Chapter 299 - Creating an Excellent Consumption
Translator: Lav
Editor: Seliniaki Ilikia
No one knew what Shi Lei was thinking. When Old Bai spoke, Shi Lei had just finished thinking about it.
“Old Bai, although I painted this, you were the one who provided the materials. So strictly speaking, this painting doesn’t completely belong to me yet. Can you please calculate the price of the materials for me so I can buy it?”
Everyone was dumbfounded by Shi Lei’s words. Although they had seen many people, there had never been someone like Shi Lei.
Wasn’t Shi Lei making a fuss? He had to confirm the ownership of the painting?
Old Bai felt awkward and didn’t know how to reply. “Shi Lei,” Wei Xingyue said, stomping her foot. “are you crazy? It’s just a piece of paper and some ink. Do you think Old Bai would care about that?”
Shi Lei waved his hand seriously. “It’s not a matter of caring. It’s better to clarify intellectual copyrights. Old Bai is asking me give him my treasure, but how can I if it doesn’t even belong to me?”
Wei Xingyue glared at him and whispered, “Cut the crap. Do you plan to sell it to Old Bai or what?”
Old Bai was extremely disappointed and sighed. “Well, well. What he said isn’t wrong. Intellectual property is the most precious wealth to humans and it’s good that we clarify it. The paper is about 50 yuan and the colored inks are all of top quality. If you really want to pay, then you can give me 100 yuan.”
The people couldn’t tell whether Old Bai was unhappy or not based on his words, but the majority believed that Shi Lei had definitely offended him. Old Bai is of such a high status and asked for a painting, yet you are here making a big fuss over it and trying to gain complete ownership over it. Don’t tell me you really plan on selling it to him?
Wei Xingyue couldn’t do anything as she watched coldly from the side. Shi Lei, ah Shi Lei, I’ll just watch you die.
But Shi Lei was extremely excited. He had been scared that Old Bai wouldn’t give him a price. Now that problem was solved as soon as he gave a number.
He happily retrieved out his wallet, took out a 100 yuan note, and passed it to Old Bai solemnly.
Chen Yanü frowned, thinking that Shi Lei wasn’t adapting to the circumstance. She hadn’t expected him to be so greedy with money.
But she still coldly accepted the 100 yuan from Shi Lei.
He snapped his fingers and ignored the crowd’s whispers. “I bought the paper and ink and this painting now finally belongs to me,” he said loudly. “Old Bai just asked if I could give it to him, and I have no problems with that now. Before, I couldn’t have given him something that wasn’t mine.”
Everyone rolled their eyes and thought: Are you really going to bargain with Old Bai?
Wei Xingyue was extremely tempted to kick Shi Lei into Lake Baishui.
“What is the price?” Old Bai asked indifferently. “I indeed like your painting very much.” His voice was cold.
Shi Lei was blank for a second. “Price? What price? If Old Bai likes it, then I’ll give it to you.”
Hey! Are you crazy? You made a fuss and ended up giving it to Old Bai anyway? Since you were going to give it to him in the first place, why did you have to clarify that it was yours by buying the paper and ink?
Old Bai was surprised, since he hadn’t expected Shi Lei to not ask for money.
Wei Xingyue couldn’t help but to push Shi Lei. “Are you crazy? Is it fun to make such a big fuss? Do you think you are hanging out with your friends and messing around?”
Shi Lei scratched his head and smiled. “Perhaps none of you think that the paper and ink matter, but it just happens to be an important part of intellectual property. It’s like how someone writes a novel but uses other people’s ideas. Is that plagarism? Or perhaps, someone writes a crosstalk script, but the majority of the jokes are from Weibo. Should he pay for the jokes that he uses? Even if the person doesn’t plan to use the plagiarized products for business purposes, such as the person using it on a charity-based ad, is that not still plagiarism? I just said that I’m scared of being unable to clarify the ownership of this intellectual property, even though I had wanted to give it to Old Bai from the very beginning.”
Shi Lei’s logic was like a tongue twister, but everyone understood and even thought that he was reasonable.
But they would never know that Shi Lei did all of that for the BLack Card, because a deal involving money was a consumption that the Black Card had to acknowledge. 100 yuan was something small compared to the overall total, but he had to clarify the relationship between seller and buyer, since that was the only way for him to receive the award for an excellent deal.
Although Old Bai was still not very clear with Shi Lei’s logic, he was more than satisfied that he could have the painting.
“What you said about intellectual property is reasonable. I’m the silly one. But are you really going to give the painting to me?”
Shi Lei nodded. “Since you like this painting and you want it for the purpose of researching the techniques of historical painters, there’s no reason for me not to give it to you. The best of this painting can only be brought out in your hands.”
“Haha, good good good. Then I shall thank you.” Old Bai was extremely satisfied. The others had inexpressible feelings, but they naturally wouldn’t say anything as long as Old Bai was content.
“I would have never imagined that a gathering will lead to a twist like this. There are two paintings here. Why don’t we compare and comment on them?” Old Bai was amused as he placed both paintings on the long table for everyone to study.
After a moment of commenting and appreciation, the gathering ended.
As everyone bid farewell to Old Bai, he spoke to Shi Lei. “If you aren’t busy tonight, why don’t I treat you to a meal?”
He had been waiting for this. It wasn’t that he wanted something from Old Bai. Shi Lei only needed him to be grateful to him. The benefit he wanted would be given by the Black Card.
“Then I will respectfully accept it.”
Naturally, Wei Xingyue also remained. After everyone left, they followed Old Bai and Chen Yanü onto the balcony outside above the lake.
Afternoon tea was prepared and Old Bai invited Shi Lei to sit down with a smile on his face. “Young friend, I must thank you today. Otherwise, I would have been delighted by this subpar painting and wouldn’t have known the real amazement of the original painting before I die. There were too many people just then and it was inconvenient for me to ask. You said that this was painted by an elderly artist in the countryside. Does that artist have the original copy?”
Shi Lei shook his head, already having an answer prepared. Even if Old Bai hadn’t ask him, Wei Xingyue wouldn’t have let him go.
“The artist actually focused on sculptures. My mother’s ancestry is Yangxian and I went back to her hometown a few times as a child. The artist gave me the painting and said that he saw it in the home of a military official when he was young and he made a copy of it. I thought that the painting in his house was pretty and he painted one on the spot for me to take home.”
Old Bai nodded. “Is that artist still healthy?”
“He was more than eighty years old when I went to his home at about six or seven. I’m not sure now, but I think…”
Old Bai sighed deeply and shook his head. “What a shame.”