The Mongols were already deeply influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. When they learned that they could participate in the enthronement ceremony of the reincarnation of the Living Buddha, Timur was very excited. He kept asking Zhuang Rui all sorts of questions. However, his generous nature allowed him to quickly become friends with Liu Chuan and others.
The plane landed smoothly at the Tibet Airport. However, to the astonishment of tourists disembarking from other planes nearby, the first to disembark from this small private jet was a pure white Tibetan Mastiff that looked like a lion.
What appeared behind the Tibetan Mastiff was even more surprising: a golden eagle, standing as tall as a person, walked down from the cabin door with its head held high and chest puffed out. Its eagle eyes, gleaming with a cold light, looked around arrogantly, displaying an air of superiority.
"Damn, is this a scene from 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'? They've even brought out the golden eagle! And I must say, the makeup is incredibly realistic..."
A young tourist rubbed his eyes vigorously.
Fortunately, the people who got off the plane later were all normal "people," and the Tibetan mastiff and golden eagle quickly got into a luxury bus and disappeared from the tourists' sight.
Chapter 1304 Revisiting an Old haunt
The place arranged for Zhuang Rui and the others to stay was still the Tibet Religious Affairs Bureau Guesthouse in the suburbs of Lhasa. Although it was only called a guesthouse, the villas and facilities inside were better than many five-star hotels.
Zhuang Rui also liked this place very much. Above him was a clear blue sky, and below him was a green grass. Living in such a place could, without one realizing it, gently brush away the dust that had accumulated in people's hearts from the mundane world.
However, when Zhuang Rui and his group arrived at the villa area, they found that the entire area was guarded by armed police officers with live ammunition, and everyone entering and leaving was carefully checked.
The bus carrying Zhuang Rui and his group was also stopped when it entered the villa area.
"Be on alert! Be vigilant! Watch out for wild animals that could attack people..."
As soon as the white lion and the golden eagle got off the bus, a collective gasp filled the air. The armed police officers, armed with guns, immediately tensed up, and the sound of their rifles being cocked echoed continuously.
Although they lived in Tibet and were familiar with Tibetan mastiffs, the white lion's enormous size still took the armed police officers on guard duty by surprise, and more than a dozen dark gun barrels were pointed at the white lion at the same time.
"Hey, no, no, the white lion doesn't bite..."
Seeing this, Zhuang Rui became very anxious and quickly stood in front of the white lion. It is said that white lions do not usually bite people, but if they are threatened, they might bite these armed police officers.
"Put down your guns, all of you put down your guns! What are you doing? Mr. Zhuang is a distinguished guest we invited..."
Director Zhao, who was in charge of the reception, explained to a lieutenant colonel of the armed police that he was also startled when he first saw the white lion, but the white lion had been very docile along the way, so Director Zhao also spoke up for Zhuang Rui.
"I'm sorry, we are responsible for the commander's safety..."
Unexpectedly, the armed police lieutenant colonel completely ignored Director Zhao, waved his hand, and continued, "Such large wild animals are not allowed to enter the villa area..."
After hearing the words of the armed police lieutenant colonel, Director Zhao seemed to have realized something, and his face turned somewhat unpleasant. He turned to Zhuang Rui and said, "Mr. Zhuang, what do you think about this..."
"Is a leader planning to move in?"
Upon seeing the security work at a guesthouse, which required a lieutenant colonel to be in charge on-site, Zhuang Rui immediately understood. So his uncle was also staying here; no wonder he hadn't let Bai Shi in.
“Mr. Zhuang, we have rules, and I can’t answer that for you. How about I book you a hotel in the city…”
Director Zhao knew that Zhuang Rui had a powerful background, but the person who was going to check in today had an even more powerful background. If something happened, it wouldn't just be him who would suffer, but the entire autonomous region government would also be affected.
So Director Zhao decided to move Zhuang Rui to another place. Anyway, the central government allocates a lot of money to them every year, so it's just a matter of increasing the entertainment expenses.
"Okay, then let's stay in the city. By the way, anywhere near Barkhor Street is fine..."
Zhuang Rui was both amused and exasperated. This uncle had moved in but kicked out his own nephew. He would have to complain to his uncle when he saw him later. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't know Bai Shi.
After glancing at the villas in the community, Zhuang Rui felt a little reluctant to leave. The environment here was much better than the hustle and bustle of the city.
"Let's go, let's stay in Lhasa..."
Just as Zhuang Rui turned around to call Liu Chuan and the others to get into the car, several police cars with flashing lights suddenly pulled up in front of them.
Seeing the bus blocking the entrance, a policeman got out of a police car and shouted anxiously, "What's going on? Where are the guards? Move that bus quickly, the commander is about to arrive..."
Just as he finished speaking, four cars in front and four behind, surrounding a large red flag, arrived at the gate. However, the gate was completely blocked by the bus, and the convoy immediately stopped.
