Chapter 905 This is too much!
"Uncle De, thank you so much. I'll visit that old man when I go to Zhonghai later..."
Zhuang Rui knew this was a huge favor. A man in his nineties was going out to mediate, and even if the other party was unreasonable, they would still give him some face. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to get along in the underworld in the future.
"Zhuang Rui, this is all I can do. As for whether the other party will accept it, I'm not sure. But I feel there's something strange about this matter..."
Uncle De knew the nature of young people these days; they never respected the elderly. Besides, Uncle Ba was almost in his coffin. Although he had many disciples and grand-disciples, it was still uncertain whether the other party would give him face.
"Strange? Uncle De, what do you mean..."
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment after hearing Uncle De's words. It was obvious that someone had set a trap for Lao Si. What was so strange about it?
Uncle De asked, "Your classmate gambled in a casino in Macau, right?"
"Yes, they opened a VIP room specifically for gambling, and the casino just takes a cut..."
Zhuang Rui didn't know what Uncle De meant by asking that question.
"Here's the thing, ever since gambling king Yip Hon opened his gambling den in Macau, legitimate casinos have never allowed anyone to cheat inside. So why didn't the casinos react when your friend lost hundreds of millions?"
Uncle De is a seasoned veteran and knows the gambling industry very well. Even though legitimate casinos in Macau allow moneylenders to operate there, they abhor cheating to protect their reputation.
"The casino only takes a cut; they shouldn't be involved in these things, right? Besides, if those people cooperate well, they might not even use cheating techniques to win money..."
Zhuang Rui hadn't expected this. Cheating doesn't necessarily involve hiding or switching cards as shown on TV. In fact, as long as you exchange secret signals beforehand, a small gesture can let the other party know your hand.
Several people were plotting against Lao Si, a complete novice. If they couldn't win, they wouldn't even dare to call themselves members of the martial arts world.
"Maybe I'm overthinking it, but you should also be careful. Some casino executives are quite familiar with those involved in gambling. Okay, I'm hanging up now. I'll give you an answer tomorrow..."
Uncle De is an old-fashioned man who thinks things through and is quite comprehensive. However, whether the casino is lenient or not is irrelevant to Zhuang Rui. As long as the other party is willing to compromise tomorrow and return the money Zhuang Rui took, that will be enough.
Knowing that Zhuang Rui had returned home, Ouyang Jun brought his son, who was already running around everywhere, over for dinner that evening. His real estate company had grown very large and was no longer satisfied with developing in Beijing; it was starting to expand into the coastal areas, and the momentum was very strong.
However, Boss Ouyang was very dissatisfied that he had not received any dividends from the 5% stake in the African project that Zhuang Rui had transferred to him. After all, he had exchanged a real clubhouse for it.
So Ouyang Jun used this excuse to come to the courtyard house for meals whenever he had the chance, and even boasted that his son should keep eating there until he had eaten back those hundreds of millions.
After a lively and joyful night, Zhuang Rui arrived at the manor again around noon the next day. He wanted to wait for Uncle De's call. If Uncle De agreed to return the remaining money, Zhuang Rui would have to persuade Lao Si to stay and work in Beijing, because this was something that couldn't be kept secret from his family.
"Youngest brother, what did they say?"
After receiving Zhuang Rui's message yesterday, Lao Si and Wei Ge both looked like they hadn't slept well all night, their eyes were bloodshot and they looked rather haggard.
"No call yet. Oh, I was just saying that, Uncle De's calling, I'll answer this first..."
As Zhuang Rui was speaking, his phone rang. He glanced at the number and saw it was Uncle De calling.
"Uncle De, it's me, Zhuang Rui..."
"What? They said that?"
"Isn't this going too far?"
As Zhuang Rui listened to Uncle De's phone call, his expression kept changing. Wei Ge and Lao Si, who were watching from the side, both felt a sense of foreboding, guessing that their attempt to find someone to mediate the matter had failed.
"Zhuang Rui, that's how it is. Even Uncle Ba's influence won't work this time, because these people usually operate in Southeast Asia and don't come back to China much, so..."
"I understand, Uncle De. Thank you for this. I'll consider their terms and get back to you later..."
After hanging up the phone, Zhuang Rui's face was extremely grim.
"Youngest, what's wrong? Does the other party disagree?"
Wei Ge asked cautiously, but judging from Zhuang Rui's reaction, it was clear that the negotiations had fallen through.
Zhuang Rui nodded and said, "Well, their base isn't in China, so Uncle Ba's influence won't work. However, they've put forward a condition..."
"What are the conditions?"
The fourth brother and Wei Ge asked in unison.
"Let's gamble again." Zhuang Rui paused, gritted his teeth, and continued, "We got word that things in the martial world should be settled in the martial world, and grudges at the gambling table should be settled at the gambling table. If we're not satisfied, let's gamble again." "Damn it, do they want us to give them money?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Wei Ge, the good man from Zhonghai, immediately exploded and started cursing: "They've swindled several hundred million from Lao Si and they still don't know when to stop? Are these people tired of living? Damn it, Lao Si, I'll give you 2 million. Find someone to take care of them..."
