Chapter 37

Chapter 37 A Mark

Nicholas aimed to engage in psychological warfare with Jessica, but she was unbothered.

“Even if TMO is desperate for money, we won’t be worried about five million. A few million in price difference is not an unacceptable loss for me. So, Smiley Nick, no need to worry; even if the sculpture’s price drops to three million or becomes utterly worthless, I don’t care!”

“Since you’re determined, I have nothing more to say. Now let’s see how your Daniel plans to sell me this sculpture for eighty million,” Nicholas said with a smile and gestured towards Daniel.

“Daniel, please, begin your performance!”

“Do you have a dagger here, Smiley Nick?”

“A dagger? Yes, we do!”

Nicholas handed a dagger to Daniel, curious to see what he would do next.

Daniel took the dagger and began to scratch the bottom of the sculpture.

Crack!

He removed a piece from the base, revealing a mark, and Nicholas was taken aback upon seeing it. It was Bernini’s mark!

How could that be possible?

Gian Lorenzo Bernini was one of the greatest sculptors of the

Renaissance, and while there were mors that he would leave marks

on some of his works, nobody had confirmed such claims. Nicholas was amazed to see this rumored mark on the sculpture.

Nicholas quickly regained his composure. Even though the mark was right in front of him, he couldn’t be entirely certain it was authentic.. He meticulously examined the mark with a magnifying glass. Not only could he not find any indication of forgery, but the more he looked, the more he believed the mark was genuine.

This mark was unmistakably Bernini’s!

But how could Bernini’s mark be on a sculpture that was clearly apprentice work? The craftsmanship was so much cruder compared to Bernini’s known pieces!

Nicholas furrowed his brow, puzzled,

“How about it? Smiley Nick, you’ve been examining that mark for quite a while with your magnifying glass. Have you determined it’s a fake?”

“It’s not fake it’s real! This mark on the base is indeed the rumored mark of Bernini! But how could Bernini’s mark be stamped on an apprentice’s sculpture? This doesn’t make sense

–

a sculpture of this.

material and quality couldn’t possibly be a piece by Bernini.”

“The significance of this mark, Smiley Nick, you surely know. The reason Bernini left his mark on such a sculpture is because it was the first piece crafted by Bernini’s son!”

“Crafted by Bernini’s son?”

“Of course! If it wasn’t made by his descendant himself, how could a Bernini mark appear on this kind of sculpture? Take a closer look at

the materials used for this statue. Don’t they seem like something a

novice apprentice would use?”

Taking up the magnifying glass again, Nicholas scrutinized the statue more thoroughly, and after finishing, he was truly shocked.

“This looks like materials an apprentice would use, but upon closer inspection, I realized these are actually the materials specifically used by Bernini himself.”

“I was wondering why the materials of this statue looked so familiar, I never expected this to be the first sculpture made by Bernini’s son.