This really worried the policeman. The traffic control had been in place all the way without any problems, but when he was about to reach his destination, he was blocked by a car. This could be a big or small matter; at best, he would have to write a self-criticism, and at worst, he might lose his job.
"This...this...this is troublesome, quick, quickly move the car to a different position..."
Upon seeing this, Director Zhao's face, which was flushed from the high altitude, turned deathly pale. He didn't care about Zhuang Rui anymore and grabbed the bus driver, urging him to move quickly.
"Hey, looks like we don't need to change locations..."
Upon seeing the arrival of the Hongqi car, Zhuang Rui smiled. In Lhasa, only his uncle could afford such a high-class car. What a coincidence! If he had arrived any later, Zhuang Rui probably wouldn't have been able to see it.
"Hey, move aside, what are you looking at? I'm talking to you..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui seemed to be trying to squeeze towards the convoy, the impatient policeman quickly ran over and grabbed Zhuang Rui. "Fine, stop it, okay..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head helplessly and walked to the side of the road. Several policemen were standing in front of him, but Zhuang Rui was tall, so he wasn't worried that the people in the car couldn't see him.
Sure enough, after the bus was moved, the Hongqi car suddenly stopped in front of Zhuang Rui, and one of the windows rolled down, revealing Ouyang Zhenhua's face.
"Xiao Rui, why aren't you going inside? What are you doing here?"
Seeing Zhuang Rui making faces behind the police, Ouyang Zhenhua couldn't help but laugh.
"Hehe, making way for you. By the way, Premier Ouyang, they won't let my white lion in..."
The guards on the perimeter were already surprised when they saw Ouyang Zhenhua's car stop. Zhuang Rui's words startled the armed police lieutenant colonel in charge. Wasn't this just making trouble?
"Nonsense, why bring a white lion to such a serious event?"
Ouyang Zhenhua, with a stern face, said something to Zhuang Rui, then looked at the armed police lieutenant colonel standing ramrod straight beside Zhuang Rui and said, "That dog won't hurt anyone, it's fine, let it in..."
"Yes, sir," the lieutenant colonel quickly saluted.
Once the convoy entered the villa area, the way everyone outside, including the police and Director Zhao, looked at Zhuang Rui changed. Who exactly was this young man? He spoke to the Vice Premier so casually.
With Ouyang Zhenhua speaking, no one stopped Zhuang Rui and his group anymore. Director Zhao's reception of Zhuang Rui became increasingly meticulous and thoughtful, making Zhuang Rui feel a little guilty for his busy schedule.
"Director Zhao, could you arrange two cars later? I'd like to go for a drive around the Jokhang Temple area..."
Even on the plane, Liu Chuan was already talking about wanting to relive his time in Lhasa, and the Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street were definitely places he had to visit.
"No problem, Mr. Zhuang, I'll arrange it right away..."
Arranging a car is a small matter, right? Director Zhao agreed immediately. After making a phone call, two cars were parked in front of the villa in less than ten minutes.
Of course, Director Zhao was still going to accompany them on this trip. Perhaps because of his previous conversation with Ouyang Zhenhua, Zhuang Rui's security level was also raised, with a police car following behind the two vehicles.
Although he felt a little uncomfortable, Zhuang Rui didn't say anything. Everyone meant well, right? Besides, those business people weren't very disciplined either. With these people around, at least things like last time wouldn't happen again.
The car stopped at the intersection. Looking at the still bustling Barkhor Street, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but feel like he was revisiting an old place. What happened five or six years ago seemed like just yesterday.
Following the bustling crowd, Zhuang Rui and his group strolled around Barkhor Street. Perhaps because there was an important event at Jokhang Temple, the vendors doing business on Barkhor Street were very well-behaved.
Shopping is a woman's nature. Before they had even walked halfway down Barkhor Street, Zhuang Rui, Liu Chuan, and the others were already carrying bags of all sizes. These were, of course, the spoils of Lei Lei and Qin Xuanbing.
"Zhuang Rui, come quick! Do you remember this coffee shop?"
After turning a street corner, Zhuang Rui suddenly heard Qin Xuanbing shout. He quickly took a few steps, and an open-air coffee shop appeared in front of him.
"Where is this? I don't remember..."
Zhuang Rui feigned a blank expression, but after seeing Qin Xuanbing's face darken, he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Of course I remember, there was a silly girl here who kissed a handsome young man..."
"A deathly sight..."
Qin Xuanbing blushed at Zhuang Rui's words, but her face was filled with happiness. She reached out and took Zhuang Rui's hand, and they walked into the coffee shop together.
The coffee shop wasn't crowded. The Hong Kong owner was sitting leisurely in a recliner, reading a book. The afternoon sun shone on him, creating a lazy yet harmonious scene.
However, time has left its mark on the face of that once-young boss, with many wrinkles appearing between his eyebrows, indicating that he must be over fifty years old.
