The Understated Dragon Lord
Chapter 443 Clash

Chapter 443 Clash

"Does it really matter how much I paid for it? What matters is how much this painting is worth. 'TheRed Cloud' may not be Piet Mondrian's most famous work, but it's surely among his significantones," Daniel retorted confidently while holding up his hand, "It's worth at least a billion dollars."

Smart burst into a fit of laughter. After his laughter subsided, he sneered at Daniel, "Farm boy, isyour head screwed on right?"

"It's perfectly on straight and clearer than ever!"

"If you were in your right mind, would you seriously claim that thing is worth a billion dollars? Do youseriously think there are no taxes on tall tales?"

At this point, Leo joined the conversation. "Country boy, if what you have is truly 'The Red Cloud,' agenuine Mondrian, indeed it might be worth a billion. But as far as I'm aware, Mondrian's 'The RedCloud' is in the possession of a wealthy family in New York. How could it possibly end up here?"

Leo's words prompted Smart to ponder, and then it clicked. "Leo, you’re talking about that 'The RedCloud'? I know the piece. It's in my house; my grandpa bought it over a decade ago for a hefty sumfrom abroad. It cost us half a billion even back then!"

Turning to Daniel with a sneer, Smart continued, "Country boy, if you had to pick a Mondrian to bragabout, you should have picked one that's not in my family's collection. Oh wait! That's right, mygrandpa adores Mondrian, and we buy up any original that hits the market, sparing no expense. So,no exaggeration, out of every ten Mondrians, we own at least seven or eight. That's the kind of cloutthe Evans have."

Smart was looking at Madison as he spoke, a victorious gleam in his eyes. It was as if he wastelling her that although both of their families valued Mondrian's art, her grandpa couldn't compete;

not even when it came to snatching up paintings. The Evans owned almost all of Mondrian's works,while the Matthews didn’t have a single one.

None of the eight wealthy families of New York lacked funds to buy Mondrian's paintings. However,the Evans always managed to acquire them, showcasing their true strength. Among the elite, itwasn't just about having money—as that was the easiest thing to acquire. Rather, they competedover antiques and masterpieces, for those were unique. Each piece was one-of-a-kind in the world,which is why Smart boasted about owning Mondrian's pieces in front of Madison and why he waswilling to spend a billion to secure 'The Gray Tree.'

"Smart, you don't suppose that dim-wittedness runs in your family? Your patriarch spent half abillion on a fake Mondrian, doesn't exactly sound sharp, does he?"

"Farm boy, you're bold to insinuate my grandpa’s not so sharp."

"If he spent half a billion on a fake, could he be anything but?"