Just recently, Ouyang Wan saw a news report about a farmer in Northeast China who desperately needed money. He sold his ancestral tiger skin for 10,000 yuan, and the buyer then resold it to another person for 40,000 yuan.
The person who ultimately bought the tiger skin was a smuggler. After acquiring the tiger skin, he contacted a Hong Kong businessman and agreed on a price of 1.5 million RMB. However, the tiger skin was discovered at customs, and all three people, including the farmer, were arrested and sentenced.
Ouyang Wan was afraid that her son would rely on his family's power to do something illegal, which is why she asked that question.
"Mom, don't worry, every penny of your son's money is clean and honest. He hasn't taken advantage of the country at all. This tiger skin was a gift from Xuanbing's relatives in Myanmar. He'll be coming for my engagement after the New Year, and we'll take care of the customs clearance then..."
Seeing his mother's worry, Zhuang Rui quickly explained the origin of the tiger skin. In fact, he hadn't taken advantage of the country at all; the value of those three tons of gold was enough to buy these hundreds of tiger skins.
"That's good. But Xiao Rui, Mom's health is fine, I don't need this. I think you should give it to Grandpa. Your grandpa always talks about how he fought a tiger when he was young, but he forgot to keep the tiger skin..."
Ouyang Wan rubbed the tiger skin for a while before deciding to give it to her father. However, since it was her son's gesture, she wanted his consent.
Zhuang Rui smiled and said, "Mom, when Brother Hu comes to China again, he'll bring a tiger skin. That's the one for Grandpa, so don't worry about it. Just make sure you cover yourself with it tonight..."
Zhuang Rui then guessed Hu Rong's intentions; it turned out that he wanted to personally deliver the tiger skin to his grandfather.
Chapter 520 Commission
"Hey Wood, what's up? I was sleeping soundly. Spit it out, I'm going to catch up on my nap later. Oh, and ask Godmother to make some chicken soup for lunch, I need to nourish myself..."
As soon as Zhuang Rui stepped into the gatehouse, he heard Liu Chuan complaining. This guy felt that he had been bravely injured yesterday, so he made a lot of unreasonable demands.
"Alright, it's just a tiny cut, putting a band-aid on it would be a waste. If you're sleepy, go back to sleep, we'll split the money here..."
Zhuang Rui glanced outside the door, then closed it tightly. There was only one sofa in the doorman's room, and Liu Chuan had taken up half of it. Zhuang Rui pushed him aside before sitting down himself.
"Divide the money?"
Liu Chuan's eyes lit up, but then he thought about how the gold was either left in Myanmar or on the helicopter yesterday, so there was no way he could get any money. He couldn't help but say, "What money? You gave all that gold away. Luckily, I still had a piece in my pocket..."
As Liu Chuan spoke, he proudly pulled a gold brick from his pocket, leaving Zhuang Rui, who was standing next to him, dumbfounded. This guy was really something, having already put one in his pocket.
"Alright, go to sleep, this is none of your business..."
Zhuang Rui gave Liu Chuan a disdainful look. This guy had only made things worse yesterday, and even managed to sneak a piece of gold. Even Zhuang Rui hadn't thought of that. Now that he thought about it, it wouldn't be bad to bring back a few pieces to play with. The bright orange gold was quite pleasing to the eye, as long as he didn't have to move it himself.
"Do you care about my few coins? I'll be the Tibetan Mastiff King soon, Brother Zhou, let's head back to Pengcheng this afternoon..."
Liu Chuan pursed his lips. He was indeed worried about the Tibetan Mastiff kennel. Although Rinchen Tsomu from Tibet had been staying there for the past two months, the days around the Lunar New Year were the time when the female mastiffs would give birth. These unborn little ones were Liu Chuan's lifeblood, and he was really not at ease about them.
Zhuang Rui ignored Liu Chuan, that clown, and looked at Zhou Rui and Hao Long, saying, "Brother Zhou, Brother Hao, and Peng Fei, I'm sorry to have troubled you guys with this trip to Myanmar. I have other uses for that gold, so here's what I'll give you: 1 million RMB each as payment for hiring you..."
