"Xiao Rui, what's wrong? What happened? Uncle Guo just came to see you, saying he wanted to celebrate..."
After Zhuang Rui returned to the private room, everyone in the Qin family noticed that Zhuang Rui's expression was not quite right; he showed no signs of excitement after winning the competition.
Zhuang Rui looked around and asked, "Dad, is everything alright? Where's Grandpa?"
Qin Haoran replied, "Your grandfather was summoned by Mr. He, who said he had something to discuss. Could it be that Mr. He has taken a liking to your Zhui Feng?"
"He's not the only one who's interested in Zhui Feng..."
Zhuang Rui gave a wry smile to himself and said, "Dad, the competition is over. I'm taking Fangfang and Yuanyuan back to the ship first. You can come back with Grandpa when he gets back..."
After talking with Fourth Aunt, Zhuang Rui learned that the sudden rise of Chasing Wind had caused heavy losses to several companies in Macau, and it was hard to guarantee that they wouldn't take any extreme actions.
His wife and children were here, and Zhuang Rui didn't want them to suffer any harm, not even a fright. He couldn't afford to gamble on that. Only when he returned to the Xuanrui, which was equipped with powerful firepower, could he feel at ease.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Qin Haoran asked in surprise, "Xiao Rui, what happened? Isn't there an awards ceremony? Aren't you going to attend?"
"Brother Zhuang, is something wrong?"
Peng Fei, who had been relaxed in the private room, tensed up, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes, and a dangerous aura emanating from him.
Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, "Dad, you'll know when Grandpa comes back. We'll talk about it later. I'll take them to the boat first. Peng Fei, let's leave here first..."
Zhuang Rui felt uncomfortable staying in the room, so he didn't say much. He gave Peng Fei a wink, picked up his children, and left the private room with Qin Xuanbing.
When getting into the car arranged by the event organizers, Zhuang Rui had Peng Fei carefully check it before he got in. Only after returning to the Xuanrui did Zhuang Rui truly breathe a sigh of relief.
After boarding the ship, Peng Fei immediately found Li Zhen and arranged for the ship's guards before finding Zhuang Rui and asking, "Brother Zhuang, what's going on?"
"What happened on the track wasn't accidental. Chasing Wind's victory may have harmed the interests of many people. If those people dared to target Chasing Wind, they would certainly dare to target me as well..."
Zhuang Rui briefly recounted his conversation with Fourth Aunt to Peng Fei, who immediately jumped up upon hearing it.
"Damn it, we've had too much peace and quiet, and now someone dares to bully us..."
Peng Fei was far more impulsive than Zhuang Rui. He immediately snatched a walkie-talkie from a security guard on the ship and shouted, "Li Zhen, someone's trying to scam us. Get a few of the better fighters and organize a trip to Macau for them..."
"Haha, Fei Zi, you guys went to Macau to party, and the brothers have been itching to get back to work. Give me three minutes..."
Since Li Zhen took over as the security director of the Xuanrui, he has recruited several retired military personnel. It is no exaggeration to say that the Xuanrui can organize one of the world's most elite assault teams in the shortest amount of time.
"No, Li Zhen, don't listen to Peng Fei's nonsense..."
Zhuang Rui snatched the walkie-talkie from Peng Fei's hand and said, "We don't even know who did this yet. The gambling king is handling it. Don't do anything rash..."
Zhuang Rui still trusted the gambling king's promises. In Macau, the gambling king was once almost like an emperor in ancient times.
Even though the implementation of the gambling license system later greatly reduced the gambling king's power, his prestige remained unquestionable in the small city of Macau. Even the Chief Executive had to rely on the gambling king to get things done on certain issues.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Li Zhen said sullenly, "Who cares who did it? Just tie up all the suspects..."
Zhuang Rui laughed and scolded, "Alright, stop complaining. Keep an eye on the safety of the Xuanrui. If the Gambling King can't handle it, he'll need your help..."
Zhuang Rui is not a pushover. If the other party were to show any more malice, Zhuang Rui would definitely nip the danger in the bud. After that sea adventure, Zhuang Rui's attitude towards things has changed a lot.
"Ouch..."
Just after giving instructions to Li Zhen, King Kong suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gave Zhuang Rui a warm hug. Zhuang Rui's order not to let it off the ship made King Kong very dissatisfied.
"Alright, go find Zhuifeng to play. We have guests coming tonight, you scared them..."
Zhuang Rui very unkindly sent Jin Gang away.
When they got back to the ship, it was already past 8 p.m. About two hours later, Li Zhen's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Brother Zhuang, more than ten people have requested to board the ship, including the gambling king and your father-in-law and mother-in-law. Should we let them on?"
"More than ten people?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment when he heard this. He walked to the side of the ship and looked down. Good heavens, not only Mr. He was there, but also Prince William, Bill Gates and the Crown Prince of Brunei and Bhutan were among them.
