Of course, Liu Chuan hasn't said any of this yet. It would be too early to say anything at this point. Zhou Rui hasn't even agreed to quit her job in Sichuan and work with him.
Hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Zhou Rui was genuinely tempted. His younger brother was in university, and his other younger brother was in high school with excellent grades, practically guaranteed a place in university. His other younger sister was in middle school and also doing very well academically.
However, with only a few acres of meager land, it was simply impossible for the family to support three people's education. Zhou Rui's younger sister dropped out of school last year to stay at home and help their parents with farm work. Later, when he returned home and found out, he forced his sister to return to school.
For someone like Fatty Ma, money might just be a symbol, a string of bank numbers. But for Zhou Rui, it was extremely important. If he didn't send money home for a month, his younger sister probably wouldn't be able to go to school, and their house was already dilapidated and they didn't have the money to repair it. So what Zhuang Rui said, especially the words "100,000 yuan," had a strong impact on Zhou Rui's mind.
"Da Chuan, Zhuang Rui, let me think about it."
Zhou Rui did not agree on the spot. He was a rather steady person. What he was worried about now was whether Liu Chuan's words were credible. What if he quit his job here and went to Pengcheng, but it wasn't as good as Liu Chuan said? Then it would all be for nothing.
Approaching thirty, Zhou Rui had never seriously dated a girlfriend. Although his family had introduced him to a few women, they all backed out as soon as they saw his family's situation. His parents and siblings felt that his family was a burden to him. Every time he went home, he could feel the guilt emanating from his parents. Seeing his parents, who were just over fifty but whose hair had turned gray due to the heavy pressure of life, Zhou Rui felt extremely distressed.
Zhou Rui, who could sleep soundly even in the muddy jungle, was experiencing insomnia for the first time today, lying on the luxurious Simmons mattress in his hotel suite.
The next morning, the group checked out of their hotel and drove back to Sichuan. However, Zhou Rui was clearly not in good spirits, so Zhuang Rui drove first for the first part of the journey.
On their return journey, at Liu Chuan's request, they made a special trip to Renqing Cuomu's "winter retreat." Liu Chuan was paving the way for future cooperation, bringing many gifts that the grassland herders needed. Naturally, they were very well received. After singing and dancing all day, the three brothers were all drunk and spent the night in the tent. The next day, they bid farewell to the hospitable Renqing Cuomu family and returned to Sichuan.
Liu Chuan's trip was incredibly fruitful. Although Tibetans don't kill or eat dogs, and they don't buy or sell Tibetan mastiffs, they mostly exchange goods for them. However, after Liu Chuan's persuasive words, and with Renqing Cuomu having some understanding of the outside world, and knowing that her parents no longer lived in the pastoral area but in Nagqu City and would eventually have to leave the grasslands, Renqing Cuomu didn't object to doing things now to pave the way for the future.
The two eventually reached some cooperation agreements. Liu Chuan would set up a Tibetan mastiff kennel, and Renqing Cuomu would provide adult Tibetan mastiffs. The ownership of the adult Tibetan mastiffs would belong to Renqing Cuomu, and the profits from the sale of puppies would be divided among everyone according to their shareholding.
Although the distribution of shares hasn't been explicitly discussed yet, at the very least, the golden-haired mastiff king's harem life will come to a tragic end, due to the need to control the purity and bloodline of Tibetan mastiffs. ...
"Damn, this is life! Hey, Wood, leave me some, don't eat it all..."
Emerging from the steaming pool, Zhuang Rui, Liu Chuan, and Zhou Rui were all red from the scalding water. They lay naked on the communal beds in the bathhouse, drinking hot tea and eating crisp radishes, their journey dust and grime washed away.
They arrived back in Chengdu in the morning, had lunch and rested for a while. Liu Chuan then insisted on going to the bathhouse. Zhou Rui had also consulted with his boss and decided to stay overnight in Chengdu and drive to Chongqing the next morning. So he went to the bathhouse with the two of them. However, there are still many bathhouses in Shaanxi, so he didn't have as many feelings about them as the other two.
“Brother Zhou, we’re all going our separate ways tomorrow. I was able to find the Tibetan Mastiff on my trip to Tibet thanks to your help. I’ve prepared some gifts for you when we get back to the hotel, so please don’t refuse them.”
Liu Chuan and Zhuang Rui haven't brought up the matter of having Zhou Rui join them in the past few days. They know that Zhou Rui is a very opinionated person, and since he promised to consider it, he will definitely give them an answer before he leaves.
