Elder brother's garrison

Ding Dong!

Xiao Bai's phone soon received a friend request notification from Bismarck.

Xiaobai clicked on the notification and glanced at it.

The other person's online ID was... German Stinky Cat.

puff……

Xiao Bai almost burst out laughing.

What a strange name!

Chapter 3563 An Exhibition? An Exhibition!

Although Xiaobai was amused by Bismarck's online ID and wanted to burst out laughing, he managed to hold back because the person in front of him was right there.

Xiao Bai touched his chest, took a deep breath, and calmed himself down.

Upon closer reflection...

Bismarck's account was registered with Hood's help, so it seems like it was just a casual thing for her to change Bismarck's online ID...

Anyway, Xiaobai doesn't believe that someone like Bismarck, who had just gotten his hands on a smartphone and was only at the beginner level with modern network software, would have the awareness to change his network ID, so the name was probably given by Hood.

Xiaobai clicked "confirm" and accepted Bismarck's friend request.

Xiao Bai immediately gained a new online friend with a cute yet fierce cartoon black cat avatar.

This profile picture... was probably chosen by Hood as well.

Xiao Bai has no evidence, but he just feels that it must have been Hu De who did it.

“Smartphones are the greatest invention of modern society. You should really appreciate the progress that human society has made in recent years,” Hood said to Bismarck, who was engrossed in studying his phone.

"Ah."

“Hey, speaking of which, haven’t you forgotten something?” Hood asked again.

“Forgot what?” Bismarck looked at Hood.

“Me? Me!” Hood immediately pointed to himself, “You haven’t added me as a friend yet!”

Didn't you add me when you used my phone just now?

"Why did I...why did I add it?!" Hu De blushed and stammered.

“…” Bismarck held her phone in silence.

Bismarck eventually added Hood as a friend online.

Looking at Hood's online ID, "Royal Parade" appeared in Bismarck's list. Hood hummed twice, seemingly quite satisfied.

It's worth mentioning that Iowa, who had been watching from the sidelines, also came over and added the three senior ship girls as friends.

Her appearance was so reasonable and natural that no one had any intention of rejecting her.

Iowa's online ID is quite festive; it's called "Bathtub Fairy."

"What a fruitful day!" Iowa put her phone back in her clothes with satisfaction and smiled at everyone. "Ladies and Admiral, the museum has been open for a while now, so let's hurry over there."

“Okay—” Hu De replied.

"Crackling crackling..." Bismarck didn't respond; she continued to follow behind the others, examining the new phone.

Bismarck's phone was brand new, so she naturally needed time to get used to it. Considering that even when Bismarck was studying her new phone, her body would stay close to the group and she wouldn't stray from it, Hood didn't forcibly interrupt her immersive operation.

The group arrived at the museum entrance.

Somewhat surprisingly, before arriving here, Xiaobai had thought that the museum in Chapter 8, especially in the early morning, would be deserted.

After all, museums... their audience is quite niche compared to bustling entertainment venues.

But when Xiaobai and her group arrived at the entrance, they discovered that there were quite a few ship girls queuing up at the museum entrance. Most of these ship girls had an elegant and quiet temperament, and they were surrounded by a graceful and dignified aura, like ladies from a wealthy family.

It seems that... there are quite a few ship girls who want to experience the influence of art.

After handing over their tickets, Xiaobai and his group entered the museum.

The museum was exceptionally quiet, and the interior decoration was dominated by ornate reliefs. On the large display stands in the lobby on the first floor, there were many exhibits such as clothing, armor, sculptures, and paintings. As for the composition of these items, I don't understand art, at least not at my level, but I felt that placing them in a museum would give them a unique artistic atmosphere.

Below each display piece was an introduction to the exhibit. Xiaobai and his group walked along the red carpet, pausing briefly in front of each exhibit.

“This museum has three floors and six exhibition halls,” Iowa said with a smile to the crowd. “The exhibits are divided into European paintings, American paintings, primitive art, medieval paintings, mysterious antiques, and modern art, depending on the location of the exhibition hall.”

"Oh, oh, oh..." Xiaobai nodded.

The group walked along the red carpet and finally arrived at a particularly large space in front of a painting of a woman sitting with her arms crossed on a chair.

"Isn't this that legendary, incredibly expensive painting?!"

Xiaobai looked at the painting in front of her and exclaimed in surprise.

Walking through this art-filled museum, Xiaobai felt increasingly like a country bumpkin. In fact, most of the exhibits she had just passed by were things she had never seen before in her life. But this painting was a masterpiece that would be considered a top-tier work of art. Xiaobai had seen descriptions of this painting in textbooks more than once.

It's described as the most mysterious smile... something like that.

Xiaobai didn't say she particularly liked the painting; it was just that she felt a surge of warmth, like meeting a familiar fellow villager in an unfamiliar place.

“Yes, but such a valuable ancient painting wouldn’t just leave the museum where it is located. What’s been moved here for a mobile exhibition is probably just a technological replica,” Hu De said to Xiao Bai.

