The Great Ethan Lee

Chapter 55

Hans retorted without hesitation, "I don't need you to teach me this. I know the pinnacle of painting skill is to make the painted objects indistinguishable from the real ones, capturing their essence perfectly!"

Ethan smiled and approached the painting, using the brush handle to point at a green caterpillar on a tree branch. "Tell me, Master Raymond, are you satisfied with this little caterpillar?"

Hans, filled with pride, replied, "Though I am not the best, I am proud of my painting skills. This caterpillar, though merely a decorative element, is as good as the real thing."

Ethan smiled dismissively. "Really?"

He dipped his brush in some green ink and, with a quick stroke, painted another caterpillar on a nearby branch. As the fresh ink glistened under the spotlights, the new caterpillar appeared to wiggle.

The audience, unsure of what to make of this, was startled by a bird's chirp suddenly.

When the concert began, some pigeons had been released in the venue. A white pigeon flew down to the painting and pecked at it, creating a small hole. The pigeon, puzzled by the torn canvas, cooed softly and examined the back of the easel.

The entire audience was stunned.

Under the high-definition cameras, everyone saw clearly that the hole was precisely where Ethan had painted the caterpillar.

Ethan let the pigeon perch on his hand, gently stroking its feathers. "If Master Raymond's painting skill is said to rival reality, then what about mine?"

The crowd erupted in astonishment.

"This... this... I can't believe it!"

"My God, I can't believe my eyes."

"Unbelievable! Today, I finally understand what true painting skill is."

"To make a bird mistake a painting for the real thing, now that's true artistry!"

The audience's amazement and disbelief far surpassed their earlier admiration for Hans. This level of skill was incredible!

Looking at the hole, Hans sighed, defeated. He knew that his proudest painting skills had been utterly outclassed.

Ethan had taken only a few seconds and a few strokes to paint a caterpillar that bested Hans's masterpiece, which had taken him ten minutes to complete.

Hans's previous confidence and arrogance were shattered. His boastful words now felt like a slap in his face.

Hans murmured, "I've lost..." His fighting spirit was completely drained.

The audience erupted in cheers, celebrating the birth of a true genius.

Suddenly, Martin's voice cut through the cheers, "Wait!"

Martin glared at Ethan, seething with anger. "You lost this competition!"

Ethan frowned, "Did I?"

Martin said firmly, "Of course, you lost! The competition was for you and my senior to each create a painting to determine the winner. But where is your painting?"

Martin continued loudly, "You didn't even paint anything. You just added a few strokes to my senior's work. How can that count as a win?"

The audience was once again thrown into an uproar.

Even some of Martin's loyal fans shook their heads in disappointment.

Someone in the audience shouted, "Martin, do you call yourself a great artist? Turns out you're just a sore loser!"

"Admit your loss like a man. Stop playing word games. Damn, I can't believe I ever liked someone like you!"

The harsh criticisms echoed in Martin's ears, his face turning red as he looked at Ethan and yelled, "No matter what, you didn't create a painting. You lost this competition!"

Ethan's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Oh? How do you know I don't have a painting to show?"

Martin glanced at the blank canvas beside Ethan and sneered, "There's less than five minutes left of the allotted hour. Do you think you can complete a painting in that time?"

Ethan picked up his brush, dipped it in paint, and said calmly, "You're wrong. Let me correct you. One minute is enough to beat you."

With that, Ethan began to paint, the brush moving swiftly across the canvas.

Everyone held their breath, eyes wide, watching Ethan's rapid movements.

As the minute mark arrived, Ethan stopped painting, turned the canvas to face the cameras, and said calmly, "My painting is done."

When the audience saw the painting, there was no gasp of surprise. Instead, the room fell into a stunned silence.

The painting depicted a yellow water lily. It had minimal outlines, with water ripples at the base, but it lacked the reflective beauty and appeared rough and simplistic. It didn't seem like an outstanding piece by any measure.

Martin smirked at Ethan. "Ethan, is this your work? Even someone like me, who knows nothing about painting, can see that this is garbage! Your skill is worse than that of a child who has been painting for just three days!"

Martin continued disdainfully, "And you dare claim this piece will win? Hah! I bet the caterpillar trick earlier was just a setup. You probably trained that pigeon to peck at the painting!"

Hearing Martin's accusation, the audience began to murmur, casting doubt on Ethan's painting.

Ethan scoffed. "Are you done?"

Martin sneered. "What? Do you have any explanations? Don't tell me there's something special about this pathetic painting!"

Ethan's smile widened, his eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. "Congratulations, you got it right!"