On a sunny morning in December 2019, Christie's, the world's leading art auction house, hosted an exciting auction of ancient Chinese paintings and calligraphy at its headquarters in New York.
The highlight of this auction is undoubtedly Mr. Pan Tianshou's last masterpiece during his lifetime, "The First Sunshine", which immediately detonated the craze of the global art world as soon as it was unveiled.
The auction was very exciting, with a starting price of $120 million, and the excitement of collectors was quickly ignited when it was launched, and they all raised their cards and launched a fierce battle.
In the end, the lucky buyer was Mr. Lou Zhongfu, who was known as the "Master Collector", who smiled and applauded calmly after the auction, as if he had already known all this.
Back in 2000, Mr. Lou was still an up-and-coming upstart, not yet on the Forbes list of the richest people. However, in that year, he resolutely invested 200 million yuan to acquire a time-honored hotel that had been declining at a high price, the Overseas Chinese Hotel located on the shore of the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou.
Initially, this decision was questioned and criticized by all sectors of society. After all, for Lou Zhongfu at that time, the investment of 200 million yuan was an astronomical amount, not to mention that the Overseas Chinese Hotel had long lost its former glory.
However, Lou Zhongfu was not shaken by this, and he was convinced that he saw a business opportunity that no one else could perceive - that is, a precious national treasure painting "Early Sunshine" hanging in the lobby of the Overseas Chinese Hotel.
When Lou Zhongfu stepped into the door of the Overseas Chinese Hotel for the first time with joy, a strong smell of aged oil paint came to his nose. Following the scent, he walked into a dilapidated warehouse and found a dusty picture frame in the corner.
At this moment, Lou Zhongfu's heart was excited, as if he was about to usher in the biggest surprise in his life Today, 19 years later, he finally got his wish and successfully auctioned this national treasure at a sky-high price of 205 million, and also unexpectedly gained a hotel worth 200 million.
Looking back on the tortuous process of purchasing the Overseas Chinese Hotel, Mr. Lou Zhongfu is still full of emotion. Doubts and criticisms from the outside world are like a lingering haze that has always hung over his confidence in this investment.
As early as 1979, in order to protect Master Pan Tianshou's authentic work "Early Sunshine", the Overseas Chinese Hotel had to remove the original work and replace it with a copy.
At that time, rumors about the suspected hanging of fake objects in the hall of the Overseas Chinese Hotel spread quickly, and criticism and condemnation spread like a flood. As a veteran and exquisite art collector, Mr. Lou Zhongfu has also heard of these rumors.
His love and dedication to the painting, titled "The First Sunshine", has long been deeply imprinted in his heart, and his desire to be able to see the real thing with his own eyes cannot be described in words.
By chance, a familiar friend half-jokingly revealed to Lou Zhongfu that the decoration of the Overseas Chinese Hotel was outdated, and its so-called "treasure of the town" was actually just a fake, and it was not worth investing money at all.
These words were like a heavy hammer, striking heavily on Lou Zhongfu's heart, although he was half-convinced of it, but his ardent desire to buy "The First Sun" had long been deeply rooted in his bones.
As a result, he began to frequently inquire about the latest developments of the Overseas Chinese Hotel, looking forward to one day being able to witness the authentic style with his own eyes. It was at this time that a shocking piece of news came -- the Overseas Chinese Hotel was about to be auctioned! For Lou Zhongfu, this was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, because this was exactly the place where the painting "Early Sunshine" that he had been looking for for many years was located.
The atmosphere at the auction was warm, and the eyes of wealthy businessmen from all walks of life flashed with greed. Although the starting price is only tens of millions of yuan, as the bidding continues to rise, the price quickly breaks through the actual value of the overseas Chinese hotel itself.
When the price soared to a staggering 280 million yuan, Lou Zhongfu did not hesitate to announce loudly in a firm tone: "I voted!" The scene suddenly fell silent, and everyone was shocked by his crazy actions.
This price is far beyond common sense, and even exceeds the actual value of the Overseas Chinese Hotel itself. Even Lou Zhongfu himself couldn't help but hesitate a little at that moment.
However, as soon as he thought that "Early Sunshine" would eventually become his bag, he no longer had time to care about anything else, and in this way, Lou Zhongfu successfully acquired the entire Overseas Chinese Hotel at a very high price.
In the face of all kinds of doubts from the outside world, Lou Zhongfu didn't care, and smiled confidently: "I firmly believe that the Overseas Chinese Hotel will never hang fakes in the hall, otherwise their reputation will be ruined."
When Mr. Lou Zhongfu stepped into the door of the Overseas Chinese Hotel for the first time with great anticipation, the aroma of aged oil paint undoubtedly made his longing and yearning for the authenticity of "The First Sunshine" reach its peak.
Without hesitation, he followed the fragrance to the majestic hall, full of anticipation, hoping to witness this heirloom that has haunted many art lovers.
As the staff carefully unveiled the magnificent picture inlaid on the wall, Lou Zhongfu's heartbeat also accelerated.
