Chapter 93

Ji Wei’s face flushed crimson in an instant. He quickly lowered his head, wishing he could bury himself in the floor. Just then, there was a knock on the room door.

He breathed a sigh of relief, shot up from his chair, and ran to the door to open it.

The person who entered was a hotel cleaner, carrying a heavy travel bag, with beads of sweat on her forehead.

“Hello, sir.” Her English had a thick Russian accent.

Ji Wei nodded in confusion.

“Perhaps you don’t remember me,” she said apologetically. “The day before yesterday, when I was cleaning your room, I took the painting you threw in the trash can and sold it.”

It was her.

Ji Wei looked up. She had an ordinary face, and the freckles made the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes particularly prominent, making her look older than her age.

She wore a clean and tidy hotel uniform, but the heavily worn tips of her shoes revealed that the person before him was not well-off, or rather, poor.

“Originally, it was just to pay for my child’s tuition for the next semester. Our family didn’t have enough money for his schooling. But I never expected the price of the painting to be so high, beyond my imagination.”

As she was speaking, Ying Guanxiao came up from the restaurant downstairs, carrying two glasses of Caucasian yogurt. He was stunned when he saw the cleaner, then immediately understood.

So she was afraid Ji Wei would hold her accountable and had come to play the victim.

After all, there were surveillance cameras in the hotel corridor. Her claim that the painting was a family heirloom simply wouldn’t hold up.

She’s pretty sharp.

He couldn’t help but get a little angry. Just as he was about to scold her, the cleaner bent down and unzipped the travel bag.

Swoosh—

The zipper slid open.

Ying Guanxiao was surprised to find that the bag was not filled with anything else but neatly stacked five-thousand-ruble notes, creating a powerful visual impact.

“The painting sold for ninety-eight million rubles. Here’s the receipt.”

The deep chestnut-haired cleaner handed the receipt to Ji Wei and said embarrassedly, “I took eighteen thousand rubles for my child’s tuition. The rest is ninety-seven million, nine hundred and eighty-two thousand rubles. I’m really so sorry.”

She genuinely felt very sorry and kept bowing in apology.

Ji Wei’s gaze fell on the travel bag full of rubles, and he was stunned for a moment.

Eighteen thousand rubles was only a little over a thousand yuan. She could have easily taken the money and left this place, which would have been enough to buy a small shop and run her own business.

But she chose to continue working as an ordinary cleaner in this hotel, feeling extremely uneasy for taking just eighteen thousand rubles for tuition.

Seeing Ji Wei looking at the travel bag, the cleaner added, “Because the buyer paid with a check, it took some effort to withdraw the money from the bank. I exchanged it all for the largest denomination, so it’s convenient to deposit. I’m sorry for selling the painting without your permission.”

She apologized again.

“It’s okay with me,” Ji Wei said softly. “But please don’t do it again.”

He himself didn’t mind whether a discarded painting was thrown in the trash or hung in a museum, but others would surely mind.

“I definitely won’t do it again.”

The cleaner’s heart, which had been anxious for days, finally settled. After bowing to Ji Wei, she turned and left.

Before leaving, she asked, “May I know your name?”

“Ji.”

Ji Wei only gave his surname.

“Thank you.”

The cleaner silently committed it to memory and then left, relieved.

Many people around her knew of her plan and said she was foolish. A single mother with a child should save more money.

Anyone who could afford this hotel wouldn’t be short of ten million rubles. They might not even accept it if she offered it, or they might just send her to the police station.

But she felt that precisely because her child had no father, she had to earn money honestly and couldn’t let others look down on them.

But she was indeed worried that the young painter wouldn’t accept it. His gaze seemed indifferent to everything, except for the man beside him.

That was why she had gone to the bank to exchange it all for cash, so she could just leave it by the door without needing to ask for a bank account.

She wished him to become the best painter in the world.

She took the elevator to the fifty-third floor and threw herself back into her tedious work.

Meanwhile, after Ying Guanxiao placed the yogurt on the table, he helped Ji Wei carry the travel bag inside.

He still couldn’t believe someone could resist such temptation and began to count the bills one by one.

After nearly an hour of counting, he found that it was indeed ninety-seven million, nine hundred and eighty-two thousand rubles, not a single bill missing.

“The people of Kolis are quite simple and honest.”

Ying Guanxiao couldn’t help but sigh. “It’s just that the public security is a bit poor.”

While he was counting the money, Lu Shenxing had already finished a serving of yogurt.

Ying Guanxiao saw Lu Shenxing’s faint expression. He remembered Lu Shenxing making a phone call that afternoon and realized what had happened. “You knew about this all along, didn’t you?”

