Yang Wei, who was pondering something, coughed several times after Zhuang Rui spoke to him, his fair face turning red.
"Keep pretending, or I'll tell your wife about how you lost a bet and ran naked back then..."
Having shared a room with Yang Wei for four years in college, how could Zhuang Rui not know Yang Wei's character? This guy has never been one to keep secrets; the way he's being so hesitant right now, there's definitely something going on.
"Go to hell! If it weren't for your dirty tricks, would I have lost to the second brother?"
Wei Ge gave Zhuang Rui a playful kick, then glanced around before lowering his voice and saying, "Hey, youngest brother, what's going on between you and that woman? Why... is she getting married?"
Zhuang Rui was baffled by Yang Wei's words and asked, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who? Who is it?"
"Hey, are you serious? Your sister-in-law isn't here, what are you pretending for?"
Yang Wei curled his lip, looking completely unconvinced.
"Damn it, Wei Ge, why are you playing games with me? Just say what you want to say, or I'll get White Lion to come and get intimate with you, you believe me?"
Zhuang Rui was really annoyed. As the saying goes, if you have a clear conscience, you won't be afraid of ghosts knocking on your door in the middle of the night. Yang Wei was talking as if he had done something bad outside.
"You really don't know?"
Seeing that Zhuang Rui didn't seem to be faking it, Yang Wei whispered, "It's that fiery girl, she's getting married, didn't you know? You and her... haven't... you know?"
In Wei Ge's memory, Zhuang Rui was quite close to that policewoman surnamed Miao when he was in Shanghai. They flirted and teased each other, never treating each other like outsiders.
Afterwards, Miao Feifei was transferred back to Beijing, and Zhuang Rui also lived in Beijing for a long time. Although Zhuang Rui got married not long after arriving in Beijing, how could a piece of paper stop matters between men and women?
Since they were both interested in each other, Yang Wei didn't believe that nothing more than a friendly relationship had happened between them. After all, even someone as honest as himself had once fallen for the sweet talk of a female PR manager from his company when his wife was pregnant.
"Miao Feifei?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned after hearing what Wei Ge said.
"Yes, it's Officer Miao. I knew it, you two definitely had something going on..."
Viagra was halfway through his sentence when he saw Zhuang Rui's unpleasant expression, so he swallowed the word "legs" back down his throat.
Taking a deep breath, Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, "Brother Wei, don't talk nonsense. Officer Miao and I have always been good friends. If this gets out, it won't be good..."
"Look at you, still saying I'm talking nonsense..."
Viagra was a little unconvinced and muttered something under his breath.
In Yang Wei’s view, it’s not a big deal for a successful man like Zhuang Rui to have three wives and four concubines. In today’s society, which successful man doesn’t have seven or eight women silently watching over him?
Of course, while Viagra had the desire, he didn't have the guts to do it. He secretly took it once during Nurse Song's pregnancy, and that was with the help of the little blue Viagra pill. To avoid being looked down upon by women, Viagra never cheated again after that.
Zhuang Rui didn't pay attention to Yang Wei's words at this moment, because he was genuinely surprised.
To be honest, Zhuang Rui really liked Miao Feifei's personality. She was free-spirited and generous, yet still adorable. In his fantasies, Zhuang Rui had even dreamed of having a mistress at home while maintaining a stable relationship outside.
However, people always have to live in reality. Not to mention that the Miao family is a prominent family in the capital, Zhuang Rui and Miao Feifei themselves have never crossed that line. Their relationship is defined as... friends.
Moreover, in recent years, Zhuang Rui has been deliberately avoiding Miao Feifei. Since some things are impossible to happen, it is not advisable to let them continue to develop. That would be an extremely irresponsible attitude towards himself, his family, and Miao Feifei.
Thinking of this, Zhuang Rui smiled. He had sons and daughters; he couldn't just watch Miao Feifei become an old maid, could he? From a friend's perspective, he should wish her well.
Having figured out his inner conflict, Zhuang Rui asked Yang Wei, "Brother Wei, what does Officer Miao's wife do?"
"I heard from Xingjun that her boyfriend is in the military, and he and Officer Miao are childhood friends. He pursued her for over ten years, and this year he finally succeeded..."
Yang Wei answered Zhuang Rui's question, but his eyes were slyly observing Zhuang Rui's expression. However, Zhuang Rui, who had nothing to do with Officer Miao, naturally didn't let him see anything.
Seeing that the straightforward and fiery Xiao Chili had found a perfect match, Zhuang Rui was also very happy. He said, "Miao Feifei didn't tell me about this, probably because she was worried that Xuan Bing might have some ideas. Never mind, I won't go. I'll prepare some gifts and have them taken over for me tomorrow..."
Zhuang Rui spoke frankly, but inwardly he sighed: the so-called friendship between men and women is all nonsense. Apart from physical relationships, it's really hard to be friends. Miao Feifei not sending him an invitation to her wedding is perhaps the best proof of that.
