Conan Rick's Investigator

Soon, the Suzuki Group's men brought news that the other party was Carl Sandford from Arkham, a famous art and antique buyer on the East Coast of the United States.

"Antique buyer? Why would someone like that come along?"

Suzuki Jirokichi was very puzzled. Since he was a businessman, he must have made money mainly by reselling.

"Did he think that after buying 'Sunflower' for 6 million, he could sell it for a higher price?"

"It's really impossible..."

Suddenly, Qin Zhibo, who was standing aside, analyzed, "But what if this person is specifically here to raise the bid at the seller's behest?"

After these words were spoken, Suzuki Jirokichi's body froze, and something in his head seemed to wake up.

"Mr. Suzuki, do you know the seller of this 'Sunflowers'?"

Suzuki Jirokichi shook his head. "The seller's information is strictly confidential. I only heard that the seller is from Japan."

Japanese sellers...

Qin Zhibo's idea was almost correct. The seller of "Sunflower" should be the boss of the Black Organization.

The boss of the Black Organization has actually fallen to the point of selling paintings?

No, maybe this is just a reasonable entertainment for the boss of the organization.

After all, for a centenarian who has witnessed alien technology, gods, and may even have achieved immortality, the value of human art is nothing more than a pastime.

family heirloom?

No, he is a family all by himself.

Chapter 1025: Sunflower

But no matter what, Suzuki Jirokichi's money ability still worked, and he bought Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" for 6 million.

This price is unprecedented and will never be surpassed.

Although he knew that he might have been tricked, Suzuki Jirokichi was a wealthy man after all and had a great generosity, so he didn't feel too bad about spending the extra money.

Including the returns from the sunflower exhibition, the actual loss was only 5 million US dollars.

He can definitely afford to lose this amount of money.

After being comforted by Suzuki Sonoko, Suzuki Jirokichi had just calmed down a little when the auction staff came to collect the payment.

In order to hold a press conference as soon as possible, the Suzuki Group had already prepared US$6 million and deposited it in Citibank in New York.

But now there is not enough money. Even with the strength of the Suzuki Group, it will take at least two hours to temporarily withdraw 5000 million US dollars.

But the press conference was imminent, and Suzuki Jirokichi wanted to take advantage of the momentum and announce the sunflower exhibition to the world as soon as possible.

But Suzuki Jirokichi was rich after all, so he took out an envelope from his pocket.

"I have a cashier's check from a Swiss bank worth $1 million."

"I'll use this as collateral for you. We'll take the painting first, hold a press conference, and then we'll make up the remaining balance later."

The famous scene appears again, "The Temptation of the Promissory Note of God of Gamblers".

However, the auction staff were not so ignorant as to ask, "If you say 1 million, then it's 1 million."

After all, Suzuki Jirokichi is an advisor to the Suzuki Group, and this title alone is worth more than 1 million.

The staff happily accepted the promissory note provided by Jiro Suzuki, and took Natsumi Miyadai and others selected by Jiro Suzuki to formally receive "Sunflowers".

Now that the matter has been settled, everyone showed very happy expressions.

But Qin Zhibo knew that the key part was just beginning.

……

As the seven knights guarding the treasure, they followed the staff, Suzuki Jirokichi and Suzuki Sonoko to the underground vault.

It was still the same place as yesterday, with the huge "Sunflower" lying quietly on the table.

"Miss Gongtai, I'm counting on you."

"Yes."

At Suzuki Jirokichi's command, Miyadai Natsumi went forward to conduct the appraisal.

Other non-professionals stood a little further away and watched the process.

Just like yesterday, Miyadai Natsumi was wearing white gloves and holding a laptop in one hand, looking professional as she compared the photos in the computer with the real objects.

As long as it is confirmed that the painting is Van Gogh's "Sunflowers", the transaction will be successfully completed.

Miyadai Natsumi walked around "Sunflowers", lowering her head from time to time and looking closer. She seemed to be working a hundred times harder than when she was appraising it yesterday.

This attitude made Suzuki Jirokichi very satisfied. After all, he was really paying money this time, so he should be serious.

……

The authentication process of Western paintings is very long, unlike the authentication of traditional Chinese paintings where you can simply take a look and tell whether they are real or fake.

Miyadai Natsumi carefully compared every part of the painting. The boring process made Suzuki and others gradually relax and their attention was no longer so focused.

But even so, no one dared to interrupt Miyadai Natsumi's work.

But at this moment, a figure in a brown windbreaker suddenly appeared, rushed to Miyadai Natsumi at lightning speed, and grabbed her right wrist.

"what--!"

Miyadai Natsumi screamed, waking up everyone who was drowsy.

Suzuki Jiroji hurriedly stood up from his chair and asked, "Mr. Qin, what are you doing?"

Qin Zhibo grabbed Gongtai Xiamei's wrist, lifted it high, and took out a small glass bottle from her sleeve.

"Miss Gongtai, what is this?"

Qin Zhibo picked up the glass bottle with two fingers and asked.

Gongtai Xiamei's pupils trembled under her glasses, and she looked at the bottle in Qin Zhibo's hand with fear.

Everyone was in an uproar, but Charlie, a policeman, was the first to come over, open the stopper of the bottle, and sniff inside.

