Author: Apricot and Pear

"Can you please waive the exclusive agency rights?"

Professor Sakai destroyed the barbecue on the plate in three mouthfuls, threw away the sign, looked at the agent who came over for a few seconds, and then asked slowly.

"It doesn't make sense to say that. Of course I still want it. Professor Sakai, fifty million dollars, any gallery that offers such a big contract will ask for exclusive agency."

Hanks said with a smile.

The so-called exclusive agency means that the contracted artist can only cooperate with one of their galleries during the extension of the contract.

Whether it is selling works, exhibitions or auctions, it must be done through the channels of Mashi Gallery.

Only then can they be called their leading artist.

Otherwise, while they are frantically marketing for Uncle Sakai, they will turn around and sell paintings through other galleries, or even directly bypass the gallery and contact the auction house.

Ma Shi Gallery, isn’t it like your wife is using your hard-earned salary to hook up with a male gym trainer outside?

"Fifty million US dollars in four years is already very sincere."

Hanks really wanted to sign this great artist whose fat is ten times more expensive than gold of equal weight.

The art business has always been a market where galleries have the final say.

There are so many art students who dream of becoming artists, and there are also many people who are willing to sign vampire contracts that can knock bones and suck marrow.

But the higher you go to the high-end field, the more important the artist's right to speak becomes, and it becomes a matter of galleries scrambling for artists.

A painting that costs half a million dollars can be resold for millions of dollars over time, and the best paintings may earn several million dollars per painting.

In order to prevent competitors from poaching talents, liquidated damages for internationally renowned artists can often reach nine figures.

Currently, among the first-line painters in the industry who are at this age and in their prime period of high productivity, only a few have contracts that are about to end.

In September this year, Uncle Sakai will end his seventeen-year cooperative relationship with Daejeon Art Gallery. He may be the only well-known artist who has not yet announced a contract with his next art gallery.

Hunters from various galleries are frantically rushing to express their intention to negotiate. It is said that the most promising one is Komatsu Gallery in Osaka.

Kazunari Sakai was not in a hurry, and even the studio's emails to various gallerists were very formulaic and perfunctory.

After Hanks Marsh made a special trip to Japan, he didn't even see him in person.

He found out that Professor Sakai likes to go to this small barbecue restaurant at night for late-night snacks.

In order to negotiate this deal, Hanks also worked hard, resting in a hotel during the day and squatting in the 24-hour Starbucks in front of the barbecue restaurant at night.

After squatting for more than half a week, I finally caught the fat figure of Professor Kazunari Sakai in my sight.

"Boss, have a bottle of sake, the best." Hanks waved to the chef.

They sat in a secluded corner of the barbecue bar.

Except for Master Otani, there are no customers in this restaurant, and the public security conditions nearby seem to be good.

Hanks asked the chef to get the wine, looked around for a moment, and then took out an exquisite automatic winding box from his handbag.

He put three layers of clean napkins on them and pushed them along the black countertop.

"Masse Gallery has a cooperation with Richard Mille. This watch is a small meeting gift from Mr. Mashi III to you. It is not a sign of respect."

The watch box is printed with the logo of Richard Mille, an art-level watch manufacturer, which is famous for producing top-grade ultra-thin mechanical watches.

Just a watch like this in a specialty store starts at $150,000.

Of course, Mashi Gallery got this watch for free.

Luxury goods companies and watchmakers are traditional sponsors of galleries and museums.

Hanks hopes to use this luxury watch to get closer to the other party.

Apart from watches, which are called men's cosmetics, he didn't know what to give to Uncle Sakai.

Learning to please big artists is almost a basic professional skill of a hunter-dealer.

The people who took drugs together suffered a heart attack, the people who played with models together got infected with the disease, the people who broke their legs while climbing snowy mountains together... Such tragedies are not uncommon news.

Mainly because Uncle Sakai’s hobbies are too down-to-earth.

Those who like antique cars, beautiful women, handsome men, yachts, and those who like to hunt lions in Africa...well, forget it. Hunting by artists was an elegant hobby a few decades ago, but now it is easy to be taken advantage of by conservation organizations.