Lu Shenxing was noncommittal.

Ying Guanxiao thought, Of course. No wonder he said there was no need to handle it, yet he didn’t reveal a single word. He said discontentedly, “I brought both of those yogurts for Weiwei. Why did you eat one?”

Ji Wei was focused on eating his yogurt and hadn’t paid attention to what they were saying. It had a rich, fresh milk flavor and melted in his mouth. Hearing his name, he suddenly looked up.

He only heard Lu Shenxing say unhurriedly, “Isn’t what’s Weiwei’s mine?”

Ji Wei didn’t know what was going on, but he nodded without any hesitation.

Ying Guanxiao: …I can’t stay in this place anymore.

***

At the local newspaper office in Kolis, a reporter in a striped shirt pouted, feeling quite speechless as he looked at the correction message left by the subject on their website.

“A poor cleaner auctions off an heirloom and becomes rich overnight is such a good story. Who reads about returning found money these days? And she even went out of her way to leave a message on the website.”

His colleague shook his head. “We still have to be objective when reporting news.”

“What era is this? Doesn’t the editor-in-chief only care about click rates?” The reporter in the striped shirt was unwilling to write it. “Why don’t you write it? I have to interview the mayor tonight. Where would I find the time for this?”

His colleague sighed and started dialing the subject’s number. “Alright.”

But no one expected that the viewership for this news story would far exceed everyone’s expectations, making the striped-shirt reporter regret it so much his guts turned green. The byline should have been his.

[Kolis Daily] More details have been revealed regarding yesterday’s report about a cleaner auctioning off a family heirloom. Further investigation by this paper has learned that the painting, valued at tens of millions of rubles, came from a Chinese painter surnamed Ji, which the cleaner found while tidying a room… Kolis welcomes more Chinese tourists to visit our art market.

The hype from the auction had already died down, and this news wasn’t published in the paper but was just a push notification on their app.

But Ke Fan happened to receive the local news push on his phone. When he saw that the owner of the painting was surnamed Ji, his hand, which was scrolling the screen, paused.

He called the newspaper. “Hello, I’d like to know the specific details about the painter surnamed Ji in the news.”

The newspaper staff asked him to wait a moment and transferred him to another number.

Ke Fan’s hand holding the phone trembled with excitement. He remembered that Ji Wei had said the painting was his, but the comments under the video had made him uncertain.

“Sorry, we don’t have any more information either. We only know he’s about 1.78 meters tall, was wearing a white shirt today, and is a very fair-skinned Chinese man.”

It matched.

Ke Fan hung up the phone and posted on Weibo.

[Ke Fan in Russia] I have confirmed with the local Russian newspaper that “The Lake in the Suburbs” was painted by Ji Wei. The previous report was incorrect. Attached is a translation of the corrected news. Those interested can visit the website’s homepage to see for themselves.

Although he expected some buzz, Ke Fan was still taken aback by Ji Wei’s popularity.

In just ten minutes, the number of comments exceeded a thousand.

[Golden Arowana] ??!! Is this for real? My Weiwei is that awesome!!

[Grass Jelly] I think it’s real. This blogger is very rigorous, not the type to make up fake stories for clout.

[Five Grains Fish Noodles] Oh my god! Honestly, I used to think Ji Wei’s art was hyped up, but who doesn’t do marketing these days? The more famous you are, the more valuable your art. To sell for ten million rubles completely anonymously is truly amazing. I’m so envious of Ji Wei’s career fans for stanning a TOP-tier artist.

[Lu Wei is Real] Holy crap holy crap holy crap! This afternoon I was telling people not to spread rumors, but it turned out to be true. Sob sob sob, Weiwei is so amazing. Can we inform the buyer?

However, some people were still skeptical. But when the owner of the painting updated the artwork’s information on Twitter, adding Ji Wei’s name, no one doubted it anymore. Even a teacher from the Academy of Fine Arts posted on Weibo with emotion.

[Art Academy Teacher Li] How should I put this? Nowadays, art transactions inevitably consider the artist’s fame to judge its appreciation potential. Paintings of the same quality can sell for vastly different prices depending on the artist. But we must also admit that true art may be discovered later, but it will not be buried. Ji Wei’s painting is a case in point. This piece is so much better than his previous work. I can only say the future is promising.

Many people commented below.

[Brown Sugar Hot Pot Cake] The future is promising? A single painting already costs ten million rubles. I can’t even imagine.

[Jelly Cups] If I remember correctly, Weiwei is only nineteen, right? You can definitely say the future is promising.

