masterpiece, 'Reclining Nude.'"

Lu Zhiyuan already has a painting of Monet's Water Lilies.

Moreover, Monet's water lilies are so numerous that they are almost frighteningly abundant. Although the prices are high, they are not excessively high.

The latter, Modigliani's masterpiece "Reclining Nude," is a rare treasure!
"Uncle James, can I afford it?"

Hanikezi suddenly felt that, despite having $1 million, she had become a poor girl in front of these world-famous images.

She felt a little uneasy again.

"It's hard to say. I don't know much about art."

James is also unsure.

Because the prices of artworks fluctuate greatly, it is difficult to judge.

But if someone accuses these auction houses of money laundering, that would be unfair.

After all, these artworks have left a significant mark on world history; they are not mere graffiti by unknown individuals.

"Thank you, Uncle James."

Hanikezi believes that his $1 million will most likely be enough to buy one of the paintings.

But to think you can pack up and take both paintings away is just wishful thinking.

But it doesn't matter, she can find outside help.

Thinking of this, Hanikezi hurriedly returned to her room and made a transoceanic call to Reba: "Sister Reba, next week, Modigliani has a masterpiece called 'Reclining Nude' that will be auctioned at Christie's in New York..."

"I'll book the plane ticket right away and come right away!"

Since filming "Art Students", Dilraba realized that if Lu Zhiyuan is Modigliani, then she is Haibunat!
In the movie "Art Students", Dilraba plays a character who is thrown off a building, and the character's name is "Haibuna", which is a direct homage to Modigliani's wife, "Haibunat"!
Modigliani is the bridge of fate between myself and Lu Zhiyuan.

pity.

Very few of Modigliani's paintings ever make it to auction.

Although Modigliani's paintings may seem absurd and not at all refined, there is one distinctive characteristic to his style.

His paintings are filled with both melancholy and decadence, as well as a strange sense of sublimity.

This is very similar to Lu Zhiyuan's film style.

It carries a sense of sublimity and mystery within its melancholy and solitude.

We must acquire this painting.

As a gift to Lu Zhiyuan, to commemorate the third anniversary of us receiving our certificates together!
“Sister Dilraba, you don’t need to come to Los Angeles in person. The company can’t do without you. ‘Your Wedding’ is about to be released, and I know that as the producer, you have a lot of work to do.”

“What I mean is, I can help with the auction. If I have enough money, I can even buy it myself and give it to you as a gift.”

"But if I don't have enough money, could you lend me a little?"

Hanikez knew that spending $1 million to buy two world-famous paintings was somewhat unrealistic.

She needs several wallets.

“I currently have about $5000 million in my savings fund. You do the math, and if it’s enough, bring both paintings back.”

Dilraba invested most of her money!
Moreover, she hasn't filmed much in recent years, and her income basically comes from previous endorsement contracts.

In addition, some companies offer stock dividends.

$5000 million is more than 3 million RMB, comparable to Huayi Brothers' annual profit. No matter where you put it, that's a considerable sum.

But using it to photograph a world-famous painting is somewhat nerve-wracking.

"Sister Dilraba, I will do my best."

Hanikezi hung up the phone, feeling a little more confident.

She's going all in again with $1.5 million!
……

Lu Zhiyuan rested in Los Angeles for a day, and then he went to Netflix to check on the progress of the spin-off series of the "Mojin: The Lost Legend" project.
After going to Netflix, Lu Zhiyuan learned that the script for the movie's spin-off series was almost finished.

He searched it up and found it was similar to the original work.

This is right!

There's a reason why the original work became a bestseller.

Some of the scenes and plot points, along with the professional tomb raiding knowledge, are truly eye-opening. Ordinary screenwriters simply couldn't have written them.

If you're adapting it into a TV series, just follow the original storyline; please don't add your own interpretations.

TV series are different from movies.

Since the movie is only 120 minutes long, as the director, Lu Zhiyuan naturally had to make choices.

What should TV dramas choose to include or exclude?
What difference does it make if we film one more episode or one less episode?
"Lu, isn't our team pretty good?"

