Capítulo 7: Chapter 7 Picasso Personally Gave to Your Ancestor
"Hong Yi, is... is this the helicopter you called for?" Zhang Menglong's jaw nearly dropped. Even many models of passenger planes couldn't match this length; it was truly a behemoth of the skies!
"Mr. Zhang, this is a Soviet Russian-made Mi-26 multipurpose transport helicopter. It was retired and showed up at an auction in Europe. Your father acquired it at the auction for 17 million US Dollars and later converted it into a private helicopter. Although it has not been used, it's been routinely maintained every year and is in excellent condition."
"Another two hundred million-dollar guy," Zhang Menglong was almost too astonished to feel anything.
"No no no, that 17 million US Dollars was just the base price. In order to enhance the comfort and safety features of the aircraft, your father made additional modifications. Including all the decorations, the total cost must have surpassed 1.2 billion US Dollars."
"1.2 billion US Dollars? The modifications cost more than the helicopter itself?" Zhang Menglong exclaimed, wondering if the interior was lined with gold tiles or something.
"You'll see in a bit," Hong Yi said with a smile.
"Begin the towing!" At Hong Yi's command, the cargo bay of the Mi-26 opened immediately.
A few people dressed in tight suits and wearing masks slowly descended next to them on several cables. They quickly secured the cables to the bottom of the car, and moments later, a strong pulling force emanated from the helicopter.
"Fuck! What are they doing? What's happening? Aren't they here to pick me up? Why is the car being hoisted too?" Zhang Menglong felt the entire car swinging back and forth, which gave him no sense of security at all.
"Mr. Zhang, please rest assured, these cables are of special quality; each can individually support a 5-ton weight, and the helicopter can handle a load of 20 tons without any issue, so a few more cars wouldn't be a problem."
"But even so, I'm freaking out!"
They were currently on a bridge, and due to the bridge's width limitations, the helicopter could only tow from dozens of meters above the ground. Combined with the crosswinds at sea, the two-ton-plus Maybach swayed like a pendulum.
"I'm going to be sick, bleh!" Zhang Menglong grabbed a bag and didn't hesitate to start vomiting into it.
...
"Click click!"
"Fuck, that's awesome! What kind of rich tycoon is this, getting stuck in traffic and having the helicopter airlift both the person and their car away?"
"Take a closer look, that car is a Maybach, which has been out of production for several years. I remember its release price was over five million, right?"
"Forget the car, even the license plate would be worth a luxury car, right?"
"I can't, I need to record this and upload it online, it's definitely going to go viral!"
Below, people watched as the helicopter ingested the Maybach and eventually disappeared into the distant horizon, but the video spread online like a virus almost immediately.
...
"Don't touch me, let me settle down first!" Zhang Menglong stepped out of the car. The helicopter was big enough to fly extremely steadily, but he hadn't gotten over the swinging sensation just yet.
A few minutes later, they climbed up a short flight of stairs and entered the cabin of the helicopter. When he walked into the cabin, Zhang Menglong was dumbstruck.
Was this supposed to be the cabin of a helicopter? It was nothing short of a luxurious suite!
The cabin's floor was covered with elegant tiles, and a gorgeous crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. In the center stood a dining table that could accommodate ten people, fully set with cutlery and light fixtures, with a small lounge area on the side.
Further back, there was a separate small room and a bathroom.
Seeing the restroom, Zhang Menglong was as excited as a PUBG player spotting the safe zone, and he rushed into the restroom and let loose!
"Refreshing!" Along with a shiver, everything started feeling wonderful.
By the time Zhang Menglong came out, the dining table was already filled with food: steak, red wine, salad, dessert, everything one could ask for.
"Mr. Zhang, the cargo hold of this Mi-26 helicopter has been converted into a private space, and although it's only a few dozen square meters in size, it's small but fully equipped and can meet most of your needs when traveling. Plus, it comes with a full-time chef, two assistant chefs, and three service staff at your disposal,"
"This steak isn't bad, huh? Must be expensive, right?" Having endured several hours of mental torture, Zhang Menglong was already starving and began to gobble up the food on the table.
"Of course, this is the world-renowned Kobe beef. In order to maintain its freshness, the freshest stock is prepared daily and stored on the plane for you."
"Didn't you say this plane hasn't been used for a long time?" Zhang Menglong asked.
"Yes, but even during the time it was out of use, the contents of the plane's refrigeration unit were being updated every day, ready for your use at any time!"
"Isn't that a bit too wasteful?" Zhang Menglong even felt a tinge of guilt; with the plane being idle for so many years, how much manpower and resources must have been wasted?
"The annual maintenance cost for all personnel involved with this plane is only 5 million US Dollars, which isn't much."
"Not much..." Zhang Menglong suddenly felt the steak in his mouth wasn't that tasty anymore. Four years of disuse would amount to 20 million US Dollars—99.9% of people in the world could never earn that much in their lifetimes!
"By the way, didn't they say the cost of customizing this plane was 1.2 billion US Dollars? I can't really see where that 1.2 billion went," Zhang Menglong suddenly asked.
"Mr. Zhang, please take a look at the painting on the wall."
"Is there something special about it?" Zhang Menglong put down his knife and fork and approached a painting behind him. It was an oil painting portraying a young girl working in a garden, with a signature on the lower right corner.
"pi...ca...sso, Picasso, Pablo Picasso! Is this a Picasso painting?" Although he hadn't studied art, Zhang Menglong was certainly familiar with these famous painters—Picasso could be named alongside Da Vinci and Van Gogh as a master!
"Is this the real deal?" Zhang Menglong didn't know much about Picasso's works, but if it was genuine, it would be common for it to be worth tens of millions of US Dollars.
"Of course, it's real. Among the collections registered in Mr. Zhang's name, there can be no fakes," Hong Yi said. "If an identical painting were to appear at any museum or auction, it could only be they who have the counterfeit!"
"So how much is this painting worth?" Zhang Menglong cautiously asked.
"This painting, titled 'Flower Art Girl', has never been seen on the market because it was a personal gift from Mr. Picasso to your ancestor."
"What? Picasso personally gave this to my ancestor?" This news was undoubtedly a bombshell.
"You might want to look at the back of the painting," said Hong Yi.
Zhang Menglong took down the painting, and indeed, there was a line of small print on the back, written in Spanish.
"Heh, well, I don't understand Spanish. Can you translate it for me?" Zhang Menglong said, a bit embarrassed.
"This painting is presented to Mr. Zhang Jun from the Orient, in memory of the delightful afternoon spent admiring flowers in the Royal Park—Pablo Picasso."
Hong Yi continued, "This painting was always stored in a suitcase and was later found by your father during a clean-up, so he hung it here. Based on the size of the work, the period of creation, and the methods employed, its current market price should be above 200 million US Dollars."
"I... my God, my ancestor was such a badass!"
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