Chapter 9

It was still 6:30 in the morning when Qin Shaou got up. Yesterday, after leaving Hickson's restaurant, he stopped by the supermarket to buy some rice. This morning, he cooked a pot of fish and rice porridge.

The rich aroma of the rice and the fresh scent of the wild fish blended together, with the snow-white rice grains and the translucent fish meat complementing each other, making the dish visually and aromatically appealing.

Qin Shaou was happily eating his breakfast when the bedroom window was tapped. He opened the window, and the red squirrel Xiao Ming jumped in, its little paws crossed in front of its chest, looking up at him with its dark, beady eyes, and its little tongue flicking back and forth.

"Are you addicted to my fruit salad, little guy?" Qin Shaou laughed, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and took out some blueberries and black grapes, mixing them with syrup and salad dressing in a small bowl, which he placed on the table.

He picked up a blueberry and tapped the table, saying, "Xiao Ming, come here."

The squirrel, not understanding, jumped around on the floor, its paws outstretched, making hungry squeaks.

Qin Shaou called again, and the squirrel blinked its black eyes, climbed up the table leg, and ran to the spot Qin Shaou indicated.

Qin Shaou was surprised by the squirrel's intelligence. He handed it a blueberry, and after a few repetitions, whenever he called "Xiao Ming," the squirrel would happily run to him.

"Damn, it's smarter than the dog I raised," Qin Shaou sighed. Just as he was praising it, the squirrel, having eaten its fill, wagged its big tail and darted away.

Before long, Xiao Ming came back, bouncing and jumping, this time accompanied by a slightly larger red squirrel.

Qin Shaou laughed, feeling a bit frustrated. This guy was treating his place like a charity, even inviting friends to come for a meal.

However, the two squirrels didn't go straight for the food. Xiao Ming led the new squirrel to Qin Shaou, extending its front paws. Each held a plump pine nut, clearly bringing a gift.

These were likely the squirrels' winter and spring reserves. In Canada, spring comes late, and squirrels can't find food until April. These gifts were very precious to them.

The two pine nuts were plump, and when Qin Shaou took them, Xiao Ming jumped happily, while the other squirrel remained cautious, crouching beside him.

Xiao Ming climbed onto the table and squeaked, and the other squirrel looked at Qin Shaou, then cautiously climbed onto the table as well.

Qin Shaou put down the pine nuts, and Xiao Ming jumped over, picked one up, and offered it to him, clearly wanting him to eat it.

Qin Shaou had no choice but to crack one open and put it in his mouth. The pine nut was sweet, even sweeter than the syrup he used for the fruit salad, and the taste was excellent. The roasted pine nuts he had eaten before couldn't compare.

Seeing him eat the pine nuts, Xiao Ming was delighted and hopped around the fruit plate.

Qin Shaou handed the blueberries to Xiao Ming, but this time, it didn't eat them; instead, it gave them to the other squirrel.

With the two squirrels, Qin Shaou went back to the bedroom to watch TV. Xiao Ming was also interested in the TV scenes, bouncing around whenever Qin Shaou laughed. The other squirrel, holding a black grape, fell asleep on Qin Shaou's shoulder.

His phone rang, and Albach's voice came through, saying he and his friend from the Ries Auction House would be there shortly.

Soon, a BMW 750Li drove into the fish farm. Albach got out, followed by three others: a bald, energetic old man and two middle-aged white men with yellow hair, dressed in suits.

Albach introduced the bald old man to Qin Shaou: "This is my good friend Schashevsky, the art director of the Ries Auction House in Ontario. These two are his colleagues, both appraisers at the Ries Auction House."

The two men in suits introduced themselves: one was Kelvin, who specialized in sketches, and the other was Petrus, who was skilled in oil paintings.

Qin Shaou laid out the thirty paintings, and the three appraisers put on gloves, took out magnifying glasses, and used a small machine connected to a laptop to scan the paintings.

Albach had introduced the Ries Auction House to Qin Shaou. Although it couldn't compare to world-class auction houses like Sotheby's, Christie's, Phillips, and Southby's, it was well-known in Canada.

The Ries Brothers Auction House was founded in 1958 in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Its headquarters is now in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It has over 110 business locations worldwide and more than 1,160 full-time employees. In the Canadian auction industry, it is the undisputed leader.

Schashevsky was serious and meticulous. Upon seeing the paintings, he frowned and began to study and discuss them with his two subordinates.

The three appraisers first examined the paintings by Pinarjan, looking at each one carefully. After about an hour, Schashevsky walked over to Qin Shaou, sat down, and said, "Hello, Mr. Qin. Based on our research, all of Mr. Pinarjan's paintings are authentic."

Qin Shaou was puzzled. What was the difference between authentic and fake? Was Pinarjan a famous painter? He had searched online before but found no information about him.