"Oh...I see." Xiaobai nodded.

“You seem to know a bit about this painting, Xiaobai. Although it’s a copy, the impact of seeing the real thing in person is much stronger than seeing it online, right? What are your thoughts?” Hu De asked with a smile.

"Um... I, I think the author... drew it very well." Xiaobai stammered, scratching her cheek as she said, "For example, that smile, it... it has a lot of emotion, um... that's it..."

“Yes, this painting is indeed famous for its smile.” Hood looked at Little White and smiled.

"What does Hu De think of this painting?" Xiao Bai quickly asked in return.

"Well... actually, I don't particularly like this painting... but..." Hu De looked at the painting in front of him, thought for a moment, and said, "This painting was unearthed before the era was established, so no one knows its exact age. But the precise depiction of a woman from a certain class, combined with the round chair and landscape background, and the overall color scheme that gives a sense of spaciousness and mystery, shows the artist's praise and admiration for humanity. This proves that this was a core part of the artist's work, and also a kind of aesthetic direction in the artist's era. The artist's depiction of women goes beyond the physical body to the soul, representing a kind of aesthetic concept and pursuit for women. As for the signature smile with superb painting skills, from the perspective of the era, this was unprecedented. Paintings of that era seemed to discourage the depiction of women's crying and laughing emotions too obviously, which seems to be related to religious beliefs. Therefore, this painting also breaks through the limitations of its time..."

Hu De gave a very long explanation.

Xiaobai was dumbfounded.

what?

So this painting can be analyzed in so many ways? It even rises to the level of the artist's intention and its significance in our time...

Xiao Bai instinctively covered his forehead, feeling as if he were doing a reading comprehension exercise.

Hu De wanted to say something more, but seeing that Xiao Bai seemed to be struggling, she smiled slightly.

“But overall… it’s a beautiful painting,” Hood smiled.

"Ah, I understand that!" Xiaobai nodded quickly.

Now that things have come to this, Xiaobai has to admit that he is indeed the type who has a bit of no artistic talent.

After the painting, Hu De simply transformed into a tour guide, explaining each exhibit to everyone as they walked along the red carpet. Although Xiao Bai was mostly confused by Hu De's explanations, she felt that her horizons had broadened considerably.

After walking through the first five exhibition halls, we finally arrived at the Modern Art Exhibition Hall.

Compared to the exhibits in the first five exhibition halls, this modern art exhibition hall suddenly seemed much more abstract.

Xiao Bai looked at the walls around him that had suddenly turned completely white, and at the strange exhibits hanging on the walls and displayed on the stands that were hard to understand, and showed a puzzled expression.

"Huh... a banana hanging on the wall? A blank sheet of paper? Building blocks scattered all over the floor?"

Xiaobai looked at Hude with a puzzled expression.

"Hood, are these exhibits?"

“Yes, these are contemporary art exhibits. Although they may seem strange, they are actually conveying a certain spirit,” Hu De nodded and said. “Some people say that art is a lie, but in reality, the material and spiritual aspects of a work of art should be discussed separately.”

“Uh…” Xiaobai.

Xiaobai wanted to say something more, but at that moment, Bismarck, who had been following behind the group, suddenly put down her phone and called out to Xiaobai.

"noob."

"Hmm?" Little White looked at Bismarck. "What's wrong, Bismarck?"

"I'm a little confused here, can you take a look?" Bismarck asked, pointing to his phone.

"Ah... okay." Little White nodded, gave Hood an embarrassed smile, and then, with Hood nodding in acknowledgment, ran over to Bismarck.

The first five exhibition halls were fine, but once she got to this last modern exhibition hall, Xiaobai's art level couldn't support her understanding of these so-called modern or contemporary art. After all, she's just an ordinary person... So she didn't really have any desire to wander around this exhibition hall. Since Bismarck called her, she might as well go and keep Bismarck company.

Hood seems to know a lot about this, so let her show the others around.

Bismarck pulled Little White away from the group, and they found an empty spot in the exhibition hall to sit down.

"Xiaobai, this app says I only need ten more referrals to get the red envelope," Bismarck said, taking out her phone and pointing to a bright red app.

"Ah...this is fake, Bismarck, don't believe it." Little White quickly shook his head, "After you collect all ten people, they will ask you for a lot of things like fragments, stars and the like."

"Oh..." Bismarck blinked. After thinking for a moment, she took out her old-fashioned mobile phone and said to Xiaobai, "Can the SIM card in my old phone be transferred to the new phone?"

"It probably won't work. The SIM card in your old phone is outdated and might not work on the new phone," Xiaobai said regretfully. "However, you can manually copy the phone numbers from your phonebook."

"so."

Bismarck nodded, placed the old-fashioned phone next to her buttocks, and continued to move closer to Xiaobai with her phone in hand.

Chapter 3564 Unexpected Exhibits

After White and Bismarck temporarily left the group, Hood, Lexington, and Iowa continued walking on the red carpet in the modern art gallery.

The red carpet that stretched along the way was surrounded by increasingly bizarre and grotesque modern artworks.

