200: Chapter 200 The Unspoken Rules of the Art World

The Gulfstream jet had just landed at the Imperial Capital International Airport. The cabin door opened, and Chen Fan strode down the airstair. As a cold wind blew past, Chen Haoyu pulled open the door of a bulletproof car. The motorcade drove out of the airport and headed straight for the National Art Museum.

The air pressure inside the car was extremely low. Chen Fan leaned back against the leather seat, watching the street scenery recede outside the window. He had just crushed top-tier financial magnates under his feet in Europe, yet back home, someone dared to bully Chen Nianyao.

The plaza in front of the art museum. Several rolls-royces screeched to a halt, their tires letting out a piercing sound as they rubbed against the ground. Chen Fan pushed the car door open. His leather shoes stepped onto scraps of paper. Looking down, he saw they were all promotional posters for Chen Nianyao's art exhibition. The posters had been torn to shreds and were covered in messy footprints.

At the top of the steps, dozens of carefully framed paintings were haphazardly piled in a corner. Several porters were roughly throwing the picture frames outside.

Chen Nianyao stood in the cold wind, her head bowed, her shoulders twitching uncontrollably. Chen Muyang stood in front of his sister, his eyes bloodshot as he questioned the middle-aged man opposite them.

“On what grounds are you canceling my sister's exhibition? The contract is written clearly in black and white! We paid double the venue fee!” Chen Muyang's voice flared with anger, his fists clenched until they creaked.

The middle-aged man was the curator of the art museum. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and repeatedly offered apologetic smiles, though his tone was dismissive: “Young Master Chen, there’s really nothing I can do. This was an order personally issued by Elder Qi. Elder Qi holds a lofty status in the Cultural Circles; his word is the rule.”

“What did he say?” Chen Muyang took a step forward and grabbed the curator by the collar.

The curator shrank his neck and braced himself to repeat the words: “Elder Qi said that the Chen family started as nouveau riche, and the paintings are full of the stench of money. Hanging them in the National Art Museum defiles the temple of art. They must be cleared out immediately.”

A few piercing sneers came from nearby. Qi Sisi, wearing a high-end trench coat and sunglasses, was directing several workers to hang new posters on the wall. The posters featured a large-scale artistic photo of herself.

“Did you hear that? The art circle values heritage; it’s not somewhere you can enter just because you have stinking money.” Qi Sisi took off her sunglasses and crossed her arms, looking at Chen Nianyao with a smug expression. “This exhibition hall belongs to me now. You Chens should go wherever it’s cool. Don’t stay here and make fools of yourselves.”

Chen Muyang let go of the curator and turned to walk toward Qi Sisi. Several museum security guards stepped forward to block him.

“You want to get physical? This is the National Art Museum!” Qi Sisi said, emboldened by her backing. “Touch me once, and I'll make it impossible for your Chen family to survive in the capital!”

Chen Fan stepped up the stairs. His leather shoes made a steady thud against the stone slabs. Chen Haoyu followed closely behind with the Shadow Guard. The black-clad bodyguards quickly dispersed, isolating the crowd of onlookers.

“Dad.” Chen Muyang turned around and stopped his movements.

Chen Fan walked to Chen Nianyao's side. The girl looked up, her eyes red, tears streaming down her cheeks. The paintings she had spent half a year of hard work preparing were being thrown aside like trash. Chen Fan reached out and wiped the tears from his daughter's face.

“Don't cry,” Chen Fan said calmly. “My daughter, Chen Fan's daughter, doesn't need to suffer this kind of grievance.”

Turning around, Chen Fan looked at the curator. He didn't waste a single word.

“How much is the penalty for breach of contract?” Chen Fan asked.

The curator was stunned, thinking Chen Fan was going to compromise: “President Chen, it's not a matter of money. Elder Qi is in the Cultural Circles...”

“Haoyu.” Chen Fan interrupted him.