Zhuang Rui drank with his friends from afar until midnight. After settling Zhou Rui and the others in, he returned to his study, lit a cigarette, and picked up his phone from the table amidst the swirling smoke.
"Congratulations on your marriage, Zhuang Rui."
After editing those few words, Zhuang Rui pressed the send button, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart. He felt incredibly relieved. Perhaps in the future, he could really become good friends with Miao Feifei.
After a while, there was still no reply to the text message. Just as Zhuang Rui was about to wash up and go to bed, his phone suddenly vibrated.
"Loving someone can sometimes be painful, but being loved is incredibly blissful. Thank you... Zhuang Rui, you've taught me this..."
Looking at the text message on his phone, Zhuang Rui smiled, a genuine smile. He gently placed the phone on the table, quickly washed up, and returned to his room.
Holding his beloved in his arms, Zhuang Rui felt an unprecedented calm. Perhaps... this was happiness, like savoring a cup of fragrant tea and discovering that life itself was contained within it.
Chapter 1300 Gathering
One sunny day in late March in Beijing, amidst the vibrant spring atmosphere, people enjoying the spring scenery discovered a magnificent palace standing tall in what used to be a green park on the Third Ring Road.
Even from a distance, you can see the morning sun shining on this unique building, reflecting a dazzling light that seems to bathe the surrounding trees in golden light.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this effect is definitely not something that can be achieved with gold paint or brass; it must be at least a gilding process. People passing by can't help but sigh in their hearts, wondering how much gold must have been used.
Although living in this ancient city and being accustomed to the royal grandeur of ancient emperors, this golden building with its distinctly exotic style still made many commuters slow down and take a closer look.
Today is the opening day of the Golden City. Although Zhuang Rui has done a good job of keeping it a secret, it is difficult for others not to see such a large building. Therefore, the news of his reconstruction of the ancient Solomon site has already spread around the world.
However, Zhuang Rui did manage to keep the interior of the Golden City completely secret during its construction. All workers were prohibited from bringing cameras or mobile phones with camera functions inside, so not a single photo was leaked until the project was completed.
This has filled scientific experts and tourists from all over the world with anticipation. Almost all the world's renowned scientific experts, explorers, and many major collectors have gathered in Beijing today, outside the yet-to-be-opened Golden City. ...
Just after seven o'clock in the morning, Zhuang Rui, along with Liu Chuan, Peng Fei, Zhou Rui, and Yang Wei's family, arrived at Golden City in four cars in a grand procession. Even Ouyang Wan, who rarely went out, was dragged out by her son.
"I...I mean, Wood, this...this is the Golden City you were talking about? Is it really built of gold?"
Looking at the magnificent building in front of him, Liu Chuan was completely dumbfounded. He couldn't help but touch the gold necklace around his neck. This... this is simply incomparable.
Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on the Golden City, Liu Chuan quickly straightened his collar and covered up the chain that was originally half exposed. He really couldn't bear to lose face like that.
"The interior walls are still made of brick and stone, but the patterns on the exterior walls are mostly made of gold. The total value of the gold used in this building should be over three billion US dollars..."
Looking at the building in front of him, Zhuang Rui's words were full of pride. In just six months, he had presented the world with the most magnificent site ever discovered by mankind.
"Three...three billion US dollars? Zhuang...Zhuang Rui, are you serious?"
Zhuang Rui's words also made Wei Ge uneasy. Although he was also worth hundreds of millions, that was only calculated in RMB. Converted to USD, it was probably less than 100 million.
Looking at the magnificent golden building in front of him, Liu Chuan was practically eyeing it like he was eyeing US dollars. He wished he could rush forward, hug it, and kiss it. What could he do? This guy loved gold the most.
"Xiao Rui, is it really worth that much?"
Even Ouyang Wan, who never interfered in her son's affairs, was shocked by this number. Although she knew her son was rich, she never imagined that the materials used in just one building would be worth billions of dollars.
Hearing his mother speak, Zhuang Rui quickly said, "Mom, it's true. But most of this gold was moved from the original site by me. The damaged part was repaired by me using gold..."
After last month's auction, everyone thought Zhuang Rui had made a fortune from last year's ocean salvage operation. But what they didn't know was that the golden city in the Central African forest was the biggest bargain Zhuang Rui had ever found in his life.
Although the gold had many problems in refining technology and its quality was not very pure, the sheer quantity made up for it. The gold murals alone, stretching for miles, used an astronomical amount of gold.
However, many of the gold murals were damaged, which meant that Zhuang Rui had to spend a lot of money out of his own pocket. All the gold he obtained from Myanmar was used for this purpose, and he even kept a portion of the gold salvaged from Europe for the reconstruction of the site.
Therefore, Zhuang Rui was absolutely not exaggerating the figure of three billion US dollars. This is only the value of the gold itself. If the artistic value of those gold murals from thousands of years ago is included, it would probably be worth tens of billions of US dollars.
"Mr. Zhuang, please cooperate with us during the inspection..."