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos was overjoyed to see Lu Zhiyuan finally come to work.

This proves that he is a good leader of the company.

Lu Zhiyuan, the third largest shareholder, finally came to the company to check on the situation.

"It's really good."

Lu Zhiyuan sincerely praised him a few times.

Netflix's TV series production team is absolutely world-class, there's no doubt about that.

"By the way, how are the subscriptions for the TV series 'The Journey of Flower' on Netflix?"

In this timeline, "The Journey of Flower" is Jing Tian's representative work.

With this TV series and the several sad love songs that Lu Zhiyuan wrote for her, she became a top-tier actress.

As for those terrible movies she made...

Most netizens probably haven't even seen it.

Those who haven't been hurt by her will naturally have a biased view of her beauty.

Anyone who has seen more than three of Jing Tian's works will likely turn from a fan to a hater!
"Ms. T's TV series, which is an Eastern fantasy series, helped us gain 50 subscribers as soon as it was released!"

Before this, TV dramas with an Eastern fantasy theme were basically destined to flop.

Because it's so obscure.

Just like an Indian period drama that appeared on a domestic video website.

Who in their right mind would pay for a VIP membership on a website just to watch a TV series like this?

However, the fantasy film "Mojin: The Lost Legend" grossed $14 billion, making it the second biggest blockbuster this summer after "Jurassic World".

Audiences around the world are eager to see films and television dramas on similar themes.

"The Journey of Flower" was launched at this critical juncture, taking over the traffic from the Eastern fantasy genre, and became an instant hit upon release.

In addition, Jing Tian played Miss T in "Real Steel" and has some fame in Europe and America.

Therefore, the number of subscribers for this TV series far exceeded Netflix's break-even point, making it a minor hit.

"It seems that it's time to revise the formula for [Containing Tranquility]."

Lu Zhiyuan had always been bothered by this formula.

If this formula is a golden rule, then he really couldn't give Jing Tian many plot clues for the movie "The Great Wall".

But now, he can increase it slightly.

After all, Jing Tian also has paying users!
"Lu, I think we shouldn't ruin the beauty of this formula. After all, there are only a handful of female celebrities in the world who have similar popularity."

Although Jing Tian's movie flopped, she still generated a lot of buzz.

This is the characteristic of red.

Some female celebrities have decent film and television achievements, but when it comes to their acting skills or private life, netizens simply don't bother to discuss them.

This is a characteristic of having a cold constitution.

"This formula is truly wonderful."

In the movie "Art Students," Lu Zhiyuan used the formula of "content" to help the film increase its box office by at least tens of millions.

……

After visiting Netflix, Lu Zhiyuan went to Universal Pictures' studio for another visit.

Universal Pictures has also started building LED virtual production spaces.

After all, Lu Zhiyuan had already set an example for them, proving that this filming method was very cost-effective.

This could save at least $3000 million in costs.

Even including Lu Zhiyuan's salary, the production cost of a visually stunning blockbuster like "Mojin: The Lost Legend" would not exceed 1.5 million US dollars.

Within Universal Pictures, after watching the finished film, they privately calculated the cost for Lu Zhiyuan, estimating it to be at least $2 million.

The underwater 3D tomb of King Xian looks incredibly expensive.

But why is Lu Zhiyuan so frugal?

It's incredible.

They could only attribute it to the fact that the LED virtual production space was very useful and saved Lu Zhiyuan a lot of costs.

"Teacher, you have led the trend of the new era."

Hanikezi had nothing to do, so he followed Lu Zhiyuan around and ran around everywhere.

Over the past few days, she has grown to admire Lu Zhiyuan even more.

In the film and television industry, Chinese directors have actually been able to lead the world in terms of technology... Five years ago, who would have dared to imagine such a scene?

And right now, this is reality!

Even James Cameron, Hollywood's most brilliant tech genius, pales in comparison to Lu Zhiyuan.

"The technology is there. I just found a way to use it properly and combine it organically."

Lu Zhiyuan did not think that he was leading the trend of the times.