"Brother Wei, this won't work. The other side is an organized group of swindlers. Among the Eight Generals of the Thousand Gates is the Fire General, who specializes in bodyguards and assassins. We don't want them to turn on us..."
Upon hearing Yang Wei's words, Zhuang Rui immediately dismissed them. He figured his older brother had probably never even killed a chicken before, and was likely just furious to have spoken so recklessly.
"Brother Wei, I don't want the money anymore. I'm going home now, even if I have to face family discipline, to make this clear. I want those bastards to know that we Cantonese aren't so easily bullied..."
The fourth brother bit his lip hard, and bright red blood flowed from his mouth. The other party was really going too far, which brought out the fourth brother's sinister nature.
Zhuang Rui had never heard of the fourth brother's family having any family rules, so he asked curiously, "Family rules? What family rules? The three cuts and six holes?"
The "three cuts and six holes" mentioned by Zhuang Rui originated from the Shanghai Small Knife Society before liberation. Members who violated certain gang rules had to make three cuts in their calves with a knife, piercing through each other. These three cuts would result in six holes, hence the name "three cuts and six holes".
Later, many gangs, including the Shanghai Green Gang and triads in Hong Kong and Taiwan, used this kind of gang rule. This is not something made up on TV, but something that actually existed.
The fourth brother shook his head, his face pale, and said, "It's not about three cuts and six holes. It's a rule our family established when we were out at sea years ago: revenge must be taken, and wrongdoing must be punished..."
"How will you be punished for doing something wrong?"
"I'm a little curious," Viagra asked.
"I'd be too ashamed to live if I went home dead, but those bastards, none of them will get away with it..."
The fourth brother seemed to have made up his mind. He looked up at Zhuang Rui and said, "Brother, I'm sorry, I can't pay back that money. Let's be brothers again in the next life." After saying that, the fourth brother turned to leave, but Zhuang Rui grabbed him and yelled, "Wake up! This society doesn't care about fighting and killing anymore. Damn, I think you've been watching too many Hong Kong gangster movies..."
Zhuang Rui spent over 100 million yuan just to save Lao Si. If he followed Lao Si's method, he might as well not have spent the money at all.
"Let's gamble, let's gamble with them again, damn it, let's make them pay back their money with interest..."
After pacing around the room a few times, Zhuang Rui finally made up his mind. As the saying goes, flies don't land on eggs without cracks, and Lao Si was also at fault. Zhuang Rui originally thought of paying some money to settle the matter.
But to everyone's surprise, they went too far. Not only did they abscond with hundreds of millions of dollars, but they also brazenly wanted to settle their score at the gambling table. It was clear that they were bullying Zhuang Rui and the others because they didn't dare to take the challenge.
"Youngest brother, this...this won't do. None of us know how to gamble, and fourth brother...not to mention fourth brother. No, this absolutely won't do..."
When Wei Ge heard Zhuang Rui's words, he was dumbfounded. He had already lost hundreds of millions of dollars, and he still wanted to gamble with the other party? Wasn't that just crazy?
"Don't worry about this, Wei Ge..."
Zhuang Rui, with a cold face, dialed Uncle De's number.
"Uncle De, just do as they say. Settle your scores at the gambling table." You give them your reply, and they'll arrange the time, but the location must be a legitimate casino in Macau...
Since the conversation had turned sour, leaving no room for compromise, Zhuang Rui wasn't afraid to take a gamble. As long as it was in a proper setting with a notary, Zhuang Rui wasn't worried about the other party cheating or engaging in any shady dealings.
As for gambling skills, Zhuang Rui has these eyes, so it's obvious he won't lose. The reason he doesn't gamble is that he doesn't want to tarnish the eyes that God gave him, but the other party is really going too far.
"Zhuang Rui, I think we should think of another way to handle this. You don't understand gambling; you'll suffer a huge loss..."
The story of Zhuang Rui's battle with the gambling king on the high seas was only known to some people in Hong Kong's upper class and had not spread. Therefore, neither Brother Wei nor Uncle De were optimistic about Zhuang Rui's decision.
"Uncle De, it's alright. China is full of hidden talents and has plenty of room for maneuver. Don't worry, just make an appointment with them..."
Zhuang Rui didn't say that he was going to gamble, because if he did, Uncle De would never pass on the message.
Lao Si and Wei Ge, who had been by Zhuang Rui's side, breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Zhuang Rui's words. They knew that Zhuang Rui had a powerful background and that there might really be such a talented person.
Uncle De on the other end of the phone shared the same idea and quickly replied: One week later, at a casino in Macau, both parties will each contribute HK$500 million in betting funds. As for the betting method, the two parties will negotiate it at that time.
After receiving the reply, Zhuang Rui immediately made several phone calls. He needed to raise funds, but he couldn't come up with even five million, let alone five hundred million.
