51st oil painting

Chapter 3

During the renovation of the S Art Museum, an advanced CCTV system was installed, and all exhibition areas are under 24-hour surveillance. The process of "this person" hanging the painting must have been filmed.

Director Chen went to the monitoring room on the sixth floor of the S Art Museum, found the head of the security department, and requested that the video footage from the C exhibition area on the second floor be played for those few days.

The camera was mounted on the ceiling, providing a commanding view. Although the footage was in black and white, the situation in exhibition area C was still clearly visible. Mr. M's art exhibition lasted for three weeks, a full twenty-one days. For the first twenty days, the space where the painting was displayed remained empty, indicating that it only appeared on the last day. This narrowed down the scope of the investigation. Director Chen played the video from the last day in fast-forward, and then something strange happened.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 6: A jaw-dropping scene unfolded.

Faced with Director Chen's questioning, the head of the security department scratched his head for a long time and admitted that noon was the most relaxed time for security management, when everyone went to eat lunch. Most of the security guards were young and strong men, while there was a group of young and beautiful girls in the S Art Museum, and noon was the best time to get to know each other.

According to regulations, someone must be sitting in front of the monitoring screen, but in practice, this regulation is practically ignored. This is understandable, as the S Art Museum is not a museum after all; it displays modern paintings, not priceless antiques. The new building has been open for more than three years without any thefts, so everyone has let their guard down.

It seems that "this person" was very familiar with the museum's security procedures, which allowed them to sneak in. From this perspective, even if they weren't a museum staff member, they must have an inside source.

But what about that interference?

Director Chen arrived at Exhibition Area C on the second floor, where the permanent exhibits had been restored. Exhibition Areas A and B on the second floor contained several watercolor paintings, while Exhibition Areas C and D featured a group of Jinshan peasant paintings. In the place where the anonymous paintings were hung, there was a peasant painting called "Ergazi Selling Donkeys".

Director Chen looked up at the camera on the ceiling. It was a German Bosch dome camera, which could magnify targets and track moving objects. The camera was covered by a dark, round glass cover, so ordinary viewers couldn't tell what it was even if they looked up.

Director Chen deduced the modus operandi of "this person": He must have used some kind of instrument to release interference waves to the camera on the ceiling. Note that he had to stand outside the camera's field of view to avoid being captured on camera. Then "this person" quickly came to this location in exhibition area C, hung up the painting, and made a quick getaway. The whole process took only one minute.

With such agility, "this person" could steal from the Forbidden City.

"This is truly..." Director Chen muttered, "It's like seeing a ghost."

Director Chen decided to drop the investigation.

The painting already belongs to me. The wise thing to do is to make everyone forget about it as soon as possible, preferably completely forget it, and never mention it again. If one day someone discovers it's missing, and he's foolish enough to suggest calling the police, Director Chen will sternly reprimand him: "It was just a superfluous thing to begin with; if it's gone, it's gone!"

When this anonymous painting was moved into the study, Mrs. Chen only glanced at it twice and it did not arouse her interest.

Mrs. Chen generally avoided her husband's study. Her beloved daughter attended a boarding high school and only came home on Saturdays and Sundays. She also never went into her stepfather's study, because nothing there could capture her attention, including her stepfather himself. She had once heard those labored, panting sounds coming from the bedroom; it was her stepfather abusing her mother, which disgusted her.

The hourly worker usually comes at 2:30 pm, cleans the room, cooks dinner, washes the dishes, and then leaves, usually staying until 7 pm.

That morning, while at work, Director Chen suddenly felt discomfort in his eyes, a strong sensation of something in them, as if something had gotten into them. He looked in the mirror for a long time but couldn't find anything, not even a tiny eyelash. However, the intense sensation made it almost impossible for him to open his eyes, so he had to go to the hospital. The doctor prescribed him a bottle of Zebra brand eye drops for conjunctivitis. After leaving the hospital, Director Chen went home nearby, intending to rest and take a nap before going to the art museum in the afternoon.

No one was home; Mrs. Chen had gone back to Pudong and wouldn't be back until later that evening. Her parents lived in Sanlintang, Pudong, near the site of the 2010 World Expo. After Shanghai won the bid to host the 2002 World Expo, property prices in the surrounding area skyrocketed.

When Mrs. Chen was at home, she liked to listen to Teresa Teng's songs, turning the stereo up very loud, so the whole house was filled with "Small town stories... Fine wine and coffee... When will you return...". Or she would set up a card game at home, and her card partners were all housewives who smoked, making the place very smoky. This forced Mr. Chen, who had bronchitis, to hide in his study, open the window for ventilation, and avoid seeing the smog.