Chapter 96 Zhou Rui Joins the Party
After listening to Liu Chuan's words, Zhou Rui lowered his head and thought for a while. Then, he stuffed the remaining half of the green radish into his mouth, chewed it vigorously, and the slight spiciness of the radish made beads of sweat appear on his forehead. As if he had made up his mind, Zhou Rui said, "Da Chuan, Zhuang Rui, since you think highly of me, Zhou Rui, then I'll work for you. However, I, Zhou Rui, am an honest man, and I must make this clear from the beginning: if I can't make money with you, I'll leave. I'm not like you; I'm responsible for my younger siblings' schooling and food. If I lose my income, you can afford to wait, but I can't."
Zhou Rui spoke frankly. Over the past few days, Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan had been observing him, and Zhou Rui had also been observing them. In his mind, Zhuang Rui was a calm and composed person, yet he was also courageous and decisive in crucial moments. These were all Zhuang Rui's strengths.
But what Zhou Rui valued most was Zhuang Rui's innate good fortune. You see, in Tibet, both purebred Tibetan mastiffs and reincarnated living Buddhas are extremely rare. Many Tibetans never see either one in their entire lives. But Zhuang Rui first obtained a Tibetan mastiff king and then received the empowerment and gift of a pearl from a living Buddha. Zhou Rui, who had lived in Tibet for many years and was an atheist, couldn't help but have some doubts.
As for Liu Chuan, although he was somewhat impatient, he was very methodical in handling important matters and had an excellent grasp of timing. He seemed reckless but was actually meticulous. In the black market auction, his provocation of Old Man Xie and his discord with Fatty Ma were all intentional. Zhou Rui only realized what had happened after hearing Fatty Ma's words.
Furthermore, during their winter retreat, Zhou Rui noticed that Liu Chuan and Renqing Cuomu seemed to have reached an agreement. Having traveled extensively over the years, he had gained some understanding of Tibetan mastiff prices, but he lacked both funds and connections, making it impossible for him to engage in this business. If Liu Chuan and Zhuang Rui were truly interested in developing this business, Zhou Rui was quite optimistic about his prospects of following Liu Chuan.
"Don't worry, Brother Zhou. Although I don't have much money, only a few hundred thousand, as long as I have food to eat, your younger siblings will have money for school and meals. You don't need to worry. Besides, with Boss Zhuang around, what are we afraid of? Once those treasures in the car are sold, millions will immediately come in."
Upon hearing Zhou Rui's agreement, Liu Chuan was overjoyed, patting his chest muscles until they turned red. He made a promise, though he underestimated his net worth. Although he currently only had a little over a million, his assets would multiply several times over after selling the Tibetan Mastiff in the car to Song Jun.
Although the initial agreement with Song Jun was for 500,000 yuan, that was only for Tibetan Mastiffs of average breed and not very purebred. However, the two puppies brought back are both descendants of purebred Golden Retriever Tibetan Mastiffs, and their breeding female is also a Tibetan Mastiff. This makes the price of the two puppies much higher, and they can't be bought for 500,000 yuan. A few days ago, when Liu Chuan was on the phone with Song Jun, Song Jun said that each puppy was worth 3 million yuan. If Liu Chuan hadn't been reluctant to spend the money, he would have bought both of them.
"Get lost. You can have that sandalwood root carving. As for the mastiff farm, I'll give you another three million. Don't even think about anything else."
Zhuang Rui laughed and scolded upon hearing this. After returning from Renqing Cuomu's place on the grassland, he and Liu Chuan had already discussed it in the car. Zhuang Rui would invest three million and Liu Chuan would invest four million in the initial investment for the Tibetan Mastiff kennel. They would first find a remote place, buy some cheap land, and build the prototype of the kennel. Since the later introduction of Tibetan Mastiffs for breeding would basically not cost much, according to the agreement with Renqing Cuomu, they could bring some adult Tibetan Mastiffs from the grassland for free.
Of course, "free" simply means no cash payment is required. However, after the Tibetan Mastiff kennel is established, Renqing Cuomu will also hold shares. Liu Chuan and Zhuang Rui have roughly divided the shares: Liu Chuan will invest four million, serving as the legal representative and chairman of the kennel, holding 40% of the shares; Zhuang Rui will invest three million, holding 30% of the shares; and Renqing Cuomu will provide the adult Tibetan Mastiffs for breeding and will own the rights to supply them, holding 25% of the shares. The remaining 5% will be reserved for Zhou Rui.
Previously, Zhou Rui hadn't agreed to quit his job and go to Pengcheng with them. Liu Chuan and Zhuang Rui had racked their brains trying to figure out how to communicate with Renqing Cuomu, because spring was approaching and the winter camps would soon be disbanded. Renqing Cuomu was homeless on the vast grasslands and couldn't be contacted by phone or other means. If you weren't very familiar with the lives of herders, you simply wouldn't be able to find them. But now that Zhou Rui had agreed to work with them, this obstacle was gone.
