"Hey Zhuang, your salvage boat is really great. I'm thinking of modifying my yacht too..."
After seeing the gambling king and his fourth wife off the ship, Zhuang Rui was met with several people walking towards him. He was at a loss for how to deal with these people who were arguably the richest in the world.
"Ahem, Mr. Bill, Prince William, Your Excellency Bhutan and His Highness the Crown Prince, welcome aboard the ship. However, I must return to Beijing today. I promise I will treat you well next time..."
Zhuang Rui avoided these people, who would be received by the leaders or heads of state of any country.
Chapter 1235 Refusal
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Bill Gates said with a wronged expression, "Zhuang, you don't consider me a friend at all! Didn't we agree that I would visit your museum in Beijing..."
"Did I...did I tell you?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned. It seemed that Bill Gates had said that he would visit his museum in Beijing in the future if he had the chance, but he hadn't said that he would come with him this time.
"Oh, Zhuang, aren't you welcoming him?"
Bill put on a pitiful act, completely disregarding his status as the richest man in the world.
The way people get along is also a matter of fate. Bill Gates felt that he got along very well with Zhuang Rui. This young man did not treat him as the world's richest man at all, but talked to him as a friend. This made Bill Gates, who had been in a high position for a long time, feel very novel.
As for Zhuang Rui's pursuit of fame, Bill Gates doesn't seem to care much about it anymore. For someone like him, material pursuits are far less important than spiritual needs.
"Welcome, of course you're welcome, Mr. Bill. I'm sure you'll have a very interesting trip to Beijing..."
Zhuang Rui reacted very quickly. Bill Gates' willingness to visit his museum in Beijing was a huge boost for the Dingguang Museum, and... it seemed that the Imperial Seal of the State was on display in the next few days.
If Bill Gates could make an appearance at the first exhibition of the Imperial Seal of the People's Republic of China, the advertising effect would likely extend far beyond the nation; major newspapers around the world would probably publish coverage of it.
"I'm really looking forward to this trip to Beijing..."
Bill Gates laughed when he heard this. He had been to China ten times since the 1990s and was quite familiar with the country.
“Prince William, Your Highnesses Borjigin and Alwaleed, I know why you have come, but… I really will not sell the Wind Chaser…”
After speaking with Bill, Zhuang Rui looked at the other people and reiterated his point of view with a very firm tone.
William seemed unresponsive to Zhuang Rui's words, while the Brunei-Bhutanese man exchanged a glance with the Arab Crown Prince. The latter stepped forward and said, "Mr. Zhuang, I'm offering three hundred million pounds to formally purchase this Akhal-Teke horse from you. Please consider it seriously..."
Three hundred million pounds?
This offer surprised even Bill Gates, who was already uninvolved. You see, although he is incredibly wealthy, he would have to sell some of his shares to come up with £300 million.
Just recently, Bill Gates sold his Microsoft shares four times for charitable purposes, cashing out more than $700 million, which is about the same as Alwaleed's offer.
"Damn, are you trying to throw money at me?"
This was the first time Zhuang Rui had truly experienced what it meant to be rich and powerful; the sheer amount of money he received left him utterly speechless.
Zhuang Rui had long heard that Arab oil tycoons were foolish, rich, and generous, but he never expected that this bearded middle-aged man would be so extravagant.
Three hundred million pounds? That's enough for this Crown Prince to buy a Premier League club for fun. "Didn't I hear these oil tycoons like playing football? Why are they eyeing my Wind Chaser?"
Seeing Zhuang Rui remain silent, Alwaleed grew anxious and urged, "Mr. Zhuang, what do you say? I'm very sincere..."
Prior to this Macau International Horse Racing event, the world's highest prize money horse racing event was the Dubai Horse Racing in the Arab world, with a total prize pool of US$15 million.
However, unlike Macau, gambling is strictly prohibited at Dubai horse racing. All prize money is provided by the Arab royal family, or more precisely, most of the funds come from the Crown Prince in front of us.
The Crown Prince is quite displeased that the Macau horse racing has stolen his thunder, so he wants to use the method of buying up the trend to attract the world's attention back to the Dubai horse racing.
As for money, Crown Prince Alwaleed doesn't care at all. The endless oil reserves in the Arab world create enormous wealth for him every day. Money comes easily, so he spends it lavishly.
In casinos around the world, the most welcome and most distinguished guests are these Arab oil tycoons. They can spend hundreds of millions of dollars in a single night without batting an eye. This Crown Prince has contributed at least five hundred million US dollars to the people of Macau.