Schashevsky explained, "Arthur Pinarjan was an Armenian-American painter and cartoonist, born in 1914. His parents survived the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and then came to the United States, where he began to teach himself painting from a young age."

"Like many famous artists, Mr. Pinarjan was unrecognized during his lifetime and could only make a living by drawing for comic companies. He passed away in 1999. It wasn't until a year after his death that his achievements in fine art were discovered. He excelled in portrait, landscape, and abstract painting, especially in abstract expressionism, which is considered to have high artistic value."

Schashevsky gave a brief introduction, and Qin Shaou felt a surge of joy. He asked, "Are Mr. Pinarjan's paintings valuable?"

Schashevsky smiled slightly and said, "Yes, some of Mr. Pinarjan's paintings are indeed valuable, but this is limited to his abstract works. You have four abstract paintings here, but unfortunately, they are early works and not very valuable."

Qin Shaou felt a bit frustrated. He wished the man could be more straightforward. The ups and downs of emotions were uncomfortable. He decided to ask directly, "How much do you think my paintings are worth?"

Schashevsky pondered for a moment and said, "If the Pinarjan paintings are sold separately, they could fetch between 2 million and 2.2 million Canadian dollars. If they are sold as a collection, they might fetch around 1.5 million Canadian dollars."

Albach asked, "Why is there such a big difference in price?"

Qin Shaou was quite satisfied. At least the money would cover the inheritance tax, and he could take over the fish farm.

Schashevsky explained, "Rarity increases value. If all thirty paintings appear on the market at once, it would reduce the value of Pinarjan's works. Selling them separately—though not through separate auctions—avoids this issue."

"Why can't they be sold through separate auctions?" Albach asked.

Schashevsky further explained, "Because the people who appreciate Pinarjan's works are artists, not collectors. Artists don't attend auctions because they can't compete with wealthy businessmen and celebrities. Single paintings of this low-profile artist wouldn't interest collectors, so they must be sold as a collection."

Seeing his friend's disappointment, Schashevsky added, "The Pinarjan copy of 'Sunflowers' can be sold individually. I estimate it's worth about 300,000 Canadian dollars, which shouldn't be too low."

At the same time, Schashevsky explained why the 'Sunflowers' was clearly a forgery. It was well-known that Van Gogh was Dutch and used Dutch text, which, like English, does not include the letters 'Q,' 'X,' or 'Y.' The 'Sunflowers' painting had a phrase written on it: "To my wandering life," which included the letters 'X' and 'Y,' clearly indicating it was not an authentic work.

Qin Shaou was satisfied with this result. He urgently needed the money for the inheritance tax, and the auction of these paintings would clearly solve his immediate problem. As for more money, Qin Shaou wasn't in a hurry. With his ability to explore the ocean, he was confident he would eventually find real treasures.

The next focus was on authenticating the Picasso painting, 'The Woman with the Golden Drum.'

Schashevsky told the two that authenticating a Picasso painting would take at least two hours because they needed to consult with the company's international fine art experts online.

Qin Shaou lost interest after waiting for a while and went upstairs to the bedroom to watch TV with the two squirrels.

Unconsciously, it was already 11:00 when Schashevsky knocked on the door and walked in. As soon as he entered, he saw a bronze statue on the balcony and was immediately drawn to it, walking over to examine it closely.

The statue had been retrieved from the treasure lake along with the paintings. Qin Shaou thought it was rusty and probably not valuable.

Schashevsky circled the statue a few times and then turned back, frowning. "Mr. Qin, I have a good news, a bad news, and an uncertain news to tell you. Which one would you like to hear first?"

Qin Shaou inwardly roared. "Sir, are you playing with me? We're not making a movie. Just tell me your news. Why do I have to choose which one to hear first?"

However, since the man was there to help, Qin Shaou maintained his politeness and said, "It's up to you, sir."

Schashevsky nodded and said, "Let's start with the good news. 'The Woman with the Golden Drum' is indeed an authentic Picasso. According to carbon-14 dating, the painting was created in 1939."

"The bad news is that this painting is from Picasso's transitional period and was likely a casual work, so its value is not high. It might be only slightly more valuable than the Pinarjan copy of 'Sunflowers.'"

"Additionally, there is an uncertain news. Your 'Perseus and Medusa' statue might be an authentic piece. I will immediately invite my colleagues to authenticate it. If it is authentic, I estimate it to be worth at least 30 million Canadian dollars!"

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Thank you to 'Xinghe Renwochuang, Xiao Aishen, Fasheng Kuai'er Sui, Linglong Sifan, Feng Guojing' and all the other friends who have supported me. I bow in gratitude to everyone who has collected this book. I hope you will continue to support us, and let's make our fish farm thrive!

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