"A Tibetan Mastiff kennel? Zhuang Rui, Da Chuan, are you really planning to raise Tibetan Mastiffs?"
Zhou Rui had no idea that the two of them had already made up their minds. He had only been guessing before, but after hearing Zhuang Rui's words, he was finally certain.
“Brother Zhou, it’s not ‘us,’ it should be ‘you all,’ it’s you, Da Chuan, and Renqing Cuomu. I’m only responsible for providing the money and managing the finances; I don’t concern myself with anything else. By the way, you also have shares in this mastiff kennel…”
Zhuang Rui smiled and corrected Zhou Rui's words. Then he roughly explained his and Liu Chuan's plan to Zhou Rui. However, when Zhou Rui heard that he would have 5% of the shares, he shook his head repeatedly and said, "Zhuang Rui, Da Chuan, I appreciate your kindness, but building this mastiff kennel will cost a lot of money. I don't feel at ease taking these shares if I don't contribute a single penny. I'd rather work for you."
“Brother Zhou, don’t refuse. We’ll need to consult a lawyer about the specifics of how to proceed. After we buy the land for the kennel, it would be best if Brother Renqing Cuomu came over so we can all discuss it together. As for the shares, you might not even get five percent by then. There’s no need to say more now.”
Liu Chuan waved his hand, displaying a demeanor somewhat like someone about to take office as chairman, but his words weren't offensive. After thinking for a moment, Zhou Rui nodded in agreement. ...
“Brother Zhou, take this. Go back to your hometown and settle down with your parents for a while. Then come to Pengcheng to find me. Once the mastiff kennel is built and we brothers get busy, we might not have time to go back again.”
After the group returned to their hotel room feeling refreshed, Liu Chuan took out a black handbag and tossed it to Zhou Rui.
Zhou Rui paused for a moment, then casually opened the handbag. His body immediately stiffened. There were ten bundles of 11,000 yuan in the bag, totaling 100,000 yuan, making the handbag bulge. Zhou Rui wasn't unfamiliar with so much money, but that money didn't belong to him. Now, after hearing Liu Chuan's words and looking at the money in the handbag, even Zhou Rui, who remained calm when fighting drug traffickers at the border, couldn't help but be stunned.
"Da...Da Chuan, this money...is it for me?"
Zhou Rui's speech became somewhat incoherent. After leaving the army, he had done many jobs, with the highest salary being only a little over a thousand yuan. Now, suddenly seeing all this money belonging to him, he couldn't help but lose his composure.
With Zhou Rui's skills, it wouldn't be difficult for him to make money through crooked means. However, after witnessing the fate of many criminals, Zhou Rui has always adhered to his principles: "Work hard and be an honest person." Although it is tough and tiring, every penny he earns is clean and honest.
After the initial panic subsided, Zhou Rui calmed down, pushed the bag to Liu Chuan's side, and said, "Da Chuan, I know you mean well, but I can't accept this money. As the saying goes, 'No reward without merit.' It's not right for you to give me money before I've even done anything. Even if you don't give me this money when I work for you in the future, I will still accept it."
Zhou Rui made a rare joke, but at the same time, he made up his mind to work for Liu Chuan and Zhuang Rui from now on. You know, they didn't even look at his ID card and just casually pulled out 100,000 yuan. With such a bold boss, he believed that his future would be bright.
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui pushed away the little white lion that was circling around him. He hadn't seen the little guy for only an hour or so, and it started tearing at Zhuang Rui's trouser leg. He didn't know if it was revenge for him not taking him to the bath, or if it was due to their intimacy.
“Brother Zhou, take this money. As you know, Da Chuan and I came here to buy Tibetan mastiffs because someone else had pre-ordered them. If it weren’t for you leading the way, we would never have been able to find any herders on the grasslands. So this money is your payment for your labor. Even if you hadn’t worked with us, this money would still have been for you. You deserve it, so there’s no need to feel embarrassed.”
Zhuang Rui was telling the truth. Although Renqing Cuomu gave the Tibetan mastiffs to Liu Chuan, Zhou Rui was the one who did all the killing and skinning of the wolves. Without his reminder, how would Liu Chuan know to exchange gifts with the herders? Besides, Liu Chuan got both Tibetan mastiffs all by himself. If it were based on merit, it would be reasonable for Zhou Rui to ask for one as well.
So giving Zhou Rui 100,000 yuan was something Liu Chuan had planned long ago. This money was taken from Zhuang Rui's 300,000 yuan, and it was considered a loan from Zhuang Rui to Liu Chuan. It would be offset in the accounts later.