He didn't create any original technology either.

These are technologies that already exist today, thanks to the advancements in science; it's just that no one uses them in the film and television industry.

As a combination of technology and art, film has always been closely linked to technological progress from its inception to its development.

As a director, Lu Zhiyuan simply made good use of technology.

Hanikezi has absolutely no interest in science and technology.

She was just trying to start a conversation with Lu Zhiyuan.

At this moment, she changed the subject, looking at Lu Zhiyuan with a smile: "Teacher, there's an auction at Christie's in New York in a couple of days. I've got my eye on a painting, could you come with me? And help me get it appraised. See if it's worth the price?"

"sure."

Lu Zhiyuan has been busy for a long time, and he probably already has a good idea of ​​the visual language he needs to shoot next.

After returning to Yanjing, he needed to discuss with Schwarzschild how to create several major special effects, then perform layered rendering and fine-tune them repeatedly.

To achieve a state of satisfaction.

If nothing unexpected happens, once he starts working, he will be working overtime day and night.

Before that, he also wanted to rest for a few days.

He was also a little tired after working for a month.

"But what paintings have you taken a fancy to? Do you need to go to Christie's auction house?"

Lu Zhiyuan always treated Hanikezi like a child. What kind of paintings could a child like?

At that moment, he was indeed very curious.

"It'll be a secret for now. You'll find out later."

Hanikezi gave Lu Zhiyuan a mysterious smile, then hurried upstairs.

……

Arrived upstairs.

Hanikezi called Gao Yuanyuan again: "Sister Yuanyuan, I want to buy two world-famous paintings for the teacher. I'm a little short of money."

Gao Yuanyuan was quite straightforward: "I can lend you a maximum of 3000 million US dollars. This is all my personal savings."

She's really a very wealthy woman.

$3000 million, actually his personal savings?

How exactly did she manage to hide?

Hanikezi hurriedly promised, "Thank you, Sister Yuanyuan. If you help me get more roles in movies, I'll act like a slave to pay you back."

Gao Yuanyuan shook her head and said, "No need for interest. You know what I want."

Hanikezi immediately understood and respectfully greeted her, "Big Sister!"

That's right!
Why am I the third child in my family?

Before, I was the mistress; now that I'm older, I've become the wife?

Am I destined to be forever bound to the number three?
I, Gao Yuanyuan, refuse to believe in such superstitions!

Defy your destiny, start now!
After hanging up the phone, Hanikezi calculated her savings: "I'll take out 1 million US dollars myself, Reba 5000 million US dollars, and Yuanyuan 3000 million US dollars. That's 1.8 million US dollars. That should be enough, right?"

After thinking it over, Hanikezi felt it wasn't safe, so she called Jingtian again: "Sister Tiantian..."

Hanikezi called out obsequiously, but Jing Tian immediately interrupted her pre-cast spell and said, "Tell me, how much do you want?"

That's direct, I like it!
No wonder she's the richest woman in the family!

Hanikezi said with a shameless grin, "Of course, the more the better."

Jing Tian smiled silently and told Hanikezi the truth: "Hani, I forgot to tell you something. Yuan Ge's darling, that special effects company called Black Hole Vision is preparing for a round of financing. I had someone calculate the valuation, and it's probably around 10 to 15 billion US dollars."

"I want to acquire as many shares as possible. The minimum is 30%, and the maximum is 49%. As for the money, I can find an unlimited number of people to lend it to."

“But I’m afraid Brother Yuan will only be willing to give me 20%.”

The company behind Black Hole Events is benchmarking itself against the world's best visual effects companies.

This company's competitors include George Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic, Peter Jackson's Weta Digital, Michael Bay's Platinum Dune, and James Cameron's Digital Domain. The world's top visual effects directors each have their own special effects studios!

Even their naming conventions are quite similar.

Lu Zhiyuan felt that his own "Black Hole Event Horizon" sounded the coolest, followed by George Lucas's Industrial Light & Magic.

They sound like two major villains.

Special effects companies are the core competency of these directors.