Compared to the classical art with a strong historical atmosphere in the previous exhibition halls, the artworks in the modern exhibition hall seem to be more inclined to spiritual expression. Therefore, here Hu De and his two companions can see exhibits that are completely different from those in the previous exhibition halls, and even full of absurdity. For example, what impressed Hu De was a doe made of pure white cement kneeling on the ground, with a dead fawn lying beneath her.

Hud lingered in front of the exhibit for a long time, his eyes full of admiration.

“Sister Hood, you seem to really like this sculpture. Is there something about it that you feel about it?” Iowa asked Hood with a smile.

“Yes, this sculpture is truly lifelike.” Hu De held a handkerchief, gently covering his cheek as he gazed intently at the sculpture before him. “The sculpting technique is extremely simplified, yet it depicts the scene the artist intended to convey with remarkable precision—a mother deer kneeling on the ground, grieving the loss of her calf, with the still-intact remains of her young beneath her. The artist wanted to convey a traditional sense of awe and respect for life. The theme of this artwork isn’t particularly novel, but its most unique aspect lies in its use of the deer, a highly anthropomorphic animal, to embody the theme of love and pain through the concept of separation from one’s offspring. The progression of life is always accompanied by pain, and it is precisely because of this that life has greater depth. It is truly an excellent work.”

"Sister Hood's analysis of artworks is truly insightful," Iowa said with a smile as she listened to Hood's explanation.

"This is just my own little opinion." Hood put down his handkerchief and smiled at Iowa as well. "Speaking of which, it was Iowa's idea to include visiting art museums in the travel plans, wasn't it?"

"Is Sister Hood satisfied with this?"

“Very satisfied.” Hood looked at Iowa with gentle and kind eyes. “I never thought that at this time of year, I would be able to visit an art gallery with my friends. It’s a truly rare experience.”

"As long as Sister Hood is happy, that's all that matters."

Do you also enjoy studying art?

“Slightly the same, but Sister Hu De’s understanding of art is so profound that I won’t presume to teach her,” Iowa said with a smile.

“How could that be? Art discussions are all about getting deeper and deeper.” Hu De covered her mouth and chuckled. She said to Iowa, “Iowa, I think you have a lot of talent. You seem like you can have a future in the art field, unlike that German ship crewman who just dragged Xiaobai away. He’s got a complete blockhead and probably will never understand the concept of art in his life.”

Iowa smiled upon hearing this, but did not reply.

The group continued walking on the red carpet, with Hood occasionally pausing in front of a piece of art that caught his eye.

Indeed, many of the modern artworks favored by Hu De contain absurd elements.

For example, a painting shredded by a paper shredder and placed in a transparent trash can was explained by Hu to the crowd as an expression of the artist's criticism of the overly flamboyant art selection process in contemporary art, a form of rebellious thought. Another example is a strangely shaped vase with a convoluted mouth and a twisted body, completely unusable. Hu explained that this was an abstract expression of the confused thinking and inability to accept new things in modern society. Yet another example is a male mannequin wearing a lavish, heavy Gothic Lolita dress, high heels, and carrying a briefcase. Hu praised this highly, saying that it clearly depicted the phenomenon in society where people want to pursue their true selves and dreams, but are forced to compromise due to public opinion and the pressures of life…

Hood always seemed to be able to extract profound concepts from some absurd and inexplicable works of art and share them with Lexington and Iowa.

“Hood, the spirit embodied in these artworks is indeed rare, but I have a question,” Lexington asked Hood. “If these artworks weren’t placed in an art museum, but on the street, in a shopping mall, or even in a garbage dump, would they still have corresponding value?”

“That’s a very insightful question,” Hood said, stopping and smiling at Lexington. “My answer is that some works of art only have artistic value when placed in the right context.”

“Modern art is really hard to understand,” Lexington said with a laugh.

“This is a very profound subject,” Hu De shook his head. “The value of a work of art requires a deep foundation and understanding to create. Each work of art does not correspond to a simple thing, but to the profound thoughts that the creator wants to express. These thoughts are concepts that the creator has refined throughout his life. It is very difficult.”

Lexington listened to Hood's words, smiled, raised his elbow, and tapped his chin with his finger.

"So, it's a shame that Xiaobai didn't come with us to watch it," Lexington asked with a smile.

“That’s a real shame,” Hood said immediately. “Little White is such a bright child, she would definitely be able to understand the ideas behind these works of art. If she had come with us and paid attention to them along the way… It’s a pity that this opportunity was ruined by some clueless ship’s crew! Honestly! That blockhead Bismarck, it’s one thing for her not to understand art herself, but she even dragged Little White along with her. I’ll definitely give her a good talking to when I get back!”

Hood muttered to himself, his face flushed with anger, seemingly harboring a strong grudge against Bismarck.

Lexington and Iowa, who were standing nearby, smiled knowingly.

The red carpet in the modern exhibition hall quickly extended to the very back of the hall.

After admiring the last piece of modern art, Hu De and his two companions returned along the other side of the red carpet.