At times like these, Director Chen would think of his ex-wife. She never gambled or smoked, only did housework, and didn't need maids. Although she lacked the flirtatiousness of his current wife, she was very practical, like a pipe he'd smoked for decades—comfortable and easy to use.

Whose fault is it? I threw away my pipe and started smoking marijuana myself.

Director Chen lay on the living room sofa, put in some eye drops, and the foreign body sensation was significantly reduced, making his eyes feel much more comfortable.

The house was quiet, except for the ticking of the quartz clock on the wall.

It's rare to be this quiet. If one can leave this world peacefully like this, it wouldn't be bad...

Director Chen closed his eyes and thought.

He opened his eyes, glanced at the clock on the wall, and saw that it was almost noon. He hadn't eaten lunch yet, but didn't feel hungry.

Director Chen closed his eyes again, wanting to take a nap, when suddenly he heard a very soft sound, like a piece of clothing falling to the ground with a gentle thud.

A moment later, the sound came again. This time, Director Chen heard it clearly; the sound was coming from the study.

Director Chen sat up from the sofa, took a tissue to wipe away the remaining medicine from the corner of his eye, and went into the study.

The study was quiet and there was nothing unusual. Director Chen glanced at the floor and his gaze was immediately locked on.

A light blue shirt and trousers lay on the ground. Director Chen recognized the outfit but couldn't quite place where he'd seen it before. However, he noticed a plastic tag on the shirt that read "Attending Physician Zoe."

Director Chen slowly raised his head, his gaze moving upwards to the painting "Zoe on the Windowsill" hanging on the wall.

Good heavens! What's going on?

Director Chen's brows gradually furrowed, forming a large knot, like a question mark hanging on his face.

Is there something wrong with my eyes... or am I hallucinating?

Around 4 p.m., as usual, the S Art Museum had already stopped selling tickets. There were still some visitors lingering inside, some stopping to look around, some taking photos, and some sitting on the fixed chairs in the exhibition area, peacefully appreciating the works they liked. Everything seemed normal.

Around five o'clock, a scene that left everyone speechless occurred.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 7: Nobody wants to get schizophrenia

This scene took place in the right hall on the ground floor of the art museum. The first witness was a female visitor from the United States in Exhibition Area A. She covered her mouth with her hands and exclaimed "Oh my god!" Soon after, a woman from Shanghai next to her also screamed.

A middle-aged man in his fifties ran in naked, wearing black leather shoes, singing a children's song, "I Love Beijing Tiananmen".

"I love Beijing Tiananmen Square, where the sun rises over Tiananmen Square, and our great leader Chairman Mao guides us forward..."

While singing, he ran around the hall like a headless fly, causing the female audience members to scream and dodge.

The gasps and exclamations attracted the attention of staff and security guards. What left them speechless was not only the man's naked body, but also the fact that the man was none other than Chen Ziqi, the curator of the S Art Museum.

As Director Chen left the right hall and ran towards the left hall, the security guards, who had been stunned for a while, finally came to their senses and swarmed him, pinning him to the ground. Some took off their own clothes to put them on him, but Director Chen not only refused but also struggled desperately, trying to break free and continue his streaking run. Helpless, someone unbuckled their belt and tied his hands and feet, finally subduing him.

The lobby was in complete chaos. Meanwhile, the museum's assistant was in his office planning an after-get off work date with Xiao Bo from the reception department, the museum's undisputed beauty queen. Da Ben from security was also pursuing her, and as the assistant director, her advantages were obvious.

The office phone rang urgently; it was the head of security calling. The assistant curator only heard the first few sentences before realizing that tonight's date was off.

The assistant curator rushed into the conference room, and when he opened the door, he was both amused and exasperated. Someone had wrapped the curator in a blanket and tied him up with ropes. At first glance, he looked like a Taiwanese rice dumpling.

Despite the assistant curator's loud questioning, Curator Chen remained deaf to it. Compared to his excited state during the streaking, he appeared much quieter, with a relaxed expression and even whistling the folk song "What a Beautiful Jasmine Flower." It seemed that this streaking had not only not made him feel ashamed, but had also made him feel as if he had completed a major mission, allowing him to completely unwind.

He's gone mad, the curator must be insane.

The director of the prestigious S Art Museum, with a plethora of titles enough to fill a business card, a well-known figure in the art world, has been rendered useless.