Zhuang Rui knew that even if he didn't pay them, Peng Fei and the others wouldn't be able to say anything. After all, he was paying them wages, so they should be working for him. Besides, he had obtained the treasure map, so it had little to do with them.
However, if he didn't give them a single cent, Zhuang Rui couldn't guarantee that Hao Long and the others wouldn't feel resentful, after all, it was a sum of gold worth over a billion. So, he lay in bed thinking about it yesterday and decided on the amount of one million per person.
For ordinary people, 1 million RMB is an astronomical figure. Based on the current consumption and average wages in 2005, the average person only earns 1,500 to 1,600 RMB a month. It would take them seventy or eighty years of hard work without eating or drinking to earn 1 million RMB.
Zhuang Rui gave each of them 1 million, which meant he would have to spend 3 million RMB (not including Liu Chuan's, who just stubbornly insisted on coming along). Even hiring a mercenary force wouldn't cost that much, so Zhuang Rui's offer was already very generous.
Zhuang Rui currently has over 16 million RMB. After settling the matter of the Myanmar jade mine, he no longer needs large sums of money for expenses, so he has plenty of funds. Giving a few million RMB to a few people is no problem at all.
As soon as Zhuang Rui said this, the room fell silent. Liu Chuan and Zhou Rui's expressions remained relatively calm, but Peng Fei and Hao Long's breathing suddenly became heavy.
Peng Fei and Hao Long were not people who had never seen money before. Back when they were cracking down on smuggling and drug trafficking on the border, the amount of money they seized often reached several million yuan, not to mention the priceless drugs. However, it should be noted that the money did not belong to them, and they never thought of obtaining it through illegal means.
However, the 1 million yuan that Zhuang Rui mentioned was not obtained through fraud, deception, theft, or robbery. They could take the money with peace of mind and use it with peace of mind.
There are no saints in this world, and no one dislikes money. Peng Fei and Hao Long had never imagined they could possess such a huge fortune, and for a moment they were both at a loss. The room fell silent.
"Zhuang Rui, I don't need this money. The shares you gave me are worth more than this. I'm living a good life now and don't need this money..."
Zhou Rui's calm voice broke the silence in the room. He refused Zhuang Rui's commission. For him, everything he had now was given to him by Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan. Zhou Rui had no reason to accept the money. If he did, he would despise himself.
"Brother Zhou, this..."
"No need to say anything more, or I'll be disrespecting your brother Zhou. Let's leave it at that. Da Chuan and I will go pack up; we have to catch the train back this afternoon..."
Zhou Rui waved his hand to interrupt Zhuang Rui, pulled Liu Chuan along, and the two left the room. He didn't want to embarrass Peng Fei and Hao Long. He had refused the money because he wasn't short of cash, but the two men were in different situations. Although Zhou Rui and Peng Fei were very close, he didn't want to influence Peng Fei's decision.
Given the close relationship between Liu Chuan and Zhuang Rui, it couldn't be measured in money at all. Zhuang Rui hadn't even planned to give it to him in the first place. This kid was already grinning from ear to ear for getting a gold brick.
"Boss, I can't accept this money!"
As Hao Long spoke, his throat moved slightly, as if he were swallowing with great effort. However, once the words were out, Hao Long seemed to relax completely.
Before Zhuang Rui could speak, Hao Long continued, "Boss Zhuang, the wages you pay us are already quite high considering the cost of living in Beijing. It's more than what the average white-collar worker earns. Going on a mission with you is within my job scope, so I can't take this money..."
Hao Long also had his own considerations. Taking this 1 million RMB could be considered a windfall, but he couldn't guarantee that he would still have such a good mindset to continue working for Zhuang Rui.
As for the outside world, Hao Long didn't know what he could do. He had a feeling that taking this 1 million yuan was not a good thing for him.
Zhuang Rui nodded, turned to Peng Fei, and said, "Peng Fei, what are your plans?"
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Peng Fei shrugged and said, "Brother Zhuang, I don't have any grand ambitions. My only concern is my little sister. She's doing very well here, and I don't have any other interests. Too much money is a burden, so I'd better not take it..."
Peng Fei was much more meticulous than Hao Long. He knew that as long as he followed Zhuang Rui, money was not that important. After all, if he needed money, would Zhuang Rui just sit idly by? Once he understood this, Peng Fei became indifferent to the 1 million.