"No smell, silvery-white powder... could it be magnesium powder?"

“Yes, it’s magnesium powder.”

Qin Zhibo nodded affirmatively, then raised his hand and pointed at Gongtai Xiamei.

"She used her body to block our view during the appraisal, and the laptop she held in her right hand blocked the view of the surveillance camera overhead, just to secretly sprinkle magnesium powder on "Sunflowers."

"The purpose is to destroy the painting!"

When everyone heard this, they all looked at Miyadai Natsumi in disbelief.

In a panic, Gongtai Xiamei's mind raced, and she immediately turned around and pointed at Qin Zhibo, complaining that a bad guy had come.

"It was him! He was the one who stuffed the chalk into my hand!"

"He's trying to frame me. He's the one who's slandering me!"

"I love Sunflowers so much, how could I possibly do anything to harm 'Sunflowers'?"

Miyadai Natsumi screamed in denial, and someone came on the scene to turn black into white, which stunned Qin Zhibo for a moment.

Even when caught in the act, he can still make excuses, the only thing missing is to say "Family, who understands?"

Everyone looked at Qin Zhibo and Miyadai Natsumi, and before their brains could react to which side to take, Qin Zhibo reasoned calmly.

"Ms. Gongtai, stop quibbling. I've actually been suspicious of you since yesterday."

“Even though you claim to love Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers,’ why do you only have five sunflower stickers on your laptop?”

Everyone glanced at the computer in Gongtai Xiamei's arms, and the five stickers on the A side were clearly visible.

Miyadai Natsumi looked at her computer, her brain reacted for a second, and she quickly explained, "It's because the sticker is too big and can't be stuck!"

"Is it okay if it can't stick? And you can't say I want to destroy the sunflowers just based on that!"

Miyadai Natsumi waved her hand, apparently not realizing that Qin Zhibo already had the most important evidence.

"Evidence? Isn't the most important evidence in your hands?"

"Inside your computer files is a plan to destroy two sunflowers!"

After these words were spoken, Miyadai Natsumi gritted her teeth and struggled for a few seconds, then suddenly closed her eyes in relief.

She loosened her right hand and the laptop fell to the ground with a thud.

"It seems I can't make excuses anymore..."

Miyadai Natsumi's words were obviously a disguised admission of her guilt.

"But why? Xia Mei, aren't you the one who loves Sunflower the most?"

Keiko, who was in charge of the exhibition planning, asked with a puzzled look on her face.

Miyadai Natsumi's voice suddenly rose to a high pitch, almost screaming, "It's because I love Van Gogh's Sunflowers so much that I've come to this!"

“Rather than have those two fakes displayed alongside Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, I would rather destroy them!”

Miyadai Xiamei waved her hands hysterically. In order to prevent her from throwing herself on the painting recklessly, Qin Zhibo moved one step closer to Miyadai Xiamei.

Everyone in the audience was shocked. Miyadai Natsumi actually wanted to destroy "Sunflowers"!

The only thing that Charlie, a policeman, could not understand the most was not that Natsumi Miyadai was the criminal, but that there were actually people in this world who wrote a plan before committing a crime.

And it's still on the computer?

Are all criminals from Japan so "serious"?

Higashi Koji, who was in charge of preserving the paintings, spread out his palm and asked in confusion, "Two fakes? What are you talking about?"

Miyadai Natsumi lowered her head and said no more.

Qin Zhibo picked up the laptop that had fallen to the ground and explained, "Judging from the stickers on this computer, the fakes she mentioned should be the second and fifth 'Sunflowers' paintings."

"As far as I know, these two sunflowers were purchased by a painter named Pickman in 1989..."

"As for whether they are fake copies, it depends on how professionals judge them."

Qin Zhibo said this in order to guide Suzuki Jirokichi to send someone else to authenticate the painting.

After thinking about it for a while, Jiro Suzuki also felt that the $6.5 million could not be spent in vain.

"Let's find someone to re-identify it..."

……

Charlie quickly called for backup and handcuffed Natsumi Miyadai and took her out.

Before leaving, Charlie asked Qin Zhibo in great confusion how he knew that the criminal had written such a fantastic thing as a "crime plan".

Qin Zhibo explained, "I'm not completely sure about this, but seeing that she always carries that laptop with her, I guess there might be something very important inside..."

Charlie frowned, "What's your guess?"

Miyadai Natsumi, who was being taken away by the police, also heard what Qin Zhibo said. She immediately turned around and said angrily.

"I didn't bring my computer to the exchange meeting last night! Did you forget?"

"Oh?" Qin Zhibo pretended to have just remembered, "Is that so?"

"I'm sorry, I really forgot."

Qin Zhibo gave Gongtai Xiamei a harmless smile.

puff--

Miyadai Natsumi was so angry that she almost fainted. She cared so much about putting a few stickers on her notebook, but she didn’t know that she didn’t bring her computer with her last night?

But it was useless now, as she had just admitted in front of everyone that there was indeed such a thing as a "crime plan".

Next, the police only need to open the computer to check, and all her plans will be clear at a glance.

Even if she spent a lot of money to hire a top lawyer and said that the so-called plan was written in "".

……

After the criminal was caught, Suzuki Jirokichi ordered his men to quickly reassign several internationally renowned painting appraisers.