Chapter 1116 Cocktail Party Invitation
"Boss, is this the end?" Walter asked while driving.
Xiao Peng shook his head. "How can it be that fast? He still needs to stay in the hospital for a few days, and the doctor needs to confirm it. But that's none of my business. Dennis and the others have taken care of it. Khedira, give me a call. I'll call Brother Chen and let him know."
Khedira said, "Boss, Mr. Chen should be on the plane, right?"
"Oh, then I'll call Karl for you." Xiao Peng said, "Forget it, I'll go back and talk to him in person."
He just finished speaking when he heard the phone ring. Khedira glanced at the number and said, "Boss, it's King William calling."
Xiao Peng reached out and took the phone: "William, is there something wrong?"
William’s voice came: “Xiao, you just donated a lot of money to the prison and the police station!”
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "You're quite well-informed, William. Didn't they say that the Dutch royal family shouldn't be involved in politics?"
William also laughed: "This is not a dispute, this is a family matter."
Xiao Peng really couldn't answer this question. Theoretically, the Netherlands is his home.
"That means I just donated five million to your family." Xiao Peng said, "You don't even want to thank me?"
William said, "I didn't expect you knew Manfred Schmidt!"
"Oh? You know Carl too?" Xiao Peng asked back.
William smiled bitterly and said, "It seems that you know his true identity. How could I not know him? I also invested 200 million in his company back then!"
"Oh?" Xiao Peng asked in confusion, "Then you must know about his current life. Why don't you go and deal with him?"
William asked in response, "Deal with him? How? He is now a free man from a legal perspective. He has also accepted legal sanctions. Everything he is doing now is legal."
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "If everyone on Earth respected the law like you do, the world would be a much better place."
William said, "You did all this just for a car he gave you? I don't need to remind you what he did, do you? Don't you suspect that he gave you a car to get closer to you?"
Xiao Peng shook his head and said, "Actually, it's not because he gave me a car. That annoying girl should be my friend's daughter."
"What?" William was shocked.
Xiao Peng said, "That's nothing. Her Asian face should be enough to explain it, right?"
"Uh, I thought she was of Middle Eastern descent... Let's not talk about this. Why spend so much money on such a small matter? Why don't you ask me to help you with it? Things like this are not difficult to handle." William said.
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "How could I bother you with such a small matter? Is this the reason you called me?"
"Well, actually there's more to it than just this one thing. You know the 'Windmill and Sunflower' Gallery, right?" William asked.
Xiao Peng nodded: "The one in The Hague?"
"Yes, there is an art exhibition in that gallery tomorrow. You are invited to participate!" William said.
Xiao Peng was stunned after hearing this. "What the hell? An art exhibition? Inviting me? Are you sure? He knows me when it comes to art, but I don't know him! You just want to see me embarrass myself. If you have any complaints about me, you can say it to my face. There's no need to bully me like this."
William smiled bitterly and said, "Who's messing with you? I don't want you to go, but you have to go! The exhibits there are all Princess Christina's relics. As the owner of Villa Eichenhorst, how can you not go? And the Vermeer painting in your house is also hers. The 'Windmill and Sunflowers' Gallery wants to borrow it from you for an exhibition."
"What the hell?" Xiao Peng was shocked. "Are you saying the painting in my bedroom is authentic or not a fake?"
William said helplessly: "Xiao, that painting is Princess Christina's favorite painting, so it has always remained in Villa Eikenhorst!"
Xiao Peng blinked. "Since it's an authentic Vermeer, do you think I'd lend it to the Windmill and Sunflower Gallery? The owner there is so bold! Who does he think he is?"
William coughed twice and said, "His boss is William, who thinks he is the King of the Netherlands."
"Pfft!" Xiao Peng snorted, "William, what the hell are you doing? If you want me to attend the cocktail party, just tell me directly. Why do you have to use all these tricks?"
William said, "Actually, tomorrow is Princess Christina's birthday, so we have this cocktail party."
Xiao Peng thought for a moment and said, "Okay, then I'll bring the painting over tomorrow!"
"It's settled as we agreed!" The two exchanged a few more pleasantries and then hung up the phone.
Walter asked curiously: "Boss, didn't you say that what you hate most is the so-called 'art exhibition'? Why did you agree to William?"
"The theme is to commemorate Princess Christina." Xiao Peng gave the answer.
"Then we really can't not go." Khedira said after hearing this.
Xiao Peng continued, "Khedira, have Alfred contact the security company and have them send the painting on my bedroom wall to the Orange and Windmill Gallery. Have Kassim keep an eye on it and make sure nothing goes wrong. It's an authentic Vermeer."
Khedira was amazed after hearing this: "So that's a Vermeer painting? It's so valuable!"
There are many famous painters in the Netherlands, such as the well-known Van Gogh and Rembrandt. Compared with them, Johannes Vermeer seems to be a little "less famous". But in fact, the reason why Vermeer is not well-known is that there are too few authentic works. So far, only 35 have been confirmed and they rarely appear on the market.
And this is because he was too young. It is true that God is jealous of talented people. Vermeer died at the age of 43.
Vermeer's talent is undeniable. At the age of 21, he joined the Delft Painters' Guild and twice became its leader. However, he lived in extreme poverty: he had eleven children to raise! He even traded his paintings for bread at the bakery, a classic example of the saying, "The more children, the poorer, the poorer, the more children." Furthermore, his works, primarily genre paintings depicting everyday life, and most of them focused on the lives of housewives, were not popular at the time. Therefore, it wasn't until two centuries after his death that people rediscovered this painter.
Although, like Van Gogh, Vermeer was born in poverty and became famous after his death, his paintings are still different from those of Van Gogh. There is no controversy about his paintings: good is good.
His painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is known as "the only woman in the world who can compete with Mona Lisa for favor". It is now collected in the Mauritshuis Royal Museum in The Hague, Netherlands and is never allowed to leave the country.
Each of Vermeer's paintings cannot be measured by money and are all masterpieces.
Xiao Peng said, "Don't measure everything by money. I'll donate this painting to the Mauritshuis or even to William. Let's discuss it."
"What?" Walter and Khedira exclaimed together: "Boss, are you sure?"
Xiao Peng shook his head and said, "It's nothing. This is Princess Christina's favorite. She is a woman worthy of respect. Besides, she and I have such a deep connection. I'll donate it in her name."
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