February 25th, 11:00 PM

After returning from the internet café and completing her exercise routine, Zoe settled at home and began researching more detailed information about the Bartolomeo Art Center's International Art Exhibition. Now that she had decided to attend, it was important to prepare thoroughly.

For large-scale events like this, almost all the information could be found online.

The exhibition at Bartolomeo Art Center was officially titled "Vibrant Colors."

It was a major event that had been planned for several months in Hamilton, inviting several renowned artists from around the world to participate.

On the homepage of the official Bartolomeo Art Center website, there was a promotional description for the event: "In the upcoming season of spring's blossoming beauty, we sincerely invite you to embark on a feast for both the eyes and soul—Vibrant Colors. This is not just an exhibition; it is a gateway to the temple of art, inviting you to explore the magnificent world hidden within the hearts of the artists..."

Zoe disregarded this flowery language as irrelevant.

Instead, she focused on the more useful and valuable information provided on the website.

For example, aside from the master artist exhibition booths, the Hamilton Academy of Fine Arts had also supported a large number of student booths for the event.

The master booths, numbered 1-20, were located on the first floor of the Bartolomeo Art Center. These featured masterpieces from prominent artists around the world.

This was the core of the exhibition, showcasing carefully selected works from famous painters. Every piece had been pre-screened to ensure authenticity, quality and thematic coherence, while also considering diversity to attract a wide range of audiences.

While not every painting could be worth millions, many were priced in the tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand USD.

The second floor held booths numbered 20 to 200. These booths were smaller and more crowded than the master booths on the first floor, with each booth hosting works from outstanding students of Hamilton Academy of Fine Arts, as well as contributions from artists from across the country who had achieved notable success in their fields.

There was no hierarchy in the order of these booths.

Further out, beyond the main exhibition area, there was a section for promotional posters.

Here, numerous staff members were selling merchandise related to the event, mainly the exhibition catalogs featuring thumbnails of the various artworks.

Zoe continued browsing the information provided on the website.

She then found and compared the venue's original public layout plans with the booth distribution diagram provided on the website. After pondering for some time, she arrived at a conclusion.

According to the layout, the booth number 72, which Amigo had mentioned, was located in the southeastern corner of the second floor, slightly toward the south.

She could consider entering through the north or west entrance on the first floor, and, without going upstairs, she would try to stay as far as possible from the second floor, gradually sensing the layout of the southeastern corner from a distance.

Alternatively, she could skip entering the venue altogether.

By using her perception from outside, in the southeast corner of the Bartolomeo Art Center, she could try to detect the general layout of booth 72 from a distance, utilizing her Transparent World perception through the walls.

This would certainly be safer.

However, after checking the surrounding terrain on a map of Bartolomeo Art Center, she quickly dismissed this idea.

There was a large artificial lake surrounding the southeastern corner of the venue. With such a large expanse of water between her and the building, her perception range would likely be reduced to only a few dozen meters, leaving little room for action.

While she could take a sightseeing boat on the lake, it wouldn't be ideal for handling any unforeseen situations.

Considering the limitations of her perception range, along with the practicality and safety of her movements, Zoe thought deeply.

After much deliberation, she finally came up with a rough plan for tomorrow's route to the booth.

Entering through the north entrance seemed to be the best option. She would avoid going upstairs and, while pretending to appreciate the masterworks on the first floor, she would gradually try to sense the southeastern corner of the second floor.

If even this could be detected, then...

With over a thousand people present and the direct distance between her and booth 72 being over two hundred meters, not to mention the extra distance caused by the floor in between, she was confident she could make a quick getaway.

Having already assessed the surrounding traffic and building structure, she had figured out a fairly feasible escape route.

After thinking it over, confident that there were no flaws in her plan, Zoe was about to purchase her ticket on the website when she suddenly realized something.

The Hamilton authorities had started preparing for this event over three months ago, and public ticket sales had begun a month ago.

Then…

Would Benny miss it?

Zoe couldn't believe that Benny would be able to resist attending such an event.

This was a major exhibition featuring many valuable artworks, and it wasn't far from here.

Even if Benny wasn’t itching to return to his old profession, his nature would undoubtedly compel him to at least take a look. After all, if he couldn’t eat pork, wouldn’t he still want to observe the pigs running by?

After pondering this, Zoe focused her attention on the neighboring room, increasing her awareness of Benny’s activities.

She found that Benny was already sound asleep.

It seemed that the afternoon's shopping date had drained too much of his energy, and even the infamous con artist—who had lived comfortably despite being wanted across multiple countries—couldn’t avoid the exhaustion that led him to fall into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, Zoe didn’t say much. Since Benny was asleep, there was no need to disturb him. After all, she wasn’t some demon who would gleefully announce, "Benny is still awake."

Instead, she simply opened her computer and began working on her writing for the day.

Her new book was set to be released on the 10th. While she didn’t expect to make much money from it, she was determined to fulfill her earlier boast of becoming a successful author.

So, as promised to her editor, Lucas, the 500,000 words of her latest work would be released without delay—more, not less.

...

February 26th arrived.

The Thursday of this day was a holiday because of the Carnival based on Christian liturgical calendar. The art exhibition at the Bartolomeo Art Center would run from today until the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.

...

7:00 AM.

Zoe didn’t go for a morning workout, nor did she go shopping.

