Chapter 374: Chapter 374 The Dus Hotel (Fourth Update)
East Yixiong hung up the phone, watching as Yuan Yuxi and the four daughters drove away with Li Qing from outside the villa’s gate.
“Young master, do you really want to sell the villa to them?” East Yitian looked at East Yixiong and asked.
East Yixiong gazed at the villa across the way belonging to Qian Songyixue and said, “I originally bought this villa because Qian Songyixue bought one here.
But later I realized she rarely stays here, so I wanted to sell this villa.
However, now that Qian Songyixue has returned to live in the villa across the way, I can’t sell this one for the moment.”
“Then when you agreed to sell the villa to that Yuan Yuxi just now, you meant…” East Yitian was puzzled.
East Yixiong said, “I also bought the villa to the left of Qian Songyixue’s villa, just sell them that one.
But selling the villa is just a facade; the most important thing is to have the four aristocratic daughters under our control.
Tonight at the Dus Hotel, we’ll act according to the plan.”
“Yes, young master,” East Yixiong immediately agreed.
East Yixiong said, “Remember, we must make that famous artist from Huannan, Chen Gongnan, take the fall for us.”
“Understood.”
“Go then.”
East Yitian then left the room.
Huanan Province Art Museum.
The painting exhibition was still ongoing.
The museum was bustling with people, and in the open space from the fifth floor to the first floor, a huge traditional painting measuring two meters wide and three meters long was hanging.
This was ‘Kunlun Flying Snow’, a joint masterpiece by Lin Fei and Qian Songyixue, completed on the first day of the exhibition.
The day Lin Fei and Qian Songyixue completed this ‘Kunlun Flying Snow Painting’, the director, Yue Yunling, immediately had it framed.
Then, it was decided to hang it in the open space from the fifth floor to the third floor, so that visitors on each level could see this enormous painting.
It can be said that this huge painting became the most prominent work at the exhibition.
Besides this piece, Lin Fei’s ‘The Old Man and the Suona’ also became the most viewed and liked work since the exhibition began.
This left the top artist in Huannan, Chen Gongnan, feeling very frustrated. He should have been the one stealing the show, but Lin Fei had taken all the attention and embarrassed him.
At this moment, Chen Gongnan was sitting in his office, smoking one cigarette after another, feeling both frustrated and angry as he recalled the first day of the exhibition.
Ring, ring.
Just then, the phone on his desk rang.
He picked up the phone and saw it was an unfamiliar number, but he still answered.
“Hello, this is Chen Gongnan, who is this?”
“Hello, Vice-Director Chen, I am a wealthy businessman from Capital City. After visiting the South China Art Exhibition, I was particularly taken with your ‘Majestic Mountains’ and would like to purchase it for my collection. Would Vice-Director Chen be willing to sell it?” A middle-aged voice came over the phone.
Chen Gongnan immediately perked up and smiled, “So you’re wanting to buy a painting for your collection, may I know your name?”
“My surname is Xu. Vice-Director Chen, I sincerely love your work and wish to add it to my collection. Could you name your price?” The other party sounded very eager, as if worried that Chen Gongnan might refuse.
Hearing this, Chen Gongnan felt secretly pleased: It seems this boss really appreciates my artwork.
However, the more eager the other party sounded, the more advantageous it seemed to Chen Gongnan, so he said, “Boss Xu, this ‘Majestic Mountains’ is one of my proud works, and my paintings have previously fetched prices of no less than a million.
Although this piece cannot be sold during the exhibition, its price will not be low even after the exhibition.”
“Haha, Vice-Director Chen, money is not a problem; the most important thing is acquiring what I love. Does Vice-Director Chen have time to discuss it somewhere?” The other party was very straightforward.
Chen Gongnan thought to himself that with such a generous offer, the person must be a wealthy entrepreneur.
So Chen Gongnan said, “Yes, of course. Where would Boss Xu like to meet?”
“Let’s meet at the Dus Hotel! I have a suite reserved here all year round,” Boss Xu said.
The Dus Hotel is a five-star hotel, and being able to reserve a suite there all year round isn’t something an ordinary person can do, making Chen Gongnan feel he had found a patron.
“Alright, Boss Xu, I’m coming now, tell me the room number.”
…
The Dus Hotel, a five-star establishment, originally a property of the Du family, has now been acquired by Dongye Group.
Chen Gongnan arrived in front of a room in the hotel, confirmed the room number given by Boss Xu, and knocked on the door.
The door opened to reveal a man in a suit and sunglasses, his expression solemn, who asked, “Who are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for Boss Xu,” Chen Gongnan told the man.
“Has Vice-Director Chen arrived? Please let Vice-Director Chen come in.” The voice of a middle-aged man came from inside.
Recognizing the voice as Boss Xu’s from the phone, Chen Gongnan immediately responded, “Boss Xu, this is Chen Gongnan.”
The bodyguard stepped aside, and Chen Gongnan walked in.
But once inside, Chen Gongnan was utterly bewildered.
In the spacious suite, a middle-aged man in his forties sat on a sofa, with a cold demeanor and sharp eyes, exuding an inherently fierce aura. Beside this middle-aged man was a doctor wearing a white coat, a white hat, and a mask.
On the table in front of them was a syringe filled with an unknown substance.
Behind the sofa stood four burly men, their arms bulging with muscles and decorated with dragon and tiger tattoos.
Immediately, Chen Gongnan felt something was wrong.
Thus, he turned to the middle-aged “Boss Xu” on the sofa and said, “Boss Xu, I’m sorry but I left a painting in my car and I’ll go get it for you.”
After saying that, Chen Gongnan turned to leave.
But just as he turned around, a black gun barrel appeared in front of him, causing him to collapse to the ground in a panic, pleading with the gun-wielding bodyguard, “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me, I’ll give you whatever you want…”
At that moment, two hefty men walked over, grabbed him like a chick, and sat him on the sofa, securing his arms and rolling up the sleeve of his right arm.
The doctor then picked up a cotton ball saturated with alcohol from the table, applied it to Chen Gongnan’s right arm, and picked up the syringe filled with the unknown substance.
“What are you doing? What are you injecting me with?” Terrified, Chen Gongnan began to struggle.
Bang.
One of the burly men raised his fist and struck the back of Chen Gongnan’s head, causing him to roll his eyes back and faint.
Nightfall arrived, and a Bentley pulled up at the Dus Hotel.
Li Qing, Yuan Yuxi, Qin Zimo, Wang Yixin, and Xiao Xiao stepped out of the car.
The five entered the hotel.
A large private room on the 8th floor, where it was agreed Yuan Yuxi and her group would meet Mr. Li, the villa seller.
Li Qing knocked on the door, and it opened to reveal a woman dressed in black business attire with a smile, “Are you the four ladies here to discuss the villa purchase with Chairman Li?”
“We are,” Yuan Yuxi’s group of four immediately responded.
“I am Chairman Li’s secretary, please come in.”
Yuan Yuxi and the group of five went inside, and the secretary closed the door.