Unless these directors want to retire, these special effects companies are their lifeline, not for sale!

After the movie "The Great Wall", Lu Zhiyuan will most likely become the first in history.

Therefore, he was willing to raise some funds for his special effects studio and add a shareholder to show his feelings for Jing Tian.

In this respect, Lu Zhiyuan is excellent.

They never make empty promises.

If you love someone, you'll give them a chance to buy what's most precious to you with money.

Gao Yuanyuan owns shares in Yuankun Media.

Dilraba owns shares in her management company.

Jing Tian originally had nothing, but after Lu Zhiyuan formally accepted her, he gave her the most valuable qualification to purchase shares in the special effects studio.

However, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Lu Zhiyuan will most likely only be willing to offer 20%.

Jing Tian felt it wasn't enough.

No matter what, she has to earn more than Gao Yuanyuan; it can't be the same!
30% is her bottom line!

"Sister Tian Tian, ​​I'm afraid I can't help you. Never mind, I won't ask you for money."

Hanikezi knew that Jing Tian wanted shares in Lu Zhiyuan's special effects studio, which was proof that Jing Tian had officially returned to the family.

Lu Zhiyuan is a thoroughly career-oriented man. Whoever his career belongs to, his love belongs to.

However, Jing Tian was being a bit too demanding.

This time, Hanikezi was willing to suffer a loss himself rather than stand on Jing Tian's side.

"You brat, all that kindness I've shown you before. And you won't even help your sister with something this small?"

"However, I can understand that you're on Yuan Ge's side."

"How about this, I'll lend you 2000 million US dollars, that's all I have."

Jing Tian planned to use the money to raise funds and become a shareholder of Black Hole Horizon. She really didn't have any extra money to buy Hanikezi any world-famous paintings.

The event horizon of a black hole is valued at at least $10 billion.

Even if Jing Tian used all her working capital, she wouldn't be able to buy many shares.

Lu Zhiyuan knew her financial situation perfectly well.

If she can come up with a lot of money in a short period of time, it means that she must have other people behind her... In that case, Lu Zhiyuan may not be willing to sell.

At this moment, Jing Tianhanikezi subtly probed the matter.

Seeing Hanikezi's resolute attitude, Jing Tian knew that no one else was allowed to buy these shares; only her private savings were permitted to do so!

So, she calculated that she could only buy about 20% to 25%!

"$2000 million is enough. Thank you, sister."

With the addition of Jing Tian's $2000 million, Hanikezi's available working capital reached an astonishing $2 million!
Is it possible to defy fate and change one's destiny?

Next week!

……

Three days later.

New York, Christie's auction dinner.

Hanikezi, arm in arm with Lu Zhiyuan, walked into the auction banquet with great interest.

No one was surprised to see Hanikezi here.

Because Hanikezi had already visited once a few months ago, and a huge scandal had broken out.

However, this time is different.

Lu Zhiyuan, whose net worth is $200 billion, has also come.

In 2015, Lu Zhiyuan, with a net worth of $200 billion, would have ranked around 40th on the list of the world's richest people.

If we include the wealth of Dilraba, Gao Yuanyuan, and Jing Tian, ​​the Lu Zhiyuan family's net worth is approximately 300 billion US dollars.

This is great.

He would probably rank among the top 25 on the Forbes list of the world's richest people.

Li Ka-shing, ranked 17th, has a net worth of US$333 billion.

If Nvidia's stock or Netflix's stock rises by even 10% in the future, the wealth of Lu Zhiyuan's family will directly surpass that of Li Ka-shing.

"The painting you want to photograph is Monet's Water Lilies?"

Before the auction began, Hanikezi took Lu Zhiyuan to preview the exhibits.

Hanikezi lingered for a long time in front of Monet's "Water Lilies Pond".

Lu Zhiyuan knew exactly what she was thinking.

"No."

Hanikezi shook his head, then made up a random excuse: "I just wanted to photograph an ordinary painting."

"is it?"

Lu Zhiyuan didn't believe it at all, and smiled faintly: "Then why did you ask me just now how much 'Water Lily Pond' is worth?"