Chen Haoyu stepped forward and slapped a document against the curator's chest: “The Huihuang Group Legal Department has already submitted a complaint to the court. By unilaterally tearing up the contract, you must not only pay triple the penalty but also bear the loss of reputation. We have a top-tier legal team that can fight this lawsuit with you for ten years, until this art museum goes bankrupt and undergoes restructuring. Additionally, the records of you accepting bribes from the Qi family have been simultaneously submitted to the Disciplinary Inspection Department.”

The curator's legs went weak, and he had to lean against a pillar to keep from falling.

Chen Haoyu took out a tablet, the screen showing the trending search list: “Furthermore, the video of Miss Qi Sisi using her privilege to seize the exhibition space and maliciously destroying others' artwork has already reached the top of the trending lists on all major platforms. Every channel under Huihuang Media is pushing it across the entire network. The view count has already exceeded fifty million.”

Qi Sisi's face changed drastically. She took out her phone to look. The comment section was full of people scolding her for bullying others with her influence, and some had even dug up dirt about her using ghostwriters for her paintings in the past.

“You dare mess with me?!” Qi Sisi shrieked, pointing at Chen Fan. “My grandfather is Elder Qi! With just one word from him, your Chen family won't be able to take a single step in the cultural circle!”

Chen Fan didn't even look at her as he issued a final ultimatum to the curator.

“I'll give you three minutes. Throw her trash out and hang my daughter's paintings back in their original places. If there's even one missing, I'll tear down this museum of yours.” Chen Fan's tone was calm, yet it carried an intense pressure.

The curator weighed the pros and cons. Although Elder Qi had a high status, Huihuang Group could truly crush him with money and legal actions, or even send him to prison.

“Security! Move Miss Qi's things out!” the curator ordered through gritted teeth.

Several security guards rushed up, frantically tearing down the posters Qi Sisi had just hung up and throwing them toward the roadside along with her picture frames.

“You dare touch me? My grandfather won't let you get away with this!” Qi Sisi was being forced out by the security guards, her high heels twisting as she looked incredibly disheveled. She frantically dialed a number: “Grandfather! Someone is bullying me! They even want to blackball me!”

Qi Sisi was driven out of the plaza. Chen Nianyao's paintings were carefully moved back into the exhibition hall. The workers accelerated their pace to set everything up.

Chen Muyang clapped his hands and sneered: “Trying to compete with Huihuang Group in terms of connections—how truly overconfident.”

Chen Fan patted his daughter's shoulder: “Go set up the exhibition hall. I'll wait for you outside.”

Chen Nianyao broke into a smile through her tears, nodded vigorously, and led the workers through the main doors.

Chen Fan stood on the steps and lit a cigarette.

Chen Haoyu walked over quickly after finishing a call, his expression grim.

“Boss, we've received news. Elder Qi used his connections to send word to the Ministry of Culture. Several key projects under Xingyao Entertainment and Wanqing Film and Television have been ordered to halt operations for investigation. The cinema chains have also received notices to pull our movies from their schedules,” Chen Haoyu reported in a low voice.

Chen Fan exhaled a plume of smoke. In his mind, the system interface, which had been quiet for a long time, lit up.

[System Prompt: Detected a comprehensive industry blockade initiated by hostile forces.]

[Main Quest Updated: Smash cultural hegemony and reshape industry rules.]

Chen Fan looked at the light screen and flicked the ash from his cigarette.

“Boss, how should we respond? Elder Qi has too many disciples and followers in the circle. We'll be the ones at a disadvantage in a head-on confrontation,” Chen Haoyu said with some concern.

Chen Fan stubbed out the cigarette butt and threw it into the trash can.

“At a disadvantage?” Chen Fan turned toward the car door, his tone laced with ruthlessness. “Immediately investigate this ‘virtuous and artistic’ Elder Qi. I want every single transaction record from his birth to the present. Before dawn tomorrow, I want him completely disgraced.”

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