Compared to those, she had more important matters to attend to.

She directly knocked on the door of the Benny's residence.

Through her keen perception, Zoe noticed that Benny was currently wearing an extravagant suit and was meticulously adjusting the collar and sleeves in front of the mirror.

After hearing the knock, Benny leisurely walked over to open the door.

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never... pass into nothingness. Good morning!” Benny lazily leaned against the door frame and waved at Zoe. He was clearly excited and looking forward to what he had planned for the day.

He recited a famous saying he often repeated after falling in love, though Zoe hadn't heard it before today. It was probably something Benny had made up himself.

“Good morning. On this beautiful morning, may the first rays of sunlight bring you infinite hope and energy. No matter what happened yesterday, today is a brand-new beginning, full of endless possibilities.”

Zoe smiled and nodded in response.

No one understood how to greet others better than she did, someone who listened to traffic broadcasts every day. She could effortlessly spout out a variety of greetings like "Good morning," "Good afternoon," and "Good evening."

Even now, the traffic broadcast’s repetitive content continued to play in her ear: Currently, the main roads of the city are clear. During the morning rush hour, please be aware of the following potential congestion points: XX intersection is slightly congested due to ongoing construction. Please plan your routes accordingly and drive with patience...

Zoe had become so accustomed to the background noise of traffic broadcasts that she hardly noticed it anymore.

“Why are you so excited today? Planning to attend the art exhibition at the Bartolomeo Art Center?” Zoe asked with a smile, getting straight to the point.

Benny was slightly surprised and looked at Zoe. “How did you know?”

He was indeed planning to go to the exhibition.

Since his “retirement,” after secretly donating some lost national treasures back to the country, Benny only had a few remaining pieces of art to amuse himself with, the rest of his collection hidden across the globe.

To ensure a peaceful retirement, he had deliberately kept a distance from art and museums. However, when choosing a retirement location, he couldn’t resist settling in the historically rich and culturally deep region of Hamilton.

The closest he had come to art in recent years was when he dragged Zoe to the Tomb of Ancient Royals Scenic Area to look at some exhibits there.

Since he had reluctantly accepted his girlfriend after some persuasion from Zoe, Benny had started living more freely and cautiously.

Now, with an event he had been following for some time, he was eager to attend.

Benny knew that Zoe wouldn't be going home to pay respects to her family, unlike Lynette and Dahlia. After all, going home would cost a lot of money and effort, especially since Zoe had just been back recently.

So, Benny decided to invite her to join him at the exhibition.

But just as he was about to ask, Zoe had already guessed it.

“Don’t ask me how I knew.”

“You going as an internationally renowned con artist? Or a criminal wanted by multiple countries for art forgery?” Zoe couldn't help but glance at Benny and tease.

If a con artist like him went in, wouldn’t it be like a rat falling into a warehouse?

If even one painting went missing at the exhibition, Zoe wouldn’t hesitate to suspect Benny. In fact, Benny himself might even wonder if he had stolen something without realizing it. After all, his skills were so good that it was almost like automatic pickpocketing.

“Ahem, what are you saying?” Benny cleared his throat, straightened his back, and showed a smug expression.

He then pulled out an invitation letter from his pocket and handed it to Zoe with a grin.

——————

[Exhibition: Vibrant Colors]

Organizer: Official and Hamilton Academy of Fine Arts

Location: Bartolomeo Art Center

City, Postal Code, Phone, Email, Website

Dear Esteemed Person,

In this season of artistic blossoming, we sincerely invite you to attend the "A Colorful Colors of Art" exhibition, hosted by the Official and Hamilton Academy of Fine Arts.

Your professional insight and profound art appreciation are highly regarded in the industry, and we are confident that your participation will bring immense brilliance to this exhibition.

We have specially arranged for thematic lectures, artist dialogues, and guided tours of the works. We look forward to your presence, where you can share your valuable insights and unique perspectives with numerous art enthusiasts and professionals. Your participation will not only recognize the artists exhibiting but will also make a significant contribution to promoting art exchange and elevating appreciation standards.

To ensure your comfortable experience, please confirm your attendance by February 26th through the provided contact details.

——————

“Now, I’m a professional art connoisseur.”

Benny said, politely taking off his hat and bowing with a flourish.

Though the gesture appeared gentlemanly, it was hard to shake the feeling it was just a bit too showy.

“You’re an invited expert?”

Zoe stared at the invitation for a moment, then looked up at Benny’s smug face.

She wasn’t surprised by Benny’s methods—getting a fake identity and invitation was nothing unusual for him.

She also had no doubt about Benny’s expertise in art appreciation. After all, if his knowledge weren’t up to par, how could he possibly forge art as his main playing field?

But still... this was a bit odd.

An art thief invited as a guest to an art exhibition, tasked with appreciating and commenting on the very artwork on display?

It was almost like the world had turned upside down.

Zoe couldn't help but want to make a sarcastic comment.

“Doesn’t it look like it?” Benny raised an eyebrow smugly and continued, “Are you coming too? I can bring one more person along.”

“Sure, I’m free and bored at home anyway.”

Zoe nodded thoughtfully, acting as if she needed to consider it for a moment.

But in truth, she had already made up her mind.

Going with an art expert would allow her to casually roam the exhibition and look at the artworks without attracting suspicion. It would be the perfect cover.