Although Gao Mingyuan is not particularly wealthy, in China, banks with resources exceeding one million yuan treat him as a key client and provide him with dedicated services. Zhou Xuan understands this; it is what is known as personal banking. This group of people has now become the most important customer resource for banks.
Zhou Xuan is naturally of paramount importance. His personal bank deposits exceed 10 billion yuan, and he also owns an antique shop and a jewelry company. The antique shop's assets exceed 2 billion yuan, and the jewelry company's assets also exceed 10 billion yuan. Outsiders really can't tell that Zhou Xuan is a hidden millionaire. In addition, Zhou Xuan is not a person who likes to flaunt his money. With his wealth, he still drives an Audi worth 400,000 to 500,000 yuan. As for the Bugatti Veyron worth 50 million yuan that Wei Haihong gave him, he has almost never driven it. If ordinary people see him, how would they think that he is a super billionaire?
Not to mention, Zhou Xuan also owns nearly 20 billion US dollars worth of shares in the Fu family. To be precise, Zhou Xuan is actually the richest Chinese person and one of the top ten richest people in the world. However, Zhou Xuan himself doesn't have that concept, has never considered himself a rich person, and has never tried to approach or integrate into that social class. He's content with his own life, and his family's happiness is more important than anything else.
Volume 1, Chapter 596: Betting on Underground Boxing
Gao Mingyuan was especially excited. He went to the bank early this morning to cash Yang Tiancheng's check. He deducted 10.3 million from his own account, of which 2.7 million was for raw materials. The remaining 7 million was his income. In one day, he almost became a multi-millionaire. How could he not be happy?
All of this was thanks to Zhou Xuan, the God of Wealth. He received such a large fortune after only one meeting. If he continued to be friends with this person, what would happen in the future?
Once he had this idea, Gao Mingyuan couldn't sleep all night. After exchanging the money at the bank, he hurriedly drove to see Zhou Xuan. When he saw on Zhou Xuan's phone that he had received the remaining 30 million yuan in cash, he smiled and said, "Brother, where do you want to go today? I'll go with you. Go wherever you want. There's no corner in Ruili that I don't know!"
Gao Mingyuan had arranged for the shop assistants to do things early today. He himself was here specifically to accompany Zhou Xuan on a leisurely stroll all day. It's better to befriend a customer like this than anything else.
However, Zhou Xuan said, "Let's not go sightseeing yet. I want to load those stones onto the truck and send them off. My company in Beijing is waiting for them!"
"Yes, yes, I almost forgot about that. Right, let's go back to the factory first. I've already found a car, it'll be ready soon!" Gao Mingyuan suddenly realized that he had promised Zhou Xuan yesterday, and immediately drove to the factory.
When they were almost at the factory, Gao Mingyuan called the truck drivers again. There were twelve large trucks with a load capacity of twenty tons each. After arriving at the factory, he explained the costs to Zhou Xuan. The toll fees were very high these days. From Ruili to Beijing, the toll fee was nearly three thousand yuan, so a round trip would be six thousand yuan. Adding the fuel cost, the round trip would be nearly six thousand yuan, which would be twelve thousand yuan. Since Zhou Xuan had hired them for a one-way trip, the return trip would be empty, so they needed to make up some income, otherwise they would lose money. "Including wages," he said, "this trip would have to cost at least eighteen thousand yuan to be worthwhile."
Of course, these drivers said this, but they all had another set of calculations in mind. Although they said they would return empty-handed, that was just what they were saying to Zhou Xuan. For long-distance drivers like them, the toll fees on the return trip had to be paid by the passengers. Then they would find a few stations in the local area and put up advertisements. As long as there were goods from the same place as theirs, they could transport them at a low price. This was basically free money. Each truck had two drivers who took turns driving, running 24 hours a day. The journey to the capital only took about 30 hours.
Inside the factory, Zhou Xuan looked at the twenty-odd drivers and said with a smile, "I heard from Manager Gao that your trip will cost at least 18,000 yuan. How about this," he said, "I'll double it for each vehicle, making it 36,000 yuan per vehicle. Hehe… let's round it up to 40,000. Pay half upfront, 20,000 yuan per vehicle, and then I'll give you a receipt. After you get to Beijing, my brother will pay you the remaining 20,000 yuan!"
The twenty-odd drivers were stunned. They had never encountered such a customer before. They were originally prepared to bargain with Zhou Xuan. "The asking price is 18,000 yuan. The lowest price is around 15,000 yuan. It's hard to say if it's less. But Zhou Xuan did the opposite and directly gave them 40,000 yuan for the fare." They really couldn't understand it. How could someone not bargain for a lower price but instead give more?