"I was just asking casually."

Hanikezi chuckled and then pulled Lu Zhiyuan to sit down in his seat.

She couldn't help but say again, "This water lily painting isn't as beautiful as the one Sister Yuanyuan gave you. Although I don't understand the difference between the two, I just feel that this one isn't as pretty as the other."

"Your feeling is correct."

Lu Zhiyuan smiled and nodded: "Monet's state of mind is different when he paints. That painting is obviously brighter. He was in a better state of mind. I can feel it."

Can you feel it?
You can sense the mood and state of mind of someone who died 100 years ago when they were painting.
You're really amazing!
You must be able to sense what I'm thinking right now, sitting right next to you, so close to you.

But you insisted on pretending to be stupid!

Really annoying!
"The next work is 'Water Lilies' by Monet, a master of history and one of the leading figures of Impressionism. Starting bid: $2000 million!"

$2000 million was the final price Gao Yuanyuan paid for that artwork. And a few years later, has art inflation reached that level?
That's an exaggeration.

Lu Zhiyuan silently estimated that if he put that painting in his house up for auction, the starting price would be at least 3000 million US dollars!
"Five million dollars!"

The others were still debating whether or not to photograph the painting.

At that moment, Hanikezi raised his paddle and shouted out a high price of 5000 million US dollars.

For a moment, the whole place buzzed with excitement.

Many people turned their heads to look at Lu Zhiyuan next to Hanikezi.

In their minds, Hanikezi's last failure was probably because he didn't bring enough money.

This time, Hanikezi called over Lu Zhiyuan, whose net worth is $200 billion. It was clear she wanted Lu Zhiyuan to pay the bill.

Who doesn't know that Hanikezi is Lu Zhiyuan's little darling?
"Forget it, don't argue with her."

"She was furious when that Qatari prince snatched her away last time, so she's clearly prepared this time."

"They made at least $10 billion from 'Mojin: The Lost Legend'."

Many of the guests at the auction dinner were whispering among themselves, discussing how much money Lu Zhiyuan had made from a single film.
Most companies that earn $10 billion a year are already among the top in the world. Lu Zhiyuan earned $10 billion from just one movie.

The key issue is that he doesn't make this much money only occasionally.

He makes this much money every year!
From a certain perspective, Lu Zhiyuan is practically a human money-printing machine and the best spokesperson for the Federal Reserve.

Therefore, as long as Lu Zhiyuan was sitting there, when Hanikezi next to him raised his sign, others would feel that they shouldn't argue with them.

Hanikezi was clearly just being stubborn!
Who comes in and immediately asks for 5000 million US dollars?

A starting bid of $2000 million followed by a bid of $2500 million is the normal auction strategy.

"5000 million twice, 5000 million three times!"

"make a deal!"

"Congratulations to our Miss Hanikezi."

This time, the auctioneer did not refer to Hanikz as "Artemis".

Because after "Mojin: The Lost Legend" grossed over 14 billion US dollars, the character Ding Sitian also became a hit.

Hanikezi has another representative role.

When an actor has two representative roles, then that actor has truly succeeded and has earned his own name!

Just like after filming "Spring Bright Pigsy", Xu Guangtou's name became Pigsy.

However, after he made "Li Wei the Magistrate", he took back his name, Xu Zheng!
Although Xu Guangtou's business dealings and private life are somewhat questionable, his acting career is truly impeccable.

Absolutely the top actor in China!
He is not just a comedian, but an old-school comedy master like Chen Peisi.

In Lu Zhiyuan's evaluation system, what is a comedy master?
First, it can make the audience laugh and cry at the same time.

Secondly, it can make the audience laugh through tears.

……

While Hanikezi's acting skills may not have reached that level, her global fame far surpasses that of Xu Guangtou by several levels!

"Mine, it's mine!"

At that moment, Hanikezi was so excited after taking a picture of Monet's world-famous painting that he danced with joy.

She even took the opportunity to hug Lu Zhiyuan's head and kiss him hard.