Chapter 906 Raising Funds
In a room at a manor on the outskirts of Beijing, three or four people were gathered around a table covered with red silk cloth, examining the jadeite rough stones displayed on the table. Among them were not only Mr. Han, who had worked at the Pingzhou raw stone market, but also Zhuang Rui's father-in-law.
"Youngest brother, is your solution selling these jadeite pieces?"
Wei Ge gently nudged Zhuang Rui. He had originally planned to discuss with his father about raising 100 million yuan in cash for Zhuang Rui, but Zhuang Rui refused, saying he had his own way. Wei Ge was surprised that Zhuang Rui wanted to sell jade.
Although Wei Ge and Lao Si both knew that jade was valuable, there were only sixteen or seventeen pieces of jade on the table. The two brothers didn't really believe that such a small amount of jade could be worth 500 million RMB.
"Yes, you just need to watch, you don't need to say anything..."
Zhuang Rui nodded, looked at Han Haowei, and said, "Mr. Han, there's no need to look anymore. Seven pieces of jade, 350 million, you'll make a profit..."
These seven rough stones are all jadeite slabs that have already been cut open. The worst one is of icy quality, and there is also a fist-sized piece of imperial green jadeite. All of them are top-quality jadeite slabs.
"Well... Brother Zhuang, do you think... could you make it a little cheaper?"
Fatty Han still had the same build, with a pair of glasses on his chubby face, looking completely harmless. If you weren't familiar with him, you wouldn't guess that he was a jewelry tycoon with a net worth of over 100 million.
"Hehe, Mr. Han, we're old friends. I'm offering a fair price. To be honest, even with these seven pieces of material, my father-in-law won't allow me to sell them..."
Zhuang Rui smiled upon hearing this, adopting an attitude of "take it or leave it." In truth, if Zhuang Rui didn't have ulterior motives, he wouldn't have sold it for 350 million, let alone 400 million. You know, the price of top-quality jadeite changes every day these days.
After deciding to gamble with those con artists the day before yesterday, Zhuang Rui began raising funds. He cut out about half of the dozens of rough stones in his inventory and then called several of the most powerful jewelers in the country to invite them to his home.
Zhuang Rui has a quirk: he dislikes taking out loans from banks. Since making his fortune through gambling on jade, he has never owed a bank a single penny. Perhaps this is why he is destined not to become an entrepreneur? Because those who run businesses have always treated banks as their own personal vaults.
"Old Han, I'll buy all the raw materials you don't need. Xiao Rui, just say so if you need money. Why buy raw materials? The store in Beijing needs these materials too..."
Qin Haoran rushed to Beijing from Hong Kong yesterday, only to find that his son-in-law had invited him to do business, and had also invited the owners of two other jewelry stores in China. This made Qin Haoran very unhappy. Now, hearing Han Haowei and Zhuang Rui negotiating the price, he couldn't be more happy that Zhuang Rui wouldn't sell.
Zhuang Rui smiled and said, "Dad, the domestic market is so big, no single company can dominate it. More cooperation would be beneficial..."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Qin, your Qin Jewelry business is so large and powerful, you won't mind this small amount. Brother Zhuang, let's go with your price. I'll transfer the money to you later..."
How could Han Haowei not know the current market price of jade? The bargaining he did earlier was a businessman's habit, and now that Qin Haoran spoke up, he immediately agreed.
Since the export of raw jadeite was restricted in 2005, the domestic jadeite market has seen prices change almost daily, with an upward trend comparable to that of real estate. Many merchants are frantically hoarding raw jadeite, and opportunities like Zhuang Rui's to transfer finished jadeite are extremely rare.
"Boss Zhuang, I'll take these three pieces of jade. Name your price..."
At this moment, another jeweler also selected his material. Zhuang Rui glanced at it and said, "Mr. Yu has a good eye. Three pieces of high-grade icy jade, worth 120 million..."
"Okay, then it's settled. Let's get the formalities done in a bit..."
The boss was very straightforward, mainly because he knew Zhuang Rui's reputation in the jade industry. Although Zhuang Rui had hardly gambled on any jadeite rough stones in the past two years, the reputation he had built up in the previous years made no one dare to underestimate this young man.
Moreover, the fact that Zhuang Rui can now offer jadeite rough worth over 500 million yuan demonstrates his capabilities. Although domestic merchants are currently stockpiling goods, it is estimated that no one can match Zhuang Rui's scale.
Another boss also chose materials worth 80 million, and Zhuang Rui asked Peng Fei to take them to complete the transfer.
A dozen or so pieces of jade sold for 550 million, leaving Lao Si and Wei Ge speechless. Although they had been to jade gambling sites before, they had no idea that such things would be so valuable.
Especially the fourth brother, who used to manage over 200 million in family funds, which he already thought was a huge sum. But Zhuang Rui just took out a few rough stones and casually made 500-600 million. It's practically robbery!
"Dad, don't be angry, I still have a lot of fabric left for you..."