Compared to Alwaleed, the Brunei-Bhutanese man, although also wealthy and once the world's richest, remained silent after Alwaleed made his offer.
“Your Highness Alwaleed, I am very grateful for your kindness in gifting the Wind Chaser, but as I said before, no matter the price, I will not sell the Wind Chaser…”
Although Zhuang Rui was also taken aback by the price, three hundred million pounds was nothing more than a string of zeros added to the end of a Swiss bank deposit slip for him, and it did not have a fatal attraction for him.
"Five hundred million pounds..."
Before Zhuang Rui could speak, Alwaleed immediately offered another price. He simply couldn't believe that there were any items in this world that weren't for sale.
In Alwaleed's view, the reason Zhuang Rui was unwilling to sell Zhuifeng was simply because the price he offered did not meet Zhuang Rui's expectations.
That's easy. Just raise the purchase price again. Anyway, with oil prices soaring, the money he spent on buying horses will eventually be earned back by those who drive cars. People say that Arab oil tycoons are stupid and rich, but that's not necessarily true. After all, the people of the whole world are their ATMs.
While the Arab crown prince may not be the richest person in the world, he is definitely the most outstanding spendthrift on the planet. Zhuang Rui simply shook his head and added two hundred million pounds directly.
Bill Gates was truly moved. Through his thick glasses, he looked at Zhuang Rui, wondering if this young Chinese man could resist such blatant temptation.
“This isn’t about money, Your Highness Alwaleed, I can’t go against my conscience…”
Zhuang Rui swallowed hard. Had this bearded man gone mad? Five hundred million pounds was enough to instigate a coup in a small African country, and he might even win. "Eight hundred million pounds, Mr. Zhuang, pounds, not depreciated dollars. This is my final offer. I hope you will seriously consider it..."
Alwaleed interrupted Zhuang Rui almost rudely. Since birth, his family had possessed endless wealth. Having lived for over forty years, there was nothing on this planet that he couldn't obtain if he wanted it.
Zhuang Rui's repeated rejections drove Alwaleed to lose his temper, and he offered a price that only a madman would give.
However, Alwaleed's exorbitant offer completely calmed Zhuang Rui down, and the slight agitation he felt when he heard about the three hundred million pounds disappeared.
Saying the astronomical figure of eight hundred million pounds is just a matter of saying it, and it doesn't really give people a tangible feeling. If Alwaleed put that money on the ship, Zhuang Rui might actually be tempted.
“Eight hundred million pounds, Mr. Alwaleed. To you, the Wind Chaser is merely a commodity, but in my heart, it is my partner, my brother, my friend—something that cannot be bought or sold with money…”
Zhuang Rui reiterated the deep friendship between him and Zhui Feng, but Zhuang Rui wondered if he could resist such temptation if he were poor and destitute.
In this world, a person's confidence comes from economic strength. If Zhuang Rui were still struggling to make ends meet, would he still be able to make such a calm choice?
"Not...not for sale?"
Alwaleed doubted his ears. Eight hundred million pounds was enough to buy the world's top 10 horses, and this young man in front of him actually said "not for sale."
"Alright, Zhuang, I hope you won't regret your decision today..."
After being rejected by Zhuang Rui multiple times, Alwaleed also lost patience. Perhaps he had never experienced so many rejections in his entire life.
As he took his leave from the Xuanrui, Crown Prince Alwaleed had already decided in his heart that this year's Dubai horse races would have a prize pool of 30 million US dollars. The title of the world's premier horse racing sport should belong to the wealthy Arab people.
Along with Alwaleed, the Brunei-Bhutanese man also left. Zhuang Rui's attitude made him realize that money could not buy this Akhal-Teke horse that had caused such a stir in the horse racing world.
"Prince William, you..."
Seeing that William was still unperturbed and unwilling to leave, Zhuang Rui joked with him, "If Your Highness William could offer one billion pounds, I would definitely sell the Chasing Wind to you..."
Prince William shrugged and said, "Mr. Zhuang, I don't have that much money, and I didn't come here to buy the Wind Chaser. I just wanted to see the horse again and take a picture with it. Of course, it would be even better if I could ride it for a bit..."
After Chase won the final race, William knew that this horse was not something he could have.
Although the British royal family is one of the wealthiest families in the world, William is also only one of the heirs to the throne, and the funds he can use are very limited. The previous £100 million had already left him heavily in debt.
William, driven by his love for horses, still wanted to get to know Zhuang Ruiduo. He couldn't afford to buy Zhuifeng, but he could learn about the origins of Akhal-Teke horses through Zhuang Ruiduo. Not all Akhal-Teke horses are worth as much as Zhuifeng.