Anyway, these requirements are easy to handle,

Even if you want to go to heaven, as long as you can bring enough benefits to the gallery, a seven-day trip to the International Space Station may not be impossible.

But I like to eat... Even if Hanks had the courage to risk his life to accompany a gentleman, he could only chew two bunches of roasted garlic.

Still in this cheap little restaurant, Hanks looked at the price list and lost interest in treating him.

"That's not necessary."

Uncle Sakai was so used to the agent's overtures that he didn't even bother to open the watch box. He shook the $500 Apple Watch on his wrist: "I'm used to wearing this. My wife needs to check my exercise records regularly."

At this moment, the cell phone on the bar suddenly rang.

Professor Sakai saw the phone number above.

The fat on the fourth layer of the chin of the originally calm uncle visibly shook.

He made a silent gesture to both Master Otani and Hanks.

After waiting for a few seconds, I carefully picked up the phone.

"Issei? Have you taken control of your diet, daily routine, and exercise recently?" Mrs. Sakai said on the phone and dug a hole for her husband.

"Yeah, yeah, honey, I did the rowing machine for half an hour before going to bed, and I also ran three kilometers on the elliptical machine. I went to bed on time around nine o'clock, and I didn't wake up until I received a call from you."

It seemed that Uncle Sakai had just booked a room with his mistress when his wife caught him and raped him.

He looked at the barbecue on the tray, swallowed, and made up a lie in fear.

He was not a very electronic software savvy person and did not know the power of Apple's location sharing, which has been called "the housewife's spyware."

But over the years, I always feel that my wife’s phone calls to check on her bed are mysterious and mysterious.

Over in Yangon, Mrs. Sakai, who had returned to the hotel, sneered in her heart.

But she did not expose her husband's lies, but said in a very gentle tone: "Well, my Byron is the best. I believe that when I return to Tokyo with Shengzi in the summer, you will definitely lose 220 pounds."

Next, give us a surprise, right?"

Sakai Kazunari swallowed hard.

Mrs. Sakai is always condescending and domineering to outsiders.

But she has always been gentle with her husband after marriage.

Sometimes, Uncle Sakai would rather his wife yell at him on the phone instead of encouraging him with such a tone full of expectations.

This made Uncle Sakai not happy even eating meat, as if he was some kind of heartless man.

Whenever the other party calls him "my Byron" in a sweet tone, it always makes his little heart beat wildly and the fat on his body surges.

then,

When he was studying in Spain, a beautiful wealthy daughter told him that he had eyes as sad and full of emotion as Byron.

Before Uncle Sakai received his first contract with OFA, his career development was not going very smoothly.

At that time, critics often criticized the picture as lacking characteristics and being just a second Ingres, and the market response was mediocre.

The school girl was always in his ears, saying in such an expectant tone: "My Byron is the best. Don't worry about the stupid words of those bullshit critics. You are not the second Ingres. You are the best."

Kazunari Sakai, the first great artist."

Kazunari Sakai, a great artist, is still very moved when he recalls this past event.

Although he always felt that his so-called "sad and emotional eyes like Byron" were actually because he never had enough to eat.

But the circles under his eyes were still red.

The private lives of fellow artists in many circles are very messy.

Because there are so many beautiful models around, it’s too easy to get them.

Marriage and divorce are just like official holidays. If you don't come once a year, you will feel itchy all over.

There are countless couples who hold restricted parties together, or simply declare to the outside world that they have an "open relationship."

Those who can last for four or five years in marriage are considered model couples, but Uncle Sakai has a very good relationship with his wife. He has never made a mistake that was sorry for his wife.

There are good-looking women everywhere, but this is the elementary school girl who cares about him like a mother-in-law.

"220 pounds? The doctor said that I am prone to obesity and it is difficult to lose weight..." Uncle Sakai wanted to struggle a little longer.

"I believe in you, you can do it."

"225 pounds?"

"I'm 220 pounds, and my blood fat cannot exceed the standard. I've been working out to keep in shape. Shengzi and Tsunasa are both older, so I'm thinking that when I go back, we can work hard and have another child. How about that?"

"good."

Uncle Sakai gritted his teeth and considered whether he should undergo liposuction surgery privately.
To be continued...