In such a joyful moment, no one else thought much of it, only that Hanikezi was a little too excited.

But for a 19-year-old girl, personally photographing a world-famous painting is indeed enough to excite her for a long time.

After things gradually quieted down, Hanikezi turned to look at Lu Zhiyuan.

At this moment, her previously reserved gaze was no longer concealed; it became intense, as if a flame was burning within it.

Fortunately, Hanikezi didn't say anything offensive. He simply said, "Teacher, this painting is my birthday present to you this year. You must accept it."

"Thank you for taking care of me all these years. The luckiest thing in my life is meeting you when I was 13. Otherwise, I don't know what I would be doing right now."

Lu Zhiyuan was quite happy, feeling that he hadn't wasted all those years of pampering Hanikezi.

But outwardly, he still maintained the demeanor of a strict teacher, giving a light snort and saying, "I think you have money to burn. You've already learned to be extravagant at such a young age."

Hanikezi smiled and said nonchalantly, "Teacher, I'm willing to spend money on you. Besides, this isn't extravagance; it's a very reasonable investment. That's what you taught me."

Lu Zhiyuan never said such a thing in front of Hanikezi.

However, he said similar things to Jing Tian, ​​Reba, and Gao Yuanyuan, telling them not to be harsh on Hanikezi.

Now, the boomerang has hit him right between the eyebrows!

……

Lu Zhiyuan thought that Hanikezi's madness should have reached its limit.

As a result, when the final exhibit was brought out at the auction gala, Hanikezi went even more crazy.

"This is 'Reclining Nude' by the Italian Expressionist painter Modigliani. The theme of this auction, 'The Painter and the Muse,' originates from this painting."

"As for the specifics, I'm sure you're all experts, much more knowledgeable than I am as the auctioneer, so I won't waste my breath."

"The starting bid for this artwork is $8000 million."

After the auctioneer finished speaking, he looked at the crowd below.

A Chinese businessman held up a sign and shouted, "1 million US dollars!"

How dare they try to steal my things?
Hanikezi looked over, not recognizing the man at all, and asked Lu Zhiyuan, "Teacher, do you know this uncle?"

"I don't know him. But I know who he is."

Lu Zhiyuan glanced at him and recognized the person.

This is a famous stock trading master in Shanghai. Of course, after his success in the stock market, he became a renowned investment and financial management expert.

He was even one of the prototypes for Boss Bao in the TV series "Blossoms".

In another world, he spent $1.78 million to buy this world-famous painting, brought it back to Shanghai, and made it part of his collection.

"If we don't know him, that's fine. Then we don't need to give him face."

Last time, the Qatari prince spent $3 million in one go, leaving Hanikezi speechless, but this time it's different.

She believed that Lu Zhiyuan would not stand idly by.

Therefore, Hanikezi confidently raised his sign and shouted, "1.5 million US dollars!"

She had only prepared $2 million. She just spent $5000 million. Now, she's going all in!
"Honey, don't take it to heart with a child."

“We buy art as both a collection and an investment. If we argue with others, we are going against our principles.”

The wife of that investment guru knows best what kind of mentality a 19-year-old girl has.

After being pampered, they became utterly lawless.

Look at Hanikezi's bidding style, how ferocious he looks, as if he won't give up until he gets what he wants.

He was clearly holding his breath.

"Wife, you're right!"

"I originally estimated the painting to be worth $2 million... but judging from their attitude, they would fight for it even if it were worth $3 million!"

Spending $3 million on a painting like this is completely not worth it.

For an investment master, the entry price is also an important consideration.

He had also heard of Lu Zhiyuan, who was sitting across from him. It was about an art student who switched careers to become a director and became a legendary director in just a few years.

Such a successful life must mean that one is still bothered by the stains on one's past.

Lu Zhiyuan's biggest stain was that he failed to get into the art academy he wanted.

Therefore, collecting world-famous paintings will inevitably become Lu Zhiyuan's greatest pursuit in the future.

Lu Zhiyuan's wealth far exceeded his.

