"Brother Huangfu, please send the relevant information about this auction to my email address so I can make a selection..."
After thinking for a while, Zhuang Rui decided to bid on some items selectively, to see what was up for auction.
After giving his email address to Huangfu Yun, Zhuang Rui hung up the phone and sat on the bed to think.
Currently, I only have about 60 million RMB at my disposal, which is just over 6 million Euros. Considering the prices of European and American artworks, that's probably only enough to buy one-tenth of a Picasso or Van Gogh painting.
Although the craze for Chinese cultural relics has only emerged in recent years, the prices have risen dramatically due to the involvement of international speculators and the behind-the-scenes manipulation of auction houses. With Zhuang Rui's limited funds, he really has no confidence that he can definitely bid on any items.
"Honey, are you short on money? How about I ask Daddy to lend you some?"
Qin Xuanbing pulled back the covers and sat down next to Zhuang Rui. She knew that after buying the private jet, Zhuang Rui didn't have much money left. Of course, for ordinary people, it was still an astronomical sum.
"No need, Xuanbing, I'm just going to take a look, I might not even buy anything..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. That old woman from over a hundred years ago was so useless, why should he pay for her? Besides, those international art speculators would love for more people like Zhuang Rui to participate in auctions, so that the value of Chinese art would be driven up again.
Compared to domestic prices, international prices for cultural relics are much higher, largely due to the actions of these behind-the-scenes speculators.
As a result, some domestic antique dealers, in order to make huge profits, have tried every means to smuggle large quantities of cultural relics abroad. Yu, the boss in Shaanxi, is just one of these people. Although his criminal gang has been destroyed, domestic law enforcement agencies are powerless to reach the suppliers of cultural relics overseas.
Having figured this out, Zhuang Rui felt enlightened. Since he was going to Europe anyway, he might as well treat it as a chance to see what a top international auction was like. As for whether he would buy anything, he would see how things went. If he found any treasures that foreigners didn't recognize, Zhuang Rui wouldn't mind making a purchase.
"Zhuang Rui, it's not like I'm not going to pay you back, why are you unwilling to lend me some money..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui rejected her suggestion, Qin Xuanbing pouted, which made her feel that Zhuang Rui did not consider the Qin family as one of his own.
Seeing Qin Xuanbing's expression, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but laugh. He put his arm around Qin Xuanbing and said, "Xuanbing, you're overthinking it. I just don't want anyone to maliciously hype up Chinese cultural relics. It's like a robber stealing things from your house and then demanding that you pay ten or even a hundred times the price to get them back. Would you be happy about that?"
Qin Xuanbing didn't know much about modern Chinese history, and nodded as if she understood, but that was enough for her as long as she knew Zhuang Rui wasn't a stranger to her. ...
Nothing happened that night. The next day, accompanied by Qin Haoran, Zhuang Rui first picked up Peng Fei and his group from the hotel, and then drove directly to Hong Kong Airport, where people from Raytheon Company were waiting.
The aircraft is registered in Hong Kong, and all the necessary procedures for its operation have been completed. Once Zhuang Rui signs off, the deal will be finalized, and it can be flown back to Beijing immediately.
"Wow, Zhuang Rui, that plane is called... Xuan Rui?"
After the car entered the airport, it stopped in front of a small to medium-sized plane. As soon as Qin Xuanbing got out of the car, she was attracted by the three words on the silver-colored plane.
"Yes, let's call it Xuanrui!"
Zhuang Rui hadn't told Qin Xuanbing the name of the plane, wanting to surprise her. Seeing Qin Xuanbing covering her mouth with joy, her eyes already brimming with tears, Zhuang Rui gently put his arm around Qin Xuanbing's shoulder.
"Zhuang Rui, thank you..."
Qin Xuanbing, who has always been quite traditional in public, suddenly raised her head and kissed Zhuang Rui.