"on board?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this. "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? I doubt Zhui Feng would like high diving, a very difficult sport..."
Chapter 1236 Invitation
Although the "Xuanrui" is not small, with a distance of several hundred meters between its bow and fore-and-aft, at the speed of the wind, it could probably make a full circle in the blink of an eye, and it could really fall into the sea if it is not careful.
"Oh no, Bill told me you have an event in Beijing, and I'd like to go. Wouldn't that give me a chance? You wouldn't object to me going, would you?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Prince William laughed. Undeniably, the young prince's words were very appealing to Zhuang Rui, as the heir to the British throne is quite popular among the Chinese people.
If Bill Gates and Prince William were to appear at the inaugural exhibition of the Imperial Seal of the State, it would undoubtedly become world-renowned news, and the benefits to the Dingguang Museum would be self-evident.
“Your Highness William, I am delighted that you could attend this event, however…”
Zhuang Rui's expression turned somewhat troubled at this point. "However, Your Highness William, is it appropriate for you to participate in such an event?"
It's important to understand that although the British royal family is only the nominal leader of the country, their every action and word still represents the nation. Therefore, as one of the heirs to the throne, William can be considered a political figure from birth.
From a diplomatic perspective, William's visit to China was considered a diplomatic mission and required a reception by the government.
As is well known, diplomacy between China and Western countries is extremely sensitive. Zhuang Rui's abrupt invitation to William to come to Beijing may have touched a nerve with certain departments.
Inviting Bill Gates was a purely business activity, but inviting Prince William would easily lead to speculation and conjecture from people who spend all their time studying these kinds of things. That's why Zhuang Rui seemed to be in a dilemma; he didn't want to give anyone a reason to criticize him.
"Zhuang, don't worry, William will have no problem going to Beijing..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, both William and Zhuang Rui showed embarrassed expressions. Bill Gates chuckled and said, "William also frequently attends business events. He can visit your museum in a private capacity; it has nothing to do with official business..."
After Bill's explanation, Zhuang Rui finally understood that these political figures' overseas visits were actually divided into public and private aspects.
A visit is considered a diplomatic visit if it is invited by a state or if a visitor submits a visit application to a state. However, accepting a private invitation is a personal matter and has nothing to do with the state.
Just like former US President Clinton, after leaving office, he went around the world giving business speeches, visiting Shenzhen several times. These things... have nothing to do with politics.
The British royal family is now merely a national symbol and does not directly participate in the governance of the country. These princes and princesses spend most of their free time participating in various informal activities.
Participation in these activities comes with compensation. As the young heir to the British royal family, William has earned a considerable amount of private wealth over the years using his title.
"Your Highness William, on behalf of the Dingguang Museum, I formally invite you to attend the opening ceremony of the Dingguang Museum's special exhibition on the Imperial Seal of the State. The invitation letter will be sent to the relevant departments in your country subsequently..."
After understanding the situation, Zhuang Rui formally extended an invitation to William.
Like Bill Gates, if you wanted to invite William to a business event under normal circumstances, you would probably have to wait in line for a long time. Since William himself brought it up, Zhuang Rui naturally agreed without hesitation.
It's important to understand that although the Little Prince's global influence is far less than that of Bill Gates, as the heir to the British throne, his every move still attracts attention from many European countries.
After extending the invitation, Zhuang Rui hesitated and said, "However, Prince William, what about your appearance fee..."
I heard from Bill Gates that William used to charge a fee when he participated in some events, so Zhuang Rui thought it would be better to be upfront and clarify this matter first.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, William couldn't help but laugh. After thinking about it seriously for a moment, he said, "Zhuang, I'm participating in this event as a friend. As for the cost, just let me ride the Chasing Wind..."
"Zhuang, you can't be biased! I don't want money either, but I still want to ride the Chasing Wind for a bit..."
Before Prince William could finish speaking, Bill Gates, who was standing nearby, started shouting.
"No problem, I guarantee that His Highness and Mr. Bill will experience the magnificence of the world's fastest horse..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and agreed. As his partner, he would not sell Zhui Feng, but he felt no pressure about exploiting Zhui Feng's usefulness.
After agreeing to the two invitations, out of courtesy, Zhuang Rui introduced Prince William and Bill Gates to his family. Since it was getting late, both of them chose to stay overnight on the ship.
However, Zhuang Rui was a little annoyed because foreigners don't have the habit of giving gifts when they meet. Otherwise, his children would definitely have received a big red envelope. After all, the world's richest man can't be too stingy, right?