However, at the moment when the curtain was slowly raised, Lou Zhongfu's original joyful mood was immediately enveloped by endless loss.
In order to ensure that the authentic work is protected from the wind and rain caused by the long-term hanging, the distinguished bosses of the Overseas Chinese Hotel made a decisive decision to carefully preserve the authenticity, and invited the proud protégé of Master Pan Tianshou to reproduce this lifelike copy of the work for the hall.
And the real "Early Sunshine" has always been lying quietly in the old warehouse, sleeping peacefully.
Huge disappointment and remorse poured into Lou Zhongfu like a tide, drowning him almost instantly.
To solve this puzzling mystery, we have to go back to the late fifties of the last century, when the Overseas Chinese Hotel was just opened.
Although it sits on the shores of the picturesque West Lake, it cannot meet the needs of tourists by relying on its beautiful natural scenery alone, and it needs to have a deep cultural heritage to attract more tourists.
As a luxury hotel with a reputation at home and abroad, the operators know this. Therefore, they came up with a bold and unique idea: to invite two giants of the contemporary art world to create a unique artistic atmosphere for the entire hotel.
As a result, the two masters, Wu Fuzhi and Pan Tianshou, who were already quite famous at that time, were invited to come and start a journey full of legendary artistic creation.
Mr. Wu Fuzhi created "The Extension of Life", while Mr. Pan Tianshou did his best to create the last and most outstanding masterpiece of his life - "The First Sunshine".
Although Mr. Pan Tianshou was in his late teens at that time, he was still quick thinking and energetic. He put his years of hard work and lifelong wisdom into this magnificent landscape painting.
In the picture, the mountains are undulating, the clouds are shrouded in mist, and the early morning sun casts a soft light. The scenery in the painting is looming, and there is a vibrant power in the haze, which makes it difficult to extricate oneself.
With these two treasures, which can be called the masterpieces of the Kaiyuan Dynasty, the Overseas Chinese Hotel has risen rapidly and become a tourist attraction for tourists.
Back in that era, no one expected that it was these two elderly artists who became the last glorious light of the Overseas Chinese Hotel!
However, just as this frenzied passion from art swept across the country, it was the news that our hearts ached to come—Mr. Wu Fuzhi and Professor Pan Tianshou, two masters who guarded the soul of the Overseas Chinese Hotel, have left us one after another, and can no longer create the same masterpieces! Since then, the two priceless treasures they have left for the Overseas Chinese Hotel are becoming more and more precious.
For hotel operators, the importance of preserving these two works of art in the collection cannot be overstated. Therefore, in 1979, in order to prevent problems such as sun and rain caused by long-term suspension, they resolutely made a major decision: to invite Professor Pan Tianshou's most senior disciple to carefully reproduce a copy of "The First Sunshine", and the original was carefully treasured.
Since then, this replica has hung in the lobby of the Overseas Chinese Hotel. And Professor Pan Tianshou's last genuine work, "The First Sunshine", has been sleeping in an old corner that no one pays attention to for many years, waiting for someone destined to wake it up again.
Although Mr. Lou Zhongfu mustered up the courage to buy the Overseas Chinese Hotel at a sky-high price of up to 280 million yuan, this seemingly crazy decision was not widely recognized and supported by the outside world, but was ruthlessly questioned and condemned.
"Are you crazy? Are you willing to pay such a huge price just for a painting that might be a fake? Are you making a charitable donation?"
"Even if that painting is indeed from Master Pan Tianshou, it can only be regarded as a work of his later years, how can its value be compared with a real heirloom work?"
"The Overseas Chinese Hotel has long been a dilapidated and dilapidated brand, even if you succeed in buying it, how can you regain its glory?"
All kinds of doubts are like sharp swords, piercing deeply into Mr. Lou Zhongfu's confidence in this investment. He began to reflect on whether his decision was too rash.
Although he had already made a name for himself on the Forbes rich list, 200 million yuan was undoubtedly an astronomical investment for him at that time.
If you make a mistake in judgment, this massive investment can be undone and all previous efforts will be wasted. The industry he has worked so hard for many years may even suffer a serious blow as a result.
Thinking of this, Lou Zhongfu couldn't help but feel a deep anxiety, and even found it difficult to sleep.
He began to review the conversation with his friend repeatedly, and the friend's unintentional words turned out to be like a spark that ignited the fire in his heart.
As a veteran collector, how could he bear to spend such a huge amount of money and only get a fake? This will undoubtedly be the pain and regret of his life.
It is this extreme obsession with "Chu Qing" that makes Lou Zhongfu raise the price without hesitation at a critical moment. He firmly believes that a time-honored brand like the Overseas Chinese Hotel will never damage its reputation by hanging fakes in the lobby.
However, when the truth was revealed, what should Lou Zhongfu do? If he had considered it more carefully at that time, perhaps he could have made other choices.
However, this irreversible decision will completely change the trajectory of his life.