If he wasn't afraid of his own woman, what was Zhuang Rui, this grown man, afraid of? He immediately opened his mouth and kissed her. They hadn't even arrived in the romantic city of Paris yet, and the two had already shared a passionate kiss in public.
"Cough...cough cough..."
Qin Haoran couldn't stand it anymore. Damn it, this brat hasn't even married his daughter yet, and he's already acting so presumptuously in front of his father-in-law. However, Qin Haoran forgot that it was his daughter who took the initiative just now.
"Uh, what are you looking at us for? Go do what you're supposed to be doing..."
After Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing's passionate kiss was interrupted by his father-in-law, they realized that they had become a spectacle for each other.
Not only were the flight crew staring at them, but several foreigners from Raytheon were also watching them intently. They were immediately furious and waved for the flight crew to begin receiving the aircraft and checking the data.
“Oh, dear Zhuang, you’re even more enthusiastic than us Americans… uh, that kind of libertine…”
Tom, who had successfully completed the deal, was also present. To demonstrate his good relationship with the young Asian tycoon, Tom muttered nonsensical idioms while preparing to hug Zhuang Rui.
"Damn it, if you can't talk, then don't talk, get out of here..."
Zhuang Rui shoved Tom aside impatiently and shouted at the crew members, "What are you all standing there for? Go check the information they provided and get on the plane to inspect it..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui was serious, everyone held back their laughter. The staff of Raytheon Company cooperated with Zhuang Rui's crew to start work. In fact, these tasks had already been completed a few days ago, and this was just routine work.
Only now did Zhuang Rui have time to observe the private jet that now belonged to him. Holding Qin Xuanbing's hand, the two of them walked around the plane.
The fuselage of this silver-gray Hawker 400 uses the latest composite materials, making it lighter. Its unique 450-knot high-speed cruise and unique swept-wing design make it faster than similar products.
The three Chinese characters on the sleek fuselage were particularly eye-catching. Many passengers walking across the boarding bridge looked at Zhuang Rui's private jet with envy, especially some Chinese tourists who started to speculate after seeing the three characters.
"Xuanbing, go up and take a look..."
Given the altitude of this aircraft, there is naturally no need for a jet bridge. There is an automatic spiral staircase at the cabin door, and it only takes three to five steps to enter the cabin.
Stepping into the cabin, the aisle is not as spacious as that of a regular civilian airliner, but the interior decoration is extremely luxurious.
The cabin layout is a standard 8-seat configuration, equipped with double club-style leather executive seats, which are quite spacious. The four seats at the back can be folded down and connected together to form a bed for guests to rest. Various kinds of foreign wines are placed on a small table in the middle of the seats.
Zhuang Rui estimated that the cabin was about 7 meters long, about 2 meters wide, and over 1.8 meters high. Presumably, the person who ordered this plane was also tall.
Zhuang Rui agreed to buy the plane for two reasons: firstly, it was time-saving and inexpensive; secondly, he was attracted by the cabin's height, which meant he wouldn't have to bend over to get in.
"Dear Mr. Zhuang, this is a specialty red wine from Massachusetts, USA, specially presented to our esteemed client by our company..."
Tom, who was following behind Zhuang Rui, introduced the foreign liquors to Zhuang Rui.
"Tom, thank you for your kind offer, but we're buying an airplane, aren't we?"
Zhuang Rui curled his lip. He had never even heard of Massachusetts specialty wine. Who knew if it was some kind of famous Chinese liquor like "Erguotou"? It cost 3.2 yuan a bottle, and you could buy a whole case for a few dozen yuan.
"Of course, our plane is the best, Zhuang. To travel in such a plane, sipping red wine, is such an intoxicating experience..."
Tom was interrupted by Zhuang Rui, but he showed no impatience and continued to explain the airplane to Zhuang Rui.
At the rear of the cabin are luxuriously furnished restrooms and sinks, with bright glass and carpeted floors that make you feel like you're not on an airplane.