“Okay, I’ll take the money. I’ll go back and resign tomorrow. I’ll be able to get to Pengcheng in three to five days. I, Zhou Rui, am not good at sweet talk, but I will do my best to help my two brothers in the future.”
Zhou Rui didn't make any further recommendations. Holding the cold leather bag in his hand, his heart was burning with excitement. He hadn't expected these two young men to be so generous, and he had made up his mind that he was willing to sell his life to them.
Chapter 97 The Troubles of Gifts
In March, Pengcheng is already bursting with spring. Every willow tree along the roadside has sprouted tender buds, and every willow branch dances gracefully in the warm spring breeze. Walking in the teachers' residential area where he lives, Zhuang Rui greets his familiar old neighbors with a smile and pushes open his own front door.
Zhuang Rui was sent out to buy groceries by his mother early in the morning. He had just entered the door when he was surrounded by the little white lions. He didn't even have time to answer the phone when he heard it ringing in his room.
"Xiao Rui, what are you busy with? The phone has been ringing for ages, go answer it."
Mrs. Zhuang looked at her son, who was playing with the little white lion, with a smile on her face. This little guy was really intelligent. Under Zhuang Rui's guidance, he was very affectionate towards Mrs. Zhuang, Zhuang Min, and Xiao Nannan. Liu Chuan was extremely envious and kept scolding the little white lion for being biased.
"Hello. Oh, it's Xuanbing. How did you get my phone number?"
Zhuang Rui searched for a long time before realizing it wasn't the home landline. It seemed he would need to set a special ringtone.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered it. It was Qin Xuanbing. But as soon as he said it, he wanted to slap himself. It was wrong of him to buy a SIM card and not notify her. And now he had asked such an idiotic question.
"If I don't call, are you not going to contact me anymore?"
Sure enough, Qin Xuanbing's tone immediately changed. She was also a little conflicted. Since returning from Tibet, Zhuang Rui hadn't called her once. He didn't mention it on the way back, but now, judging by the time, they should have been back in Pengcheng for two days. And Zhuang Rui's phone number was obtained from Lei Lei. Thinking of this, Qin Xuanbing pursed her lips and bit her lower lip slightly.
"Xuanbing, I'm so sorry. I just got a SIM card yesterday and wanted to send you a text message, but I'm so clumsy. I fiddled with it for ages and still couldn't figure it out. Then people came over and I forgot. Don't be angry, I did prepare a gift for you."
Zhuang Rui isn't usually this glib, but when he talks to Qin Xuanbing on the phone, he feels particularly relaxed, as if he's talking to a friend he's known for years, and he starts rambling on and on.
"What gift?"
Qin Xuanbing's attention was indeed diverted to the gift Zhuang Rui mentioned, and she pressed him for details over the phone.
"Of course, I'm giving you a gift to surprise you. It wouldn't be worth much if I told you about it. I'll give it to you then when you have the chance to work at Zhonghai after I go back to work there."
Zhuang Rui had no gift to give Qin Xuanbing. His earlier words were purely to stop the young lady from dwelling on the fact that he hadn't called him. One lie naturally requires more lies to cover it up. Zhuang Rui was now caught in this vicious cycle himself.
"Xiao Rui, is that Qin Xuanbing? When did you two become so familiar?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui hung up the phone, he saw his mother looking at him with amusement, and he immediately felt a headache coming on.
"Mom, I went to Dachuan's house. The Tibetan medicine I brought for my godmother is still with me. I won't be back for dinner tonight."
Zhuang Rui really didn't know how to explain it to his mother. Should he say that he had rescued a damsel in distress on the grassland? Oh no, that seemed to be the wrong story. If Qin Xuanbing hadn't shot down a few wolves, he probably wouldn't be standing here unscathed. He made up a few things to his mother and fled the house as if he were escaping. A white shadow darted out behind him, and it turned out to be the little white lion.
"This brat is joking around with his mom too."
Seeing her son's flushed face, Mrs. Zhuang couldn't help but smile to herself. To her, it didn't matter who her son dated. Even if Qin Xuanbing came from a wealthy family, Mrs. Zhuang wouldn't think that her son was unworthy of her.
Zhuang Rui had arranged to have dinner at Liu Chuan's house today. Liu Chuan's mother had always treated Zhuang Rui well, like her own son. When Zhuang Rui was admitted to university, even the thank-you banquet for his teachers was arranged by Liu Chuan's family. Zhuang Rui's purpose for going today was to use the excuse of the Living Buddha giving him medicine to get his godmother's health improved. Zhuang Rui knew that although his godmother hadn't said it, she was incredibly envious of his old friend Zhuang's mother's improved health.