"Zhuang, you're such a bad friend! I was planning to celebrate for you, but you secretly ran away..."
As soon as Bill Gates boarded the ship, he hugged Zhuang Rui. However, looking at Zhuang Rui's salvage vessel, which had been converted from a luxury cruise ship, he couldn't help but frown. "Zhuang, what's that platform for?"
Zhuang Rui knew without a doubt why these super-rich people had come to the ship, but he didn't have time to waste with them. He chuckled and said, "Mr. Bill, this is an ocean-going salvage vessel. Let my captain show you around. I think you'll love it..."
After taking everyone away from Claude's ship, Zhuang Rui led the gambling king, Old Master Qin, and others into the cabin. Without exchanging pleasantries, he went straight to the point and asked, "Mr. He, what exactly happened?"
The gambling king paid no attention to Zhuang Rui's gloomy expression and said slowly, "Young man, you must learn to control your anger. Even if something happens, don't act impulsively..."
"Alright, sir, I don't have your level of composure. Just tell me what happened and how you resolved it..."
Zhuang Rui was left speechless, both amused and exasperated by the gambling king, yet he was utterly helpless against the old man.
Chapter 1234 Solution
In terms of age, the gambling king is Zhuang Rui's grandfather. In terms of status, he is a well-known figure and philanthropist in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. Zhuang Rui can show his displeasure to the fourth wife, but he can't show any power in front of the gambling king.
However, this does not mean that Zhuang Rui is willing to let this matter rest. If the gambling king is unfair, he will naturally seek justice in other ways. Even without resorting to violence, Zhuang Rui has plenty of ways to do so.
Putting everything else aside, if he just sits down and gambles at those casinos for a few days, he'll surely turn those behind-the-scenes bosses green with envy, and leave them speechless with bitterness. After all, casinos can't just turn away their customers, can they?
"Little guy, if I, this old man, don't handle things properly, are you going to cause trouble?"
The gambling king's eyes seemed half-closed, but he said something that resonated deeply with Zhuang Rui.
"Cough...cough cough," Zhuang Rui coughed several times after being spoken to by the old gambling king, but he vehemently denied it, "Grandpa, I didn't mean that. Besides, I've already announced my retirement from the gambling world, how could I do such a thing? But if this backstabbing doesn't get an explanation, this matter can't be easily resolved..."
This old guy is incredibly shrewd; he can guess what I'm thinking. Could it be that he also has a similar ability to perceive spiritual energy?
Zhuang Rui looked at the gambling king with a strange expression. If he could see such strange and inexplicable things, others might also have their own experiences.
Zhuang Rui finally couldn't hold back any longer and tentatively asked, "Grandpa, do you... know what other people are thinking?"
In Zhuang Rui's mind, this issue was far more important than what happened today. If the gambling king really had a special ability like "telepathy," it meant that Zhuang Rui was not the only one in the world who possessed this magical power.
"Cough, cough..."
The gambling king was drinking water when Zhuang Rui's words made him choke. His fourth wife quickly stepped forward and grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth.
"You little rascal, have you been reading too many of Mr. Cha's books? When you're my age, you'll be able to read people's minds too..."
The old man scolded Zhuang Rui irritably, pointed to the fourth wife beside him, and continued, "Alright, I'm tired. Let her tell you about that matter..."
In recent years, the gambling king has rarely made public appearances. If it weren't for the fear that Zhuang Rui, young and impetuous, might cause trouble in Macau, he wouldn't have personally gone to the "Xuan Rui" ship.
However, he was already ninety years old. After talking for a while, the old man also felt tired. After saying these words, he sat in his wheelchair and closed his eyes to rest.
Although the gambling king was very impatient, Zhuang Rui was relieved. What if the old man really had the supernatural power of "mind reading"? Wouldn't all his secrets be exposed?
"Xiao Zhuang, this was done by Galaxy Casino and two other casinos, and they've already admitted it..."
Just as Fourth Aunt finished speaking, she saw Zhuang Rui about to say something with an unfriendly expression, so she quickly waved her hand and said, "Little Zhuang, don't worry, they're not here for you..."
Zhuang Rui raised an eyebrow. He didn't have the same awe he had for the gambling king when facing the fourth wife. He said, "Oh? The horse that someone arranged to run over, wasn't it aimed at me?"
Fourth Aunt shook her head and said, "This matter really wasn't directed at you..."
After listening to Fourth Aunt's explanation, Zhuang Rui suddenly realized that the matter was indeed not directed at him, but rather that Zhui Feng was too outstanding and was thus targeted at the last minute.
According to the fourth wife, more than 70% of horse racing in Macau is controlled by betting companies, which make a lot of money from it every year.
The greater the impact of an event and the more attention it receives, the more people will bet on it. For a world-class event like this, betting companies certainly wouldn't let it pass.
After conducting some research, Dr. Shu Wen's horse, ranked fourth in the world in terms of wealth, was selected as an underdog, and the betting company offered corresponding odds for it.