After inspecting the rear cabin, Zhuang Rui went to the cockpit. This Hawker model has two pilot seats, meaning it requires a captain and a co-pilot. At this moment, He Shuang, a pilot from the military, and Ding Hao, who was recruited from the civil aviation industry, were familiarizing themselves with the control panel under the guidance of the other pilot.
"Old He, how's it going? Is it any good?"
Zhuang Rui looked at the four LCD screens and the dense array of electronic switches, and his head started to ache. These things were too complicated. Zhuang Rui was a little unsure about the two pilots. One of them had flown fighter jets before, while the other had flown large aircraft. He wondered if they could handle this one.
"Tch, Brother Zhuang, do you know what a point-and-shoot camera is? This operating system is similar to a point-and-shoot camera; I could open it right away..."
Before He Shuang could reply, Peng Fei, who was standing to the side, curled his lip. To be honest, he really knew how to fly this plane. Although his previous training was not comparable to that of Bond or 007, he could still handle the basics of piloting a plane.
Of course, if Peng Fei were to fly, Zhuang Rui would absolutely refuse to get on the plane; a helicopter would be more likely.
"Mr. Zhuang, no problem. This aircraft is very easy to operate. Both the manual and automatic navigation systems are advanced, making it much easier to fly than fighter jets and transport planes..."
He Shuang knew a little about Peng Fei's past identity, but didn't mind what Peng Fei said. He joked with Zhuang Rui, saying that he was very satisfied with his current job. His wife and children were now living in an apartment provided by Zhuang Rui in Beijing, and the school had been arranged for them, so he had no worries.
Most importantly, He Shuang knew that private jets were not widely used in China, giving him plenty of time to spend with his wife and daughters and make up for the years he couldn't take care of his family while serving in the military.
"That's good, that's good..."
With the experts speaking, Zhuang Rui naturally couldn't show distrust. He circled the cockpit and returned to the cabin, where he found the two flight attendants in their uniforms quite pleasing to the eye.
Chapter 623 Reception (4)
One of the flight attendants, Tianya, is two years older than Zhuang Rui and has already reached the supervisor level at the airline.
Actually, if she worked a little harder each month and flew more flights, Tianya's monthly income would be about the same as what Zhuang Rui offered. The reason she agreed to switch jobs was because she valued the more flexible schedule offered by private jets.
The other girl, Liuli, was in a similar situation to Tianya. She had just gotten married and wanted more time to relax, since serving a few people on a private jet was easier than dealing with so many guests on a regular flight.
Moreover, not only He Shuang knew this, but they all understood that private jets are currently used very little in China. They might be busy at times, but for 11 months of the year, they are basically idle.
Liuli and Tianya were quite satisfied with their new work environment, and they weren't afraid of being harassed by their boss, because the boss's wife was always with them, so the harassment they experienced at the airline wouldn't happen.
"Dear Zhuang, how is it? Are you satisfied with this plane?"
After Zhuang Rui got off the plane, Tom immediately came over. There were still some documents that Zhuang Rui needed to sign before the transaction would be considered complete.
For the first time today, Zhuang Rui smiled, nodded, and said, "Tom, I'm very satisfied, but I hope your company's after-sales service will be as you promised..."
In fact, when Zhuang Rui first saw the plane, he already felt that the huge sum of money spent was worthwhile. The silver eagle-like curves and colors greatly satisfied Zhuang Rui's fantasy of flying.
Tom winked at Zhuang Rui and whispered, "Dear Zhuang, don't worry, we have an office in Hong Kong, and in the near future, perhaps one will be in Beijing too. You might even see me there..."
Tom has already received word that the company is planning to set up an office in Beijing. Although no specific person in charge has been chosen yet, Tom, who is fluent in Chinese, is definitely on the list of candidates.
After taking the documents from Tom, Zhuang Rui glanced at them and signed his name. Thus, the nearly 100 million yuan transaction was officially completed.
"Zhuang, this is our company's VIP card. Please accept it. On behalf of Thor Corporation, I would like to invite you to visit our company at a suitable time. The phone number on the card is available 24 hours a day. Just give me the card number when you arrive..."
