Chapter 972: The Five-Person Team

“You said that there is still a difference between the original painting and the restored color photo. Would it be useful if we take a photo so we can analyze the difference?”

His companion paused and thought for a long time before replying, “Even if there is a variance in the color, we can still study the details of the painting inside, right?”

“That’s right.”

“What are you looking at?” Wei Zhiqian saw Tan Mo looking around. It seemed as though she was searching for someone.

“I’m looking for an older person who looks like a cultured artist. It might be someone from the Calligraphy and Painting Association who’s come here to cause trouble,” Tan Mo said softly.

She continued looking around as she spoke.

Up until now, Wei Zhiqian had not used his ability.

Hearing Tan Mo mention it, he moved his ears and said, “I’ll be attentive to that. If it’s someone from the Calligraphy and Painting Association who’s come to cause trouble, there will definitely be related discussions.”

“That’s right. I almost forget about your ability.” Tan Mo was relieved.

However, since she didn’t have anything else to do for the time being, Tan Mo continued to observe the crowd of people who were looking at the paintings in the exhibition area.

There really were a few suspicious targets.

There were five people who kept together.

Three men and two women.

A man wearing a cap was looking at a painting with his hands behind his back.

A man wearing a black coat was pointing at the painting and saying something.

Another man wearing a down jacket had his hands behind his back, gazing at the painting.

The two women, one with her hair braided and the other with a low ponytail, were talking about something.

These five people looked about the same age, all around forty years old.

Their expressions were very stern.

Tan Mo was watching them when she heard Wei Zhiqian’s voice from beside her, “Do you see those five people over there? Three men and two women. They are all in their forties. From the content of their conversation, I can tell that they are from the Calligraphy and Painting Association. They are obviously critical about the paintings as they discuss them.”

“What a coincidence. I was also suspicious of them,” Tan Mo said.

“Hmm?” Wei Zhiqian lowered his head and smiled.

He wrapped his arms around Tan Mo’s waist and said with a smile, “The two of us have such a tacit understanding. We are even in agreement of the people we deem to be suspicious.”

“However, I can hear their conversation. How do you know?” Wei Zhiqian asked curiously.

“Look at their expressions,” Tan Mo said, “When I look at other people’s paintings, I, too, discuss and express quiet appreciation. However, closely observing and being critical is not the same. These people are observing with a disapproving attitude. Even if they aren’t from the Calligraphy and Painting Association, I doubt they are here with good intentions.”

Wei Zhiqian nodded. “Let’s see what they plan to do first. It’ll be easier once they have a target. Just keep an eye on them.”

“Sure.” Tan Mo and Wei Zhiqian kept a close watch on the five people.

At this moment, a teacher came over with a group of students.

“Come, let’s look at the painting in the middle first,” the teacher who was walking in the front spoke through the microphone of her earpiece headset.

The students also wore earpieces on their ears.

As long as the group didn’t go too far and stayed together, they could communicate through the earpiece.

This way, the teachers could avoid disturbing others by speaking loudly or using microphones in order for the students to hear them.

The students could hear them even if they spoke softly into the earpiece.

If the students had problems, they could give feedback to the teachers through the headset.

“Previously, everyone should have studied this painting through the opening song of “Broken Continent” and the original picture on Weibo. We also specially talked about this painting during class,” she said, “Now, we can finally see the original painting.”

“I won’t express my opinion first. Everyone, observe the original painting. What are your thoughts?”

“I found that the color of the distant mountains is lighter than in the photos. And the color of the foot of the mountain was originally thought to be a cyan color that’s closer to black. But now, seeing the original painting, it feels very different. Although this green color is also close to black, it’s not as dark as navy blue, but it’s not as green as dark green. It seems to be a color between navy blue, dark green, and indigo. It’s very subtle,” a student said.

“Not bad.” She nodded in appreciation. “You have observed it very carefully and thoroughly.”

“From this original painting, I can feel the wind,” another student said. “Master Tan seems to have drawn the wind. But, how did he do that? Is it through the color of the wind?”

“Master Tan is too amazing. Compared to the original painting that was posted on Weibo, it is much more mesmerizing . I really want to hold a magnifying glass and take a closer look.” A boy sighed in disappointment. “But it can’t be done.”

The teacher smiled. Just as he was about to speak, a stern voice interrupted him.

“Is Tan Jinyi worthy of being called a Master?” The middle-aged man in the cap sneered disdainfully when he heard their words.

“As long as the drawing is good and has attained a certain level of standards, you can be called a Master,” a student retorted. “If Tan Jinyi is good enough, why can’t he be called a Master?”

“And you know whether he has reached that standard?” The man scoffed. “You are merely a student, still learning about painting. What do you know about judging his paintings with the limited knowledge you have?”

He smirked and continued, “You can actually say that he can draw the color of the wind.”

“Hearing this, I know that the person who said this is a layman and doesn’t know anything,” said the middle-aged man mercilessly.

These children were all thirteen or fourteen years old, and some were even younger.

Upon hearing the middle-aged man’s words, the girl who earlier said this flushed red, and looked so embarrassed that she was about to cry.

The teacher quickly stood in front of the students and said, “You’re right. These students are still young, and they have just began their studies not long ago. They have only studied painting for two or three years, and they can’t be compared to those painters who have been immersed in painting for more than a decade, or even decades. However, although they don’t have enough experience, they still have an aesthetic appreciation. They can see the quality of the paintings, and they try their best to observe the details.”

“You may have years of experience in painting, or even decades of experience, or you are a connoisseur. However, there is really no need to belittle a child who has only learned painting for a few years,” the teacher said coldly, “Who has not gone through the learning process to become an expert? Compared to these children, do you think you are more capable and any better?”

The middle-aged man’s expression turned ugly from the teacher’s rebuke.

With a stony look on his face, he argued, “Why are you rebuking me so indiscriminately? What and who did I belittle? Have I belittled them?”

“I’m only saying that since they’ve only just started learning and have insufficient ability to appreciate things, there’s no need to call Tan Jinyi Master.” the middle-aged man said.