However, the sudden emergence of Chase Wind disrupted their plans, and after the second game, almost half of the people in the stadium bet on Chase Wind to win, with the total betting amount reaching HK$800 million.
Adding the odds of 1 to 3 for Chase, they will have to pay out a total of HK$2.4 billion. If we also include the more than HK$10 billion in bets from the second round, they will have really lost everything.
Moreover, the idea for Zhuang Rui's horse to participate in the race was proposed by several tycoons in Hong Kong. The owners of those gambling companies in Macau did not know that Chase Wind belonged to Zhuang Rui, which led to the thrilling scene that occurred on the track.
"Fourth Wife, how was this matter... handled?"
After learning the whole story, Zhuang Rui didn't hold a grudge against those gambling companies anymore. After all, blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents. Zhui Feng accidentally won first place, causing others to lose billions. If it were Zhuang Rui, he would also have murderous thoughts.
"The three companies will jointly pay you HK$1 billion in compensation, and this matter will be forgiven..."
Fourth Wife didn't waste any words and directly stated the result.
The reason for this outcome, besides the gambling king's personal intervention, was also largely due to Zhuang Rui's reputation as a "lucky star" in the gambling world.
After Mr. He gathered the owners of those betting companies, they were all dumbfounded when they heard that it was Zhuang Rui's horse race, and they were filled with regret.
Although Zhuang Rui disappeared from the gambling scene that year, his previous record was undeniable.
The strategies Zhuang Rui had just devised were also considered by the behind-the-scenes owners of those gambling companies. If Zhuang Rui really went so far as to smash up the place, those casinos would probably have no choice but to close down. They knew that the gambling kings they had hired were no match for Zhuang Rui.
Although some ruthless gambling tycoons were thinking about how to make Zhuang Rui disappear, no one dared to take action, let alone mention it.
Not to mention that Old Master He would not agree, if they really did it, the power behind Zhuang Rui alone would make them live in constant fear. After all, China's special forces are very famous all over the world.
Being broke is certainly unpleasant, but life is more important. Although they started out gambling, they wouldn't gamble with their own lives, just like those major drug lords who traffic drugs but don't get involved with them themselves.
In the end, these gambling tycoons had no choice but to swallow their pride and accept the consequences. In order to prevent Zhuang Rui from causing them trouble, the companies decided to pay Zhuang Rui another billion US dollars.
However, the betting companies also had one condition: Zhuang Rui must keep his previous promise and permanently withdraw from the gambling world.
Of course, Fourth Wife was somewhat dissatisfied with this condition; she was still hoping that Zhuang Rui could help her new company a few times in the future.
However, for the sake of the stable development of Macau's gambling industry, the gambling king agreed on behalf of Zhuang Rui, which led to the settlement of the matter.
"Xiao Zhuang, this is the best outcome..."
Fourth Wife saw that Zhuang Rui was silent and assumed that he was not satisfied with the result.
You have to understand that from the perspective of the betting companies, this result has already made them so frustrated that they're practically suffering internal injuries. If Zhuang Rui still doesn't agree, those old but still powerful gambling tycoons might actually dare to fight Zhuang Rui to the death.
"Uh, Fourth Madam, I'm very satisfied with this result. Thank you and Grandpa..."
Zhuang Rui thought for a moment, then said, "I don't want that money. Let them donate it to the country. Let's settle this matter here, and I will never get involved in the gambling industry again..."
Even if some companies don't have the necessary conditions, Zhuang Rui will no longer go to casinos. The money there comes too easily, and it's easy to get lost in it.
If Zhuang Rui ever uses casinos as ATMs whenever he's short of money, even if his backing is just the influential Ouyang family in mainland China, those gambling tycoons would not hesitate to eliminate him, let alone the fact that he's the son of Jesus.
"Alright, I'll pass on your message to them. I'm sure they'll agree. Well then, Xiao Zhuang, welcome back to Macau again sometime..."
If Zhuang Rui really retires from the gambling world, then his value to Fourth Wife will drop to its lowest point. If it weren't for the fact that Macau has now returned to China and Zhuang Rui has a strong background in the mainland, Fourth Wife probably wouldn't even accept the Qin family.
The gambling king, who had been dozing off nearby, looked up after hearing his fourth wife's words. "Little one, Macau isn't a good place, but if you have time in the future, you can come and visit this old man. I'm afraid we won't have many opportunities to meet again..."
Zhuang Rui held the old man in the highest esteem. Upon hearing the gambling king's words, he quickly said, "Grandpa, we'll meet again in the future. The ship is rough, so let Fourth Wife accompany you back first..."
Although the gambling king came from a wealthy family, his family had fallen into decline when he was young. He built this gambling empire worth hundreds of billions of dollars entirely on his own. Whether friends or enemies, everyone admires the gambling king's abilities.