After Zhuang Rui signed the document, Tom solemnly handed him a card. This was actually one of their marketing tactics, because 40% of their customers who visited the company ended up buying a second Raytheon private jet. Of course, the performance of the second jet was better than the first one, and the price was naturally higher.
Zhuang Rui took the card. At this time, the pilot from Thor Corporation had also completed the handover with He Shuang and the others, and the group said goodbye and left.
Co-pilot Ding Hao leaned out of the cabin and said to Zhuang Rui, "Mr. Zhuang, the flight route to Beijing has been approved, and we can take off in half an hour..."
Air travel restrictions in Hong Kong are far less stringent than in mainland China. As long as there are open routes, you can take off at any time. Of course, using the airport runway also requires paying a considerable fee.
"Dad, let's go back to Beijing first, and then head straight to London in a few days..."
Zhuang Rui turned around and bid farewell to Qin Haoran. He felt a little unworthy of the father-in-law seeing off his son-in-law.
"Okay, go ahead, have a safe journey!"
Qin Haoran patted Zhuang Rui on the shoulder. He felt quite gratified to be entrusting his daughter to such a talented young man. When Zhuang Rui was his age, he was still squandering his grandfather's money, chasing after luxury cars and beautiful women. Of course, Qin Haoran wasn't married then either. ...
After Zhuang Rui and Qin Xuanbing boarded the plane, they waited for about half an hour before He Shuang's voice rang out in the cabin, informing Zhuang Rui that they were about to take off.
The plane slowly accelerated on the runway. Looking at the scenery rushing past the window, Zhuang Rui felt a lightness in his body. The plane had already left the runway and taken off, while the scenery on the ground was gradually getting smaller.
Unlike large passenger planes, this Hawker business jet is not very loud during takeoff, and there is no ear-swelling sensation.
"Mr. Zhuang, we have now reached an altitude of 12,000 meters and activated the automatic navigation system. The current speed is 850 kilometers per hour. We are expected to arrive at Beijing Airport in three hours..."
After entering high altitude, the plane became stable. At least Zhuang Rui felt that it was not much different from flying on a large passenger plane. Looking at the white clouds outside the window, Zhuang Rui was slightly excited. This was his own plane, and he was the owner of this plane!
Peng Fei felt quite pleased with himself. He paced around the cabin a few times and said, "Brother Zhuang, this plane is much better than a transport plane. It's great; you got your money's worth..."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui glared at Peng Fei with annoyance and said with a laugh, "Get lost, kid. You're only destined to ride a transport plane. Do you think I'd waste my money to suffer?"
"Sister Tianya, how do you feel about the stability of this plane? How is its performance if we fly to countries like Europe?"
Zhuang Rui just had a good feeling about himself, but for the real performance, you should ask the professionals. Peng Fei's words can't be taken seriously. That guy is good at handling guns and knives, and of course, he can fly a plane, but not everyone will dare to ride in it.
"Mr. Zhuang, for a small passenger plane, this aircraft's performance is already excellent. Even if it encounters light turbulence, it won't be affected, just like the flights I used to work on..."
"Yes, although this type of aircraft doesn't have enough fuel for intercontinental flights, it's still quite easy to fly to various European countries as long as you choose the right refueling points..."
Although it was also their first time flying on a private jet, Tianya and Liuli, with five or six years of work experience, could still distinguish some subtle differences between the two types of aircraft. In terms of comfort, a private jet was definitely better; you could lie down or sit as you pleased without anyone interfering.
Upon turning on the LCD TV on the plane, Zhuang Rui discovered that Raytheon had actually installed a satellite TV receiver, capable of receiving television channels from dozens of countries.
Zhuang Rui, Qin Xuanbing, and two flight attendants chatted and watched TV. Two or three hours passed quickly. At He Shuang's prompting, they fastened their seatbelts, and the plane began its descent.