"Sorry, I disturbed you..."
"It's okay, Rui, sit next to me and take it..."
Just as Zhuang Rui picked up the phone and was about to go out to answer it, Qin Xuanbing stopped him. At that moment, Qin Xuanbing exuded a lazy sexiness, making Zhuang Rui almost not want to answer the phone.
"Stop fooling around, answer the phone..."
Qin Xuanbing gave Zhuang Rui a dirty look, pushing away the large hand that reached for her chest, but rested her head on Zhuang Rui's broad chest, carefully inhaling the masculine scent on his body.
Hello, who is this?
"Brother Zhuang, this is Hu Rong. I just got off the plane and I'm at Beijing Airport now..."
The voice on the phone made Zhuang Rui stop what he was doing. It turned out that Hu Rong had also come from Myanmar. That was perfect. He probably brought the tiger skin with him. He could go see his grandfather with Grandpa Qin and the others tomorrow.
Upon receiving Hu Rong's call, Zhuang Rui suddenly remembered that Wei Ge and Uncle De from Zhonghai were also taking an afternoon flight, and he insisted on personally picking them up from the airport. It seemed that his desire to spend some time with Qin Xuanbing would have to wait until the evening.
"Brother Hu, please wait a moment at the airport, I'll be there in about half an hour..."
After hanging up the phone, Zhuang Rui kissed Qin Xuan's fair and delicate face and said, "Brother Hu from Myanmar is here. I need to go to the airport to pick him up. Baby, you can sleep a little longer..."
"No, I'll go with you to pick it up..."
As Qin Xuanbing spoke, she lifted the blanket, revealing her pair of long, slender, snow-white legs. It turned out she had been waiting for Zhuang Rui. Her black lace-trimmed shorts and the barely visible breasts made Zhuang Rui's blood boil. He pulled her back and quickly removed his clothes.
"Well, Brother Hu, you probably don't mind waiting an extra ten or twenty minutes, right?"
After the thought crossed Zhuang Rui's mind, he was completely overwhelmed by Qin Xuanbing's alluring posture as she lay there, and immediately, moans filled the room.
Zhuang Rui had clearly underestimated his own fighting strength. It took more than half an hour for the downpour to finally stop, and Qin Xuanbing was already limp as if she had no bones. Helpless, Zhuang Rui could only put on his clothes, call out to Peng Fei, and each of them drove a car to the airport.
"Brother Hu, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting..."
As Zhuang Rui entered the airport exit hall, he immediately spotted Hu Rong. Beside him stood a young man about Zhuang Rui's age, whom Zhuang Rui recognized as Hu Rong's younger cousin, whom he had met once before in the Chinatown of Myanmar.
"It's nothing, Brother Zhuang. I have some great news to tell you, haha. I didn't call you because I wanted to surprise you..."
Hu Rong, who is usually very composed, gave Zhuang Rui a hug first thing upon seeing him. The strength of the hug was so great that Zhuang Rui's back, which was already a little sore from exercising, suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed.
After hugging Zhuang Rui, Hu Rong greeted Peng Fei. They had become quite familiar with each other after spending several days together in Myanmar.
"Attention passengers, flight XXXX from Zhonghai to Beijing is about to land..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was about to ask what was going on, he suddenly heard the airport announcement and quickly said, "Brother Hu, let's sit down and talk. I happen to have an elder and a friend on this flight, let's wait for them..."
Zhuang Rui brought Peng Fei along, intending to pick up Hu Rong and have Peng Fei take him back to the hotel first. However, he didn't expect that Uncle De and Brother Wei's flight had also arrived, so he simply picked them up and took them together.
"Okay, no problem..."
After sitting down, Zhuang Rui asked, "Brother Hu, did you bring my batch of gold too?"
After Zhuang Rui returned to China, he instructed Manager Wu, who is now in charge of Qin Ruilin's business, to import 2 tons of gold from Hu Rong's company in Myanmar under Qin Ruilin's name. It should be cleared through customs soon.