"You brat, getting married and finding a wife isn't your priority? Brother Hao, you're a bit older than me, it's about time you settled down. You can't do it without money..."
"Boss, I don't know what to do at home, I just want to keep working here with you..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Hao Long became anxious, thinking that Zhuang Rui didn't want him to continue working.
"Brother Hao, I didn't say you had to leave, but you can't stay single forever while you're working for me, can you?"
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this. He was very satisfied with Hao Long and Peng Fei's reactions. If it were when he was so poor that he only had a few coins left in his pocket, he couldn't guarantee that he could resist such temptation.
"Here's what we'll do, Brother Hao. The New Year is coming soon. Take 200,000 yuan home for the holiday; consider it a gift for your parents. I'll save the other 800,000 yuan for you. If you ever need money in the future, just let me know..."
"Thank you, boss!"
Hao Long nodded heavily in agreement. He would naturally support his parents, and with this 200,000 yuan, he could renovate their house in the countryside and his parents wouldn't have to work so hard anymore. Hao Long had no reason to refuse Zhuang Rui's kindness.
Seeing that Hao Long agreed, Zhuang Rui then said to Peng Fei, "You also get 200,000. Keep the rest with me. You and Zhang Qian can discuss when to hold the wedding. I'll give the remaining 800,000 to Zhang Qian for safekeeping..."
With this matter resolved, Zhuang Rui felt relieved. Although the emotional bonds between people are not maintained by money, lending a helping hand when others are in trouble will surely make Hao Long and Peng Fei treat this mansion as their own home in the future.
In the afternoon, Peng Fei saw Zhou Rui and Liu Chuan off, while Zhuang Rui took a taxi to visit Professor Meng. Although the preliminary exam for graduate school was over, there would still be an interview later, so it would certainly be beneficial to interact more with the professor.
After listening to Professor Meng's lecture and bribing Meng Qiuqian's clever maid with a string of pearl flowers, Zhuang Rui left Professor Meng's house and rushed to Uncle Gu's residence.
It just so happened that Gu Yun was also at his father's house, so Zhuang Rui stayed there for dinner that night. He gave the tiger bones he brought to Gu Yun so that he could use them to make medicinal wine. This kind of wine is very good for the bones and muscles of the elderly.
However, after Gu Yun heard that Zhuang Rui still had a tiger whip, he immediately pulled Zhuang Rui to a secluded place and secretly knocked one out of his hand. If it weren't for the late hour, Gu Yun would have gone home with Zhuang Rui to get it.
Gu Yun's actions made Zhuang Rui more vigilant. He knew quite a few middle-aged men, and he didn't want to end up with them all being taken. Tiger penis was something that money couldn't buy anywhere.
Chapter 521 CCTV Scandal (Part 1)
Hello, who is this?
Yesterday, Gu Yun made him drink too many cups. Zhuang Rui was still a little dizzy. He vaguely heard the phone on the bedside table ring, but without looking at the number, he pressed the answer button.
"Hey, Brother Zhuang, you promised me yesterday that you'd be here for the recording today, so why haven't I seen you yet?"
Jin Pangzi's voice came through the phone, his somewhat exasperated tone startling Zhuang Rui awake.
"Oh dear, Teacher Jin, look at this! I had a couple of drinks yesterday, how could I have forgotten about this? I'm so sorry, I really apologize. If there's a suitable person, could someone else fill in for me first?"
Zhuang Rui had completely forgotten about it. In his view, these so-called Spring Festival special programs were just for entertaining the audience and making people happy during the Spring Festival. Zhuang Rui wasn't an actor and had no obligation to do so, so he didn't take it to heart.
"That won't do. The list was submitted to the production team yesterday. Besides, where am I supposed to find people in such a short time? Alright, that's enough. Brother Zhuang, please come quickly. I'm begging you..."
When Jin Pangzi heard what Zhuang Rui said, he felt extremely frustrated. There are at least a million people in the country engaged in the performing arts, and they all try their best to squeeze into CCTV's Spring Festival program slot. He didn't expect this guy to not take it seriously at all and forget such an important thing.
"Okay... I'll head over right away..."