After a moment of surprise, they were immediately overjoyed. Regardless, Zhou Xuan had given them a significant price increase, and Gao Mingyuan had clearly told them that the goods being transported were raw stones, completely legal and without any illegal or unethical practices. So there was even less to worry about; this money was well-earned…
Zhou Xuan then said to Gao Mingyuan, "Manager Gao, could you please take me to the bank again? I need to withdraw 240,000 yuan in cash to prepay the drivers!"
Gao Mingyuan waved his hand and said, "No need, just give it to me tomorrow. I have cash here, from the factory. I'll advance it for them first!" After saying that, he instructed the finance department to take out 240,000 yuan in cash and distribute it to the drivers. At the same time, he sent workers to drive the bulldozer to load stones onto the trucks.
Zhou Xuan then said with a smile, "Manager Gao, could you lend me another ten thousand?"
Gao Mingyuan was taken aback, but then smiled and said, "No problem!" Dang Yi then told the finance department to give Zhou Xuan another 10,000.
Zhou Xuan took out 10,000 yuan and immediately distributed it to the dozen or so workers who were loading the truck with bulldozers. He gave each of them 700 or 800 yuan and said, "Everyone helped me load the truck. You've worked hard. Consider this a late-night snack and a cup of tea. Don't think it's too little. It's just a small token of my appreciation!"
When Gao Mingyuan saw that Zhou Xuan had this intention in taking the money, he secretly sighed that this man really knew how to win people's hearts. If he were in the officialdom, he would surely become a high-ranking official.
He hadn't expected that Zhou Xuan really wasn't cut out to be an official. He was never stingy with the laborers who did the hard work. They earned their money through hard labor, while his own money came so easily. Giving them a little more generosity made him feel much better.
Gao Mingyuan felt more at ease. Zhou Xuan would never cheat him out of his money. He had given him seven or eight million, so why would he cheat him out of a mere 250,000? Besides, even if Zhou Xuan disappeared and didn't return the money, it would just be considered that he had given him 250,000 less. Of course, this possibility was impossible. Although Zhou Xuan hadn't actually taken the money out of his own pocket, Gao Mingyuan could sense that he was a truly wealthy person, showing no greed for money and not being surprised by large sums of money.
That's true. Zhou Xuan didn't spend much money at the beginning. He only took out 250,000 to pay for the raw stone. Then, Mr. Yang bought it for 45 million. All that money was actually earned back.
After waiting for about two hours, a dozen or so forklift workers got on the truck. The driver locked the back door of the truck, and Zhou Xuan gave each of them an IOU for 20,000 yuan in freight charges, with his younger brother's phone number written on it.
At Manager Gao's final command, the twelve cars set off one after another. Only after the last car drove out of the factory square did Zhou Xuan clap his hands and laugh, "Manager Gao, this matter is done. We'll go to the bank to withdraw the money for you, hehehe, and then we can go sightseeing and have a meal, or go sightseeing!"
"What's the rush for a few bucks? It's nothing!" Gao Mingyuan waved his hand dismissively. Of course, he didn't care. The more eager Zhou Xuan was to return the money, the more he trusted Zhou Xuan. However, Zhou Xuan didn't want to leave him with any doubts. He wasn't a swindler, and he didn't need the small amount of money. So, he urged Gao Mingyuan to go to the bank: "Manager Gao, let's go to the bank and transfer the money to you. I don't like being in debt; otherwise, I won't be able to sleep!"
Gao Mingyuan chuckled awkwardly. He knew Zhou Xuan wasn't joking or being pretentious; he genuinely wanted him to go to the bank. After thinking for a moment, he generously said, "Alright then, Brother Zhou is truly a straightforward person. Since Brother Zhou insists, then let's go!"
Gao Mingyuan then drove Zhou Xuan to the bank to transfer the money. Zhou Xuan also carried tens of thousands of yuan in cash with him in case he was unavailable at places where he could not use his card. Then he got back into the car with Gao Mingyuan.
Gao Mingyuan originally wanted to take Zhou Xuan to visit the best tourist attractions in Ruili first, but Zhou Xuan had been delayed for several hours because of loading the car. "It'll be a bit late if we go to the tourist hotspots," he thought for a moment, then grinned at Zhou Xuan and said, "...Brother Bu Zhou, how about we go to Ruili's underground ghost market?"
"Underground Ghost Market? What kind of place is that?" Zhou Xuan was taken aback, then asked. The name sounded like an underground antique market in some places. In the capital and the south, many underground antique markets are called "Ghost Markets"!
