Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The panache of the second generation rich was a real eye-opener for the two of them. When it was nearly evening, a black, shiny, dazzling Rolls-Royce sedan drove into the parking lot of the restaurant. It moved at an excessive speed and braked abruptly, with its tires screeching against the gravel. “What a terrible way to drive such a nice car,” Hans curled his lips. Li Du had never seen anyone drive a Rolls-Royce like a sports car. It was painful to watch. They casually talked, not making eye contact. Soon, Hans’ phone began to ring. Young Master Jefferson called again and asked, “I am here. Where are you guys?” Hans sighed. This meant he had to go and welcome the young master. In Li Du’s opinion, Jefferson was an unreliable person. He acted like a youngster in his teens or early twenties, but the man Hans led to the table looked at least thirty years old. The man was wearing a large shirt with a pair of white jeans, a pair of crooked duty boots, a fisherman’s hat, and sunglasses. In Li Du’s hometown, someone who dressed like this was known as an idler. The leisurely way he walked would earn him a thorough beating in a county street. Hans introduced him to Li Du. This was Young Master Jefferson. Li Du shook hands. “Nice to meet you,” He said. Jefferson said, “My apologies for keeping you guys waiting so long. Come on, I don’t want to waste any more time. Let’s get straight to business. Show me what you’ve got. As he was talking, he was rubbing his hands, looking more like a slum junkie than the son of a wealthy entrepreneur. The graffiti painting was huge, as tall as a man. Godzilla was holding it. He opened it so that they all could see. Jefferson removed his sunglasses and carefully looked at the painting with his eyes wide open. Using his finger, he trailed the penmanship of the painting as he studied it. Then he opened his mouth and said, “The main body was painted in silver and white, and the black border sprayed using a FAT-Cap. The telephone booth was not spray-painted. Judging by the trace, it was done with a brush…”
“The spray strips are evenly blended together. The color traces left here are definitely the result of seventh-grade spray paint. The color edges were preserved despite the high pressure. The speed and skill are incredible…” The seemingly idle young man now gave a different impression. He was no longer unreliable. As he was appreciating the painting, Jefferson displayed professionalism, which Li Du appreciated. He analyzed the painting from top to bottom. The colors, the trend lines, the painting skills, even the content and thought behind the painting were observed and admired. Although Li Du didn’t understand it all, it seemed pretty awesome. After appreciating the painting, Jefferson patted the wallpaper and said, “Fantastic. It is a masterpiece of the god. You didn’t deceive me with an imitation. This is great.” Li Du smiled. “We have the certificate of the Warehouse Auction Association. Of course we wouldn’t deceive you with an imitation. Rest assured that it is real.” Hans brought up the main point. “So, are you willing to buy it? It’s clear that you fancy it. It should belong to nobody but you.” Jefferson said in high spirits, “This is an excellent painting. I am definitely keeping it. This is a masterpiece!” “How much are you willing to give?” Jefferson waved his hand and said, “It is an excellent painting. I am ready to be generous. I think two hundred thousand is a suitable offer. You’ve earned it!” Li Du was shocked by these shameless words. This man sure has some nerve! He gave Godzilla a look, stood up and said, “Let’s go. This is a waste of time!” After waiting for Jefferson for six hours, he was already irritated, but now that Jefferson gave them such a ridiculous offer, he had reached the end of his patience. Hans held him back and said to Jefferson, “This offer is not acceptable. Man, two hundred thousand is a ridiculous price. We will not accept any price below six hundred thousand.” Jefferson didn’t look at Li Du at all. He shook his head and said, “Six hundred thousand? Are you trying to rob me? I will not accept this offer. The most I can give is three hundred thousand. Otherwise, just take the painting and leave.” Li Du said, “Let’s go!” Godzilla and Brother Wolf were very obedient. They immediately folded the wallpaper and got up.
Hans could tell that Jefferson was mad. He had no choice but to shrug his shoulders and say, “If you are interested, you can give us another offer later. Given that we haven’t sold it already.” They walked to the door of the restaurant. Jefferson followed to catch up with them and said, “Alright, alright. You win. How much?” Hans said, “Six hundred thousand.” “No, that’s really too much. Name a price that we can both accept. Four hundred thousand. Is four hundred thousand okay?” Li Du wanted to leave again. Jefferson quickly grabbed his arm and said, “Four hundred and fifty thousand. Four hundred and fifty thousand, okay? This price is already very high. Even an auction would not give you that much. I am willing to pay right away!” This was something to be considered. Li Du stopped. Hans negotiated the price with Jefferson again. Jefferson insisted that this was his final offer. Hans said, “Five hundred thousand. In addition to this painting, we also have some daily supplies of Banksy from the time of his stay in Miami. We will give them to you as a package deal.” “Deal!” Jefferson was overjoyed. The aforementioned everyday items used by Banksy were the worn out debris from the warehouse. Now Li Du understood why Hans asked Godzilla to add clothes, a table and chairs, etc. to the warehouse. This was to trick Banksy’s fans. In terms of reasoning, this was fraud, of course. However, unless Banksy personally denied having used this old junk, it would be difficult to know the truth. After they finished negotiating the price, the next thing was the transaction. At this moment, Jefferson began to drag his feet. Li Du impatiently said, “You are not willing to pay the price, right? It doesn’t matter, we haven’t signed the contract yet. If you want to retract, then it’s fine.” Jefferson said dejectedly, “No, man. I am willing to pay. It's just that I don’t have that much money.” Li Du and Hans were so angry that they could have kicked someone. Why the hell did you negotiate if you don’t have the money? “How much do you have?” Hans asked grudgingly.
Jefferson said hesitantly, “Ttt… Two hundred and twenty thousand. I offered two hundred thousand earlier because that was all the money I have.” This was too much. This young man really had no shame. Jefferson hesitated and pointed to the Rolls-Royce outside. “Hey, what about my car?” Catching his intention, Li Du said, “You have got to be kidding. We aren’t used car dealers. No, we only accept cash!” Jefferson said, “I bought this Phantom less than two months ago. The mileage is less than 2000 km! It cost four hundred thousand. And then I spent another fifty thousand to improve it. Now let’s say it’s worth three hundred thousand, okay?”