"Call his wife," the curator's assistant muttered.

I've never met his wife before, so this is a perfect opportunity to see her face.

The diagnosis certificate issued by the Shanghai Mental Illness Prevention and Treatment Center states the following:

Chen Ziqi, male, 58 years old, suffers from schizophrenia.

The day after receiving the diagnosis, Mrs. Chen entrusted her lawyer to file a divorce petition with the Hongkou District People's Court where she lived, requesting the court to grant her divorce from her husband.

Normally, divorces are processed at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Once the couple reaches an agreement on major issues such as property division and child custody, the Civil Affairs Bureau will legally dissolve their marriage, issuing each spouse a blue divorce certificate and reclaiming their red marriage certificate. After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, the two are free.

Director Chen, who is currently receiving treatment at a mental hospital, cannot possibly go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to request a divorce. If he were to streak there, it would be quite a laughing stock. Therefore, the only option is to go through the courts.

Maintaining a marriage where the husband suffers from schizophrenia is undoubtedly painful, and we must protect women's legitimate rights.

During the case discussion meeting, the presiding female judge made the following remarks.

Of course, we must also protect the legitimate rights and interests of patients. Illness is a natural disaster, not their own fault. No one wants to have schizophrenia.

Director Chen has two sons with his ex-wife, the elder son is thirty years old and the younger son is twenty-five years old. Both of them are already independent. The female judge communicated with them once, and both brothers expressed their willingness to become their father's guardians, to bear the future living expenses, and to take care of their father in his old age and see him off in his final days.

During this time, the female judge also visited a mental hospital to seek the opinions of the parties involved. Although she called it "seeking opinions," she actually wanted to see just how ill this dignified director of the S Art Museum really was.

The pristine white ward was impeccably clean; were it not for the iron bars on the windows, it would be indistinguishable from a regular hospital room. The conditions were good; four people shared a room. Director Chen sat on a bed near the window, engrossed in a tedious task.

According to the male nurse, this is a strange habit he has recently developed: counting pubic hair.

123, 124, 125, 126...

The female judge only glanced at the door briefly before fleeing in panic.

The divorce proceedings proceeded quickly, but one particularly thorny issue, one that likely plagues divorces worldwide, is the division of property.

Regarding the property—house, car, savings, stocks, and bonds—the two sons didn't object much and agreed to divide it in half as "marital property." The disagreement arose over Mr. Chen's collection, most of which was in a safe deposit box at the Bank of China, with a smaller portion displayed at home. The brothers weren't entirely sure how much was hidden in the safe, but they knew the most valuable items were there. They insisted on classifying all of their father's collection as "pre-marital property," meaning it didn't belong to Mrs. Chen and she had no right to control it. Mrs. Chen, however, was no pushover; she hired a lawyer specializing in such robbery cases and was prepared to defend her claim to the death.

In this tense situation, the female judge first tried to reason with Mrs. Chen.

First, your husband isn't in prison; he's ill, diagnosed right after the hospital. Your hasty divorce petition is tantamount to abandonment, and our court, to protect the legitimate interests of the parties involved, could certainly reject your divorce application. However, considering your youth, your status as a woman, and other factors, we can grant the divorce. Therefore, you should make some concessions regarding the division of property.

Secondly, your husband's two sons from his previous marriage have both expressed their willingness to be their father's guardians and take care of him in his old age and until his death. Director Chen is only 58 years old this year and may live for another twenty years. Although he has pension insurance, it is still a considerable expense.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 8: The New Acting Curator's Naked Run

Wanting a horse to run fast but also wanting it to eat little grass? There's no such thing as a free lunch.

The female judge had made her meaning very clear, and the wise Mrs. Chen certainly wouldn't refuse a polite offer only to be forced to accept a harsher outcome; otherwise, the verdict would clearly favor the brothers, which would be a loss for her.

Mrs. Chen agreed to compromise, taking only one-third of her husband's collection.

The female judge turned back to the two brothers and tried to persuade them to change their minds.

Since your father did not have a prenuptial agreement before marriage, his collection can also be considered marital property, and as his wife, you have half of the right to dispose of it.

The two brothers eventually agreed to take control of two-thirds of the property.

However, Curator Chen's collection is quite diverse. To ensure fairness, the court commissioned an auction house to appraise each item in Curator Chen's collection. The following is a list, divided into several categories.

