The Versatile Master Artist

[The train slowly circled the city, passing through the dark buildings, with bright lights and the smoke-billowing locomotive reflecting the allure of midnight...]

The cellphone vibrated gently.

On the armchair sofa in the carriage, Anna shifted her gaze from Paul Soru’s travel journal "Train Bazaar" in her hand and took out her phone.

Outside the window, the train slowly picked up speed, leaving the city center of London behind.

Having finished the gratitude dinner with Osborne, Anna no longer had any urgent schedule.

She didn’t need to rush, so she let the butler book the next first-class compartment on the "Eurostar" train.

There was no other reason,

Besides allowing one to fly on a private jet from Paris to London in forty-five minutes, wealth also allowed Anna to spend a little more time leisurely traveling along the web-like railway lines, passing through Lyon, traversing the Ardennes, and finally arriving at St. Anton Alberg Station in Austria.

She liked slowly watching the primroses and tulips spread open like a carpet on the plains of Europe in early spring.

It was like a painter using a soft brush on a green background, sprinkling colorful arcs.

Hmm?

Anna’s leisurely good mood was easily disrupted by the new message from Detective Cat on her phone.

"Mr. Tree Sloth, I might be signing with a new gallery."

The girl was stunned.

Detective Cat was signing with a formal gallery, which had always been within Miss Elina’s expectations.

Anna was very well-connected.

Unfortunately, she was just a young girl, not a professional art agent, let alone a modern grand gallery with thousands of employees worldwide.

Professional agents, after all, need to show their faces.

For simpler contracts like illustration contracts, Anna could work part-time discreetly, and that wasn’t a big deal.

But she, hiding her identity alone, couldn’t possibly complete the professional and detailed work of organizing exhibitions, sales, contacting collectors, and coordinating the booths for art fairs that a grand gallery is responsible for.

Splitting Miss Elina into eight parts wouldn’t work.

Every trade has its expertise.

If one person, "Mr. Tree Sloth," could do such complex things, then why bother hiring a professional gallery team?

Unless she decided to buy a gallery and hire an entire professional team specifically to serve "Detective Cat." Otherwise, for better development, a serious artist’s career always requires the help of a gallery.

She certainly knew this.

When she first contacted Detective Cat, she proposed introducing a decent gallery to him.

Signing with Detective Cat Sister was just an alternative and transition before he signed with a gallery.

They accordingly agreed on a gentleman’s agreement not to probe each other’s identities.

Somewhere in Anna’s heart, she always clearly understood.

Such an excellent painter like Detective Cat shouldn’t be content with merely developing in the field of illustration; he was destined to leave her and head towards more serious pursuits.

She just didn’t expect this day to come so soon.

"Congratulations."

Anna lightly bit her lip.

She restrained her sadness and still typed on the keyboard: "I am very fortunate to witness the birth of so many excellent works. Even if it’s only a short month’s cooperation time, it remains a very precious memory. If you need any help in the future or wish to continue developing in the field of illustration, you are welcome to contact me even if I am no longer your agent."

"Scholastic Group is the leading enterprise in the publishing industry. I personally think after you get the gallery’s consent, you can continue to cooperate with them. Additionally, I suggest, Lady Detective Cat, you’d better wait until the release of ’Little Prince’ before signing with the gallery, and also..."

Anna pressed enter, her fingers hovering over the screen keyboard.

She hesitated whether to tell him,

She should have obtained a nomination for the "Scholastic Writing and Art Master of Outstanding Contribution Award" for him at Osborne’s place.

Miss Elina firmly believed that as long as the market was given enough time, the new edition of ’Little Prince’ illustrations would likely ripple like dominoes from surface-level readers all the way through to the upper echelon of collectors.

At the same time,

Though illustrations aren’t serious, the publisher’s "Outstanding Contribution Master Award" is the most serious award in the entire industry.

Both can significantly elevate the illustrator’s level, brutally promoting the "Illustrator" to the "Artist" level.

Anna felt,

Signing with a gallery is, of course, a great thing.

Just that Lady Detective Cat should wait another month or two, by then the reputation and the market’s recognition by collectors would have risen, allowing her to secure greater benefits for herself.

Gu Weijing saw Mr. Tree Sloth’s reply message on the screen, knowing that this old man misunderstood.

"Mr. Tree Sloth, we cooperated very happily, I sincerely appreciate your efforts. I have no reason to change my cooperative agent, nor do I intend to stop illustrating."

Gu Weijing explained.

"What about the gallery?"

"A friend recommended me to a historic grand gallery, and the gallery party doesn’t know I also once illustrated online, they are simply interested in my painting skills."

"I just thought I should inform you of this, at the same time, I’d like to know if this doesn’t affect our cooperation, right?"

I see.

Miss Elina saw the new message on her phone screen.