However, Zhuang Rui wasn't thinking about how to cure his godmother's illness. Instead, he was still thinking about the phone call Qin Xuanbing had just made. He was currently worried about Qin Xuanbing's gift. In a few days, he would be going back to work in Zhonghai, and Qin Xuanbing would also be there. If he couldn't come up with anything, he would lose face big time.
Looking at the little white lion nimbly moving between his feet, Zhuang Rui was still at a loss. From childhood to adulthood, except when he was five years old and offered a lollipop to the little girl sitting next to him in kindergarten and was refused, Zhuang Rui had never had the experience of giving a gift to a girl.
"Damn it, these taxis are bullying people, they won't stop even when there are no passengers. I'm going to buy a car tomorrow."
After waving his hand for a long time on the roadside without seeing a single car stop, Zhuang Rui took out his phone in frustration and called Liu Chuan. The Hummer was still in Liu Chuan's hands. Song Jun was taking a flight from Beijing to Pengcheng this afternoon, and they had already arranged to meet in the evening.
Less than ten minutes later, Liu Chuan, the man who had been soliciting, sped over in his Hummer. He rolled down the window and complained to Zhuang Rui, "Hey, you're not short of money for these two taxis, are you? This car is a gas guzzler. The gas cost is more than the taxi fare. Hurry up and get in, or Brother Song will scold you again."
Although the trip to Tibet was a complete success, and Liu Chuan even got an extra purebred Tibetan Mastiff puppy, the Hummer was badly damaged. Aside from the wolf claw marks on the body, the Persian carpet inside, worth tens of thousands of yuan, was utterly ruined. Bloodstains from Zhuang Rui's injury, small holes burned by Liu Chuan's cigarette ash, and scratches from the white lion's claws—all combined, it was basically just a tattered piece of cloth, practically worthless.
"It's not that I don't have money. I've been standing here for ages, and not a single car has stopped. Am I just having a run of bad luck?"
Zhuang Rui answered Liu Chuan irritably as he got into the car with the little white lion in his arms. At that moment, he was still thinking about what gift to give Qin Xuanbing.
"Are you out of your mind? Woody, besides me driving this car, I doubt any taxi would dare to take you."
Liu Chuan looked at Zhuang Rui as if he were a rare animal, and pointed to a sign next to Zhuang Rui.
"Damn, I didn't notice, they're gone, they're gone. It's been so long since I've had my godmother's cooking."
Following Liu Chuan's finger, Zhuang Rui realized that parking was prohibited in this area. He blushed and quickly changed the subject.
"Hehe, it must be Xiaoxuan calling you. Leilei told me that the girl asked for your phone number. I said, buddy, you should take the initiative. Don't think being a virgin is something to be proud of and cling to it."
Liu Chuan looked at Zhuang Rui with a sinister smile. As expected of someone who grew up with Zhuang Rui, he guessed almost exactly what was going on.
"Get lost! Should I tell Lei Lei about your Hummer-driving antics?"
"Hey buddy, I'll treat you to lobster and abalone tonight."
Liu Chuan, that bastard, would slow down and flirt with any girl he found pleasing to the eye whenever he saw her in the Hummer. Zhuang Rui's words hit his sore spot.
"Okay, I'll tell Brother Song tonight that you're planning to pay the bill, so make sure you bring enough money."
From childhood to adulthood, Liu Chuan had never gained the upper hand over Zhuang Rui in a verbal exchange, and the same was true now. He could only vent his frustration on his right foot, stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake.
Upon arriving at Liu Chuan's house, the two Tibetan mastiff puppies immediately surrounded him. After Zhuang Rui used his spiritual energy to cleanse their bodies, it was clear that Liu Chuan's status in their hearts had immediately dropped to second place. This also led Liu Chuan to repeatedly offer Zhuang Rui the position of chairman of the yet-to-be-established mastiff kennel.
"Woof...woof...woof!" The little white lion had already started barking, but its bark was different from that of ordinary dogs. It came from deep in its throat, and the sound was very deep, more like a roar. After entering the room, it saw the other two little guys surrounding Zhuang Rui. The little white lion was immediately indignant and did not care about the old friendship of traveling together for several days. It rushed up and slapped the two little guys away.
The three Tibetan mastiffs were about the same age, all born around one month old. However, the little white lion was significantly larger than the other two, almost reaching Zhuang Rui's knees. It's worth noting that it usually takes at least three or four months for a Tibetan mastiff to grow to that size, and Zhuang Rui was already having some difficulty holding it.