Zhuang Rui sounded somewhat reluctant on the phone. After hanging up, Fatty Jin breathed on his almost frozen hands, stomped his feet, and gave a wry smile.
It wasn't that Fatty Jin wanted to freeze outside, but he was afraid that Zhuang Rui would turn around and run away if he couldn't get in, because the access pass he had issued for Zhuang Rui was still in his pocket. During this period, the entire CCTV building was under martial law by the armed police, and the difficulty of getting in and out was comparable to that of Zhongnanhai.
After hanging up the phone, Zhuang Rui vaguely remembered receiving a call from Fatty Jin yesterday while drinking at Uncle Gu's house, informing him to arrive at the CCTV film crew at seven o'clock.
Zhuang Rui drew back the curtains and discovered that the outside world had turned completely white. It turned out that it was snowing. As the saying goes, a timely snow promises a good harvest. If the snow could last until the New Year, it would be even more festive.
Zhuang Rui glanced at the alarm clock by his bedside; it was only 7:20. He slapped his forehead and quickly got up to wash up. After all, he had agreed to this yesterday in order to get rid of them.
"Xiao Rui, why are you up so early? Are you going out again?"
Zhuang Rui was brushing his teeth in the bathroom when his mother pushed open the door.
Zhuang Rui, with a toothbrush in his mouth, mumbled, "Mom, I'm going to do something really important. I'm going to be on CCTV. You'll see me on TV in a couple of days..."
"Mom didn't ask you about this. Another girl came to see you. I said you should settle down. This girl seems nice to me. Don't go around messing around with her..."
"Girl? Is that Officer Miao? No, don't worry, she's my buddy..."
Zhuang Rui hastily wiped his face with a towel and came out of the bathroom. He had just realized that he didn't know which way the main gate of CCTV was. Now that Miao Feifei was coming, it would save Peng Fei the trouble of taking her there.
"This child, he's always talking nonsense..."
Zhuang's mother looked at her son helplessly. As the saying goes, a son is no longer under his mother's control when he grows up. She could no longer discipline him by pulling his ear like she did when he was a child.
"Peng Fei, you two got up pretty early..."
When Zhuang Rui arrived at the Intermediate Courtyard, he saw Peng Fei shoveling snow from the ground. It had snowed all night and the snow was almost knee-deep. Zhang Qian, along with Ya Ya and Nan Nan, were building a snowman behind Peng Fei.
"Brother Zhuang, where are you going? Let me give you a ride..."
Peng Fei was only wearing a fleece jacket issued by the army and was sweating profusely. When he saw Zhuang Rui dressed neatly and coming out, he knew that Zhuang Rui must be going out, so he quickly stuck the shovel in his hand into the snow on the side of the road.
"No need, you go ahead with your work. Wear more clothes so you don't catch a cold. It's the New Year, and you should visit Zhang Qian's family later..."
Zhuang Rui waved his hand. Zhang Qian was a nice girl, not very talkative, but very hardworking. When she had nothing to do, she would snuggle up to Peng Fei. She and Peng Fei had long been at the point of discussing marriage, so she often stayed here.
As they were talking, Officer Miao came out of the main room. Today, Miao Feifei was not wearing her police uniform, but a red fur coat. Combined with her pale face from the cold, she looked even more charming and radiant.
"Officer Miao, are you driving? I don't know the way..."
Zhuang Rui sighed inwardly. Miao Feifei had come to his door several times already. Although Xuan Bing knew he had this friend, there was no guarantee she wouldn't think of other things. This was truly a headache.
In 2005, the CCTV building was still located near the Military Museum in Haidian District, not far from Zhuang Rui's home. Sitting in Miao Feifei's Ferrari, they arrived at the location in about ten minutes, only to be stopped by the armed police outside when they entered.
"Brother Zhuang, oh, you've finally arrived. Hurry up and come inside, you still need to change your clothes..."
Jin Pangzi, who had been standing guard with the armed police in the snow for almost half an hour, saw Zhuang Rui get out of the car and his eyes lit up like Yang Bailao seeing Xi'er. He put the access pass around Zhuang Rui's neck, grabbed Zhuang Rui, and pulled him into the building.
Zhuang Rui stood there without moving and said, "No, Teacher Jin. I have a friend here too, she just came to hang out..."