C14 Paintings

"Mr. Shen?"

"Are you okay?"

Gu Yuan noticed Shen Hao seemed lost in thought and couldn't help but speak up to snap him out of it.

"I'm fine!"

"I was just pondering some things."

Shen Hao regained his focus and offered an explanation.

At that moment, Shen Hao had fully mastered the art of painting at a master level.

From that point on, Shen Hao was indeed a master painter!

Seeing Shen Hao come around, Gu Yuan continued, "Now that you've paid the custom service fee, Mr. Shen, your next step is to consult with the headquarters' designers."

Gu Yuan guided Shen Hao to the store's lounge area and asked a sales associate to serve him a cup of coffee.

"Mr. Shen, let's chat over coffee."

"How familiar are you with Patek Philippe?"

Shen Hao sipped his coffee and responded, "I've heard the headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland?"

Gu Yuan nodded in affirmation, "That's correct."

"If you're interested in a custom Patek Philippe, you'll need to travel to Geneva to meet with the designer in person."

Upon hearing this, Shen Hao's brow furrowed slightly.

"Do I have to go myself?"

Gu Yuan hesitated before replying.

"It's possible to avoid it."

"However, the final design might differ from what you envision!"

Shen Hao nodded in agreement, "Alright."

Gu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief; he had been concerned Shen Hao might be displeased.

"Now, Mr. Shen, could you share your preferred styles? I'll take detailed notes and pass them on to our headquarters' designers."

Shen Hao paused thoughtfully.

A second later, his eyes brightened with inspiration.

"Could your designer craft a watch for me using a painting as a template?"

Gu Yuan was taken aback by the request, having never encountered such a proposal before.

"That should be doable."

"Words can only convey so much, after all, while art speaks a universal language!"

"Which painting would you like to use as a template, Mr. Shen?"

With a hint of a smile, Shen Hao softly revealed, "One of my own creations."

"What?"

Gu Yuan looked at Shen Hao, astonished. "Mr. Shen, you truly are a man of many talents."

To any onlooker, a painting used as a template would surely have to be one of the world's renowned masterpieces!

Gu Yuan was taken aback to learn that Shen Hao was using his own artwork as a template.

Shen Hao easily detected the overt flattery in Gu Yuan's voice.

Lifting his cup, Shen Hao took a sip of coffee and said nonchalantly, "I just so happen to have a bit of experience with oil painting."

"If I'm using a painting as a template, what better painting to convey my thoughts than one of my own?"

Gu Yuan coughed awkwardly. "Mr. Shen, your ideas are quite original!"

"I hope you won't regret it!"

A smile played on Shen Hao's lips as he replied softly, "I certainly won't."

"Do you sell oil painting supplies here? I could paint one right now!"

Gu Yuan paused before responding, "Oil painting supplies? We don't have those here."

"I do!"

The striking sales associate suddenly chimed in.

"Manager, remember I mentioned wanting to learn oil painting?"

"The materials I ordered online just arrived this morning!"

Turning to Shen Hao, the sales associate said with a smile, "If Mr. Shen doesn't mind, you're welcome to use mine!"

Shen Hao nodded appreciatively. "That would be wonderful. I'll gift the painting to you once it's finished!"

"Great!"

The sales associate nodded and hurried into the staff lounge, emerging with a large box.

She set the box down, stretched, and remarked, "Gosh, it's heavy!"

Shen Hao unpacked the box, first pulling out a large frame and a canvas.

He advised the sales associate with a smile, "For a beginner like you, it's best to start with a canvas smaller than one meter."

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, the sales associate looked down and confessed, "My cousin told me the same thing, but I got it wrong when I ordered!"

Shen Hao chuckled. "This size will do just fine."

After preparing the canvas, he retrieved paints, a palette, and brushes from the box.

"May I paint here?"

"Don't worry, it won't take too long."

Gu Yuan chuckled and replied, "Of course, we'd love to witness your artistry!"

Shen Hao nodded, selected a few paint tubes, and began mixing colors with his brush.

In that moment, for Shen Hao, the world narrowed to just the brush in his hand and the canvas before him.

Gu Yuan and the sales associate stood a short distance from Shen Hao, carefully observing his actions.

"Xu, what do you think about Mr. Shen's abilities?" Gu Yuan inquired.

Xu Tingting lightly touched her chin, pondering the question, and replied in a soft voice, "I think he must be quite talented, right?"

"Manager, look at how adept Mr. Shen is at mixing pigments!"

"Xu, you're still too inexperienced," Gu Yuan said with a slight shake of his head and a gentle chuckle.

Perplexed, Xu Tingting turned to Gu Yuan and asked, "Manager, don't you think Mr. Shen can paint well?"

After a moment of contemplation, Gu Yuan responded, "I'd say his skills are just mediocre."

"Mastering the art of oil painting takes years, even decades of dedication before it truly wows anyone."

"And Mr. Shen..."

Gu Yuan shook his head, smiling, "Let's just say he's playing around."

Xu Tingting gazed at Shen Hao's silhouette, murmuring to herself, "I disagree."

In that moment, Xu Tingting recognized a familiar quality in Gu Yuan, one she had previously seen in her exceptionally talented cousin. Yet, the presence Shen Hao exuded was even more intense!

While Gu Yuan and Xu Tingting were conversing in hushed tones, Shen Hao had already lifted his hand and swept a bold stroke across the canvas.

That single line traversed its entire length.

Without pausing, Shen Hao continued to work on the canvas, his brush strokes flowing effortlessly.

With each movement of Shen Hao's arm, the painting gradually came to life before Gu Yuan and Xu Tingting.

The nascent sun broke through the dark firmament.

Crimson clouds stretched across the horizon!

A solitary stele stood atop a majestic mountain peak, inscribed with ancient script.

Mount Tai!

The painting, in its composition, lighting, color blending, and brushwork, was flawless and beyond reproach.

Before Gu Yuan and Xu Tingting stood a powerful and vibrant depiction of Mount Tai Sunrise.