[Calculus Makes Me Die on the Spot] Sob sob sob, this mom fan has no career ambitions. I just want Weiwei to get better quickly. He looks so thin in the video. I want to send Weiwei food.

[Six Walnuts] +1, other things can come slowly, but health must come first. Although it’s quite annoying to see Yancheng Television Station having the number one audience rating.

Meng Hao glanced at Weibo and turned off his phone.

An old man in his seventies was sitting next to him. “I’m going to Yu City the day after tomorrow. I’m never coming back.”

Meng Hao just looked at him without a word.

“I know you’re stubborn, so I didn’t plan on giving you any money,” the old man smiled. “But I don’t have much money anyway.”

“I have many regrets in my life, but the two biggest are your father’s death.”

Meng Hao’s lips tightened.

The old man seemed to be reminiscing. “I transferred him from the county bureau. He was a very proactive and hardworking young man. If I hadn’t transferred him, maybe he wouldn’t have died in the line of duty.”

The air suddenly fell silent.

After a while, the old man spoke again. “The second thing is a murder case from fifty years ago. There’s no case I can’t solve, but I really couldn’t crack that one. Such a good girl, so quiet and gentle. Gone just like that. I don’t believe it was a car accident.”

“You liked her.”

Meng Hao spoke.

“I wasn’t worthy.” The old man stood up. “She was from the Lin family, after all.”

“You have to walk the right path in the future.”

The old man gave him a final piece of advice and turned to leave.

Before leaving, he paused. “The day after tomorrow, the train from the East Station is at 9:15.”

It was as if he were begging.

Meng Hao ignored him, lost in his own thoughts.

***

The next day, Ji Wei and the others embarked on their journey back home.

But before returning, at Ying Guanxiao’s strong suggestion, they took a look around the souvenir shop.

The souvenir shop was called a shop, but because of its large area, it looked more like a souvenir plaza. Besides local Russian specialties, there were also many luxury goods stores, crowded with people due to the cheap prices.

He didn’t know if most of them were personal shoppers, but in contrast, not many people came to the specialty products section.

“Wrap this up for me.”

“Get me a pair of those matryoshka dolls.”

“Do you have any more vodka?”

As soon as Ying Guanxiao entered the shop, he started buying things left and right without batting an eye.

Even Huang Bo bought several specialty items. After finishing, he started discussing how to make kvass with a salesperson nearby.

“I’ve made kvass before, but the color isn’t as red as yours. What’s the ratio of Dalieba bread to water? Besides yeast and lactic acid bacteria, do you need to add anything else?”

This stumped the salesperson. She said, on the verge of tears, “We’re only responsible for selling.”

“Only responsible for selling, huh,” Ying Guanxiao suddenly remarked.

Then the shop immediately replaced her with a male salesperson.

Ji Wei: …………

He didn’t buy as much as Ying Guanxiao, only some snacks and postcards.

Lu Shenxing’s taste was even more discerning; he didn’t buy anything.

The male salesperson couldn’t help but actively promote, “Would you like to buy a pair of matryoshka dolls?”

The matryoshka dolls on the shelf ranged from cheap to expensive, from one thousand to one hundred thousand rubles.

The salesperson, very experienced, began his introduction from the most expensive to the cheapest.

“This pair of blue-clothed matryoshka dolls is made from linden wood and painted with gum-based watercolors. The price is also the highest, a total of two hundred thousand rubles. I wonder if you’re satisfied. The price alone is a bit high. We also have another model—”

While he was still introducing, Lu Shenxing asked Ji Wei, “Do you like it?”

Ji Wei was still looking at the pair of matryoshka dolls. They were indeed very cute.

He subconsciously replied, “I like it.”

Only then did Lu Shenxing answer the salesperson, “I’m very satisfied.”

The salesperson didn’t expect to meet such a generous customer. He was stunned for a moment, then deftly wrapped up the pair of matryoshka dolls he had just introduced.

The moment he heard Lu Shenxing’s reply, Ji Wei’s heart pounded violently. He couldn’t suppress it, no matter how he tried. It was like a small piece of honey melting in the sun, spreading from his heart throughout his body, incredibly warm.

So, while the salesperson turned to wrap the dolls and no one was paying attention.

He gently stood on his tiptoes and gave the man a peck on the cheek.

A fleeting touch.

Immediately after, with a guilty conscience, he turned his head away, feigning composure.

But the tips of his ears had quietly turned red.

The man lowered his eyes and said in a tone that betrayed no emotion, “What should I do? I’m going to get a cavity.”