Led by Zhuang Rui, the group attempted to enter Golden City from the rear side, but were stopped by several armed police officers.
Because the opening of the Golden City has caused a great sensation and has played a significant role in enhancing the country's cultural image, relevant departments have dispatched armed police forces to carry out security work since the beginning of the construction of the Golden City.
It's important to understand that not only are the cultural relics in the Golden City priceless, but the gold murals alone are worth hundreds of millions. If someone were to accidentally scrape off a layer of plaster from the walls, Zhuang Rui would probably be devastated. Therefore, safety must be the top priority.
Of course, this is just a temporary measure. Yang Jian, the museum's security director, has also been busy for the past six months. He has recruited a large number of veterans with excellent military skills from the Beijing Military Region and is conducting relevant training. Once the Golden City officially opens, his own security personnel will take over the security work of the Golden City.
"Xiao Wang, these are all my family members. They already went through the entry and exit procedures yesterday. Please take a look..."
Zhuang Rui greeted the armed police lieutenant with a smile, took out a stack of photo IDs from his bag, and handed them to each person. He was the one who set the rules, so of course he had to lead by example in enforcing them.
"Mr. Zhuang, please come in." After checking everyone's identification, the lieutenant saluted Zhuang Rui and let the group in.
Upon entering the Golden City, the first thing you see are the exquisite murals on the high city walls.
However, all of these murals have been specially treated, with a glass cover covering them. Visitors can only view them from the outside, but cannot touch these ancient cultural relics.
This greatly displeased Liu Chuan, who muttered under his breath, "Hey, you blockhead, these... these murals, are they all made of gold? Damn, isn't this disgusting? I can see them but can't touch them, it's infuriating! Hey, if I could stay here for one night, how wonderful that would be..."
"Look at you, so spineless. Can't you just shut up?"
Lei Lei, who was standing next to Liu Chuan, couldn't stand her husband's money-grubbing appearance, so she pinched his waist hard.
Seeing Liu Chuan's grimacing expression, Zhuang Rui laughed and joked, "Want to stay here? It's easy, Liu Chuan. I'm short-staffed for security. Come work as a security guard, I'll arrange for you to work the night shift. You can stay here for ten or eight years without any problem..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Liu Chuan actually considered it seriously for a moment, but seeing his wife's tense face, he quickly said, "Then... then let's forget about it..."
Liu Chuan's words drew laughter from everyone, adding a touch of liveliness to this mysterious and solemn place.
The entire Golden City actually consists of three palaces: the front, the middle, and the rear. It's not particularly large, and given that everyone was unfamiliar with these historical sites, they finished their cursory visit in just over an hour. ...
Zhuang Rui led the group out of Golden City and to the Dingguang Museum not far away before he began to get busy. For him, today's work had just begun.
The Solomon culture, which occupies a very important position in human civilization, has a tremendous influence worldwide. Many important figures attended the inauguration ceremony of the Golden City in the past.
Prince William of the United Kingdom and great collector Ezkener, Bill Gates of the United States, Angela Leong of Macau and Li Ka-shing of Hong Kong, and other wealthy and famous people from all walks of life gathered in Beijing. Of course, Zhuang Rui had to show his face and make sure they were settled in properly.
Meanwhile, Uncle De, Grandpa Gu, the Jade King of Yunnan, the Jade King of Xinjiang, as well as General Manager Qian from Beijing, Fatty Jin, and well-known collectors and experts from all over the country will also be attending this ceremony. Zhuang Rui will personally greet these old friends and elders.
"Uncle De, we've invited you to stay at our house, but you just won't agree. I'd love to hear more of your teachings..."
Upon seeing Uncle De and Grandpa Gu at the ceremony, Zhuang Rui quickly went to greet them, helping Uncle De up. He then said to Grandpa Gu and Professor Meng, "Teacher, Grandpa, there are so many people, hurry, let's go inside..."
"Alright, I'm happier living with these old friends. Besides, we old guys have nothing left to teach you, Brother Gu, don't you think?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Uncle De burst into laughter.
A few years ago, Uncle De never imagined that the disciple he brought into the industry would be able to create such a great career in the antique and scientific research circles.
Leaving aside young people around Zhuang Rui's age, even among us old folks, our achievements in antiques and archaeology are far inferior to Zhuang Rui's.
"Xiao Rui, good, good, good!"
Grandpa Gu looked at Zhuang Rui with affection and said "Good!" three times in a row.
Although Zhuang Rui was unable to inherit his father's mantle in carving, the old man was greatly gratified to see the achievements his father had made in jade, antiques, and scientific research.
"Haha, Zhuang, amazing, truly amazing!" While Zhuang Rui was chatting with his elders, Bill Gates and others, accompanied by relevant leaders, walked over and gave Zhuang Rui a thumbs-up from a distance.
Although the Golden City belongs to the Dingguang Museum, and Zhuang Rui's name has never appeared in related reports, many people present knew that everything in front of them was created by Zhuang Rui.