Hu Rong waved his hand and said with a happy face, "It's not that. The gold will take a few more days. Brother, I'm telling you, we've found a vein in our jade mine!"
"Oh? Brother Hu, how did you find it?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback. He had expected that the jade mine would produce a vein, but the fact that it had been discovered in less than a month was beyond his expectations.
"Brother, this is all thanks to you. If you hadn't pointed out that we needed to dig tunnels along that railcar route, we probably wouldn't have found the vein even in another six months..."
Hu Rong now holds Zhuang Rui in the highest esteem and is completely convinced of his abilities. He had invited more than 10 geological experts from China and Europe to conduct explorations, but none of them found any mineral veins. He never expected that a single sentence from Zhuang Rui would save him countless hours and resources.
Moreover, the predicament that Hu encountered in Myanmar has vanished with the discovery of the mines. Now, those jade companies in Myanmar are practically wearing down their own company gates.
Chapter 555 Now We're Rich
In Myanmar, resources represent wealth and status. Not to mention the people in the jade companies, even the military government can't do anything about these resource tycoons. Just like in the United States, in Myanmar, personal property is inviolable.
Furthermore, resources are also exchanged among various jade companies within Myanmar.
After news of Hu Rong's discovery of the mineral vein spread, many business owners came to him with cash, ready to buy a batch of jadeite rough stones. For them, jadeite rough stones were the very foundation upon which their companies depended for survival.
Myanmar holds three to five jade auctions every year. If it relied solely on the jadeite rough produced by its own mines, at least half of Myanmar's jade companies would go bankrupt. Therefore, many people are now scrambling to pre-order rough stones from the Hu Rong mine and make a profit at the auctions.
This is also the rule among the various jade companies in Myanmar. If any company tries to monopolize the profits, it's inevitable that some envious people will try to sabotage it. In a place like Myanmar, small-scale gunfights and brawls are common occurrences.
To prevent this from happening, Hu Rong has mobilized a mine protection team of more than 300 people to guard the entrance to the jade mine. They are currently surveying the terrain and the reserves of raw jade stones, making preparations for mining.
If it weren't for wanting to personally thank Zhuang Rui, Hu Rong wouldn't have had time to attend Zhuang Rui's engagement ceremony.
Of course, the raw stones haven't been mined yet, but the visits from these bosses have allowed Hu Rong to dispose of Zhuang Rui's three tons of gold and convert it all into euro bank drafts from a Swiss bank. This is one of the main reasons he came to China.
“Brother Hu, I just feel that people have a tendency to overlook what's right under their noses. The things that are most obvious are often overlooked. I've always been a person who pays a lot of attention to detail, and perhaps that's why I've always been lucky…”
While making excuses, Zhuang Rui didn't forget to pat himself on the back. Although his words sounded a bit like self-praise, Hu Rong thought Zhuang Rui was being extremely modest.
More than ten geological experts from home and abroad, including those from Europe, spent nearly a year trying to find the exact location of the ore vein, but Zhuang Rui pointed it out in a single sentence. This can no longer be explained by luck. Without extraordinary vision and superhuman judgment, how could Zhuang Rui have invested 2 tons of gold in that mine?
"Whether it was luck or skill, I found the vein by following your directions, so I still want to thank you, brother..."
Hu Rong was truly grateful to Zhuang Rui. Before coming to China, some family members raised objections, saying that Zhuang Rui had only spent over 200 million RMB to buy 30% of the mine's shares, making a huge profit.
However, Hu Rong immediately reprimanded the man. It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. When no one offered a helping hand to the Hu family at that time, if it weren't for Zhuang Rui providing those 2 tons of gold and his exploration opinions, the Hu family would probably be in a difficult situation to hold on now.
Moreover, Zhuang Rui's background is a major asset for Hu Rong's development in China. He is not a short-sighted person, so he came here in person this time.