Arguing with someone who is many times richer than you is a very foolish choice. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment when investing; this is also a fundamental principle.

"1.5 million US dollars once, 1.5 million US dollars twice, 1.5 million US dollars three times... Sold!"

"Congratulations to our little princess, Hanikezi, for becoming the biggest winner of tonight's 'Painters and Muses Auction Gala'!"

After the auctioneer finished speaking, the entire room erupted in applause for Hanikezi.

Painters and Muses.

What a beautiful theme.

I am the muse, and Yuan Ge is the painter.

The two of us together are such a perfect match for the wonderful atmosphere tonight!
"Teacher, Modigliani's world-famous paintings, with their melancholy and decadence, yet also their sublime quality. That's how I see you."

"Although you often have a blank expression, you always manage to attract my attention with your eyes, making me want to see what you're thinking."

"Teacher, I want to give you this painting in exchange for granting me one request. Okay?"

A world-famous painting by Modigliani, and one of his representative works, was a gift that Lu Zhiyuan simply could not refuse.

Gao Yuanyuan spent $2000 million to buy the painting "Water Lilies," which made Lu Zhiyuan unable to walk away.

Not to mention this masterpiece by Modigliani.

Everyone has something they deeply desire and want to possess.

World-famous paintings are Lu Zhiyuan's Achilles' heel.

As an art student, he couldn't refuse such a gift.

"Honey, this request shouldn't be too unreasonable."

Even if Hanikezi made a request to Lu Zhiyuan, hoping that she would be the female lead in all of Lu Zhiyuan's future films, Lu Zhiyuan would agree without hesitation.

At worst, he can make one film every three years.

"Teacher, this is the last time I will call you teacher. From now on, our teacher-student relationship is severed."

Hanikezi looked at Lu Zhiyuan and said these words almost with tears in his eyes.

This statement left Lu Zhiyuan with a face full of confusion.
He gave himself a world-famous painting just to sever ties with her?

What is this operation?
Besides, I haven't done anything recently.

Has that brat Hani gone crazy?

But the next second, Hanikezi suddenly took Lu Zhiyuan's arm and said with a smile, "Lu Zhiyuan, nice to meet you. My name is Hanikezi Wumai'er!"

The bond between master and disciple is gone.

So, no one can criticize Hanikezi for what she wants to do next!

Seeing Hanikezi's triumphant expression, Lu Zhiyuan's expression became somewhat complicated.

Just now, Hanikezi's acting was so perfect that she completely fooled herself.

It even made me a little anxious.

"does it worth?"

"That's 2 million US dollars!"

In order to have a relationship with himself, he not only spent all his savings, but also incurred a debt of 1 million US dollars.

Who does this crazy girl take after?

Although Lu Zhiyuan desperately wanted to berate Hanikezi for being out of his mind, at this moment, he seemed to have become mute and couldn't utter a single word.

All the words I wanted to say stuck in my throat.

He just stared blankly at Hanikezi, his eyes flashing with confusion.

does it worth?
Countless women have said that if Lu Zhiyuan were mute, he would be the most perfect man in the world.

At that moment, he was a perfect mute.

"That day, Hu Bayi saw the tenderness in Ding Sitian's eyes and it touched my heart. From then on, I wanted to spend every Perseid meteor shower with you."

This is a love poem that Hanikezi hasn't had a chance to send out yet today.

She didn't know if Lu Zhiyuan had been looking at her WeChat Moments all this time.
do not care.

Today, she posted a love poem on her WeChat Moments right in front of Lu Zhiyuan. It's impossible for Lu Zhiyuan to pretend he didn't hear it now.

Having spent 2 million US dollars, I have the right to be arrogant for once!
"You're such a crazy girl."

In the end, Lu Zhiyuan softened and reached out to touch Hanikezi's hair.

"I know."

Hanikezi squinted his eyes, like a kitten being petted by its owner; at that moment, every pore on his body felt comfortable.

If I hadn't met you, would my life have been different?
Regardless, I still prefer to meet you.

(End of this chapter)