Coins: Four "Bao Feng" ten-cash copper coins minted by the Fengtian Provincial Copper Coin Bureau of the Qing Dynasty, one gold coin with the portrait of Yuan Shikai from the late Qing Dynasty, and two silver coins of the Qing Dynasty minted during the Guangxu period.

Antiques: A late Qing Dynasty white copper hookah with engraved antique patterns, a Qing Dynasty Guangxu period purple clay melon teapot, a Qing Dynasty Qianlong period auspicious cup made of rhinoceros horn, an ivory carving of Guan Gong holding a knife, and a Ming Dynasty Yongle period silver Buddha.

Stamps: More than ten sets of Cultural Revolution stamps, dozens of sets of commemorative and special stamps from the 1950s and 1960s, and one Qing Dynasty Customs Large Dragon stamp with a face value of three fen and five fen.

Paintings and calligraphy: two landscape paintings by Cheng Shifa, a folding fan with an inscription by the famous calligrapher Shen Yinmo, a figure and landscape hanging scroll by Wu Changshuo, a "Galloping Horse" painting by Ren Bonian, a lady painting and a flower and bird painting by Lin Fengmian, and a modern oil painting "Zoe on the Windowsill" by an unknown artist.

Among them, paintings by Wu Changshuo and Lin Fengmian are valued at the highest, both exceeding RMB 200,000. Ren Bonian's "Galloping Horse" is also valued at RMB 140,000. There are many silver dollars with Yuan Shikai's portrait, but gold coins with Yuan Shikai's portrait are extremely rare, valued at RMB 180,000.

Crowded among these priceless treasures, "Zoe on the Windowsill" looked pitiful, valued at only 1,500 RMB—the lowest estimate. Frankly, that amount of money is only enough to buy a smartphone with a 100,000-pixel camera; these days, it's a bargain for an original oil painting. However, because it was painted by an anonymous artist, the appraiser had little faith in it, even harboring some doubts.

How could the director of a prestigious art museum collect such a work?

Neither the brothers nor Mrs. Chen were surprised by this; in their eyes, the painting was something dispensable.

The director of the S Art Museum has been admitted to a mental hospital. Although this is kept secret from the outside world, it has already become the talk of the town within the art circle, with rumors flying everywhere. Some say that Director Chen's madness was caused by his wife's infidelity, that he was cheated on, and that he came home from work one day to find his wife in bed with another man, which greatly traumatized him. Others say that Director Chen has experienced a resurgence of love, falling in love with a female college student who had interned as a guide at the art museum. This May-December romance caused Director Chen extreme inferiority, leading to his madness. Still others claim to have witnessed Director Chen, dressed strangely, behaving intimately with a gay man in a pub one evening, touching each other, and at the time thought they had mistaken him for someone else. Still others say that Director Chen has long had an exhibitionist tendency; every time he urinates in the restroom, he looks a little strange. They were afraid to speak out because of his intimidating presence, but now they have finally let go of their inhibitions and are bravely speaking out.

As the saying goes, "When a wall falls, everyone pushes it down." Some people are just trying to attract attention, while others are born with a dissatisfaction with their superiors. Now that Director Chen is locked up in a mental hospital, he may never get out for the rest of his life, so why not give him a piece of our minds?

Director Chen is in a mental hospital, where his medical and room and board expenses amount to three to four thousand yuan per month, which medical insurance cannot fully cover. Fortunately, the director's assistant repeatedly went to the municipal cultural bureau, the art museum's superior authority, to argue his case, listing Director Chen's contributions to the S Art Museum and stating that his mental breakdown was caused by excessive work pressure and unbearable mental strain. It was definitely not some nonsense about being cuckolded, having an age-gap relationship, or being gay.

After two meetings, the Party Committee of the Bureau decided to allocate a portion of the annual budget allocated by the Municipal Bureau of Culture to the S Art Museum to reimburse the portion that medical insurance could not cover, a measure known as "special handling for special cases".

The assistant curator's performance received widespread praise from the bureau leaders.

This young man is quite good. Old Chen and he are not related, so why would he go to such lengths for Old Chen? It's all out of respect for the old comrade! Unlike others, who become indifferent as soon as someone leaves. When Old Chen fell ill, they hurled all sorts of nasty insults at him. It's truly a case of the wickedness of human nature.

The average age of the bureau's leadership is over fifty. Old Chen's experience reminded them of themselves. Although they wouldn't go so far as to run naked like Old Chen, their careers are fraught with danger and unpredictability. Who knows what kind of unexpected events await them?

Soon after, a new appointment was made, and the assistant curator was appointed as the acting curator.