Upon seeing the guests enter, the owner put down his book, stood up, and greeted them, "What would you two like to drink? I only serve freshly ground coffee. Oh? Have you been here before?"
Although Qin Xuanbing was married and had children, her beautiful appearance remained unchanged, and the Hong Kong boss recognized her at a glance.
Of course, Zhuang Rui, one of "you", was just there to make up the numbers. With so many men coming into the coffee shop every day, and the owner having no particular hobbies, how could he possibly remember who Zhuang Rui was?
Upon hearing the boss's words, Zhuang Rui smiled and said happily, "Boss, you have a great memory. We were here five or six years ago. By the way, we were sitting on the second floor back then. Can we still go up now?"
Over the course of five or six years, Zhuang Rui's life underwent tremendous changes, but the feeling of seeing familiar people in the same places was still quite peculiar.
Chapter 1305 Enthronement Ceremony
After leaving the coffee shop, Zhuang Rui looked at the magnificent Jokhang Temple not far away and lost interest in sightseeing. Although there were reincarnated Living Buddhas there, Zhuang Rui always felt that something was missing.
It was already late when Zhuang Rui took out his phone and contacted Liu Chuan and the others who were wandering around elsewhere. They returned to their residence together. Almost everyone had bought a lot of things, and even Zhou Rui bought some Tibetan silver jewelry for his wife.
Around seven or eight o'clock, Peng Fei and the others drove to Lhasa. He and Zhuang Rui had been here once before and knew the way well. Director Zhao then busied himself arranging rooms for them.
In Tibet during March and April, the temperature difference between day and night is still quite large. In the evening, Zhuang Rui went to Ouyang Zhenhua's place for a while and then went to bed early.
The next day, around 7 a.m., Zhuang Rui finished washing up and was ready to leave. However, he didn't expect to wait for more than three hours, which made Zhuang Rui a little confused. Wasn't the enthronement ceremony supposed to start at 11 a.m.?
When Zhuang Rui asked Director Zhao, he learned that the timing of a leader's appearance was crucial.
Originally, guests like Zhuang Rui would have arrived around 9 o'clock, but after Director Zhao saw his close relationship with Ouyang Zhenhua yesterday, he intentionally arranged Zhuang Rui's travel time to coincide with that of the Vice Premier.
This unexpected turn of events left Zhuang Rui somewhat bewildered. He had originally planned to arrive a little earlier to see if he could get in touch with the reincarnated child, since Zhuang Rui and this person had some connection in their past and present lives.
Time had already been wasted, so Zhuang Rui couldn't say anything more. At 10:30, Ouyang Zhenhua's convoy drove out of the villa area.
Zhuang Rui and his group followed closely behind in their three cars. Zhuang Rui also brought the white lion along, since it was a divine beast mentioned by the Living Buddha, and they might be received by the Living Buddha.
This trip really showed Zhuang Rui what grandeur was. Not only was traffic control implemented on the entire road from the villa area to the Jokhang Temple, but traffic police could be seen almost every few hundred meters, and the journey was smooth and unimpeded.
"When will Beijing be able to open up like this? All these are just vanity projects..."
Sitting in the car, Zhuang Rui pursed his lips. Of course, such arrangements follow certain rules and regulations, and it's not necessarily because Ouyang Zhenhua wanted to show off.
Upon arriving at the Jokhang Temple, Zhuang Rui discovered that under a vermilion canopy in the back courtyard stood the young Panchen Lama, who was there to greet Ouyang Zhenhua.
Zhuang Rui certainly couldn't expect such treatment. He could only catch a glimpse of it from afar before Director Zhao led him to sit in the VIP section of the viewing platform. As for the white lion, it could only stay in the car for the time being.
Unlike the previous enthronement ceremony of the Living Buddha, this enthronement ceremony filled the Jokhang Temple with a festive atmosphere, and all the lamas, young and old, who came and went all had smiles on their faces.
Apart from Zhuang Rui and his group, who were all young people, the guests were mostly lay Buddhists in their fifties or sixties. Zhuang Rui had met a few of them before.
Sitting among a group of elderly men who had come to witness the ceremony, Liu Chuan felt extremely uncomfortable. He moved closer to Zhuang Rui and said, "Hey, I say, you blockhead, this looks just like our wedding, all that red and green..."
"Don't talk nonsense. This Living Buddha has a very high status. This is his enthronement ceremony. Be careful someone hears this and you'll be beaten out with sticks..."
Zhuang Rui turned around and glared at Liu Chuan. Having experienced the power of faith last time, Zhuang Rui had a deep reverence for temples and similar places. He wouldn't dare to be as devoid of Buddhist faith as Liu Chuan, who dared to spout nonsense in such a place.
"By the way, Woody, what is a 'enthronement ceremony'?"
Liu Chuan's question left Zhuang Rui somewhat amused and exasperated. It seemed this guy really thought he was here for tourism? He hadn't even looked into the activities he was participating in.