"Hehe, Brother Hu, we're practically family, so don't stand on ceremony. I'm really counting on your jade mine to make me a fortune..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and changed the subject. He was unwilling to do something like this, since he had benefited from the situation and was now acting innocent, as it would give people a superficial impression.
"Well, according to our preliminary exploration, the vein should be over a hundred meters long, extending 25 to 50 meters into the rock wall. The jade quality is quite good. Judging from the jadeite brought out from several exploratory caves, there should be a considerable amount of icy jadeite. I estimate the value of this batch of jadeite to be around 1 billion euros..."
When the mine was mentioned, Hu Rong's eyes lit up. However, the number he finally announced startled Zhuang Rui. What a joke! 1 billion euros, that's 10 billion RMB. If he got 30%, wouldn't that be 3 billion?
"Brother Hu, is it really worth that much?"
Although Zhuang Rui now views money more as a number, he couldn't help but feel excited and overwhelmed when he heard this "number" from Hu Rong. Speaking of which, how much was the richest person in mainland China on the Forbes list last year?
"Hmm, this should be the largest jade mine discovered in Myanmar. It'll probably take more than 10 years to mine using machinery. Brother, just sit back and wait for your share of the profits..."
When talking about this, Hu Rong was very excited. After the Hu family owned this mine, they would truly become jade tycoons.
Furthermore, as jadeite mines are depleted, the value of this vein will become increasingly important. Perhaps in 10 years or so, this will be the only jadeite mine left in Myanmar.
"By the way, brother, I've sold those other three tons of gold for you. The international gold price has been rising recently, to about 135 per gram, which is a little over 400 million. I've converted it all into Swiss bank drafts for you, about 40 million euros..."
As Hu Rong spoke, he opened a box beside him to take out a checkbook, but Zhuang Rui grabbed him and said, "Brother Hu, these things aren't urgent, let's talk about them when we get back..."
"Hehe, look at me, I got so happy I forgot the occasion..."
Hu Rong laughed when he heard this. He was almost 40 years old, but he was not as calm as this young man.
As the two were talking, the flight from Shanghai to Beijing landed, and people began to emerge from the airport exit.
"Brother Wei, over here, I'm here..."
Zhuang Rui spotted Yang Wei walking out and immediately stood up, shouting loudly before heading over. However, Yang Wei's reputation was so great that everyone coming and going in the airport gave him a stare.
"Youngest brother, are you doing this on purpose? Give your older brother some face..."
Yang Wei stepped forward and punched Zhuang Rui. The two brothers hugged tightly. They hadn't seen each other for more than half a year since attending their third brother's wedding in Shaanxi. They were all extremely happy to be able to get together again on the occasion of Zhuang Rui's engagement.
"Come on, I haven't even called you Yang Wei by your full name yet..."
"Stop, stop, your sister-in-law is following behind..."
Yang Wei wished he could shut Zhuang Rui up; his name was a deadly weapon, and no one could help but laugh when they heard it.
"Huh? Nurse Song, you two? What are you doing together..."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui looked behind Yang Wei and was stunned to see the "sister-in-law." It turned out that she was also an acquaintance, Song Xingjun.
"Can't you speak properly? What do you mean by 'got together'? Don't you see we're a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman?"
Wei Ge was very dissatisfied with Zhuang Rui's words and started shouting loudly.
"Fine, I admit I misspoke, Nurse Song, hello..."
Zhuang Rui greeted Song Xingjun, not caring how the two of them ended up together, because he saw Uncle De standing at the back. He quickly went over, bowed deeply to Uncle De, and said, "Uncle De, I've asked you so many times before you finally decided to leave Zhonghai?"
If you were to ask Zhuang Rui who the most respected elders in his life were, besides his mother and Liu Chuan's parents, it would be Uncle De and Master Gu. As for the elders in his family, they might have more kinship, but in Zhuang Rui's heart, they were not as close as the people mentioned above.