Gao Mingyuan smiled mysteriously and said, "This is a great place, perfect for young, wealthy bosses like Brother Zhou. I've been there a few times, and it truly is an adventurer's paradise!"
Zhou Xuan, intrigued by his explanation, smiled and said, "Such a place exists? Hehe, it certainly seems worth a visit. Let's go then!"
Gao Mingyuan drove his Ford Focus, chatting and laughing as he drove. Zhou Xuan, naturally unfamiliar with the terrain, didn't realize he was driving further in.
After driving for about half an hour, they arrived at a building near the suburbs, not in the city center. In the underground parking lot, Zhou Xuan was truly amazed!
The cars parked here are all luxury cars worth millions. A car like Gao Mingyuan's, worth only a few hundred thousand, is incredibly shabby. However, Gao Mingyuan knows the people here, so they let him in easily, but they clearly don't care. The people who come here are all rich and powerful. Gao Mingyuan is just a nobody, so there's no need for them to be polite.
After taking the elevator from the parking lot to the third floor, Gao Mingyuan was greeted by six burly men guarding the entrance. He immediately put on a smile and said, "Brother Wu, this is my friend, a big client from Beijing. He brought him here specifically for fun!"
The burly man known as Brother Wu glanced at Zhou Xuan with extremely sharp eyes. Zhou Xuan immediately sensed that this man was no ordinary person; he was a martial arts master whose skills were probably no less than those of Achang and Ade. This man was truly remarkable.
Ade and his men are top-level national guards, so their skills are naturally exceptional. Zhou Xuan found it truly strange that even gatekeepers in a remote city could possess such abilities.
However, Brother Wu also felt that Zhou Xuan was no ordinary person. He was extremely experienced. After one glance, he determined that Zhou Xuan was not a government official. He shook hands with Zhou Xuan and immediately confirmed that he was neither a policeman nor a special forces soldier, because Zhou Xuan did not have calluses on his hands. People who handle guns for a long time have different skin texture, so he was sure that Zhou Xuan was not one of those two types of people. Looking at Zhou Xuan's humble yet arrogant demeanor, he felt that he was most likely the son of a high-ranking official or a rich second generation. Such people were welcome.
Ah Wu was naturally surprised. Although Zhou Xuan was not the person he expected, the abilities he possessed were beyond his comprehension. As for Gao Mingyuan, he considered him as insignificant as an ant and didn't care about him at all. However, he knew Gao Mingyuan's background very well and knew he wouldn't cause any problems. As for the friend he brought, he estimated that he wouldn't spend much money, but he was still at ease. After confirming Zhou Xuan's identity, he waved for the two of them to go in.
Gao Mingyuan quickly put on a smile and said, "Thank you, Brother Wu!" Then he pulled Zhou Xuan and strode inside.
Upon entering, Zhou Xuan was immediately struck by the vastness before him. A massive hall spanning thousands of square meters appeared before him, teeming with people and bustling with activity. The hall was surrounded by four concentric circles, enclosed by a fence, much like a super football stadium, except that the central area of the stands was considerably smaller.
The seats were almost full. Gao Mingyuan really went all out this time, buying a VIP seat on the left front, which cost three thousand yuan.
In the past, this would have been a huge expense for Gao Mingyuan, but now it doesn't matter to him. With a net worth of 70,000 to 80,000, he naturally doesn't care. Besides, the person he brought along was Zhou Xuan, the wealthy boss who had been tipping him. Spending some money to curry favor is worthwhile.
The first few rows around were mostly VIP seats, and the men all looked incredibly wealthy, wearing extremely expensive designer jewelry around their necks and wrists. But what was even more eye-catching were their female companions, dressed in sexy outfits that exposed their thighs and arms. Of course, it wasn't just about dressing sexy; they were also extremely beautiful. This truly proved the saying, "Beautiful women only date rich men, because only rich men can afford to support them."
Gao Mingyuan was wearing a high-quality jade ring on his left hand, which he certainly couldn't afford. It was a gift from his boss to save face. As the manager of a large jade wholesale factory, he couldn't afford to lose face.
Looking at Zhou Xuan again, there wasn't a single ornament on his hands or neck; he was completely ordinary. If Gao Mingyuan hadn't personally witnessed Zhou Xuan's imposing presence, he naturally wouldn't have been able to discern Zhou Xuan's wealth.
Among all the VIP seats, almost only Zhou Xuan and Gao Mingyuan's seats were without women, which made others a little strange.
Zhou Xuan looked around for a while before whispering to Gao Mingyuan, "Manager Gao, is this a half-court?" He asked this because the platform in the middle of the arena looked too much like a boxing ring.