When Zhuang Rui was with Uncle De and Grandpa Gu, he felt very relaxed and could make a few harmless jokes. However, in front of those uncles, he felt more like he was being inspected by his superiors, which made him feel uncomfortable. He was not as at ease as he was with Uncle De and the others.
Uncle De, in particular, provided Zhuang Rui with a great deal of help when Zhuang Rui first graduated and started working at the pawnshop. His care and assistance were entirely selfless, stemming from his admiration for Zhuang Rui's character. Moreover, Uncle De later strongly recommended Zhuang Rui to become the manager of the pawnshop, and the experience he gained during that period was invaluable to Zhuang Rui.
"You brat, I'd be so happy staying home, taking care of my grandson and tending to my flowers. I only came to see an old friend this time. But you did well, you passed the preliminary exam, otherwise I wouldn't have the face to see my old friend..."
Uncle De chuckled and scolded Zhuang Rui, then looked at the young man who was like both his disciple and his nephew with satisfaction, his heart filled with pride.
It's important to know that Zhuang Rui is no longer the greenhorn who was inexperienced and unreliable. After the CCTV treasure appraisal program aired, Zhuang Rui's status in the domestic collection world is no less than his own. Uncle De is naturally very happy to have trained such a disciple in his later years.
Uncle De had a very happy Chinese New Year this year because many people in the China Overseas Collections circle know that Zhuang Rui is his disciple. So when they wish Uncle De a Happy New Year, they always remember to say that a great teacher produces a great student. For Uncle De, this is the greatest praise and reward he has received for cultivating Zhuang Rui.
"Hehe, Uncle De, your name is quite well-known in Beijing. Peng Fei, these next few days you'll be in charge of picking up and dropping off Uncle De to see his old friends..."
Zhuang Rui chuckled and joked with Uncle De, then waved Peng Fei over, asking him to be Uncle De's personal driver for the next few days. He added that if he hadn't been busy, Zhuang Rui would have been Uncle De's driver himself.
"No need, no need. It's very convenient to take a taxi in Beijing. You just need to take care of your own things..."
Uncle De waved his hands repeatedly, but he was as happy as if he had eaten honey. He felt that he had not taught this disciple in vain.
Chapter 556 Eating Alone
Song Xingjun stood silently to the side, watching Zhuang Rui, Uncle De, and Yang Wei chatting and laughing, and suddenly felt that Zhuang Rui was unusually unfamiliar.
More than a year ago, the big boy who was lying in the hospital bed with an eye injury has now become a mature man. Although he greeted her just now, his attention was not on her, which made Song Xingjun feel a little disappointed.
After meeting Zhuang Rui at the Zhonghai Antique Market, Song Xingjun received his help in auctioning off the Ming Chenghua chicken cup, which greatly improved her family's situation. Song Xingjun has always been grateful to Zhuang Rui, or rather, she has some affection for him.
However, Song Xingjun knew that Zhuang Rui had a girlfriend, and that Officer Miao, who appeared in Zhonghai, was much more outstanding than herself, so Song Xingjun never revealed anything.
After Zhuang Rui left Zhonghai, his feelings for her gradually faded. Song Xingjun was born into a very ordinary family and knew that stories about princes and princesses only existed in fairy tales.
Perhaps Song Xingjun's feelings for Zhuang Rui were just out of gratitude. Girls like her, born into ordinary families, tend to be more practical. After Zhuang Rui left, Yang Wei often went to the hospital to visit her, and before long, the two actually started dating.
Song Xingjun is quiet and reserved, while Yang Wei is more outgoing and competitive. Their personalities complement each other well. After dating for more than half a year, they got engaged and are planning to get married this year.
"Nurse Song, you'd better keep an eye on Viagra from now on. Back in school, he was known as a heartbreaker for middle-aged and elderly women..."